Starlight welcomed the sense of confidence surging through her body. She had to get up at the crack of dawn to get everything ready, but it had been worth it. At least she hoped it had been worth cutting her sleep short. She wiped her brow as she looked at the tray in front of her and the carefully crafted food on it, and smiled.

Yes, definitely worth the effort.

The pancakes had turned out great, if her small test sample was anything to go by. Fluffy, with just the right hint of sweetness. She hoped the crushed gems would give it that extra boost in flavour, but even if it didn’t, the light whipped cream and berries on top should do the trick.

Next to them was a small plate with a few hash browns that were the perfect shade of, well, brown. The aroma of fried potatoes and roasted tomatoes and mushrooms was enough to get her mouth watering. It had taken a few tries until she managed to get them just right. The cherry tomatoes were slightly singed on a side and a few had even burst and were releasing a tantalising juice onto the plate and even more alluring scents.

Then, a steaming cup of coffee with just a dash of cream and sugar to take off the bitter edge. After grinding the coffee beans, she had mixed it with the leftover crushed gems from the pancakes before stuffing it all in the coffee maker. She didn’t know if that would make any difference, but she wanted to give it a shot.

Finally, fresh apple juice. Thankfully Applejack had been up at the crack of dawn and was more than happy to lend her a hoof in squeezing some apples, and the results spoke for themselves. The large pitcher of apple juice was a light caramel colour, and even though it was slightly cloudy, Starlight felt it only made it look more authentic.

All in all, she felt proud of her accomplishment.

Tearing her gaze from the tray, she looked up at the mess of pots, pans and cutting boards strewn about the kitchen worktop. It seemed the lesson about not cooking while excited had not been learned. A grimace flashed across her face before she lit up her horn and made the whole mess disappear.

“Thank Celestia for magic,” she said before turning around and taking the tray with her.

With a spring to her steps, Starlight made her way toward Spike’s room. Once she arrived, she pulled the door open with her magic, leaving just enough room for her to peek inside. It was dark with all the curtains drawn; only a few errant beams of light made their way into the room. Tilting her head, she managed to identify a bed, and a sleeping mass on top of it. Starlight bit her lip in excitement, opened the door all the way, and walked in.

The room was well-kept, with few things out of place. A couple of movie posters adorned the walls, as well as posters of a few bands he had shared with Starlight on occasion. She walked past the shelves full of books and the odd action figure as silently as possible, not wanting to rouse him from his sleep before she was close to him. Thankfully, the carpet did a decent job at muffling her hoofsteps.

Once she reached Spike’s ornate bed, she spent a few seconds admiring his sleeping face. He looked so at peace she almost wanted to snap a picture. It was a shame she had to wake him up, but it was already past ten, and if the day was going to turn out perfectly, she had to adhere to her schedule as best as possible.

I know! Kiss him to wake him up!

That wasn’t a bad idea, but something about snatching a kiss while he was asleep didn’t sit right with her.

But look at him! He’s adorable!

He really was, but getting to see his reaction was about half the fun. Maybe a third of it. Ultimately, she set the tray on Spike’s bedside table and gently nuzzled her dragon until he began stirring awake. Slowly, Spike moved around until he opened his eyes and looked up at Starlight. He stayed silent for a few seconds before smiling. “Am I still dreaming?”

Holding back a giggle, Starlight took a step back and spoke. “I don’t think so. At least I hope this isn’t a dream, otherwise I’d feel silly for running around all morning.”

At that, Spike frowned, the last remnants of his sleep fully gone. “Wait, what do you mean?”

“Oh, nothing you have to worry about,” Starlight replied, bringing the tray towards Spike. He blinked a couple of times before his mind seemed to register the smells of the breakfast. The way his eyes shone, as if a flame flickered in them, made Starlight’s heart swell with pride. “I have the whole day planned for us and I want you to take it easy and go with the flow, starting with the breakfast I made just for you.”

Even through his smile, she could tell something bothered him. “Star… That sounds great, but Twilight is coming back tomorrow and there’s still—”

Starlight cut off his response with a quick kiss. She found that it was becoming her favourite way of swaying an argument in her favour. She held the kiss for a few seconds before pulling back. Spike’s cheeks had turned a light rose, which complemented the surprise in his eyes. Oh, she could almost dive back in and keep kissing him.

If you think those pancakes aren’t sweet enough, just let momma give you some sugar.

…

Celestia, Trixie’s been rubbing off on me.

Smiling once more, Starlight nodded towards the tray and spoke once more. “Eat at your leisure and let me deal with the castle. I promise I’ll give it my best.” They maintained eye contact for a few seconds where Starlight feared he would decline. He seemed intrigued, but it was clear he didn’t want to unload her duties on her. “Don’t think you’ll get to laze around all day, mister. You’ll have plenty to do, just not here. Right now, though, I just want you to enjoy your breakfast.”

With that, she slipped a piece of paper alongside the tray and turned around. That should keep him busy for a couple of hours, and if it all went well, she should be done by the time he came back, and they could have the rest of the day for themselves. It seemed almost too perfect.

Which is probably why things took a turn for the worse around the time she realised magic alone wouldn’t be enough to accomplish this task. Maybe that’s why Twilight still relied on Spike for upkeep around the castle after all this time.

Shelf dusting and book organising was simple enough; the odd layout of the Crystal Castle, however, led to the abundance of rooms which served no real purpose. The empty ones were easy to ignore, but there always seemed to be a random door that led to a storage room, a study, or some other peculiar use Twilight had deemed fit to bestow upon the room following some logic Starlight dared not try to understand, though she wondered if it wasn’t done at least partially out of boredom.

Nevertheless, she powered through, making sure every room was presentable, nothing appeared to be out of place, and there were no visible signs of dirt and as close as possible to the way Twilight had left it. She congratulated herself on a job well done and on her self-control, seeing how she hadn’t vaporised the contents of half the rooms in rage. She couldn’t say that wouldn’t have been the case had Spike taken a few minutes longer to come back. Feeling exhausted, she walked downstairs when she heard the castle’s doors opening to meet Spike.

“Hey, there,” Spike greeted her, carrying a large paper bag with him as he walked into the foyer. “Are you alright?”

“Let’s just say I’m never going to let you deal with the Castle’s chores on your own ever again,” she replied, giving him an unamused stare. “How did you manage to keep up when you were smaller?”

Spike just shrugged, closed the door with his tail, and walked towards her. “I don’t know. I just did. It may be much bigger, but rock and crystal is much easier to clean than wood. Compared to Golden Oaks, cleaning the Crystal Castle felt much easier.”

“Yeah, yeah… Rub it in,” she said, layering her words with as much annoyance as possible before putting on a smirk, “at least I managed to get the whole castle clean. What do you think of that?”

“Really?” Spike shot her a sidelong glance as he walked past her. “I’m sure Twilight will be delighted when she comes back. Maybe she’d be more likely to let us have the Castle for ourselves every now and then.”

Starlight gently nudged him on the side as they both started walking towards the kitchen. It wasn’t that crazy of an idea, if she actually thought about it. Twilight trusted them, and they’d proven themselves to be responsible. It wasn’t that farfetched to imagine she would be okay with—

Oh, right. I still have to survive Twilight finding out I’m dating Spike.

She gulped and looked back at the dragon. There was no reason to worry about that now, she had a great day ahead, and she was going to do her best to enjoy it.

“Did you manage to get everything?” she asked.

“Yes. I had a hard time looking for good tomatoes. Most were a bit small and weren’t quite ripe, but I managed to find some good ones,” he said as he looked into the bag. “I’m surprised. You asked for pretty normal stuff.”

Starlight shrugged. “You taught me it’s not necessary to have something too elaborate to have a good time. I’d rather have a simple meal with you than a banquet with anyone else.” A surge of pride coursed through her body at the sight of Spike’s light blush. Trixie was right, she definitely had to compliment her drakefriend more often if he was going to be this cute each time.

“Say, it’s still a bit early. Do you want to eat now?” he asked her.

“No, not yet. I’d actually like for us to go out for a while.”

Spike looked at her with an amused expression. He looked cute when he tried not to show he was confused. “Really?”

“Really. I didn’t have time to plan anything big, but I think you’ll like what I have in mind anyway,” Starlight replied, stopping herself short of saying she really, really, really hoped he liked what she had planned. She didn’t want to appear insecure, after all.

Spike nodded. “Well, I trust you. Let me just—”

Starlight teleported the bags to the worktop and walked next to Spike. “Let’s go, shall we?”

Perhaps he’d been taken aback by her forwardness, seeing how his eyes widened in surprise at her forwardness.

Well, he better get used to it, because this pony got her groove back.

“Just follow me, I’ll be sure to show you a good time,” she said, finishing with a playful wink.

Leaving the Castle behind, Starlight dragged her flustered dragon with her. They were only a few hours into the evening, but she wanted to make the best of their remaining daylight. Plus, their little activity might take some time.

After a few minutes of walking, they made it to the small lake on the outskirts of town. Hopefully nothing had moved the marker she had left around here last night. Nevertheless, she could take the chance to have a nice romantic stroll by the lake until they got there.

“So…” Spike said as they walked along the shore, “What’s the special occasion?”

Starlight just shrugged. “I just felt like doing something nice for you.” Spike looked puzzled for a second, but before he could say anything, Starlight spoke again, “And before you tell me I shouldn’t have, I wanted to do this.” She paused for a second, turned her head slightly and shot him a smirk. “Plus, I’m going to enjoy this as well.”

Spike let out a soft laugh. “Well, I’m not going to say no to fun.”

“For fun!” Starlight cried out and ran a few meters ahead of him. Once she saw her goal, she took a turn to the right and motioned Spike to follow her.

She stopped next to a moderately sized rock hidden between some trees. Once Spike caught up with her she gave her an earnest smile. “If I’d had the time, I would’ve planned something bigger or flashier. Maybe get Trixie to put on a show for us or something… Either way, I think you’re going to like this.”

Before Spike could question her, she used her magic to lift the rock out of the way, revealing a large lump of shimmering gems. Spike’s reaction was immediate, his eyes went wide as saucers and his mouth hung open as he took in the sight.

“Are those Sapphires? And aquamarines? Starlight, this is amazing!”

“Oh, you know. I only do the best for my friends,” Starlight replied, feigning nonchalance, though she couldn’t help her chest swelling with pride.

“These are all great,” Spike said, grabbing one and holding it up against the light. “All high quality… how did you find these?” He asked, dumbfounded.

She had to remind herself to thank Maud and Rarity for their help last night. They’d already done so much for her and had no reason to help her even more. Still, Rarity had taken the time to teach Starlight her gem finding spell and even brought up a few of Spike’s favourites, and Maud had been kind enough to point her towards an area full of them. A few minutes of late night spelunking later, she got herself a nice treasure chest worth of gems she later hid in this spot.

“I just looked around,” Starlight said innocently.

“Well, we’re definitely going to look around more often. These are great,” Spike replied matter-of-factly.

“I’d love that,” Starlight said, doing her best to sound earnest. “Maybe you could teach me about gems.”

Spike turned to face her, an amused expression on his face. “Really? I’d think Maud would be a better teacher than me.”

“I’d like to hear your insight. Maud can tell me about the composition of gems, but I want to know what a dragon can offer me that a pony can’t,” Starlight said.

Spike popped one of the gems into his mouth. Once he was done chewing, he took a step back and gave Starlight a knowing smirk. “Well, since it’s so important to you, I suppose I can’t say no.” The smirk quickly turned into a smile as he picked up a medium sized bluish gem and held it up. “This one is aquamarine. The composition is almost identical to an emerald, but these are a bit harder, and the iron that makes it blue also give it a stronger taste…”

While she did find the topic somewhat interesting, seeing Spike speak so passionately about something he liked was far more rewarding. She supposed one couldn’t spend so much time with Twilight and not become a bit of a nerd. Nevertheless, Starlight was fine with lying down on the grass and listening to Spike talk to his heart’s content.

Spike went on about why his favourite gems were his favourites, what made some taste different, and how he liked to pair them with meals. Meanwhile, Starlight listened, making occasional comments but mostly enjoying the way Spike’s face lit up whenever he got excited.

Celestia, he’s so handsome...

Sooner than she would’ve liked, the temperature started to drop and the wind picked up. Though the sky was still bright, there was an undeniable orange tint to it.

“Oh,” Spike exclaimed as the cold breeze brought him back to reality. “Huh, I didn’t notice it had gotten so late.”

“Indeed,” Starlight replied. Spike looked down at the hole filled with his gems. They had to take them back to the castle somehow. She knew Spike wouldn’t be able to eat them all at once, despite what he may claim. In a flash, she summoned her saddlebags and a pouch for Spike. “Let’s just pack these up and take them to the castle.”

Spike smiled at her once more. A more mellow, satisfied smile that extended all the way to his eyes, which—in Starlight’s opinion—shone brighter than any gem could.

“Sure thing, Star,” he said, and started scooping gems into his pouch. It was time for the next phase of her plan. It might have sounded a bit evil to put it like that, but she wasn’t about to let herself go down that rabbit hole.

Putting on a look of fake concern she gave her rump a wiggle, shaking her saddlebags.

“Oh, no!” she cried out in an exaggerated sad tone. Spike stopped picking up the gems for a moment and looked up at her. “It seems my saddlebags are full. We won’t be able to store all these gems. I wonder what could be in them?”

Before Spike could ask what was she up to, Starlight opened her bags, and floated its contents out. All while never breaking eye contact with Spike.

He blinked a couple of times before letting out a long laugh. Not in a mocking way, but in his usual kind manner.

“Yeah, I think that’d be fun,” he said. “You only brought one, though.”

Starlight’s eyes narrowed and her smile turned playful. “Oh, you don’t have to worry about that.”

They quickly stuffed the rest of the gems in her now empty saddlebags and walked towards an open field nearby. Lighting up her horn, she took her favourite kite and lifted it towards the sky until she found a favourable wind current and let it go. It was true, she could’ve brought two kites, but as she rested across Spike’s back, she knew she had made the right call.

Her arms were wrapped around his neck, with her head pressed against his. She held the spool with her magic as Spike gently extended his wings. He looked sideways at her, and after a wordless exchange of mutual reassurance, he stood straight and jumped into the air.

The initial shock passed quickly, and once Spike settled on an acceptable flying height, he started gliding around at a slow speed. Slow enough for them to keep up with the kite. Whenever it started getting too high, Spike would angle his wings so they’d get a bit lower, or adjust his speed if the kite lagged or got too far ahead.

And at no point did Starlight stop holding onto Spike.

Sure, the risk of falling was always there in the back of her mind, but it was overshadowed by the closeness she shared with Spike. She once more marvelled at the firmness of his body. Perhaps it was due to him focusing on flying that his muscles were tense; she could feel them flexing under his skin with every beat of his wings in a delightfully enticing manner. Starlight squeezed him a bit harder, pressing her body against his.

Spike turned to look at her. “You okay back there?”

Starlight nodded. “I’m fine. Are you sure your spines don’t hurt?”

He shook his head and gently flapped his wings, “You’re pretty light, so it’s not a problem.”

His little compliment, unintended or not, got a small laugh out of her. She felt the tug of the kite and looked up to see it twirl a couple of times. Her smile became more pronounced and rubbed her cheek against Spike’s neck as she let out a long, satisfied sigh.

It all seemed so perfect. She congratulated herself on planning simple activities that left little room for things to go wrong.

And enjoy plenty of physical contact!

She gave the spool a pull to get the kite a bit closer and made it fly in the other direction. Yes, bringing a lone kite may have been an excuse to snuggle on his back, but she was honestly having a good time, and hopefully Spike would be having a good time, too. Then maybe he wouldn’t notice her smirk.

And so, they flew for a while, occasionally making some comments or asking how the other one was faring, but they mostly just silently enjoyed each other’s company.

Suddenly, the kite jerked to one side, caught in a furtive breeze. The spool spun as the kite flew further and further away. It took Starlight a couple of seconds to realise what was happening and seized the string before it could fly away.

“Hold on, Starlight.” Spike told her and started flying downwards, pulling the kite away from the stronger currents. Starlight tightened her grip on Spike’s neck, making sure not to cause him any discomfort. She felt her stomach drop at the sudden dip in altitude, but otherwise tried to remain calm.

“You’ve gotten great at this,” Starlight said once they started flying at a normal speed again.

“Heh… Well, I’ve had a lot of practice…” was his sheepish reply. He turned his head slightly and gave her an awkward smile. “But, thanks.”

Starlight gently nuzzled the spines on the side of his head as she pulled the kite back toward them, enjoying their closeness for as long as she could. Nevertheless, close to half an hour later, the winds picked up and the temperature dropped further. She should’ve brought a scarf like Rainbow Dash suggested. Either way, she was starting to get hungry, so it was probably a good time to go back to the castle. Plus, she didn’t want Spike to get too tired.

Holding back a giggle, she nuzzled Spike’s neck and pressed her body against his even harder, letting the comfortable heat of his body fight back the evening chill.

“Hey, Spike,” she whispered. Spike angled his wings to slow down and looked back at her. “Let’s go back. It’s getting cold.”

He smiled and nodded. “Sure, wouldn’t want you getting sick.”

Starlight reeled back the kite as Spike changed course and headed for the castle. “Oh, I don’t know. I wouldn’t mind getting sick if it meant I’d get to be pampered by you and nursed back to health.”

“Heh. I don’t think I’d mind either, but…” he replied, “I’d prefer if you remained healthy.”

Starlight pretended to secure the kite with her magic so Spike wouldn’t see how goofy her smile probably looked.

The flight back to the castle was a short, uneventful one; and rather than land in front of the castle, Spike headed for one of the balconies and landed there. Carefully, Starlight jumped from his back, still a bit wobbly, and stretched her limbs.

“That was fun, Starlight. Thanks,” Spike said, giving his wings a final flap before folding them back.

“Don’t thank me just yet, Spike. The day is not over yet,” Starlight said, giving her drakefriend a smug look. She enjoyed his expression for a few seconds before she turned around and walked into the castle. “We’re making dinner together.”

Spike soon followed her and they made their way towards the kitchen. The bags of groceries he had brought earlier were waiting for them, ready to be turned into a delicious meal.

“What are we making?” Spike asked her as he started to unpack the bags. “Tomato, onions, celery… Gazpacho?”

“The day is a bit too chilly for that, don’t you think?” Starlight replied, not looking at him while she busied herself by taking out the pots and pans.

“Well, what will we make, then?”

Turning, Starlight smiled and replied, “Tomato bisque. At least that’s what the recipe book said. I’m not sure how it’s different from a tomato soup, but I like how it sounds.”

Spike shrugged. “I think the difference is about when you add the cream, but I’m not sure, either. I’ll still eat it, though.”

“Of course you will. We’re cooking this together and you’re going to love it,” Starlight said, giving him a smug look. “Now start washing those tomatoes.”

“I never meant to imply otherwise,” Spike replied, leaning in for a quick nuzzle before turning away, and brought the tomatoes towards the sink.

Starlight’s expression melted into one of happiness. Everything had gone well so far, and it would only get better from now on. She would make sure of it. They kept working in silence for a while. Spike cleaned and chopped the celery and onions while Starlight put the tomatoes in a pot to give them a quick boil.

The good thing about the tomato bisque—as far as Starlight’s frantic late night research could tell—was that not only did it provide a satisfying and filling meal with few ingredients, it was also a simple recipe that required little oversight through the process.

Which gave her enough time to do some necessary talking.

“Hey, Spike,” Starlight said, breaking the silence. She turned around, made eye contact with him and, whilst still smiling, kept on speaking. “We’ve been together for a few days now. How… How are you feeling?”

He arched an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

“I think it’s a bit silly to ask…” She trailed off, though the indecision lasted for only a second. Taking a deep breath, she stood firm, straightened her back, looked right into Spike’s eyes, and spoke again. “Do you feel happy?”

Despite not saying it, the words “about us” lingered in the air. Perhaps it was indeed silly to ask for reassurance, but if today was going to go well, she wanted Spike to directly tell her how he felt.

“Yes. I do,” Spike replied after a few seconds.

“Do I make you happy?” Starlight asked, taking slow measured steps towards him.

“Of course you do,” he replied. “These days have been great. I haven’t felt this good in a long time! But… why are—”

Starlight jumped and planted a quick kiss on his lips.

“Good. Because you make me very happy, too.” In the silence left by his speechlessness, Starlight couldn’t help but let out a few giggles.

“R-right back at you, Starlight…” Spike said, coming out of his daze. “What brought this up?”

With half-lidded eyes, she rested her hoof on his chest. The toned muscles were quite the tactile experience. But she didn’t let herself get lost in the sensation too much. This was important.

“I’ve just been doing some thinking… about how silly I’ve been.”

“Starlight?”

“No, don’t interrupt me, I’ve got to get this out now, or I’m going to keep getting wound up like a schoolfilly,” she said, and though she’d barely raised her voice, Spike seemed to have gotten the hint he should stay silent and listen. “I’m not sure why I’ve been like this. Nervousness, insecurity… maybe I was just so excited about getting to be in a relationship with you.”

Spike raised his claw and held her hoof, as if trying to give her some reassurance. It certainly helped.

“Regardless, I think I was stuck in a rut because I was too focused on how this affected me and what was going to happen that I started to lose sight of enjoying the present… and enjoying us,” Starlight finished with a smile.

Spike’s cheeks got a shade redder as he cracked a small smile. After a few seconds, he finally replied, “And how are you feeling now?”

Hoping actions would carry her emotions better, Starlight closed the distance between them and pressed her head against Spike’s chest. “I just want to enjoy this… I want us to be happy and I want to make you feel as happy as you make me.”

“That’s high praise…”

“All earned, I assure you,” she mumbled, already getting lost on the warmth coming from his body.

Spike lifted a claw and rested it on top of Starlight’s head. He gently scratched her behind her ears before he finally spoke. “I like this, too,” he said.

Starlight leaned into Spike, pressing as much of her body against him as she could without toppling him. That could wait for later.

“You know… I’ve been doing some thinking, too.”

In the pause following his statement, she looked up to see the content smile on his face. There was so much in that smile, in his eyes, in the way he looked… Starlight’s heart skipped a beat at the sight.

“I always imagined how it would be to be in a relationship. I’ve been Twilight’s assistant my whole life, so I’m used to doing things for others. I like that, I like to know I’m helpful and that I’m making ponies happy.” Spike’s smile turned playful as the spines on the sides of his head shook a bit. “It’s similar with you. It’s like I said, it all feels right, but it’s not just that. I’m still not sure how to explain it, all I know is that I really want to make you happy because seeing you happy makes me happy.”

The silence afterwards felt so charged, so heavy, yet so comfortable. If she hadn’t been a hundred percent sure she was in love with Spike, she was now. Curiously, as she stared at the tantalising lips of her dragon, she also came to realise something.

“Kiss me,” she said, her voice echoing in the silence of the kitchen.

Surprise flashed across Spike’s face for the briefest of moments before it melted away, leaving only firm decision behind. She didn’t see more than that. She closed her eyes and waited for him to make the first move, to let him take control.

There was an initial jolt of surprise when she felt his lips press against her. The warm, supple flesh was so tempting she could barely contain her desire of venturing a playful bite. However, she remained firm. She had decided she’d let Spike take the lead, and she was going to go through with it.

Somewhat hesitantly, Spike started moving his lips. It was almost chaste, in a way. Despite the desire she knew he had for her, he appeared to be doing a remarkable effort to keep himself in check. Starlight was okay with this, though. As much as she would’ve liked for him to let loose a bit, she liked the gentleness of his kiss.

Just as she was starting to get used to the gentle motion of his mouth, she felt the tip of his tongue brush her lower lip. She didn’t have to open her eyes to know Spike was blushing, the heat coming from his face was telling enough.

As a way of showing her appreciation, Starlight parted her own lips and met his tongue. Spike let out a gasp—which Starlight almost mirrored—and broke the kiss. He didn’t pull back, though. She could feel his hot breath mixing with hers.

Upon opening her eyes, Starlight saw the most enticing sight she’d seen all week. With parted lips and flushed cheeks, Spike looked at her with a mix of timidity and eagerness. His eyes, wide as saucers, shone with a fire she only recalled seeing once, a few days ago, in the darkness of an improvised movie theatre.

“Good,” Starlight said, her voice barely above a whisper. “Now let’s finish cooking, okay?”

With those words—and more than a bit of self-control—Starlight stepped away from Spike. Turning off the stove, she brought the tomatoes towards the sink to drain them and peel them. After the few seconds she imagined it took Spike to get out of his daze, he grabbed the pot and added a splash of olive oil.

“First… uh… The onions and celery go first, right?” Spike asked.

“Yeah,” Starlight replied. She was still a bit flustered after the kiss, but she was also getting hungry, and this would take some time. “Just remember to add the garlic last.”

With that, they once more fell into a comfortable silence as they worked. Spike continued stirring the onions and celery while Starlight focused on crushing the peeled tomatoes.

“All ready?” Starlight asked, bringing the rest of the ingredients toward Spike.

“Yeah, the onions are soft and translucent. What now, water?”

Starlight grinned at him. “Actually, how would you feel about…” she asked as she opened the oven and pulled a pot towards Spike. “Mushroom stock! I got it ready when I made breakfast earlier. The cookbook said it’s the perfect base to use.”

Spike blinked a couple of times before breaking into a joyous grin. “That sounds delicious. It’ll go great with the tomatoes.”

The satisfied smile never left Starlight’s face as she added the mushroom stock and the tomatoes. She knew cramming all those cookbooks last night would pay off. After seasoning with salt, pepper, and a dash of cayenne for an extra kick, she gave the pot a stir and put the lid on.

“Say, what are you going to use to thicken it? I didn’t see you make a roux.”

“Oh, you and your fancy words,” Starlight replied in faux annoyance. “I checked a few cookbooks and found a healthier alternative.” With that, she pulled out a jar out of the cupboard and floated it towards Spike. “Rice!”

Spike looked amused, but in his usual positive way. “Rice starch rather than roux, huh? That’s clever.”

“Only the best for my drakefriend!” Starlight opted not to mention how she’d found that the original recipe called for a base of seashells to thicken the recipe. While she appreciated Twilight’s thoroughness when it came to keeping a complete catalogue, she wondered if it was necessary to have a Gryphon cookbook in the Castle’s kitchen. So lost she was in her thoughts, she almost missed the sight of Spike’s cheeks reddening.

“I think… I like the sound of that,” he said. “Well, while that cooks, what else will we make?”

“Since we’re eating a fancy tomato soup, I figured we should eat a fancy cheese sandwich with it,” she replied, much to Spike’s amusement.

“I knew you would embrace pretentious cooking at some point,” Spike said, a smug grin over his face.

Giving him a playful shove, Starlight turned around and walked towards the fridge to get some cheese. She found a pack of mozzarella sticks. She didn’t know they had those, but it seemed a bit silly to go through the effort of making a tomato cream, and then use frozen mozzarella sticks. So she chose a nice block of smoked cheddar and butter.

Afterwards, they quickly worked on making the sandwiches. A bit of butter on the pan, bread—a few of the smaller gems they had collected for Spike’s sandwich—and cheese. For that little extra to make it special, Spike suggested they added a bit of cheese on the outside and, well, Starlight couldn’t argue with the results.

“Just listen to it,” Spike said as he dragged a fork across the surface of the sandwiches. The tantalising sound of caramelised, crunchy cheese was almost too much to resist.

“Can’t wait,” Starlight replied, managing to tear her gaze away from their latest creation to add the heavy cream to the bisque, give it a good mix, and started serving it on small bowls.

“Is everything ready?”

With a flash of magic, Starlight closed the curtains and lit up several candles on the kitchen table. It was, in a way, reminiscent of their late night snack a few days ago when she had confessed to him in the spur of the moment. To think things would improve so much over the course of the week.

“Now it is,” she replied with a smile.

They walked towards the table. Spike made a big motion out of pulling Starlight’s chair for her like a true gentledrake. Just before he could grab his chair, she pulled his chair with her magic. They shared a grin for a couple of seconds before Spike started laughing. Starlight could’ve chastised him for spoiling the mood, but she was busy laughing as well.

“Oh, sit down already, the food will get cold,” she said.

Starlight couldn’t help but feel entranced once more by the shimmer of Spike’s scales as the soft light of the candles cast him under its warmth.

Oh, yeah… So handsome.

Before she could get mesmerised by him, Starlight looked down and brought a spoonful of the somehow-not-a-cream to her mouth. Even after all this time, she was still surprised by how easy it was to make tasty dishes, and this was a perfect example. It was everything she expected it would be, the texture was so smooth it slid down her throat without much effort, leaving a trail of rich tomato flavour. She definitely had to make this more often.

And then the cayenne kicked in. The little burst of heat hit her just as she was done swallowing. Not much, just enough to get her tongue tingling a bit, and made her ready for the next portion.

“Hey, this is pretty good,” Spike said. Starlight looked up to see him already lifting his spoon and jamming it in his mouth. “I think I could eat the whole pot.”

“Now, Spike. Gluttony isn’t nice,” Starlight replied.

“No, but this is,” he shot back immediately, eating another spoonful of bisque.

She laughed at that, though calling the bisque “nice” would be an understatement. She then lifted the neglected cheese sandwich, dipped it in the bowl, and took a bite.

It was a good thing the cheese hadn’t had the time to cool down. It was no longer scalding hot, but it was still gooey and oozy on the inside. The outer layer of cheese was just hard enough to give it a crunchy exterior that helped the sandwich from getting soggy from the bisque. It was a glorious combination. Though she supposed the dish was so simple it’d be more surprising if they didn’t pair well.

Breaking from the food daze, she looked at Spike and saw he was just as delighted as she was. He smiled with every bite of the sandwich or spoonful of cream. And she found herself mirroring his smile simply out of how proud she felt.

While it was true that from a purely objective point of view, her date plans were less than impressive, she felt she’d done a good job. Breakfast in bed, relieving him of his duties, taking him on a nice stroll by the lake, getting him some gems, flying around, cooking together… it all had gone out without a hitch.

It was so reinvigorating. To take the reins of her own life instead of letting herself be swept back and forth like a boat on a stormy sea. Celestia willing, she could keep this streak going and end the day on a happy note.

Yes… a happy ending, indeed~!

Starlight fought back a giggle. There’d be time to think about that later; right now, she had a delicious dish to finish.

“Hey, the aquamarine goes surprisingly well with the tomato,” Spike mentioned after half of his sandwich was gone.

“That’s good to hear. You know, as much as I’d like to take credit for planning it that way, I only looked for whatever gems sounded tasty.”

“Really? And how do you know which gems are tasty?” he asked, incredulous.

Starlight turned away in mock haughtiness reminiscent of Trixie. “I’ll have you know I do listen to you, Spike. I am most attentive to my drakefriend’s needs. Do you think I just spent the time you talk about gems getting lost in your eyes? At most that happens half the time!”

Rather than call her out on acting cheesier than their sandwiches, Spike remained silent for a few seconds before bursting into a loud laugh, even merrier than before. His shoulders shook with each burst, and he even dropped the spoon he held onto the floor. She smirked for a few seconds before letting out a giggle herself and shaking her head.

She used the last bit of her sandwich to clean her bowl of the last bits of bisque and ate it in a single bite. With their late lunch over, Starlight lifted the dishes and spoons with her magic. Spike, however, was quick to stop her.

“Allow me,” he said as he stood up and grabbed the floating dishes. Before she could complain, he looked at her with a soft gaze and shrugged. “You’ve done a lot already. Just doing a couple of dishes won’t make me think less of this day.”

Not wanting to argue on such an inconsequential point—and knowing he was right, anyway—Starlight relented, and dispelled her magic. “Only because you insist.”

They exchanged smiles before he turned away and walked towards the sink. She watched him go, eyeing him up and down. Her gaze trailed from the back of her head, down his spines, lingering on his broad back and wings, going down his toned lower back and hips, and all the way to the tip of his tail.

“You know, the bisque was really good,” Spike said as he picked up a sponge and started scrubbing one of the bowls. “I think we could make it more often.”

“I like that.”

“Yeah, and I wonder what else we could we do to change it.”

“You can probably come up with something good.”

Spike let out a soft chuckle as he put the now clean bowls away. “It shouldn’t be too hard. We could probably roast the tomatoes before we add them to—”

Starlight cut his words when she hugged him from behind. Tightly.

“Star?” He asked, his voice much softer.

“Yeah?”

“What are you… what are you doing?”

She shrugged, which, considering how hard she was hugging him, probably felt like she was rubbing against his body. Good.

“Hugging you,” she replied. “Can’t I?”

“Of course you can,” his words came in a hurry, but the certainty was clear in his tone.

“Good,” she said, nuzzling his back and enjoying the little shiver that ran through his body. “Don’t let me interrupt you.”

“Right!”

Somewhat nervously, Spike continued washing the dishes as Starlight continued holding her drakefriend. The sound of the running water was soon drowned by her own breathing and the beating of Spike’s heart, and Starlight found herself entranced by it. It was such a comfortable sensation, an entrancing moment that she almost didn’t want it to end, and she would’ve been happy to let the moment linger… but she wanted much more.

“Spike…” she said once he was done.

“Hmmm?”

Just say it. Trust him, and it’ll all be okay.

“Trixie and I ran into Big Mac and you yesterday at the park. We kind of, sort of ended up unintentionally eavesdropping on you for a while… I’m sorry.”

There was a couple of seconds of indiscernible silence as Starlight waited for Spike to say something.

“I…” he trailed off. After another moment of silence he turned off the faucet and looked back at her. “Why?”

Starlight bit off her lip, but powered through. “We didn’t mean to do that… We were at the park, and saw you coming, and I panicked and hid in the bushes with her.”

“Why would you do that?” Spike prodded her, sounding more confused than anything.

A grimace flashed across Starlight’s face, and she had to fight not to avert her eyes for a second there. “I didn’t want you to listen to us… because… we were talking about you.”

Spike blinked a couple of seconds in surprise. “About me?”

She nodded. “All good things, I assure you. But… yes. I‘m sorry. I overreacted and I should’ve just said hi or, I don’t know, run away at that moment.”

Rather than complain, or justifiably calling her out, he just shook his head and said, “It’s okay.”

“But—”

“Starlight,” Spike said, grabbing her arms and making her let go of him. He turned around and kneeled in front of her. He smiled a sincere smile, lifted one of his claws, and held her head. Starlight couldn’t help but rub against his warm palm. “It’s okay. You didn’t mean anything by it. Just… don’t do it again, I guess.”

“I won’t,” she replied, lifting her hooves to hold Spike’s claws against her cheek. “I promise I won’t.”

“Good,” he said, and quickly pecked her muzzle. Far too quick to be a proper kiss, but heavy on affection nonetheless. After a few seconds of physical contact, she felt Spike squirm a bit, and looked up just in time to see his face flush. “How… how much did you hear? Yesterday, at the… at the park.”

“Enough,” she said, still nuzzling Spike’s claw.

“Wh-what do you mean?”

Starlight bit her lip as she shot him a half-lidded stare. “You don’t have to worry. This butt is yours to squeeze at your leisure.” She punctuated those last words with a quick shake of her rear.

Spike lit up so quickly and so fiercely it was as if a light bulb had been turned on.

“Ah—I, I mean. That’s not what I—”

“And,” she cut him off, “I heard enough to be sure I love you, too.”

So much of Spike’s semblance changed after she said that, Starlight could have listed them off for hours. In a swift motion, Starlight let go of him, moved forward, and wrapped her arms around his neck as she locked lips with him. He shivered for a few seconds before he hugged her back and—more importantly—started kissing her, too.

He pressed hard against her in the most overt display of passion either of them had in the past week. Starlight angled her head to one side and pushed further into the kiss, spreading his lips, kneading them with her own. Perhaps instinctively, she let her tongue run across his lips, teasing its entrance into his mouth, and her heart doubled its beating when she felt him meekly doing the same.

A moan escaped her. Or him. Or both. She wasn’t quite sure, and she didn’t care. How could she pay attention to anything that wasn’t the heavenly sensation of Spike’s thin tongue tracing the edges of her mouth.

She exhaled through her nose, not wanting to separate herself until he pushed her away, and she had the strong suspicion he wouldn’t do that.

Taking another step forward, she pressed her chest against Spike’s body, enjoying the rising warmth of his body. Her hooves caressed the back of his head, bringing him closer to her and making sure he wouldn’t pull away. Reacting to her moves, Spike’s arms wrapped around her even tighter, and—much to her delight—started caressing her body.

He slowly rubbed his palms against her back, making the hairs of her coat stand on end. She wanted to urge him, to tell him to go further and not hold back, that her body was his to explore. However, that would’ve required her to break the kiss, and that was not happening any time soon.

Starlight worked her jaw. Opening and closing it in rhythm with Spike. She once more ventured her tongue into his mouth, careful not to poke his fangs. She pushed a bit more, exploring as far as she could while he let her do as she pleased. Not to say he wasn’t taking a bit of an initiative himself.

Slowly but surely, Spike worked his way into her mouth. First licking her bottom lip, moving his tongue to the side to let her in, and then moving in. Starlight’s body shuddered when she felt him make some tentative motions inside her, licking the inside of her cheeks, or even wrapping his thin tongue around hers.

His earnestness moved the parts of Starlight’s mind that weren’t being overwhelmed by lust. A part of her even rejoiced at the prospect of what he could do once he went down on her, which just made her heart beat even faster, and start sending blood down to her nethers.

When she couldn’t take the lack of air anymore, she broke the kiss and pulled back just enough so she could get a proper look at Spike’s burning face, and she could’ve sworn she saw a strand of saliva connecting their mouths for a moment.

“Star…” Spike said, his voice barely more than a raspy moan. “I… I…”

“Yes?” she replied, hurried by her own eagerness as the sight of a flustered, shocked, and clearly aroused Spike mesmerised her.

“I love you,” he finally replied. “I love you, too.”

For a second, neither moved, entranced as they were on each other, and in the words they had just exchanged. Soon, Starlight felt her lips twitch into a goofy smile, and went for another kiss as she felt a hot tear run down her cheek. Quickly, she gave him another kiss. This one was much shorter, and conveyed more excitement than it did affection, but she hoped her love was shown all the same.

“I love you, Spike,” she said once she pulled back, and immediately went for another kiss. Faster than he could react, she pulled back again. “I love you.” She angled her head to the side and kissed the edge of his mouth.

“Starlight…” Spike whispered, but he may as well have said nothing.

She kept making a trail of kisses, all while repeating her mantra. She kissed his cheek. “I love you.” She ventured a lick of the spines on the side of his head which made Spike shiver in a delicious way. “I love you.” She kissed the edge of his jaw. “I love you.” She moved to his neck. “I.” Kissing it all the way down. “Love.” Pressing her lips harder on the place it met his shoulder. “You.”

In a swift motion, she pressed her hooves on his chest and pushed herself away. For second, neither moved. She was taking in the sight of an obviously aroused Spike, and she imagined he was doing the same.

“I love you, Spike,” she said. “Now fuck me until I can’t say it anymore.”

Author's Note

Oh, my God. I love this dish so much, you have no idea. Honestly, it's so easy to make and it's delicious every time. If you make it thick enough, it can even count as a meal on its own! Try it yourself! Also, if you can, try roasting the tomatoes on the oven first. The result is delicious.

Eating any kind of tomato soup is a great excuse to eat cheese sandwiches, and these Inside-Out Grilled Cheese sandwiches are amazing. Try them yourself!
And, yes. I am aware this further cements a certain meme. I'm sure someone will point it out.
Nevertheless. I think you (and Starlight) have waited long enough. Now it's time for sexy times!