Spike paced outside of the candy shop in town that was directly adjacent to Sugar Cube Corner, it actually had a connecting door so people could go from one store to another. Sweetie Belle had wanted to meet him there for some reason and so he was there, waiting on her bright and early. He wished he had a phone or something so that he could contact her, in fact having a phone would probably make his overall life much easier.

He checked the clock in the store front window for the fifth time when he heard the clatter of shoes coming up the street. He looked up expectantly and there she was walking straight towards him. A tired smile on her face and bags under her eyes.

"Hey Spike!" She said as she finished the distance between them and hugged him around the neck. He wrapped his own arms around her and smiled.

"Hi Sweetie." He pulled back and sucked her up, she looked lovely even when a little bit ragged around the edges. "Did you get enough sleep last night?" She shrugged before she studied him.

"Did you?" He grinned and showed her a thin stick of an arm.

"Don't worry about me, I'm tough." He honestly was ready to fall over from exhaustion. Sweetie laughed at the serious look on his face.

"Alright then mister tough guy, how about we go in?" Spike quickly stepped to the door and swept it open. She smiled and thanked him as she entered. The store had been opened for a long time, one of it's employees was a girl from the high school. Spike saw her around every now and again but he for the life of him could not remember her name.

Sweetie looked around the store her eyes filled up with the joy that comes whenever you enter a candy store. The two of them walked down the aisles side by side, Spike was trying to get ready to ask a question but kept stopping himself, he was just nervous. A million thoughts ran through his head, whether or not this was going well, if he was screwing everything up or if he was just coming off as weird.

'She asked you out.' One voice in his head said.

'Probably out of pity.' A second one said.

'I am going insane.' Spike thought to himself. He suddenly stopped and turned. He had seen them out of the corner of his eye and just had to stop. A full wall display of rock candy, along with jaw breakers and some hard candy that they hand out at dentist offices. Spike looked at it, his mouth watered and he felt his stomach growl.

He reached into his pocket and took out some cash that he had been saving up. Mostly from spare change that he exchanged for solid bills from Twilight. He was about to grab six or seven different flavors when he stopped himself.

This was a date or something like that right? And wasn't the guy supposed to buy everything on the date? Would he have enough?

He quickly counted out the money before looking longingly at the sugar and water concoction. He finally picked out a grape flavored one and pulled a buck fifty from his cash. That much wouldn't matter in the grand scheme of things right?

Spike turned only to see that Sweetie Belle had wandered off. He began to walk quickly from aisle to aisle looking for her, he finally stopped, she was browsing over a display of different European chocolates, she compared them before tucking some hair behind her ear. Spike slowly and softly sneaked up on her, he didn't mean to be sneaky about it. He just walked like that sometimes.

He tapped her on the shoulder. Sweetie Belle yelped and shot straight up into the air. Her hair standing on end. She then looked woozy, out of it.

"Oh no." Spike said as he grabbed her as she swooned. She fell backwards and he grabbed her and supported her weight. His legs luckily kept him up. His purple rock candy fell on the ground and crunched in half.

"Oh no. Oh no. Sweetie? You there?" Her eyes fluttered and she slowly stood up.

"Yeah. M'fine." She said as she stood unsteadily on her feet. She took a deep breath and held it for a few seconds. She looked at him and gave a reassuring smile.

"I'm okay."

"Do you want to sit down? I think you should sit down." He said worriedly fluttering around her. Sweetie smiled for a second, she closed her eyes and swayed a little on her feet.

"Yeah, lets go to Sugar Cube Corner." She wrapped an arm around his shoulders and he grasped one of her arms to steady her. They walked through the dividing doorway and into the restaurant.

Spike grabbed the first empty booth and slid her into it. She sat with her head on the table and breathed in and out softly. Mrs Cake walked over with a menu and a concerned look.

"Everything okay here dearie?" She asked in her motherly way. Sweetie nodded her head still on the table and Spike responded as well.

"Well can I get you anything?" Spike looked at Sweetie Belle she muttered something out that was mumbled by the table.

"Two vanilla milkshakes please." He said taking out the cash for it. He paused and looked around the cafe was quiet that day. "Excuse me Mrs Cake? Where's Pinkie Pie?"

Mrs Cake rolled her eyes heavenward. "That girl, she slept over at her boyfriends last night, poor thing always gets a little devastated when he leaves for another month or two. They spend as much time together as they can when he is here." She walked off to get the drinks for the two kids.

Sweetie smiled her chin resting against the cool ceramic table.

"You didn't have to buy it for me."

"I wanted to." He insisted, Sweetie blushed in response and smiled.
"You're so nice."

"Thanks." He replied, they fell into silence before he opened up the conversation again. "So uh Sweetie? I really liked dancing with you last night...and I sort of like spending..."

"Yes?" She prompted smiling mischievously yet also very cutely. Spike took a deep breath, he hated when people knew what he was about to say and made him spell it out.

"I really like you, and well...I kinda, sort of, maybe...if you want...we could be a couple?" Sweetie smiled in response.

"Okay." Spikes' heart nearly ripped through his ribcage and did backflips on the table while singing a classic song.

"Great!" He responded. Sweetie sat up straight and looked him in the eyes.
"But we need to set some ground rules okay?" She said authoritatively. Spike nodded wondering what she possibly meant by that.

"Number one, I think it was super sweet you coming to see me that night. But you shouldn't do it anymore. We both need our sleep." Spike could agree with that, he had done that mostly out of desperation.

"Also just for the record this is one of Rarity's not mine. No 'Hanky Panky'." She said with air quotes. Spike blushed and slowly reached across the table to take her hand.

"And where exactly do we draw the line?" Her hand felt soft as velvet and delicate as a glass sculpture. Sweetie grinned and squeezed his small calloused hand back.

"I think that will be okay." Suddenly he leaned forward his confidence nearly breaking him when he gave her a quick peck on the lips.
"And that?" Her eyes became unfocused, she smiled lightly, she began to lean further and further to the left.

"Sweetie?" He asked concerned. She slipped onto the bench seat and looked up at him. She closed her eyes for a second before reopening them

"You almost made me faint again." She smiled at him, Spike did not know how to take the fact that his kiss had almost made his sort of girlfriend faint.

"I'll be more careful next time." He assured her. She sat up and looked at him.

"Well here is a rule from em and not Rarity. I am not a piece of glass, don't treat me lightly. I can take a lot before breaking. Don't be afraid to be around me." Spike looked at her, she was sitting up with all her strength, her hands clenched together. He smiled and nodded at her.

"Of course. I'll always treat you as Sweetie Belle, and nothing less." She smiled and this time she leaned across the table and planted an unexpected kiss on his lips.