There was the sound of footsteps and Sunset’s eyes snapped all the way open to lock on a pair of apologetic purple ones. Twilight toyed with her ponytail awkwardly for a moment. “Um...”

Both parents offered her encouraging smiles, though it was Velvet who spoke first. “Are you feeling a bit better now that you’ve had a little space, dear?”

Seeing her girlfriend standing there, looking so awkward and agitated was painful, but this wasn’t exactly the kind of situation where rushing across the room and pulling Twilight into her arms was a good idea. She’d already pushed the veil of secrecy to the limit enough with her tongue getting away from her earlier, so putting that secret—one of only two secrets Twilight had ever asked her to keep—at risk was not something she really wanted to do. At least her earlier rambling could be seen as entirely one sided. Taking a cue from Velvet and Night didn’t make her feel any better though, nor did it do anything to get rid of the unpleasant weight in the pit of her stomach that had formed the moment Twilight had given her the dark look in the upstairs hall and had not completely gone away yet.

Twilight gave a nod, hands twisting and untwisting her hair. “Yes, Mom, I am...” The dark haired girl drew in a shaky breath, shifting uncomfortably from foot to foot. “I...would like to apologize for my behavior tonight. I had no real cause to lose my temper like that, or for saying such hurtful things to everyone.” She looked at each of them in turn, and when she caught Sunset’s gaze, the former unicorn was rattled by the amount of guilt and pain mixed in with the more familiar anxiety she could read there.

In response, Night set his book aside and held out his arms for a hug. Twilight practically dashed into the parental offering of love and forgiveness, sniffling into his shirt. In turn, he pressed his cheek to the top of her head. “It’s okay, kiddo,” he said, wrapping her up in a tight hug. “We forgive you—we know you didn’t mean what you said.”

She hiccuped around a half sob. “I really didn’t, Dad,” she whimpered. “I don’t hate you both, I love you. You’re fantastic and supportive parents and I’m not even sure why I said all those things...”

Velvet watched her husband and daughter for a moment, before looking at Sunset. The older woman smiled and nodded her head towards the pair. Sunset gave her a crooked smile in return, sitting up straighter and allowing Velvet to slip from her spot on the sofa in order to join in on the hug. “Deep breaths, Twily. It’s okay. We love you too, even when things like this happen.” Like she had earlier to Sunset, she kissed the top of Twilight’s head and started running her fingers through the dark ponytail. “Sometimes your feelings get away with you, but you’ve calmed down now and you’re working to set it right. That’s what matters.”

Twilight turned, clinging to her mother just as fiercely as she’d hugged her father, burying her face in Velvet’s shoulder. Sunset could see her shoulders shaking with quiet crying, and it tore at her—she wanted nothing more than to have her girlfriend into her arms, even though on some level, she knew that it was Velvet’s hug her Twilight needed most right then. So instead, she leaned over and picked up Spike, who had once again parked himself by her and didn’t seem inclined to go far, hugging the small animal to her chest—much to his tail wagging, face-licking, doggy delight.

Night Light cleared his throat once Twilight had composed herself. “I think, though, you’re a bit too overtired and emotionally drawn out for that discussion tonight, kiddo. I think we need to put a pin in that talk until tomorrow, when we’ve all had a chance to rest, relax, and clear our heads to approach it from a much more rational angle.”

Wiping her eyes and cleaning her glasses off on her shirt, Twilight stared at her feet in that way that Sunset knew meant the dark haired teen was gathering her thoughts and running what she jokingly thought of as a ‘self-diagnostic.’ “...you’re right, Dad,” she said finally. “I’m...not in the right mental state for it tonight. I...I think I’d like to wait, and...Sunset is here...I...would be tempted to ignore her if the lab was unlocked and...I don’t want to do that.” Purple eyes met blue-green briefly, and Sunset felt her lips curl into a slight smile again.

Scratching at the stubble on his chin, the family patriarch responded with another suggestion. “What do you ladies all say to an impromptu family night? Perhaps Sunset can pick out a movie, and we can all enjoy just relaxing.”

The former unicorn could feel exhaustion as well as hunger nibbling at her—one mug of the soup hadn’t been enough to sate her, apparently—but the thought of being able to just enjoy a night with some mindless entertainment appealed, especially now that her headache was receding. “I’m okay with a movie night,” she said.

Velvet hummed softly. “We can do that, but dinner needs to be cleaned up first. I don’t want to leave the kitchen a mess.”

Cheeks flushed and back to staring quietly at her toes, Twilight started to head for the kitchen. “I’ll do that, Mom. It’s my fault there’s a mess anyway.”

She was stopped by Velvet, who caught her shoulders and turned her towards the couch instead. “While that is normally something I’d let you do, Twily, there’s one person you haven’t apologized to yet, and in this case, I think that’s a little more important. Your father can help me instead.” She gave her a gentle nudge, before collecting Sunset’s empty soup mug and the empty cups, glancing at Sunset. “Do you feel up to popcorn, Sunset?”

“...I...think I’d rather have more soup, if that’s okay?” She shifted in her seat, now eager to have a few minutes alone with her girlfriend. It was an effort to keep her expression from showing just how eager she was, practically willing the adults to move faster.

“I can handle that. Night?”

He chuckled, rising from his chair with a grin and a wink at both girls. “Coming, dear,” he teased, following after his wife.

Once the parents were safely in the kitchen and out of line of sight courtesy of the back of the couch, Sunset set Spike on the floor and held open her arms to Twilight. “Hey...c’mere?” she asked in a voice so soft it was almost inaudible.

Twilight was in her arms almost before she could finish her sentence, moving so fast that for a split second Sunset wondered if the human teen had figured out how to teleport. She hugged the smaller form to her, happy to tuck her face into Twilight’s neck and breathe through her nose, drowning herself in the mixture of scents that were this wonderful, unique human who meant so much to her. Holding her now, feeling their bodies press together in the way that sent a tingle down her spine, did a lot to chase away the dread and foreboding her vision that afternoon had left behind.

“I’m sorry...I’m sorry...so sorry, Sunny,” her girlfriend repeated like a mantra, curling into Sunset’s embrace like she was terrified the redhead would vanish in an instant. “I didn’t mean it...didn’t mean to hurt you, to say what I said, to treat you like that...” Fingers gripped Sunset’s shoulders so hard it was almost painful. “...I felt awful when I realized how I made you feel, that I acted like I didn’t want you here...I do want you here, Sunset...I want this to be your home too, and I want you to be able to come here whenever you want or anytime you need to, without ever feeling like you aren’t wanted...”

Sunset nuzzled the lavender skinned neck and squeezed tighter, but made no attempt to speak yet. This was something Twilight had to get out first. Her girlfriend took a breath, trembling slightly. “And I know it probably didn’t seem like it before but I’m so glad you’re here right now because today has been so stressful and a terrible mix of good and bad, and talking to Cady and her friend helped, but what I really need more than anything is you...even though, by all rights you should be utterly furious with me for my behavior and how I treated you, even though I promised myself I’d never do that to you and I broke my promise because I got so fixated on my project...”

The former unicorn pulled herself out of her blissful spot of rubbing her nose and cheek against soft skin, pulling back to meet Twilight’s tear-filled eyes. “Hey...it’s okay,” she soothed.

The other girl shook her head. “It’s not! You have every right to be hurt and upset and angry, not giving me that smile and—”

Nope. Now Twilight was getting into a spiral that Sunset knew from experience was hard to get out of, so she solved it in the simplest way available: a quick glance over the back of the couch to make sure no parent was watching, and then covering Twilight’s babbling mouth with her own. It wasn’t the deep, hungry, almost possessive kiss she wished she could give her, not while in the living room and adults that could walk in at any moment, but a soft, gentle press of their lips that let her girlfriend know that she forgave her for the ugly glare and harsh words.

When they broke apart, she grinned crookedly at Twilight. “It really is okay, Sparky,” she confirmed. “I used to be the most hated person in my school...in several schools, really... I think I can handle the occasional bad mood and dirty look.” She took a deep breath, pecking those lips with another brief kiss. “I was pretty groggy at the time, and I was more...surprised and confused than anything...” she bit her lip, weighing how much to say, before forging ahead. “For a second, I was worried I might’ve been caught in a nightmare...like this weekend...”

Her girlfriend frowned in confusion. “I...don’t understand—I thought your nightmare was practically devoid of people, and more some twisted self-doubt about failing the people you care about. How was me being mean and nasty enough to make you think it was another nightmare?”

Ponyfeathers. Sunset bit her lip, then offered a half truth in explanation. “...when I failed...you...attacked me. It’s...the only time I've ever seen you look at me like that.”

A slowly dawning look of horror grew on Twilight’s face. “You mean it wasn’t just that something awful happened...it had me turning on you?” Her voice rose in both volume and pitch, enough that Sunset was sure Velvet and Night probably heard her.

“....yes,” she admitted. “But it was mostly at the end of the nightmare...and it was because I failed you.”

Twilight’s grip on her shoulders tightened enough that it was painful now. “I blamed you? Oh Sunny...”

Wincing, Sunset brought her hands up to gently loosen her girlfriend’s fingers. “Hey....I’m fine. I know that it was a dream, not reality, and we already talked about it, remember? I trust you.” She got one of the hands to let go of her shoulder, bringing it to her lips to kiss her palm. “...I just wanted you to know why it hit me so hard, because I don’t want you blaming yourself for something that was partially because of my mind playing tricks on me.”

The dark haired girl rested her hand on Sunset’s cheek. “I am sorry that I made you feel that way, even a little.” She tugged Sunset’s forehead down to rest against hers. “I can’t think of anything that would make me do that to you.”

Sunset could feel her lips almost brushing Twilight’s, their breath mingling. “I know...” she murmured, feeling the way shaping the words made her mouth come within a hair’s breadth of an inadvertent kiss.

A warm hand rested against her collarbone, and her eyes fluttered shut, savoring the touch. “...You’re...” Twilight paused, her voice growing soft and quiet. “...you’re like a part of me, Sunny...I never ever want to—”

Humming softly in her throat, Sunset cut off the repetition of the earlier apology, giving in to the temptation to capture Twilight’s lips. This one was the hungry, searing kiss she’d resisted before, and it deepened quickly into something approaching ‘blistering’ before the sound of movement in the kitchen reminded them that they were not in the relative privacy of a bedroom.

Both girls broke the kiss and shared a quiet laugh. “Oops,” Sunset murmured, nuzzling her girlfriend affectionately. “Forgot where we were. Let’s say we finish this later?”

Twilight whimpered. “One more kiss, Sunny, please?” she pleaded, clearly not wanting to move just yet.

That made the redhead smile crookedly. “You’re lucky you’re cute, nerd,” she teased. “It makes you hard to resist. One more, but then we should make ourselves presentable before your parents are done in the kitchen.”

“Okay.” The word barely passed Twilight’s lips before she was kissing Sunset again, fingers tangling in Sunset’s wild mane.

This time, they were interrupted by Night calling from the kitchen, “Have you girls settled on a movie yet?” They pulled apart hurriedly, and Twilight hopped out of Sunset’s lap in case one of her parents walked in. She glanced at the redhead, face darkened with a flush.

“Not yet!” Sunset called, straightening her shirt and motioning for Twilight to do the same. “Pick us something light and happy?” she whispered.

Her girlfriend looked through the DVDs the family had, before pulling out a movie. “Found one!” she said, holding it up. “You okay with ‘Lilo and Stitch?’”

Sunset gave her a shrug as Velvet reentered the room. “Never seen it, so sure.” To be fair, she hadn’t seen a lot of movies until the last few months; Equestria only had plays, and being an evil megalomaniac with delusions of grandeur didn’t exactly leave her with a lot of time or interest in animated feature films.

Velvet handed Sunset her refilled soup mug. “Oh, that’s a good movie. I think you’ll like it, Sunset.” She smiled, somewhat knowingly, and settled into her favorite chair.

Twilight put the disc in the player, before plopping back on the couch next to Sunset. She chose a spot close enough for them to be touching but not so close as to be inappropriately intimate for two friends....and not close enough to satisfy the burning desire in the redhead’s heart to cuddle up with her. Still, she smiled at the smaller girl and bumped her playfully with one shoulder.

Night joined them a few minutes later with several bowls of popcorn—which finally pried Spike from where he’d glued himself to Sunset’s calf. He handed out the bowls, and looked down at the wiggling ball of fur. “Yes, Spike, I have yours. Don’t panic,” he told the dog, before setting a smaller bowl on the floor. Spike barked once and dove face first into his share.

As the opening credits played, Twilight tugged the blanket off the back of the couch and spread it across both of their laps, commenting on it being chilly. How much of that was true, Sunset wasn’t sure, because no more than twenty minutes later, warm fingers threaded with hers under the cover of the blanket.

The credits scrolled up the screen, but Twilight had stopped paying overly much attention to the movie about halfway in, ever since Sunset had dozed off and ended up with her head in Twilight’s lap. It had left her hyperaware of the way her girlfriend snuggled into her, making contented little sounds.

She was distracted enough that she didn’t realize her mother had moved until Velvet startled her by leaning over and brushing a few strands of fiery hair away from Sunset’s face. “I think we should get her into a proper bed, don’t you?” her mother asked her. “She needs a good night’s sleep.”

Twilight glanced down, taking in the way the other girl seemed fully relaxed. “Yeah...”

Night cleared his throat. “Do you think she would object violently if I tried to carry her up without waking her?”

Biting her lip, Twilight studied her girlfriend’s face while she considered the question. “She might...” she admitted. She carefully touched Sunset’s shoulder. “Sunny?” One sleep-clouded blue-green eye opened, accompanied by a whuffling snort. Twilight rubbed her shoulder. “Dad’s going to carry you up to bed, is that okay?”

Sunset mumbled something that was almost incoherent, but her open eye flicked briefly to Night with at least a little awareness before it closed again. He raised an eyebrow at his daughter. “It should be okay,” Twilight told him.

He carefully edged forward to pick up the redheaded girl, who made a halfhearted sound of protest. Twilight rolled her eyes. “I know you can walk, Sunny, but I’m worried you might trip on the stairs if you tried right now.”

Sunset grunted, and that was when Twilight realized that there were still amber skinned fingers gripping hers, unwilling to let go. “Yes, I’m coming too....not like you’re giving me much choice.”

Her father seemed far too amused with her predicament, grinning at her and periodically shooting her mother little glances that Twilight, trapped in the place on his far side courtesy of the grip Sunset had on her, could not properly interpret. She was forced to let it slide without addressing it, as navigating the stairs in tandem with her father so as not to wrench herself away from Sunset. Quiet as the amber skinned girl was, seeming at ease and still mostly asleep in Night’s hold, Twilight was concerned that things could change very quickly if Sunset got the impression that she was being taken away from Twilight.

The upstairs hall was a lot easier to traverse, even if it put her arm at an awkward angle so as not to twist Sunset’s shoulder, and going through the door of Sunset’s room was an exercise in both comedy and applied physics, but they eventually made it and her father set Sunset down on the bed with no real mishaps. Twilight found herself sighing in relief, giving Night a smile when he kissed her forehead. “Good night, Dad.”

“Good night, Twily...and let us know if you need a crowbar there?” He indicated where her hand was still caught in an iron grip.

“Ha ha. It’s not as funny as it looks, Dad, trust me. I’ll see you in the morning.” She paused, before blurting, “I’m sorry for earlier. I love you.” Twilight couldn’t help it—she needed to make sure her parents both knew she loved them, especially after the fight, and saying sorry just once didn’t feel like enough.

“I love you too, sweetheart.” He smiled gently at her, golden eyes bright and warm. “Even in the middle of the worst meltdown in the entire history of meltdowns, I love you all the way to Alpha Centauri and back.”

Twilight couldn’t stop the laugh that bubbled up from her at the words, or resist finishing the quote he’d left incomplete on purpose. “...because the moon is just too close?”

“By several light-years, my star-girl,” Night replied, hugging her. “Try not to stay up too late.” Then he slipped out the door as Velvet came in with a fresh glass of water and another dose of painkillers to leave on the nightstand for Sunset.

Velvet took some time to make sure Sunset was comfortable under the blankets, straightening them and tucking them in around her. One hand smoothed the wild curls back from Sunset’s face, and she turned her attention to Twilight. “I had intended to bring this up earlier, but things got away from us...but do you have anything particularly important to do at school tomorrow?”

That made her frown. “Just the usual—I was going to work on my project some more, but I don’t want to get sucked into that again until I have that talk with you and Dad.”

“I’m proud of you for making that choice, sweetie—I know it can’t be easy, with how much you are invested in this project of yours.” Her hand carefully brushed Sunset’s forehead, watching as the redhead turned into the touch with a soft sound. “In light of that, how would you feel about me calling you in sick for school tomorrow, and instead you stay home to spend the day helping me keep an eye on Sunset.”

Twilight bit her lip. She really didn’t want to miss school, but the thought of getting a day with Sunset was very appealing. “I...I don’t know...I don’t want to just skip school...” The prospect of engaging in delinquency on purpose, even if her mother was sanctioning it, made her squirm.

Velvet watched her, before elaborating, “The reason I’m asking, Twily, is because Sunset’s concussion comes with the instructions to take it easy and rest, as well as to be monitored...and I was planning on going across town to the fresh market there—the big one that gets all the fresh, organic foods and has the butcher and the seafood counter? They’re having a big sale on meats and produce, and I wanted to stock up on things for the big freezer. I was thinking about getting extra things to surprise Sunset with some of her favorites for dinner tomorrow...and have the ingredients to make extra food that we can freeze and send home with her. I don’t want to leave her here alone...but if you were to stay home...” Her mother left the thought unfinished.

It was tempting. Anytime her mother went to the big market, she always came home with some great food...and it always took her several hours. Several hours she could have...alone...with Sunset... She fought a shiver of delight at the thought of being able to be alone with her gorgeous girlfriend with no worry of anyone walking in on them, and the part of her mind that had been distracted since their heated kisses earlier suggested several images that made her ears feel hot and her throat dry. “I...okay,” she managed with only a little squeak to her voice, giving in to the want to spend more time with Sunset.

Her mother gave her another smile. “I was also going to see if you’d use the time to convince her to stay tomorrow night as well. She seems to respond better to those kinds of suggestions if you make them, and I would feel a great deal more reassured if she stayed here a second night. I worry about her going home to an empty house as it is, but concussions are touchy things.”

The teen curled her fingers a little more tightly around Sunset’s at the reminder that her girlfriend had been hurt that day...and worse, Twilight hadn’t been there for her. After the conversation and all the weekend’s worry, she had still failed to be there. Her mind supplied a troubling thought that made her stomach twist: what if it had been more serious, and those phone-calls she had ignored had been because Sunset was in the hospital...or worse.

A shiver traveled down her spine, and she could not contain the next thought that entered her mind in response to the rising dread. “I’m going to program a code for all of our phones,” she announced to her mother. “One that will use a special ringtone or vibration pattern when added to a call so I—we—know it’s an emergency of some kind.”

Velvet blinked, likely startled by what for her was a seeming non-sequitur. “Not that it’s a bad idea, Twily, but...what brought this on?”

“Today,” Twilight responded, a little more short and curt than intended as she had to force herself to look away from the sleeping girl and focus back on her mother. “I should have answered my phone—especially when you guys kept calling. I know that doesn’t happen for no reason, but I...I assumed you were being overprotective again...since I know Shining talked to you.” She didn’t elaborate and her mother gave no response one way or another, but neither of them had to, in this instance. “None of the mess this evening would have happened if I had just answered my phone, but I was too focused and absorbed by...other things, and I didn’t. If I make a code, then...”

Trailing off, Twilight blinked back tears and her gaze flicked briefly back to Sunset’s face. “Sunny could have been terribly hurt, Mom, and I ignored my phone. I don’t want to let that happen again, just because my brain does these...these weird, frustratingly stupid, abnormal things without my permission!”

Her voice faded into silence, with Twilight Velvet watching her with an expression she recognized was both thoughtful and concerned. She stepped closer to pull Twilight into a gentle hug that soothed her nerves. “I know you often feel this way about yourself after a meltdown, sweetheart, but please remember that these kinds of episodes don’t define who you are, okay?”

She didn’t answer—what could she say? She’d heard that before, but it didn’t make her really feel any better and it certainly didn’t change the fact that she sometimes felt like she was in a constant war with parts of her own psyche. In the end, she gave a halfhearted shrug.

Her mother pulled back from the hug, resting her hands on Twilight’s shoulders and searching her face. “Do you think having a special ringtone for emergencies would help you feel better in the long run?” Velvet asked softly, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

Twilight nodded. “...yes...it would help, because it would be something that can get through to me when I’m unable to realize other social signals and patterns.”

More silence, before the older woman smiled at her. “Perhaps you and Sunset could work on that tomorrow then, if she feels up to it?”

Purple eyes were drawn back to fiery hair and amber skin, and she gave a little sigh. “I’ll ask her...and if not, I can always work on it on my own later. I...it’s something I need to do. Sunset is important to me, Mom, and I need to be there when she needs me. She’s my g—” Twilight covered her almost slip with a sniffle that was only slightly exaggerated. “...she’s my best friend, and I wasn’t there for her today.” She cut off her mouth from saying anything else until she wrestled her feelings under control, because they were making it difficult to avoid oversharing.

Those emotions were proving much harder to contain than normal, as her brain supplied a memory from earlier that evening, when she’d been straddling Sunset on the couch, wrapped up in warm arms and with soft lips against hers. Heat made her skin tingle and her inside squirm, and she couldn’t help but ache to be able to relive that moment. How much easier would it be to have moments like that if she just...told her parents? How would it feel, not having to hide, to be constantly afraid of exposure and greet Sunset with a kiss...or better, be greeted by Sunset pulling her into one of those kisses that left her weak in the knees? To snuggle into Sunset’s lap for a movie instead of sneaking a hand hold under a blanket?

Twilight bit her lip, and raised her eyes to meet her mother’s. “...Mom?” she ventured, trying to fight off the sudden trembling in her limbs.

“What’s on your mind, Twily?” Velvet’s tone was the warm, soothing one filled with love that always made Twilight feel safe.

Yet still she stewed in rising indecision, unsure why she just couldn’t say it. It wasn’t that complicated to say ‘Mom, I’m a lesbian,’ and she already knew they’d love her still. They hadn’t judged Cadence for being openly bisexual, and compared to all of the other issues that had cropped up for Twilight during her life, her attraction to her own gender was barely a blip on the radar. But she still felt nauseous and panicky at the mere thought of outing herself, even with all of that and the fact that they treated her girlfriend like they’d adopted her as part of the family already. Why was telling them something perfectly acceptable in the modern era such a huge deal inside her own head?!

“Sweetheart?” Her mother sounded a little worried now, probably because she’d been quiet for too long.

“...you like Sunset, right?”

Velvet chuckled. “Of course I do, Twilight. She’s a wonderful, intelligent girl, and the fact that her presence in your life clearly makes you happy means a great deal to me.”

She opened her mouth, determined to blurt it all put and get it over with, like ripping a band-aid off...but at the last minute, her resolve crumbled and she found herself saying , “I think it’d be...nice...to have her come over more often, don’t you?”

It sounded awkward, even to her, but it was the best she could do without any real plan. Her stomach twisted with anxiety, hoping her mother wouldn’t push. She couldn’t tell her now—the moment had passed and she just...It wasn’t the right time, she decided. After everything, between Sunset getting hurt and all of the emotions running high, she couldn’t dump another emotional weight on everyone. They all really needed sleep...and it wasn’t fair to tell just her mother, or to do it without discussing it with Sunset first.

Decision solidified and justified, she added in a hurried fashion, “I was thinking about asking her to do that, if it’s okay with you and Dad...I just didn’t want to do it without asking.”

The response from her mother was a slightly odd look, one full of emotions Twilight couldn’t quite parse with any degree of reliability, and she didn’t like to make assumptions because her guesses were usually wrong. “Of course it’s alright, sweetheart,” Velvet assured her. “We’re always happy to see her come over, and goodness knows she could still do with a few more home-cooked meals during the week instead of whatever processed, prepackaged things she is throwing in a microwave and calling dinner.” She leaned forward and kissed Twilight on the forehead. “We can talk about it more in the morning though. For now, I’m going to get some sleep and so should you. It’s been a long day.”

“I’m going to...as soon as I get my hand back,” she explained, nodding towards the appendage in question. Her free hand toyed with the hem of her shirt. “...sleep well, Mom...I love you.”

“I love you too, Twilight. Sweet dreams, and I promise, tomorrow will be a better day.”

Twilight waited until her mother had gone and she heard the bedroom door to her parents’ room shut, before looking back to her snoozing girlfriend. There was never any question of where Twilight would be sleeping...but she didn’t really want to sleep in her school uniform.

She pulled her hand free of Sunset’s, earning a displeased grunt and a snort, before one blue green eyes fluttered open. “Sp’rky..?” Sunset slurred, not really awake.

“I’m still here, Sunny,” she told her, leaning down to kiss her softly. “I’ll be right back, I need to change into pajamas...”

Fingers gripped her shirt and a whimper came from the redheaded teen. “D’n go...stay...need you...safe...”

Twilight bit her lip at the plea, and she caved at how small and frightened Sunset sounded. “Okay...move over.” She stepped back, blushing as she dropped her skirt, vest, and tie to the floor, and with some creative contortions—and unbuttoning the top two buttons on her shirt—her bra followed a minute later. Hopefully this wouldn’t lead to an embarrassing morning...

Heart pounding, she nudged the drowsy Sunset over and crawled into bed beside her, not at all surprised when strong arms pulled her into a tight embrace, or when Sunset’s sleepy voice cleared up just enough to growl huskily in her ear, “Mine.” The sound sent a shiver down her spine even as it made her body thrum with desire.

Twilight Velvet silently closed the bedroom door the rest of the way after the light went out in the room down the hall. She glanced at her husband, who was leaning against the bathroom door frame, brushing his teeth, one eyebrow raising at her expectantly. She smirked in a moment of victory. “I win. Pay up, dear.”

He gave the long suffering sigh of a husband yet again outwitted by his wife, grabbing his wallet from his dresser so he could retrieve a five dollar bill and pass it to her. Then he ducked back in the bathroom to rinse his mouth. “You know,” he chuckled as they climbed into bed, “I really thought she’d at least go back to her room to change for bed first. She hates that uniform.”

“However bad she feels about it, her feelings for Sunset override it. I’ve never seen her come out of a mood as fast as I did tonight...and she almost told me again tonight. That’s twice in less than a week, Night.” Velvet cut the light on her side of the bed.

Night Light made a disgruntled sound. “Maybe she’ll finally ‘break the news’ to us before the end of the school year...”

“Lighty...” She rolled onto her side, placing her hand on his chest.

“I’m sorry, evening star...” he murmured, offering her an apologetic smile. “I just don’t understand why we’re letting this drag on so long when it clearly causes her such distress and she is winding herself up so badly trying to tell us. I think we need to sit down with Twily and tell her that we know.”

Her hand moved higher to trace over his jaw, a light touch in the dimly lit bedroom to communicate her love and affection. “Lighty...” she repeated. “I feel the same way, but we can’t. You know what Gently advised.”

“I know...that bit about ‘her sexuality is a factor of her life she feels she can control,’” he repeated. “But she’s turning it into this enormous, stressful production, and there’s no reason for it. At this point, I almost want to blame popular media and this pervasive social attitude that coming out is this huge deal with either an explosive dismissal or party with streamers....” He made a sound in his throat of distress. “When did just loving your child for who they are as part of how you treat them daily become so rare? Having her be so afraid that we will stop loving her for something so trivial hurts.”

Velvet sighed. “I feel the same way, dear...but I think we have to trust Gently’s assessment. She has Twily’s best interests in mind and she’s usually right.”

He hugged her closer. “...I know Dr. Soft-Spoken is good at her job, but at this point, I’d be willing to believe that Sunset knows Twilight just as well if not better. Have you thought about maybe talking to Sunset about it? Maybe we could let her know that we’re aware of their relationship and that we are happy for them...We might be able to get her to talk some sense into our daughter before one of us slips up and causes a meltdown that outclasses Vesuvius one hundredfold.”

“That...that could work...” Velvet mused. “I think we should wait until spring break. We talked about that family trip to the beach house...what if we invite Sunset and talk to her right before that? Maybe they could actually enjoy the trip as a couple.”

Night cuddled her even closer. “As always, evening star, your moments of brilliance remind me how lucky I am to have you to keep me from making a horse’s rear end of myself. What would I do without you?”

“Live off of take-out and PB&J,” his wife responded dryly.

He started to debate that, but paused to consider. “...you’re not wrong,” he conceded. “My abysmal culinary skills aside, I do like the idea. Have a talk with Sunset a week or two before, see what she suggests. I imagine she’s not too happy to hide it—you heard her earlier.” He laughed softly. “She did everything but tell us she’s in love with Twily.”

“I’m not sure she’s realized that herself yet, dear.”

Another laugh, and Night reached out to turn his bedside lamp off. “I’m sure she’ll figure it out,” he murmured, already starting to doze off, now that they had a plan. Shifting under the blankets, Velvet followed him into dreamland.

Author's Note

Dont forget to brush your teeth after all that sweetness. It’ll gove you cavities.

Twilight Sparkle, willingly skipping school?

Yup, its love.

Enjoy the chapter, my lovely readers!!!