Sunset hovered in that weird, groggy space between sleep and awake, curled amid warm blankets that smelled like Twilight. She sighed, stretching slowly as the fog started to clear, her hand reaching out to pull her girlfriend closer to her—there was something pleasant about cuddling with the dark haired girl as she was waking up. Instead of soft warmth, her digits only encountered more blankets, causing Sunset to blink open her eyes, muzzily trying to discern where Twilight had ended up. Sitting up, she realized she was alone in the room, and she rubbed the sleep from her eyes to clear them.

The former unicorn ached all over, muscles sore and tight, with a burning, bone deep weariness in every fiber of her being—even her hair felt tired. Part of that was likely from the physical exertions, but the bulk of it was the familiar exhaustion that came from overextending her magical capabilities and using up more of her magical reserves than was strictly advisable by any Equestrian doctor worth their medical certifications. Had she still been in Equestria, she would have been put on bed rest with a forced diet of foods rich in thaumic energies until she was no longer in danger of damaging her magical pathways or using her very life-force just to lift a spoon. That was, she mused, a benefit in being in a human body: it lacked the fundamental requirement of a minimum magical reservoir in order to perform basic life processes.

Sunset stretched carefully, trying to work out the soreness in her upper body, chastising herself. “You know better, Shimmer. Five years and you’ve completely forgotten how to recognize your limits—in all that enthusiasm for having actual magic again, you ignored everything you were ever taught about spellcaster safety.” The heaviness in her body, the sluggishness that persisted, like every cell was moving through molasses, was a clear indicator that she’d not only burned her own powerful reserves, but that she’d poured some of her own life’s energy into the Rainbow of Light. This would take a lot of rest, time, and copious amounts of food to recover from; a hollow ache in her gut told Sunset that her stomach agreed with the assessment, and that she should go find that food. Or Twilight.

Decision made, she got out of the bed and spotted a piece of paper on the nightstand with her name on it. She picked it up and unfolded it to realize it was a note from her girlfriend.

“Sunny,

You were really deeply asleep and I didn’t want to wake you. I’m going to be working on some projects in my lab. Mom’s doing work downstairs in the living room, if you need anything when you get up.”

The note was signed with a heart next to Twilight’s name, and it brought a smile to her lips. “Sentimental nerd,” she grumbled good naturedly. It didn’t stop her from tucking the note in the pocket of her borrowed pants with her phone, before she staggered out of the bedroom. Leaden legs refused to respond right, the learned bipedalism hard to enforce with a fuzzy brain over the instinct that told her she had no business not being properly on four hooves. “…miss my hooves…” she muttered as she leaned on a wall to steady herself on the way to a much needed stop at the bathroom. “…must look like a salt-soused minotaur runt…”

By the time she navigated her way down the stairs some minutes later, she felt like she just wanted to go back to sleep. What energy she had woken with was almost gone, and the world lurched with every step as she shuffled into the kitchen. There she found Twilight Velvet, cooking. “Morning, Mrs. Velvet…” she mumbled around a yawn.

The woman turned, a worried expression on her face. “Sunset, sweetie, it’s almost six in the evening. You’ve been asleep all day.” She set the spoon down on a paper towel and bustled over, placing a hand on Sunset’s forehead to check her temperature, wincing at what she found. The redhead couldn’t help but let out a noise of relief at how cool Velvet’s hand felt against her skin. “…you look like you’re getting sick and I’m fairly certain you have a fever…How do you feel?”

“Awful,” she admitted. “…I’m sorry…I didn’t realize I would sleep so long. Twilight’s not in trouble for me coming over last night, is she? I didn’t want to cause any trouble…” As exhausted as she was, she just didn’t have the energy to conceal the anxious note in her voice, and she shifted her weight from foot to foot, well aware that if she had still had a tail, it would be twitching in agitation.

Velvet’s warm, motherly hug silenced her. “Now you listen to me, Sunset Shimmer. You are welcome here at any time of the day or night. I would very much rather you be here with us when you need it, than have you be alone in your apartment and terribly ill.” She firmly escorted Sunset out to the living room and pushed her to the sofa. “Now you lay down and I’ll make you something to eat. Twily said you mentioned you haven’t eaten much all week. Is this true?”

The redhead gaped like a fish. “…uh…I…yes, ma’am…” she managed. “…I…with everything happening…I either didn’t have time to eat or it wouldn’t stay down…”

Velvet patted her shoulder and draped a blanket over her from the sofa’s back. “It’s alright, sweetie,” she assured her gently. “I’ll make you something light, so you don’t make yourself even more ill. Do you think you can handle some rice? Maybe made with some vegetable broth?” When Sunset nodded meekly, she smiled. “Okay. You stay here. I’ll let Twily know you’re awake.”

What else could she do? She was groggy, hungry, in borrowed pajamas with no idea where her clothes had ended up, and she hadn’t gotten to kiss her girlfriend yet today, so she wasn’t in a condition to leave. She remained on the sofa where Twilight Velvet had put her, quiet and bemusedly obedient, her drowsy mind finding Velvet’s actions as warm and comforting as the soft blanket wrapped around her shoulders. To kill time—and stay awake—she retrieved her phone from her pocket, browsing through it and noticing with dismay that it was near dead.

“You’re awake! I was worried you’d sleep through to tomorrow.”

Her eyes snapped up to Twilight, dressed in a lab-coat over old clothing, her hair up in a messy bun. There were smudges of grease on one cheek, a pair of goggles perched on her head, and the bundles of wires and tools poking out of her various pockets completed the ‘Mad Twientist’ look. Sunset couldn’t resist the urge to giggle at her own mental joke, and under the show of leaning down to hug her, Twilight pressed a kiss to the corner of her lips. “I’m glad you’re in better spirits. Sleep well?”

She met purple eyes while they were still intimately close. “…with you? Always,” the former unicorn murmured, audible only to the other girl, feeling a sense of satisfaction at the way Twilight blushed.

The budding scientist perched on the coffee table. “I was worried about you,” she admitted. “I still am. You look tired and sick, Sunset.” Her face morphed into a frown. “I know you were being a good friend, but you shouldn’t cause harm to yourself in the process.”

“Hey…” Sunset reached out and squeezed her girlfriend’s hand. “I’m okay, Sparky. I promise. And I’ll try to do better in the future…I promise that too.”

Twilight squeezed back, before letting go as Velvet came into the room with a large soup mug. Sunset took the mug gratefully, finding a thick, starchy “soup” of vegetable broth and rice. The first sip hit her tongue and she made a low groan in her throat. “…I don’t know if it’s my empty stomach talking or not…but this tastes amazing.”

Velvet patted her shoulder. “Just be careful not to eat too fast, Sunset. I don’t want you to overdo it.” Then she looked at her daughter. “I made baked potato soup for the rest of us… Go dish up if you’re hungry…and if you promise to be neater than your brother, you can eat in here with Sunset.”

It took quite a bit of willpower on Sunset’s part to sip her dinner slowly, taking breaks to let her abused and neglected stomach adjust to the introduction of something heavier than water for the first time in more than twenty-four hours. The broth was wonderful and delicious, filled with the flavors of real vegetables and spices, just like she would’ve gotten from the palace kitchens in Canterlot, rather than the overly salty, pale imitation humans marketed as broth in the grocery stores. It soothed the ache in her gut, and the rice mixed in with it was just enough to make her feel contentedly full without stressing her system.

Twilight had curled up next to her with her own meal, content to cuddle close while they had the living room to themselves. She finished much faster than Sunset, and distracted them both by starting to run her fingers through fiery locks, carefully working out the worst of the tangles with a dismayed noise. “Stay here and finish your soup,” she encouraged, rising and pressing a kiss to Sunset’s temple. “I’ll be right back, okay?”

Grunting an affirmative around a mouthful of food, the former unicorn wondered where her girlfriend was going. She was gone only a few minutes, reentering the room with a hairbrush in one hand, smiling shyly. “…Thought you might like some help so your hair doesn’t end up all matted.”

Sunset chuckled as she placed her empty mug on the coffee table and twisted her body slightly to give Twilight better access to her hair. “…I wouldn’t say no—I don’t have the energy required to fight with my hair right now. My hair would win in less than thirty seconds.”

The smaller girl sat intimately close to her back, deft fingers and soft brush setting to work on detangling the wild mane with incredible patience and care. Sunset let her head loll forward, half dozing as she let out several soft sounds of enjoyment. The feeling of fingers and fine bristles tugging through her hair and lightly scritching along her scalp sent signals of pleasure to her brain, dredging up memories of being very small, perched between Celestia’s forelegs while the solar princess brushed her mane and tail after a thorough currying of her short, fluffy baby coat. Every once in a while, Twilight would lean forward and place a kiss on Sunset’s neck affectionately.

She probably would have fallen asleep sitting up if it hadn’t been for Night Light entering the room, settling into his favorite armchair with a book in one hand. “Good evening, girls. Thought you were going to sleep through to tomorrow, Sunset. Glad to see you decided to join us for a little bit,” he teased lightly.

Blue-green eyes peeled open and peered blearily at him. “I’m here for the food,” she quipped back. “Mrs. Velvet makes some mean veggie broth.”

He laughed in response. “First, a pretty girl and now food. I’m beginning to think you’re never here for our company. Teenagers, I swear.”

Her response was cut off when lavender fingers brushed her throat, gentle pressure making her turn her head at Twilight’s desire so she could reach the last part of Sunset’s hair. She swallowed a sound that would have given away that this was not just one friend brushing the other’s hair out, but instead a way to steal some moments of intimacy without suspicion.

Some time later, after the strokes of the brush were more just soothing repetition and not serving to rid her of tangles, Sunset checked the clock on her phone. “…I really need to get home,” she mumbled regretfully. “I’ve got school in the morning, and I have laundry to do at home so I have clean things to wear next week.” She started to get up, only for Night Light’s voice to stop her in her tracks.

“You’re not in any condition to drive yourself home, and we would be irresponsible to send you home still looking like you’re three steps from collapse. You should stay here at least another night, get some more food in you, get some more sleep.” The man never looked up from his book, but his tone was firm.

She floundered, not used to this type of situation. “…I didn’t…I’ve got homework to do…and I don’t have any other clothes here. I didn’t grab them…I can’t go to school tomorrow in someone else’s pajamas.”

What she didn’t expect was her adorably traitorous girlfriend to chime in. Traitor. It was a good thing Sparky was cute. “…I could get your stuff for you? If we make a list, it shouldn’t be hard to do. I’d just need your keys.”

“That’s true,” Twilight Velvet called from the kitchen. “And I agree with Night, Sunset. You should at least stay here another night. If it’s needed, I’m more than happy to call your school tomorrow and tell them you’re staying home for the day. You look like you’re coming down with something, and I’m worried about you running a fever.”

The redhead looked around, from Twilight’s hopeful face peering over her shoulder to Night Light’s stern—but not unkind—one, to where she could see Velvet watching from the kitchen, weighing her options. She was clearly outnumbered…and this sofa was super warm and comfy too. There was also the added benefit of another night with Twilight in her arms, which she had to admit was more appealing than being alone in her bed at home. A part of her dared to wonder, just for a moment before she shut it down, if this was what it was like to have a family…but she did have school, homework, and laundry to do, none of that had been untrue, and the words and notes to the song she’d been noodling with for weeks had hit her last night. She wanted to get it on paper before she forgot it.

So there she sat, chewing her lip and weighing it all in her mind for the better part of ten minutes, her girlfriend and the two adults waiting patiently and not pushing her further than their initial logic. She weighed the options, took stock of her aches, pains, and exhaustion, before coming to what even Exhausted Sunset knew was the smartest decision. “Alright…I’ll stay…” She twisted around and tweaked Twilight’s nose. “Go get my jacket, nerd.” The shorter teen hopped up happily and retrieved the item as she’d been bidden. Sunset fished around in the inner pocket, retrieving her keys.

Those were pressed into Twilight’s hand. “Just grab me the jeans and shirt on the railing and the rest from the two top drawers in my dresser, okay? My phone charger, plugged in on my nightstand…that, my backpack—the one with my cu—my sun symbol on it? And there’s a red notebook under my acoustic on my bed.”

Twilight nodded, then stared at the key ring in her palm, eyes growing large and eager, shining in a way that worried Sunset. “…Right…Does this mean I can take your bike?” she asked hopefully. Sunset snorted—there was something amusing and cute about her fascination with the motorcycle.

Before she could answer, Night Light put his book down. “Absolutely not, Twilight Sparkle. You know very well that you don’t have a license, especially not for a motorcycle. It’s also after dark. I’ll drive you in the car.”

Sunset covered her mouth to stifle the laugh as her girlfriend wilted. “…Hey…chin up, Sparky…I was going to talk to you about those upgrades for it…if you’re still interested in taking a shot at it?” It was funny, but the disappointment on Twilight’s face was something she wanted to dispel as quickly as possible.

It worked, and she found herself on the receiving end of a hug, one that brought a smile to her face like nothing else in her life could. “Yes yes yes yes yes yes yes!” Twilight was practically squealing in her ear.

She laughed, and pushed her back—playfully, of course. “Go get my stuff, nerd. When you get back we can talk about bike upgrades. It’s been making a weird sound when it changes gears anyway.” Blue-green eyes remained glued to Twilight as she skipped off, her mood somewhere in the stratosphere.

Steam escaped around her as Sunset stepped out of the bathroom, toweling her hair dry. It felt good to be clean, warm, and somewhere way better than half-dead from exhaustion and stress. The food had done her wonders—Velvet had made her a second helping while Twilight had been gone retrieving her things—and the hot shower had helped chase a lot of the cobwebs from her mind and minor aches from her body, even if she was still shuffling around like a drunken minotaur with a palsy courtesy of the magical over-expenditure. The redhead slipped into Twilight’s room, shutting the door softly behind her, eyes immediately lighting on her girlfriend. The other girl was where she had been before Sunset had gone to shower—hunched over her desk, mumbling to herself as she looked over printouts and notes spread across a thick textbook. Twilight was so focused on what she was doing that she barely even seemed to notice Sunset’s return.

Draping the towel over the footboard, Sunset sprawled out on the bed, snuggling into the pillows on the side that she had started to think of as hers. “Still studying? I thought you would’ve been done by now.”

Twilight jolted when she spoke, before turning her chair more towards the bed. “Oh! I…haven’t been able to study as much as I would have liked last week, and I’m out of time—exams start tomorrow morning.” Purple eyes flew over the page, a frantic gleam in their depths. “I need to make sure I’ve reread everything that might be on the test.”

Sunset propped herself up on her elbows, brows furrowing in concern. “…It’s not like you to procrastinate...especially with studying. Did something happen last week?”

The dark haired girl shook her head, still fixed on her notes. “Nothing…happened…exactly. It…just wasn’t a good week for me either.”

That made the former unicorn look her companion over with careful scrutiny. Twilight’s hair was still in the hasty bun from earlier that day, but now that Sunset looked closer, she could see the hint of shadows under the other teen’s eyes that weren’t from her glasses, and the slight tremble in her hand as she turned the page in her textbook. Sitting back upright, she reached out to touch a lavender skinned arm. “…Sparky…you look about like I feel. What made it a bad week?”

Twilight sighed, turning her chair fully to face Sunset. “Exams are always a very...stressful few weeks for me,” she confided. “Crystal Prep has a very competitive and fast paced curriculum, and everyone wants to be on top.”

Sunset shifted her hand to intertwine their fingers. “Lemme guess...you’re on top, and they don’t like that you show them up simply by existing.” That was something she could relate to—CSGU had been like that at times.

Lips twitched into an expression that was less a smile and more a grimace. “It doesn’t even make sense!” the other girl blurted. “They don’t have anyone but themselves to blame—most of the ones who are the most antagonistic are too focused on their social lives or sports to put the time in to study and work towards better grades! If they actually took time to focus on school, they would do better!” Her voice pitched up as her emotions spiked. “Instead they act like its somehow my fault, and do everything they can get away with to sabotage me!”

Sunset frowned, and squeezed the hand she was holding. “Sabotage you?” Fury twisted in her core. “What did they do? They didn’t touch you, did they?”

“Nothing like that,” Twilight said with a head shake, her voice clipped and quick. “They just...get really hostile and...it’s little things. Bumping into my desk, kicking my bookbag across the floor...spilling things on my work so i have to start over... Its all so childish and immature—they could use that time to actually study, but they do all of that instead! Or they whisper to each other about me, pretending I can’t hear them...” She slumped in her chair.

Knowing that the other students weren’t outright getting physical with Twilight didn’t chase away the frown. Sunset leaned forward, pulling the shorter girl into a tight hug. “Studying wouldn’t do them any good,” she replied with a sigh, “and they know it. You’re brilliant, Sparky, and you don’t have to try to be a genius. You just are. It’s not about winning or beating them for you, it’s about something you love doing: learning. For po—people like that, their lives are about image and prestige, and they know that they won’t ever be smarter than you. The only way they could ever hope to do better than you is to make you fail.” After all, that was what so many at Celestia’s school had tried to do with her, and was part of what had fed into her darker side there, driving her to get to some of her classmates before they could get to her.

Twilight tensed up, biting out bitter words filled with pure frustration that Sunset could practically feel. “I’ve heard that sentiment before, Sunset. From my therapist. It doesn’t make me feel any better, it doesn’t make them stop, and it certainly hasn’t done anything to dispel the urge to use what you’ve taught me in a violent attempt to force them to leave me alone! I don’t even know why I’m so angry! I don’t get angry like this, or feel like I want to hit people!”

The smaller body trembled in her arms, and she could hear the way Twilight’s breath caught weirdly in her lungs. “Hey...breathe for me, Sparky. Slow and even,” she coaxed.

“...I just want them to leave me alone...”

The earlier fury in her shifted to a different emotion, one just as heated and fierce, causing the redhead to tug Twilight firmly towards the bed. “Come here.”

Tears born of stress, anxiety, and frustration started making tracks down lavender cheeks as Twilight tried to resist. “No, Sunset...I need to get back to studying. I can’t right now...I—”

“Twilight,” Sunset interrupted firmly. “Stop.” She took a breath. “You are not in any state to study right now. You won’t retain anything you read.” Twilight had gone silent and strangely still, and Sunset pulled back just enough to meet purple eyes. “I’m here, Sparky, and I want to help. Will you let me?”

A dark haired head gave a jerky nod. “...Okay...”

“Alright. Then come here.” This time, when she pulled, her girlfriend came willingly. In short order, they were reclining back against the pillows together, Twilight curled up in Sunset’s arms, face pressed into her shirt. The former unicorn could feel the tears soaking into her top, feel the quiet sobs that shook the girl in her arms, and she hugged her tight, face pressed against Twilight’s hair. She murmured, “I’ve got you,” in between kisses that brushed the curve of one lavender ear. “Let it all out, Sparky. You’ll feel better after. Trust me.” With all the crying and sobbing Sunset herself had done herself since the night of the Formal, she’d stumbled on that lesson accidentally.

After a while, she could feel Twilight’s breathing even out, no longer hitching with her crying. She adjusted their positions so she could rest their foreheads together. “Hey,” she murmured softly. “Feel any better?”

“Yes,” came the quiet admission. “...I’m sorry, Sunset...My anger wasn’t at you.” Purple skinned fingers gripped the pajama top tighter. “I just couldn’t stop myself from reacting—it’s not like me to get angry over things like this...”

“So Twilight Sparkle has a temper. Sparky, you do realize who you’re talking to, right? I get it. I really do. You have no idea how many times this week I wanted to just...punch Adagio’s smug face to wipe that smirk off.” The former unicorn briefly entertained the memory of the angry and fearful look on the lead Siren’s face when she had joined the fray. That look had been worth restraining her more rage-filled impulses all week. With a soft smile, she pressed her lips to Twilight’s, wanting to communicate affection and reassurance. “I know you weren’t mad at me, and it’s okay.”

“It’s not okay,” Twilight countered, her tone more anxious than argumentative. “Sunset, this isn’t normal for me. I don’t get angry like that. Stressed, yes, and frustrated...but those things make me feel anxiety, not anger and a desire to lash out with violence. Exams always trigger panic attacks for me, and I’ve had those too, but even those were accompanied by anger.”

Rubbing her girlfriend’s back, Sunset considered the scenario, pushing aside her fatigue in the face of Twilight's distress. "Hmm…” she murmured, thoughtfully. “Okay…it sounds to me like it's the change that's upsetting you, almost more than getting angry?"

Twilight thought for a moment, then nodded urgently, her fingers twisting around each other, "Yes! That's it, yes. Something's changed and I don't know what, and... and I don't like it!" Her words ran together and tumbled over each other as she spoke, and Sunset could feel the way her body was starting to react negatively to the agitation.

"Deep breaths, Sparky, slow and even,” she coaxed, interrupting the impending spiral of anxiety and emotion. “We’ll figure this out, but I need you to breathe." The redhead could feel the way her girlfriend went forcibly still before starting to inhale and exhale in slow, steady mimicry of Sunset’s own breathing. She took the opportunity while Twilight was focused on that to start wracking her brain for a way to calm the dark haired teen, a traitorous part of her mind sometimes wishing she could use magic to inhibit some of the anxiety that plagued Twilight regularly. A calm-down-and-think-rational-spell would be great right now…

Hmm…That…might actually work, if you can get her to relax long enough to propose the idea, Shimmer… “Hey, Sparky?” Sunset started, getting Twilight’s attention. "I had a thought. If it's a change, then...there has to be a variable causing that change, right?" C’mon, Twilight, it’s science! Use that adorably nerdy brain of yours! "Think of this as, oh... a science problem. You're observing a situation, a situation you’ve observed numerous times before that’s always given you the same data as a result, only this time, you’re getting a completely different result. First thing you do after ruling out some form of error is look for the variable in the experiment, right? The thing that is different that led to a distinct change in the end result?”

Purple eyes lit up at her words. “And if we can figure out the variable, I can understand why I’m responding like I am! Why didn’t I think of that?” Her face drew into a pensive frown. “…I think we can rule out school itself. The material isn’t really any more challenging than it ever was before, and the environment there is fairly unchanged from previous years. I…do have fewer friends there than before, but I didn’t exactly have many, and I haven’t noticed the lack of them since I met you.”

The redhead felt her cheeks heat up with pleased embarrassment, but she settled for an affectionate nuzzle instead of kissing Twilight until they both forgot what they were discussing. “…I think you’re giving me too much credit, but…I guess we can rule out school—and probably your family too, unless they’ve gone through major recent change?” When the dark haired girl shook her head, she pressed forward. “What does that leave us with? What else has changed?”

Twilight adjusted her position so she could rest her head against Sunset. “…There’s you. You’re the biggest change in my life. I’ve…never had anyone in my life like you, not as a friend and certainly not as more than that.”

Warmth bubbled pleasantly in her chest and she smiled crookedly. “…it’s mutual, you know?” There was a comfortable pause as they both let the affectionate declarations sink in, before Sunset continued. “…though I certainly hope I’m not that much of a bad influence on you—especially because I’m trying very hard to not be the kind of angry, aggressive bully that would push you to do violence on others. I’m trying to be better than that. It’s why I didn’t give in and hit anyone last week—you said you were proud of me, and...I didn’t want to disappoint you.”

Blue-green eyes met purple, and Twilight gave her one of those sunshine-bright smiles despite the emotions still lingering in the air because of the conversation. “Sunny,” she murmured, fingers pulling away from Sunset’s sleeve to brush along the redhead’s cheek. “You’re trying so hard, and you’ve come so far from who you say you used to be…even if you made a mistake, even if you did something you weren’t proud of, I wouldn’t be disappointed with you. I would still be here, still be your best friend, your girlfriend. I’d help you through it. Just like I know you’d help me…like you’re helping now.”

Helping…It couldn’t really be that simple, could it? Sunset furrowed her brows. “…Weird thought, Sparky. What if it is because I’ve been helping you?” At the puzzled expression, she wrinkled her nose. “Go with me on this. Always before, you get confronted with hostile people, you…ignore or avoid them, right? Except…for a while now, I’ve been teaching you different. I’ve been teaching you to fight back, to not be helpless in a confrontation.”

“You’re suggesting that my newfound frustration and aggressive impulses are a result of learning self defense techniques from you?” The hand on her cheek moved to rest lightly on her shoulder. “…Why are you proposing that?”

Sunset floundered for a moment, trying to articulate her thoughts. “…because I’ve been teaching you to change your natural impulses from fear to aggression against hostile threats for several months now…except you’re running into a situation where the hostility isn’t the kind you can react to with that aggression.”

Twilight bit her lip, absorbing the idea with the deeply thoughtful expression that told Sunset her brain was fully invested in dissecting and analyzing. “…It is entirely possible, I suppose. That would be enough to cause frustration in most people, and leave them with anger that they can’t express properly. Anger does tend to build up unpleasantly without an outlet to express it. I can’t really test this hypothesis until I’m actually at school, but I have somewhere to start.”

The former unicorn watched the anxious tension bleed out of the girl in her arms, muscles relaxing until she was snuggled somewhat bonelessly against Sunset. Satisfaction coupled with affection put a smile on her face as she shifted to press a kiss to Twilight’s forehead. “Does that help?”

There was a murmured affirmative, the dark haired girl’s face taking on a dazed, dreamy look. Sunset raised an eyebrow as her girlfriend nuzzled more into the redhead’s chest and shoulder. “Comfortable?” she asked with a chuckle.

“Mm...its even better than I dreamed...” came the drowsy response.

Blue-green eyes widened; that had been the last thing Sunset expected to hear from Twilight, and it sent a pleasant shiver through her that left her feeling warm all over. “...Dreams, huh?”

Realization dawned in Twilight’s eyes, and her gaze flicked to Sunset’s as her cheeks darkened with a flush of embarrassment. “...I...um—that is...nothing! Nothing happened! I didn’t say anything about dreams. I certainly haven’t been dreaming about you or your bre—aaaand I’m still talking. Why am I still talking? I should really stop before—”

The more she fumbled with her words, the more flustered she became, until Sunset—while trying not to think about the implications of Twilight’s words—took pity on her and shut her up in the simplest way she knew: kissing her.

There was a squeak of surprise, but that melted away into a pleased hum as the dark haired girl kissed her back. Fingers left Sunset’s shoulder to tangle in her mane of still damp hair, Twilight’s body pushing as close against hers as possible. It set off sensations that no longer made her head spin, because it was only her Twilight who made her feel that tingly spike of heat and electricity go straight to her insides, or the drunken sort of giddiness that made it hard to stop smiling, or that flicker of hungering want that gnawed at the edges of her soul.

Amber skinned arms curled around Twilight, a small exertion of effort changing their positions slightly so that the shorter teen lay sprawled on top of Sunset’s reclining body. It made it easier for Sunset to lose herself more into the sensation of lips on hers, easier to take a page from one of her own dreams, soon exploring Twilight’s mouth, the way she tasted and smelled and felt. Kissing her girlfriend like this was like a drug, heady and addictive, making something in her body and soul crave more, more...

They broke apart, breathless and panting and giggling, foreheads resting together in a way that would never cease to bring the unicorn-turned-human comfort. A playful note entered her voice as she finally caught her breath. “So...what do you say to forgoing studying stuff we both know you already memorized, cutting the lights, and cuddling up under the covers?”

Indecision warred across Twilight’s face briefly, purple eyes darting from her desk to Sunset’s lips repeatedly. The redhead’s grin grew even more mischievous. “What if I promised to kiss you like that some more?”

Eyes widened and Twilight’s breath stuttered in her lungs, before she half lunged off the bed to shut the lamp on her desk off. Sunset laughed as she had to hold on to prevent Twilight from face-planting on the floor, pulling the dark haired girl back into the bed in the room’s sudden darkness so she could make good on her promise—many times over—before sleep claimed them both.

So, posting this chapter a day early because my cat is unwell and he's got a trip to the vet bright and early. We don't know what is wrong with him, only that he hasn't wanted to eat much at all and has been not himself since last week. I'm hoping its something little, because we dont exactly have a lot of money, but I wont know until he goes in. So in the event I'm not in a good headspace tomorrow evening, I wanted to post this week's chapter a bit early.

...Not much to say here, other than I do reference some of the world building I've done on magic and Equestria and the human world, and of course, our favorite girls get lots of time together.

For those interested, I'll probably have a rambling blog post up sometime soon as well, because of reasons.