Together As One
The evening was almost magical. In the darkness of the small but cozy apartment, broken only by the steady luminescent glow from the television where Daredevil was kicking butt and taking names. It was a perfect calm atmosphere for Sunny Flare, and to top it all off, she wasn't lying in her house alone, for a change. Sitting in Shining Armor's apartment, resting comfortably on her side with her head on his chest and his strong arm around her waist... she had been here a couple of times now, and she didn't think she would ever get tired of it.
She took a deep breath when she felt his body shift behind her. "Are you alright?"
"Yeah, I'm fine," Shining Armor assured her softly. "How about you?"
"Mmm, I'm perfect." Sunny Flare smiled and ran her hand up and down his forearm on her waist slowly. "I love the way you hold me..."
"I love the way you feel to hold..." Shining Armor's lips pressed against the top of her head. She shifted slightly to lay more on her back, with her head on the arm of the couch so she could look up at him. "I love the way you look at me..." he leaned down slowly, catching her lips with his own.
"The way you kiss me..." Sunny Flare finished for him before returning the kiss with several long, but tender kisses. Daredevil faded into the background as her world was enveloped by him, his torso shifting slightly over her and his hand slipping further around her to grip her waist, pulling her closer. She could feel his hand sliding down her skirt to her thigh, but he didn't get much further before she gently placed a hand on his shoulder and pushed him back slightly. "Mmm, I feel like any more and I'm going to do something I'll regret..."
Shining Armor smiled. "Why would you regret it?"
Sunny blushed. "I just don't know how far I'm ready to go. I mean, don't get me wrong. I adore this, and I adore you, but..."
Shining Armor lifted his hand away from her thigh, holding it up in a calming gesture. "Hey, you don't have to explain yourself. If you don't want to do something I'm not gonna make you. I'm sorry I went too far."
"It's okay. With how we've been going this was going to come up eventually anyway." Sunny blushed. "And it's not like I'm saying it doesn't sound very... very tempting."
"So what's stopping you?" Shining Armor asked curiously.
"I just can't afford it." Sunny shrugged helplessly. "I'm eighteen, I still have high school to finish and several years of college to get through. If I got pregnant now it could throw the rest of my life out of whack."
"I have condoms in my room," Shining Armor pointed out. "I would of course use them."
Sunny blushed deeply. She wasn't sure why it hadn't occurred to her that he would, he was twenty-two years old after all, and he had clearly dated before. But something about hearing him admit it made the situation she was in feel all the more real. "Of course... but those aren't a hundred percent," Sunny countered once she could find the clarity to respond at all.
Shining Armor hung his head slightly, then looked back up at her face with a gentle smile. "Yeah, I guess you're right." He lied down full beside her again, slipping an arm around her and pulling her back against his chest as his attention turned back to the television. "No reason to take the risk before you're ready for it."
Sunny blushed as she laid her hand on his arm again. "I'll think about it, okay? I'll let you know by Friday what my final decision is."
Shining Armor chuckled. "You don't have to set a deadline."
"Sure I do. If I don't I might never reach a final decision."
"If you say so. Alright then... come over on Friday and you can give me your answer."
"It's a date." Sunny nodded and tried to put her attention back on the movie. She failed miserably, however. Now her mind was squarely on the powerful arm holding her, and the hard, muscular chest she was leaning back against. This was going to be a long movie, and an even longer week.
***
Naturally when she was pondering such questions, her first instinct was to seek someone with experience. Thankfully, she had friends who had already passed that boundary of becoming sexually active adults. It saved her from having to have a frank and completely uncomfortable conversation with her parents, who would only tell her what things were like twenty years ago instead of what they were like today.
So she went to Sour Sweet's house the following morning, approaching the door to rap lightly before taking a step back. It wasn't long before the door opened, and Sour Sweet gave her a strangely sweet smile.
"Hey! Come on in, I'm just making sandwiches if you want some."
"Sure, that sounds nice." Sunny Flare followed her friend inside, closing the door behind her and trailing her into the kitchen. "You seem to be doing pretty well today."
"Not sure why I wouldn't be." Sour Sweet pulled a couple slices of bread out of her bag on the counter to begin smearing them with peanut butter and jelly. "Lemon Zest came over last night. She has a way of making me feel really... relaxed."
"Relaxed is good." Sunny smiled. "It's nice to see you smiling so much, if that's not rude."
"Psh, I don't care if it's rude." Sour Sweet rolled her eyes. "Screw social expectation bullshit."
"As long as you're not mad." Sunny leaned against the doorframe to watch her make their sandwiches curiously. "Can I ask you something kind of personal?"
"There's nothing you don't already know about me, Sunny. Can't think of anything I wouldn't tell you." Sour Sweet smirked. "Sometimes I think you know me better than I do, really."
"I'd like to get your impression on sex." Sunny watched her friend's face closely, but when Sour Sweet didn't react she continued. "It has suddenly appeared on my radar, and I thought I'd get the perspective of someone who has been active for a while."
Sour Sweet shrugged. "Not sure what you need me to say. It's awesome, I recommend it. Just don't expect greatness the first few times." Sour Sweet grunted, "and make sure your partner trims their nails properly."
"That's... a very good point I hadn't considered." Sunny blushed lightly.
"Come on, let's turn on the tube." Sour Sweet handed Sunny her plate of sandwiches and led her toward the living room. "So is this about that boy you've been seeing? Shining Armor?"
"Yeah. Things got a bit hot and heavy last night, but I wanted to do a bit more thinking about it before I committed to anything."
"That seems smart. Probably need to get some rubbers too."
"He already has some of those..."
"Oh... so, think about if you're really attracted to him?"
"Oh I'm attracted to him alright."
"... Ask yourself if you really like him that much?"
"Oh I do. He's almost everything I could want in a boyfriend."
Sour Sweet stopped and turned to give Sunny Flare a quizzical look. "So... what did you need my advice about?"
"I..." Sunny Flare trailed off with a blush. "I guess I just don't know if I'm up for sex itself. It's kind of a big step in life..." Sunny gave Sour Sweet a steady, searching gaze. "What made you do it the first time? What made you think you were ready?"
"Nothing, really." Sour Sweet shrugged. "We were just talking and one thing led to another. Didn't really think about it in terms of 'life' or 'growing up' or whatever. Maybe I'm just not as smart as you, doing all this soul-searching and examining. For me it was just sort of a spur-of-the-moment thing."
"I see..." Sunny looked down slightly. "Thanks for talking to me about this."
"No biggie." Sour Sweet plopped down on the sofa and snapped the remote from the coffee table. "Now let's find something fun to watch."
***
Sunny approached her computer somewhat apprehensively, staring at her desktop wallpaper like it was staring back accusingly. People did this all the time, she figured. If she was going to consider having sex, she should know what it was that she was considering. And while she did know, mechanically, what it entailed, there was a large divide between scientific principal and practical application. Besides, she was old enough for this. Also she had checked three times now to make sure the house was empty besides her and Eclipse.
She sat down in her office chair and pulled up to her computer. She took a deep, steadying breath as she opened her search engine. Before getting started, though, she decided to check to make sure her anti-virus software and ad-blockers were both up-to-date and running. Thankfully they were, there was no way she was going to unleash a flood of viruses and who-knew-what-else on her computer. She was safe...
But she hadn't checked her e-mail yet. She opened her account curiously, but found nothing of interest waiting for her. With a wistful sigh she closed her e-mail and clicked into her browser again.
... She hadn't checked her Hearts Together profile in a while. She was currently involved with someone, but that didn't mean it would be good to just leave any potential candidates waiting indefinitely for her to respond. She could just pop over and...
No. She took a deep breath and slammed her fist into the desk. She wasn't going to keep finding reasons not to do this. She was a grown adult, and if she wanted to look up porn, she could look up porn. So she quickly typed 'sex' into the search bar and leaned back to look over the image results.
She wasn't sure how educational this was, but it sure did make for interesting study material. She had never considered just how many different ways there were for a loving couple to have sex. Well, not until now at least. She wondered with a blush which one of these positions Shining Armor would like...
For that matter, she wondered which ones she would like. She had spent her life regarding sex as a far-off thing waiting for her in the future, something that she would grow to. The idea that she had grown, that it was right here and now hadn't even occurred to her until just the other night. She found herself mystified, wondering what it was that she desired, exactly. There was so much to see on the internet, some of which looked nice, some of which just boggled her mind, that she had no idea what she desired.
For now, she decided, what she desired was a nice long shower.
***
Sunny Flare was starting to get a headache from thinking about this. Instead of stopping, though, she popped a couple of aspirin and made her way down to central park. The evening air was cool and soothing as she set out along the winding path that cut its way through the well-kept grass. There was a calmness in the air that helped frayed nerves relax. Most of the people on the grass were happy couples on picnic blankets speaking in low tones, with the occasional giggle carrying back to her ears. Once she would have ignored them... now she was just reminded of Shining Armor, and she smiled.
She stopped in her tracks curiously when she spotted Sugarcoat sitting under the base of a tree close to the path, tapping the end of a pencil on a notepad held against her raised knees. Her eyes were watching Sunny curiously, so Sunny broke away from the path to approach her friend.
"What are you working on today?"
"A short story," Sugarcoat replied. "Literally, it's about five sentences right now."
"Writer's block? Or just getting started?"
"Little of column A, little of column B." Sugarcoat patted the grass beside her. "I wouldn't mind some company."
"Me neither." Sunny took the proffered spot with a smile, curling her knees against her chest with her back against the sturdy wooden tree trunk. "I don't come to the park often enough and just hang around. It's so pretty."
"It's important to slow down every now and then, even if modern life doesn't want you to." Sugarcoat nodded as her eyes swept across the small forest before them. "Of course, I'm going to hazard a guess that you have something besides trees on your mind."
"You're always so observant."
"Wanna talk about it?"
"Sex..." Sunny looked away with a blush. "It's about sex."
Sugarcoat shrugged. "Sorry. I would help you out, but I just don't swing that way. Not that I have a problem with those who do."
"N-no! Not with you!" Sunny held up her hands quickly. "With Shining Armor! My boyfriend!"
"Ah. So, how was it?"
"It wasn't... not yet. I'm trying to decide if I should."
"I see." Sugarcoat scribbled something on her notepad. "And what's stopping you, exactly?"
"I don't even know..." Sunny leaned back. "I don't have a problem with others doing it, but I just... I don't know if I'm 'ready' you know? Like... what if I'm not mature enough to handle it? What if the worst happens and I end up a pregnant single mother who has to get a job at a fast food restaurant to support her kid because the dad skipped town? What if he has an STD he never told me about and I spend the rest of my life dealing with it? There are so many dangers and risks associated with it that it..." Sunny trailed off before finishing in a much softer tone. "It kind of scares me."
Sugarcoat pursed her lips as she scribbled on her notepad again. "That sure is a handful of fears. First of all, do you trust Shining Armor? Because it sure doesn't sound like it, if you honestly expect him to infect you or impregnate you and skip town."
"I don't expect him to do that, but nothing is impossible. I need to plan for the worst, for the good of my future."
"It's also possible for me to stab you with a pen right now and steal your CD collection. Are you planning for that?"
"Haha... hah..." Sunny's chuckled trailed off at the deep, intense look on Sugarcoat's face. Sunny coughed nervously into one hand. "I-I haven't planned for that, no."
"The way I see it, if you trust him you should give him the benefit of the doubt. If you don't, you should just leave him right now. You've been dating more than long enough to get a sense of where you two stand. Besides, condoms can solve both of those problems."
Sunny squeaked. "Condoms can break..."
"So can necks, that never stopped you from going out to martial arts competitions," Sugarcoat pointed out smoothly. When Sunny had no retort for that, Sugarcoat scribbled something on her notepad and spoke again. "As for the other concern, you think you're not mature enough?" Sugarcoat slapped the back of Sunny's head sharply. "You are. Stop being stupid."
"Excuse me?" Sunny rubbed the back of her head. "How do you know? Sex is a big deal... and it's not like I need to have sex to be mature, you know? Do I...?"
"Of course not," Sugarcoat spoke in a firm tone that wouldn't be denied. "Frankly it really won't make a difference to your life if you fuck him right now or not. Ten years from now you'll look back at this and laugh at what a silly little girl you were being."
"You think sex is that unimportant? I mean it's a huge part of life..."
"Having sex isn't an important part of life, Sunny. Making choices about it is." Sugarcoat scribbled on her notepad again as she spoke. "You've spent your life being warned against doing it, being told not to do it because it's dangerous, or you were too young and immature for it. That doesn't mean having sex makes you mature."
"Y'yeah... you're right as usual..." Sunny hugged her knees a little tighter.
Sugarcoat looked up at her friend again, giving her a piercing look. "You know what I think? I think what makes you mature is taking control of, and responsibility for, your own sex life. You know all of the risks and how to mitigate them, and you know the benefits. It doesn't matter if you do it or not, only that you push aside the fear and glorification they instilled in you and make the decision for yourself."
"Mmm..." Sunny nodded slowly. "I think I get what you mean. I'll think about it a little more... with less worrying." She smiled. "Thank you for listening. It's nice to have such a smart friend who won't melt into a puddle of blushes if I mention sex."
"Plus your boyfriend is Twilight's brother, isn't he?"
"Mmhmm."
"Mm..." Sugarcoat grunted. "I'll give you twenty bucks if you tell her your plan and send me the video."
"Is twenty bucks all Twilight's dignity is worth?"
"Pretty much."
Sunny stood up and stretched her arms above her head before clasping them behind her back. "By the way, have you been writing all of this down? I'm not gonna go on your blog and read about my sex life on there, am I?"
"I hadn't considered that, actually..." Sugarcoat stroked her chin thoughtfully. She held up a disarming hand at Sunny's sour frown. "Relax, it's just to help focus my thoughts. Nobody will find out when you lose your virginity."
Sunny smirked. "And you think I'll tell you when I do?"
"Yes, you will." Sugarcoat smiled back before turning back to her notepad.
Sunny chucked and turned to make her way back down the winding pathway toward her house. She had a bit more thinking to do... and probably a stop to make that Friday.
***
Shining Armor's apartment wasn't far from her own, thankfully, so Sunny was able to make the walk there without much trouble. She didn't doll herself up very often, and when she did she was usually somewhat conservative about it. She felt like such a 'girl' when she went whole-hog on her appearance, putting her hair up in an intricate pattern, putting on the same dress she had worn the night they met, dousing herself in the perfect amount of perfume, and even putting on a pair of heels, but tonight... tonight was going to be something special, so she wanted to do something special.
Shining Armor opened his door with a bright smile. He wasn't dolled up quite as much as she was, but his hair was freshly combed down and looked like it was either wet or held in place with gel, while he wore a pair of blue-jeans and a blue-collar t-shirt that hugged his solid pecks and waist. He bowed politely and gestured her inside as he stepped aside. "You look beautiful tonight, Sunny."
"Thank you. You look handsome tonight, too." Sunny walked inside with her purse clutched between her hands in a tighter grip than usual. She spotted several lit candles spread out across the small table in the apartment's kitchen/alcove, with two plates of noodles set out across from one-another. "Setting a mood?"
Shining Armor approached the table to pull out the nearer chair for her. "I figure if you decided yes, setting the mood would be nice. If you decided no, at least we won't let the evening go to waste."
"That sounds very economical. I like it." Sunny slipped into the proffered chair and sat down so Shining Armor could make his way to his own chair. "This spaghetti smells really good."
"Thanks. It's one of the three dishes I specialize in." Shining Armor smiled. "I also make a mean grilled cheese if you're here in the morning. Not that... you know, I'm expecting-"
"And why wouldn't you be?" Sunny interrupted him with a steady gaze. "I don't really want to make this awkward or beat around the bush. You want to have sex with me and I want to have sex with you... and I've spent a lot of time this week thinking about it."
Shining Armor swallowed his first bite before answering. "You know you still don't have to give an answer tonight, if you don't want to. There doesn't need to be a deadline."
"No, there doesn't." Sunny smiled as she scooped some spaghetti onto her fork. She let out an appreciative moan after taking a bite. "This is really good. I can't wait to try that grilled cheese."
Shining Armor stared at her for a moment before a wide smile spread across his lips. "I'll make sure to put my best into it for you." He took another bite of his food.
They ate in companionable silence, and washed the food down with the glasses of water in front of them. Their eyes almost seemed to be locked as they ate, and it was almost in unison that they pushed their plates further in the table and stood up. One by one Shining Armor blew out each of the candles as he made his way around the table.
"Are you absolutely sure about this?" Shining Armor approached her. "You seemed pretty nervous when we talked about it."
Sunny lifted her purse up to her chest, and unzipped it. Its contents emptied out on the small table, six boxes of condoms falling across the polished wood. Shining Armor stared down at them in confusion, then looked up to see her blush. "I wanted to be spontaneous and sexy, but I didn't know what size would be best for you."
"Ah." Shining Armor approached the boxes. Sunny almost stopped breathing when his hand hovered over the 'XXXX Elephant' size, but her heart started again when he instead plucked the simple 'Large' from the table. "I hope you're not disappointed."
"N-no, of course not." Sunny laughed lightly. "Slightly relieved if anything."
Shining Armor slipped an arm around her waist and pulled her into a soft kiss, which she returned after dropping her purse carelessly to the floor. She felt his arm tug at her, pulling her towards the bedroom door, where she quite willingly followed. She slipped inside, stepping towards the bed as she heard the door close behind her with a soft click.
***
"Mmmh..." Sunny Flare shifted her head to kiss him warmly on the lips some time later, panting through her nose. She didn't know how long it had been, nor did she particularly care. "Shining Armor..."
"I hope... that was a good first time..." Shining Armor leaned his forehead against hers.
"I'll remember it forever." Sunny smiled truthfully. After a few more moments Shining Armor pulled back, leaving her suddenly feeling cold as the air from the air conditioner swept over her sweat-soaked skin. He removed his condom and tied off the end to toss it into the small trash can by the nightstand.
He rolled back into the center of the bed, where Sunny also crawled her way towards him, not willing to give up his warmth quite yet. Shining Armor wrapped his arm around her and pulled her up against his side, letting her cheek rest against his shoulder while his hand gently stroked hers, and the rest of her body pressed gently up against his side. His other arm managed to tug the blanket up around their waists.
Sunny Flare leaned up to kiss him a few more times before settling back onto his shoulder again. "Thank you for a lovely evening, Shining Armor."
"You're worth it." Shining Armor's arm squeezed her a bit tighter against his side. "I'm glad I was able to make it nice for you. The first girl I was with was so nervous I wasn't even sure she wanted to be there, no matter what she said."
"There's a lot to consider." Sunny heaved a deep sigh. "But I got my worries and considerations out of the way beforehand." She ran her fingers over his chest, idly playing with his chest hair. "I chose this, knowing what was coming and what could happen... and I don't have anything to regret."
"Good..." Shining Armor leaned his head back against the pillow with a smile. "Now you get to look forward to grilled cheese sandwiches."
Sunny settled deeper into his embrace with a contented smile, holding him and closing her eyes with her cheek on his chest. "I can't wait..."
***
Sugarcoat opened the door and raised one eyebrow curiously at Sunny Flare standing on the other side. Sunny was clasping her hands in front of her, almost looking like she was going to explode into a ball of sugar and sweetness. Sugarcoat stared at her for a moment, then turned to head toward the kitchen. "I'll get the popcorn, you get ready to spill like a toddler's first glass of milk."
