Idling at a red light, Sunset glanced skyward, pleased to see that the late afternoon sky was remarkably clear. The weather was the one part of the evening that she couldn’t control, and she’d spent the last few days checking the weather constantly and hoping that there wouldn’t be any surprise storms to ruin all the planning she’d put into the evening. She didn’t expect the night to go perfect—she didn’t expect to get that lucky—but she wanted it to go well. She needed this. Twilight needed this, and she’d spent weeks planning how to make it happen the way she wanted.

That was truer now than it had been a few weeks ago, after what she’d done to keep Twilight away from the magic. Sunset had to do something to make amends for using the younger girl’s feelings against her like that…even if Twilight didn’t know it was an apology. She’d already sworn to never resort to those kinds of underhanded, deceitful tactics ever again, but there was still this urge to do something to balance the scales, to set things right somehow. Hopefully, this would be a step in the right direction.

Hopefully it wouldn’t blow up in her face.

The redhead laughed, a self-mocking sound stolen by the winter wind as she waited for the light to turn. There was a fair chance that she’d guessed wrong, and this whole thing would just upset her girlfriend, but Sunset was determined to give it a try anyway. Even if it ended with Twilight upset with her—something she felt she deserved, given her manipulative actions in the greenhouse—Sunset could say she did try her best.

An icy wind gusted as the light turned green, cutting through her and making her more than a little glad that she’d dressed warmly in some of the winter clothing that the her girlfriend’s family had gifted her over the holiday, and that, on top of a blanket to keep them off the frosty grass, she’d brought a thick, soft warm blanket to cover up with once it got dark and the temperature plummeted. It would be no fun for either of them to end up with frostbite while watching the meteor shower.

Right at that moment, the blanket was serving a secondary purpose in the storage compartment of the bike that was equally important in her eyes…

Night considered her question for a long moment. “You’d need a pretty powerful telescope for that, Sunset, one with several attachments to allow for a camera to be used with it with significant power and sensitivity to capture anything. Those are pretty expensive, kiddo, and you’d probably have to custom order it.”

Her shoulders fell with her mood, and she sighed. Money wasn’t as much of an issue—time was, and even though her finances were such that she could afford to splurge sometimes, she couldn’t justify the amount of money it would take for a rush job to get her what she wanted in less than two weeks. “Oh. Never mind then. It was just a thought, because I know she’s really wanted to get into stellar photography, and the pictures she can take with her current setup are just not as vibrant and pretty as she wants. I wanted to do something that would make this meteor shower even better…”

The man held up a hand. “…I might have a solution for you, Sunset, one I think will help you give our Twily the best night she’s had all year. I have a nicer telescope that would work for what you want, and it does have the attachments you need. I use it sometimes for work, when I need to go out and get imagery from much more remote locations or locations from specific geographic coordinates. Normally, I’m the only one allowed to touch it, but you’re a very responsible young woman, and I’d be willing to loan it out to you for the night, if you’re interested. I’d want to walk you through the setup and use of it before you could take it with you, just so you know how to do what you want with it, but it is an option…”

Night had made good on the offer, showing her how to work the telescope that was now secured carefully in its case in her bike’s storage, the thick blanket wrapped around it for added protection…and to keep it a surprise until she set it up later. Of course, it meant she had to pack other things in the backpack that was heavy on her back, that Twilight would have to shoulder on their way to the observatory…but something told her than the reaction she’d get when she pulled out Night’s high end, expensive telescope would be worth the inconvenience.

Sunset smiled faintly, the prospect of the night already lifting her spirits as she pulled into the neighborhood and onto Twilight’s street. They had the meteor shower at the observatory, and then it’d be back to the Sparkle house for the Friday night sleepover that was, in many cases, the highlight of her week, surrounded by the feeling of a family that cared about her, and with her sweet nerd of a best friend and girlfriend curled up in her arms and hugging her tight. It was more often than not, the one night a week where she didn’t feel like her problems were closing in on her.

Pulling in behind Cadence’s cheerful little four-door, she shut the bike off and headed for the door. It was a little earlier than they would need to beat the crowd of sky watchers to a good spot, but that was all part of Sunset’s plan. She knocked, and jolted back a little when it was a very chipper looking Cadence pulled her inside. “Come on in, Sunset! Twilight is just getting changed!” she said, her voice loud enough that it would carry up the stairs. The resulting thud from overhead suggested Twilight had heard her…and tripped over something in the process.

“Hi, Cadence,” the redhead greeted.

The pink skinned woman beamed at her, and lowered her voice. “Did you get everything okay?”

On some level she should have expected this, given how the woman had acted when she had sought her advice while Twilight was in the shower the Friday before…

Cadence let out a loud, ear piercing squeal, and Sunset flinched—partially from pain and partially out of worry that the other residents of the house would want to know what was wrong. “Cadence!” she hissed. “Do you mind keeping it down?”

“I’m sorry,” the woman apologized, “but this is a big deal! I can’t help it!”

The redheaded girl shook her head. “Except the whole point is to not make a big deal of it. That’s the opposite of what Twilight would want…and it's not really what I want either.”

Twilight’s sister-in-law sobered, considering Sunset seriously for a long time. “Then what exactly do you want?” she asked at last. “And how can I help make it happen?”

Sunset ran a hand through her hair. “…Nothing big, nothing overly showy or obvious. I want it to be something that fits for us. Something that will mean a lot to Twilight, make it everything she could ever want, without drawing attention to her, or to us. That’s a definite no-go, with how upset and anxious she gets if she thinks someone has an inkling about us.”

That almost set the woman to squealing again. “Oh, you’re so sweet! Twily is so lucky to have a girl like you—do you know how many women would kill for a boyfriend half as caring and attentive?” At Sunset’s glare, she lowered her volume. “I mean it, Sunset—it's hard to find any kind of partner who is as sweet and focused on the other person’s happiness as you are with Twilight. I hope Twilight knows how lucky she is to have you.”

“…I’m the lucky one,” Sunset responded with heat flooding her cheeks. “…Twilight is the amazing one, not me.”

The smirk on Cadence’s face was filled with an emotion that Sunset couldn’t quite put a name to. It was more than amused, but not arrogant enough to be smug. “If you say so,” she commented, before her face turned much more contemplative. “…On a more serious note, I have a few ideas of what you could do…”

Sunset smiled, nodding her head and feeling somewhat bemused by the other woman's excitement. It was hard to tell whether or not this was some kind of human thing, being so overly delighted by someone having a romantic relationship and the various ‘milestones’ involved, or if it was the kind of thing present more as a result of certain personality types and age groups. Given both the nature of a number of girls at the school and Rarity’s reaction to even the idea of a romantic partnership for one of her friends, she was willing to believe the real answer might have been ‘both.’ “Yeah,” she said, rubbing her neck a little awkwardly. “I did. I picked up several of the choices on the list you gave me. It gives her the ability to decide what she likes better, and whatever’s left can be saved for tomorrow.”

Clapping her hands, Cadence couldn’t resist and swept the former unicorn into a hug that would have made her ribs creak if she hadn’t gotten used to hugs from Pinkie Pie and Applejack. “This is going to be so great…our Ladybug is just going to adore this when you pull it off!” Her eyes were dancing brightly when she pulled back, an arm remaining to start leading Sunset towards the kitchen. “Come on, Mom’s got the rest organized for you like you asked for. It should be all ready and secure to stick in your bag. We want to get it all hidden away before Twilight remembers how to put on pants,” she whispered impishly. “That way we don’t spoil your surprise.”

The woman was still grinning when she dragged Sunset into the kitchen with her, and Velvet chuckled. “Calm down a little, dear,” she chided Cadence gently. “Let Sunset walk on her own—honestly, the way you’re behaving, anyone would think you were the one heading up to the observatory tonight instead of Twily.”

Cadence released Sunset with a sheepish expression. “I’m sorry, Mom…” She shifted from foot to foot a little. “I’ve just been worried about Twilight too. She’s not been quite herself the last few weeks, and I’m with Sunset on this—she needs a fun night out of the house and away from her project and her worries about school to destress.”

Velvet smiled warmly at Sunset, pulling the former unicorn into one of her hugs. “And who better to see that she gets it than her best friend,” she said with a light laugh.

“Yes ma’am,” Sunset responded cheerfully, taking her backpack off so Velvet could carefully rearrange the items inside to accommodate her contributions to the evening. “I swear, she’ll have a good night, even if I have to sit on her and tickle her until she’s laughing so hard she can’t talk.”

Carefully settling several containers in the bag, Velvet shook her head. “I don’t think it will come to that, sweetheart. You’ve put so much effort into it that I can’t imagine Twilight being anything but delighted with the surprise.”

Sunset felt more than a little relieved that Mrs. Velvet was taking this calmly—more like she’d hoped, honestly, without the dramatics and noise Cadence had been expressing—and that her girlfriend’s parents took her carefully presented explanation for the night’s plans that, while not a lie, didn’t explore the depth of exactly what she had in mind to do.

And if Velvet’s smile seemed a tad bigger than normal, or her hug just a little tighter, the redhead believed it was because she was a worried mom, hoping that the night would pull Twilight out of her anxious, stressed mindset that was becoming more and more prevalent as the days went by. It didn’t take a genius to realize that the prospect of Twilight’s general disposition becoming less moody and short tempered would make Velvet happy, and since it was Sunset’s idea, Sunset was the one on the receiving end of her reaction.

“I’ll finish repacking your bag, Sunset. Why don’t you go see if Twilight’s ready to go yet?” Velvet suggested. “You know how she can get when she’s really excited.”

She laughed brightly. “I do, and I’ll do that! We don’t want to lose out on a good spot!” It was all the excuse she needed to take the stairs two at a time so she could start the night off right with a proper hello for her girlfriend before they were out in the public eye…and this time, the only ulterior motive behind it was in making this whole evening as close to perfect as Sunset Shimmer could manage. “Sparky?” she called, knocking on the younger girl’s bedroom door.

“You can come in, Sunny! I was just putting my socks on!” Twilight answered back.

The chipper excitement in her voice boded well for the beginning of the night, and Sunset slipped into the bedroom, dodging Spike as he darted out to run down the stairs, collar jingling. “Hey, nerd,” she greeted playfully, shutting the door behind her and clicking the lock.

Twilight grinned at her from her seat on the bed, her hair still loose around her neck and damp from the shower. “You’re earlier than I tho—”

Sunset crossed to the bed, stepping into the space between Twilight’s knees and leaning down to capture her mouth, swallowing the rest of her sentence. Amber fingers tangled in dark hair, and the former unicorn focused on drawing out the kiss, focusing on affection and sweetness rather than the heated hungers that had colored so many of their recent encounters. She could feel her companion’s momentary surprise give way to an eager response, feel Twilight’s hands come up to rest on her shoulders—not quite a hug, but still a touch that communicated to Sunset that she wanted the embrace to linger as long as possible.

The redheaded teen broke the kiss to let them breathe, only to close the distance again to continue after a few panted breaths, still wanting more and not done trying to turn Twilight into a giggling giddy mess. It wasn’t until her girlfriend fell back on the bed, pulling Sunset down with her that she pulled back, brushing their lips together one final time as she rested their foreheads together. She could feel Twilight panting for air under her; each time her girlfriend inhaled, it pressed her up into Sunset’s chest, making her nerves tingle and magic flicker in her soul.

Twilight gave her a soft, silly smile, running fingers along the outline of one ear and down her neck. “…hi…” she giggled. “…I missed you all week.”

“Missed you too, Sparky,” Sunset admitted in a whisper. “…I’m sorry.”

“For what?” the other girl asked, her arms going around Sunset in a hug and in no hurry to have her girlfriend move.

Sunset felt guilt rear up. “…for being distant most of the week, and for…going a little too far in the greenhouse. It…I should have stopped way before I did, or maybe not started kissing you there at all—”

Lips found hers this time, keeping her from going off on a downward spiral of apologies and self-recriminations. “Sunny, it’s okay. I understand you were busy and had a lot on your mind—more than I realized.” Twilight stroked fingers over her cheek now. “…You didn’t go too far in the greenhouse—we didn’t go any further than we have here, and there was no one there to see us. I know I was frustrated because I lost track of time and didn’t get as many readings as I wanted to, but you also didn’t have to help me…and I wasn’t exactly an unwilling participant in kissing you hard enough to almost knock those tomato plants off the table.”

She ran a thumb over Sunset’s lower lip, sending a tingle through the former unicorn’s nerve endings. “Besides, Mom and Dad weren’t even mad when I explained that you were with me while I was looking for readings, and that you brought me home rather than letting me walk it. They just ask we maybe pay better attention to the time next time.”

Her mouth went a little dry. “N-next time?”

“Uh-huh…” Twilight answered with another soft giggle. “…I can’t really have you help me with my semester project much…but I was thinking…you do make a pretty good research partner…maybe we could work on some projects together this summer?” She bit her lip, suddenly shy and uncertain. “…that is…if…if you wanted to? Be…my research and lab partner?”

Wanted it? Sunset’s breath caught in her throat, stuck inside the sudden boulder that had formed there, making swallowing painful. There had been a time, long ago, where she’d wished desperately for a friend who loved the things she did, studied things at her speed and with the same hunger for knowledge and learning. That had been back before she’d been overcome with rage and bitterness and the knowledge that she could trust nopony besides herself, during her early years at CSGU. Back then, Princess Celestia had filled her ears with how the school was going to be good for her, a place where she could make friends who loved magic like she did, and that she would love going.

That bright eyed enthusiasm had taken its first blow in the same week that the bigger colts had picked on her in the courtyard and goaded her into her first real act of violence against other ponies, when the filly who had approached her with an offer of friendship stole her work on a project, and turned it in ahead of Sunset under her own name.

Sunset was upset and hurt, and she stared at Diamond Aurora and Azure Light with tears in her eyes. “Why would you do that? I thought we were friends!”

“Friends?” The sky-blue unicorn with the pink and purple mane tossed her head with a derisive snort. “With you? I’m the daughter of Duke Brilliant Diamond and Duchess Dazzling Mirage—why in Equestria would I ever lower myself to associate with a nameless mongrel like you? You’re practically little more than a dirty mudpony with a stubby, crooked horn like that—no proper unicorn would be like you.”

The amber filly flinched back, unable to resist bringing a hoof to her horn. It always looked fine to her, and Princess Celestia had never said there was anything wrong with it. “…I am a unicorn just like you! I worked hard to get in and pass the entrance test!”

Azure Light laughed. “Passed? You didn’t pass anything. You were let in because the princess felt sorry for you.”

“You’re not our equal,” Diamond sneered. “You never will be. You should be grateful I’m teaching you this now, mudpony. It’s a lesson you’ll have to learn sooner or later, and better now so you don’t waste anypony’s time trying to do things meant for real unicorns with skill and talent.”

“You’re wrong!” Weren’t they? Princess Celestia said that it was a pony’s cutie mark that told them who they were and what they were meant to do, to be. She’d already earned hers not that long ago, and learning magic tugged at something inside her that felt right. “I can do magic just as good as you! If you’re so much better at magic, then why did you steal my work instead of doing your own!?”

Diamond looked her over in a way that made Sunset’s fluffy, wavy furred coat prickle uncomfortably, and the amber unicorn flattened her ears defensively. The blue filly stamped a hoof pointedly. “I didn’t steal anything—that work belonged to a real unicorn, so I merely appropriated something you can’t possibly have the ability to do on your own. It's why the teacher didn’t believe you.”

“Don’t you understand?” Azure added flippantly as they turned to trot away, “You’re not here to learn magic or be our equal. You’re here to learn how to be a proper servant to your betters—doing that work for Diamond was part of your place in the world. We have proper unicorn bloodlines and family lineages, and you’re a nopony with no pedigree. That’s the way the world works. You’re here to serve our needs.”

Laughing nastily, the two fillies left Sunset Shimmer there, shaking with shock, tears streaming down her muzzle and the sharp sting of hurt and betrayal making her feel like she was going to be sick to her stomach.

“Sunny?” A worried voice and gentle hands roused her from her memories, Twilight’s thumbs on her cheeks to carefully wipe away tears that were burning tracks down amber skin.

Sunset gave a watery smile. “I’m okay, Sparky…just…old memories.”

The younger girl pecked her lips. “…it’s okay if you don’t want to be my research partner,” she said timidly. “I didn’t mean to upset you…”

“No!” Sunset interrupted, pressing closer. “…I…I’d love to.” She met those lips with her own, drawing comfort from the kiss. “…be your research partner, I mean. I…always wanted that…someone I could…relate to, engage with on my level and study things that interested…but the others…at my school didn’t like me. They…only pretended so they could steal my work. The teachers never believed me—why would they believe the orphan charity case over the daughter of an aristocrat?” As much as she tried, she couldn’t stop the bitterness from leaking into her voice or more tears from spilling down her cheeks. “…it didn’t take long for me to stop trying.”

“Oh, Sunny…” Twilight held her tightly. “…I promise…it's not pretend for me. You’re my very best friend, and I wanted to invite you to be my research partner, my lab partner, because I want to share my love of science and learning with you, with someone who is as smart and knowledgeable as I am, who clearly loves learning like I do…”

“No one loves learning as much as you do, nerd,” Sunset said with a small, crooked smile. “…and I know…it just…brought up old memories…but…I’d really enjoy that. Researching stuff with you, maybe building things…we could even overhaul my bike if you wanted? I know I promised you a while ago you could have a go at her under the hood…”

“Can we? I’d love to do a few upgrades for you, and you need new shocks badly. I feel every pothole you hit, Sunny.”

Chuckling, Sunset pushed herself up off her girlfriend. “We sure can, but later. Tonight, we have meteors to stare at, and we need to get going soon to get a good spot.” She held out a hand to help Twilight to her feet. “So finish getting ready, and we’ll get out of here.”

Twilight gave her one of those brilliant, dazzling smiles that only Sunset ever got to see. “I just have to put my hair up. Do you think we’ll have time to stop for something to eat on the way? I didn’t get dinner yet and I’m kind of hungry.”

“Already taken care of, Sparky,” Sunset said with a mischievous smirk. “Now hurry up before it gets too late…”

So...part one of what I've been referring to in the creative workroom as "the Observatory Date".

Prepare yourself for some serious adorable fluff and cuteness and a bit of steaminess ahead.