1 - Hearth’s Warming Eve

Chapter One
Hearth's Warming Eve

⠀

Sunset was freezing. She sat huddled on her couch, with an electric blanket covering everything except for one gloved hand, which was exposed only because it held a coffee mug filled with wine, without which the cold would be even worse.

She passed the day lounging around, watching Christmas specials. They kind of reminded her of the Hearth’s Warming pageant she used to watch as a filly. She had actually always hated being dragged to the performance; the whole ‘fire of friendship lives on in our hearts’ thing had always seemed like the dumbest thing in the world. Even as a foal it seemed overly foalish to her. But as she aged and spent another year away from Equestria, she realized she wouldn’t mind seeing it again. Hell, after everything that happened in the past year, she’d pretty much resolved to never complain that anything was too happy again.

But the closest she could come seemed to be drinking until Christmas and Hearth’s Warming weren’t separate holidays. She hadn’t made much headway in this endeavor, but the night was young and her bottle still mostly full. She took another gulp of wine.

Her phone rang again. Sunset immediately recognized the ringtone, but still looked at it and groaned. ‘Why is she still calling? How hard can it be to get the hint.’ Sunset stared at the picture on her phone as that frustratingly upbeat folk song played. Eventually it stopped and the pink haired girl was replaced by a grey text box stating ‘one missed call,’ which she swiped away. Another minute or so and it chimed to tell her she had six new voicemails. Sunset dropped the phone on the couch. ‘I’ll listen to them tomorrow,’ she told herself. She probably wouldn’t. She was way too miserable to hear Fluttershy’s voice, and one more day wasn’t going to change that.

She downed the rest of her wine and refilled the mug. Leaning back, she tried in vain to find the warm spot she had a second ago. She tried to pay attention to what the TV had assured her would be a wonderful life, but seemed to be a sort of miserable one. She was almost tempted to see what was so urgent, but she already had an idea of what Fluttershy would want, and she wasn’t ready for that.

Unable to focus on the TV she debated turning it off and heading to bed. It wasn’t really late and she wasn’t really tired, but with enough of her wonderful drink she could solve at least one of those problems. It wasn’t like she had to work in the morning. She had requested the time off months ago, back when she thought she’d be spending it with two others. The thought made her take another gulp, and she spilled some of it when a knock on the door made her jump.

Once she set the half full mug down she glared at the door as if it had been the one that decided to allow company to be on the other side. There were only two people who might show up unannounced, and thinking about it one of them would actually be a welcome sight. The other one… ‘Please be Applejack.’

She opened the door to find Fluttershy shivering on the doorstep. “I tried calling.”

Sunset stepped aside to let the freezing girl in. “Sorry, phone must be on silent.” She shut the door against the cold, and turned to see Fluttershy take off her coat and walk to the bedroom to hang it up on the only coatrack Sunset owned. When she returned to the living room she held her arms open and smiled. Despite her worries, Sunset couldn’t resist smiling back as they hugged, even if Fluttershy was still damp from the snow.

“So how’d you get here anyway?” Sunset asked. Fluttershy didn’t own a car.

“I took a taxi,” Fluttershy said. “I know if I asked Rainbow to drive me she’d want to stay, and I didn’t want to make things uncomfortable.” It had been months since Sunset and Rainbow had gotten along, which upset Fluttershy quite a lot.

“It would have been fine,” Sunset said. “I can behave myself.” She caught herself before finishing the sentence. ‘I can behave myself for you.’

Fluttershy smiled at that. Truth be told she was glad Rainbow hadn’t come, but there was no point in saying that out loud. Not when Fluttershy actually seemed happy to be with her.

Sunset returned to the couch and Fluttershy sat next to her. “Oh, I love this movie,” Fluttershy said.

“I kinda caught it halfway through.” Sunset offered half of the blanket which Fluttershy happily accepted. She had actually been watching from the beginning, but had been too preoccupied to really follow it too closely. “So I kinda get what’s going on, but why is this a Christmas movie?”

“Well, it’s kind of Christmasy at the end,” Fluttershy said. “Sort of.”

“What’s with the stars that keep talking?”

“That’s God and one of His angels.”

“Ah yeah, I guess I can see it,” Sunset said. Religion was one human custom that always struck her as strange. For years she lived as a human without ever giving it much of a thought, until about a year ago when she started reading up on it for Fluttershy, who was Christian. Sunset still didn’t believe in any of it, but she had a good grasp of the lore. “So why do they care about this guy?”

“Because God cares about everyone.” If anyone else said something like that Sunset might have laughed. The idea that some great being spent his time taking care of individual humans was way too farfetched for her. But since Fluttershy was the one to say it, she just accepted it at face value.

As they watched the movie Sunset realized Fluttershy wasn’t going to just tell her why she had come over. She almost didn’t dare question it, but her curiosity got the better of her. “So, Shy, I’m really happy to see you, but uhm… what’s going on?”

Fluttershy smiled at her. “I knew you’d be home alone, and nobody should be alone on the holidays.”

Sunset grinned. “Yeah, that’s nice and all, but it’s still almost a week until Christmas.”

Fluttershy rolled her eyes. “I know, but it is Hearth’s Warming Eve.”

Sunset’s grin changed into a real smile. “You… you actually remembered that?”

“Of course I remember. Honestly, Sunny, just because we’re not dating anymore doesn’t mean you’re not still important to me.”

Sunset wasn’t sure what to say. No one ever remembered she didn’t really celebrate any of the human holidays, let alone what day Hearth’s Warming was. “Thank you.”

Fluttershy smiled warmly. “You’re welcome. So, what do ponies usually do for Hearth’s Warming?”

“I don’t think it’s much different than Christmas, really. There’s a sappy Hearth’s Warming play every year, but other than that ponies just spend time with their families and friends. Eating, drinking, talking by the fire. That sort of thing.” She knew she didn’t have to remind Fluttershy she was welcome to anything in the kitchen, but she still felt guilty. For the first time ever she was hosting Hearth’s Warming Eve, even if it was for only one guest. “Sorry I didn’t make a big dinner or anything.”

Fluttershy laughed. “Silly, you didn’t even know I was coming. I know it’s not the same as a home cooked meal, but how about I order us a pizza?”

“Pizza sounds great, but I’ll get it,” Sunset said, trying to remember how much money she had in her wallet.

“Not a chance.” Fluttershy pulled out her phone. As she ordered their usual – a large veggie pizza – she got up and walked to the bedroom. When she came back out she had one hand behind her back. “So do ponies give gifts for Hearth’s Warming?”

Sunset eyed her suspiciously. “Yes. Tell me you didn’t get me anything.”

Fluttershy pulled out a box. “Of course I did.”

Sunset felt guilty accepting the gift, but she couldn’t deny being excited at the same time. She opened the box to find a necklace of yellow and red gemstones. It was simple, but still looked too expensive. “Shy, this is… you really shouldn’t have.”

Fluttershy bowed her head. “Uhm… I know you don’t usually wear jewelry, but when I saw it I thought of you and… I’m sorry, you probably don’t like it. You don’t have to wear it if you don’t want to.”

“No, I love it. But you probably paid way too much for it.” She stared at the necklace, afraid to touch it. “You should return it.”

“Oh, uhm, it really wasn’t that expensive. It’s… to tell the truth, it’s costume jewelry, so it wasn’t too much,” Fluttershy said almost bashfully. “I’m sorry, you deserve better, but…”

Sunset smiled and finally lifted the necklace out of the box. “No, it’s perfect.”

She attempted to put it on but couldn’t get the clasps to connect. Fluttershy giggled. “Here, let me.” Sunset pulled her hair away and Fluttershy clipped the necklace in place.

“How do I look?” Sunset asked as she turned around.

“Beautiful,” Fluttershy said. She blushed and turned away. “Uhm… I mean… you know…”

Sunset blushed too, more because of Fluttershy’s reaction than her compliment. She walked to the bathroom to look at her reflection and realized she was an absolute mess. She hadn’t been expecting company, so was dressed in her warmest pajamas. She grabbed a hairbrush and did her best to fix the unmanageable mess hanging from her head. At least the necklace looked nice. She debated putting on some real clothes to do it justice, but decided that it was probably too late for that. By this point, if she got dressed up it would look like she was trying to look nice for Fluttershy, which of course would be exactly what she was doing.

She walked back to the living room and Fluttershy smiled at her from the couch. She looked like she wasted no time in returning to the covers. “You know, I got you something too. Should I get it now, or wait until Christmas?”

Fluttershy thought for a moment. “I guess… let’s wait until Christmas.”

“Sure thing,” Sunset said, joining Fluttershy under the blanket. She was a little disappointed, it had been so long since she could give a Hearth’s Warming gift, and not since she first became Celestia’s pupil had she actually wanted to. She had planned on getting Fluttershy something for both holidays, but that was before money was so tight.

The guy in the movie was running around town wondering why nobody knew him. “You know, this is kinda depressing for a Christmas movie,” Sunset said.

Fluttershy laughed. “You should watch the whole thing some time. When did you get cable, anyway?”

“Oh, uh… I kind of didn’t.” Sunset grinned sheepishly. “I figured out how to get it from my neighbor’s line.”

She expected Fluttershy to lecture her about stealing, but she just rolled her eyes. “Well, now that you do, you should keep an eye out for this movie. It’s always playing on some channel.”

While Fluttershy was explaining a bit more about the movie someone knocked on the door. Both women jumped up and ran to it, laughing and pushing each other out of the way. Sunset got there first and grinned victoriously as she opened it.

“One large veggie lovers,” the delivery guy said as he pulled the box out of his thermal bag and handed it to Sunset.

“Thank you,” Sunset said as she set the box down on a table. She reached for her pocket before realizing her pajama pants didn’t have pockets. She sighed and turned towards Fluttershy. “Hey, could you grab my –”

“Nope.” Fluttershy pushed her out of the way. She pulled out her own wallet and paid for the pizza. “Keep the change. And happy holidays!”

As she shut the door Sunset pouted. “I could have paid.”

“Sunny, it’s fine. Could you please get us some plates?”

“Yeah, alright.” Sunset went into the kitchen and grabbed two plates and two cans of soda. They ate as they watched the rest of the movie, savoring the hot food in the cold weather.

“Uhm… Sunny,” Fluttershy said, breaking through a lapse in the conversation. “Do, uhm… do you need to borrow some money?”

Sunset frowned. “No, I’m fine.”

Fluttershy hesitated a moment before continuing. “You wouldn’t actually need to pay me back or anything…”

Sunset set her half eaten slice of pizza down. “I’m fine, Shy. Thanks, but don’t worry about me.”

For a second Sunset let herself believe Fluttershy would drop it, but then she caught sight of the other girl’s face. She was biting her lip and her eyes looked around as she tried to figure out how to phrase what she wanted to say. “You know, Rainbow’s parents don’t charge me rent… I, uhm, I wouldn’t mind if you still needed me to pay the gas bill.”

“The gas bill’s paid. It’s bad enough you won’t let me pay for my half of the phone bill.”

Fluttershy tilted her head to the side. “Then why isn’t the heat on?”

Sunset rested her chin on her hand and looked off to the side. “Because the heater’s broken.” It wasn’t that Sunset cared if Fluttershy knew how she lived. Hell, she already knew better than anyone. But the last thing Sunset wanted was for Fluttershy to waste money on her.

“Oh. Well how much is it to fix?” Fluttershy asked. “Maybe I can help.”

“Shy, really, I’m fine.” Sunset insisted.

“But it gets so cold at night. At least let me get you a little space heater until you can repair the other one.”

“I don’t need any help!” Sunset said, much sharper than she had intended. Even as the words left her mouth she regretted it, and as Fluttershy flinched away she felt even worse.

“Okay.” Fluttershy stared down at her hands, hiding her face in her hair. She moved a few inches away, making Sunset realize how close they had actually been.

They didn’t talk for the rest of the movie, and left half of the pizza forgotten. ‘This is exactly why I’m all alone,’ Sunset reminded herself.

“I’m sorry I snapped at you,” Sunset said.

“It’s okay,” Fluttershy said.

Sunset moved around her empty soda can. She thought about getting up to get another, but couldn’t feel motivated.

“So, uh –” Sunset was cut off by a loud punk rock song.

Fluttershy smirked as Sunset scrambled around the couch to find her phone. “On silent, huh?”

“Well… okay, I was ignoring you,” Sunset said. She finally found her phone wedged in the cushions between them. She didn’t have to check who was calling, since only one person had that ringtone.

“Is that Rainbow?” Fluttershy asked.

“Yeah. Should I be worried?”

Instead of answering Fluttershy took the phone and silenced it, setting it on the table. “She’s just being overprotective. I turned my phone off when I got here.”

“You should probably let her know you’re alright,” Sunset said.

“She’ll be fine. She knows I’m here, and I told her I didn’t know how late I’d be out.” For two months Fluttershy had been living with her surrogate sister. For just as long Rainbow had either ignored Sunset or talked to her just long enough to remind her to leave Fluttershy alone.

“So why’d you ignore my calls?” Fluttershy asked. She didn’t look upset, just curious.

“I guess… I thought you just wanted to pick up more of your stuff, and I was already feeling down about spending Hearth’s Warming alone.” Saying it out loud made Sunset feel silly.

“I’m sorry, I should have tried calling before today. I… well, I wasn’t sure I wanted to come. I only made up my mind earlier today. I kept thinking about you being alone, and, well… I realized how sad I’d be if you didn’t want to see me on Christmas…”

Sunset grinned. “So is that an invitation?”

Fluttershy giggled. “Of course you’re invited. Uhm, if you want to come over, I mean.”

“Wouldn’t miss it,” Sunset said. Fluttershy beamed, which made Sunset feel warmer than she should be able to in this weather. “And thanks for coming, Shy. It’s been too long since we got to just hang out.”

Fluttershy moved a little closer, recovering the lost inches from Sunset’s outburst and then some. “Yeah,” she said as a cartoon started on the TV, one even Sunset was familiar with. “You know, you could have gone back to Equestria. At least everyone would be celebrating there.”

Sunset shrugged. “I guess. But I don’t know… I mean, I’m sure Twilight would be okay with me coming over, but I’d feel a little intrusive. Her and the other Fluttershy are hosting Hearth’s Warming at Twilight’s place this year and her whole family's gonna be there. Besides, I don’t know if Celestia will be there or not, and I have no idea how that conversation’s gonna go.” She left out that she had actually been invited. She even thought about accepting, but as always found every reason to avoid her foalhood home.

“I’m sure it wouldn’t be that bad,” Fluttershy said. Sunset never used to talk about her life in Equestria, but over the past year Fluttershy had gotten her to finally open up about it. If she found it weird her ex-girlfriend used to be a pony she never said so. Getting used to the idea that there was a pony Fluttershy had taken some time, but eventually she’d grown accustomed to that too.

Sunset smiled at her. “Maybe, but then I wouldn’t be with you.”

Fluttershy smiled back. “I’m glad you stayed.”

Sunset’s text message tone went off. She checked it to find it was from Rainbow, just as she knew it would be. “Is Fluttershy still with you?” Sunset read aloud.

“Let me answer it,” Fluttershy said. Sunset handed her the phone and she typed a message. She turned the phone off and set it back on the table.

“So how late are you staying?” Sunset asked. “Not that I mind, I’ve got nowhere to be.”

“School’s closed for the holidays, and I don’t have work tomorrow, so I can stay for a while,” Fluttershy said. Sunset celebrated internally.

“So how’s work going these days anyway?” Sunset asked.

“It’s been pretty busy lately. Winter is always a big time for us, we’ve found homes for so many lucky little animals.” Once Fluttershy had to get a job the animal shelter she had volunteered at offered her one immediately. “I just hope all their new families really understand how big a responsibility it is to own a pet.”

Sunset grinned. “Something tells me they probably have an idea.” After she saw how many people brought back animals in the months following Christmas, once they became too big or started scratching at the furniture, Fluttershy had become very thorough in lecturing potential adopters on what they were getting into. She had scared away more than a few, which initially upset her boss, but once they saw how many fewer animals were returned they changed their minds. Now they liked to get Fluttershy to talk to every new pet owner whenever possible.

“So how’s your job going?” Fluttershy asked. She was already using the everything’s-going-to-be-okay smile before Sunset even had a chance to complain.

“Busy, which unfortunately just means more idiots.” Sunset shrugged. She had been stuck in the same dead end retail job for ages. The store she worked at valued customer service, which apparently meant letting the customers walk all over the employees. She wanted to leave, but a lack of anything beyond a high school education, coupled with a record full of petty crimes from before she’d turned over a new leaf, meant that few places would take her. She had only gotten that job because Flash Sentry’s uncle was a manager. Thankfully breaking up with his nephew didn’t seem to be enough of a reason to fire her.

Fluttershy put a hand on Sunset’s shoulder. She didn’t have to reach far, as without realizing it they had been moving closer each time either of them shifted positions. Even if she enjoyed it, realizing how close they were made Sunset a little nervous. She decided to get up and get another drink after all, but shifting the blanket changed her mind. Instead she reached for the still half full mug of wine, but before she could drink it Fluttershy grabbed it from her hand. “You drink too much,” she said, before finishing the wine herself.

Sunset grinned. “You’re one to talk.”

“Please, I don’t drink that much.” Fluttershy refilled the mug and took another sip.

“You know… that’s probably a really bad idea. Us drinking together, I mean.” Some of her best memories had begun with drinking with Fluttershy, but so did some of her worst.

“Hmm.” Fluttershy took a large drink, leaving the mug half full, which she handed to Sunset. “Maybe, but you’re not going to stop me.”

Sunset finished the rest of it. “Well, no. But I did warn you.” She looked at the bottle. “So should I get another cup?”

“Probably.”

Sunset steeled herself to face the cold and threw the blanket off, then threw it back on. “But it’s cold out there.”

Fluttershy giggled and scooted close enough that she was touching Sunset, so she could reach the wine bottle better. She refilled the mug and didn’t move away once she set the bottle down. “I’m sure we’ll be fine with one.” She drank some before handing it to Sunset.

As Sunset drank one of the elves on the TV started yelling at a smaller elf. “How does elf society even work?”

Fluttershy laughed. “What?”

Sunset gestured to the TV. “So he wants to be a dentist. Who fucking cares? I mean, do they not have dentists or something? They apparently know what dentists are, so you’d think they’d have some around. What about doctors? I mean, does every elf do nothing but make toys? How can a whole society possibly run on only one job?”

Fluttershy shook her head and smiled. Her hand wrapped around Sunset’s arm. “Sunny, it’s just a cartoon.”

“So? It’s ridiculous. Don’t some elves have to make food, at least? And then what do they even eat? It’s not like they can grow food in the snow, and all the animals are sentient.”

Fluttershy let her ramble about the TV for a while as they passed the mug back and forth. “You’re so weird,” Fluttershy said, taking the mug from Sunset and finishing it.

“Hey, you gotta admit I make a valid point,” Sunset defended.

“I guess so. I kind of miss the way you see everything. How you always notice stuff no one else pays attention to.” Fluttershy refilled the mug.

“You know what I kind of miss?” Sunset asked as she watched Fluttershy take another sip then turn to her expectantly. “You.”

“Sunny…” Fluttershy looked down, but didn’t move away.

Sunset turned back to the TV. “Sorry. I shouldn’t say that. I’d blame it on the wine, but it’s just me being dumb.”

Fluttershy swirled around the wine before drinking the rest. “No, you’re not dumb.” She poured the rest of the bottle in the mug and drank it all, then set it on the table. She leaned against Sunset who put an arm around her. “I miss you too.”

Sunset expected Fluttershy to pull away, but she didn’t. Instead she wrapped her arms around Sunset and just watched the TV while using Sunset’s chest as a pillow. On some level, Sunset knew she should be panicking, that this was exactly what she wasn’t supposed to do with Fluttershy. But through the haze of the wine, the feeling of their bodies next to one another felt so natural that she barely thought about it. She hardly noticed when the movie came to an end.

“You still awake?” Sunset asked. Fluttershy was facing away from her and hadn’t spoken since they shifted positions. Sunset kind of hoping she wouldn’t get an answer.

“Yeah,” Fluttershy said.

She knew she should suggest Fluttershy call a cab to take her home, but couldn’t think of a single reason why she should do that. “Hey, Shy… do you think things could ever work for us again?”

“I don’t know. Probably not.”

“Yeah. You’re probably right.”

Fluttershy slowly sat up, but she didn’t move her arms from Sunset’s body. She looked up and didn’t try to put on her comforting smile. She looked just as sad as Sunset felt. Sunset put one hand behind Fluttershy’s back and pulled them closer as she leaned in and kissed her. After pulling away for a second Fluttershy leaned in and kissed her back. As they kissed Sunset’s mind raced back to months ago. This was their home, and Fluttershy was her girlfriend.

Sunset’s hand slipped under Fluttershy’s sweater as she began kissing Sunset’s neck. Her hand began traveling up Fluttershy’s back, pulling up her sweater with it. Fluttershy grinned and pushed Sunset down against the couch, holding her arms down as she leaned in and kissed her again. Sunset smiled while looking up at her, and Fluttershy just grinned mischievously.

She moved down slowly, kissing Sunset’s neck. Occasionally she’d bite it softly as her hand wandered down lower, stopping at her hip before moving back up to her chest. Sunset again pulled at Fluttershy’s sweater, and this time she allowed her to take it off. She traced her hand along Fluttershy's body, smiling as she moved over her shoulder, where Fluttershy had a yellow and red sun tattooed; the same place where Sunset had a pink butterfly. Shivering slightly, Fluttershy pulled the blanket up higher before returning to Sunset. She moved her hand slowly across Sunset's body, and began pulling off her pants until an obnoxiously loud commercial made her jump.

Fluttershy started laughing first, then Sunset joined in. Sitting up Fluttershy found the remote and turned off the TV. She kissed Sunset one more time then stood up. Without a shirt she shivered, which caused Sunset to laugh again.

“Shut up,” Fluttershy said, but she started laughing again too. She walked into the bedroom. “And bring the blanket!”

2 - Hearth’s Warming Day

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Chapter Two
Hearth's Warming Day

⠀

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.

3 - Christmas Eve

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Chapter Three
Christmas Eve

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⠀
Aside from not having too many reasons to celebrate the holiday, there was another big reason Sunset avoided Christmas gatherings, and as the Apple family began another rendition of Auld Lang Syne she began wondering if she should have just stayed home. Sure the temperature had dropped in the past few days, she had no heat, and she was warm and toasty in Applejack’s living room with a nice hot mug of herbal tea, but they’d already sung that song like three times.

“For loyalty and kindness both, we sing for days gone by.”

As they finished the song Sunset raised her mug in cheers, and didn’t dare tell them she was tired of hearing it.

“How ya holding up?” Applejack asked her.

Sunset smiled. “I’m doing a lot better, thanks.”

Applejack looked unsure. “I dunno. You still look a bit under the weather if you ask me.”

Apple Bloom hopped over the back of the couch, landing next to Sunset. “Aww, she’s just jealous she can’t join in singing Christmas carols with us.”

“Yup. You got me,” Sunset said, rolling her eyes. It was true she couldn’t really sing, at least not well and not without further irritating her already sore throat. Over the past few days Sunset had developed a cold, which was only getting worse. Not wanting to get anyone sick, she had almost stayed home in bed. But missing a chance to spend time with Fluttershy after they had been so long apart was not something she was about to do. Besides, it was their first Christmas together, and she’d already promised to take care of Fluttershy in return for Hearth’s Warming, and Christmas Eve counted as part of that.

“Now you just keep drinking that there tea. Why, you’ll be fit as a fiddle in no time,” Granny Smith called from the kitchen, where she was busy making dinner.

“Eeyup,” Big Mac agreed. Sunset had come early so she could help set everything up, but as soon as they saw her they set her up on the couch and wouldn’t let her do anything. Big Mac was equally out of place as a caretaker as he was in the kitchen, but due to his shyness decided to help with the latter.

“Yeah, we’ll have you singing along by the end of the night,” Applejack added with a wink.

“I doubt that,” Sunset said.

“Trust me. I’ve been drinking Granny’s special pick me up tea my whole life. Kicks the cold right out of ya,” Applejack said.

Sunset chuckled. “Oh I don’t doubt that part. But you getting me to sing? Not happening.”

“Why not?” Apple Bloom asked. “You used to sing with The Rainbooms.”

“The Rainbooms didn’t play Christmas music,” Sunset said, “You also probably shouldn’t sit right next to me.”

Apple Bloom casually leaned back and propped her feet up on the coffee table in front of them. Sunset was sure she wouldn’t dare if Granny Smith was in the room with them. “Aw phooey. Apples don’t get sick!”

“Suit yourself.” Sunset shrugged and leaned back. It proved a mistake as she felt mucus draining down her throat, making her immediately sit back up and blow her nose. Apple Bloom looked like she was reconsidering her seat, but remained in it.

“What’s so bad about Christmas carols anyway?” Applejack asked. “I know ya never really celebrated it before, but there’s nothin’ wrong with singing songs about spending time with your loved ones.”

That was a conversation she wouldn’t have wanted to have even if she wasn’t sick. It would be made even worse considering Big Mac and Granny Smith didn’t know that she used to be a pony, and although they were in the next room the door was open, and Granny Smith had some sort of uncanny ability to hear anything said around her.

“They’re just kinda… cheesy,” Sunset said.

Apple Bloom nudged her. “I bet Fluttershy likes Christmas songs.”

Sunset frowned. “Yeah, she does.”

“So if she asks you to sing?” Apple Bloom asked, grinning.

Sunset stared into her tea. “You know, I’m not so sure I want to finish this. Suddenly being too sick to sing doesn’t sound so bad.”

“Don’t be like that. It’s your first Christmas together!” Applejack reminded her, as if she could have forgotten. Apparently she also believed Apples were immune to disease, because she sat down on Sunset’s other side.

“Yeah yeah, I’ll sing the dumb songs,” Sunset said. She drank more of the tea, which really did ease the pain in her throat.

There was a knock on the door. Sunset panicked and began doing her best to fix her appearance, which had become very dishevelled over the day. “How do I look?”

“You, uh…” Applejack’s face scrunched up as she tried to think of how to answer that delicately.

“Sunset, relax. I don’t think Fluttershy will care what you look like,” Apple Bloom said. “Besides, ya really don’t look all that bad, all things considered.”

“Thanks AB,” Sunset said. Saved from answering, Applejack got up and answered the door before she could be expected to give a second opinion.

“Hello, Applejack. Merry Christmas!” Fluttershy said cheerfully. Rainbow echoed the greeting and they walked inside, carrying presents. Applejack shut the door against the cold while they set them down on a table with the others. Fluttershy smiled at everyone, but her face truly lit up when she saw Sunset.

As everyone wished each other a Merry Christmas, Sunset stood up to greet Fluttershy. Standing made her nauseous, but she ignored that. She walked closer to Fluttershy, but made sure to keep some distance between them. “Hey, Shy, Merry Christmas.”

“Merry Christmas, Sunny,” Fluttershy said. Her smile faltered as she got a better look at Sunset. “Are you feeling okay?”

Before Sunset could answer Rainbow walked up to them. “Yeah, you look like crap.”

“Rainbow!” Fluttershy snapped.

“Nah, she’s right,” Sunset said. “I feel miserable and probably look even worse." Sick or not she’d given her word that she’d do her best to get along with Rainbow. “Merry Christmas, Rainbow.”

Ignoring the space Sunset had intentionally left between them, Fluttershy walked over and hugged Sunset. “You poor thing. I knew staying in that freezing house was going to get you sick.”

“Speaking of getting sick, you might want to back up a bit,” Sunset said.

“I’ll be fine,” Fluttershy insisted. “I’m not going to get sick from hugging you, we just won’t share drinks or anything like that.”

“I don’t even know what I have, and there’s plenty of diseases you can catch just by being close to someone,” Sunset said, trying and failing to extract herself.

Fluttershy glanced around at what everyone was doing. Applejack had managed to draw Rainbow away from the couple, Granny Smith and Big Mac were still in the kitchen, and Apple Bloom was focused on texting someone. “Sunset, if you keep saying things to try and keep me away, I’ll just have to make sure your mouth’s too preoccupied to say anything at all.” She leaned in and kissed Sunset’s cheek. “So if you really don’t want me to to get sick then be quiet and accept the hug.”

“Fine,” Sunset said, hugging her back. “And I’m not sick because of my house. I probably just caught something at work. Catching a cold from being cold is just a myth.”

Fluttershy looked doubtful, but couldn’t dispute Sunset’s knowledge. Still, Sunset knew she was going to try and use the cold as a reason to fix the heater, and suspected she wasn’t going to drop it so easily.

“Regardless of why you’re sick you need to take it easy,” Fluttershy said. She guided Sunset back to the couch and sat down next to her, taking the seat Applejack had been in.

“I’m still taking care of you,” Sunset insisted.

“Well I don’t need anyone taking care of me right now,” Fluttershy said. Once she saw how serious Sunset looked she added, “But I’ll be sure to let you know if I need anything. Okay?”

“Fine,” Sunset agreed.

Fluttershy turned to Apple Bloom, who was still sitting on Sunset’s other side. “Hello, Apple Bloom. Are Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle coming tonight?”

“No, they’re both with their own families tonight,” Apple Bloom said, sounding a little disappointed.

“Yeah, so she’s stuck with us,” Sunset said.

“Aw, it ain’t like that. I love spending time with my family! And it’s always nice to see Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash too.” Apple Bloom grinned.

“That so? I didn’t realize I was already part of the family,” Sunset said.

“Huh? Oh yeah, I guess you bein’ around is okay too, Sunset.” Apple Bloom ducked out of the way as Sunset threw the box of tissues at her.

Realizing if Apple Bloom ran off she’d never be able to chase her down, Sunset opted for a different approach. “You know, Shy, there’s actually someone else Apple Bloom probably wishes she was spending the holiday with.”

Apple Bloom’s scowl was almost a challenge, her expression reading ‘You wouldn’t dare.’ Sunset just grinned in response.

“What was his name? Trail Bla–”

“Hey! Have I told you how glad I am to get to spend Christmas Eve with you, Sunset?” Apple Bloom said, grinning nervously and making sure Applejack was nowhere around.

Fluttershy gasped. “A boy? Oh, who is he? Did he go to school with us?”

Apple Bloom stood up and started backing away. “I, uh… I think I’ll go see if Granny Smith needs any help in the kitchen.” She turned around and ran off, leaving Fluttershy looking guilty at making her run away.

Sunset laughed until she started coughing. Judging by Fluttershy’s look she was trying not to be sympathetic, but caved in. “Hold on, I’ll get you a glass of water.”

Sunset tried to stop her but Fluttershy had already left by the time she caught her breath. Despite her teasing, she hoped Fluttershy wouldn’t actually press Apple Bloom to talk about it, especially around Granny Smith or any of the other Apples.

With the couch otherwise empty, Rainbow took a seat next to Sunset. “So. You and Fluttershy.”

“Yup. Me and Fluttershy.” Sunset smiled casually, although she knew this conversation was about to become anything but casual. At least Rainbow probably wouldn’t start a full blown argument in Applejack’s house. She looked around and saw Applejack had also left the room, leaving the two of them alone. She just hoped the open door with Fluttershy and the Apples on the other side would still discourage her from causing a scene.

“She was fine you know,” Rainbow said casually. “The past few months she’s been doing better than ever." She narrowed her eyes. “Without you.”

“Look, I know I fucked up. A lot.” Sunset frowned. “And I’m not trying to make excuses for that, but it was a really difficult time for me too. I love her, Rainbow. I’ve got a second chance, and maybe I don’t deserve that, but I’ll be damned if I’m going to fuck this one up too.”

Rainbow clearly wasn’t impressed. “Yeah, it’s easy to talk big when you’re sober. And don’t try to sell me some story about not drinking anymore, I know you were already drinking when Fluttershy went over the other day.”

Sunset felt herself start to blush. “She told you that?”

“She didn’t have to. Every time I’ve seen you for in the past few months, you’ve been drinking.” Rainbow scowled. “So are you going to deny it?”

As much as she wanted to, she couldn’t. She couldn’t change who she was if she was going to keep pretending she didn’t need to change. “No. You’re right, I was already drinking. But now I have a reason to get it under control.”

Rainbow scoffed at Sunset’s determination. “You say that like I haven’t heard it before.”

As much as she didn’t want to, Sunset was beginning to lose her patience. She wasn’t even sure if she was angry at Rainbow or herself. “What do you want me to say, Rainbow? That I’ll leave her alone, never speak to her again? Because that’s not happening. Unless Fluttershy tells me she doesn’t want me around anymore, I’m not going anywhere.”

Judging by her expression Rainbow might have started a full blown argument after all. Sunset never found out what she was going to say though, because before she said it she noticed something that made her return to a cocky grin. “Yeah, we’re pretty much the best band in the area right now.”

Catching on to what was happening, Sunset quickly fixed her expression to a friendly smile. “Naturally. Anything ever happen with that rhythm guitarist?” She turned to see Fluttershy beaming at them.

She sat down and handed Sunset a cup of water. “Are you talking about Rainbow’s band? They’re getting really good.”

“Yeah, everything’s really coming together,” Rainbow said. “We had to fire our old guitarist, he kept ditching practice and was bringing us down. New guy’s much better.”

“His name’s Windfall,” Fluttershy explained. “He went to middle school with me and Dash."

With Fluttershy looking so happy to see the two of them talking again, it was much easier for Sunset to play nice. “Cool. It’s been a while since I saw you guys play. I’ll have to come out to your next show.”

“We’re playing a New Year’s party, if you’re feeling up to it by then,” Rainbow said. Sunset had to hand it to her, it sounded like an authentic invitation. Of course she knew Rainbow would probably rather she stay away, and had even spelled out an excuse for her.

“Yeah, we’ll see. Hopefully I’ll be over whatever this is.” Sunset was tempted to go. She was at least a little curious to see if they’d improved as much as everyone said, but mostly she wanted to go because she knew Rainbow didn’t want her there. Unaware of their subtext Fluttershy just smiled happily.

Applejack walked back into the room and noticed Rainbow sitting next to Sunset and smiled apologetically. “Pinkie just called. Said she’ll be tied up with her family for a while and that she’ll try to swing by later if we’re all still here, but it don’t look likely.”

Fluttershy sighed. “It would have been so nice to have everyone together.”

Sunset pulled out her phone to check the time. “Think Rarity’s up now? We could give her a call at least.” Rarity had caught the eye of a fashion designer who gave her an apprenticeship. The catch was she had to move across an ocean to work with him, although she was doing exceedingly well for herself these days.

After checking her own phone Fluttershy shook her head. “It’s the middle of the night over there. Twilight should still be up though.”

“That's a great idea!” Applejack said.

After the Friendship Games, Twilight and Sunset had grown pretty close. Or as close as Twilight got with anyone, at least. By the time she transferred schools there wasn’t much time left to really build a solid friendship, and she never managed to completely get over her obsession with magic. Eventually Sunset had to tell her there was no way she was going to bring something as dangerous as magic into the world that was managing to kill itself just fine without it. Once she realized without Sunset’s cooperation she wasn’t getting anywhere, and unable to see just how dangerous the knowledge was, she decided to throw herself back into studying full time, and soon moved to attend a prestigious college out of state.

Sunset rarely kept in touch with Twilight these days, although occasionally Fluttershy did. However, she decided the holidays seemed designed to force people into having awkward conversations, so they might as well make a thing of it. “Sure, give her a call, Shy.”

Fluttershy nodded and pulled out her phone. She dialed the number, and was soon wishing Twilight a merry Christmas. “Hold on, I’m going to put you on speakerphone so everyone can say hi.” She tapped on her screen a few times and Applejack kneeled on the ground next to the couch so she was close enough to be in on the conversation. “Twilight?”

“Hello? Can everyone hear me?”

In answer everyone wished her a merry Christmas in unison.

“Merry Christmas everyone! How’s everything back home?” Twilight asked.

“Pretty much the same as always,” Applejack said. “How’s life in the big city?”

“Well, I don’t really see too much of the city, but I couldn’t be happier at my university. I haven’t been able to make any more friends like you all, but my studies are going great!”

“What are you studying now?” Fluttershy asked. It seemed every time someone talked to her she was studying a new field. No one seemed sure if she was switching majors, or if she was actually managing to complete every course the college could offer.

“Engineering at the moment. I think I might go into nanotechnology as a career." Twilight often changed her mind on what career she was planning to go into based on whatever courses she was taking.

“Hey, my band might be going on tour soon!” Rainbow said. “We could stop in your town, you should totally see us play!”

“Yeah, of course,” Twilight said. Sunset had a hard time imagining Twilight at a punk concert. Then again, Fluttershy seemed to genuinely like them, so there might be a better chance for Twilight than she thought.

“So you coming back anytime soon?” Applejack asked.

“I don’t know. I was planning on coming back for Christmas, but wound up taking on a private study.”

“How’s that going?” Sunset asked.

“Good. Not having to worry about regular classes lets me get so much more done,” Twilight said. Sunset wondered if she imagined it, or if Twilight’s tone actually got colder when she heard Sunset’s voice.

“Hey, Twilight,” Fluttershy said. She grinned at Sunset. “Is it true that you can catch a cold if you don’t keep warm enough?”

“Hmm? Oh, no, that’s just a myth,” Twilight said. “You can only get sick from being exposed to some sort of contaminant.” Sunset grinned victoriously. “Although it’s a reasonable misunderstanding. Humans need a certain amount of warmth to function properly, and if you’re stuck in a cold environment for too long it weakens your immune system. So in a roundabout way it is more likely to get sick if you don’t keep warm.”

Fluttershy smiled. “Thank you, Twilight.”

“Sure thing, but why do you ask? You’re not sick are you?”

“No, but Sunset is. And she’s going to let me fix her heater so she can get better.” Fluttershy winked.

“I never said that,” Sunset said.

“I know, but you are,” Fluttershy said.

“Criminy, Sunset, I didn’t know your heater was out! It’s ten degrees out there!” Applejack said. “Ya ain’t going back to that house tonight, and tomorrow we’ll see about fixing that heater.”

“What? Seriously, I’m fine. It’s just a little cold.” The situation was rapidly spinning out of Sunset’s control.

“Sunset, if you’re sick you’ve got to take care of it before it gets worse,” Twilight said. “I shouldn’t need to tell you of all people, but even if it’s just a cold it can become a sinus infection, or even pneumonia pretty easily.”

“Pretty sure I know the difference between a cold and pneumonia, thanks Twi.”

“Is your mucus yellow or green?” Twilight asked.

“That’s gross, I’m not checking in the middle of – Fluttershy, put that down!”

Fluttershy had grabbed Sunset’s most recently discarded tissue and was unfolding it for a better look. “It’s kinda yellowish.”

“That’s not a good sign,” Twilight said.

“Will she be okay?” Fluttershy asked.

“I’ll be fine! I’m fine!” Nobody really seemed to pay Sunset much attention.

“Well, make sure she stays warm and drinks plenty of fluids,” Twilight said. “But if she gets worse then she might have to go to a doctor for antibiotics."

“Don’t worry about her none, we’ll make she she gets better,” Applejack said.

Sunset gave up and fell back against the couch. She looked to her side and saw Rainbow looked just as unhappy with how the conversation turned as she was.

“For whatever it’s worth, I’m fine with letting you go back to your house tonight,” Rainbow said, smirking.

“Gee, thanks.” Sunset stopped bothering to weigh in on the conversation and let them make whatever plans they wanted about her. She still fully intended to spend the night in her own house.

She tuned out the rest of the conversation, since it was either argue about her well being or try to avoid arguing with Rainbow. Once everyone was done talking Fluttershy leaned back, resting her head against Sunset.

“I’m sorry.”

“Why?” Sunset asked.

“I didn’t really mean to make a big thing of you being sick,” Fluttershy said. “I just worry about you."

“I know, it’s fine,” Sunset said. She wrapped an arm around Fluttershy’s shoulder. “Really though, I’m okay Shy. I’m pretty good at taking care of myself.”

“No one doubts ya there,” Applejack said. “But you could stand to be a bit better at letting other people take care of you. We’re only tryin’ to help.”

Sunset frowned and didn’t bother to answer.

“It’s okay, Applejack,” Fluttershy said. “Let’s just drop it for now.” Sunset didn’t like the sound of ‘for now,’ but she welcomed it all the same.

“Alright, if you say so,” Applejack said.

It wasn’t long before Granny Smith announced dinner was ready, so they all made their way to the kitchen. Dinner with the Apple family always meant amazing home cooked food, and for Christmas Eve they definitely went all out. Bearing in mind that Sunset and Fluttershy were vegetarians they made sure to provide a wide variety of choices for everyone.

Once dinner was over everyone moved back to the living room. “I guess Pinkie isn’t gonna make it,” Applejack said, “What do y’all say to opening presents?”

“Now that’s an idea!” Rainbow said.

Fluttershy sighed. “Dash, you know Christmas is about more than presents.”

“I know, I know. Spending time with family and friends and all that.” Rainbow rolled her eyes. “That doesn’t make the presents any less awesome though!”

Taking her cue, Apple Bloom ran over to the table and handed out everyone’s presents. At first Sunset just watched everyone open their own gifts. She always felt weird receiving presents, and even weirder since Christmas wasn’t actually a holiday she usually celebrated. Eventually Apple Bloom noticed she hadn’t opened any and made a point to suggest Sunset open the one she’d given her.

Sunset eventually began enjoying the gift exchange, though she still felt more comfortable watching other people open their presents. Her favorite part was either the look of guilt on Rainbow’s face when she realized Sunset had gotten her a gift despite everything, or her look of surprise when Fluttershy made a point of announcing one of Sunset’s gifts came from Rainbow.

Eventually the table was emptied. The fact that one gift in particular seemed to be missing didn’t escape Rainbow’s attention.

“Forget about someone, Sunset?”

‘Yeah right, because I remembered you and not Fluttershy,’ Sunset thought to herself. Remembering to be a good girl, she held her tongue.

“They probably just decided to exchange their gifts tomorrow.” Apple Bloom shrugged.

“Nope, you’re both wrong. Fluttershy already gave me my gift on Hearth’s Warming.” Sunset gestured to her necklace.

“What’s Hearth’s Warming?” Apple Bloom asked.

Applejack facepalmed. “Oh man, I can’t believe I forgot about that. I’m sorry Sunset.”

“It’s fine. My Hearth’s Warming wound up pretty good, actually.” Sunset smiled at Fluttershy. “And it’s a holiday from back home.”

“Y’all don’t celebrate Christmas?” Apple Bloom asked. “No wonder ya don’t like Christmas carols.”

“Anyway, my present for Fluttershy was kinda big, and a little obvious, so me and AJ put it in her truck,” Sunset said.

She started to get up but Applejack jumped up first. “Not happenin’, Sunset. You wait here and I’ll grab it.”

Sunset tried to protest, but Applejack was already heading out the door. She wasn’t sure why she was even trying anymore.

“You didn’t have to get me anything,” Fluttershy said.

“Well that makes you wrong too,” Sunset said. “I was going to wait until tomorrow, but I figured you could use it tonight.”

Fluttershy smiled. “Alright, but now I’m really curious what it could be.”

“Well you won’t have to wait long,” Sunset said as Applejack walked back inside.

“Next time we’re hiding it in the house,” Applejack said. “It’s freezing out there.” She handed Fluttershy her present, which the wrapping did nothing to disguise.

“That’s a guitar,” Rainbow said, narrowing her eyes. “You can’t get her a guitar as a present!”

Apple Bloom tilted her head to the side. “Well, why not?”

“Because Sunset broke her guitar!” Rainbow said. “That’s not a gift, it’s a replacement.”

“You broke Fluttershy’s guitar?” Apple Bloom asked.

“Well, it was an accident,” Fluttershy said, “and it’s a great gift.”

“Just open it,” Sunset said.

Fluttershy had smiled when she first saw it, but when she finally unwrapped it her smile grew large enough to scrunch up her eyes. “Oh Sunset, it’s beautiful.”

“It actually is your guitar. I lied about breaking it, I just didn’t know how else to keep you from asking for it.” The guitar had been the first thing Sunset had ever bought her once they were living together, before they had even started dating. She’d been giving Fluttershy lessons on her electric guitar, but thought an acoustic one better suited the quiet woman. She hated pretending like she broke it, and knew she hurt Fluttershy with the lie, but when Fluttershy and Rainbow had showed up to pick up her stuff she had to come up with some reason to hold onto it until Christmas.

Fluttershy held it so everyone could see the front. The whole body had been painted yellow, with three pink butterflies on the lower bout. Even Rainbow looked impressed.

“Well, whatcha waitin’ for? Play us something!” Applejack said.

“Well, I haven’t really practiced in a while… What should I play?” Fluttershy asked. She strummed it to make sure it was in tune, which considering Sunset had tuned it earlier, it was.

Sunset rolled her eyes. “Shy, it’s Christmas. Play a Christmas song.”

Fluttershy nodded. She played a small fretting exercise first, followed by Silent Night. At first she just played, but soon started singing along. Before long everyone else joined in, even Sunset, although she wasn’t sure her voice did anything to make them sound better.

They sat up singing Christmas songs for a while. Despite her reservations Sunset found she was enjoying herself. Eventually it grew late enough that Granny Smith decided to turn in for bed, followed by Big Mac not too long after.

“Yeah, I think it’s about time to head home,” Rainbow said. Sunset knew she would be up late into the night, but the Apples tended to go to sleep early. Applejack and Apple Bloom were already yawning and fighting to stay awake.

“That’s probably a good idea,” Sunset said, standing up.

“You better just be gettin’ up to say goodbye, ‘cause I told ya already ya ain’t going home tonight,” Applejack said.

Sunset sighed. “Come on, are we seriously going back to this? I’m fine. I appreciate your concern and everything, but I’m definitely going home tonight.”

“What if I stay with you?” Fluttershy asked.

“What?” Sunset and Rainbow asked together.

“Uhm, if that’s okay,” Fluttershy asked Applejack.

She shrugged. “Why not? The more the merrier. Course I don’t really have anywhere but the couch for y’all to sleep, and I can’t say how comfortable it’ll be with both of you on it.”

“I’m sure we’ll make do,” Fluttershy said. “Sunset can have the couch. I can always make a bed on the floor if you have some extra blankets.”

“Or we can sleep in our own beds,” Sunset said, “Seriously, I don’t want to get you all sick.”

“I’m sure most of us will be fine,” Applejack said, smirking. “I know I ain’t planning on cuddling up with you in the middle of the night, at least.”

“Sunny, how many times did you take care of me when we first started dating?” Fluttershy said.

“That was different,” Sunset said, frowning at the memory. “You weren’t actually sick then.”

“Pretty sure being nauseous and throwing up all day counts. And you took care of me when I was ‘actually sick’ too.”

“Okay, but we don’t live together anymore. Back then if one of us got sick, so did the other one. Now you can go back home and not have to worry about that.”

Apple Bloom let out a yawn. “Ya know Sunset, ya might be the only person I know more stubborn than Applejack.”

Everyone looked to Applejack who just shrugged. “It’s a fair point.”

“If Fluttershy was the one sick, what would you do?” Apple Bloom asked.

“I…” Sunset looked at Fluttershy and had no doubt what she would do. “But it’s not.”

Fluttershy just smiled, knowing she’d won. She pulled Sunset into a hug and spoke quietly enough that the others politely pretended they didn’t hear. “Please, Sunny? This is our first Christmas together. We were supposed to be together for the whole thing…”

That was it. Fluttershy had pulled out the secret weapon, and there was nothing Sunset could do about it. “Fine. But you’re sleeping on the couch.”

Fluttershy kissed her on the cheek and walked over to hug a disgruntled Rainbow. “We’ll head over tomorrow morning for Christmas with your parents, okay?”

“Alright. If you get sick it’s your own fault though. See you later, Shy.” Rainbow waved goodbye to everyone, put her jacket back on, and left the house.

“Alright, let’s get y’all set up for the night then,” Applejack said. She went upstairs for a few minutes and came back down with her arms full of pillows and blankets.

“Thank you, Applejack,” Fluttershy said. Noticing how tired Applejack looked she added, “I’ll take it from here.”

“Alright then. Goodnight, y’all. See ya at breakfast.”

Once they both said goodnight to Applejack they set up an impromptu bed on the floor. Before Sunset could begin attempting to convince Fluttershy to take the couch they heard a snore. They both laughed as they noticed Apple Bloom had fallen asleep on the couch.

“Think we should just let her sleep in peace?” Fluttershy asked.

“And steal her bed?” Sunset asked. Fluttershy laughed and hit her with a pillow. “Hey, I’m sick, you’re supposed to be nice to me.”

“Shush. And come cuddle me.” Fluttershy laid down in their bundle of blankets.

“If we’re gonna spend the night together we should at least try our best to keep you from getting sick,” Sunset said.

“Oh no no no, you’re cuddling me,” Fluttershy insisted.

Sunset smiled. “I never could turn you down,” She laid down next to Fluttershy and pulled a blanket over them as she curled around her.

“Hey Sunny?”

“Yeah?”

“Are there any Christmas songs you like?”

Sunset thought for a minute. “I guess I don’t really hate them, I just get tired of hearing them for months on end. But no, there aren’t any that I really like. I do like listening to you sing them though.”

Fluttershy giggled. “You’re just saying that.”

“Nope. I like listening to you sing anything,” Sunset said. “Why do you ask?”

“Well… I guess I wanted to hear you sing one, but it’s okay. I mean, you’re not feeling well anyway.”

Sunset wondered if she would regret what she was considering. Probably. But aside from the odd snore coming from the couch the house was so quiet, and holding on to Fluttershy left her feeling so peaceful. And really, she never could turn down Fluttershy.

“The fire of friendship lives in our hearts,

As long as it burns we cannot drift apart.

Though quarrels arise their numbers are few,

Laughter and singing will see us through.

We are a circle of pony friends,

A circle of friends we'll be to the very end.”

She was glad Fluttershy was facing away from her so she couldn’t see her blush. “It’s really dumb.”

Fluttershy turned around which made Sunset blush more. “I liked it. We’ll have to come up with some music for it. You won’t get sick of that one.” Fluttershy smiled. Without giving Sunset a chance to stop her, she leaned in and kissed Sunset on the lips before turning around.

“Goodnight, Sunny.”

“Goodnight, Shy.”

4 - Christmas Day

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Chapter Four
Christmas Day

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⠀
Sunset spent the night sleeping poorly. The combination of sleeping on the floor and being sick would be enough to keep her up, but she didn’t want to oversleep. At some point during the night she had decided to make the most of staying at Sweet Apple Acres. While it was still dark out she got up and made her way to the kitchen, noticing along the way that Apple Bloom had gone up to her room at some point.

Checking the clock in the kitchen, she found it was half past five in the morning. ‘She better appreciate this.’

Sunset began by making a pot of coffee. Strictly speaking that wasn’t part of her plan, but at this hour it was a requirement of its own. Besides, she knew for whatever reason Granny Smith would be up within an hour, and world appreciate the coffee being ready and waiting.

While waiting for the coffee she moved around the kitchen packing a few things. She packed light, since she planned to be back in time for breakfast and didn’t want to take too much of her friend’s food. In the end she just took some apples and bottles of water, plus a bag to carry everything.

Once the coffee was done she poured two mugs and left the rest of the pot on the warming plate. She returned to the living room, turning out the lights along the way.

She sat down next to Fluttershy and set the mugs down a safe distance before gently nudging her shoulder. It was almost a shame to wake her, but she knew it would be worth it. “Rise and shine, sunshine.”

“Mmm…” Fluttershy grabbed her hand and rolled over, pulling Sunset on top of her.

“Come on, Shy. You can’t sleep through Christmas morning.” Sunset ran her free hand through Fluttershy’s hair.

“I could if you let me,” Fluttershy mumbled. “Why aren’t you asleep?”

“Because it’s Christmas. You didn’t let me do anything for you last night, so I have to make up for it today.”

“Deal. You can start by coming back to bed.”

Sunset chuckled. “Oh no, you’ve been getting your way an awful lot lately. Come on, it won’t be the same if we wait.”

Fluttershy groaned and sat up. “What are you talking about?”

“You’ll see. I made you coffee.” Sunset pulled her arm back and retrieved the coffee mugs, one of which she handed to Fluttershy.

“Just tell me,” Fluttershy said. She sipped on her coffee and looked like she might fall back asleep at any moment.

“Aww come on, don’t you trust me?”

“Of course I do.” Fluttershy sighed. “Fine, we’ll do… whatever it is. Just give me a few minutes to wake up.”

Sunset obliged, letting Fluttershy lean against her while they drank their coffee. After finishing, Fluttershy left for the bathroom while Sunset checked her phone. It was almost dead, which wasn’t surprising; she hadn’t planned on spending the night, so she’d left her charger at her house. Swiping away the low battery warning she frowned at her other new notification.

“So what’s the plan?” Fluttershy asked when she returned.

“We start by killing Apple Bloom,” Sunset said.

Fluttershy sat back down, leaning against Sunset again. “That’s too bad. I like Apple Bloom.”

In response Sunset handed over her phone. Fluttershy blinked a few times at the bright screen then laughed. “I’m glad you find it amusing,” Sunset said.

“Aww come on, Sunny. It’s cute.” Fluttershy handed the phone back.

“No, you’re cute. I’m a mess.” Whenever Apple Bloom got up to go to her room she must have took a picture along the way, which she then texted to Sunset. Fluttershy was lying on her back sleeping peacefully, with one arm around Sunset and her free hand holding her girlfriend’s. Although her hair was all over the place, she looked serene. Sunset, however, looked like an absolute mess. Her head was resting on Fluttershy’s chest and she was drooling. Her hair was a tangled mess and her limbs were sprawled around at awkward angles.

“You should send me that picture,” Fluttershy said.

“No, I definitely should not.”

Fluttershy kissed Sunset’s cheek. “Please? I’ll go along with whatever you have planned for us today.”

Sunset rolled her eyes. “You were gonna do that anyway.”

“And you should reward me by sending me that picture.”

“What am I going to do with you…” Although she knew she could only regret it, she forwarded the picture to Fluttershy.

Fluttershy’s phone alerted her of the new message. She checked it and giggled, kissing Sunset’s cheek again. “So what are we really doing today?”

“We’re going for a walk.” Sunset stood up and collected their boots, handing Fluttershy hers before putting on her own.

“A walk?” Fluttershy repeated skeptically. “We had to wake up at six in the morning to go for a walk?”

“Hey, you got your picture. No second guessing me now.”

“Fine.” Fluttershy reluctantly pulled on her boots. “At least you seem to be feeling better.”

“See? I told you it was nothing to worry about. All I needed was a good night’s sleep after all.” Sunset still felt awful, truth be told. At least her congestion had mostly cleared up, which she planned to use to her advantage. It was much easier to pretend she wasn’t sick when she wasn’t sneezing and blowing her nose constantly.

Fluttershy finished lacing up her boots and stood up. “A good night’s sleep in a warm house,” she said. She walked over to the door and put on her jacket before handing Sunset hers.

“Okay, you’ve made your point.” Sunset took the jacket and put it on. She grabbed the bag of apples and water and pulled her gloves out of her pocket. Finally she wrapped a scarf around her neck and braced herself for the cold before opening the door. It was even colder than she expected, but she was determined to make the best of it. She held her hand out for Fluttershy’s, and together they walked outside.

Thankfully it wasn’t snowing, although the ground was covered in fresh powder. Birds were just starting to sing, but other than that everything seemed quiet, everyone still fast asleep in the few surrounding houses.

It wasn’t long before they were past the houses completely. “We’re going into Everfree?” Fluttershy asked. The Everfree National Forest separated their town from the neighboring city and was fairly popular for hiking in warmer weather. But at this hour, and with everything covered in snow, it was sure to be empty.

“Yup,” Sunset said. “It’ll be cool, trust me.”

Fluttershy nodded. “I do. But won’t it be too dark?”

“The sun will be up soon enough. We’re not gonna go trudging around the forest in the dark.”

The sun still wasn’t up by the time they reached the edge of the forest, so they stopped for a few minutes. Sunset pulled out an apple and handed it to Fluttershy before getting one for herself.

“You don’t think Applejack will mind that you took some apples, do you?” Fluttershy asked. Her uncertainty didn’t stop her from biting into it, however.

Sunset chuckled. “I think Applejack would be offended if we didn’t take some apples. Besides, she still brings me bags full of them all the time. If they’re somehow low on apples I can just run home and grab some more.”

“True.” Fluttershy finished her apple and began looking around for somewhere to throw out the core. Sunset shook her head and finished hers as well. She took Fluttershy’s core and tossed it over her shoulder along with her own. She pulled out a bottle of water for each of them. They had been room temperature, but were quickly getting colder, and at the moment she doubted either of them really wanted ice cold water anyway.

The first rays of the sun were starting to spread along the horizon. “We should get going,” Sunset said.

“You don’t want to wait until it’s just a teensy bit lighter?” Fluttershy asked hopefully.

“Can’t, we’re sort of on a schedule. But it’s okay, we’ll just take it easy. We’re not in a hurry.”

Sunset led them into the forest. Fluttershy followed but shook her head. “But wait, we’re on a schedule but not in a hurry? If we’re not in a hurry why can’t we just wait a few minutes until it’s lighter?”

Sunset looked around before spotting a beam of light shining through the trees. “Because of that.”

“What? I don’t get it,” Fluttershy said. She shook her head and nudged Sunset. “You’re not gonna tell me are you?”

Sunset shrugged. “Nope.”

As they walked more light gradually shown through the trees, illuminating their path just enough. They moved through the still mostly dark forest quietly, letting the gentle sounds of nature guide them along.

Sunset heard it first. The sound of rustling in the bushes in front of them. She put her hand on Fluttershy’s shoulder to stop her, not wanting to speak up in case it was something dangerous. She couldn’t see anything, but just to be safe she decided to alter their course. There wasn’t anything dangerous in the forest, especially not without going much further in, but it was still better to be cautious.

She leaned in to tell Fluttershy the plan but before she could she heard the rustling again, and this time a deer walked out. She turned to Fluttershy and could tell she was grinning even though her scarf covered her mouth. She turned back to the deer. He was a full grown stag, as tall as Sunset at the top of her head, and even taller still counting his antlers. He stood watching the two women, with no one moving.

Slowly Fluttershy reached into the bag on Sunset’s shoulder and pulled out an apple. She held it up so the deer could see it, then rolled it to him. He watched it until it stopped, then eventually took a few steps closer to reach it. He bent down and ate it without taking his eyes off of them.

When he finished Fluttershy pulled out another one. This time she held it out instead of rolling it. The deer’s ears moved around, but he didn’t move from where he was standing. Eventually Fluttershy took a step forward and the deer huffed. Sunset grabbed hold of her arm and nodded towards his antlers, which could easily tear them apart. And then there was his hooves, combined with the fact he easily weighed over a hundred pounds, which meant he was not an animal to be taken lightly.

Fluttershy set her hand on top of Sunset’s for a second before turning back to the deer. He took a small step forward. Fluttershy gently brushed off Sunset’s hand and took another step. She began humming Silent Night, quietly at first. When the deer didn’t run off at the sound she hummed a little louder. After one rendition she started again, singing the words out loud.

She took another step and set the apple down in front of her. She took a small step back and let the deer take the final steps towards her. This time when he bent down he didn’t bother to keep his eyes on them as he ate. Fluttershy stood motionless, and Sunset couldn’t manage anything but to do the same. Her heart was pounding against her chest. She knew full well that a stag smaller than that one could kill them both easily, and that the smallest thing could provoke him. Her instincts told her to run between Fluttershy and the deer, or to do something to scare him off, but any sudden movement could lead to horrible consequences. His fight or flight instincts only worked in their benefit if it was the flight part that took hold.

When he was done he pulled his head back up and she realized she had guessed his size wrong. He was bigger than her, and dwarfed Fluttershy. It was all she could do to keep her knees from buckling at the sight. Fluttershy, however, never stopped singing. Slowly, very slowly, she reached out her hand, making sure he could see her every move and that she wasn’t holding anything. When he didn’t back away she brought her hand to his shoulder. He allowed her to stroke his shoulder twice then turned and ran off, kicking up snow on Fluttershy in the process.

Sunset ran to her and caught her as she fell backwards. She wrapped her arms around Fluttershy and held her tightly. “I can’t… Fluttershy…”

Fluttershy just laughed. “Sunny, I’m okay! Everything’s okay!”

Sunset’s breathing was rapid. “Jesus, Shy, you scared the crap out of me! Please don’t ever do anything like that ever again.”

Fluttershy turned around and cupped her hands around Sunset’s face. “I’m sorry. Please, Sunny, don’t cry. I’m okay, really.”

“What? I’m not…” Sunset reached a hand up to her eyes and could tell they were wet even through her gloves. She hadn’t even realized she was crying. She wiped her tears away then helped Fluttershy brush the snow off of her.

Afterwards Fluttershy flung her arms around Sunset. “Coming out here was the a great idea! I’m so glad you thought of it.”

With her nerves finally calming down Sunset was able to smile. “Well, I didn’t exactly count on that happening.”

After taking a moment to rest they resumed their walk, and Fluttershy had a new enthusiasm for everything. The sun was high enough now that sunshine was filtering in through the branches in beams of light, giving the forest a heavenly look. They spotted numerous animals along the way, though to Sunset’s relief they didn’t find anything quite so large as the deer.

“You never had anywhere specific you wanted to go, did you?” Fluttershy asked knowingly.

Sunset grinned. “No. Just… here.” She held out her arms and gestured all around them.

“It’s beautiful, but why?”

“Because… it’s Christmas. I don’t really get a lot of this stuff, so maybe I’m wrong about this all, but… well, you don’t go to church anymore.” Sunset looked down at the ground. She felt silly now that she was saying it out loud. What did she know about religious experiences? “I guess I thought that maybe this place was kind of spiritual, in a way. That’s probably really dumb…”

Fluttershy wrapped her arms around Sunset’s neck. “No, it’s not dumb at all. You’re right, this place is perfect.” She pulled Sunset down enough to kiss her properly. “This is the best Christmas ever, and it’s still just morning!”

“Maybe, but it still doesn’t beat the best Hearth’s Warming ever.” Although she knew she was still sick and shouldn’t risk it she leaned in and kissed Fluttershy again. “I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

Hearing those words again for the first time in months was even better than she could have imagined. Nothing she could say would be better than that, so she just held Fluttershy close while they admired the snow covered forest around them.

Despite the warmth in her heart, however, eventually the cold in her toes grew too great. “What do you say we head back for breakfast?”

Fluttershy nodded. “Good idea.” She held Sunset’s hand on the way back. She began humming a few notes of a song but stopped. “Hey, Sunny?”

“Yeah?”

“Will you sing me that Hearth’s Warming song again?”

Sunset grinned. “Fine. But I don’t make any promises about singing anything when we get back.”

Sunset sang the Heart Carol again, with Fluttershy humming along. Once she was done Fluttershy tried singing it herself, picking up on the words quickly. It proved what Sunset suspected all along, that anything sounded better coming from Fluttershy. After that, Sunset surprised even herself by suggesting a Christmas song, and they wound up singing together all the way back.

Warmth in the Snow

by Krickis

1 - Hearth’s Warming Eve

2 - Hearth’s Warming Day

3 - Christmas Eve

4 - Christmas Day