In retrospect, I should've seen this coming.

After Moon had her little suspicious moment, I thought that she just had a little fit of insecurity, but it turned out to be more than that.

It was a sign of things to come.

About a week after our first date, Moon began to get more and more... clingy? Yeah, that would be a good word to describe it. To put it simply, she’s spent increasingly more time around me, as if she hadn't already been monopolizing my time.

For example, up until recently, she and I always sat apart from each other in Physics, but now she's been sitting next to me in that and any other class we had together. I think the only reason she hasn't snuck into my other classes was because when she first came here, she picked out a set of classes to sit in, and if she snuck into any more, the more attentive professors might have noticed an extra student in the class.

Now I know it sounds petty (and really childish) that I feel uncomfortable with my "marefriend" sitting next to me in class, but it's not that fact alone that bothers me. While we're sitting in class, she would always stroke my leg, rub my foot with her hoof, or brush me with her tail, and whenever I looked at her, she'd look at me with lidded eyes and give me a quick kissy face.

Long story short, it was really awkward. I mean, there's flirting, and then there's being borderline creepy.

Not only has Moon been demanding more time from me, but she's also been increasingly aggressive towards other females. You wouldn't notice this at first, though, because one thing I realized about her was that she preferred passive aggression. She'd never outright tell another girl to back off, but the way she chose her words and the way she said them sent a message that was just as, if not more threatening.

Here’s the best example I can give. We were running low on food, and I had to go shopping for more. Of course, Moon asked to come along, and since I knew she wouldn't take "no" for an answer, I let her come with me. She happily transformed into Nightshade and followed me out the door like a loyal puppy.

As much as it pains me to make that comparison, it's honestly the most accurate one I can make.

Anyway, we had gotten almost everything on our list, and Nightshade was comparing prices for eggs. While she was doing that, I was at the other end of the aisle looking at other items. Just then, I felt a tap on my shoulder, and I turned around to see someone that I hadn't seen in a long time.

''Topaz?" I asked in disbelief.

"Surprised to see me, Noah?" she asked back with a chuckle.

"Well yeah, considering the fact that the last time I saw you was at our high school graduation in Miami. Besides, aren't you going to school in New York?"

"Yeah, but I just finished a semester, so I'm visiting my grandmother here in Florida. How has college been treating you?"

"Can't really complain, but it must be tough for you in the NYC."

"Eh, it wasn’t that hard to adjust, but those winters are cold as shit, though."

"Oh yeah, you always hated the cold. I always thought that was kinda weird-"

"Coming from a pony from the freezing north of Equestria, yeah, yeah. Didn’t you wear that joke out enough in high school?"

"I can't help it. It is pretty weird."

"Well, I suppose I just have an affinity for the warmer temperatures. Besides, there are ponies from Dodge Junction that hate the heat."

"Okay, okay. I get your point. Man, it seems like just yesterday we were bratty freshmen, and now we're sophomores in college."

"I know. Time sure does fly by doesn't it? You sure aren't the scrawny kid I met almost six years ago. In fact, you've become quite the looker. I bet you're slaying all the Florida chicks now."

"Well, actually..."

"AHEM!"

Topaz and I flinched in surprise and turned around to see Nightshade giving me a somewhat angry look.

"Noah, sweetie," she said, putting a deliberate emphasis on the word "sweetie" and gripping my hand firmly. "I've got everything I need now."

"Oh, okay then," I said as she brought herself closer to me, and I looked at the pegasus mare in front of me. "Um... Topaz, this is Nightshade, she's my-"

"I'm his marefriend," she interrupted rather aggressively as her steel grip on my hand intensified to the point of hurting.

"Well, look at you, Noah!" Topaz laughed. "You've gone and got yourself a marefriend. Good for you!"

"You say that as though I have zero experience with the opposite sex," I chuckled.

"I never said that. You just assumed it," she chuckled back, and then looked at Nightshade. "So, how long have you two been together?"

"Six months," the unicorn answered with a glare, and I looked at her in surprise at her blatant lie. "We're practically inseparable."

"Is that so? Well then, I assume you two are already living together, then?"

"Of course, but enough about me. How do you know Noah?"

It was impossible not to notice her interrogation-esque tone.

"I knew him in high school," Topaz answered.

"We were just catching up on old times," I added in an effort to alleviate Nightshade's suspicions.

"Oh really?" the unicorn scoffed. "'Cause it almost looked like you two were flirting. You weren't flirting with her, were you?"

Topaz waved her hands in front of her and shook her head. "Oh, no. We were just-"

"I was talking to Noah, not you!"

"Nightshade!"

Topaz stepped back a little when Nightshade snapped at her, and she looked at me uneasily.

"Well, I'd better get the rest of my shopping done. I don't wanna keep Grandma waiting. It was nice catching up with you, Noah."

"Same here," I said to her.

"You have me on Facebook, so we'll be in touch, right?"

I heard my "marefriend" growl a little, but I ignored it. "Sure. See ya, Topaz."

"Nice meeting you, Nightshade," the pegasus smiled nervously.

"Same here," the unicorn smiled as she watched Topaz leave hurriedly, and the second the pegasus was out of sight, Nightshade turned and glared at me. "What the hell was that!?" she asked with an accusatory tone.

"What? I was just talking to her," I told her.

"It looked to me like you were flirting with her!"

"She was the one who approached me! Besides, she's my friend, Nightshade, I'm not gonna just ignore her."

"She seems like more than just your friend, Noah."

Was she insinuating that I was seeing a mare on the side?

"Well we are just friends," I insisted, "and why are you getting on my case about this like I did something wrong? You were the one being so nasty to her when she didn't even say or do anything! And what was up with lying to her about how long we've been together? You know that we've only been together for two weeks."

"I had my reasons. She needed to know that you're off limits. I'm not just gonna let some floozy have her way with you," she said dismissively, and then she completely changed the subject. "You never told me that you had experience with the opposite sex before."

"I didn't think that it mattered," I answered defensively.

"Well, the cat's out of the bag. How many exes have you had?"

I groaned and decided to answer her question, hoping that being honest with her would make her drop the issue. "One. I dated Topaz's older sister when I was a sophomore. She was a grade ahead of me and we broke up before she graduated because we didn't want a long distance relationship. There, happy?"

"Ecstatic," she retorted. "...Did you have sex with her?"

"No!" I snapped, and I rubbed my temples with a sigh. "Nightshade, you need to relax, okay? Topaz and I are just friends. Hell, the last time we've spoken to each other was two years ago!"

"You sure she isn't another ex-marefriend of yours? Did little sis want what big sis was getting?"

"Am I sure? I think I'd know whether or not I've dated someone. Look, will you just chill?"

Nightshade marinated on her thoughts for a moment, but then she let out a sigh of defeat. "Fine," she said. "Is there anything left on the list?"

"I just need to get a box of cereal," I told her. "You can go to the register in the meantime while I go get it."

The unicorn stepped closer to me. "Why can't I go with you?"

"I never said that you couldn't. I'm just saying that it makes more sense for you to go to the checkout line while I get the cereal."

"Why does it make more sense for us not to be together?"

"It has nothing to do with that. Besides, I'll be gone for barely a minute."

"But why do we have to be separated?"

I rolled my eyes and gave in before I started to get really annoyed. "Alright fine. We'll go together."

"Great!" Nightshade smiled, her bubbly demeanor returning instantly, and she took my hand as we went to get the cereal.

That night, before we went to bed, I was finishing up a comic book by the light on my nightstand, and Moon walked in wearing a t-shirt and panties. Given the fact that she had gotten used to sleeping like that days ago, I didn’t even pay her any attention.

I had no idea how to approach this. I was feeling very mixed about the recent events and feeling like that ate at me on the inside. I didn’t know what to think of Moon anymore and the uncertainty served to make my feelings swirl into even more of a mess. Should I have been afraid of what she might do if our relationship didn’t work out or were things going to get better with a little more time? Maybe I should’ve been angry at the way she treated me… How did I feel about her? All the thinking I could do wasn’t working, and everything Moon did only serve to bury me in a progressively deeper hole.

"Hey, honey," she greeted as she climbed into the bed.

"Hey," I answered flatly, not even looking up from my book.

Moon let out a sigh and crawled towards me, kissing me on the forehead and nuzzling me affectionately.

"Are you mad at me?" she asked with a whiny tone.

"I'm not mad, just... frustrated," I answered. "You didn't have to be so mean to Topaz."

"I couldn't help it, baby. That's just how much I love you," she crooned as she kissed and sucked on my neck. "I'd do anything for you, Noah. You know that."

"I know, but I just wish that you'd be a little nicer to other girls. It's like you don't trust me enough to be around other females and not jump on them."

Moon looked down at me with a look of shock. "What? No, no, no, it's nothing like that, love! I know that you love me too much to leave me for someone else. I just don't want some other girl to take advantage of your kindness. You know that I trust you, Noah."

"Really?" I thought. "'Cause I'm not so sure."

"It's all because I love you, honey. Just remember that," she whispered.

"Yeah, sure..." I said.

I became a lot more wary of Moon after that.

It’s been several days since that incident at the grocery store, and I made plans to stay home for the entire day. I had been trying to get some time just for myself, but at every attempt, Moon wanted to come along. Whether I wanted to go study (and by that I mean goof around on my laptop) in the school library or just get some fresh air, Moon would always ask to go with me, to which I would say “never mind”. I had almost given up on trying to get some time to myself, but then, as if my prayers had been answered, I was given a golden opportunity.

It was a Saturday morning, and I was lying in my bed with Moon cuddling me when I heard my phone ring. The second I heard it, I tore myself from the alicorn’s embrace and rushed to answer it.

“Hello?” I answered.

“Yo! Noah! What’s up?”

“Nothing much, Klaus. You?”

“Aside from scoring tickets to today’s show at the mall’s comedy club, I haven’t done much either.”

“No way, really?” I asked in disbelief.

“Hell yeah! They had a two-for-one deal that I couldn’t pass up. You know how I am with money.”

“True, true.”

“So the show is gonna be at three, but we could just hang at the mall for a few hours until then and make it a guys’ day out.”

Yes! This was exactly what I needed!

“Definitely! I’m there! What time do you want to meet up?” I asked ecstatically.

“How does noon sound?” he asked back.

I looked at my clock, which read nine AM. “Sounds perfect. I’ll meet you at the bus stop outside the front entrance.”

“Great. See ya then buddy!” the griffon said as he hung up the phone.

“What did Klaus want, sweetie?” Moon asked as I got up from the bed.

“Oh, he wanted me to go see a comedy show with him,” I answered.

“Well, can I come with you guys?”

Here we go.

“Sorry, Moon, but he was only able to get two tickets. It’s just gonna be me and him today.”

“But what about me?” the alicorn whined as she crawled towards the edge of the bed and looked up at me. “I thought you were going to stay home today.”

“This just came up, Moon, so I made a change of plan. Besides, don’t you think we spend enough time together? We could use some time alone.”

She narrowed her eyes at me and pulled me close to her with her magic, and then she wrapped her arms around me.

“Noah, honey. I’ve been alone for over a thousand years. Trust me, it’s an overrated experience.”

I sighed and gently pushed her away. “Well, Klaus and I haven’t spent much time together without you and Maud around, so we decided to do a guys’ day today.”

“But I’ll miss you, Noah!”

“You’re acting like I’ll be gone for days. The show’s at three and it won’t be any longer than two hours. I’m gonna be home by dinner.”

“I don’t want to wait that long!”

“Look, Moon. I know you like being around me, and all, but I need some time for myself, okay? There are some leftovers in the fridge for lunch, and like I said, I’ll be home by dinner. If you need anything, you have my number, so just relax, alright?”

The alicorn looked at me crossly, and then she looked away from me as she thought about it. "You'll be back before dinner, right?" she asked.

"Yes," I answered.

"I really don't like this, but... fine. I guess I'll just stay here by myself while you go off and have fun."

I sighed in relief. "Thanks, Moon."

"You're just lucky that I love you so much," she chuckled as she kissed me on the forehead.

"You sure you'll be alright by yourself?" I asked warily.

"I'll be just fine, love."

"If you say so," I said as I left the room to make breakfast. After the both of us ate, I took a shower, got dressed, and left the apartment at eleven-thirty. By the time I caught the bus and rode it to the mall, it was minutes to noon, and I saw Klaus waiting by the bus stop.

"Yo! What's up, Noah?" he said as he gave me a high-five.

"Not much," I answered. "So, what do you wanna do before the show?"

"Well, we got three hours to kill, so we can hit a restaurant for lunch."

"Sounds good."

Just then, I heard a chime and felt a vibration in my pocket. I took my phone out and saw that Moon had sent me a text.

"Just checking on u. Did u get 2 the mall alright?"
Received: 11:57 PM

I sighed and sent a quick reply.

"Yeah, everything's fine."
Sent: 11:57 PM

Less than a minute later, I got another text.

"Oh, good. Have fun. Love u! <3"
Sent: 11:57 PM

I pocketed my phone and walked into the mall with Klaus. "Nightshade, I'm guessing?" he asked.

"Yeah, she was just checking up on me."

Author's Notes:

Yeah, I know that in the last Author's Note I said that this would be a 4-5K word chapter, but I thought that it'd help the flow of the story if I separated the one chapter into two parts.

So, Noah's pretty desperate for some time away from Moon, but she obviously doesn't want to be apart from him. How's this gonna affect their "relationship" (if Noah can call it that)? You'll have to wait and see.

A funny story about Topaz: When I originally wrote this story, I had her as a crystal pony, but I decided to change her to a pegasus and just keep her name because having her as a crystal pony would've been a problem. The Crystal Empire hasn't been back for that long, and it's written that Topaz and Noah have known each other for six years, so it would've been an error in continuity. Good thing I caught that when I did.

Anyway, let you know what you guys thought of the chapter in the comments, as usual, and I'll catch you guys later.

I'm gone!