An all-encompassing light dissipated the darkness as Starlight slowly regained consciousness. She blinked once, twice, and by the third time her brain realised she was indeed awake. She stayed there, lying under the blankets, lost in the post-sleep drowse that permeated her mind. Finally, with a yawn and a satisfying stretch that made several cracking noises come from her back, Starlight woke up.

“Good morning, Equestria,” she said with a slur. She then took a deep breath as the last remnants of fogginess faded away. She lay there, smiling and enjoying the warmth of her bed. It was such a pity that she’d have to leave it and go on with her day, though that didn’t mean she couldn’t entertain the thought of sleeping in. Maybe she could ask Spike to make some more of that vanilla pudding with—

The memories of last night rushed back to the front of her mind, and with them, those little bouts of nervousness which had lulled her to sleep.

“Oh…” Starlight whimpered to the empty room, shrinking under the covers. She shut her eyes and wrinkled her snout as the nagging voice of her conscience got louder and louder. She wrapped her blankets around her tightly, as if doing so would shield her from the real world and its consequences.

“This is too much to deal with just after waking up,” Starlight mumbled. She gave the blankets a swift kick, sending them away. The blankets, however, weren’t keen on letting her go just yet, seeing how they tangled with her hooves and fell on top of her again.

She let out a long, sustained groan. Why was she getting all flustered over this? What was she, fifteen?

No, you’re not, Starlight. You’re a mare in her mid-twenties who perhaps should start acting her age.

“Yeah, too much,” Starlight said, untangling herself from the mess of blankets and duvets and jumping off the bed. With a sigh she started shaking and stretching the blankets.

She was well aware of the source of her discomfort. It was definitely not Spike, but rather one Twilight Sparkle, who just so happened to be away when Starlight had confessed to said alicorn’s little brother. The little brother who had only very recently turned eighteen years old. She hoped Twilight didn’t get any wrong ideas

Starlight rolled her eyes as she ran her hooves across the bed, smoothing out the wrinkles with disinterested motions as her mind wandered elsewhere. Twilight would surely understand her situation. Absolutely. Once she explained things, Twilight would be her usual comprehensive self and teach her another friendship lesson regarding trust and honesty.

Most likely scenario.

It was definitely in the cards.

…Maybe it was for the best Twilight wasn’t here for the week.

Another groan escaped her as she finished pretending to fix up her bedsheets. A hot shower could probably help her clear her mind, or at the very least wake her up. If anything it would give her some time to think before she had to go out and face Spike.

Last night she had had no problem with acting coy and alluring as she rode on the coattails of the adrenaline rush her confession gave her, but once she was alone she couldn’t help but wonder why had she been so rash about it.

There was no denying she had feelings for Spike that were, perhaps, stronger than how she felt towards the rest of her friends. Or that they had developed several common interests during the time she’d been in Ponyville. Or that they were never short of new topics of conversation. Or that she honestly enjoyed spending time with him. Or that he served as a constant reminder that things could always get better. Or that Spike just so happened to be so enticingly ho—

Okay, time for the cold water.

Starlight let the jet of cold water wash away her thoughts. Most of them, at least. At the forefront of her mind remained the memory of a young dragon, looking at her amidst the darkness of the castle’s kitchen.

She bit her lip. Spike said he would like to go out with her. He meant that, he really was interested in her to the point of agreeing to date. She ran her hooves through her mane as she thought back to last night, to the sight of Spike blushing and stumbling on his words as he accepted her foalish request.

Starlight felt that her timing hadn’t been perfect. Far from it, actually. Now that she thought about it, her confession not only had come out of the blue, putting Spike in a tight spot, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that maybe she had rushed things.

Giving a drawn-out sigh, Starlight turned off the stream of cold water and stepped of the shower. She idly let her magic guide a towel across her body, drying out her coat and mane.

It wasn’t that she regretted confessing, because she really didn’t, seeing how it all worked out well in the end. It was more the specific timing of her confession that she felt could have been pulled off better. She could have tried to set up a better environment to drop the question, ease both of them into a romantic mood and then try to bring up the topic. Of course, that implied her confession hadn’t been an outburst brought forth by the stirring feelings inside of her.

She buried her head in the towel, too embarrassed to even face the empty bathroom.

“Pull yourself together, Glimmer,” she said, taking deep breaths. “Everything’s going to be alright, just you wait and see.”

Starlight grabbed a nearby comb and started working on her mane as she repeated those words over and over to herself. Maybe she just needed to stop obsessing over it so much. What was done was done, and she was not going to argue with the results. Whatever the ramifications of her actions, she’d deal with them as they came.

With a final shake of her mane to let her hair hang just the way she liked it, Starlight trotted towards the door with confidence in her step. She was going to get out there and have a great day, the greatest she’d had in her life so far, and she was going to have it alongside her beautiful whatever-she’d-end-up-calling-him, Spike.

With a triumphant stride, Starlight opened the door of her bedroom, and quickly lost her bravado as she saw the startled young dragon standing in the hallway.

“Spike!” Starlight half-said, half-yelled as she took a step back in surprise.

“Starlight!” Spike said, reacting much in the same way Starlight had. He was quicker to recover his composure, however, and after clearing his throat, he spoke again. “Uh, good morning, Star.”

“Good… good morning, Spike,” Starlight replied, and she could feel the blood rushing to her face, a clear contrast to how she acted last night when they said their goodbyes. “Were you waiting outside of my door?”

Spike suddenly became very rigid, and started looking around as he tried to find the right words.

“You were?” Starlight teased him, seizing the opportunity to take control of the conversation once again.

“No! No, I mean… it’s almost nine, so I came to see if you wanted breakfast,” Spike said.

“Sure… I’d love to,” she replied, noticing how quickly her voice mellowed as she dropped the playful edge of her voice.

“Great!” Spike said, perking up again. He then raised his claws, paused for a second and let his arms drop before crossing them behind his back, not without giving her a smile that seemed just a little bit too stretched to feel natural. “I’ll go to the kitchen and start cooking. Do you want to get ready, or…?”

“I just got out of the shower…" she trailed off. His behaviour just now seemed odd, but she couldn't quite figure out why. She then noticed she had been silent for almost twenty seconds so she hurriedly spoke again."Let's just… uh, let’s go.”

Spike gulped. “Ah, alright then.”

She decided not to pay it any mind. Just as they had done the night before, the couple made their way through the hallways and corridors. She let out a soft giggle at the thought of being able to use the word “couple” in more than one way now.

Still, as they walked, Starlight noticed that Spike was acting… nervously. There was a stiffness to his steps, as if he was making a conscious act out of each movement of his legs. Not to mention that he had developed a sudden interest in the side of the hallway opposite to her. His arms were stiff, as were his wings, pressed against his body in just the right way to feel forced.

She felt a knot forming in her chest. She wasn’t imagining this, was she? She tried to keep walking as normal while looking at Spike, who was indeed acting out of the ordinary. She didn’t have to think too much to figure out the reason of his uneasiness.

Her.

More specifically, her confession last night. She had been so wound up in thinking how it had affected her that she hadn’t thought for a second how Spike must have felt. Sure, he had agreed to go out with her, but she had spent most of the morning with a good heap of anxiety festering in the back of her mind, and she was the one who had asked him out. She could only imagine what he had been through since then.

Yeah, you’re both off to a great start, Starlight, she reprimanded herself, but they reached the kitchen before she could say anything to Spike.

“We’re here,” Spike said, and Starlight thought it may have been just for the sake of saying something and breaking the silence. “Anything you’d like, Star?”

“I’ll have whatever you’ll have,” Starlight said.

“Alright then, I’ll make us something delicious.” He cracked his knuckles and started looking through the cabinets. “Go take a seat, I’ll be over in a second.”

“Can I help you with something?” Starlight blurted out.

Spike turned around and looked at her. She felt the blood rushing to her cheeks as the dragon stared at her in silence. “You don’t have to, I’m fine with cooking for us,” he said.

“No, I know you’re fine with it. It’s just that… well… It’s been a while since we last did something in the kitchen, and I just, I kinda wanted to, uh, to help,” Starlight said, doing her best Fluttershy impression. She wanted to slap herself for making such a big deal out of nothing at all. It wasn’t as though this would be the first time she ever helped him cook.

“Sure… I could use some help,” Spike said, and smiled for what was probably the first time that morning, which Starlight was more than willing to reciprocate. She liked to help Spike cook every now and then, even if most of the time she ended up not doing much more than playing the role of an assistant.

“Would you like to eat eggs Benedict?” He asked her.

“I’ll be fine with anything you want to give me,” Starlight said in the most innocent tone she could.

Spike either didn’t get her meaning, or he hid his reaction very well. Whichever it was, he soon directed Starlight to retrieve some supplies from the pantry as he fired up the stove.

“Pass me a few eggs. Could you melt some butter while I do this?” Spike said, taking out a small saucepan.

“Sure thing,” Starlight replied. She took out the carton of eggs and a whole bar of butter, and got to work on breakfast, always following Spike’s instructions very closely.

“Don’t stop stirring, or the butter and yolks won’t mix evenly,” Spike said as he carefully cracked an egg in a cup and submerged it in the boiling water.

“Got it,” Starlight said. Truth be told, it was easy to do this with magic. It allowed her to focus on the sauce itself, making sure it would reach Spike’s desired texture… as well as allowing her to look at Spike.

Focused as he was on the poached eggs, he didn’t notice her looking at him with an inquiring expression. She felt as if she should say something about last night. Mention it, at the very least, instead of letting it hang in the background like a vortex sucking the life out of the room.

Then again, what should she say? Or how should she say it? How was she supposed to bring it up? Dear Celestia, maybe she did imagine what happened last night.

Oh no, you don’t. Get it together, Glimmer.

“The sauce is just about ready. Could you pass me the muffins? I bought some at Sugarcube Corner earlier today,” Spike said as he took one of the eggs out of the boiling water.

Starlight lost focus of the saucepan for a moment, but quickly drove her attention back to the melting butter. With a nod, Starlight took the mix off of the stove and looked for the bag of baked goods. She was content with following Spike’s lead. This was his element and she was more than happy to let him guide her through it. She had no problem admitting she was nowhere near as skilled at this as he was, but she was having fun, at the very least. Whether or not that fun derived from her company was something she deemed unimportant at the moment; she simply allowed herself to get lost in the rhythm of their work.

“And it’s done,” Spike said after finishing the assembly of their breakfast, where two beautiful, golden-coated eggs Benedict sat. Even under Starlight’s admittedly untrained eye, they seemed extremely appetizing.

“Can’t wait to try them,” Starlight said, still enraptured by the alluring splendor of their breakfast.

“Honestly, neither can I,” Spike said. He put both dishes on a small tray with two cups of coffee and an orange split in half. “Would you like to eat at the balcony?” He extended his free claw toward the kitchen’s balcony, one of the many balconies the castle had. This one in particular overlooked the western part of town, as well as the fringes of the Everfree Forest.

“The balcony? What’s wrong with eating here?” Starlight asked him.

“Nothing, it’s just that… well…” Spike shrugged while keeping his smile. “I know it doesn’t count as ‘going out,’ but I figured it’d be a nice start, wouldn’t it?”

Starlight took a deep breath as she replayed those words in her mind. If anything, she was grateful she wasn’t holding the tray. She would probably have dropped it to the ground. The little, nagging voice of doubt in her mind was wrong, she didn’t imagine what happened last night; they were indeed going out, they were a couple.

That brought her a measure of reassurance. It did nothing to get rid of her errant fears about what others—especially Twilight—would say about this whole ordeal; but she did feel more confident knowing that she had someone to rely on.

“Star?” Spike said, bringing her out of her inner musings.

“Yes! Yes, I’d like that.” Starlight gave him her most earnest smile, which wasn’t hard to do, considering she felt herself bursting with a warmth coming from her very core.

“Alright then, after you,” Spike said as he let Starlight walk in front of him.

It was a bright morning, with mostly clear skies and a barely perceptible breeze. Starlight couldn’t have asked for a better day. Still admiring the sights of Ponyville, she took her seat opposite to Spike, waiting for him to set down the tray.

“Eggs Benedict with tomatoes and avocado for you,” Spike said as he pushed one of the dishes toward Starlight while pulling the other toward himself, “and one with powdered sapphires and bits of rubies for me.”

“Much appreciated,” Starlight said, lifting a fork with her magic and wasting no time before digging in.

It was a nearly flawless experience. The perfectly half-boiled poached egg practically melted on her tongue. The slight acidity of the hollandaise sauce, the juicy tomatoes and creamy avocado, the sweetness of the muffin, they all worked in harmony as a symphony of flavours that enveloped her taste buds.

“You outdo yourself as usual, Spike,” she said.

“You’re a flatterer, Star,” Spike said, finishing his dish with a large bite. “But you’re not wrong.”

Starlight took a sip of her coffee, still revelling in the flavour of the eggs. The warmth of the drink and the fresh cooked meal in her belly was a welcome sensation in contrast to the light chill of the air around them. It was a really nice way to spend the morning.

At that thought her expression soured, though she hoped the mug would cover her. She couldn’t deny that this was nice, because it really was… but how was it different from any of the other times they had eaten breakfast together? Shouldn’t it feel somewhat different now that they were a couple? Or maybe it didn’t have to? Maybe it was that feeling of comfort she had with Spike that prompted her to ask him out last night.

Although… That couldn’t be all that there was to it. If she really was comfortable with things being the way they were, she wouldn’t have asked him out in the first place. That didn’t mean she wasn’t comfortable with it, but rather that, perhaps, she desired something more, and she could only imagine it was the same for him.

“Is everything alright?” Spike asked him after downing his mug of coffee.

“Why did you say yes?” Starlight blurted out. She wished she could be this straightforward all around, it would save her the headaches.

“What?” Spike replied, more than a little dumbfounded.

Starlight let go of her mug, which thankfully didn’t break when it hit the crystal table. She quickly covered her mouth with her hoof and looked away, not sure how to respond. Maybe she could try to pass it off as a misunderstanding, claiming that Spike had simply—

No.

No, enough was enough. She was a grown mare and was not going to let some… some foalish insecurities bring down what could possibly be the beginning of a great relationship. No more faintheartedness; she was going to open up to her, uh, her dragon and be honest with him.

She took a deep breath and looked straight at him. “Why did you say yes when I asked if you wanted to go out with me?” she asked again.

Spike didn’t answer, not right away at least. Instead he looked deeply into Starlight’s eyes, and seemed to be otherwise frozen in his spot, had his tail swinging behind him not said otherwise.

“Spike?” Starlight prodded him.

“I… I don’t know,” Spike said.

It felt weird to hear him say that. She wouldn’t say it hurt, really. There was nothing inherently wrong about what Spike said, but she’d expected something more.

“You don’t know?” Starlight asked him as she averted her gaze and rubbed her hooves together.

“No, I mean…” He looked for the right words. “It’s hard to explain. It’s just that, well, it felt… right?”

Now that was a better answer.

“How so?” Starlight asked him in her softest voice.

It was Spike’s turn to look away. He had an awkward smile plastered over his face, and Starlight had to wonder how he must have been feeling.

“We’re good friends, right?” Spike asked her. “I mean, we’ve spent so much time together. I think I’ve spent more time with you over these last few years than with anypony else. I… I do think of you as one of my best friends.” Spike’s smile was now directed at her. And in it Starlight found something, a reassurance of sorts that meant her fears, while not entirely unfounded, mattered little.

“When you asked me if, well, if I’d like to go out with you, I didn’t really have to think about it. I just sort of knew to say yes.“ Spike leaned forward a little bit, resting his elbows on the edge of the table and closing the distance between them. “I guess I liked the idea.”

The warmth Starlight felt in her chest now spread over to her face. She found herself mirroring Spike’s smile, although she guessed hers was a bit goofier.

“What about you? Why did you ask me out?” Spike asked her.

“I think pretty much for the same reason. I’m sure my confession last night must have come as a surprise to you,” Starlight said, and she had the decency to look a bit apologetic.

“You could say that,” Spike replied with a smirk.

“Oh, hush… “ Starlight chided him. “I know it was a bit abrupt. I just feel so comfortable when I’m with you that I guess I didn’t think much of it at the moment. Besides, it’s not as if I haven’t entertained the thought before.”

This, she noticed, took him by surprise, if his wide eyes and his mouth open in a small grin were any indication. “Really?” Spike asked.

“Y-yeah… you are my best friend, Spike. I realised that a while ago, and I think that while part of me liked that, there was another part that wished for more. As time went on, I realised I didn’t like spending time with you so much as I… as I liked you.”

Starlight’s breath left her just as those last words escaped her lips. Well, the cat was out of the bag now. Not that either of them should be surprised—that much was already implied when she asked him out—but saying it out loud and having it out in the open felt refreshing in a way. Relieving, even.

“You…”

Starlight wasn’t sure how the dragon would react to her dropping yet another bomb on him in such a short period of time, but at least she had gotten everything off her chest.

Almost everything, anyway.

The most important things, at least.

Or, thing, maybe. She was sure she could think of a few other issues that should be cause of concern. Just off the top of her mind, she—Oh, Spike's blushing, let's focus on that!

Spike’s face, much like her own, was alight with flushed cheeks. She rubbed the bridge of her nose in hopes of clearing her lovestruck mind. It came as a surprise, however, when she noticed Spike standing up. She tried to say something, but before she could, Spike walked around the table and sat right next to her. Thanks to his recent growth, they could still see each other eye to eye.

They didn’t stare at each other, not quite. They were staring into each other’s eyes, as if they were trying to communicate something without words.

“Spike?” Starlight whispered.

“You’re right, I wasn’t expecting any of this to happen, and while it did catch me by surprise, I’m not really against it,” Spike said, all without breaking eye contact. “I like you too, Starlight. I don’t know how much, exactly, but I’m more than willing to find out.”

If Spike’s words weren’t enough to wash away the fears and doubts that had sieged Starlight's mind since the previous night, what he did afterwards filled her with pure, unabashed contentedness. The young dragon reached out towards her and pulled her in, resting the side of his neck against hers, and holding the back of her head with his claw as he gave her a few gentle strokes. While Starlight initially flinched in surprise, it wasn’t long before she melted in the dragon’s rather chaste embrace.

Spike’s scales were tough to the touch, but as a whole he felt incredibly soft and warm in a way that made Starlight want to not stop feeling it ever. She nuzzled against him and held him with her hooves. Their chests rose and fell in a slow rhythm as they basked in the silence of their togetherness. Neither of them wanted it to end, but they knew it couldn’t last forever. Finally, after minutes of silence, Starlight spoke up.

“You know, if anything you’ve raised the bar for lunch pretty high,” Starlight said.

“You’re going to eat whatever I cook and you’re going to love it, Star,” Spike said back.

“I never meant to imply otherwise,” Starlight added, and nuzzled him once more.

She didn’t know how this would develop, if it’d work or not, or how their friends—especially Twilight—would react once they found out. But if Spike hadn’t mentioned anything about, uh... that, maybe it didn’t matter all that much.

“Hey, Spike?”

“Yeah, Star?”

“I think we’re alright.”

“Yeah... we’re alright.”

They shared a happy, joyful laugh. Spike gently scratched the back of her ears, sending tingling sensations down her spine. Everything else was secondary; they were together, and that meant everything was alright for the time being.

And, perhaps, that was enough.

Author's Note

Try it yourself!
I had to improvise since I couldn't have GlimGlam eat bacon. I actually don't like avocados.
Also, ponies eat pastries, so it's okay for them to eat eggs. Sue me.