Fancy was looking about Sugar Belle's bakery curiously. "Hm."

"Not as... fancy as the places you're from, I bet." Sugar smiled nervously at her upper crust guest. "Sorry."

"There is nothing to be sorry for." He sniffed gently at the air. "There's a little something extra that places like this have."

"Something extra?" She cocked an ear. "Like what?"

Fancy rolled a hoof in the air. "At a 'fancy' bakery, they go through much effort cleaning the smell, and, I dare say, not entirely for the better. Baked goods have a pleasing aroma, and they hide much of them in pursuit of cleanliness. A missed opportunity, I dare say."

Sugar Belle smiled at that. She was better than a fancy bakery, at least in that way. "Why would anypony want to hide that? One of the best parts of visiting a bakery."

"I'm inclined to agree." His eyes fell to a basket of goods. "What are these? They're not protected like most of the others."

Sugar shook her head. "They're the day olds. Half off if anypony wants them. Sometimes somepony does, sometimes not. Adds to that smell, them being exposed and all. If they don't sell today, out they go." She pointed to a nearby trashcan to make their potential fate clear.

"I see." He wandered past that basket. "Now, pardon me for asking, but this is a time for such questions. You seemed to have some thoughts of me already formed. Would it be improper to ask of them?"

Sugar lit up and turned away, trying to hide that fact. "Oh! Well... You are the Fancy Pants. Funny thing, being famous enough to be a 'the' anything... You do know that, right?"

Fancy leaned to the side a little, but that angle mostly let him see Sugar's back end and little more. "You've tickled my curiosity. I had thought my prestige was largely confined to Canterlot. Have you visited?"

"Once or twice..." She turned back to face Fancy, her blush under control. "But I get a magazine from there." She reached off and snatched a copy that had been laying there. "Here."

"Who's Who and What's What," read the title. A news and gossip rag for who was doing what in Canterlot. Fancy took it in his magic, floating it closer. "Ah, yes. I've been in this... publication a few times. I hope it has left a positive impression?"

Sugar turned an ear back. "Are there ones where you're not? Oh, sorry. Of course." She shook her head as she reached, taking back the magazine. "Why wouldn't there be? Writing 'bout famous ponies, of course they said something unkind a time or two... I remember that scandalous article about Celestia."

Fancy let out a hmm. "I struggle to imagine much wrong with her. A fine pony has she ever been."

"Right!? But this one." She set the magazine aside. "They were going on and on about her 'cake addiction'." Sugar snorted powerfully. "As if there's anything wrong with enjoying a cake!"

Fancy's confusion faded to a smile. "Celestia has a renowned sweet tooth, but I would not say this qualifies as a negative quality. It usually means there's a tasty treat at any of her functions. The lack of one is a clear hint that the matter is of the utmost severity. Either way, a useful barometer. I can think of so many worse habits for a ruler to have."

"For real," gusted Sugar Belle in agreement. "She's spent so many years keeping Equestria safe for us all."

"Too right." Fancy strode past Sugar, peeking into the back of the bakery. "Are these your living areas?"

Sugar colored, turning swiftly to follow Fancy on nervous hooves. "Y-yep! And the storage room." She pointed the way. "What'll become tomorrow's treats needs to be stored somewhere."

"Of course." And he went right into that storage room, looking about. "Hm."

"That a... good or bad hm?" She arrived at his side, trying to follow his gaze and figure out what he was thinking.

"It's orderly." He nodded, as if his words should make complete sense. "It speaks well of you."

Oh! Sugar smiled brightly at that. "Keeping the back clean is how you run a place properly," she gladly sang out. "I'm glad you can see that."

"It's true of all ventures." He nodded firmly. "Now... We should move on to more pressing arrangements." He turned to Sugar. "We share an interest in that pony."

Sugar's coloring was quick to return. That day was proving to be a rollercoaster. "Oh! Yes... Yes we do. I called dibs!" She raised a hoof, as if to emphasize that dibs had been claimed.

"And I acknowledged it," easily accepted Fancy. "So I would join this family. But some questions remain. You live here." He waved a hoof slowly about the store room, and, one assumed, the store in general. "I live there." He pointed up through the roof at Canterlot. "Can a family exist harmoniously when so far removed?"

"Normally... I'd lean on a hard no." Sugar shook her head to emphasize that. "But our mutual plus one doesn't care how far apart we are. We may as well be neighbors, as far as he and she are concerned."

"A fine deal, for them." He pointed at Sugar, then turned it on himself. "But what of us? Should I enjoy our rapport, I would wish to spend additional time with my family member. Hardly an unreasonable thought, I should imagine."

Sugar opened her mouth, just to close it again. "Shoot... That's a real good question." She swatted at her potential romantic partner. "Who gave you permission to have good ideas?" She was smiling despite her words. "Alright... alright... Let's put them out of this." She made a motion of putting something in a box to the left. "No more Big Mac. No more Orchard Blossom. They don't exist. It's just you. It's just me." She pointed to the two remaining ponies. "If we can get along, then it doesn't matter about them, they already like us both."

"Actually... Um, nevermind." He cleared his throat. "My relationship with them is... unclear, but your point is entirely valid. For now, let's put them aside."

Sugar's brows went up. "Were you not paying attention? They were flattered, not horrified, when you came clean today. If I threw them to you, they'd probably go right along with it, but that isn't happening."

"You have dibs," assured Fancy with a nod. "Of course. Now, about us." He leaned in. "Would you be upset if I invited you to attend a formal event? I would expect you to dress the part, and behave with some composure."

Sugar sat down. "Wow, um... I'd be really flattered." She suddenly scrambled to her hooves, rushing to a closet and throwing it open to reveal her best dresses, all two of them. "I'm ready!"

Fancy moved in next to her, eyes on the dresses. "Hm. I'm impressed you appear to be equipped... Would you take offense were I to take you to some of my favored boutiques? A friend of mine, you may have met her, Rarity? She owns a shop in Canterlot. A reliable source of prized garments. We could get one that fits the theme of the soiree. Would this please you?"

"W-would you do that?" She closed one eye, the one not facing him. "I'm not trying to mooch off anypony!"

"Of course not." He dipped his head. "We can go half and half, hm? The event was my idea, but the final dress, yours, and yours to keep. That's fair, is it not?"

She prodded at the well-mannered stallion. "So you'll put me in something new. What about you?" She waved over him. "I see you dressed in the same thing all the time!"

He colored, called out! "Well... You have a point. I should shop for a fitting attire with you, something that matches. But, you haven't answered, does this sound appealing, or offputting?"

Sugar tapped her hooves. "That sounds like a dream," she let out breathlessly. "Would I be your--"

"High class guest, of course." He smiled, not facing her. "To be wined and dined. To be introduced and socalized with others there."

"I'd be the pony they had to know..." She shook herself free of the daydream. "I won't romance a pony for that, however... interesting. I need more."

"Good." He nodded shortly. "But I also wanted to know if it interested you, which it does. Also good. I won't lie, that is the sort of thing I do fairly often. Any relation of mine? I will want to bring them along. I don't care how far away they live. Now... we promised to set them aside, but I can't, not entirely. They make this easier." He pointed up towards Canterlot. "I have a fine dwelling, as do you." The scope of them were a bit... different. "When we wish to make an appearance, together, our lovely plus two can fetch either of us and bring us to the other, where the other can play host for a day or two."

Sugar lifted an ear. "That's good for visits to you." She went to the window, waving out at the one pony wandering past. "My town doesn't have the excitement of any big city. I can't promise that.."

"So, you're saying, when I visit, I get a day or two to properly unwind. There will be no ponies that have any care of what I normally concern myself with?" He sat next to her. "Sounds like a fine vacation."

The pony waved at returned the wave. "Hey Sugar, um, whoever you are." And they continued on their way.

Fancy inclined his head at the departing pony. "Proof. Being not the pony every pony must know sounds quite relaxing. Good. Good good. It seems like we can both draw some fashion of satisfaction from our visits to one another."

Sugar drew the blinds shut. "But what about each other? What do I have, as a pony, that remotely interests you? And don't say either of their names! They don't count."

"I would ask the same question, madame, but you've already revealed that answer." Fancy curled a hoof to his chin. "I admire your genuine and honest work ethic. If we're being frank, which I feel we are, that is something that appealed about that friend I mentioned, Rarity. Now, she is married to her labor of love, and I would hardly stand betwixt her and her dream... You don't seem to have that particular condition, which is all well and good. You are passionate about your creations--" He waved across the shop. "But not consumed by it. There's room for a stallion or two, hm?"

"Or two." She burst into giggles, almost choked, haphazard and unusual. "That is not what I ever imagined..." She clapped both hooves to her snout. "You must think... I'm not that way! I was perfectly happy with just one, I swear!" She pointed out at the closed window. "Big Mac had everything I wanted..."

"For the longest time, I was convinced I'd never find the right pony." Fancy inclined an ear. "And for it to be a stallion? I fought against my own feelings on that... I understand that feelings change, and the way we view them? They will always change."

"You are a smooth talker." Sugar started towards her sizable kitchen. "But let's see how well you can get your hooves a little dirty. Today you are my helper, so strap in and get ready to touch the flour."

"As you command." He followed her with a gentle smile. He would do nothing fancy that day. No courtly etiquettes, just cooking with a mare he wanted to be closer to.

It was a fine day, by his estimation.

Author's Note

They needed to have this talk, I say.

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