Driver's Side

by DrakeyC

Driver's Side

Sunset turned the steering wheel to the right and pulled off Main Street into the parking lot behind the Crystal Tech Innovations office building. She looked at the clock on the dashboard and frowned.

5:22. Hope she isn’t mad… who am I kidding?

She drove through the parking lot and stopped at the covered rear entrance of the building.

“You’re late.” The reprimand came sharp and sure, and the one who spoke it circled around the front of the car before Sunset could respond.

Twilight pulled open the passenger door and dropped into the seat, setting her purse on her lap. She pulled her door shut and immediately set her elbow on the open window to rub her forehead, her eyes closed.

“Sorry, there was an accident on John West, had to make a detour.” Sunset edged her foot down and circled back to the exit of the parking lot. While she waited for the parking gate to rise, she glanced at Twilight. “Rough day?”

Twilight’s eyes popped open to glare forward. “I spent an hour and fourteen minutes with some loser named Zephyr Breeze. He couldn’t get his laptop to connect to his wi-fi.”

“And?”

“He was trying to connect to the wrong network.”

Sunset snorted. “Idiot.”

“And then he goes off on me for not telling him which network to connect to!” Twilight snapped. “Well excuse me, sir, for presuming you possessed the intelligence to recognize the name of your own wireless network and know that’s the one you should try to connect to!”

“Mhm.” Sunset turned down the road and tried to split her attention between driving and listening to her girlfriend rant. She tried to be a safe driver and keep her mind on the road, but she could tell Twilight had to vent.

“That was just an hour and three minutes of the call,” Twilight continued. “The first eleven were spent deflecting flirtations and come-ons without calling him a pervert and slamming down the phone.” She clenched her teeth. “I won’t even make you endure the worst part of what he said.”

“What?” Sunset asked.

“I told him I had a girlfriend. He said ‘lesbians are just chicks who haven’t felt the Breeze yet’.”

Sunset’s face twisted in disgust, her eyes on the adjacent lane as she made her turn. “You’ve gotta be kidding me.”

“The only joke here is on me.” Twilight cupped her face in her hands and groaned. “I need a hot bubblebath and a cold beer.”

“Since when do you drink?” Sunset asked.

“Since today when I found out Zephyr Breeze exists.” Twilight lowered her hands and shook her head. “I need to find a new job. I'm out of there the second I graduate and get my degree. I’m overqualified and underappreciated as it is.”

Sunset spun the steering wheel into her next turn. “Did you apply for that opening in Software?”

“I asked their rep. She just recited the online posting; 'applicants without a computer science degree or equivalent education will not be considered'. That applies even to current employees.”

“She knows you’re three quarters of the way there, right?”

“Yes, and she doesn’t care.” Twilight rolled her eyes. “I probably know more about computers than anyone else they’ll get but it doesn’t mean a thing without the degree to prove it.”

“One more year, Sparky.” Sunset let the matter drop when Twilight didn’t respond further. As they stopped at a red light she remembered something. “Did you pick up the chicken during your lunch?”

“Does it look like I did?” Twilight muttered. “You said you'd get it.”

Sunset frowned. “No, I said I couldn’t get it, the deli by my work is closed for renovations this week. You said you’d get it.”

“Then I forgot.” Twilight shrugged. “Whatever, we’ll order something.”

“We’ll have to, now, unless you wanna swing by a grocery store on the way home.”

“Take-out is easier.”

“And more expensive.”

“I didn’t feel like cooking tonight anyway.”

“Right.” Sunset took a breath as she stopped at a red light, her bumper nudging the crosswalk lines. “We’ll have to watch our money next week and try not to order anything. Rent is due at the end of the month.”

“We’ll be fine, I’ve been keeping track of the budget. We’re set to clear the bills with almost one-fifty left.”

“And that one-fifty accounts for food, gas, and laundry for the week?”

“Yes, and it also accounts for hydro and water. I told you, I’ve kept track of the budget.” Twilight glared at Sunset. “Your girlfriend can balance a checkbook, you know.”

“I know.”

The light ahead turned green and she pressed down the gas pedal.

Sunset glanced at Twilight, sitting with arms crossed and eyes on the road ahead, and sighed.

I hate driving.

Sunset skidded to a stop at the back entrance of Crystal Tech Innovations, her car jostling. She moved her hand to honk the horn and paused when she saw her girlfriend rush out the door, a plastic bag in her hand and her purse on her shoulder.

“Hey.” Twilight slipped into the passenger seat and flashed a smile. “You’re early today.”

“Traffic was light.” Sunset swiveled the wheel and pulled into a path out of the parking lot.

Twilight looked at the road sign as they reached the sidewalk. “Sunset, this is entrance-only.”

“It’s quicker.” Sunset tightened her grip on the steering wheel. “I want to get home and relax.”

“Did something happen?”

Sunset bit her lip. “Some snot-nosed punk today ran into my leg while I’m washing tables and started bawling his eyes out.”

“Oh dear.”

Sunset roared out of the entrance into traffic, ignoring a car honking behind her. “His mom says I need to watch where I’m going. As if I wasn’t standing still with her kid running between tables screaming like an ambulance.”

“Did the manager stick up for you?”

“Yeah right. Gave the kid a free ice cream cone and told me to be more careful with little kids around. And Mom just stands there watching with a little satisfied smirk.” Sunset pressed her foot down harder, racing through a yellow light just as it turned red. “Manager says he won’t actually write me up, it was just for show to make Mom feel better. Still bullshit.”

“At least he isn’t gonna write you up,” Twilight offered.

“Given the choice between that, and a restaurant full of customers watching an old woman scream in my face, I’ll take the paper.”

“You don’t mean that. You’ve gotten in trouble before for talking back to customers.”

Sunset turned wide onto her next street. “Well if customers weren’t such entitled pricks, I wouldn’t have to put them in their place.”

Twilight just nodded, then held up the plastic bag in her hand. “I picked up the chicken. Sorry for forgetting yesterday.”

Sunset turned an eye to the bag. “Chicken. Yippee.”

“What?”

“It’s my turn to cook tonight.”

“I can cook. It was my fault yesterday, anyways.”

“No, it’s fine.” Sunset huffed. “Order take-out every day of the week it’s your turn to cook, then expect home food on my days. Great plan.”

“I said I can cook it!” Twilight replied, shrinking back into her seat. “Don’t take it out on me because you got chewed out at work.”

The sudden roar of the engine as Sunset squealed through the green light was the only response she gave. Twilight glared but said nothing more.

Sunset glanced down at the fuel gauge. “I need to fill the car up tomorrow.”

“Put in forty. That’ll last us until the end of the month.”

“What about after?”

“We’ll have to play it by ear until next payday.”

Sunset snorted. “Sixty. We’re not gonna push this thing home because you feel like being frugal.”

“Fine.” Twilight shrugged. “What do I know? I’m not a math expert.”

Sunset slammed the brakes as the light ahead turned red, the car screeching to a halt and stopping halfway across the crosswalk. She saw a few people glare at her as they circled the front of the car and she returned their looks.

I hate driving.

Sunset rolled up to the back entrance of Crystal Tech Innovations and leaned back against the headrest, groaning. The passenger door opened and Twilight slumped into her seat, her eyes shut.

“TGIF,” Twilight said.

Sunset just sat up and pressed her foot on the gas pedal to ease around the parked cars and towards the exit gate.

“I’m not cooking tonight,” Twilight muttered. “I’ll cook tomorrow.”

“I have a headache and it laughs at the efforts of two extra-strength Tylenol.”

“Take-out it is, then,” Twilight replied.

Sunset waited for the parking gate to rise, yawning as she did. She then pulled out into traffic, frowning when she realized she had taken the turn too tight and was in the wrong lane for her turn ahead.

“Pizza?” Twilight asked.

“Joe’s.”

“Garlic dip?”

“Two cups.”

“Diet Pepsi?”

“Rye whiskey.”

“Need to stop on the way home for that.”

“No, we don’t.”

With one hand on the steering wheel, Sunset reached into a plastic bag between the seats and held up a liquor bottle. She shook it once and set it back in the bag.

Twilight eyed the bag. “I want some of that.”

“No, you don’t.”

“…No, I don’t.”

Sunset pulled up to the curb and began to turn when the sound of a horn stopped her. The car to her left made the wide turn around her, making two kids who had started crossing stop in front of her car to avoid being struck. She lifted a hand and waved them through. The car behind her sounded its horn, but Sunset ignored it and waited for the kids the cross before making her turn.

“I’ll place the order.” Twilight pulled out her phone and swiped through it. “How do I have thirty-two MyNook notifications?”

“Thirty-two wedding announcements?”

Twilight raised her eyes and snapped a hand to her girlfriend’s arm. “Sunset!”

Sunset saw where she was looking and jammed her foot on the brake pedal. A teenager jaywalking turned his head to look at her and flipped her off as he casually strolled out from two parked cars. Sunset groaned and let her head fall on the steering wheel.

Twilight glared at him. “Doesn’t he know to look before making a blind cross in the middle of the street?”

“Apparently not.”

“If we had hit him it’d be his own fault.”

“I’ll keep that in mind next time I almost run someone over. I’m sure the jury will too.”

Sunset eased the gas pedal down and continued down the street, glaring at the back of the teenager facing away from them.

I hate driving.

Sunset stared down at the toaster with half-open eyes, the heating elements inside bathing the bread with an orange-red glow.

“You know they say it'll never pop up if you watch it,” Twilight called from the breakfast table.

Sunset turned to respond but stopped at the metallic clink of the toaster tray rising.

Twilight gave her a smile from over her cereal.

Sunset put her toast on her plate next to her poached eggs, and then sat down at the table opposite Twilight. She scooped some strawberry jam from a jar between them and spread it on the toast. “I feel like I didn’t get any sleep.”

Twilight swallowed her mouthful of orange juice. “You didn’t; you were up until two am playing video games. Power Pony Pummel 3, judging from the sound effects.”

“Sorry. I didn’t keep you up, did I?”

“No, I couldn’t sleep anyway thanks to that pre-dinner nap I had. I was actually thinking of coming out and joining you.”

Sunset cracked open a can of Diet Pepsi. “Can tonight, if you want. I know a chat group that organizes nightly tournaments. We can enter as a tag team.”

“If you don’t mind carrying me. I haven’t played that game since a frat party last year.”

“You’ll be fine.” Sunset took a sip of her pop and began cutting into her eggs. She looked around the kitchen as she popped a piece in her mouth and caught sight of a paper hanging on the fridge door from a magnet.

She swallowed and gestured her fork. “How much was that for, again?”

Twilight looked at the ticket. “Sixty-four dollars for an illegal turn.”

“It wasn’t illegal, the light was green when I entered the intersection. I paid attention in traffic school.”

“I know. It’s the end of the month, he probably wanted to meet his quota.” Twilight shook her head. “We’ll manage. Just have to watch our spending a bit closer for the week.”

“Yeah.” Sunset lowered her eyes from the ticket to the doorway into the hall, where she could see the key hooks next to the door of their apartment.

I need to bring this up. The longer this goes on the worse it’ll get.

“Everything okay?” Twilight’s voice brought Sunset’s attention back to her.

“Uh… yeah.” She shook her head. “I was just thinking…” She took a deep breath and poked at her eggs. “There’s a subway station a block from your work, right?”

“Yes, the A-line. Why?”

Sunset fidgeted in her chair. “I was just thinking… it might save us some cash if we start using public transit more often.”

“It wouldn’t be worth it. The closest A-line stop is four blocks from here. Even if I grabbed the bus down the street, combine that with the subway commute time and it’d take me almost an hour to get to and from work every day.”

“Well, maybe I could do it.”

“The subway doesn’t run by your work. You’d have to take the bus and you’d need to transfer. Factor in the wait time between buses and it would take you almost as long as me to get to work at your usual time.”

“…oh.”

“It’s okay.” Twilight shook her head. “Presuming twenty weekdays in a standard month, a monthly pass for the buses would cost us the same amount as standard fare over the course of the entire month's rides to and from work. That's $240 for the two of us, plus tax. We wouldn’t save that much money from the car, if any, and I’d say its worth the extra money for the travel time saved. Maybe things’ll be different in the fall when I start looking at commuting directly between university and work, but it depends on how my schedule lines up with yours. If I even stay at Crystal Tech anyway and don’t get a job on campus, which I’m strongly considering.”

“Right… nevermind, sorry.” Sunset speared what was left of one of her eggs and popped it in her mouth.

Twilight tilted her head. “Why bring it up?”

She finished chewing before replying. “Just thinking… maybe we need to cut down on the driving.”

“Why?” Twilight held up a hand. “We only drive to and from work and take public everywhere else. If we cut down on it any more, we may as well sell the car.”

Sunset sighed and let her toast slip out of her hand and back onto the plate. She stared at her food for a moment.

“Every time we drive together, at least one of us comes home miserable.”

“That’s not true.”

“Yes, it is. All it takes is one thing to set us off and then we’re arguing, and we get home and we don’t talk to each other.” Sunset rubbed her face. “I feel like shit for arguing with you no matter which of us was at fault for it, and I don’t want or need that kind of tension between us, especially when I’m trying to concentrate on driving during rush hour in the city streets.”

“Really?” Twilight pursed her lip. “Is that what you think? That we just argue in the car every day and it distracts you from the road?”

“…yeah. Sorry.” Sunset looked away. “I don’t want us to come home angry at each other, and I don’t wanna wreck the car or hit someone because I'm in a bad mood.”

“I didn’t know you had those kinds of things on your mind.” Twilight drained her orange juice and said nothing more.

“Don’t be like that. I don’t want you to have to suffer for my crap.”

“It’s fine.” Twilight shook her head. “I’m glad you told me.” She picked up her empty glass and cereal bowl, taking them to the sink. Sunset watched her run water into the dishes and dry her hands before looking back at her.

“Are we still going to Pinkie’s party tonight?”

“Yeah. Starts at seven, right?”

“Mhm. Bus comes at six-twenty, it’ll get us to the plaza for quarter-to.”

“Sounds good.”

“I have some registration paperwork to fill out.” Twilight approached Sunset and planted a kiss on her forehead, smiling when she pulled back. “Love you.”

“Love you, too.”

As her girlfriend exited the room, and she heard the study door gently click shut, Sunset pondered if she had missed part of the conversation.

Sunset looked at her phone as she swallowed her last bite of toast. “We should get going.” She stood up and chugged what was left of her pop.

“Right.” Twilight picked up their dishes and took them to the sink.

While Twilight attended to the dishes, Sunset crumpled her can and tossed it in the recycling bin. She walked into the living room and grabbed her bag with her work shoes and uniform from the sofa, then swung it on her shoulder and moved to the door. She took their keys from the key hooks and tossed Twilight hers.

“I’ll lock up.” Sunset held the door for Twilight and then pulled it closed, locking it. She followed Twilight to the stairs and took them two stories down to the parking garage.

As they approached their car, Sunset paused and watched as Twilight moved to the driver’s side. She had unlocked the door and pulled it open before she looked Sunset. “Well?”

“What’s going on?” Sunset slowly walked to the front of the car.

“I’ll handle the driving this week. Hop in.” Twilight climbed into the driver’s seat and pulled her door shut. The car revved to life a moment later.

Sunset climbed in the passenger’s side. “Do you know the way?”

“No, but neither do you.” Twilight powered up the GPS system attached to the dashboard and keyed in the addresses. “You drop me off and then head to your work. We’re going to have to reverse it.”

“Makes sense.” Sunset watched her. “Is this about that talk we had?”

“Yes.”

“Sorry.”

“Don’t be.” Twilight pulled her seatbelt over her shoulder. “I should drive more often, anyway, to keep my skills sharp.”

Sunset said nothing more and sat back.

The car pulled out of its space and circled the underground garage to the exit. Twilight reached out the window and pressed the button to open the garage door, and pulled up the ramp onto the street.

Sunset did her best to relax in her unusual circumstance.

When was the last time Twilight drove me anywhere? I think it was back in high school.

She glanced at her partner and found her eyes trained on the road, occasionally glancing at the GPS screen. Sunset looked out the window and frowned as they drove past a small boarded-up ice cream store.

“When did Klondike’s close?”

“Last month.”

“How come?”

“Owner had a heart attack and decided to retire.”

“Aw. I loved their blueberry cheesecake.”

“I know. I’ve been keeping an eye out for another place that carries it, but so far no luck.”

Twilight pulled onto a road that ran parallel to a small valley with train tracks running its length. Sunset watched the rows of flowers and bright green grass on the hills on the sides, various company logos formed in the flower beds. Her view ended when Twilight made a turn, and was replaced with an old music store with graffiti art on the brick walls, depicting a whale erupting from the ocean. She sat up slightly.

“I know that fish.”

“Hm?” Twilight asked.

“The whale on the music store wall back there. It’s a scene from Open Sea.”

“Oh. I’ve heard of it but never saw it. I always thought that mural looked familiar, though.”

“Yeah, it was one of the poster images, the money shot of the whale coming up during the big chase with the dolphins at the end.” Sunset smiled. “I used to have it in my room as a kid.”

“Why take it down?”

“I realized how corny that movie was. They decided the tired old ‘evil poachers versus little kid’ storyline wasn’t lame enough, so they tacked on a magical amulet.”

Twilight snorted to stifle a laugh. “Seriously?”

“Yeah, the Amulet of Atlantis. It let her talk to the dolphins. And the whale, but that was the big reveal at the end.”

“Aquamare would be proud.”

Sunset laughed. “Now there’s an ally the Power Ponies need for the next team-up movie: Skystar Silveen, the girl who talks to fish.”

“I’m sure Tirek is shaking in terror,” Twilight giggled. “He’ll be helpless before her wrath, presuming the final battle takes place near the ocean.”

“And presuming Tirek forgot to bring a floatie.”

The two laughed louder.

“Did you want to go to the next movie? It’s out next month. Firefly, I think?” Twilight asked.

“Nah, the writers have said they’re basing it on the Darkened Skies plotline from the comics, and they’ve admitted it’s a pseudo-prequel to the first Zapp movie. I can take a good guess what’ll happen. We can read about it online when it comes out and see if it sounds good.”

“I never read the comics, don’t spoil it.”

“Hey, if you wanna go, I’m down for it. Just saying I could take it or leave it. It’ll probably have some good action at least.”

Sunset paused as they turned a corner and passed a movie theater with a poster for “Firefly and the Wings of Light” outside. She snickered and sat back in her seat.

How come I never noticed that theatre before?

Sunset leaned over in her seat and looked over the edge of the bridge, the morning sun gleaming off the blue water below. “Did we always cross the river on our way to work?”

“Yes?” Twilight gave her a confused look. “We live on the west side of town, Sunset. Unless you want to drive four miles north to get downtown, we need to cross the river.”

“Oh, I never noticed.” She turned her attention to an asphalt path along the edge of the water, with pedestrians and cyclists going along it. “Is that the Waterfront Trail?”

“Mhm. Runs down here from the falls in the north end, then goes east to the ferry dock.”

Sunset nodded. “I’ve always wanted to take a weekend and bike the trail. Just never found time. And never had the bike.”

“They rent them at the ferry and the falls as part of a self-guiding tour. Also comes with a pamphlet of shops and rest areas to see along the way.”

“Cool.” She looked at her girlfriend. “How come you never mentioned that to me before?”

Twilight gave a slight frown. “I did, a couple times when we’ve passed this way.”

“Oh…” Sunset shook her head. “Sorry.”

“It’s okay. I could take or leave the trail, but I know you wanted to go, so I’ve looked it up.”

“Thanks.” Sunset sat back in her seat and let out a breath. “Maybe we can go Sunday morning? We can take the Saturday to rest up, plan and pack.”

“Not this Sunday, it’s Rarity’s birthday.”

“It is?” Sunset winced. “Crap, I forgot to get a gift.”

“You could grab a gift card on your lunch break, or before I pick you up.”

“Eh, gift cards are lame. ‘Hey, I couldn’t think of anything other than you like shopping here, so go get your own stuff’.”

“She’ll still appreciate the thought. It’s Rarity.”

“That’s true.”

Sunset swiped through her phone. “That kid from Talent Stars is trending.”

“The one who did the Coloratura cover?”

“Yeah, she was pretty good.”

“It was… interesting,” Twilight said after a moment. “Not that I disliked it, but classical piano isn’t the kind of thing you associate with Coloratura.”

“Yeah, but she made it sound natural with that remix. That’s not just playing, that’s writing talent.” Sunset rolled her eyes. “People are already saying she’ll win the season. It isn’t even into the top forty-eight.”

“That’s a bit premature, she was good but hardly a standout. I preferred the comedian.”

Sunset started laughing. “Oh yeah, he was a riot. He’s gonna make the finals for sure.”

Twilight scrunched her face and began talking in a scratchy voice. “My Mom used to say ‘a good mother will have a home cooked dinner ready when you get home and ask you how your day was’.”

Sunset picked up the joke. “And now that I’m older, I’m thinking ‘wow, my Mom must have had really low self-esteem’.”

“Cuz I only ever came home to Pizza Pops and rants about soap operas.” Twilight laughed out loud.

“I never did find out what a home cooked dinner tastes like, but I did find out that Fleetfoot slept with Soarin’ while Spitfire was still in the hospital from the surgery. I don’t know what that means, but I remember at least one person on that show was a bitch.”

Twilight’s laughs faded into giggles. “It’s like I’m back in high school, coming home to my Mom.”

“Oh geez.” Sunset rolled her eyes. “Comments on the vid are saying his jokes were sexist.”

Twilight gaped. “They weren’t sexist! The guy who placed top eight last year, he was sexist, and they ate him up.”

“Everyone’s saying it was the boob jokes they didn’t like.”

“Pointing out women have breasts is sexist? We should call the police. Half the people we deal with every day should be locked up by that logic.”

“We should do that anyway. Manager said if anyone ever tries to touch me on my shift, I can slug them and he’ll back me up.”

“I would hope that never happens, though.”

“No, but I’m pretty sure a lot of those hungover teens that come in Monday mornings have thought about it.”

“Well, you tell them no touching, you’re spoken for.”

Sunset winked. “I do, thank you.”

“There.” Twilight took off her reading glasses and scrolled up the webpage. “The rent is covered, all our bills are paid, and we have just over seventy dollars left for the week. Unless you want to put off the ticket until later in the month.”

Sunset paused the TV and looked at her girlfriend. “Do we think we’ll be spending that much this week?”

“Doubtful. Taking into account the typical costs of our lunches, that still leaves us forty dollars to spare for stuff like ordering in or anything else unplanned.”

“Mmm… we’ll pay the ticket later in the month. That’s cutting it pretty tight, even for just a week.”

“Sounds good. In that case we’re sitting on a bit over a hundred.” Twilight closed the browser window, set her glasses on the desk, and stretched. “Next paycheck is wide open. Could go see Firefly after work Tuesday.”

“Sure. Reviews said it’s pretty good.”

“Of course it is, they cast Megan Williams as Firefly. It’s the most perfect casting choice the PCU has made since Mark Caroli as Tirek. She can do no wrong.”

“Well, she did make Tall Tale,” Sunset said coyly.

Twilight whipped her head around to glare. “Don’t you start on that.”

“Start on what?” Sunset gave her a wide grin.

Twilight pointed a finger at her. “That movie is a classic and it is amazing and I will not hear a word to the contrary in this apartment!”

Sunset held up her hands. “I didn’t say a thing. I think it’s a wonderful movie.”

“Sunset…”

“If you’re recovering from a bad breakup and just chased a pint of rocky road with a dime bag.”

Twilight scowled, grabbed the pillow from the arm of the couch, and swung it at Sunset’s head. Sunset raised her arm and blocked the blow, laughing wildly as it sent her falling to the carpet.

“Turn on the DVD player, we are going to watch the movie now!” Twilight yelled.

“No, we're not!”

“Yes, we are, and then we will watch it again, and again, until you know the words to every song by heart!”

“I already do. You bought the soundtrack and blared it from your speakers every day until the neighbors issued a noise complaint!”

“They did not!”

“Well they should've, I begged them enough!”

Twilight swung the pillow at Sunset again. This time Sunset caught it and pulled her forward. Twilight landed on top of Sunset with a grunt, the pillow between them cushioning her. Sunset wrapped her arms around Twilight.

“Let me go!” Twilight put her hands on the carpet and half-heartedly pushed herself away. “We’re breaking up now. This is a deal-breaker.”

“You’re cute when you’re angry.” Sunset lifted her head and kissed Twilight on the lips. “Fine, we’ll watch the movie about the magical talking doll playing matchmaker.”

“It was not magic, it was her imaginary friend!”

“So she’s not magical, she’s just crazy?”

“You’re crazy!”

“I must be if I’m dating a girl who likes that movie unironically.”

“We are so broken up now!”

Sunset rolled her onto the carpet and stood up, flopping back length-wise onto the sofa. She grinned down at her girlfriend as Twilight sat up and stuck out her tongue.

“Don’t stick that thing out unless you plan to use it,” Sunset teased.

Twilight’s humor quickly drained into embarrassment, and she looked away as her face flushed. “Why do you have to do that?”

“Because it’s an easy way to win.”

“I know but it’s not fair.”

“All’s fair in love and war.” Sunset propped her head on her hand. “You didn't mention the meal plan for the week in your budget.”

Twilight stood up. “We have meat in the freezer for Monday and Tuesday, that gives us two days to keep an eye out for something cheap, or we can go looking tomorrow. If we really have to, we could order something one day, but that’s all I think we could be comfortable with.”

“I can live with that.”

Twilight turned her back to the couch and waited for Sunset to pull her legs up before sitting down. “So…” She looked at Sunset evenly.

“So…?”

“Do you wanna drive this week, or should I?”

Sunset blinked. “Oh, right. I guess I could.”

“You know why I took over this week, don’t you?”

Do I?

“I told you we shouldn’t ride together anymore, because we fight too much.”

“Fight about what?”

“Last week all I remember is us arguing about money, and meals, and complaining about work.”

“That sounds like how I remember this week.”

“It is?” Sunset looked away, pondering her response. “I mostly just remember resting in the car. Did we talk about something important?”

“Nothing that couldn’t wait until we were home and more relaxed.” Twilight put a hand on Sunset’s knee. “I was more hoping you’d remember the morning drive.”

“Sure. We made plans to go biking, maybe have a picnic by the falls next weekend. We found a new ice cream place to check out on our way home someday. We talked about going to see the new Power Ponies movie and what we think of the franchise.”

“Exactly.”

Sunset frowned. “I’m not sure I follow, Sparky.”

“I love our morning drives. I get to see the city, talk with you before work. They’re special.” Twilight put her other hand on Sunset’s knee and laid her chin on her folded hands. “I was actually a bit upset when I thought you didn’t want to do that anymore. But I get it now. You’re so busy watching the road you barely remember the nice talks we have. You only remember the bad ones.”

“Oh.” Sunset nodded. “But, they are pretty bad. We always come home angry at each other, or at work, and we don’t talk until dinner.”

“So?” Twilight paused and scrunched her face. “I mean, no, scratch that. Yeah, I don’t like coming home like that either. But it isn’t that big of a problem. We’re two young adults living on their own trying to make a relationship work, Sunset. I’d be more worried if we didn’t argue about money and work.”

Twilight smiled. “I’ll take those angry, quiet drives home over sitting alone on a bus or subway car any day of the week. Because it’s time we get to spend together, and it’s time we won’t have as much of anymore once I start my classes. A couple arguments in the car after a rough day at work are worth the nice chats we have in the morning. I think it just means we need to work on managing our stress better. And, maybe, change up the driving duties once in a while.”

“Sounds good.” Sunset slowly smiled. “I never knew you thought this way about driving around the city.”

“I never knew how you felt, either.” Twilight’s smile turned into a smirk. “See? It’s nice to share our feelings.”

“Oh come on.” Sunset groaned.

“I’ve seen you at your worst, Sunset, and I know you’ve seen me at mine. I still love you no matter how crabby you are at the end of the day.”

Sunset smiled warmly. “And I love you no matter how many cheesy romantic comedies you insist on singing along to.”

“Okay!” Twilight slapped her hands on Sunset’s knees and stood up. She crossed the living room to the movie shelf and grabbed a DVD. “I’m putting it on and you're going to like it.”

“I promise you I won’t.”

“Yes, you will.” Twilight set the disk in the player tray and pressed the button to retract it. She flopped on the couch and leaned back into Sunset. “Scooch up, I’m trying to get comfortable.” Sunset obediently spread her legs more and stretched them out so Twilight could shift closer, until she was resting her head on Sunset’s chest. Twilight grabbed the remote and change the TV source to the DVD. “Prepare yourself for ninety-seven minutes of romantic musical fun.”

“Sure, you get the ice cream, I’ll get the pot.”

Twilight looked up at Sunset and stuck her tongue out again. “We're going to enjoy it as-is.”

“I’ve warned you about that tongue,” Sunset whispered. She ran her fingers up Twilight’s hip.

Twilight fidgeted and pushed her hand aside. “Down, girl.”

As Twilight skipped through the previews, Sunset looked down at her and put a hand through her hair.

What did I do to deserve you?

She craned her head down and kissed Twilight’s hair.

“Don’t think that getting all lovey-dovey with me is going to get you out of this.”

“That sounds like a challenge. We have nowhere to be tomorrow morning.”

Twilight met Sunset’s wolfish grin with a small blush and hit the Play button.