It was 4:24 in the morning when a sudden kick from behind brought Twilight Sparkle out of a sound night of sleep.
Her eyes were open, and could make out the large green numbers floating where her tired brain vaguely understood a clock should be, though she was very conscious of the fact that those numbers were indicating a time that was far earlier than desirable for maximum daily functionality. Resting on her right side on the edge of the bed, she instinctively rubbed the sore spot on her lower back, wincing as she felt it smart. A noise from behind reminded her of her bedmate, and she rolled over to her left to inspect the situation.
Sunset was there, beside her. They’d been living together at Sunset’s apartment all summer since returning to Canterlot, their first year of college now behind them. Moving in hadn’t been the easiest decision for Twilight to make, and convincing her parents to allow it had been even harder. And she’d initially hesitated on sharing a bed with Sunset, having never done so with anyone besides Spike (who these days preferred his own doggy bed near Sunset’s couch), and worrying if she’d even be able to fall asleep. However, it had turned out to be generally easier than she’d expected.
Depending on their activities immediately before lights-out, it could be very easy some nights. (Though Twilight had been forced to develop a pair of noise-canceling canine earmuffs for these occasions.)
The bigger issue, ultimately, was the fact that both Twilight and her adorable otherworldly redheaded girlfriend were both prone to some pretty vivid dreams. Many beautiful and wondrous, reflections of the love and happiness they shared, the power of friendship imbued in them and their fellow geode-bearers… but others dark, reminders of truly horrible days in their lives that could sneak up on that happiness and smother it all too quickly. The days of literal, living demons from their pasts lurking in their dreams were over, mercifully… but that didn’t mean the old-fashioned nightmares were easy.
Early in the summer, Twilight had been the one to have more nights of troubled sleep. However, as she grew adjusted to having another body in bed with her and her tensions eased, Sunset had sadly started to pick up the slack, with more spasming and audible groaning at night. It didn’t take Twilight long to figure out that it was one such spasm that had just now sent a foot into her, and, looking with the best of her glasses-free ability, she could see Sunset was in the throes of another bad dream.
Softly, she shifted closer to her lover, who, conveniently enough, was laying on her own right side, facing her. That made it easy for Twilight to wrap her right arm around the back, then scooch the last little bit forward to bring herself into a comforting embrace. With one hand, she started gently rubbing up and down Sunset’s backside; with the other, she began to slowly stroke Sunset’s hair.
She felt Sunset relax, the movement in the body she held slowing. Twilight leaned forward and deposited a quick kiss on Sunset’s forehead. She smiled as she felt her warmth, the lingering ache in Twilight's back melting away as she lost all thoughts beyond cuddling her lover, protecting her from the dark images in her mind.
“Twi?”
Perhaps she’d cuddled too hard.
“Sunset?” Twilight drew back, surprised and disappointed in herself. “I’m sorry, I wasn’t trying to wake you, you just–”
“I know,” Sunset replied, weariness in her voice. “I’m sorry too. For waking you, probably.”
“It’s okay, really. I just…”
“What time is it?”
Twilight leaned her head back to look at the numbers again. “Almost 4:30.”
“Let’s just go back to sleep.”
Twilight hesitated. “Are you sure? Is there anything I can do to help?”
“You’re here, Twilight. That’s enough. I promise.”
Twilight nodded, then rolled over onto her back. She closed her eyes, hoping the urge to sleep would wash away the thoughts that were flooding into her mind about all the ways she should be doing a better job at making Sunset feel better, regardless of their plausibility or sensibility.
And then a car alarm began to blare outside.
Their groans were almost perfectly synchronized.
“Please tell me you were joking when you said the time just now,” Sunset rasped, barely audible over the sound.
Twilight replied with a noise even she herself couldn’t decipher.
After a moment, the alarm outside stopped, but Twilight’s eyes were still wide open. She was sure Sunset’s were too. For a moment, they just lay in stunned silence, staring upward at the ceiling.
“How is Spike still asleep?” Sunset whispered, breaking the tension.
“Probably still wearing his earmuffs.”
“Lucky him.” Sunset sighed. “Want me to get the coffee started?”
“No,” Twilight replied, a sudden urgency overtaking her as she rolled over again to face Sunset; she could just make it out as her partner did likewise. Part of her wanted to grab her glasses to see her more clearly, but that would mean admitting defeat, unconditionally surrendering to the waking world. She knew her chances of falling back asleep at this stage were slim, but if she was getting up, she’d do it on her terms.
“You okay, Twilight?”
“Sorry, I… not yet, please. Can you just… stay here, a little longer? I just want to hold you, if that’s okay.”
She couldn’t see the smile cross Sunset’s lips, but she sensed it anyway. “Of course.”
Twilight scooted over again and threw both arms around Sunset, pulling her body in tight as she felt her gesture being reciprocated. She buried her face into Sunset’s shoulder, wanting nothing more than to be lost in this moment, to feel nothing of the world beyond the woman planting a kiss on her cheek, to abandon all sense of time and space and everything that wasn't the body in her embrace, as warm and radiant as the fiery orange of the hair that now ran over the tops of where her hands were on Sunset’s back.
And, after just a short while, she succeeded.
Sunset wasn’t sure how long she and Twilight had been locked in each other’s grasp when she felt a change in her girlfriend’s body. She’d slumped slightly, and her breathing became much more rhythmic, Sunset sensing it as her chest rose and fell.
She smiled as she felt Twilight’s grip loosen, though she kept hers in place. Just a few more minutes.
It was only fair, after all.
The dreams were a fact of life, for both of them. And soon they’d be back in their own colleges once more, in separate beds, fighting their own little battles. Each moment they had in bed together was a treasure.
And maybe, just maybe, they could create enough of a muscle memory to feel each other asleep, even apart, and make any fear of bad dreams that much more negligible.
Perhaps that was a silly idea. The sleeping girl she was holding would probably find it ridiculous. But Sunset was happy to indulge herself in the notion.
And in Twilight’s warmth.
Just a few minutes later, she’d started to slump too, her breathing matching perfectly with her lover’s. And they stayed nestled into each other through the rest of the night.
Author's Note
Amazing fanart courtesy of The Sleepless Beholder!
Twilight awoke to the sight of a shadow looming over her.
“Gaaah!” She jumped, dislodging the bedsheets in the process, and instinctively started to fumble on the nightstand for her glasses. It took a few moments for her brain to catch up with her, and she realized the figure was holding them out for her to grab.
“Morning,” it said. Twilight couldn’t yet see the smirk on its face, but she knew it was there.
“Morning,” Twilight replied in kind as she accepted and put on her glasses, Sunset’s disheveled-yet-lovely morning appearance coming into focus. “Why are you out of bed?”
Sunset beamed. “I was making something for you.” She motioned to the dresser, where a big stack of pancakes, two mugs, and a pot of coffee sat.
“Oh, oh wow,” Twilight said. She gave Sunset a cheeky grin. “You cook now?”
“Hey, give me some credit. Every now and then I remember the communal apartment kitchen exists.”
“Can’t believe you left me in the middle of a snuggle,” Twilight giggled. “You didn’t break your microwave, did you?”
Sunset scoffed as she picked up one of the mugs. “No, I did not break the microwave. Can you not accept that I’m capable of a romantic gesture like breakfast in bed?”
“I’m teasing! It’s just a little surprising!”
Sunset flashed a smile at her as she began to pour the coffee. “I’m teasing too, smarty-pants. But yeah, I thought it’d be worth breaking our cuddle early to make something special for you like this. Especially when I owe you for last night.”
Twilight shook her head. “Sunset, you don’t owe me for cuddles or comfort. That’s what I’m here for. It’s like, Girlfriend Responsibility #1.”
“And Girlfriend Responsibility #2 is to make sure your girlfriend is properly rewarded for making a stressful night’s sleep into something wonderful. Please, Twilight, let me have this.”
“Alright…” Twilight smiled back as Sunset brought the mug and the plate of enormous pancakes over to her, setting them down beside her legs. Sunset leaned forward and planted a kiss on Twilight’s forehead, before walking off to pour her own coffee as Twilight’s heart did a flip.
“Th-thanks, Sunset.”
Sunset simply gave her another warm look before setting the pot back down, then ambled back to her side of the bed and climbed under the covers as Twilight slowly regained her senses. “Careful with the coffee, though. I like this comforter.”
Now it was Twilight’s turn to scoff as she placed the coffee on the nightstand. “Oh, is that why there’s no syrup on these pancakes?”
Sunset rolled her eyes and tousled Twilight’s hair. “You’ll live.”
“I mean I guess I can survive a mere four-star meal I’m getting for free and in bed… and sharing with the most beautiful girl in the world…”
“I’ll hold back on my customary objections to that title. And what do you mean sharing? You’re not going to eat all four of those?” Sunset gasped in mock-offense.
“These are huge, Sunset! Where would they even fit?” She laughed. “Also, did you grab any silverware for us?”
Sunset’s eyes widened. “Crud. I can go and–”
Twilight turned and threw her upper body onto Sunset, wrapping her warm body in a tight hug. “No. You stay here. We’ll just tear these apart like animals, and it will be adorable, because everything you do is adorable, and apparently you think the same thing about me for some reason.”
Sunset giggled and returned the hug. “That’s only because it’s completely and totally true.”
Twilight looked up into Sunset’s shimmering eyes. Those eyes that she wanted to have beside her every morning, to keep forever to herself, that made her curse the knowledge that soon they’d be separated once more, that made her cling on to every last moment for dear life.
And then she pressed her lips to hers.
She felt Sunset’s body tremble as her own lips pressed back. Their hands pushed in on each other, shifting them closer. Twilight could sense her love’s racing heartbeat, could hear her muffled whimper, and, as they slowly drew their heads back, could feel her rapid breaths.
“Twi,” she mumbled, “the food… the food will get cold.”
“You did say the microwave still works, right?”
“Yeah…”
Twilight gently slipped her legs past the plate and positioned herself fully before Sunset. “Then I think we’ll be fine.”
And as she leaned into her warmth again, it faintly occurred to Twilight that it wasn’t scientifically possible to stretch an instant out forever. But that wasn’t going to stop her from trying.
She also hoped Spike had kept his earmuffs on.
