“So there I was, there’s ten seconds left on the clock, I’m halfway down the field, and Cloud Chaser passes the ball to me. I’m the only one closest to the goal, so I book it!” Rainbow said dramatically, waving her arms.
“Oh my goodness,” Fluttershy said, a hand over her mouth, clearly invested in the story. “Then what happened?”
“I—Hey, Sunset where are you going?”
The question hung in the air for a moment, and Sunset Shimmer could feel the eyes of all six of her friends on her. She stood frozen in place, her leather jacket in her hand.
“I gotta go home,” she said, slowly pulling the leather material over her arms.
“It’s not even dark yet darling,” Rarity replied, pointing to the setting sun outside.
“I uh, have to go feed Ray,” she said, putting her share of the bill for meal they had all just had at the Coinky Dink Diner, Sunset continued, “Wish I could stay for the rest of Rainbow’s story, but I really gotta be heading home.”
The girls in front of her blinked, but shrugged, all mumbling different variations of ‘goodbye’ as she walked out of the diner.
“Dah!” Sunset shouted, then covered her mouth with her hand, before pulling the person who had scared the living Tartarus out of her out of sight of her friends. “What are you doing here?” she whispered harshly.
Adagio pouted. “What, I can’t surprise my girlfriend?” she smirked. “Or are you just that embarrassed of me?”
“I-I’m not embarrassed of you,” Sunset stammered a little too quickly, brows furrowed. “I just...need time.”
Adagio pursed her lips as she rolled her eyes. “That’s what you said last month, and the month before that, and the month before that—”
Sunset silenced her with a kiss to the hand. “I know. I just...need to find the right words in how to tell them. You’re special to me and I want to figure out how to exactly tell them that.”
“You can’t just go up to them and say, ‘Hey I’m dating the most beautiful individual on earth?’” Adagio quipped with a raised brow. “I think you can you just don’t want to. You’ve had plenty instances to tell them, Shimmer. We’ve been dating for almost a year now. How long are you going to wait? Until we’re married with rugrats running around?” behind her back she dug her nails into her own palm to stop herself from developing tears.
Sunset seemed a bit taken aback. “N-No! Honestly I didn’t even think you thought that far ahead—But I won’t wait that long. I promise. Just give more time. I love you so much.”
“Your words of flattery won’t get you far, Shimmer,” Adagio said, but pulled her girlfriend close. “But I guess I could make an exception this time.” she kissed Sunset gently before pulling away. “Come now, movie starts in five,”
Back in the diner, sat six very confused girls, who at this point, were pretty fed up with their redheaded friend.
“That’s the third time she’s bailed on us this week,” Rainbow grumbled, folding her arms. “We were all supposed to see that new Chestnut Magnifico movie together,”
“Not to mention she missed our study session for last weeks test,” Twilight Sparkle agreed, tapping her fingers on the table. “She had to have passed with flying colors, because the whole reason we even had it was for her!”
“I know Ray needs to be fed, but how much does a lizard eat?” Applejack wondered, eyebrows furrowed. “That’s been her excuse everyday the past two weeks. I don’t even think she walks home with Twilight anymore.”
Twilight shook her head, affirming Applejack’s suspicion. “She can’t just be going home to feed something that sleeps eight hours a day. What do you think she’s doing?”
The girls around her shrugged.
Rarity sighed. “Only she knows.”
“Her boobs are obviously fake,” Adagio remarked, eyebrow raised at the blonde woman on the movie screen.
“Shh!” Sunset silenced her, but cracked an amused smile at the comment. If there was one thing Sunset loved about Adagio, it was her sense of humor. “You’ll get us kicked out,” she whispered.
“What? They are! You can tell,” Adagio said pouting. Then smirked, cupping her own breasts over her shirt. “Now these? These are real.” she chuckled softly at the blush on Sunset’s face. After a long pause, the redhead forced her gaze to anything but her girlfriend.
Unable to focus on the movie now, Sunset stared intently at the tub of popcorn in her lap....while trying not to think about the fact that Adagio chose to wear one of her shirts. Which meant the fabric stretched every time she moved. “Uh, yup, they sure are,” she said quietly.
“I appreciate the attention, but let’s focus on the real show up there, and not the private one you want down here,” Adagio teased with a light smirk. “Don’t think I don’t notice you staring.”
Sunset blushed. “Sorry. I can’t help it. You kind of pointed them out to me.”
“Shh!” someone in the audience silenced.
“You seem to be more interested in me than the movie.” the siren’s smirk grew wider. “I mean we could skip out on the rest and make our own movie at home,” the smirk went toothy, and mischief danced in Adagio’s eyes.
Seemingly all too eager to take her girlfriend up on that offer, Sunset grabbed her hand and lead her out of the movie and into the lobby, where her blood ran cold.
She suddenly stopped in her tracks, making Adagio run right into her. In front of her were Twilight, Pinkie, and Rainbow Dash, who had no idea that she was here. She had completely forgotten that she was supposed to come to the movies with the girls!
“What? What’s wrong?” Adagio asked, confused. She peered around Sunset to see the girls in front of her, talking and laughing at the concessions stand, most likely on a snack run. “Ugh, really, the Rainbrats are here? Please, tell me you invited them to introduce us?”
“I forgot that I was supposed to see a movie with them tonight,” Sunset confessed, almost breaking into a cold sweat. When she saw Twilight about to turn around she pulled Adagio into a secluded dark corner, pinning her against the wall.
“You must really have an exhibition kink, Red. First alleyways and now movie theaters? You really need to see someone about this,” Adagio said, raising a brow. “Can’t you at least wait until we get home?”
Sunset blushed profusely, starting to explain herself immediately. “No! I—That’s not—”
“Relax, I’m just kidding,” the siren said, pushing Sunset off of her, watching as the group of girls walked passed. “Though if you’re keen on hiding me like some low paid harlot, then at least have the decency to warn me next time you want to shove me in a dark corner,” She frowned, flipping her hair.
Sunset also frowned. “I am not hiding you,”
Adagio’s eyebrow raised. “Really? So if I went over there and introduced myself to the Rainbrats as your girlfriend you wouldn’t have a conniption fit?” she looked searchingly into Sunset’s eyes, waiting for an answer.
When Sunset didn’t give her one, she continued. “You say you aren’t embarrassed of me, but your actions say otherwise,” she poked an accusatory finger into Sunset’s chest, tears threatening to fall. “The time at the mall where you wanted to leave that really cute clothing store because you saw the fashion designer and the shy one, the time you made us leave our dinner date halfway because you saw Sparkle’s clone with her family, and the time I just wanted to spend your birthday with you, all to myself, and you ran yourself so ragged running between me and them, you fell asleep before I could even give you your present,”
“I—” Sunset began to say, but Adagio had more to say herself.
She ticked off things on her fingers. “You never answer my texts when you’re with them, we can’t go anywhere that they frequently go—which really limits our date options by the way—and I’m never allowed to come over to your apartment because you’re afraid they’ll see me leave one day. Make up your mind, Sunset Shimmer. Do you want a girlfriend? Or a secret affair?”
Sunset sighed, running a hand through her hair. “You’re right. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t keep hiding you from my friends. It’s not fair to them, and it’s not fair to you either. I’m really sorry,”
Adagio nodded. “I’m sorry too. Sorry that you leave me no choice. If you don’t tell the brats we’re dating by tomorrow, I will. And you’ll be the one dealing with the aftermath. Not me,”
Adagio then pushed passed her and walked out of the building without another word.
Sunset started after her, but froze when she heard her name.
“Sunset?”
Sunset turned around to see all her friends staring at her in varying degrees of confusion. “H-Hey guys.”
“Who was that you were talking to? And...I thought you weren’t coming because you had to go home and feed Ray,” Twilight asked her. “Why are you here with a half eaten tub of popcorn in your hand? Did you come here with someone else?”
“I did!” Sunset blurted. She wanted to tell them, she really did, but the timing still didn’t feel right. “I mean, I did go home and feed him. But now I’m here! I just, uh, I just got hungry waiting for you guys and got some popcorn!” she stuffed a hand full of popcorn into her mouth and winced at the stale taste of butter.
“Uh...Okay then...” Rainbow Dash said, slightly confused. “But the movie kind of started so...”
“Yeah! Were you sitting out here the entire time? That’s kind of weird considering we all texted you like, a bunch of times!” Pinkie said, stuffing popcorn from her own tub in her mouth. “You usually text back really fast too! Did Ray eat your phone?”
Sunset rolled her eyes, calming just a bit. “No. I just, had my phone on silent. Sorry guys, I should have responded to your texts,”
Rainbow shrugged. “It’s cool. You’re here now. C’mon! I don’t want to miss the scene where Chestnut Magnifico takes off her shirt!” she said, hopping up and down.
“You know her boobs are fake, right?” Sunset asked, smirking.
Dash looked at her incredulously. “How do you know?”
Sunset took a short glance at the front door in the lobby and smiled. “Trust me, I know.”
“You stayed for the rest of the movie?” Adagio asked, her oversized designer sunglasses hiding her arched brow. “You could have texted me to let me know,” she put back a pair of jeans she had been looking at before turning to her girlfriend.
Sunset scratched her ear. “Yeah, sorry,” she apologized. “We went to Pinkie’s after, and by the time I got home, crashed from all the soda.”
“And through all of that you made sure to tell them, right?” Adagio asked, gripping on to Sunset’s arm so that she couldn’t turn away from her. “You did tell them, right?”
The stern edge to Adago’s voice made Sunset flinch but she nodded, hoping the siren couldn’t see her grimace. “I did.”
“And?” Adagio prompted, eyebrow raised.
“They...were fine with it.” She lied.
“Really?” Adagio’s expression softened, then hardened once again. “Are you lying to me?”
Sunset shook her head. “No. Promise.”
Adagio patted her cheek lovingly, smiling. “Good. See? Was that so hard?”
“Nope,” Sunset said, her eyes downcast. “Not at all.”
Walking out of the clothing store, Adagio spotted the head of one of Sunset’s friends. She couldn’t exactly remember which one it was, but she was loud and annoying with a boyish voice. She watched as she approached the others.
“Oh! There’s the brats! Maybe we should go say hi since you told them!” Adagio said, leaning on Sunset’s shoulder. “You did tell them, right?” her nails dug deep into Sunset’s arm to the point where the redhead winced.
A warning.
“Yeah,” Sunset nodded. “Sure.”
“Good,” Adagio repeated, striding over to the girls seated at the resting area in front of the fountain. There was a noticeable resistance from Sunset, but she ignored it, her curls bouncing with every confidant step. As she approached she heard broken whispers coming from her girlfriend’s friends.
“Is that—”
“Why is she—”
“Sunset?!”
“Hello girls,” Adagio greeted with a smirk. “It appears that not only has Miss Sunset Shimmer here been lying to you, she’s also been lying to me. You see, every time she says she has to go feed her pet lizard, study for a test, or some other thinly veiled excuse, she’s really bailing on all of you to come spend time with me. Because—shocker—I’m her girlfriend. I have been for the past six months and she’s been too scared to tell you, to the point where she thought lying over and over would be better. Isn’t that right, darling?” the venom in Adagio’s voice scared Sunset.
Sunset couldn’t seem to look her girlfriend or her friends in the face. “Yes,” she mumbled. She could feel Adagio glaring at her through her sunglasses.
Adagio squeezed her hand. “I don’t think they heard you love, speak up.” she hissed, the latter part of her sentence coming out through clenched teeth.
“Yes!” Sunset said, louder this time. “I was scared, okay? Scared that you guys were going to judge Dagi, judge me,” she ran a hand through her hair. “I’m sorry okay? I should have told you guys from day one.”
“Sunset, we wouldn’t have cared if you were dating Adagio,” Rarity told her, putting a hand on her shoulder. “Sure we would have been a little apprehensive at first, but do you honestly believe we would have shunned her? If you love her we respect that.”
“What we can’t respect is the fact that you felt like you had to lie to us. We’re your friends! You should be able to come to us for anythin’! Hasn’t all the things we’ve been through taught y’all that?” Applejack asked her, arms crossed.
“You’re right. I...I should have known better. I just didn’t want to have to choose between my girlfriend and my friends,” Sunset admitted sadly.
“Maybe if you told us to begin with you wouldn’t have had to!” Dash told her, poking a finger into her chest. “But now? Good luck, Shimmer.”
Sunset turned to the poofy haired siren glaring at her with the eyes of a predator about to kill its prey.
Fluttershy covered her face with her hair. “Oh my, I think we should give these two some, uh, privacy,” she said, cowering behind Rarity.
Twilight adjusted her glasses, nodding. “Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. Er, siren,” she said, then correcting herself.
Adagio patted Sunset’s face lovingly, before walking past her, leaving her with her friends.
Sunset turned to her friends, only to see that they were walking away from her too. Her outstretched arm fell to her side, limp. Expression hollow, she stood there silently. Minutes passed, and Sunset’s entire body felt heavy like lead.
For the first time since the Fall Formal, Sunset Shimmer was truly alone.
Sunset Shimmer knocked on the door of the Dazzling residence, her eyes squinting at the ridiculously bedazzled door knocker that hung from the door. When she didn’t get an answer, she knocked again, this time a little harder.
The door swung open not to reveal her girlfriend, but her disgruntled sister, Aria Blaze. The former siren glowered at her, a pencil in her mouth. “What do you want?” she growled, eyeing her.
“I’m here to see Adagio. Is she here?” Sunset asked, trying to peek around the girl and frowned when Aria stepped forward to block her view.
“No, she’s not,” She answered dryly, trying to shut the door on Sunset. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a song to write,” She growled when Sunset’s foot caught the door. “What?!”
“I know she’s here because her car is in the driveway,” Sunset said, jerking her head towards the red Porsche in the driveway.
“You little—” Aria started but was cut off by Adagio herself.
“Let her in, Aria, I can’t wait to see this,” Came the girl’s distant voice.
Aria rolled her eyes, but opened the door all the way to let Sunset in. “Whatever.” she said, before walking back into the living room to go back to whatever she had been doing.
Sunset then walked past the living room and into Adagio’s very...extravagant room. She always knew that her girlfriend was one for luxurious taste, but the purple satin velvet that lined her bedroom walls almost jarred the redhead.
She entered the room to see her girlfriend laying across her bed, her reading glasses perched atop her nose as she read a book Sunset had heard Rainbow and Pinkie snicker about once before.
“God, who reads this abusive trash? They couldn’t consult someone who has actually been in a BDSM relationship? A thousand years and humans still write this drivel.” Adagio muttered in disgust, throwing the book on her bed. She turned to Sunset, who was standing in the doorway, unsure of what to do.
Adagio raised a brow at her girlfriend’s sheepishness. “So now that when you’re in the hot seat, suddenly you’re uncomfortable in here? You weren’t uncomfortable last night when we—”
Sunset held her hands up. “Hey! Hey, no we’re not going to talk about that,” she said, cutting her off. “I came to apologize.”
“Did you now?” Adagio asked, her eyebrow still quirked. “Well I’m all ears, Shimmer. Give me your best shot.”
Sunset took a deep breath. “I’m sorry that I hid you from my friends like I was embarrassed of you. I shouldn’t have done that. I should have been open, and honest, because trust is what relationships are built on.”
She took a step forward, and seeing that Adagio had no negative reaction to it, she took another one. “You are the most important person in my life right now, and...you’ve helped me see the me inside of me that I couldn’t see before. I love you, Adagio Dazzle. And I don’t care who knows it.”
Adagio clapped her hands. “Very dramatic, dear. Good form, nice tone, you almost had me there.” She stood up, meeting Sunset at the foot of her bed. “You can apologize all you want, but actions speak louder than words. Show me that you don’t care if anyone knows it.”
Sunset seemed a bit confused by that. Her eyebrows knitting before she understood the look in Adagio’s eyes. “Oh. Oh. Okay!” she said, leaning down to kiss the older woman. Locking lips, Sunset felt Adagio kick the door to her room closed before the girl found herself underneath the siren, lying on the bed. Sunset kissed her girlfriend harder, quickly losing herself in Adagio’s passionate embrace.
Lying in bed, Sunset caressed Adagio’s sleeping form as she thought of how she was going to apologize to her friends.
None of them had answered her texts or phone calls, and she was beginning to worry that she didn’t have any friends anymore. But she knew she had to make things right, she just didn’t know how.
The next day, Sunset went back to the mall to scout out her friends. She had seen on Pinkie’s MyStable page that they were all going to buy matching friendship bracelets. When she did find them, sitting in the food court drinking smoothies, she steeled herself for the worst.
Walking over she saw them all quiet as they saw her approach. “Uh, hey guys,” She said, her heart beating in her chest. “Listen, I’m really sorry about...everything. I shouldn’t have lied. I shouldn’t have hid my girlfriend from you. We’re best friends. We’re supposed to be honest with each other. And I wasn’t honest with you guys. And...I’m sorry.”
There was a moment of silence before the girls before her broke out into smiles.
“We forgive you, darling,” Rarity said, patting her hand. “We’re glad you found someone who makes you happy.”
“Yeah!” Pinkie bubbled. “You’re probably the first one of us to have a girlfriend! I thought it’d be Rainbow Dash!’
“Hey!” Rainbow protested, then asked, “What’s she like in bed?!” before going “Ow!” when Applejack smacked her upside her head. “What? It’s a valid question!”
“It’s an inappropriate one too,” Applejack told her, rolling her eyes.
Sunset laughed, sitting down. “Yeah, nice try Dash, as if I’d ever share my sex life with you,” she said, sticking her tongue out. “But for the record, she’s amazing.”
Dash grinned. “It’s written all over your face! I bet you she tops!” She then looked behind her to see the redhead’s girlfriend was nowhere in sight. “Where’s your hot girlfriend anyway?”
“She’ll be here soon,” Sunset’s fingers thumped on the table as she anxiously awaited the arrival of her girlfriend. Sunset had told Adagio that if everything had gone well, she could properly introduce her to her friends.
“Don’t worry, we’ll be nice,” Rarity assured her, putting a hand over hers. “We know she’s changed. Just as we know you’ve changed.”
Sunset responded with a small smile, that dropped the moment Rarity turned away from her. She checked her phone, and frowned when she saw she had no new messages.
Adagio had told her that she had a previous engagement that would make her late, but Sunset hadn’t thought that she would have been this late.
Just then, Sunset heard the familiar clack of heels against the tile, and smiled when she saw her girlfriend walking towards her, designer glasses taking up half her face.
Adagio smiled at her, then stopped in her tracks when she saw Sunset’s friends. She tensed, a look of fear and trepidation on her face. She jumped when she felt Sunset’s hand take her own.
“They’ll be nice. Trust me.” Sunset said, kissing her girlfriend on the cheek. “Nothing you can do to them that’s worse than trying to take over the world,”
Adagio rolled her eyes. “Har, har,” she said, continuing to walk over to the table. “But I do trust you.” She turned to Sunset and kissed her swiftly on the lips. “I love you, Sunset Shimmer.”
Sunset squeezed her hand as they finally reached her friends. “I love you too, Adagio Dazzle.”
“I never thought I’d hear Sunset say that,” Applejack said, whistling.
“Oh trust me, me neither,” Adagio replied with a smirk. “Took her almost three months for her to tell me she loved me.”
Sunset blushed. “I-It did not!”
“That means it did,” Rarity teased with a titter of laughter. “What is the best thing about dating Sunset?”
Adagio stared into the eyes of her lover, and then looked to the faces of her girlfriends friends who were soon to be her own. “She gets me. She gets the things I’ve been through. We’ve had a long journey towards who we are now, but I wouldn’t change it for the world. I am the woman I am today because of her.” she squeezed Sunset’s hand before adding, “Plus she has amazing tits.”
Sunset gasped, then pouted. “I knew that was coming! You can never go without making some sexual comment about me!”
Adagio cheekily grinned at her as the girls around her laughed.