//------------------------------//
// 1:21AM 
// Story: 1:20AM 
// by FOXTrot2 
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It's 1:20am. Morning. I should really be asleep by this hour, I have school in the morning, but I just can't take my eyes off the screen.

The bedding next to me shifts as a pair of hooves settle down for a long night, two bright blue eyes taking in the solitary light in the dark room with detached curiosity. "Why are you always on your phone? Don't you need sleep?"

I snort and can't help but smirk- but only for a brief moment. "Naw, I'm pretty used to this, all things considered." I continue to tap away at my phone, talking to a friend on Discord. Asking him how his night is going and all that fun stuff.

The pony next to me leans in close, invading my bubble with no heed for my silent protest as she gets a better look at the screen, eyes squinting just a little to keep some of the light out of her huge eyes. "who's 'Deeps'?"

"He's just a friend."

"Have you ever met him?"

The question strikes me as a strange one. Of course, I understand that ponies aren't quite as well attuned to our culture as we are, and some things may simply escape them, so I explain. "No, and I probably never will. That's not really how internet stuff works."

"Oh... " Her ears flick back and she looks down, playing with the pillows under her hooves.

I sigh, pausing in a reply to look back at her out of the corner of my eye. "I'm guessing ponies do things the old fashioned way?"

"Huh?"

"Y'know... " I flick my hand in her general direction in a vague gesture, feeling like a monkey trying to teach a horse how to peel a banana. "You're more... Personal. Or in person. Pony?" I ponder the correct terminology for this particular instance.

I'm caught completely off-guard when she giggles, although I must have missed the joke. "Yeah, we usually like to meet up. I'm not really used to screens... "

"Is it because you can't use those hooves?" I point to them knowingly, and she looks away again.

"You know they made something for that now, right?"

"They did?"

"Yeah. These rubber things like shoes we can stick to our hooftips. I think they called it a 'Style-lus'?"

Now it's my turn to chuckle. "Sounds like they're trying to say 'style-less'."

"Hehe... They don't look all that bad, just... Plain."

"Like vanilla yogurt."

She looks at me, confused as she tilts her head, ears tilting with her in an odd display of synchronicity that honestly disturbs me. "Huh?"

"You know... Vanilla yogurt," I try again. It's vaniall yogurt, how can she not be getting this?

"I don't think I've ever had yogurt before."

"You don't have it where you come from?"

She shakes her head. 

"Right... Probably a dairy thing, then."

"You mean with cows?"

"Yeah. Yogurt is a dairy product. They take the curd or something, I think, and mix it with something else to make yogurt."

She scrunches her face, her tail flicking behind her in what I assume to be irritation of some sort. "That doesn't sound very tasty." 

I have to agree with her on that one. Vanilla yogurt is like the plain cracker of yogurt, although I get Activia, which is only slightly more tollerable than competitive brands. "Wanna try some? We've got some Activia in the fridge."

"You mean yogurt?"

"Yeah."

"Is it vanilla?"

Excellent question. Thankfully, we don't get vanilla very often, if ever, really. "Naw, mostly strawberry and blueberry."

She seems to contemplate this for a moment before laying her chin down on the pillow, looking ahead with tired eye. "No, I think I'm fine," she admits, and I can tell by her tone and posture that she's about ready to go to bed.

I click a button on the side of my Samsung S7 and the screen blips off, briefly plunging me into total darkness as my eyes radjust to the ambient moonlight streaming in through the mostly-closed shutters.

Her ears perk in my direction as she looks at me, scooting over to give me room as I pull down the covers and slip on inside. I can feel the weight of sheets pressing against my legs as she, too, gets up, tugging down the sheets by her teeth as she also slips under the covers.

I watch her, silent, as she turns towards me and curls up on the spot, pulling her forelegs up to her chest and closing her eyes. "Goodnight," she says between a wide yawn that I swear could have split her jaw in half.

I'm not sure if I should return it or not, so I go with the safest option and say "you too," before my head hits the pillow and I roll onto my back, shifting to get comfortable.

I've never shared my bed very often, the only person I can possibly think of is dad and mom when they needed someplace to sleep and the couch was taken.

I didn't mind it, though. While I didn't nearly possess the courage to reach over and lay a hand on her shoulder, watching her from here is a blessing in and of itself.

I take the time to study her; blond mane, white coat. I've seen a million ponies like her online, but when she's right here? Right next to me? I can smell her. I could touch her if I wanted too. It just all felt very surreal.

But as she got comfortable and began dozing off, I realized that I had no chances in hell with this pony. We don't know all that much about each other, and the only reason she's here is because of a towering program to help Mom become more financially stable.

My eyes get heavy and I know I can't stay awake much longer..I don't try to fight it, closing my eyes and calming my heart.

Maybe one day. Maybe one day...