The door to the guest room bursts open, and in come the girls. Pinkie Pie is the first to say anything, which comes in the form of a very surprised, "OH MY GOSH!"
Her loud burst of excitement startles me, but soon I am able to recover and blink a few times to clear my half-awake mental state. Sunset is holding back a laugh as if somehow something is funny about all of this. Suddenly my mind is on overdrive. "Uh, I... I... I can explain," I stutter, trying to sit up. "I-"
Rarity breaks the silence. "Darling, tell me everything!" The others nod in agreement.
"Well, I-" My mind is at a loss of words. How do I possibly explain what happened last night? How will the others react? Will I be negatively judged? Rejected? Suddenly I find myself trembling uncontrollably as my social anxiety kicks in. I try to muster up an answer, but all I can do is stutter. Soon I'm leaning into Sunset, who protectively wraps her arms around me. "In and out, Twilight," she whispers into my ear. "Just breathe. You're okay. Calm down, gather your thoughts."
I take her advice to heart and close my eyes, breathing in and out a few times. This clears my mind. "Alright," I say. "I was up late working on a research project."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Rainbow Dash interrupts. "You do realise that it's summer break, right?"
I roll my eyes. "I like to get an early start on things. Apparently I was kind of nodding off, but I don't seem to remember too much." At this point I'm aware that Sunset's position has shifted, one arm across my shoulders while her other hand softly strokes my hip. Though I find this reassuring, my mind is still very confused. I don't know if I should glare at her or just keep going, but soon she takes up the conversation.
"I convinced her to drink some warm milk and call it a night," Sunset begins. "But after I carried her to bed, she asked if I'd stay with her, and, well... Well, you see what happened."
This earns an odd 'aww' of approval from the girls. Several comments follow, all ranging from "That's so sweet!" to a roll of the eyes from Rainbow Dash, who isn't much for romance, or so I'm aware. I turn my head away and look at Sunset, who is still stroking my hip, a smirk on her face.
That's when I realise how much she cares about me. Ever since the incident at Canterlot High, she's always been looking out for me. Being there for me. Worrying about me. Talking me through moments of anxiety and mentoring me in friendship. Suddenly I feel terrible, like there's some sort of unspoken contract or something between us and that I haven't been holding up my end of the deal. Then it dawns on me how much I care for Sunset. Barely a day goes by without me communicating with her in some way because I worry so much for her. Soon, I know that I can't deny what I'm feeling.
"Uh," I begin, unsure at first. "Could Sunset and I get a-a moment alone, please?" I ask.
"Of course," Rarity replies, motioning the others out of the room. "Come on, girls, let's go get some breakfast." She winks at me as she shuts the door, and I wonder if she knows what's going on inside my head. I wait a few moments to ensure that they're gone before facing Sunset again.
"Sunset, there's something you need to know," I whisper, once more unsure of how to proceed. I've never been in this situation before. And I'm one hundred percent sure that my social anxiety doesn't help.
"What's up, Twilight?" she replies, smiling at me.
I stutter for a place to begin, eventually forcing myself to go through the breathing exercise I'd learned to use in order to calm down and get a grasp on my thoughts. Once that is complete, I begin again. "Ever since that day I turned into Midnight Sparkle, ever since you saved me, held me in your arms... Sunset, ever since then I-I wanted to tell you just h-how much I care about you." I must be blushing at this point, for I feel my cheeks burning. "I r-really do care about you, Sunset. A lot."
She pulls me into her arms, holding me tight. "Twilight, that means so much to me," she coos. "I care about you too. In fact..." Her voice trails off for a moment. Then, she leans down and kisses me, right on the lips. I'm surprised at first, but the feeling of her lips on mine just feels so nice. I want to hold on to that feeling forever and ever. When she pulls away, I sigh happily. "I love you, Twilight. You're so wonderful."
"I love you, Sunset," I whisper, smiling. "There's no denying that fact."
She begins to stroke my hair, and I close my eyes as I rest my head on her shoulder. "Will you be mine?" she asks.
"Of course, Sunset. I'm yours."
We stay this way for a short while, the whole world seemingly having stopped. All that's left is us. Just me and Sunset, together. Holding each other. Everything is perfect.
Eventually, she glances over at the clock. "Twilight," she asks. "Are you ready to go talk to the others?"
"I think they know," I reply.
Sunset sits up, taking my hand in hers. "Come on, love. Let's go have a good time." She pecks me on the cheek, and soon we are walking out to go and face the day.
I'm so happy. Everything is right with the world. All I feel is love, and it's great. We stay close to each other even as we spend the day with our friends. There's no denying how much I love Sunset, no words to describe it. And she loves me back, the exact same way.
All is perfect.