The morning shone through the windows, lighting the bedroom with sunshine to start the day off. I didn't open my eyes just yet, but allowed myself to stretch, letting out a moan of satisfaction. I let out a relaxed sigh and open my eyes, trying to adjust to the light change.

"Oh... What did I do last ni-"

It was at that moment, seeing the familiar surroundings of Starlight's room, that I remembered exactly what I did last night.

"Oh." There was simply no other word to describe it, other than just... "OH."

Alcohol + Starlight + sudden realization of love for said mare = ... Yeah.

How could I have explained that any other way?

I looked around the room, trying to let my eyes adjust a bit more, until I heard the sound of snoring—very familiar snoring. Turning around, Starlight still slept on the mattress, a faint smile on her face. One of her ears occasionally flickered as she had what seemed to be a good dream. I couldn't help but smile back.

But I also couldn't help but frown too. Last night—while it was great—was something that shouldn't have happened. We were drunk, intoxicated with cider. It made us do something we likely wouldn't have done otherwise. It was a mistake.

Wasn't it?

I fell in love with her.

Those words came back to me the first time she kissed me. It was one thing I missed, like they told me back at the hospital. But now it was back, and the feeling was still true, but... was last night a bad thing? Did I force her? Did she force me?

Or...

With the sound of a little yawn, I heard Starlight wake up from her slumber, stretching and gasping in her own bit of satisfaction. She rubbed her ear and looked around the room, similar to what I had done. But the moment her eyes fell on me, and the air was silent again.

"Oh. ... Hey."

"Hi there."

Awkward. That was a feeling I haven't felt in forever. It was awkward silence for several seconds.

"I'm, um... I'm gonna go take a shower... now," she said, pausing as her mind raced between a mixture of embarrassment, awkwardness, and perhaps another emotion that I couldn't read quite right.

"Okay," I merely said.

Lifting the blanket off her body, she walked over to the door, opened it, and then stood there for a second. After a moment, she looked back to me and asked, "Um... do you wanna shower with me? I mean, there aren't that many showers in this place, so..."

"Uh... yeah, that's fine," I answered. Even though I was feeling awkward, I was also feeling a tad bit nervous. What for, I wasn't sure. Maybe a part of me would take it the wrong way? Maybe she would take it the wrong way?

But all the way to the shower nearby, that didn't happen. Perhaps it was more of an overreaction than simple nervousness.

Sometimes I hated emotions.

* * * * *

Scratch that—I always hated emotions.

The shower was awkward, drying off was awkward, cleaning the bed sheets was awkward, and now the average breakfast felt awkward. The two of us were trying to casually make small talk, but we were finding it hard to keep the conversation going between either of us. Yesterday, we were talking about this and that, talking to Trixie, and just acting like the usual friends.

But now, there was just a moment of dialogue and then quiet for a few seconds.

Then again, that's usually what happens after you have sex with one of your best friends.

Finally, Starlight delivered the icebreaker:

"Do you think last night was a mistake?"

"Yes. I mean No. I mean... uhm... I don't-"

"I-It's fine," she assured me, "I'm still having trouble deciding that too."

"Well... look at it this way: We were both drunk, and we had our own ideas," I suggested, as somewhat of an attempt to console her.

"But I mean, did I force you or anything or do something you didn't like?"

"No," I shook my head. "Did I... do-"

"No, no, no, no, of course not," she exclaimed. "I liked it, loved it even... Trust me, I would've let you know. And plus, even drunk, I couldn't see you harming a fly, especially after..."

Starlight blushed as she tried to subtly recite what happened last night as an example of how kind I seemed to be, but it only became obvious. And she wasn't wrong, either. I wasn't the kind of pony to be violent or do violent things. I liked the lean and collective way, or in... this case, the slow and gentle route.

"I liked it too," I said to her after a moment of silence, but from there, the air felt stiff.

"So..." Starlight paused as she circled her spoon through her cereal. "... where do we go from here?"

"I don't know. I thought I was gonna be the one asking that question."

We stared back at each other, embarrassed and unsure of how to answer that question back and forth. There was—at this point—one awkward compromise.

"We could... maybe just start fresh? I mean, like... we could try and move on, pretend like it didn't happen, and maybe keep being friends? And if we ever wanted to—you know—be something more, we can take things slowly next time."

I understood what she said, but... "Are you sure?"

I love you.

I love you too.

Those words whispered in my head, and I could tell they were doing the same in Starlight's head too. Her expression became more disappointed, in a sense, but she tried not to show it too much.

"I'm sure. I mean, I wouldn't mind going further if you were okay with it, but... the last thing I want is to push us in a relationship that started with some drunken stupor."

I had to agree with her on that. I loved Starlight dearly... but our minds weren't right last night, and that wouldn't be a healthy way to kick off a relationship—ever.

As much as I was sad, I was also happy that it turned out this way. I was more than willing to wait for the right moment. After all, I waited a long time just to see her again. How much can a little bit longer hurt?

That being said, the morning was still awkward, or at least carried the wind of awkwardness, but overall, Starlight and I were starting to push the night before behind us and get back to being as it was.

After our breakfast was done and over, we continued to talk for just a bit longer, hoping it would help, and it did. Starlight felt much more comfortable talking to me, and I felt the same. Eventually, that 'just a bit longer' turned into a couple of hours. By noon, Starlight suggested a bit of a stroll on the town, and I thought it was a good idea.

We started for the front door. Perhaps some fresh air would help clear our minds a bit mo-

"Starlight!" we heard a shout as we opened the door and saw Trixie standing there, "there you are! Trixie was looking all over for you last night! Where did you go?"

"Oh! Trixie," Starlight began, albeit a bit startled, "I, uh... went to bed last night. Early! I was a little tired."

"And Trixie could ask the same of you," the show mare pointed to me, calling me by name, "where did you go?"

"Same," I answered with a faint shrug. "Cider kinda tuckers me out, you know! Heh."

Though I was calm, Starlight did carry some nervous laughter, and it made Trixie a bit suspicious, if not a tiny bit concerned.

"You two sound more like you had a rough night than a peaceful one," Trixie joked, none the wiser.

"HOW DID YOU KNOW WE HAD SEX?" Starlight blurted out, before covering her mouth immediately after.

Trixie's eyes grew wide, her head recoiling just slightly as she looked at Starlight, but her face then changed into that of disbelief as she realized what Starlight just said.

"Uh..." the mare was speechless.

Then suddenly, Starlight burst out into completely nervous laughter.

"HA HA HA HAHAHAHA—Igottago."

The unicorn then ran back into the castle and shut the door behind her, leaving me outside with Trixie, who still remained speechless, though still a bit surprised from Starlight's spontaneous laughing fit.

"You...? And Star-"

"It's a long story, Trix." That, it was. "Why don't we go out around town for a bit? I think Starlight needs some... time alone."

"I... um... okay," she reluctantly agreed.

Trixie and I then made our way down the steps of the castle's front and started for Ponyville. As we found ourselves walking down the streets of town, Trixie finally gained enough composure to start talking.

"Do you mind explaining?"

"Do you wanna know?"

"A little."

I had the intention of following through—of course, leaving out all the... um... details.

But first, I think I needed some lunch.

Author's Note

no pls no wana los stem pls