//------------------------------//
// CHAPTER TWO: Pillow Talk 
// Story: Bookends 
// by Stormbringer 
//------------------------------//

	Cheerilee followed Twilight up the stairs to a cozy little bedroom with books lining the walls, a small fireplace with a steadily burning low fire and one window facing the east.  It was the kind of bedroom she’d expected of Twilight; comfortable, utilitarian and tidy.  There was only one bed of a size that’d be comfortable for two ponies to sleep close, Cheerilee had no problem with that.  
Cheerilee knew Twilight would be aware of this also.  Again, was she being hopeful?  There was only one pillow showing that Twilight was used to sleeping alone, another hopeful sign.
She also noticed a basket with a pillow and blue blanket, obviously Spikes empty bed.  
Twilight showed Cheerilee the bathroom and where the towels were so she could take a quick shower before going to bed.
After Cheerilee finished her shower, she and Twilight passed each other in the narrow passage between the room and bathroom.  They had to brush up against each other to pass.  Both mares enjoyed the contact.  Twilight then took a quick shower herself.  Cheerilee noticed that Twilight had put another pillow on the bed while Cheerilee was showering.  
Returning to her room, Twilight saw Cheerilee sitting on the edge of the bed.  

“Use which ever side is more comfortable to you.” Said Twilight, “it really makes no difference to me.”

Cheerilee looked pensive.  It was time to get the truth in the open.

“Won’t your coltfriend be upset you shared a bed with me?” asked Cheerilee.

Twilight sat down beside her, close enough to be touching.  To Twilight’s delight, Cheerilee didn’t scoot away.

“I’ve never had any coltfriends,” she had an almost sad look in her eyes.

“Neither have I,” Cheerilee paused, she was sure this was the right time to tell somepony.  
If this was to go any further, and Cheerilee was hoping it would.  But even if not, if they were going to share a bed, she owed Twilight that much.  
It had to come out now.  
On faith and what her heart was telling her, Cheerilee decided she could trust this pony she’d found she’d so much in common with.  So she came out with it;
“To be honest Twilight, and I’ve never shared this with anypony, but I’m a mare-lover.” 
Cheerilee paused to see if Twilight reacted, she didn’t; 
“But I’ve never had any marefriends either, I’ve never made the time.  But I just have known what it is I like.”
Cheerilee again waited for Twilight to react.  To her amazement and delight, Twilight acted as if Cheerilee had just told her she’d had oat pancakes for breakfast.
“You sure you still want to share a bed with me?” asked Cheerilee.

Twilight started to snicker.

“What?” asked Cheerilee, not sure how to take it.
“It’s just Applejack told me how Apple Bloom and her friends tried to hook you up with Big Mac last Hearts and Hooves Day.” Said Twilight, Cheerilee just looked puzzled, “Rainbow Dash, who most ponies assume is a mare-lover, has been trying to find a way to get Big Mac to take her to the Apple’s Barn Dance.  I think she’s sweet on him.  But she thinks she’s too cool to admit it.”

Both ponies burst out in laughter at the irony.  They put a hoof out to the other, it felt just as nice as downstairs.  As the laughing slowed, they looked in each other’s eyes.  Both ponies blushed; they looked at their hoofs, and again, without any hurry drew them back.
“Cheerilee...” started Twilight.
“Cheeri,” interrupted the guest, “in my college days, what friends I had called me Cheeri.  I’d love it if you’d call me that.”
“My close friends call me Twi,” said Twilight with a smile.  “I’ve no problem with your lifestyle.  And I don’t believe you’ll be chasing me around the bedroom for nefarious reasons.  
And depending on how I felt at the time, it‘s possible that I wouldn’t run that fast.”
Twilight delivered that last comment with a wink, Cheerilee has hoping she was reading the innuendo.
“Besides, I’ve never heard of a mare-lover out on recruitment missions,” Continued Twilight.
Cheerilee chuckled.
“So unless you have a problem with it.  I don’t think you need to concern yourself with what I might think.  You’re welcome in my home; you’re welcome in my bed.  You’re my friend, you’ll always be welcome.”
Cheerilee looked at Twilight, she had a tear in her eye as she returned Twilight’s smile.  Cheerilee then gave Twilight a small hug and kiss on the cheek, which Twilight returned.
“Thanks, Twi,” said Cheerilee, “I wish we’d had this talk sooner.”
“So do I, Cheeri,” answered Twilight, “my friends are special ponies, but as I mentioned earlier, it’s nice to have a friend who has so much in common with myself.”
There was an awkward pause as they looked into each other’s eyes, hoping that the other was having the same thoughts as themselves (which they were).
“We’d better turn in now.  No telling what the weather will be in the morning,” said Twilight.

The two ponies climbed under the covers, Twilight’s horn glowed and the lights went out.  There were dancing shadows on the wall from the fire and the soft sound of snow hitting the window.  
Both ponies lay there on their backs breathing slowly.  They weren’t touching but they could feel the delicious warmth of the other.  Both could tell the other was awake.
Cheerilee wanted to know if Twilight was ready to reveal the last part of the puzzle.  This could be make-or-break.  Was she reading Twilight correctly or was she seeing things through a filter of the need and want she felt inside.  She was almost ecstatic to have found out the pony she’d known in passing was the type of pony she’d been seeking for a long time.  
“Twi?” said Cheerilee, “may I ask a personal question?”
“You’re in bed with me Cheeri,” snickered Twilight, “I don’t see how you could be any more personal.”
Cheerilee gave a small giggle;
“Okay, you got me there Twi.  But if I may ask, why’ve you never had any coltfriends?  If it’s none of my business, just say so.”
Twilight just lay there for a moment, then she turned to face her guest, who turned to face her.
“I don’t know if it was jealousy or misunderstanding, but the other kids in the school, at least in the beginning, would make fun of me because of the attention I’d receive from Princess Celestia.  They’d call me Teachers Pet and Twilight Awful.  When that didn’t get the reaction they wanted, they started with more personal attacks.”
Cheerilee could see in the low light a tear running across Twilight’s muzzle.
“Plain Mane and Twilight Ugly they’d say, and I believed them,” said Twilight the tears starting to flow, “I learned later they were just being mean, but I think it stuck in my psyche.  Because of that, I was always wary to attempt any close personal relations.  I was always afraid I’d get more confirmation on my lack of desirability.” 
“Oh Twi,” said Cheerilee, placing a fore hoof on Twilight’s shoulder.  “You’re far from ugly or even plain.  Your friend Rarity, she’s a beautiful mare.  But ask her how much work she has to do to keep it up.  Don’t take this wrong, but you’re what I’d call ‘cute’.  Cute is an attractiveness that’s the same if you spent several hours primping or just dried off after a shower and the only thing you’ve done is brush your mane.”
“You’re not just saying that, are you?” asked Twilight with a weak smile, “because I’ve always thought of you as an attractive mare I wished I could be more like.”
“Say that in the morning after I wake up,” said Cheerilee, thrilled to hear that this mare found her attractive.
Both mares giggled at that.  Cheerilee noted Twilight hadn’t reacted to the fore hoof on her shoulder.  And she was even more surprised when Twilight leaned forward and kissed her on the cheek.
“Thank you,” said Twilight.
They lay there for several minutes, Twilight was trying to sort through the feelings which had been growing this evening.  The feeling of just lying next to this mare was so special, Cheerilee’s touch gave her a thrill she’d never known she could feel.  There was a little more that she needed to know so Twilight spoke up.
“So if I may ask,” started Twilight.
“We’re in the same bed, remember?” said Cheerilee.  
Both mares giggled again.
“If you realized you’re a mare-lover, why no marefriends?”
Cheerilee lay there for a moment, thinking how to put it.
“When I told you I’d never told anypony about my sexual preference, that wasn’t quite accurate.  When I discovered my feelings, I was still in high school.  I needed to talk to somepony about it, so who do you turn to when you need to talk about something important at that age?  
So I went to my parents and told them I had discovered that I was attracted to mares.  You’d have thought I had told them that I was engaged to Nightmare Moon.  After a good three quarters of an hour of my father yelling and belittling me while my mother cowered in fear, he told me in no uncertain terms if I ever brought this up again or told anypony else he’d consider me dead and I’d be forever forbidden to see them again!” 
Cheerilee started to cry; Twilight put her fore hoof on Cheerilee’s shoulder and pulled her close.  Cheerilee buried her face in Twilight’s shoulder.  Twilight felt the tears on her coat.
“I’m so sorry, Cheeri,” said Twilight.  Stroking Cheerilee’s rose and pink mane.
Twilight held Cheerilee until she got control of her crying.  To tell the truth, it felt quite nice.  Twilight knew that she wouldn’t mind at all to continue holding this mare she was discovering was cut from the same cloth, but she wasn’t ready to push it, yet.  They both backed off but they still had fore hooves on each other’s shoulders.
“Strangely,” said Cheerilee, able to work up a small smile, “that felt good to get that out.  Thank you Twi.”
“What are friends for?”  said Twilight with a smile.
It was Cheerilee’s turn to give Twilight a kiss on the cheek.
The silence was awkward.
“So,” said Twilight, “is it your intent to stay teaching at the elementary school level?”
Glad for the diversion Cheerilee answered;
“I really like teaching the young kids, but I’d really like to get into administration eventually.  That way I can have a hoof in shaping the lives of kids I may never meet.  Because of my lifestyle they’re the only children I’ll ever have, unless the unforeseen happened.”
“I’ve never thought of administration that way,” said Twilight.  “I know eventually, Celestia will recall me to Canterlot for some government position.”
Cheerilee snickered.
“What?” asked Twilight, slightly confused, “you think me doing administration work is funny?”
“No!” answered Cheerilee, “Elysium no!  I don’t think there’s anypony I know that’d handle that type of work better.”
“Then what?”
“I don’t know of anypony who just refers to the princess so casually,” replied the teacher.
“You think that’s something?” said Twilight, slightly amused, “Luna gets mad at me when I call her princess.  You don’t want to know where she’s threatened to shove her tiara if I do so again, except in very formal circumstances.”
Both ponies got a good laugh out of that one.  In the distance, the clock in the Ponyville Tower struck two.
“Oh my gosh!” said Cheerilee, “we’ve talked half the night away.  I know you’ve work to do tomorrow, and if the weather clears, I have to get home to get my materials for school.”
“Too bad,” said Twilight, “I’ve not spent a more enjoyable evening in a very long time.”
“Me either,” said Cheerilee.
The two just smiled at each other and then exchanged a hug.  They backed off, smiled again and turned away to go to sleep.
“Good night Twi.”
“Good night Cheeri.”