Chapter Two
Hearth's Warming Day
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Sunset woke up to Fluttershy stirring beside her. “Sleep well?” Sunset asked, pulling Fluttershy closer to her.
“…still asleep,” she mumbled.
Sunset laughed and held tightly to Fluttershy, enjoying her warmth. She wondered what would happen now. She knew she should regret what happened the night before, but it was hard to feel bad about it when it had been so good.
So what if her and Fluttershy broke up almost two months ago?
So what if they had been fighting all the time back then?
And that Fluttershy had said she needed space…
The whole thing wouldn’t have happened if they weren’t drinking, and Sunset’s drinking was probably the biggest reason of all for them breaking up.
The more Sunset thought about it, the more she did regret it. Frowning, she looked down at the sleeping girl. Fluttershy would probably be furious when she woke up for real. This probably ruined any chance of things working out for them, and she might as well be honest with herself, this was probably the end of their friendship.
She sighed and kissed Fluttershy’s head. Better try and enjoy this while it lasted. “Sunny, I can’t sleep while you’re fidgeting,” Fluttershy mumbled.
“Oh, right. Sorry.”
Fluttershy giggled and opened her eyes. “It’s fine. I guess it’s probably time to get up anyway.”
“Oh. Okay.” Sunset wondered how to bring up last night and what it meant for their friendship. While she panicked Fluttershy stretched out then kissed her. “I, uh, I guess you’re not upset then?”
“Why would I be upset?” Fluttershy asked as she absentmindedly ran her hand across Sunset’s stomach.
“Well, you know. Last night was kind of… unexpected.”
Fluttershy nuzzled against Sunset’s shoulder. “Hmm… Maybe for you. Check your texts.”
Curious, Sunset reached for her phone, only to find her beside table empty. She had left everything but the blanket in the living room.
Noticing she didn’t have it Fluttershy pulled her back under the covers. “That text I sent Rainbow was to tell her I was spending the night and didn’t want to be interrupted.
Sunset grinned. “You actually planned that?”
“Well, sort of. I… I kinda knew things might lead to… that.” Fluttershy blushed. “I was planning on leaving before anything could happen, but…”
“Old habits die hard?” Sunset asked when Fluttershy trailed off.
“Sunny, you’re not just a habit. I… I do still really care about you.” She buried her face in Sunset’s neck. “I miss you. I miss us.”
Sunset stroked her hair. “I miss you too. Maybe… we can try again?”
Fluttershy didn’t answer, instead she just tightened her hold on Sunset.
“Shy, I’m sorry for everything that happened between us. It was pretty much all my fault. But please… I promise I can be better!” Sunset tightened her hold to match Fluttershy’s.
“Maybe… maybe we can try again,” Fluttershy said. Sunset beamed, which caused Fluttershy to smile. “Uhm… maybe we could try going a little slower this time?”
Sunset couldn’t help but laugh. “Sure, but uh, I think we’re a little late for that.” Sunset ran a hand along Fluttershy’s thigh, emphasizing that they were both still naked.
Fluttershy laughed too. “Well, last night doesn’t count. We didn’t decide on anything then.”
“Hmm, can this morning not count either?” Sunset asked, moving her hand along towards Fluttershy’s butt while leaning in to kiss her.
Fluttershy returned the kiss but pushed her hand away. “No, but maybe if you’re a good girl you’ll be rewarded before too long.”
Sunset smirked. “So if I’m a bad girl do I get punished?”
“Maybe,” Fluttershy said. “But for now I think it’s time to get out of bed.”
“Yeah, you’re probably right.” Sunset braced herself for the cold as she pulled off the blanket. Thankfully, with the sun back in the sky it wasn’t nearly as freezing as it had been, or at least it wouldn’t be once she got some clothes on. As she pulled on her pants she realized Fluttershy was watching her and chuckled. “Hey, I don’t think watching me dress counts as taking it slow.”
“Oh, uhm…” Fluttershy pulled the covers over her head and squeaked out an apology.
“It’s okay, Shy, I really don’t care.” Sunset pulled on a sweater and tossed Fluttershy her clothes. “I’ll wait in the living room.”
Leaving Fluttershy to dress in private, she walked into the kitchen, poured two glasses of water and set them on the living room counter. Although she didn’t feel too bad, she went into the bathroom and pulled some ibuprofen out of the medicine cabinet, putting two pills in her mouth and carrying another two with her. She set the pills in her hand down on the table and picked up one of the cups to take the ones in her mouth.
‘Should have grabbed socks,’ she thought as she sat on the couch. She picked up her phone from the table and turned it on, grabbing a slice of pizza as she waited for it. She checked it for ants, decided it was clean, and took a bite. Going back to her phone, she pulled up her messages and saw Fluttershy’s text to Rainbow read like she had said it would, but despite asking to be left alone Rainbow had replied anyway.
Sunset if i find out u sent this text ur dead!!
On the one hand she appreciated Rainbow looking out for Fluttershy. On the other hand, Rainbow was supposed to be Sunset’s friend too, was it too much to ask for a little trust? ‘Wonder if she’ll back off now that we’re dating again. Probably not, but who cares? Fluttershy wants to try again, Rainbow can think whatever she wants.’
“I can’t believe you’re eating that,” Fluttershy said as she walked out of the room. “It was out all night.”
Sunset took another bite and shrugged. “It’s fine. It was probably colder in the living room than the fridge anyway.”
Fluttershy sighed and sat next to Sunset. “Did Rainbow ever reply?”
“Nope,” Sunset said, deleting the last text, not that Fluttershy was likely to check anyway. “So now what?”
“Well, it is still Hearth’s Warming,” Fluttershy said. “How about we go out? We can do whatever you want, my treat." She took the pills Sunset had left for her.
“That sounds great, except you’ve got to let me pay for something.”
Fluttershy shook her head. “You might as well leave your money here, I insist.”
“Fine.” Sunset crossed her arms and looked around, trying to find inspiration for something they could do that would be cheap. Her eyes lingered on the window, watching the scene outside. There was still plenty of snow on the ground, but none was falling. “How about we go down to Mirror Pool Lake? If the water’s frozen over we can go ice skating, and if not it’s still a nice view.”
Fluttershy gave her a knowing smile. “Sunny, I really don’t mind paying.”
“Okay, you can buy lunch after,” Sunset agreed reluctantly. “But I really would like to go ice skating.” As a filly Sunset never felt like she had time to play in the snow. Once she came to the human world she felt like she was too old for it, not to mention she hated all the other kids at the orphanage she had lived in. It was only in the past few years that she really began to enjoy winter weather, after she finally made friends.
“Okay, sounds like a plan,” Fluttershy said. “Hmm, did I leave my ice skates here?”
“I dunno,” Sunset said. She stood up and walked to a closet. After several minutes of rummaging through it she was able to find two pairs of skates. “Here we go!”
When she turned around she caught Fluttershy taking a bite out of the slice of pizza Sunset had pulled out. She froze in place while Sunset tapped her foot in amusement. “I, uhm… I guess I’m a little hungry…” Fluttershy said, blushing.
Sunset quickly ran through what she had in the kitchen. Normally she only made cereal or toast in the mornings, but thankfully Applejack had recently stopped by with some groceries. Making a mental note to thank her later, Sunset said, “How about I make us some breakfast first?”
“Breakfast sounds nice,” Fluttershy said. “But don’t worry about it, I’ll make it.”
“Shy, you bought dinner last night,” Sunset said. “If you won’t let me buy lunch, at least let me make breakfast.” She followed Fluttershy into the kitchen.
Fluttershy ignored her request as she looked through the cabinets and fridge, deciding what to make. “How do pancakes sound?”
“Great! You should take a seat while I make some,” Sunset said, gesturing to the kitchen table.
“Sunny, relax. I want to do it,” Fluttershy said, pulling out ingredients. “You should put away the rest of that pizza though.”
Sunset took a moment to think about what to say. She knew she had a problem accepting help, but all the same Fluttershy was going above and beyond what Sunset could allow. Even if they were dating again, that didn’t give her the right to abuse Fluttershy’s good nature. “Shy, I really appreciate everything you’re doing, but I feel useless when you don’t let me do anything.”
Fluttershy didn’t answer as she began mixing ingredients. Eventually Sunset sighed and retrieved the pizza, putting the remaining three slices into storage bags and setting the box next to the trash can. Once she put them in the fridge Fluttershy set her mixing spoon down and looked down as she spoke. “You’ve done so much for me. I can never repay you for everything. You gave me a home, made me feel safe for the first time in my life, helped me with college, taught me how to support myself. I don’t even want to think about what my life would be like without you. But then…” Without looking up she walked over and put her arms around Sunset. “Then I left you. I left you all alone when I knew you still needed me.”
“Shy…” Sunset returned the hug and kissed her forehead. “I… wasn’t exactly easy to live with. I don’t blame you at all for leaving, and you definitely don’t owe me anything. I wanted to help you, really. Any of our friends would have done the same thing if they had the chance. And even if we didn’t get back together, it was worth it for the chance to be with you.”
Fluttershy smiled and kissed Sunset. “I knew you’d say that. And I know I shouldn’t feel so bad but I can’t help it. So please, let me take care of you, at least in some small way.”
Sunset wasn’t convinced. “Shy, you really don’t need to –”
“Please? I want to make your Hearth’s Warming perfect.”
Sunset saw there was no stopping her. “Fine. But come Christmas I’m taking care of you, got it?”
Fluttershy nodded. “Deal. Now go sit down while I finish getting breakfast ready.”
Sunset obeyed while Fluttershy busied herself with making pancakes. “Tell me about Hearth’s Warming,” Fluttershy said.
“Well, what do you want to know?” Sunset asked. “It’s really not all that different from Christmas.”
“Well, how did it get started? Is there a pony Jesus too?”
Sunset snorted. “No, it’s a celebration of the founding of Equestria. Actually most ponies don’t even know the full story. It’s a bunch of history stuff.”
“So what happened?” Fluttershy asked. Sunset wasn’t sure how much she’d really like the story, but told it anyway.
“Thousands of years ago there were three pony nations. No one’s really positive what started it, but they were all at war with one another. It went on for generations, with paper-thin alliances forming and ending constantly. At the end there were no more alliances, all three nations were fighting for total dominance. The unicorns – led by King Palladium – had the upper hand in terms of power, with magic and all. But the pegasi – led by Commander Hurricane – were better practiced in the art of war, and were capable of aerial assault. The earth ponies led by Chancellor Puddinghead, were –”
“Chancellor… Puddinghead?” Fluttershy repeated, looking away from the pancake she was frying.
Sunset shrugged. “Hey, I didn’t name her. She’s still kind of remembered as an idiot, but she was actually a hero of the revolution. See, a lot of ponies from all three nations were fed up with the war, and there was a rebel movement spearheaded by King Palladium’s daughter, Princess Platinum. Scholars disagree on whether she was really a visionary or just wanted political power for herself. She forged alliances with ponies from the other nations, notably Chancellor Puddinghead’s secretary Smart Cookie and Commander Hurricane’s niece Pansy.”
“Pansy?” Fluttershy chuckled.
“Yup. I dunno, maybe a lot of parents hated their foals back then. Pansy was actually only a private, but she had a silver tongue and convinced tons of ponies to join them. Anyway, the earth ponies had the best stores of food and generally lacked resources, which made them a target for both other nations. Smart Cookie was able to convince Chancellor Puddinghead to join the resistance, effectively winning a third of the population on top of the members they already had.
“Chancellor Puddinghead then led her troops in an assault on the unicorns using information Princess Platinum provided. While they were distracted, Clover the Clever – the unicorn’s court mage and confidant of Princess Platinum – shifted King Palladium’s guards around so he was being watched entirely by rebel soldiers. Under Princess Platinum’s orders they had him executed and she seized power. She refused the title of queen, a tradition that remains to this day. From there the unicorns and earth ponies officially made peace while keeping the true nature of their alliance a secret. Outnumbered two to one, the pegasi still sought to hold their lines, right up until Private Pansy’s troops all pulled out of the combat. With the pegasi’s surrender the three tribes held a meeting and officially decided to abolish the three nations in favor of Equestria.”
Fluttershy set two plates of pancakes down. “That’s not as nice of a story as I thought it would be.”
Sunset poured maple syrup over her pancakes. “The pageant tells a kid friendly version of the story. Which would be fine I guess, but most ponies actually think that’s what really happened.” She took a bite. “These are delicious, Shy.”
“Thank you,” Fluttershy said as she cut up her own pancakes. “Uhm, I’d like to hear the happy version, if you don’t mind.”
“You just want me to keep talking so you can eat,” Sunset said. Fluttershy smiled and nodded with her fork sticking out of her mouth. Sunset took another bite before telling the story about the three tribes and the fires of friendship fending off the windigos, noting that no one was even sure if windigos had ever really existed.
“You know, I thought I’d prefer the happier version, but I like the real story better,” Fluttershy said when Sunset had finished. “I guess you must be rubbing off on me.”
“It’s funny, last night before you showed up I was thinking about how much I wanted to see that dumb pageant again. I guess you’re rubbing off on me too.” As she stuffed the last of her breakfast in her mouth Sunset carried her plate to the sink.
Fluttershy followed suit, leaving her plate in the sink. Sunset was thankful she didn’t try to wash them, too. Fluttershy smiled at her before noticing something. “Hold still,” she said as she stood on her toes to reach Sunset’s chin, which she licked some syrup off of.
“Maybe I don’t want you rubbing off on me after all. That was gross.” Sunset rubbed the saliva off her chin, which was still sticky with syrup.
Fluttershy laughed. “Oh stop. If my tongue can be in your mouth, then you can handle it on your chin.”
Sunset wrapped her arms around Fluttershy’s waist and pulled her close. She kissed her, flicking her tongue into her mouth. “I guess you have a point. You ready to head out?”
Fluttershy nodded. “After you.”
Even though the day was warmer than the night before, the wind still stung Sunset’s face as she rode through town. Since Fluttershy’s helmet was at Rainbow’s house, Sunset had refused to go until Fluttershy agreed to borrow hers. Initially she had tried to protest, but Sunset had guilted her into it by sounding upset that they wouldn’t be able to go to the lake. So Sunset was left with the wind whipping around her hair while making her teeth chatter and drying out her eyes. She couldn’t bring herself to regret it though, not when Fluttershy was holding on to her so tightly.
She also couldn’t regret it when the finally reached the lake and they were able to dismount. While she was trying to lock up her motorcycle Fluttershy started messing with her hair. “Hey, Shy, I’m trying to –”
“Hold still for a second,” Fluttershy insisted. Sunset relented and she pulled off her gloves for better dexterity. “There, much better.”
“Thanks, I guess,” Sunset said, finally getting her lock in place and chaining the helmet. When she turned back around Fluttershy was smiling warmly. Sunset couldn’t help but smile too while they walked down to the lake. She reached for Fluttershy’s hand and laced their fingers together as they walked.
“This was a good idea. It’s so lovely this time of year,” Fluttershy said.
“Yeah, it is.”
“What would you have done if I didn’t stay last night?”
“I dunno,” Sunset said. Looking at the lake she saw Apple Bloom and her friends were already on the ice. She’d actually grown pretty close to Applejack’s little sister, who wasn’t really so little anymore. “Gone to Applejack’s if I was smart. Stayed home and watched Christmas specials if I wasn’t.”
“Applejack said you spend a lot of time over there.”
“Huh? I guess so,” Sunset said.
“Oh! She wasn’t complaining or anything! It’s just, uhm… I would ask about you a lot. Just like… how you were doing, if work was giving you too much trouble. That sort of thing.” Fluttershy might have been blushing, but that might just be the weather.
Sunset smiled. “And I bet she just told you something like ‘Well, why don’tcha jus’ ask her yourself.’”
Fluttershy laughed. “Yes, every time. How’d you know?”
“Because that’s what she said whenever I asked about you.”
Fluttershy let go of Sunset’s hand and instead wrapped an arm around her back. They walked silently the rest of the way.
“Hey, Sunset!” Apple Bloom called as they sat down to put on their ice skates. She started skating over, wobbling all the way.
“Hey AB! What’s the matter, forget how to skate?” Sunset teased. Before she could respond Scootaloo raced past her, with Sweetie Belle following behind gracefully. Apple Bloom slowly stumbled behind, more walking than skating.
“Aww gimme a break! It’s the first freeze of winter!” Apple Bloom said while trying to catch her breath once she had finally hobbled over.
“Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle don’t seem to have a problem with it,” Sunset said.
“I’ve been out here since the sun came up!” Sweetie Belle announced proudly. If the cold made her any paler than usual Sunset couldn’t tell, but her attitude remained as upbeat as ever.
“Not me, I just got here,” Scootaloo said, skating a circle around her friends.
Apple Bloom crossed her arms. “Yeah, well, I’m just not feeling so good. Besides, we don’t all have Rainbow Dash to give us lessons on, like, every sport.”
“Actually Scootaloo helped Rainbow with her skating,” Fluttershy said. Every head snapped in her direction.
Scootaloo chuckled nervously. “What? No way, that’s crazy. I couldn’t teach her anything…”
Sunset grinned wickedly. “Ooh, was that supposed to be secret, Shy?
Fluttershy blushed, this time definitely not just from the weather. “Uhm… please don’t say anything. I uhm…”
“Relax, we won’t tell anyone. Least of all Rainbow.” Sunset looked up to see Apple Bloom grinning. “Or Applejack. Right?”
Apple Bloom frowned. “Fine.”
“So where did you learn to skate, Scoot?” Sweetie Belle asked. She started skating idly, leaving Apple Bloom the only one standing still.
“My dad taught me years ago,” Scootaloo said. “We practice together every year.”
Sunset finished lacing up her skates and stood up. She offered her hand to help Fluttershy up, then the two skated on to the ice together. By then Apple Bloom had resumed skating as well, or trying to.
“Why don’t you ask Applejack to teach you?” Fluttershy asked.
“I’m not a kid Fluttershy! I don’t need anyone to teach me how to skate,” Apple Bloom said before slipping backwards.
“Applejack doesn’t like ice,” Sunset said, quiet enough only Fluttershy could hear her.
She let go of Fluttershy’s hand and skated close enough to Apple Bloom so that her friends wouldn’t hear them. “You know, I could give you some tips. Maybe tomorrow, if you want.”
“I don’t mind. You should help her out!” Fluttershy said. Sunset shot her a warning look and nodded over towards Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle, who thankfully were too preoccupied with their own skating to notice. Fluttershy covered her mouth and waved before skating leisurely away.
“I guess I have some time now, if you want. What do you say AB?”
Apple Bloom looked at Scootaloo, who was racing down the ice as fast as she could, and Sweetie Belle, who was twirling around on one skate. “Can you teach me how to skate like them?” she asked quietly.
“Well, no,” Sunset admitted, “But maybe I can help keep you from falling on your ass so much.”
“Alright fine, what should I do?”
Sunset spent the next hour teaching Apple Bloom. Eventually she got over her embarrassment and let her friends help too, which was convenient since Sunset had only learned to skate a few years prior and wasn’t as good as Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, or even Fluttershy. By the time she returned to Fluttershy she was wet all over from the times she had fallen down herself.
“We should get you warmed up,” Fluttershy said. “What do you say we break for lunch?”
“Sure. I wouldn’t mind being able to feel my toes again,” Sunset said. They skated to the edge of the lake and sat down to put their shoes back on.
Apple Bloom skated over to them. She wasn’t as fast as Scootaloo or as fancy as Sweetie Belle, but she was at least steadier on her feet. “Are you two leaving already?”
“Yup. I’m cold, wet, and starting to sound like an old person,” Sunset said. “Besides, I’ve got a date.” She wrapped an arm around Fluttershy’s shoulders.
“Thanks for helping me. And I’m glad you two are back together,” Apple Bloom said. She turned to Fluttershy and added, “Although, I don’t really get what you see in her.”
Sunset threw a snowball at her while Apple Bloom skated away laughing.
“You two got close,” Fluttershy said as they walked back to the bike.
“Sure. Apple Bloom’s around a lot when I visit Sweet Apple Acres. She’s pretty cool, actually." Sunset shrugged. Apple Bloom was only a few years younger than her other friends, which was becoming less and less of a difference as time went by. “So are you really hungry?”
“Uhm… not really,” Fluttershy said, “I just wanted to get you warmed up.”
She thought about the motorcycle ride and frowned. “Well, getting back on that motorcycle isn’t really gonna help that too much. How about we walk down to Sugarcube Corner? It’s not too far, and we can get something sweet.”
“Sounds good to me,” Fluttershy said.
Sunset walked ahead, leading the way back into town. As they were walking through the parking lot Fluttershy caught up to her and looped their arms together. “You're gonna get all wet,” Sunset warned.
“I don't mind,” Fluttershy said, smiling up at her.
“Suit yourself,” Sunset said. Really though, she was glad to have the extra warmth. She didn't want to admit it, but she was freezing, and even walking was proving to be colder than she expected.
Needless to say she was thrilled when they finally reached Sugarcube Corner. As soon as they walked in Sunset was lost in the moment as the most wonderful rush of warm air washed over them, complete with the delightful aroma of fresh baked cookies.
Sunset was pulled back into focus when she heard Fluttershy giggle. She opened her eyes to see her smiling. “What's up?” she asked.
“Nothing,” Fluttershy said. She pulled on Sunset's jacket to bring her down so their faces were level. “You're just adorable.”
Fluttershy cupped Sunset's face in her hands and guided her into a kiss, leaving Sunset lost in an even more wonderful moment. While they kissed Sunset had the nagging feeling that she was forgetting something, but she pushed the feeling away, wanting nothing to get in the way of enjoying Fluttershy's lips against hers. Then it hit her.
‘...Pinkie.’
She opened her eyes and wheeled around, surprising Fluttershy. Sure enough Pinkie Pie was leaning over a table watching them with a smile on her face that suggested Christmas had come early.
Apparently deciding being noticed was a good reason to stop holding back her excitement, Pinkie launched herself at the couple. “I knew it! I knew you two were gonna get back together!”
“Uhm, thank you Pinkie,” Fluttershy said. “We're excited too, but maybe you could let go, at least a little bit?”
“No way! I've been waiting too long for this, you two are just so adorable together!”
“That's nice, but uhm… I'm not sure Sunset can breathe…”
“Oh! Sorry…” Pinkie let go, leaving Sunset gasping for breath. She glared at Pinkie, who smiled innocently.
“Come on, let’s go find a seat,” Fluttershy said. Sugarcube Corner was always busy, but since it was Winter break it was packed with teenagers. Pinkie managed to lead them to an open booth though, and Sunset was able to take off her wet jacket.
“So what happened?” Pinkie asked. “Ooh! Did Sunset stand out in the rain with a boombox playing love songs until you gave her another chance?”
There were so many problems with that plan that it took Sunset a moment to decide which one to start with. “It hasn’t even rained for weeks,” Sunset pointed out. Not to mention that Rainbow or her parents would probably just call the cops on her.
“But it’s more dramatic than standing in the snow!” Pinkie said, as if that would make up for the lack of rain.
“That doesn’t even… Whatever, that’s not what happened. We, uhm…” Sunset turned to Fluttershy. They had never decided what story they wanted to tell their friends. Somehow ‘we got drunk and slept together’ just didn’t seem like the type of story they wanted to tell everyone.
Fluttershy took Sunset’s hand in hers. “We just got to talking and decided we wanted to give it another shot,” she said. It was true enough, anyway.
A bell chimed. “Oh, I’ve got a customer. I’ll be right back,” Pinkie excitedly ran towards the counter.
Sunset grinned as she watched her run off. “Now we’ve done it. No chance to back out now that Pinkie knows we’re together again.”
Fluttershy leaned on Sunset’s shoulder. “That’s fine with me. My mind’s made up anyway.”
“Since when are you so affectionate?” Sunset asked as she put her arm around Fluttershy.
“Are you complaining?” Fluttershy asked as she snuggled closer.
“No no, definitely not”,” Sunset said.
Fluttershy giggled. “I guess… I never realized how much I liked being near you until I wasn’t anymore.”
“Hmm. I think I always knew how much I liked being with you.” Sunset said as she brought Fluttershy into another kiss.
Once they pulled apart they noticed two cups of hot chocolate in front of them, and Pinkie sitting on the other side of the booth sipping on a milkshake. “Okay, you’re doing that on purpose aren’t you?” Sunset asked.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about”,” Pinkie said.
“How did you even sneak up without us hearing you?” Sunset asked, gesturing to the mugs that were right in front of them.
“I wasn’t sneaking,” Pinkie said through a sly grin. “Maybe you were just a little too preoccupied to pay attention.”
Fluttershy blushed, while Sunset just rolled her eyes. She couldn’t complain though; if she was hoping for privacy she never would have suggested Sugarcube Corner in the first place. She picked up her mug and took a sip of her cocoa.
“Careful, it’s hot,” Sunset said as Fluttershy reached for her own.
Ignoring the warning Fluttershy took a sip, which she clearly regretted as she set the mug down. Sunset shrugged and continued drinking hers casually. “How can you drink that? It’s too hot,” Fluttershy said.
“I like hot things,” Sunset said. She grinned. “Like –”
“Don’t say it.”
“– you,” Sunset finished.
Fluttershy facepalmed. “You actually said it.”
Sunset just grinned. “Well why not? It’s true.”
“Now Sunset. I’m sure Fluttershy would just rather you call her something else,” Pinkie chided. “She’s pretty.”
“Just pretty?” Sunset asked, pulling Fluttershy against her again. “I think she’s absolutely beautiful.”
Pinkie ducked under the table and popped up in between the two of them. “You’re right! You’re both gorgeous. Why, if you ever wanted to spice things up with a third person…”
Sunset laughed while Fluttershy blushed and retreated into her hair. “I think our love life is spicy enough, thank you Pinkie,” Sunset said.
“Suit yourselves." Pinkie shrugged. The bell rang again so she extricated herself from in between the couple and ran back to the counter.
“That was… different,” Fluttershy said, finally emerging from her hair.
Sunset shrugged and drank some more of her cocoa. It was almost half gone, while Fluttershy had barely touched hers. “I dunno. From anyone else, sure, that might have been weird. But for Pinkie? That seemed about average.”
“I suppose.”
For the next couple hours Pinkie routinely came back with more drinks and snacks, trying her best to be part of the conversation while still running the register for the busy store. But whether she was with her friends or helping customers she seemed to enjoy herself all the same. Sunset and Fluttershy didn’t mind either, both content to enjoy the warm shop together.
After leaving Sugarcube Corner the couple decided to spend the rest of the day with the tried and true dinner and a movie. All in all, as far as Sunset was concerned it was a perfect day. She was tempted to try and get Fluttershy to stay another night, but held off since they were supposed to be moving slower. Still, when it came time to end the day and Sunset brought Fluttershy back to Rainbow’s house, they found themselves lingering in the driveway.
“Did you see that lady in the row behind us, though?” Sunset asked.
Fluttershy chuckled. “The one more interested in watching us than the movie?”
“Yeah. You’d think we strangled her dog or something by the look she gave us.” Sunset folded her arms and scowled at the memory.
“Aren’t you usually the one telling me not to worry about stuff like that?” Fluttershy asked. She pulled Sunset’s arms apart and put them around her waist, which made it very hard to remain grumpy.
“Yeah, you’re right. Today was amazing.” Sunset smiled.
“Yeah, it was,” Fluttershy said.
Fluttershy leaned against Sunset, putting her ear against Sunset’s heart. They stood out in the cold, sharing each other’s warmth for a few moments more. The sound of a door slamming interrupted their silence.
“Fluttershy, I’ve been trying to call you all day!” Rainbow said. She glared at Sunset, who was still holding Fluttershy. “What’s going on?”
After how wonderful their day had been, even Rainbow couldn’t bring Sunset down. Although Fluttershy pulled away, casting worried looks between the two, Sunset just laughed. “Oh man, you never turned it back on? Sorry about that, Rainbow. But it’s okay, I took good care of her.”
The look on Rainbow’s face made it clear she doubted that very much. “So… what’s going on then?” She gestured between the two women.
“It’s, uhm… I’ll tell you when I go inside,” Fluttershy said, smiling nervously. Rainbow remained where she was.
“Well, I have work in the morning anyway,” Sunset said, “I’ll see you on Christmas?”
“Sunset, wait.” Fluttershy took a deep breath and turned toward Rainbow, her hands on her hip. Although Sunset couldn’t see her face she could imagine her expression. She almost felt sorry for Rainbow. “Rainbow Dash. While I appreciate your concern I’m fully capable of handling myself. Now, if you wouldn’t mind going inside, I’d like to say goodnight to my girlfriend in peace.”
Rainbow stared dumbfounded while Sunset did her best to hold down her laughter. “Fine. But I’m calling it now, this is a bad idea.”
When Rainbow turned around Sunset flicked her off. Fluttershy turned back to her in time to see, leaving Sunset grinning sheepishly.
Fluttershy sighed and leaned against Sunset again. “I wish you two would get along again…”
Aside from the gesture, which Rainbow couldn’t see anyway, Sunset didn’t think she did anything wrong. Still, she could have made an attempt to smooth things over. “I’m sorry. And if Rainbow’s willing to let bygones be bygones then so am I. Who knows, maybe on Christmas everything will finally go back to normal.”
“Christmas Eve,” Fluttershy said. “Uhm, you’re going to Applejack’s party, right?”
All month Sunset had been debating if she wanted to show up to the event, and she had been strongly leaning towards ‘no.’ “Of course, I’ll see you there.”
They shared one more kiss and smiled at each other a moment more.
“Call me when you get home safely?” Fluttershy requested.
“You got it.” Sunset grabbed her helmet. She hesitated a moment, debating whether or not she should say what was on her mind.
But before she could make up her mind, Fluttershy was already waving goodbye and heading back towards the house. Sunset waved back and put her helmet on. She waited until Fluttershy was safely inside before starting the engine. She kicked the kickstand up and backed up to the road, taking one more look at the house. “Love you, Shy,” she said under her breath, and drove off into the night.