James smiled as Rarity sighed softly in his ear. The fashionista was still asleep, nestled comfortably against him.

A sleepy murmur escaped Rarity’s throat. Her body twitched and her tail slapped against his legs. James could feel her grip around him tighten ever so slightly as she wiggled closer. Without a second thought his grip tightened around her, and with a murmur of his own he nuzzled the top of her head. That seemed to calm the unicorn down as she once again went still, her chest gently rising and falling.

Though he didn’t look at the clock James guessed that it had to be around three or four in the morning. The night, though nearing the end of the tunnel, still held its grip on the land. The bedroom, the house and the area surrounding it were completely silent. There wasn’t a creature stirring, not Opal, not Rockington, not the beautiful unicorn in his arms. The only one in the house that didn’t have the common sense to be asleep was himself.

He had been finding himself like this a lot lately; just holding onto Rarity as he waited for the sun to rise. As he had grown older he had found himself needing less and less sleep, though it wasn’t for lack of trying to get his eight hours. He didn’t know what was the problem. His bed was as comfortable as could be, Rarity didn’t snort or snore or kick him and it wasn’t like he slept all through the day.

Perhaps it was just something that came with getting old? Maybe his restless mind was trying to tell him something? The house might have been built on ancient deer burial grounds and the angry spirits could have been keeping him up.

He didn't know, though he secretly hoped it was the third option.

A yawn escaped his throat as he began to run his fingers through his bed buddy’s hair. In a few hours the sun would rise and its light would come through the window behind him. Its golden rays would wash over the two of them. Rarity’s nose would scrunch up as the light would hit her face and she’d wiggle closer against him to get away from the light. Eventually the rays would bath the whole room in such a way that she wouldn’t be able to sleep anymore. After that her eyes would open and she’d get up and rush to the bathroom so that she could get ready and start her day.

A ghost of a smile came to James’s face. Her eyes would be half-lidded and unfocused, her mane would be all over the place, she’d have patch of drool on her chin and cheek and the fur on her face would be so messy that he couldn’t understand just how she managed to come out of the bathroom an hour later looking like a million bits.

Truly, at the moment that she opened his eyes to look at him, though frazzled and exposed, she was the most beautiful creature in the world.

James perked up as a noise shattered the silence of the house. Two sets of hooves could be heard charging down the hallway toward their bedroom. These weren’t the footfalls of an adult pony however, but the steps of two young, excitable children.

“Mommy, mommy! Daddy, daddy!”

Before he could lift his head from his pillow the bedroom door was thrown open. With a bang the edge of the door slammed against the wall. A moment later the sounds of glass breaking filled the air as one of the pictures hanging on the wall plummeted to the ground.

Rarity tensed against him as she went from fast asleep to wide awake. “James? James! We are being robbed, dear!” she cried, her head swiveling as she held onto him. “Call the authorities! Call Twilight! Call—”

James watched with bemusement as two shapes darted into the room and toward the end of the bed. He had time to raise an eyebrow as two pairs of eyes poked over the covers to stare at them. They were pretty little blue eyes. Filled with excitement, happiness and awake even at this hour. They were the eyes of children; children that he knew very well.

“Exclusive, Bernina, what did I tell you two about trying to scare your mother half to death?” he asked as he held a shaking Rarity close.

The eyes looked at each other before they looked back at him. “Only do it on Nightmare Night,” two shrill, adolescent voices answered in unison.

Rarity’s ears perked up. “Exclusive? Bernina?” she said, exhaustion thick in her voice. “Oh my goodness you nearly gave me a heart attack!”

Regret could be seen in the two pairs of eyes. “Sorry mommy,” one of the eyes said.

“Yeah, sorry mommy. We didn’t mean to scare you,” the other added.

James yawned into a hand as he looked over at the clock that he had sitting on the nightstand by the bed. It was four in the morning on the dot. Even though his beautiful little girls were early risers, just like their mother, not even they usually got up this early in the morning. Nuzzling Rarity’s cheek, he racked his brain, trying to think of a reason why the two would have gotten up at this ungodly hour.

Both of his daughters, two pure white little unicorns, both of which had his jet black hair and sense of humor, slowly climbed up onto the bed. Little Exclusive, her mane unruly like it always was, though his wife did everything in her power to tame it, let her horn spark to life. Her little sister, Bernina, who still hadn’t gotten her cutie mark, though he expected to hear the good news any day now, scrunched up her little face in concentration as her horn also sparked to life. There was a pop, and with a burst of magic two plates of food appeared in front of both him and Rarity.

“Happy parent’s day, mommy and daddy!” Bernina chirped, dragging a hoof across her snotty nose.

“Yeah, happy parent’s day!” Exclusive cried with a smile.

There were two pancakes, misshapen and burnt black, on both plates along with some fruit that looked like it had been hacked to pieces and some yellow, flaky mess that might have been hash browns. It wasn’t the most appetizing breakfast that he had ever seen, and he couldn’t help but noticed that both of his daughters were covered in black soot and batter, but James couldn’t help but smile all the same.

“Parents day?” Rarity muttered quietly, her hamster still half asleep. “What on earth are the two of you talking—”

“It’s our anniversary today,” James helpfully supplied, kissing his wife’s brow.

Rarity's mouth became an O shape as a look of realization flashed across her face. "Oh my goodness," she muttered. "Is it that time already? I had nearly forgotten..."

“Yeah! It’s your annie-ver-serie!” Bernina said, looking so happy that she might burst. “Me an’ sis remembered aunt Twily talkin’ about it the other day so we made you two breakfast in bed!”

“I made the pancakes!” Exclusive said with a wiggle. “Bernina made the other stuff!”

Rarity, though her eye twitching at the mess that both of her daughters were making of her bed sheets, smiled. “Aw, well thank you ever so much, my dears,” she said as she touched a hoof to her chest.

“It looks… delicious,” James added.

Both of the girls’ chests puffed out at the praise.

“We worked real hard on it, daddy!”

“Yeah! We got up extra early an’ everything!”

Still smiling, James planted a kiss on the top of Rarity’s head. No doubt the kitchen looked like a tornado had gone through it. There were probably plates stacked up high in the sink, batter and lord knows what would be all over the floors, the walls and the ceiling and, if they were particularly unlucky something might have even been on fire. He also wouldn’t be surprised if his daughters tried to get out of school today to help the two of them “celebrate” but even still, with all of that in mind, he couldn’t help but grin as he held his disheveled, tired, beautiful wife against his side.

Rarity, though she no doubt had the same thoughts about a messy kitchen as he was, looked up at him with a smile. It was a smile that not very many saw, a smile that she first shared with him when the two had decided to move into together. James had also seen that smile when he had gotten down on his knee and pulled out the ring that she now wore on her horn. It was a loving smile; the kind of smile that you only gave someone that you loved more than anything. It was the kind of smile only known to those who were lucky enough to have the fate intertwined with someone else.

A warmth filled his chest as he leaned down and gave Rarity, his friend, his bed buddy, his wife, his love, the mare who’s plate that he ate off of when she wasn’t looking, a kiss. Rarity, with a giggle, closed her eyes and kissed back.

Just like the first time he kissed her a jolt raced throughout his body. He could feel his heart beating in his chest. He could feel his wife’s mane, still shockingly soft even after all of these years together, tickle his face as she leaned up. It was wonderful, it was perfect, it made him feel like a little kid with a crush and a bag of Jolly Ranchers in his pocket. In the background he could hear his daughters gagging and making other disgusted noises but he ignored it, simply deepening the kiss.

Rarity, her eyes still closed, wrapped her hooves around his neck. Not breaking the kiss, she laid the two of them back into the bed and under the covers.

In a few moments the two would have to get up. They’d have to choke down what their daughters had made for them, they’d have to race downstairs and clean up the kitchen and get both of the girls ready and out the door for school before the first morning bell rang and after that they’d have to go out and start their days. But, under those soft silk covers, for those few moments, the husband and wife just simply laid together and loved.

Breaking the kiss, Rarity pressed her forehead against his. One of her eyes opened, filled with warmth and love and joy “Happy anniversary, you old ruffian.”

James cupped his wife’s cheek. Not able to help himself, he leaned down and snuck another kiss. “Happy anniversary, you old lady you.”

Author's Notes:

Just a little something that I thought up a few weeks ago. This was the only chapter that I was kinda iffy about but I think it's fine regardless.

Tell me what you guys thought about this little story of mine.