A slam from her apartment front door jolted Twilight from the serenity of her shower. She remembered locking it, so it must be only one of a very few ponies whom had a key.
Seconds later, a melodic voice drifted through her shut bathroom door. “Twilight? Are you in here?”
Not-quite-literally melting at the voice, she took a few seconds before yelling back, “Ah, yeah! Give me a few minutes, Celestia. Just finishing up.”
“Alright. Take your time, Twilight. We have all day.” Straining her ears, Twilight heard the soft thumps of Celestia’s hooves making their way back down the hallway.
Following Celestia’s instructions, she did take the few minutes she needed to scrub behind her ears and rinse her mane before shutting the water off.
Stepping out, she snagged a towel and immediately started drying off. Once the first was soaked from drying her wings carefully, she discarded it into the hamper and her magic reached out for a second, wrapping it around her head and trailing it down the back of her neck to dry her mane.
Reaching for a third, she encountered a problem. Her magic didn’t find purchase. Looking over, the third spot on her towel rack was empty.
Panic immediately rushed through her veins. ‘Oh no! Did I…’ Looking around her bathroom, she was out of dry towels.
She felt her second towel was too soaked to use on her tail as well. She checked again ‘I did! Oh, I hope Celestia doesn’t mind…’ Heart rate skyrocketing, she knew she had to ask, but was entirely too embarrassed.
Ears pinned back, she cracked the door open slightly, and stuck her head out. She looked toward where she heard Celestia go. “Ce-Celestia?”
A thump from down the hall sounded alongside a “Ah!” as it sounded like Celestia tripped and fell.
Embarrassment forgotten, Twilight yanked the door the rest of the way open and charged down the hall.
“Celestia? Are you alright? I thought–” she stopped as she noticed Celestia, nose first on the floor, facing her.
Shaking her head a little, Celestia looked up to see Twilight, concern written all over her face. Her rear half was still dripping wet, but a towel wrapped about her mane was half undone.
A soft pomf sounded throughout the front room as Celestia’s wings unconsciously spread, a matching bright red blush covering most of her face. “T-Twilight I–”
“Are you okay? That sounded like a big tumble.” Twilight stepped forward and helped Celestia to her hooves.
“I-I am fine. What did you need?”
Twilight’s ears perked and she looked back over herself. Suddenly remembering herself, she ‘eeped’ and the towel on her head slid down over her eyes. “I… ran out of dry towels.”
Celestia quirked an eyebrow, but her blush hadn’t faded at all and her tail swished once.
“I was hoping you could get me some from the closet… but then I heard you fall.”
Celestia’s ears pinned back and she looked away. “Sorry. You startled me and…”
“I’m just glad you’re alright, Celestia.” She turned and started making her way back, toward her closet. “Let me just get a towel and I’ll be ready in a minute!” Grabbing a dry towel, she returned to the bathroom and shut the door.
Left to her thoughts, Celestia’s blush deepened and wings seemed to quiver. ‘Am I really… going to ask Twilight now?’
A minute later, Twilight returned, the towel on her head gone, but a second one now hovering her rear.
“So, while I’m drying, what did you need, Celestia?”
“Celly.”
Quirking an eyebrow, Twilight asked. “What?”
Blushing furiously and refusing to look Twilight in the eyes, Celestia explained, “Call me Celly.”
“Okay… Celly.” Noticing Celestia’s blush, Twilight tilted her head adorably. “Are you alright? Your face is kind of red.”
Sputtering, Celestia replied all too quickly. “I’m fine! Better than fine! I’ve never felt so fine in my life!”
“O...kay?” Twilight turned to more genuinely confused than anything. “So, what did you need?”
Gulping audibly, Celestia looked over to Twilight. “I wanted to know if you wanted to go out later.”
“Oh! Let me check my schedule, I think I have some free time today.” Turning, she left the room to look over her notebook.
Half a second after Twilight turned, she slapped a hoof to her face as her mind continued down its path. ‘No. Bad mind! Bad choice of words!’
Twilight rounded the corner to her kitchen and checked the calendar. ‘Free time… now to four PM! Perfect timing!’
Smiling, Twilight called out, “Hey Celly! I’m free until four!”
“That is great, Twilight!”
Turning around, one of her wet hindlegs slips out from underneath her and with a loud ‘Eeep!’ she crashed to the ground.
Thoughts forgotten at the thump, Celestia asked, “Twilight? Are you–” as she rushed into the room. Her words left her at what she saw.
The sight before Celestia was better than anything her mind could make up. Twilight’s towel had fallen away, and she lay on her back with her hindlegs spread accidentally.
“I’m… alright. I slipped.” The moment passed as Twilight rolled over and stood back up. Celestia stood unmoving, except for her wings, which were quivering again. “Celly?”
Making her way up to the larger mare, Twilight waved a hoof in front of Celestia’s unmoving eyes, her blush turning her entire face red now. “Celly? Are you…”
Shaking her head, she stepped back. “I’m alright. I just wasn’t…”
Rearing up, she placed a hoof on Celestia’s forehead. Celestia was burning up!
Squinting her eyes, Twilight set back down on all fours again and jabbed a hoof into Celestia’s barrel. “Celly, you’ve got a fever. Your face has been red since I walked out. Why did you come here when you’re obviously sick?”
Celestia sputtered, her ears pinning back. “But I’m not…” Inspiration struck, and a second later she started coughing into a hoof uncontrollably. “Yes, I’m sorry, Twilight. I did feel a little under the weather on my way over, but I didn’t think anything of it…” Ducking her head down, Celestia tried to slink around Twilight. “If you want, I’ll just head home to rest.”
“No! No.” Twilight’s words surprised both ponies. “I-I’ll take care of you.” She ushered Celestia bodily over to the living room couch. The rub of Twilight’s coat against her own seemed to tease Celestia even more.
Before Celestia could protest, Twilight had laid her down and wrapped a blanket over her, including her stubborn wings. “Shush. Lay down and let me take care of you.”
“But…”
“But nothing. I won’t let the most wonderful friend in the world stay home alone, sick.” Twilight returned to the kitchen. “You stay there. I’ll get some soup on. It’ll help, alright?”
Twilight’s words made Celestia’s heart soar. ‘I… she… really thinks the world of me? I-I can’t lie to her like this.’ Shrugging off the blanket, she stood. Magic flowed through her horn and almost yanked her wings back down to a resting position. “T-Twilight?”
“Do you need something else, Celly?”
“Could you come here, please?”
“Alright.” Twilight returned to the living room to see Celestia sitting in front of the couch, almost back to normal, other than her red face. Twilight gasped and rushed forward. “What did you–”
A hoof shushed her before she could continue. “Twilight, please. I am not sick. Not like you think, anyways.”
Twilight removed Celestia’s hoof, but said nothing.
“I… came over to spend some time with you.” She sighed softly. “We have been friends for many years, have we not?”
Twilight nodded, starting to look impatient.
“I-I had hoped you would notice my intentions before, but with today’s events, I am afraid I must make them obviously apparent.” Celestia took a breath, holding a hoof to her chest. A moment later, she exhaled and stomped that hoof down. “Twilight, would you like to go out on a date with me?” She closed her eyes tightly before continuing, “As… marefriends?”
Twilight’s eyes widened and her ears stood forward. “Celestia… you… and me?” Celestia's eyes opened slowly and she nodded. Twilight gestured to Celestia and herself again and received a second nod. “Oh.”
Celestia looked down as her wings sprung open with another pomf and she looked off to the side. “Yes. When you thought I was sick, I just couldn’t pretend and waste both our ti–”
Celestia found a hoof over her mouth, Twilight reared up to reach properly. “Don’t. Even if it was a lie, it wouldn’t waste my time.” Removing her hoof, Twilight moved and sat down on the couch to be more eye level.
Blinking in surprise for a second, Celestia continued, “I’m sorry to seemed to have sprung this on you suddenly, Twilight, but it seemed to me like you didn’t take my hint. I just wanted to ‘clear the air’ so to speak.” Celestia nodded to herself before seeming to stare into Twilight’s eyes and waiting for an answer.
Ten seconds passed as Twilight looked down toward the floor. Behind her, Twilight’s tail swished. “So you want to be special someponies with me?”
Celestia nodded once.
“And you couldn’t ask me before?” Twilight reached up and hooked her hooves around the back of Celestia’s neck. “Of course I will,” she whispered into Celestia’s ear before nuzzling the blushing cheek.
“I’m sorry, Twilight. I had honestly thought you would pick up on my intentions earlier.”
“You did nothing wrong, Celly.” She nuzzled Celestia’s cheek again. “I have literally zero experience with any romance and you still choose me.” She pulled back, with her ears pinning back. “Even if you had to beat me about the head with your intentions.”
Leaning forward, she nuzzled Twilight's cheek this time. “I would only do that to a pony I truly loved, Twilight.” She pulled back before placing a hoof over one of Twilight’s. “I mean it.”
A small blush of her own started to show through her purple fur. “Twi. You, of all ponies deserve to call me by a nickname if I can call you by one.” Twilight laid down, thoroughly caught up in the moment.
“Alright, Twi.” Celestia laid down next to her and a wing suddenly cooperated as it laid down over Twilight’s back.
Twilight suddenly shot to her hooves. “Oh no. Earlier… was I accidentally…”
Pressing a hoof to Twilight’s barrel, Celestia explained, “Only a little, Twili-Twi.” She guided Twilight back down onto the couch. Resting her head on top of Twilight’s, Celestia’s wing squeezed a little.
“Was I really–”
Celestia’s horn lit and closed Twilight’s muzzle. “You are a beautiful, adorable mare, Twi. Never let anypony tell you otherwise.” Celestia’s lilac orbs seemed to soften as she closed most of the distance between their muzzles.
Twilight subconsciously closed most of the rest of the distance, instinct taking over as she stared into Celestia’s beautiful eyes.
Celestia’s breath washed over Twilight’s nose as she said, "Kiss me you beautiful nerd,” before closing the scant millimeters remaining.
Twilight saw stars.