Late-Night Phone Call

Ever since Sunset had come into the human world, she had always thought in terms that reflected a certain warlike mentality she'd brought with her through the portal. "Tactics" and "logistics" and "assets" were phrases that regularly found their way into her vocabulary when she'd talk herself through her plans, and she had often used terms such as "territory" for defining areas of control.

The habit was cemented further by the usage of such terms by her peers, at least in part. Every clique and group in Canterlot High School had their own turf, or their own territory, even if it wasn't explicitly stated to be. The sporty kids and jocks had areas designated as theirs, as did the bandos, the techies, the preps...even the few social reject circles had spaces that they had claimed with their continuous presence there. Hangout spots, places they sat at lunch...even just specific spots on the sidewalk where they stood while waiting for the bus: everybody had at least some space in the area designated for them. Everyone had their own territory.

Sunset Shimmer, of course, was an outsider. She had no place in any of these spaces, and while perhaps she might have been tolerated in them or even been able to work her way into the good graces of any of the cliques and been granted a place, she didn't come here from Equestria to be friends, nor had she come to share. She was on the war path, and being the invader that she was, she needed a beachhead.

Easier said than done, of course. While seizing territory from others had its own special kind of appeal, it also wasn't practical. She was still one girl, and getting into an arm-wrestling match against people who outnumbered her on their own turf was a stupid idea. Snips and Snails were very useful to her, but making invasion feasible was not on the list of utilities they brought to the table.

Regardless of whatever delusions of grandeur she may have fed herself at the time, it nonetheless came down to the fact that Sunset Shimmer had to find her own place in this world, including territory to call her own at the CHS. Fortunately, she was a creative thinker, so she didn't have to look very hard to find it.

Sunset stepped up the last of the stairs in her path in this dim, cramped stairwell, and with a metallic thunk of a push bar and a pained squawk of aged steel, the heavy metal door swung open. She wasn't entirely prepared for the snap of wind that answered her arrival, and she tucked herself a little bit further into her battered leather jacket as she stepped out into the daylight onto the roof of Canterlot High School.

The tops of buildings didn't tend to get much attention from most people, and this one was no different. Whatever cleaning team principal Celestia had on staff didn't seem to concern themselves with this part of the school - bits of debris and random odd school supply-themed detritus could be found scattered about the entire roof in random places, and Sunset was fairly certain most of it had been here since she found this place years ago. Other than the outcroppings of various air conditioning and heating devices that rose head and shoulders above her and the simple concrete barrier wrapping all around the rooftop's outmost edge, there was little to see. No cover from the elements, nothing to do you didn't provide yourself, an already spartan aesthetic accented only by signs of neglect, and no amenities of any description save for the door leading back down the way you came to get here.

The sight of it managed to coax a grimace of a smile out of Sunset. This was her territory, and no one had contested it to this day, even after her fall. It was dull, it was drab, and it was uncomfortable, but it was the closest she had to a place in this world that she could truly call her own.

After a few seconds of taking in the bittersweet nostalgia, Sunset rolled one shoulder and slipped her backpack off as another stray breeze whipped by. It was a little more blustery today than she preferred, but she'd take this over being downstairs right now. Besides, she came prepared - as evidenced by the cheap flannel rag of a blanket that she unfolded and placed on the ground. It didn't make the concrete much more comfortable, but it was an improvement enough that she could probably stay here for a while if she felt like it. Plus, this blanket had just enough length to it that she could fold it over and tuck her legs into it, the cheap yet thick cotton working together with her worn skinny jeans to provide a semblance of season-appropriate insulation against the winter that drew ever nearer each day.

That inevitability was never far from Sunset's mind most days, and this one was no exception. Every step outside and every thought of comfort always came back to the cold, and while she'd been able to ignore it with relative ease to start, the imminent arrival of winter felt more dangerous than it ever had, and it was only drawing nearer.

Every year before this one, Sunset had either been indifferent or pleased that winter was coming, thoughts usually going to the holidays and the various seasonal niceties that entailed. Now, as Sunset gazed up into the gray overcast sky, wondering how much longer it would be before the first snowflakes fell, all she felt was a creeping dread and the gnawing sense that she was running out of time.

Sunset was stirred from her anxious trance by the feeling of her back pocket vibrating. She plucked her phone out with a practiced motion, eager for a distraction, and was not disappointed by what greeted her on the message preview.

Rarity
How are you?
Today at 10:21 AM

Sunset smiled. Next thing she knew, her fingers were dancing across the screen all but automatically, spelling out the first thing that came to her mind.

You
Unbothered. Moisturized. Happy. In my lane. Focused. Flourishing.
Today at 10:21 AM

Rarity
That bad, huh?
Today at 10:21 AM

Sunset laughed aloud to herself. It probably wasn't even that funny, yet the brief exchange and the response kept her chuckling to herself well after it had happened.

You
Look, everyone deserves a good moisturizing every once in a while
Today at 10:22 AM

Rarity
Darling I am in class rn
At least wait until tongiht before describing how moist you are
Today at 10:22 AM

You
It'll help on your homework
Today at 10:22 AM

Rarity
I somehow doubt this
Today at 10:22 AM

You
No lie. Science has proven moist depictions increase average homework grades by 12%
Swear on my life
Today at 10:22 AM

Rarity
:x_to_doubt:
I'm not doing homework anyway so perhaps keep it in your pants
Today at 10:22 AM

You
I am keeping it in my pants
That's why they're moist
Today at 10:22 AM

Rarity
STOP
Today at 10:22 AM

Sunset once again broke out into laughter, gently tossing herself backwards into the waist-high wall just behind her where she sat. She could all but see Rarity's face as she typed that response, and it made it so much better.

Nice and classy.

Rarity
I am in class
I'm going to get caught if you make me laugh
Today at 10:23 AM

Alas, too powerful for her own good.

You
Well jsut get out of class then
Be moist on the roof with me
Today at 10:23 AM

Rarity
Why the hell are you on the roof??
Today at 10:23 AM

You
To be moist, we just covered this
Today at 10:23 AM

Rarity
Sunset
Today at 10:23 AM

It took Sunset a few seconds more to actually reply, though when she did all she managed was to text Rarity the clown face emoji, after which she resumed laughing to herself.

Response wasn't quick to arrive. Sunset continued to be amused for a while, chuckling becoming a little quieter before she went to type something else, but Rarity beat her to the punch.

Rarity
Isn't it a little cold to be on the roof?
Today at 10:24 AM

Rapid backspacing, new message...

You
I have a blanket
Today at 10:24 AM

Rarity
Room for 2?
Today at 10:24 AM

Sunset blinked, then glanced down at the shoddy flannel blanket around her legs, doing a brief assessment of the amount of material here. She hadn't considered this before.

You
Maybe? Idk
It'd be snug
Today at 10:24 AM

Rarity
Give me a minute and we'll find out
Today at 10:24 AM

Sunset's face harbored a smile - not exactly new, since Rarity started talking to her - though it was of a slightly different shade of the one that had been dominating it up till now. She typed back simple confirmation, then huddled up a little more on herself as she tucked into her jacket in anticipation of company. Waiting was a little more difficult with the quiet excitement that snuck up on her, but she would manage.

It was essentially impossible to tell how close Rarity was from arriving, what with the steel door in the way. Even still, Sunset continued to eye it as seconds and then minutes passed, intermittently peeking her phone out of her pocket to monitor for other texts before there was a familiar thunk of a push bar and the quiet screech of door hinges, and Rarity emerged into Sunset's territory. Today Rarity was clad in a gray pea coat (one of like three coats she swapped between) and a dark purple scarf that looked far warmer than anything Sunset had on.

The moment Rarity spotted Sunset where she sat, the fashionista cast her an appraising look, eyed her up and down once, and disapprovingly informed her, "My sources seem to have failed me. I was led to believe that it would be moist up here, and yet it's not even slightly damp.”

Another laugh burst out of Sunset, and she scrambled to find a fittingly witty-sounding retort. "Well, uh...it's like, humid. That's close, right?"

Rarity tsk'd, shaking her head as she wandered closer. "Not particularly humid, either, but I'll settle for warm. How big is this-" It was then that Rarity gave the fabric around Sunset's legs and beneath her a proper look - at least, that's the best Sunset had for an explanation, because there wasn't much else she could think of that would cause Rarity to physically recoil as though she'd just spotted a snake about to lunge at her. "Sunset Shimmer what is that?!"

...somehow she hadn't expected this reaction. She probably should have. "It's-"

"ABSOLUTELY hideous!" Rarity made an appalled noise as she shivered as though someone had put an ice cube down her shirt. "You get that embarrassment of a fabric off of you right this instant!"

Sunset wasn't exactly in a hurry to do that. "Well I don't want to sit on cold concrete. And uh-" She peeled the blanket back just enough to show what pants she was wearing. "-brought it for a reason?"

"Why did you wear those?" Rarity's tone was almost pleading. "Oh good gracious Sunset, those aren't even clean!"

Sunset shrugged and avoided the topic. "Did you bring another blanket?"

"W- I-" A dejected breath, followed by reluctant whine of, "No..."

Sunset gave her a smile, eyebrows raising as she gestured to her side, wordlessly asking, 'Well?'

Rarity stared at the blanket long and hard. She visibly walked herself through at least two stages of grief before giving a long, resigned sigh. A second or two later, despair inverted and turned to grumpiness. "We had better not get seen up here like this."

"We won't. No one ever comes up here."

"And if I’m expected to have this fashion crime against humanity anywhere near me, you'd best hope that doesn't change. Now scoot over."

And Sunset did...or at least, she attempted to. As she had estimated before, it would be quite a squeeze to get the two of them side-by-side on this blanket, and as some brief eyeballing was done with a second person now physically here for her to compare, it did not take Sunset nor Rarity long to figure out that this blanket was not large enough for the two of them in that configuration. One or both of them would have a leg stuck out and no real way to remedy that.

There wasn't a chance to voice this, however, because Rarity found a solution and applied it more or less immediately: she placed herself between Sunset's legs where she sat, and scooted up very close to Sunset while tucking her legs in. This didn't exactly leave excessive amounts of fabric leftover, but the blanket could handle a little extra verticality better than it could extra width.

As Rarity settled back and pulled the blanket over the both of them, Sunset hesitated for a second or so, then yielded to impulse: she reached forward and rested her arms around Rarity's middle. When Rarity responded by settling further up against Sunset, the loose hold became a more earnest hug, which was returned by Rarity placing her arms over Sunset's just beneath the blanket, her previous distress nowhere to be seen.

It wasn't exactly what Sunset would call comfortable - the ground was still hard, the barrier to her back cold, and the wind occasionally whipping by a little unpleasant - but the sensation of touch and the weight of the girl against her may as well have been a charm with the way relaxation came over her. Every little discomfort and bother vanished from Sunset's thoughts as she let her head fall forward just enough to rest her cheek on Rarity's head. She closed her eyes, took a gentle breath in, and released it as a soft sigh.

It wasn't the first time they'd done something like this. Sunset had leaned into Rarity once or twice over the last two-ish weeks, using proximity as an excuse for the contact, and Rarity had done much the same, as well as chosen moments when Sunset was tired or dozing to hold or touch her. It wasn't new, but it was the first time that it was mutually engaged. They'd obviously been aware of it before when they'd done it, or they wouldn't have lingered like they did, but it had never been something they met together on, only a situation one had started and the other found themself in and allowed while not acknowledging it.

It also wasn't something they had swerved so hard out of their respective lanes to partake in before. Sunset had already intended to skip third period, but Rarity had been in class before this.

...Sunset wasn't in a hurry to break the cozy silence that had fallen over them. When she did speak, she did so in a soft voice, like she was trying not to wake someone: "You think Cheerilee's gonna notice you're gone?”

Just as quietly, Rarity replied, "I do not care." She settled just a bit more into Sunset, pressing her arms over hers a little harder. "I really, truly do not."

In that moment, the feeling was mutual. Sunset reciprocated the gentle tightening of her arms and let the matter slip her mind.

Time passed. It was hard to say how much, just that it wasn’t a negligible amount of it, comprised solely of cuddling and the slowly spreading warmth through the places where they touched. The only sound Sunset could hear besides her own breathing was the late autumn wind picking up in its moody gusts, the bite of which she didn’t notice so much anymore.

The longer they sat like that, the more Sunset’s thoughts gradually drifted. She opened her eyes at some point, taking advantage of the affectionate moment to get a long, close look at Rarity, even if mainly from above and to the side. She’d seen her a lot, especially lately, but it occurred to her in that moment how little she’d stopped and really looked at her. Never anyone else, either. It was essentially only Rarity she’d seen in such detail before, who she’d had a few opportunities to gaze at extensively without it being awkward. It was a little different from the video calls late at night, though - those gazes hadn’t been replicated in person yet.

Her thoughts went back to those long, barely-awake moments of intimate silence. She’d never seen someone that could kiss with their eyes like Rarity could. She’d never been kissed via eyes like that, either. It was nice.

Sunset’s thoughts were momentarily filled with those moments they’d shared, but with the added and vivid sensation of pressing her lips to Rarity’s. They were soft, almost cloud-like, and fit against hers like a dream.

Sunset licked her lips. Her heartbeat felt a little more forceful than it did moments ago.

One of the arms holding hers left its perch. As her eyes came back into focus, she watched Rarity dig into her coat pocket and pull out a lighter, of all things. She then placed it on the blanket over her lap and reached back into her coat for something else. It didn’t take much imagination to figure out what it was.

Sunset wasn’t surprised, per se - she could smell the faintest bit of smoke in Rarity’s hair, and had once or twice before this - yet she couldn’t hold back the question: “You smoke?”

The question seemed to give Rarity second thoughts, and she simply held the unlit cigarette that emerged from her pocket, balanced delicately between her index and middle fingers. After a second or so she asked, “Can you keep a secret for me?”

After a brief second, Sunset nodded, lightly rubbing her cheek against Rarity’s head in doing so. “Yeah.”

The soft “Thank you,” was felt as much as it was heard. Rarity lifted the cigarette up to her lips and placed it between them, using the hand not still occupied with their contact to click the lighter several times, trying to coax the tongue of flame onto the end of the cigarette as it thrashed about in the late autumn wind. She eventually had to use her other hand just to shield the flame so she could get the end sufficiently lit. She then sat back more comfortably into Sunset as she took a drag off it, turned her head, and released the white cloud from her lungs, which the wind did well to whip away any sign of.

It was weird for Sunset. It wasn’t as though she had objections to it inherently, but her mental image of Rarity did not include the sight of her as she was right this moment, a lit cigarette between her fingers, going for a second drag. “I never would have guessed you smoked.”

Rarity shrugged with an air of resignation, turning her head again to try to keep the smoke she breathed out away from Sunset. The wind didn’t help quite so eagerly this time, and the scent finally hit Sunset’s nose in full force. “I prefer it like that. I don’t want to have the…you know,” she gestured a little with the cigarette, ”that whole conversation. I’d never hear the end of it from my parents.”

Sunset chuckled knowingly. “Been there.”

Rarity turned her head just enough to glance up and back at Sunset. “You smoke?”

Sunset nodded. “It’s been a while, though. Little bastards don’t grow on trees.”

This spurred a snort of a laugh out of Rarity. “Quite. If my father wasn’t like a squirrel where he kept his stashes, constantly making them and then forgetting where he put them, I’d be out of luck.”

Sunset let out a quiet chuckle at this. “Nice.”

There wasn’t much mirth on Rarity’s face as she examined the trail of smoke leaking off the end of the cigarette. “At least someone appreciates it,” she muttered bitterly. “Wouldn’t need the things if not for them, but nooooo, we don’t think about those kinds of things, just how I’m not responsible and…whatever.” Rarity flicked her wrist as though to discard the matter, then took another drag off the cigarette, this one a bit more forceful than the other. The smoke came out in an irritated sigh. “I don’t care.”

The idle smile had since vanished from Sunset’s lips as she listened. With a note of concern in her voice, she asked, “Are you alright?”

It took Rarity two attempts to respond. The first time she paused just before she said something, and the other one only came after she had flippantly discarded whatever else she would have said to make room for the cigarette again. “Feeling so burnt out right now.”

That sounded about right. It still wasn’t great to hear. “You’ve seemed really stressed out lately.”

Rarity nodded, and sighed. “Sorry.”

“Don’t apologize for being stressed out. It’s not like you’re enjoying it.”

“No idea what you mean, I’m having a grand old time,” Rarity quipped, sarcasm dripping from her voice like water. “I adore having all the burden of being the head of the house while also trying to manage school, and trying to get started in business, and having a social life, and raising my sister and dealing with her all the time, because oh, she is having a grand old time as well.” Her voice became increasingly vitriolic as she went on. “It’s not like she misses her parents either, and it’s not like I resent being forced to pick up their slack because they’re out seeing the world and doing whatever the hell they want. So glad they get to enjoy their lives. It’s not like I have better things to do than juggle their responsibilities while they fuck in a hotel room in the mountains or something. It’s not like I wanted to be a family for the holidays, either, that would be positively silly. Just so silly of me. Absolute silliness, as far as the fucking eye can see. It’s wonderful.”

Sunset did not know what to say to that. She felt the need to say something in response, though, and she hated that the only thing she could think of to fill the oppressive silence that followed was, “I’m sorry.”

Rarity shook her head, pausing to take another drag, then breathe out a cloud of smoke as she cast a weary gaze over the rooftop at nothing. “It’s not your fault, darling.”

“No, but…”

…there wasn’t follow-up. The thought ended there.

Silence reigned after that. Sunset wanted there to be something she could do here, or something she could say to make this better somehow, but no amount of grasping gave her any such inspiration. “I wish I could help.”

It didn’t take long for Rarity to respond, “I can think of at least one way you could.”

“Shoot.”

Rarity sat back, pressingly lightly into Sunset. “You could not let go.”

Sunset’s arms wrapped around Rarity’s middle a bit tighter, and she was squeezed back in turn. “I got you.”

They didn’t talk much after that. There was still a little heaviness in the air after what had been shared, but the cuddling did well to lighten things as time passed. At some point or another Sunset found the cigarette being lifted at her in offering, and after a moment of realizing what was being offered, she accepted it, gently removing it from Rarity’s fingers to take a drag of her own. She held the smoke in her lungs for a bit, savoring it, then breathed the white cloud out, passing it back to Rarity as she enjoyed the tingle of nicotine she hadn’t felt in months.

Skipping class to cuddle and smoke on the roof…what a couple of delinquents we are.

…she decided not to say that aloud.