Rough Night, Confusing Morning
Sunset groaned quietly as consciousness began to return to her. It came with a headache, eyes burning under the lids, a dry taste in her mouth and a brief panic over trying to determine the date and time. She didn't know the time at all, but it was Sunday. It had to be, her last course-required class of the week had been yesterday. Right?
She turned to feel for her bedside clock, but her arm hit the wall instead. Since when was the wall on this side of the bed? No, since when was there a wall on either side of her bed? She forced her eyes open and found herself staring at a plain grey wall. About a foot over her head hung a poster print of a nightly landscape painting.
Sunset sat up with a start, then immediately flinched and held her side. She looked down and lifted her shirt a little, finding a small bruise under her ribs. And that she wasn't wearing her trousers. Or her skirt? What did she even wear last night?
She looked up into the room. The bed was in a nook in the wall, just enough space for it, a side table, and a small wall-mounted shelf above it. She could see a desk with some kind of technical construction in progress, pieces strewn about. There was a wardrobe, a shelf sparsely filled with books and storage cases, two doors leading to adjoining rooms, and a single window with curtains drawn. None of it looked familiar.
A shifting of weight caught her attention and she looked down at the person next to her. The woman's hair was rose-coloured, the sides of her head looked like they'd been shaved, long enough ago that short, stubby hair had since regrown, creating a sort of fauxhawk look. Her skin was dark, but her eyes a piercing blue as she opened them to look at Sunset. A vicious scar dragged from her temple, over one eye, all the way down to her jawline.
"Hey. You need coffee?"
Sunset tensed a little more at the gruff voice and tightened a hand around the edge of the blanket, pulling it safely up to her waist. "Uh... yeah."
The woman rolled out of bed and started heading to one of the doors. She was only dressed in shorts and a sports bra, revealing both her impressive muscle tone and the collection of additional scars marring her right arm, one of them appearing especially deep despite being fully healed.
Sunset released the breath she hadn't realised she was holding and tried to kick her mind into gear. She had left her apartment at seven and headed down to her usual hangout bar. She had invited Applejack to come with her, but didn't remember seeing her. In fact, she didn't remember anything past the first two drinks. She quickly reached to her neck and was relieved to find her geode still there. If only she could just read her own memories.
The door opened again and the woman returned with two mugs, setting one down on the side table, before she went to sit down on her desk chair, crossing her legs.
"Thanks," Sunset said awkwardly, scooting closer to the edge of the bed. She picked up the mug, but it was still too hot to drink. Regardless, the aroma helped wake her up a little already. "Um, I'm sorry, but... who are you?"
The woman paused partway through her sip, before she scoffed and set her mug down with a smirk. "Oh, damn. I hope that's the alcohol and I didn't mess you up too bad."
"Mess me up, huh?"
Sunset's back hit the counter. She went to push off, but the taller woman grabbed the front of her jacket and stared her down. Her words came out a little slurred, but the tone succeeded in being threatening regardless. "Keep your mouth shut, shorty!"
If Sunset had been sober, maybe she would have found a way to deescalate the situation. But in her current state, she grabbed the woman's hand and buried her nails in her skin. When that didn't make her let go, she balled her other hand into a fist and managed to hit her in the side of the jaw.
Moments later, she was scrambling up from the floor and raising her fists. There were more words, none of them kind or patient, then she dove forward to punch her in the stomach. Her knuckles hit abs that felt like steel. In return, the tall woman's fist impacted into her side, making her double over and cough. With another shove, she stumbled and the back of her head hit the wall.
"...oh." Sunset carefully felt over the back of her head. Sure enough, there was a sizeable bump there.
"Yeah. Sorry about that. I'm not even sure anymore how that started." Her host took another short sip. "I would offer you an ice pack, but I'm afraid I'm fresh out."
"So, you beat me up and then you took me home?" Sunset asked, now slowly drinking the bitter coffee as well.
"Not exactly. And give yourself some credit, you hit pretty hard for someone so short."
"But why didn't... hang on..." She looked down at the floor and found a pile of clothes within arm's reach. She leaned out of bed to grab the sleeve of her jacket and drag it over, searching the pockets until she found her phone. And half a dozen missed messages.
Sorry, hon, can't make it tonight, hope you have fun read the last one she had evidently already seen. So AJ had never even been there. That made sense, she definitely wouldn't have blacked out with her, and especially not gotten into a fight.
She quickly went through the unread messages. The first two were also from AJ, trying to check on her. The rest were from Rarity, Twilight, and then two from Rainbow Dash, all checking in at different times during the night. She quickly composed a message in their group chat to apologise for worrying them and let them know she was safe.
When she looked up again, the woman had picked up a pair of indoor pants and put them on, and was picking a cut-off hoodie out of her wardrobe. Just past her, Sunset could see a military uniform and a pair of heavy boots, clearly kept separately.
"I hate to ask again. But, what's your name? I'm kind of guessing I at least introduced myself?"
"Oh, yes. Sunset, right?" She looked over at her again as she put on the hoodie. "I'm Tempest Shadow."
Sunset paused for a moment, but she seemed to be serious. "You're kidding me."
"Why?" Tempest smirked again, running a hand through her hair and then both hands over the short sides, while looking into a small mirror on the inside of the wardrobe door.
"Because no one actually has a badass name like that."
"Well, maybe I'm no one then." She closed the wardrobe and went to open the window. "Want a smoke?"
"Thanks, but I don't smoke anymore."
"Oh." Tempest paused with the packet in her hand. "Consider your streak broken as of yesterday."
"Shit." Sunset pushed the pillows back a little so she could lean on them as she picked up the mug once more, leaving her phone on the blanket over her lap. "So, help me out a bit, Tempest. We fought, and then?"
"And then we stopped." She shrugged. "I felt bad, because you kind of curled up like a kicked puppy, so I bought you another drink."
"I should be better than this," Tempest said darkly, staring at her own bottle. She rubbed her jaw with one hand, where Sunset had landed at least one good punch. "This anger keeps catching up with me."
"Tell me about it." Sunset turned the ice pack over and pressed the colder side on her skin, under her shirt. "No amount of self improvement just makes it go away."
"You too, huh?" Tempest took a long sip and settled back against the backrest of the bench they were sharing. "You really don't look like that kind of trouble."
"I did a lot of things I'm not proud of. I'm better now, I know I am, but there's just nothing that will ever let me take it back."
Tempest nodded slowly. "I think... if you feel so strongly about it, you're already the kind of person who won't do those things anymore."
Sunset looked up and their eyes met for a long moment.
Sunset's back hit the tiled wall of the bar's restroom. She gasped softly before Tempest closed in and forcefully kissed her, not leaving any room for argument. One hand stayed firmly on her waist while the other slipped down. Sunset grabbed at her jacket and moved one hand up, into her hair, grabbing a handful of the longer middle. Tempest tasted like berries and smoke and Sunset hummed needily as she pushed against her.
"Whoa, what do you mean 'it just happened'?" Sunset asked quickly, her face flushed.
"Beats me. I don't remember all the words clearly either. You weren't exactly complaining, though."
Sunset cast her eyes down on the bed again. "So then you brought me home and we..." She carefully looked up at Tempest again for clarification.
Tempest looked away pointedly. "That's what we meant to do, but... the moment I dropped you on the bed, you passed out, so... no."
Sunset let out a heavy sigh of relief. "Oh, thank Celestia... I mean, thank God. I mean, not that I wouldn't! Just, you know...!"
Tempest laughed quietly, low but clear. "Don't worry, Sunshine. I would prefer if you remembered, anyway."
"Right, I... better get home!" Sunset finally cast the blanket off of her and picked up her clothes, her cheeks still burning with embarrassment.
She was dressed again within the minute and made sure she had both her phone and her keys with her. Tempest told her how to find her way back to the bar - about the same distance as from her own apartment as it turned out - and opened the door for her.
"Hey, Sunset," she said quickly before she could get down the steps in the drab stairway. "Despite the rough start, I actually liked talking to you. So, maybe I'll meet you there again?" She was leaning in the doorway, her fingers nervously drumming on the frame.
Sunset only hesitated for a moment. "Sure. Would be nice to actually remember everything next time. I... might be there Tuesday."
"Tuesday. Yeah, I'll probably be there too." Tempest smiled and ran a hand through her hair again. "Well, get home safe."
"Yeah, you too." Sunset smiled and waved, went down a few steps, then groaned as she realised what she said. Tempest laughed out loud as she closed her door.
