Author's Notes:

In case the last chapter was super duper spoopy surprusy for you, I'll explain it as quickly as I can with another chapter. I'm going to try and finish this act at around chapter 13, so basically two more after this. Hopefully the pace is fine this time around. :)

EDIT 8/5/17: Okay, a lot of shit has happened since then. Chris Cornell died, girlfriend dumped me, then Chester Bennington took his life. It hasn't affected me to the point where I don't want to do anything, but this summer hasn't been as productive as I wanted it to be.

That being said, I'm still going to work on this with the intention of getting it done. If I finish this with Act 3, then that will be worked on during the rest of 2017 and 2018. I kinda want to get this done before 2020, ha.

EDIT 10/9/17: Also, sorry if the ending is a bit rushed. Finished this at 4AM. :P

The morning had come quicker than you had expected. The sun had only gone down as far as you remembered, and before you knew it, the sun was rising for the morning crowd.

When you first woke up, you found yourself wondering why you had fallen asleep on the couch. But the memories of the night before quickly flooded into your tired mind - or as fast as they could for a tired mind.

You looked around the living room for a second before you could begin to feel again the warmness of...her.

Turned to the couch, there she was, snuggled into the blanket and sleeping, seemingly, without a care in the world. All with a smile on her face.

It gave you the same.

But it faded when you could smell the scent. It wasn't a pleasing scent by any means; it was clear what the smell was. Already, you were beginning to regret not showering afterwards.

You couldn't help it, though. It just felt so... good.

...

There were questions you had to ask yourself later, maybe even her too. First, you just needed to shower; just a quick shower, that's all.

You slid yourself from under the covers quietly, making sure not to accidentally wake Rainbow. Once you were on all fours, you started making your way to the upstairs bathroom. Along the way, you made one quick stop. As soon as you were at the top, you took a quick peak into the guest bedroom.

But to your surprise, Lilly wasn't there. Your only assumption was that she stayed overnight, maybe did more than she expected. Hopefully, she was okay and that she'd be back later.

You walked into the bathroom and went for the shower, setting it up to warm while you took a quick look in the mirror. Your fur was matted and dirtied with dry sweat. The mats didn't hurt, but it did feel a bit uncomfortable. You hoped the shower would make it all better - then again, that was what showers were for, right?

With a quick feel of the rushing shower current, you hopped in, in bliss the moment the water touches your mane, then your face, then the rest of your body. You gave a satisfied moan as you started scrubbing your body with the nearby bar of soap, easily washing away and dissolving the many mats, until your fur was smooth as could be. You sighed with content as you washed your aching neck. With a clearer mind, you decided it was time to ask yourself early.

Was it too fast? Was it too sudden?

You'd only been awake for a week. For three months, you were in a coma, only to wake up and meet this...mare. She claimed she was your friend, and you didn't doubt her. You kissed her believing it was more than just a friendship, and she said to wait a while before going for it again - you didn't oppose it.

And days later, she walks into your home, tells you she loves you, and has sex with you immediately after.

It sounded odd when you thought back to it, but it happened. It truly happened, and being in the shower now was proof. Her laying on your couch, sweaty and filled with your...essence - that was proof.

Was it too fast? you think again. The only answer for that was simply put...maybe not.

Was Rainbow lying after the kiss? What if the two of you really were together, and she was only trying to lessen the pain of it all? You couldn't blame her if she did. Knowing and loving someone for so long, only for them to not remember a single moment of it - you would've done the same?

Was it too sudden? Maybe. It definitely caught you by surprise.

Some part of you was telling you that you loved this girl, loved her to death, and that part was telling you that maybe it was meant to be. The other part of you, however, was telling you that you needed more time to know her, get to know her. The night was a mistake that shouldn't have happened, if not for a while.

But which side were you supposed to take? Any one could have been true.

Was she-

Your thoughts turned to the door as you heard it open mid-wash. You had to assume it was her.

"Dash?"

"It's me."

She sounded tired. She probably just woke up and noticed you were gone.

"I'm not bothering you, am I?" she asked apologetically.

"No," you answer, "Not at all. I just didn't want to wake you, that's all."

You could hear her laugh a little, thanking you.

"Is it...okay if I join you? I mean...if you want, you know."

It was an odd question - but considering last night, was it really so odd? Not to mention, it would help save water.

You let her in, giving her breathing room and the shower head to start rinsing her body. By the time you shut the shower curtain, Rainbow's body was soaked from top to bottom. Her mane fell over her face, her tail over most of her rump. You thought it was cute the way her deflated mane covered her head.

Dash brushed her mane out of her eyes and started standing fully in the path of the water. You gave her the soap and she started to scrub her body clean.

But other than the rushing water - there was no noise between the two of you. Perhaps a 'thanks' here and there, but other than that, there was no conversation, no words.

It was an awkward shower, but it ended soon enough.

As soon as the shower was over, the two of you dried off in your own towels in the bedroom. You sat at the front of the bed, while Dash stood, even though you told her she could sit. And again, even that moment was awkward. Very little words when it came to drying off every bit of your body. You couldn't think of anything to say - and she likely couldn't either.

Once she was completely dry, she said something to you.

"Well, I gotta go check up on Tank before heading out."

But before she could leave, you had to ask her something.

She was in the doorway when the question came out.

"What happened last night?"

It made her stop dead. You couldn't see her face, but you had a feeling her face was frozen in the sense that she wanted to say something, similar to what you had done in the past. When she turned around, you were right.

What was so difficult about answering the question?

Then again, it was hard to blame her. If you had done the same thing, you wouldn't be sure how to explain it. How could you explain it? Love couldn't just be the only answer - even though it can be.

Dash said nothing for the first few moments, only walking back into the room and sitting beside you on the bed. You moved the towel to the back for her to sit closer to you.

"U...Um..." she spoke quietly, looking down to the floor. Eventually, she looked up to you and found the words she tried to say. The time between struggling to speak and speaking was seconds, but felt like minutes.

She stared in your eyes.

"When I was in the hospital...with you, all those months ago...back when it happened...you...you stopped breathing. You stopped...you weren't alive."

You said nothing.

"They kept trying and trying and...trying to bring you back and you...you just weren't."

She looked back to the floor. "I thought they were gonna give up on you...just let you die, right in front of us."

Dash went silent again for a few moments. She smiled and laughed silently.

"I don't wanna sound like an idiot, but...I...I guess that just...sparked something in me. I mean...the thought of just...losing you after everything...just..."

Her eyes began to tear up. She didn't brush them away, she let them sit, but they didn't fall down her face. Her eyes looked up, to the wall, towards the pictures that hung from it.

She saw the picture of all of you, sitting together, smiles all around.

Rainbow smiled, as if in a hopeful manner. But the smile faded as soon as it appeared, and her head turned back to the floor for another few seconds, before turning back to you.

"I was afraid I would never be able to say..."

She paused. You looked at her, tilting your head gently.

"What?"

Then the tears started to roll down, and that was when she could say it.

"I'm...sorry. I'm sorry."

You looked at her, no words to say. She was crying softly, obviously trying not to break down as she had done before. And like before, you responded by wiping the tears away with a hoof and telling her that it was okay.

"It'll be okay," you said to her. "It'll be okay."

She seemed to nod and give a sniffle. Her ears drooped and she looked into your eyes again.

"Come here," you told her, and you brought her in.

You wanted to give her a hug to make her feel better. Instead, she kissed you deep, embracing you in a comforting gesture. You didn't think to push her away, so you let it be.

She kissed you for a while, a good minute - or, rather, it felt like a minute. Rainbow's sniffles died down and the tears were drying up. By the time the two of you pulled away, she was feeling 'better', to say the least, but still visibly upset.

You rested a hoof on her shoulder. "You should head home, okay? Feed Tank, like you said."

She nodded, then opened her mouth as if to say something else, but nothing came of it. You didn't ask her of it. Dash got up from the bed and walked out. After twenty seconds, you heard the door open and close, and the house was silent again.

You let out a quick breath of air and grabbed your towel to hang on the mount. Dash's was already neatly hanging on one end. You hadn't even noticed she went back in to do so. You put yours beside her and got ready to head on over to Applejack's farm for another day of work.

On the way down the stairs, the door opened again. Having a feeling, you were right as Aqua Lilly walked right in - and she was definitely exhausted. Her eyes were half closed, sweat dripping down her face, and every few moments, she gave a yawn, short or long.

She flinched when she saw you. "I didn't see you standing there, sorry."

You told her it was fine, "but...are you okay?"

She weakly nodded. "Yeah, just a bit tired, that's all. I've been up since yesterday."

"You need help getting to bed?"

She waved a hoof, refusing. "I'm just gonna nap on the couch. That should help. I'd probably end up falling down the steps, anyway."

You gave a little friendly snort. It was interesting how much your relationship with her had changed. Well, it wasn't as if she treated you like just a patient, but it seemed...strange to talk to her so casually. It might have been just you

With a quick wave goodbye, you closed the door and headed on over to AJ's home. On the slow way there, yesterday pondered again. Not necessarily what you did with Dash, but rather just work - interesting change of subject, really. You knew AJ wanted you to work short days until you were able, but...

Well, you just...felt bad. Not that you felt lazy, but you felt like...You weren't sure how to describe it. Maybe it just didn't sit right with you. It was clear, you were still healing; it was reasonable why she let you off early. But you wanted to help out, get out and work, be productive, keep your mind straight. Going home just to listen to the radio and stay cooped up in the house all day wasn't going to make it better.

Besides, who else would pay your bills?

You laughed at your own joke, shaking your head. You were in a better mood...for the moment, at least. You wanted to talk to Dash again, next time you saw her. She definitely didn't okay. What did she want to ask?

That time would come later. You could see the farm now. Just a few more...hundred steps.

I fucked him.

I kept acting like I killed someone...but I didn't. I fucked him instead.

That was the only thing on my mind all the way back home. Not Tank, not the Wonderbolts, not Twilight or Fluttershy or any of them.

Just him.

The whole way home, I could feel my heart racing in my chest. No matter how hard I tried to keep it calm, it was like it was beating faster, harder. It almost grew painful. My breathing, while not growing shallow, seemed panicked, but I didn't feel like I was panicking. It wasn't until that I got up to the front steps of my home that I could actually feel my whole body shaking.

But I couldn't stop it, and I didn't know why.

I opened the door with shaky hooves. It'd been a couple of days since I had slept home, but not nearly a day since I was really here. And yet, it felt like it had been an eternity. It wasn't until my hooves trembled against the floor that I realized how empty it was as the sound echoed throughout.

With a quick sigh, I went into my bathroom and puked into the toilet. I didn't eat much yesterday, so whatever went into the bowl was little in size or form. It still hurt me. I could feel more trying to force its way out, but I swallowed it back down. It was bitter, almost acrid-like, but it didn't hurt.

My breaths were shaky as I tried to relax. I fell to the side of the toilet and sat there, looking towards my bathtub. I closed my eyes and opened them again every few moments. It felt awkward, but how else could I have not made it so?

Feeling a small tap on my leg, I looked down to see Tank standing there, giving me that kind smile he always gave. He did it for everypony, but the way he did it for me made it all the more special. Even for a tortoise, he never failed to emit how he felt at the moment; now, he felt concerned for me, it was obvious.

"Hey, little guy," I said as I picked him up. "Mommy's okay, don't worry."

I gave a weak, but genuine laugh. I started referring to myself towards him as "Mommy" more as a joke back when I first got him. But now, it was more real than ever. Hey...in a sense, I really was his mother. But wasn't it funny to think he could be leagues older than me?

With a sigh, I held Tank close to my chest, not letting him go. He embraced me tightly. I sat there for a few minutes in cold silence before I flushed my toilet, washed my hooves, and crawled into my bed. I was off for the day, thankfully.

After staring at my puffy ceiling for several minutes, I started to wonder if I had been overreacting about the whole thing. I mean...it was just a...you know...

It was just sex.

But I had to take into account - Applejack.

She was pregnant. With his kid.

She was gonna have his kid, and he didn't even know it.

We all knew it; we were all thinking of telling him before then, but we were all still on the high fence about it. He seemed like the type of guy who would handle it well, memory or no memory. But would it be right to take this pony's life, a life he doesn't remember in the slightest, and force him to throw it all away for a child he doesn't remember helping create?

AJ and I were considering hoofing the child over for adoption, but...well, AJ felt that wouldn't be fair either, forcing a kid to grow up without knowing their real parents. Even though I told her she could visit on occasion...

"Ah'm keepin' it," she told me.

What would he think? What would he say?

We were all scared to know.

"Ow!" I shouted as Tank nibbled on my hoof a little too hard. I wasn't mad. It was always a bit funny. Annoying, but funny. "You dork, be careful."

I made a mental note: Get a teething ring next time I go out.

With a solid kick, you were able to knock down nearly half the apples on the tree and into the buckets. One that would have fallen onto the soil, Applejack caught.

"Yer improvin' fast," she said to you with an impressed look.

"I mean, I used to do this before, didn't I?" you asked.

"Not all the time, just if Ah needed ya with it."

You assumed she needed you plenty, and left it at that. It'd been a few hours since you arrived at the farm, and you had already bucked plenty of trees, with Mac's help, of course. AJ wasn't as...active as she was yesterday, it seemed. You wondered if it had something to do with her pregnancy, or if she was sick. She assured you she was fine, but you were only looking out for her. It was what friends did, right?

It was one-thirty by the time you took a break. Applejack had excused herself and gone into the house, while you and Mac sat down at the...is this a new picnic table? You didn't notice it yesterday.

You asked him. "Eeyup," he answered. "Put it up myself last night. Figured it'd be nice to have a place to sit during breaks."

You were glad he put it in the shade too. Though, that was probably already planned-

The sound was audible even from here. You turned your head towards the house, to the second floor, staring at the open window that was most likely the window to the bathroom. Applejack was throwing up, it was obvious.

You turned back to Mac with a look of concern. "Um...should we-"

He kindly stopped you. "It's normal. Just nausea. It'll go away on its own."

"She'll be okay?"

He nodded, even as he looked with concern himself. You didn't know much about pregnancy or what the symptoms were - well, now, other than nausea - but perhaps Mac could teach you. Just in case, if it was fine.

She puked again.

More time passed, and you were back to work again until four o'clock rolled around. As you were in the middle of bucking another tree, you heard the familiar sound of the house door opening. The soft shuffling of hooves on the ground indicated that it wasn't Mac.

But it wasn't Applejack either.

Looking up, you realized it was the youngest sibling, Applejack's sister. You couldn't remember her name, but you had seen her before.

A tad bit surprised by her presence, you struggled to form a sentence initially. "Uh...hi! Um..."

Again, you didn't know her name.

"Apple Bloom," she told you with a cute, warm smile, holding a hoof out for you to shake, and so you followed through. "Applejack told me about yer...whole memory whatchmacallit."

You tilted your head. "Amnesia?"

"Yeah, that's it, amneeesha."

The little filly took a look at you, taking in your features - basically whatever had happened to you. Now, it was hardly noticeable, save for a couple of scars here and there that, while not big, were still noticeable close up.

"What happened to ya?" she asked. "Ah mean, Applejack kinda told me, but...Ah don't know exactly what it was."

And to be fair, you didn't know all too much what happened to you. Well...that was a lie, but true in the sense that only the others told you what Spike knew, and only him. He saw it happen, after all.

The poor kid.

And as curious as Apple Bloom was, you didn't want her to know.

"Maybe I'll...tell you about it one day. Maybe when you're old enough or when it's right? Or maybe your sister could tell you?"

"She told me some ponies hurt you. Bad ponies, for no reason. Is that true?"

You gave her a nod. "Yeah. It's true. I don't know why they hurt me, but they...they did. I'm okay, though."

"Really?" she asked, and you smiled.

"Really."

You and the young filly talked for a couple more minutes, as she spent it helping you remember some things you had helped her with: A quilt here, a prop there, some simple things - but things she still remembers dearly. She even told you how close you were to her; in a way, you used to treat her like a little sister, one you seemingly never had. But now...

You knew Apple Bloom was upset because of your...condition, it was visible on her face. But you cheered her up and let her know things would be okay now that you were up and about.

"I promise," you told her. You knew you couldn't break that. Not that you wanted to, anyhow.

Eventually, the filly made her farewells and went back into the house. And just as she did, there came Applejack. She definitely had that tired look on her face, but she still gave it her all. You didn't need to guess why she was tired.

"Hey, hon," she greeted you, and you did the same back. "Why don't y'all head home now?"

Initially, you would've agreed and started for your house, but at the moment, you felt bad. You knew she was going to take over for you and get to work. But in that condition? And with these many trees left? You couldn't let her do that.

"Uh...actually, AJ...how about I buck a few more trees? You know, maybe another hour or two?"

"You...sure? Ah don't want you to strain yourself any more than you have to."

You wave it off. "No, no, it's fine, really. Besides, it looks like you might need a bit more rest."

Applejack opened her mouth at first, almost as if to argue against it, but in the end, she closed it, having a suspicion that you might have been right. At least, it seemed that way.

"Alright. One more hour, then Ah'm takin' over. Alright?" she responded with a faint smile.

With a nod, you went back to work, and AJ went back inside. With another rear of your legs and a firm WHACK, the tree gave a shake, and the remaining apples came falling down into their respective buckets. Big Mac insisted that you only place the next buckets and buck the trees, and he would carry them off later. So going with those instructions in mind, you grab another set of buckets, place them exactly as you placed the last ones against the next tree, and prepare yourself for another kick.

Five o'clock rolled around without you noticing, and just as she said, Applejack came outside and took over. You felt bad that someone like her was still working, even if the baby was still a long ways to go - but the mare was resilient when you suggested to keep working, but just like her brother, she insists, only this occasion was for you to go home now. With a brief hug, you said your goodbyes and headed back home, an hour later than yesterday.

This was the period of time in which Ponyville seemed to come alive just a bit more: More ponies were up and about, visiting the market, or going to the nightclub, only now getting into its swing of things. The sun was still at a decent height in the sky, but it would be under the horizon in just a couple of hours. Along the way home, you made a mental list of anything you might need in the next few days or weeks, but luckily Dash and Lilly had been helping along with any issues. Even Twilight pitched in. Lilly and Dash were...well, they were a mix. You didn't mind the help, but nopony ever got anything done by having others do it for them. Though, in a way, you'd let it pass until you were truly back on your hooves.

After a steady walk through town, you eventually make it back to your house, unlock the door, and walk on in. Sure enough, Lilly was still here, only now she was still awake and having a small meal at the table. She greeted you with a food-filled smile. The smile faded and there was a look of realization as she swallowed.

"Forgot to tell you this morning!" she said, pointing to the counter. "You forgot to take your pill!"

Oh.

OH, that's what you were forgetting this morning.

Though you apologized, Lilly seemed to shrug it off, though not entirely. "Your body should be able to function somewhat on its own without any seizures at risk. Though you don't need to take it everyday now, you should probably take it once every two or three days to be safe."

The way she talked and acted, it was clear that she was not exactly a professional nurse, and you didn't mind that either. You weren't expecting it, given that she's only been one for at least a month. Besides, when has professionalism ever been fun?

Not that you've been awake very long to know, but...

"Did Dash happen to-" Lilly cut you off.

"She's upstairs. She thought you'd be back here an hour ago."

Apologizing, you explained the situation, which wasn't all that much of a situation to begin with. She understood straight away and left you to your doings. Grabbing an apple - one that you actually owned - you headed upstairs to your bedroom. When you pushed the door open, you saw Rainbow lying on your bed, on the side opposite to the one you typically lay on. Her face was turned away from you, almost as if she was sleeping.

But the moment the door creaked, she turned and saw you. She gave you a small smile and got up from the bed to greet you.

"Hey," she said. At first, you were expecting to give you a hug.

You weren't expecting the warm, comforting kiss.

"Did Applejack make you stay late?" she asked after the two of you pulled away. A bit surprised by the sudden gesture, it took a moment for you to answer.

"Uh...no, she...I stayed on my own for a bit. She was tired."

"Oh," she said in an understanding manner, "Okay."

She kissed you again and went back over to your bed, laying down, but this time looking over to you and occasionally looking away, like she was trying to make the whole thing not creepy. But it wasn't so much creepy as it was...concerning.

"Are you...okay?" you asked her. She seemed fine, but at the same time...

Dash nodded and gently patted a spot on the bed for you to lay on. At first, you were very clearly hesitant. You weren't sure if she was angry at you for something or sad or happy. Her face seemed to give off an emotion that you couldn't really recognize. But once you actually started walking over to the bed and laid down, her face seemed more real, like she was more happy. Really happy.

Once you were in reach, she held onto you and started kissing you again, and it was back to seeming off. It could've been your intuition, or maybe...

"Are you sure you're okay?"

She pulled away and rolled her eyes, seemingly playfully. "Yeah, of course. I'm just...tired, that's all. Thought you would've been back an hour ago. Wasn't just gonna go back home. Besides - your bed's comfy."

The response felt just like her, just as you'd expect. But in the end, you still weren't entirely sure. You wanted to keep an eye on her...maybe just in case.

With a quick smooch, she asked you to talk about what you did today. It was only a simple request, but to be fair...there wasn't all too much interesting stuff that happened today. Nonetheless, you decided it would be best to answer, lest you kept her waiting.

"Well...uh..."

Of course, your first words were stutters and incomplete statements as you tried to piece together something to say, all the while your friend moved lower and lower down your body, giving it pecks of kisses as she went.

"...Well, I just...I just went to Applejack's today. You...I guess you know that."

She laughed a little as she stopped at your belly. "That's it?"

You sheepishly nodded as your breath started to pick up a little bit, going almost unnoticed by Dash, who gave your stomach a lick. It tickled just a bit, something she anticipated, before finally reaching what she was looking for. When she gave you a firm lick, you gasped and closed your eyes.

"You know what?" she asked. "How about you just lie down and relax?"

That meant no questions, it seemed to you. It was okay...you...think it was...mmn...

She licked you again from the base to the tip, while you just stared at the ceiling and breathed heavily as she teased you again. And again. And a...

Then in an instant, she took you into her mouth - whole.

You sucked in air and choked on it, coughing a few times; Dash seemed to take comfort in that, while looking at you with a definite caring look to her face. She laughed quietly, and the vibrations...

She started going, up and down, not giving you a moment's rest. Your eyes went back to the ceiling and you just laid there, unsure of what to do or what to think, your brain wracked with all kinds of things. Your stomach rattled in and out with shaky breaths, and that only encouraged your...friend to keep going. You looked down just for a second to watch her adjusting her mane as it got in the way for a second, and she was back at it.

Your whole body tingled with euphoria, and all you could do was breath shakily, close your eyes, and grip the sheets as you felt that familiar sensation approaching.

"Dash, pl...please..."

You wanted her to stop; it was going too far, you wanted to ask her - just ask.

But you couldn't seem to say the right words. They just couldn't quite come out...but the words you did say only encouraged her to finish her job.

She went faster, deeper, harder against you, the sound of her tongue, her saliva, her lips slapping around, sucking in air with each pull up. You moaned loudly as your body couldn't hold it back anymore. In an instant, her mouth filled with your stress of the day, and she seemingly, though a bit reluctantly swallowed it whole. She pulled away from you and caught her breath, while you curled up to catch yours.

The minute was awkward silence, save for the sounds of breathing. You stared at the window the whole time, looking out towards the house on the other side of the street. They wouldn't be able to see in here anyway, you were too far.

You didn't care about the house, though. You cared about her.

You had to ask her.

"Why did you do that?"

The curious was genuine curiosity; at first, she looked at you like you asked it in a sense of betrayal, but when she saw your own face, she knew it wasn't the case, and she answered the way you were unsure that she would.

"I...I feel like it's just...right, you know?" She moved closer to you on the bed. "I mean..."

She froze for a moment, thinking of the next words to say.

With a sigh, she explained as best as she could.

"I feel happy when I'm with you...and I just...I feel happier when we're..." she made questionable motions. "...I feel like I...I don't know, I don't want you to take it the wrong way...but I feel like that I...need to do this."

You looked at her questionably, wanting her to explain further.

"I mean, I'm not doing this because I have to, I'm doing this because I...I want to."

You couldn't make anything right of it. And arguably, neither could she, it seemed.

"I...I feel like this is the only way I can...you know...make things right."

You had to speak up again. "For...what happened before the...?"

She nodded, and you still didn't know.

"What did you do that was so bad?"

You knew that she told you this just the other night. Everything she said, everything she did...but what was so bad that this was the only way she could fix it?

It wasn't that you didn't like this. It was a mix of everything, really. A part of you liked it, a part of you didn't, another part was indifferent or frustrated or excited and so on and so on. You were never solid on any of it; and yet, you were going along with it again.

You didn't hate her; you swore that you wouldn't. You just hoped that...you could keep that promise. You saw her face when she first said it.

Could it really be that bad?

"I hope you never find out."

She didn't say it cruelly. She just said it truthfully.

That's what worried you, if only a bit.

The only way to know was to wait.

For now, it was time to focus on now. Dash excused herself and went into the bathroom to rinse her mouth out. You waited for her, wanting to apologize for forcing the question on her, if you were. When she came out, you tried to do just that, but she kissed you first, beating you to it with her own apology.

"I promise I won't do that again unless you want to. Okay?"

It wasn't the type of apology you expected, but you accepted it nonetheless. You eventually apologized back to her, and while she hesitated, she was nonetheless content. As the clock ticked six in the evening, the two of you went downstairs to make another batch of eggs. It was then that...you realized Lilly had gone upstairs not long after you...and was just a bedroom away the whole time.

Dinner was awkward.

But in the end, you laughed a little.