After School

This place hasn’t changed a bit.

Spike looked over the rows of lockers and posters down the halls. He wasn’t sure what he was expecting one way or the other, but it still gave him a sense of nostalgia. He simultaneously felt younger for being back and older for having outgrown it. He glanced at a teacher who looked up at him as they passed each other; Spike thought he recognized him from one of the first year classes but couldn’t recall the name.

He reached the room he was looking for and paused in front of the door. Here we go. He took a deep breath and raised a hand to knock. I could still leave. He glanced to either side to see if anyone was watching him, but the teacher had vanished and the halls were empty. All the students had gone home more than an hour ago. He swallowed and rapped three times.

“Come in.”

The same voice. The same soft, melodious, sensual voice. Spike felt a shiver go down his spine and straight to his groin. He twisted the door handle and pushed it open.

There she was. Hair in a bun, glasses on her nose. Dressed in a light blue blouse, a purple skirt, and a yellow belt. One finger on her open notebook and the other clutching a red pen. Sitting at the desk they had almost had sex on.

Rarity, you haven’t changed a bit either.

She lifted her head and did a double take. “Spike?”

He felt the tension in his stomach uncoil. He had shorter hair, a bit more musculature, and a different sort of wardrobe, but she still recognized him. He lifted his hand in a wave. “Hi, Ms. Belle.”

Rarity gave a wide smile and pushed her chair back. “It’s good to see you! Come in.”

Spike stepped into the room and gently swung the door closed behind him. Rarity stepped towards him and gave him a hug. “How are you?”

“I’m great.” Before she was a little taller than me, now I’m a little taller than her. A barely noticeable distance, she was still at eye-level with him. But he remembered very well what it was like to hold her in his arms.

Rarity stepped back and smiled. “What brings you here?” She leaned back against her desk and reached up to take off her glasses. They were different than before, more square with a darker red frame, and she let them hang from her neck by a strap.

“You, actually. Well, obviously, I mean, I’m here.” He had mentally rehearsed this conversation for more than a week, but all of his carefully crafted lines had rushed out of his head the moment he heard her voice. Look at me, I’m an awkward stuttering teenager again.

“Is something wrong?”

He snapped back to reality and saw Rarity giving him a concerned look.

“No, I’m fine. Just…” Spike took a breath and composed himself. “I wanted to talk to you.”

“Certainly.”

“Not here.” Spike gestured a hand to the door. “Did you want to grab a cup of coffee, maybe?”

Rarity glanced over her shoulder at the binder on her desk. “The workload is light…and the weekend is ahead of me.” She looked back and nodded. “Give me a minute or two to finish up some things.”

“Great.” Spike nodded back. “I’ll wait by the door to the parking lot, if that’s okay.”

“I’ll meet you there.”

He nodded again and backed out of the room. Out of the corner of his eye he watched her as she moved back to her desk, retrieved a book bag from under her desk, and flipped it open.

Step one done. Now comes the difficult part…

The coffee shop two blocks from the school had been open as long as Spike could remember, but he had never gone there since he had never touched coffee in high school. It was almost a cliched image of what he would have imagined; polished wood interiors for a rustic feeling with baked goods on plates along the counter and most patrons sitting alone with books, laptops, or phones in front of them.

He had ordered a medium coffee with cream and sugar. She had ordered a cappuccino with skim milk and a shot of caramel flavoring. He had no idea what that would have even tasted like as they sat down at a small table against the wall. He watched and waited a moment as Rarity took a spoon she had asked for and stirred it into her drink. She had put her glasses away and let her hair down, deep purple curls falling over her shoulders.

She gave a small huff. “These places always complain if I ask for a latte with extra espresso. ‘Why not just order a cappuccino’? This is why; they’re told to make sure a cappuccino has layers, so they don’t stir them, or don’t stir them fully. All the espresso stays on the bottom, and why would I pay for a cup of foam and milk that I’m only going to taste the last third of?”

Spike nodded and pretended he understood what she had said, taking a sip of his coffee. Not bad. It tasted familiar, even. He wondered what brand the store used.

“So.” Rarity gently tapped her spoon to the rim of her cup and lifted it with both hands. “What can I do for you?” She took a drink, keeping her eyes on him.

She’s still so poised. Spike smiled. “I wanted to see how you’re doing.”

Rarity set her cup down. “Well, I still teach, as I’m sure you noticed. I’m in good health.”

“Good to hear.” Spike nodded. He fidgeted in his seat. “Um…any life changes lately?”

“I moved into a new building last summer. Still a single bedroom, less closet space but the main room is larger. I can more distinctly separate my work area from the living area now.”

“Sounds good.” He stared at his coffee and lifted the cup. Taking a drink gave him an excuse to avoid having to say anything else. I thought I could do better than this…

Rarity tilted her head. “And you? How have you been getting on?”

Damn. Spike swallowed. “I’m good. I got into Canterlot College.”

“What are you studying?”

“Journalism.” Spike felt his cheeks grow warm. “I wanna go into something with writing.”

“A good fit for you. You did have a knack for the written word.”

Did she mean something by that? Spike smiled and tried to search her face for a hint of a joke or a flirt, but he wasn’t sure. Yes, he had good grades in English throughout high school, but Rarity’s classes in particular… I should keep going, before she gets suspicious.

“And I have a job. A used bookstore downtown. It’s not glamorous, but the owner is nice. As long as I do my regular duties she lets me have time off for classes or read books during my shift.”

“An agreeable arrangement,” Rarity agreed. She lifted her cappuccino to her lips and took a long drink with closed eyes. Spike just nodded and looked down at his coffee. His mind had gone blank again.

“Um…”

“Spike, why did you ask me here?”

He raised his eyes and saw Rarity looking at him evenly. He considered feigning ignorance, but she’d see right through him. Never was very good at lying to her. “I wanted to catch up with you.”

“Not that I don’t believe you, but judging from how this conversation is going, I don’t think you had small talk in mind.”

“No. I…” Spike glanced around; the shop was fairly quiet and everyone was minding their own business. Still, he leaned a bit closer. “I wanted to talk about us.”

Rarity gave a firm nod. “I expected as much.”

Is that good, or bad? He tried to tell from her expression and again got nowhere. Spike took a breath. “I just…”

“I’d imagine if you wanted to solicit me, you would have been forthright with it.” She raised her cup to her eyes but didn’t look away.

“I’m not!” Spike held up his hands and quickly shook his head. “I mean, if you wanted to, I definitely wouldn’t say no…” He trailed off and kept his eyes down. “I know it’s been a while, but…I wanted to see you again. I’ve wanted to see you again for a while.”

He heard her give a small sigh and her cup clink on the table. “Spike.” It was the tone of her voice that made him look at her. She had a strange look on her face that made him raise his head and sit up straighter. He couldn’t place the emotion, but he wasn’t used to seeing it on Rarity’s face.

“Let me be frank,” Rarity said softly. “You’re not in love with me. You were in lust with me as a teenager, and you’re infatuated with me now. But those aren’t the same as love.”

“I know that.” Spike rubbed the back of his neck. “I wasn’t going to say anything like that, honestly. All I know is that I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you. I’ve tried, believe me I’ve tried. I’ve had girlfriends, I’ve had dates, I’ve had flings. A lot of them were great. Not to brag, but I remember your lessons and they’ve for sure come in handy. But even when they like me and I like them…none of them ever really clicked for me. And when I’m alone…” he gave Rarity a sheepish look. “I don’t think about any of them. I think about you.”

“You don’t know me, Spike.” Rarity shook her head. “You know Ms. Belle, you’ve never met Rarity.”

“I know some things,” Spike insisted. “I know you’re smart, you’re well-spoken, you’re kind, you’re hard-working, you’re patient. And you’re still the most gorgeous woman I’ve ever seen. Aren’t those traits I’d want in a woman?”

“Certainly, but…” Rarity shook her head again. “You know about me, but that’s not the same as knowing me. You have no idea what I’m like in private. I could be a chainsmoker and a gossip hound who snores like a lawnmower and eats trashy take-out food every night.”

Spike snorted as he tried to keep from laughing. “I admit, I’d never thought of that specific combination…and yeah, that would probably sour things…”

Rarity gave a small smile. “Just so we’re clear, none of those things are true. The point is that you don’t know if they could be or not.”

“You’re right, I don’t know. But my point is that I want to.” Spike looked into her eyes. “Yeah, maybe this really is a stupid high school crush that I’m not fully over. But what if it isn’t? Shouldn’t I at least try and be sure?”

He saw Rarity’s mouth open, and spoke before she could. “And, I think you owe me that answer. Because I was more than a one-time fling for you, too.”

She stopped and pursed her lip. “Why do you say that?”

“The obvious reason.” Spike gave a small shrug. “If anyone had found out about us, you would have lost your job and ruined your career, maybe even gotten arrested. You didn’t ride me on your desk chair just because I didn’t do my homework.”

Rarity sputtered. “Now, that, that is…”

Spike chuckled at the sight of her so flustered, and immediately felt bad. I’m right, though. “So, yeah. I’m not upset, you didn’t ruin me or corrupt me or anything. I just want to know – why me? Was it even just me?”

She gave a light glare. “Yes, just you.”

“All the more reason I think I deserve to know why.” Spike leaned forward and reached across the table, putting his hand on her wrist.

Rarity looked at his hand and then back at him. “If we’re really going to have this conversation, you need to assure me no one will find out.”

“No one ever has.”

She took a deep breath and tapped a nail against her cup, staring into it. A long moment of silence passed, during which she took a drink and he let go of her so she could raise the cup, and when she lowered it she put her hand on top of his.

Rarity raised her eyes. “Honestly? I was lonely.”

Spike blinked. “Really?”

“Yes…but…” Rarity sat back in her chair and stared into space. “It was more than that…”

This is new. She was right; Spike had never met Rarity, only Ms. Belle. The woman sitting in front of him, looking concerned, embarrassed, uncertain, and wistful, was Rarity. I don’t mind it yet.

“I had my, shall we say, ‘wild’ days. More or less when I was your age, actually.”

“Wild days?”

Rarity looked back at him. “Oh yes. I had a bit of a rebellious streak at times. A part of my life I’m not fond of looking back at. Not for unsavory reasons, but reasons of dignity.”

“How bad could it be?”

“I shaved my head on a bet.”

This time Spike did burst out laughing, much to the irritation of a few patrons around them. Rarity’s face turned red and she lowered her head, her hair falling aside her face. “The point is that those days came and went and I found them thoroughly unfulfilling.” Spike calmed down and gestured for her to continue, and Rarity sat back up. “I realized I didn’t want to be that kind of person as an adult, so I made a choice about who I did want to be. I went to university, I got my degree, and I went into teaching.”

“It’s worked out, hasn’t it?”

“Professionally, yes.” Rarity took another drink of her cappuccino. “I knew if I wanted to pursue a career, the world would not wait for me. But if I wanted to pursue romance, there would be time for that in the future. That was what I kept telling myself, anyway. I was lying to myself. There was never time, I found excuses not to make it. And when I did make time, it was never worth it. I knew what I wanted out of my career, but not from a partner. Did I want to have a family, was I happy alone, did I just want physical intimacy? I’ve had a long time to think about it and I’ve spent most of that time avoiding thinking about it.”

“How–” No. Spike stopped himself, but Rarity noticed and looked at him. “I know I shouldn’t ask a woman this, but…how long? I mean, if we’re talking about us, then…I’d never really thought about the…age gap.”

Rarity rolled her eyes. “I’m forty-five.”

Spike’s eyebrows lifted. “Whoa.” He held up his hands. “I mean, good whoa! You look great for your age. Really great…” He couldn’t stop himself from looking down at her body. “You take care of yourself.”

Rarity’s face fell into a small laugh. “That’s a good sign for you. I wasn’t serious, I just wanted to see if you’d react well.”

“Oh. So you’re…”

“Shave off a decade or so and you’re close.”

“Even better.”

“Back to me,” Rarity’s amused expression faded. “The point is, I was at a crossroads where I was seriously wondering if I was going to be alone for the rest of my life, and if I was content with that or not. I quickly decided no, but if the answer was yes, then what came next? I didn’t know. I just knew that nothing was happening in my romantic life and I was getting damn well frustrated that I didn’t know how to change that.”

Spike lifted his eyebrows at the soft curse.

Rarity rocked her head and her lips curled into a coy smirk. “Then one day I asked one of my students to stay after class. One who was particularly handsome and not particularly keen on hiding his attraction to me.”

“And you indulged me,” Spike finished.

“You worshiped me. You told me all the places you wanted to make love to me and all the ways we’d do it.” Rarity grimaced and sighed. “I’m not as ashamed as I should be when I admit that I liked hearing you gush about how much you wanted me. I liked it much more than I should have. It was nice to feel wanted. Even…looking forward to something, someone, waiting for me at the end of the day…”

She really did. She wanted me. Just as much as I wanted her, but she wanted me. At least, she wanted what I could give her. A rush of tension left his body as he relaxed. This was the answer he had been looking for. A chance.

Rarity fell silent and traced a finger on the side of her almost-empty coffee cup. Spike turned the hand under hers to grip and squeeze her, and her eyes shifted to their now-joined hands.

“Don’t be ashamed,” Spike said. “You didn’t take advantage of me or anything. I was legal, I was an adult. I knew what I was getting into.”

Rarity shook her head. “All the same, it was a mistake that should not have happened, but I let it. As you said, I could have ruined myself if we were exposed.”

“Only because I was your student. If we had bumped into each other on the street and started going out, who would have cared?”

“Who can say? We didn’t have that option.”

“We do now.” He squeezed her hand and leaned forward. “I’m not your student anymore. So, what if we start over?”

“Start over?”

“It’s not even five o’clock yet. You need to eat, right? Let’s have dinner. Call it our first date. We go in like we’re meeting each other for the first time and see what happens.”

“I don’t think it can work like that.”

“Why not?” Spike shrugged. “You said it yourself, I’ve never met the real Rarity, only Ms. Belle. And for that matter, you’ve never met the real Spike, either. You just marked my assignments and tests and read my essays on how horny I was.”

Rarity snorted and pressed a hand to her mouth. Spike joined in the laugh, happy to have caused it.

“I suppose that is a fair point…” Rarity lowered her hand and put it on top of the other, gently patting. She looked at Spike for a long moment. “...Do you know the curry place on the corner of Chanfron and Bell?”

“I’ve heard of it but I’ve never been.”

“Me neither. Shall we?”

Spike’s heart swelled and he knew he was letting it show. “What time?”

“Six-thirty. Give me time to get home and freshen up.”

“Sounds perfect!” He broke into a wide grin.

Rarity lifted her book bag off the ground and pulled out a small purse. Spike glanced at his coffee and realized he had hardly touched it. He brought it to his lips and downed as much as the now-lukewarm brew as he could. At least I don’t let it go to waste. With his other hand he pulled his wallet from his pocket.

The two put their tips under their cups and left the table in silence. When they reached the door and stepped onto the sidewalk of the mini-mall where the coffee shop was, Spike stopped and looked at Rarity’s car.

“Do you need a ride?” Rarity asked as she pulled her keys out.

“No, I can take a bus from here.” He stepped up to her and led her to the driver’s door. “Just one thing.”

“Hm?”

Rarity looked up at him.

Spike put his hands on her hips, closed the distance, and pulled her into a deep kiss.

He wasn’t some awkward teenager pining for his hot teacher. Not anymore. He kissed her with unashamed passion and lust, showing her how long he had been waiting to do this again. His tongue swept over her lips but he didn’t push in, this was enough. He felt her arms curl around his neck and she pulled herself closer.

The feel of her body in his hands. The press of her breasts against his chest. The hot, moist, firm feeling of her lips against his. All had been burned into his memory in that classroom and they hadn’t changed a bit. She was still as soft and as firm and as beautiful as he remembered. Physical perfection.

Now, he was about to learn if the woman was just as captivating as the teacher. And contrary to what she might say, and what he may have conceded, he knew the answer.

They parted and gasped for breath, staring into the other’s eyes. Spike gave a crooked smile and licked his lips.

“If I completely screw this up and we never see each other after tonight, I at least wanted to experience that again.”

Rarity gave a small nod and pressed a hand on his chest.

“Yes…fair enough…” She stepped back and fiddled with her keys, pointedly not looking at his face. “Well, Spike. I’ll see you in an hour or two.”

“Don’t be late, Ms. Belle.”

Rarity stopped and lifted her head. “I don’t think you should call me that in public.”

The awkwardness of stepping into his past had faded with that kiss, and Spike found his confidence again. “Alright. I’ll only call you that in private, Ms. Belle.”

Her face flushed and he saw her lips twitch into a smile. Keep that in mind for later.

Rarity pulled her door shut and the car’s engine revved. Spike stepped onto the sidewalk and watched as she pulled out of her parking spot and turned. She glanced at him and waved, and he lifted a hand to return it.

When she pulled into the street he began walking across the parking lot to the bus stop.

See you this evening, Rarity. And I’ll see you tonight, Ms. Belle.

Author's Note

I've said before I had long considered doing an epilogue, and with several people voicing dissatisfaction with how I left things as is, I kept thinking about it off and on, and one day out of the blue the writing bug hit and here we are.

This was not specifically intended to address any one criticism or comment, the content here was always more or less the plan. Just in earlier concepts, we saw the date and the aftermath when Rarity took Spike to her place. But I wasn't up to another sex scene, and I don't think I could have made it work - slow and passionate wouldn't have lined up with the intentional ambiguity of how their relationship may evolve, and hot and raunchy wouldn't have lined up with the rest of the story. So I think leaving things implicit but unstated is the right call.

Thank you to everyone for reading, I hope this epilogue provides a better capstone to the story.