My neck hurt like i was laying on a pile of rocks when I woke up. Something was... wrong, and I felt heavy and stiff. It wasn't my bed. When I realized I wasn't even in my room, a brief panic struck. I froze as I looked down.

There she was, lying on my torso wrapping her arms around me, breathing slowly, her face peaceful despite the dried tear streaks on her cheeks.The night get like a storm to me the confessions, the crying, the way we’d both collapsed into a mess of broken emotions, and then, at some point, we must have fallen asleep.

My mind was racing.

Oh, fuck.
Ohhhh fuck.
I’m in Sunset’s house. I slept in her house.
I slept on her couch with her on top of me.

My face instantly flushed. Holy shit. HOLY SHIT. This is bad. Very bad. Its not like we had sex or anything but my brain couldn’t stop screaming at me, this is going to be akward.

She was so peaceful, her breathing soft and rhythmic. The emotions that had filled her face last night were completely gone, leaving her looking... vulnerable, even cute.Her lips parted slightly as she snored—a small, sound that caught me off guard. A smile tugged at the corners of my mouth.

Oh, I’m going to tease her about that later.

The things we’d said to each other.Pain we had both shared.I could still hear her words echoing in my mind."if not you, i would kill myself today! If you didnt gave me that hand i wouldnt be here talking with you." Men... i didn't know i had such impact on her... she was so close to giving up, so lost in her own guilt and despair.And yet, somehow, I had managed to pull her back from that edge.

How could I not have seen how much she was hurting?

I poured all of my emotional burdens onto her. She had supported me during my darkest moments, keeping me afloat when I thought I was going crazy. I owed her. For everything. For being there for me when I most needed her,

She shifted slightly in her sleep and scrunched her nose, my eyes returned to her face. Her soft sound, which was somewhere between a sigh and a hum, was so ridiculously adorable that I actually bursted out laughing, under my nose, quietly so i dont wake her up.

Oooooo, who knew you could be this... adorable?

Just looking at her made everything feel a little less heavy. Like the last night just didn't happend.

Maybe that’s what she meant when she said we weren’t alone. Maybe just having someone who gets it—someone who’s just as broken as you—makes it easier to fill the cracks.

Not wanting to wake her, I rested my head back on the couch. I didn't care that sleeping in such an awkward position had left my body stiff. Somehow, it felt... alright?. Despite the fact that nothing was at all fine. Except for the slight sound of her breathing, the room was silent. I allowed my mind to stray back to what had happened the night before. I had told her the stories. The things I had hidden about my mother, my brother, etc.

God, I actually told heeeeeeeer about him.

I kept my brother to myself. On most days, that wound was too raw and deep to even think about. However, it had all poured out with Sunset, as if a dam had fallen within me. She also didn't run. She did not pass judgment. She remained. I gave her another look, admiring the way her blazing hair cascaded over my chest like a stream of sunlight. Her brows furrowed, then relaxed again, and she made another of those adorable little noises as her face twitched a little.

How the hell did i ended up here? Sleeping with her?

This was the same person that wanted me to feel pain, but now she is someone who understanded me. The girl that didnt judged, just listened, and I... I dont know what to do with that.

She shifted, her arms tightening slightly around my waist. But after a moment, she settled back into sleep, her breathing steady and... snoring, geeez sunny you should sleep more.

I should move. I should probably get up and let her rest properly.

However, I didn't I chose to lay exactly where I was and let the moment last a little while longer. I simply layed there, enjoying the warmth of her presence and the slight weight of her arm around my waist. I couldn't bring myself to care that my neck was stiff and my body hurt from the awkward angle. I couldn't get my phone out to check the time or divert my attention without waking her. It also felt wrong to wake her up before she was ready.

The tattered suit was still on me . The sleeves were shredded, the fabric scorched and dusted with marble powder. My scars, especially the one across my abdomen, were plain as day. I winced.

Who cares? I've told her the story yesterday

Still, lying here in the light of the morning, it made me feel... exposed. Vulnerable. I tried to shake off the thought. She didn’t say anything about them last night, so maybe she wouldn’t care now.

Minutes passed, maybe hours—I wasn’t keeping track. I was too busy just... existing. For once, that was enough.

Then I heard it. A faint sound, like... munching?

Sunset was making little chewing motions in her sleep, her lips twitching as if she were dreaming about food.

OOOOOH ITS SO CUTEEE , this is definitely getting brought up later, there is litteraly no way im not bringing it up.

Her mouth quirked at the corners, and I could see she was beginning to move. Her breathing changed, a little irregular and then she moaned quietly. She raised her head slowly and gave me bleary-eyed blinks. Her expression changed the moment her eyes locked with mine. The realization caused her cheeks to turn a deep red. Her arms remained tightly around my waist, though, and she refused to let go of me.

“Hello, sleepyhead.”

"Umm hayy.. wait" Her eyes widened, and she quickly sat up, her arms dropping as she scrambled to put some space between us. “I—I wasn’t—! Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry!” she stammered, her face practically glowing.

I couldn't resist laughing as I slowly sat up and relaxed my tense neck. “Relax, Sunset. I barged in your house yesterday or today? I don't know”

She buried her face in her hands, groaning. “This is so fricking embarrassing...”

“Embarrassing?” I repeated, raising an eyebrow. “Sunset, you cried all over me last night, and I cried all over you. Pretty sure we’re past the point of embarrassment.”

She peeked at me through her fingers, her face still red but a small, nervous smile tugging at her lips. “Okay, fair point. But still...”

“Yooo, we've been just sleeping,” I said, my tone softening. “You helped me. A lot. So... thank you.”

Her smile grew a little more, and she lowered her hands. “I should be thanking you. You’re the one who saved me from myself last night.....”

“Sooooo, uh, do you always make chewing noises in your sleep, or was that just a special performance for me?”

Her eyes went wide, she grabbed a pillow from the couch, smacking me with it. “Shut up! Dont make fun of me in my own hause!!”

I laughed, holding up my hands in mock surrender. “Alright, alright! I’ll stop.For now atlest haha”

A light, sincere laugh escaped Sunset's lips. Hearing it made something inside of me settle, and it wasn't the fake kind you use to hide discomfort. Her chuckle turned into a slight smile.

“Sunset? Hmmm do you think it’s weird that I’m here? I mean, you spent the night with a boy. In the same be—sofa.”

I gave her a teasing smirk, leaning in slightly as I added, “Oh, you bad, bad girl. Shame on you.”

Her face turned scarlet as she swatted at me, her expression caught between embarrassment and amusement. “Stop it! You’re awful!”

I laughed again, my mood inexplicably light. It was strange, really. After everything that had happened last night—all the pain and heaviness—I felt like some of that weight had finally lifted. Maybe it was her laugh, or the way she was looking at me with something like understanding. As I looked at her, I noticed her hair. It was... a mess, to put it kindly. Strands stuck out in every direction, a testament to the emotional rollercoaster of the night before. My eyes caught on a brush sitting on the coffee table.

Without really thinking, I reached over and grabbed it.

“Hey, uh, hold still,” I said, shifting a little closer.

Her eyes widened. “Wait—what are you—”

“Just trust me,” I cut her off gently, already starting to smooth out the tangles. The bristles glided through her hair with some effort, and I could feel her tense at first, but then she relaxed.

I wasn’t entirely sure why I was doing it. It wasn’t something I’d ever done , but after everything she’d done for me last night, it just felt... right. Like a way to say thank you without having to put it into words, i need to repay her.

Sunset didn’t protest. In fact, as I continued, she closed her eyes, letting out a quiet sigh.

“You’re, uh... surprisingly good at this,” she muttered after a moment, with shy voice .

“Don’t sound so surprised. I’ve got skills, you know.”

“You’re full of surprises, you know that?”

“Guess that makes two of us,” I replied, my tone matching hers.

She glanced in the mirror nearby, turning her head from side to side to inspect my handiwork. A small smile crept across her lips. “You did a pretty good job,” she said, smoothing out a stray strand. “I’ll get you a coffee for that aaaand one for myself because, well, I can.”

“Thanks, I’ll take it.” As she made her way to the kitchen,I ran my fingers through my hair, glancing up at the clock hanging on the wall. My eyes widened. “Holy shit, it’s twenty past eleven. We had a good sleep,”then I grabbed my phone from where it had fallen last night. The screen lit up, and my eyes were immediately assaulted by a wall of notifications, a dozen missed calls and even more messages from the girls, and my dad.

I stared at the screen for a moment, scrolling through the chaos i created by my disseperance , my thumb hesitating over the reply button. But then, with a sight, I tossed the phone onto the couch next to me. It doesn’t matter right now,.Whatever they wanted could wait.I turned my head to see Sunset in the kitchen, busying herself with the coffee maker. Her movements were calm and deliberate, a stark contrast to the mess we’d been just hours ago.

She seemed... lighter, somehow. The Sunset Shimmer from last night—shaking, crying, on the brink of collapse—felt like a distant memory. In her place was someone almost unrecognizable, someone confident, strong, and oddly comforting.

“Do you always make coffee this dramatically?” I teased, leaning back into the couch.

She glanced over her shoulder, smirking. “Only when I’ve got an such a amazing audience haha . You better appreciate this, not every day you get handcrafted coffee from me.”

“Guess I should feel honored, huh?”

"Oh you should,” she shot back playfully, pouring the coffee into two mismatched mugs. “And don’t think that I will be making it everytime we meet, you’ll be on coffee duty next time.”

The casual talk felt... normal. Like we were just two friends hanging out, instead of two people who had spent the night breaking down every emotional wall we had.

A gentle smile spread across her face as she carried the cups over. As I removed the cup from her hands, I couldn't resist giving it back. She briefly ran into the rear of the kitchen before returning with a tray of cookies and placing them on the coffee table with a small gesture. “Ta-da! Breakfast of champions,” she said with a grin, sitting down beside me on the couch.

“Wow, you really went all out.”

“What can I say?” We didn’t need a deep topic to keep the conversation going. We just... talked. Talked about everything and nothing all at once. It wasn’t about the words themselves it was about the flow, the ease of it. The simple comfort of being able to sit next to someone and not feel the crushing weight of silence. But as the minutes ticked by, I felt a weight slowly pressing on my chest again. My gaze drifted to my phone, still lying face-down on the couch next to me. I could feel it there, buzzing quietly in my thoughts even if it wasn’t ringing.

My fingers brushed against the screen as I picked it up. “Ahh... it’s time...” I muttered, my voice tinged with reluctance.

“Time for what?” Sunset looked at me curiously, setting her mug down.

“To answer. Everyone has been calling all night. My dad too. I can’t just ignore them forever.”

Her expression softened, and she gave me a small nod. “Yeah. They probably want to know that you’re okay.”

I scrolled through the notifications, my thumb hesitating over the names. “Alright,” I muttered, mostly to myself. “Let’s do this.” The first call was to Applejack. As soon as she picked up, her voice came through loud and clear. “Well, look who finally decided call! You alright, sugarcube? We were all worried sick. Why did you call all of us? Did something happend?”

“Yeah, im good now ” I replied, rubbing the back of my neck. “Sorry about that. I’m fine. I just... i just needed to talk to some one and i ended at Sunset’s place last night. We were talking, and I guess we both kinda crashed.”

There was a pause. Then, in the most Applejack way possible, she chuckled. “Well, ain’t that somethin’. So y’all are official now, huh?”

That completely caught meoff guard. “What? No, it’s not like that—”

“Sure, sure,” she teased, the humor in her tone evident. “You just spent the night talkin’. Got it. I’m just sayin’, sounds like you two are pretty close.”

“We’re just friends, Applejack! I swear.” My face started to heat up as I stumbled over my words.

She laughed again, clearly enjoying my discomfort. “Alright, alright But I’m glad you’re okay. And Sunset too, again sorry i didn't called back”

The next few calls followed a similar pattern. Rarity was all too eager to play matchmaker, her excitement practically bubbling over the phone. “Darling, please tell me everything! This is so romantic! Oh, I just knew there was gonna be something between you two, did you kissed arlea-”

“no,” I interrupted, exasperated. “Nothing happened between us.” In a romantic sense of course.

“Mhmm, sure, i dont belive you anyway.” her tone dripping with skepticism. “Well, if you say so. But keep me updated okey? I dont want to miss the moment you will start dating.”

Even Fluttershy, as sweet and soft-spoken as she was, couldn’t resist a little teasing. “Oh, um... I’m glad you’re okay,” Then, almost shyly, “It’s nice that Sunset was there for you. You two must really care about each other.”

By the time I got to Rainbow Dash’s call, I was already bracing myself. She didn’t disappoint.

“Yo, dude! So, you and Sunset, huh? I gotta say, I didn’t see it coming.”

“Rainbow, we’re just friends. Do. You. Understand?.Can we please not make this a thing?”

“Pffffft, sure,” clearly not convinced. “But come on, spending the night at her place? You can’t tell me that’s not a little sus.”

“It’s not,” my patience was wearing thin. “We were just talking, and we both fell asleep. That’s it. End of story.”

“Alright, alright. But if you change your mind, I better be the first to know.” By the time I hung up, I was exhausted all over again. I tossed my phone back onto the couch, letting out a groan of frustration.

Sunset, who had been quietly watching from the kitchen, walked over with a raised eyebrow. “Sooo they, didnt expect that you would be here huh?”

“Yea and the girls think we are together or something”

She handed me another cookie, her face got a little reder. “Dont worry they are just caring about you, and as you said we didn't do anthing.... that would led to that, right? ”

My frustration was melting away away as I saw the warmth in her expression. Something about the situation seemed surprisingly domestic to me, and I burst out laughing before I could stop myself.

Sunset tilted her head, and for the millionth time today, her cheeks instantly flushed. However, her countenance changed this time, displaying a mixture of amusement and shame. “The idea of being with me is so funny to you?” Little anger appered on her face.

“No, no that's not what im lauging about,” I admitted between chuckles. “it feels more like we’ve been married for some years not, like being together is long behind us , the teasing, the... everything, you know”

Her eyes widened, and she immediately turned away, her voice rising an octave. “Meanie!”

That only made me laugh harder, which earned me a mock glare. But then, with a dramatic sigh, she relented, muttering, “Fine. Stay put. I’ll see if I can find something that’ll fit you, that suits no longer looks good at you” She started rummaging through a nearby closet, glancing over her shoulder every few seconds as if to make sure I wasn’t laughing again , she shot me one last look. “While I do this, you should call your dad. He’s probably worried sick. After all, he’s your father.”

Her words sobered me up instantly. “Yeah, you’re probably right,”

I sat on the couch and steared at my phone. His name was right there at the top of the missed calls list, sixty one missed calls..... My thumb hovered over the screen, hesitating for a moment before I pressed the button..Each ring on the dial seemed to go on forever, and the tone seemed to go on forever. Then he picked up at last.

“Hello? Son? where are you? Are you safe? ” His voice came through, a mix of relief and worry.

“Hey, Dad yes im safe” trying to sound normal, though my voice cracked just a little.

“Thank goodness,” he said, exhaling sharply. “Where have you been? I’ve been calling all night! Are you okay? Im so fucking sorry i didn't told you earlier, it wasn't too early for you to know...it was too early for me. Im sorry son"

Taking a big breath, I looked at Sunset, who was silently cheering me. “I’m fine, Dad. I know calm down Really. I... I stayed at Sunset’s place last night. We were talking, and things got... you know... and we just... fell asleep.”

There was a pause, and I could practically hear the gears turning in his head. “Sunset? Is that your new friend? You spent the night at her house? Shes not some random girl you met when you were mad right? She didn't do anything to you, did she?

“Yeah, she's... a new friend i met, let's just say i helped her and she helped me okey? That's all” I was arleady bracing myself for his reaction.

To my surprise, he didn’t sound angry. Instead, his voice softened. “Are you sure you’re okay? You’ve been through a lot by my dumb decisions yesterday . If you need to come home—”

“No,” I interrupted quickly. “I mean, not yet. I need more time. She’s been... helping me, Dad. More than I think I even realized, if she will allow me i will stay till tomorow. Then i'll come back okey?

He didn’t respond right away, but when he finally spoke, his tone was gentle. “Alright. Just... keep me updated, okay? And come home when you’re ready. I love you, son, im sorry again"

“I love you too, Dad,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper. I threw my phone at the pillow, then took a big breath and slapped my cheecks to wake myself from this call.

“You good?” Sunset asked, walking over with a bundle of clothes in her arms.

“Yeah, just... needed to get that out of the way.”

For a moment, neither of us spoke . I broke the stillness. "Sunset, i know i was a burden to you last night, but can i stay here for another night, if you don't wan-"

"Firstly you weren't a burden, that's for sure. To be honest you shocked me a little when you called, but im thankful i could help you. Here you go" she gaveme clothes to change "If you want to stay, that's only rule, you need to change from this wrinkled suit"

“Tha- Thanks sunset, it means a lot, really.” Maybe i should say more, but i can't find the words that would even say how greatfull i am to her. Then i took the clothes she gave me and went into her bedroom to change, just some normal track pants and a short-sleeved T-shirt. Honestly, I hated short sleeves you know the whole, my wrists look like cutting board, like i was playing fruit ninja, but i didn't cared about that now, Sunset had already seen everything last night and to my suprise it didn’t seem to bother her somehow.

I bundled up the torn, bloodstained suit, gave it one last glance, and tossed it into the trash. It felt like throwing away a part of myself—a part I didn’t want anymore.

Stepping out of the bedroom, i went back to living room and took a seat on the couch next to her. For a moment, we just sat in comfortable silence, sipping on the coffee that had gone slightly lukewarm by now. But the lightness of the moment couldn’t hold back the questions swirling in my head for long. Setting my mug down, I turned to her, my voice quieter now. “Hey.. do you know what it means? I mean... that I’m half-Alicorn, half-human?”

She raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised by the question. “I don’t know to be honest, Alicorns are rare in Equestria, the rarity comes with power and i mean they are incredibly powerful—like, immortal-level powerful— they have a deep connection to magic. If you’re half-Alicorn... well, it probably means you’ve got some kind of innate magic, maybe even in this world. The alicorns in equestria are like... royalty? Higher beeings"

Her explanation made a little sense, but it didn’t exactly comfort me. The next question tumbling out of me before I could stop it. “So... would I be some kind of prince if I went to Equestria?”

Sunset was clearly caught off guard, and then burst out laughing. “A prince? You? Haha”

“EY! What's that supposed to mean?” I frowned, pretending to be offended

“No offense,” she said, still giggling, “but you don’t exactly scream ‘royalty.’ Besides, it doesn’t really work like that in Equestria. You’d only be a prince if, you know, you actually earned the title more than had some royal lineage. Your mom was an Alicorn, yeah sure, but if she was part of Equestria’s royal family, it doesn’t automatically make you a prince.”

“Oh,” I said, leaning back into the couch. “So I’m just some random, half-Alicorn dude. That's fine too, i think.”

Sunset’s smile softened, and she placed a hand on my arm. “Hey, don’t think about it like that. Being an Alicorn—or half-Alicorn—means you’re special anyway, it doesn’t define who you are.You are still you.”

Her words sett something in my chest I hadn’t realized was unsettled. “So... no royal duties, no magical destiny waiting for me back in Equestria :<?”

She shook her head, grinning. “Not unless you want there to be.”

“Aw, but i still wonder who my mom was, i mean in the life in equestria, dad told me that she was mentor to celestia and luna before they were alicorn themselfs, you said were student of that celestia right?"

Sunset tilted her head slightly, her expression shifting to something more complexive. “Yeah, I was Princess Celestia’s student. In Equestria, I mean. She taught me everything I know about magic—. She was... wise. Patient. And incredibly powerful. It’s kind of hard to imagine her having a mentor herself,”

She paused, her eyes searching mine. "It sounds like your mom played a huge role in shaping them—and maybe even shaping Equestria as a whole, if she was mentor of them." Then she placed a hand on my shoulder, her touch grounding. “I get it,” she said. “Feeling like you’re supposed to live up to something—or someone—you barely know. But you knew her human life, she loved you in this life,and you should focus on that"

Her comments were comforting in a way I didn't quite understand, so I nodded. But something continued to bother me... “Do you think your Celestia—would remember her? My mom. Do you think she’d tell me more about her if I... if I ever went to Equestria?”

Sunset hesitated, her brows furrowing. “I don’t know,” she admitted. “It’s possible. If your mom was her mentor, there’s no way she’d forget her. But Equestria’s a different world, and it’s... complicated. There might be things she can’t—or won’t—tell you.”

“Maybe i should'nt think about that. What if I don’t like what I find out?

Sunset’s grip on my shoulder tightened slightly, and she leaned closer. “Then you’ll deal with it. We’ll figure it out together, okay? But that's just your speculations. ”

"Yes i know. But She... she died protecting me. I was just a kid, and she... she gave everything to keep me safe. I... can even remember the details clearly. Like snapshots burned into my brain. The fear. The chaos. And then she was gone.”

Sunset’s hand slipped from my shoulder, but only so she could take both of my hands in hers. Her eyes shimmered with unshed tears. “I’m so sorry,” she whispered. “I can’t imagine what that must have been like—for you, for your dad. She must have loved you so much to do that.”

“She did,” I managed to choke out. “She loved me, she died loving me, and I couldn’t do anything to help her"

“No,” Sunset interrupted firmly, her voice shaking. “No. Don’t you dare do that to yourself. You couldn’t have done anything differently.” She pulled me into her arms, holding me tightly . “She wouldn’t want you to live like this,” she said softly, her own voice breaking. “She gave her life so you could have yours. Don’t let that sacrifice go to waste. Don’t let it define you.”

I clung to her, the words sinking in slowly, painfully. “I just miss her so much,” I whispered. “Every day. Every single day.”

“I know,” , her hand gently rubbing my back. “And that’s okay. Missing her means she mattered to you. It means her love is still with you. ”

We stayed like that for what felt like an eternity, wrapped in each other’s pain and comfort. For the first time, the memory of my mom didn’t feel like a dagger in my chest. It was still sharp, still unbearable, but Sunset’s presence dulled the edges just enough for me to breathe again.

Sunset’s voice broke the silence. “You know… I miss Princess Celestia too.”

The way she said it, i could feel the raw emotion laced in her words, that made me look up. Her sad, wistful expression hit me harder than I expected. She wasn’t just sharing a thought—this was something deeper, something she had buried.

“I didn’t realize it then,” she continued, her voice cracking slightly. “Back when I was her student… back when I was so angry, so convinced I didn’t need anyone. But now… now I see it. She was like a mother to me.” she went silent for a moment " I dont even know my parents, they left me when i was a little filly, Celestia she took me, she raised, tought me everything i know, and i let her down so many times, especially the last"

She rubbed her arms, almost as if trying to comfort herself, and her eyes shimmered with unshed tears.

“I thought I was better than everyone,” she admitted, a bitter laugh escaping her lips. “I thought I was better than her. That she was holding me back, keeping me from my destiny. I was so arrogant, so blind. She only wanted to guide me, to help me grow, and I—” Her voice broke, and she closed her eyes tightly, as if trying to hold herself together. “I threw it all away. I walked away from her, from everything she tried to teach me, because I thought I knew better.” She opened her eyes and looked at me, her gaze filled with a heartbreaking mix of regret and longing. “It wasn’t until I got here, until I lost everything, that I realized what she meant to me. How much she cared. How much she believed in me, even when I didn’t deserve it. And by then…” She swallowed hard, a tear slipping down her cheek.

“By then, it was too late. I had burned every bridge, broken every bond. I didn’t just leave her—I betrayed her. And I can’t… I can’t ever take that back.”

“She was patient with me,you know?” her voice softer now, like she was speaking more to herself than to me. “Even when I was at my worst, she never gave up. She saw something in me that I couldn’t see in myself. And I—I took that love, that trust, and I threw it in her face. I told myself I didn’t need her. But I did. I needed her more than I ever realized.”

Her hands clenched into fists, and she shook her head, a tear slipping from the corner of her eye. “I can’t even go back to apologize. I don’t know if she’d forgive me, but I can’t even try. And that… that’s what hurts the most. That she’ll never know how much I miss her, how much I regret everything, how much i want to be her daughter...”

I reached out instinctively, placing my hands on her shoulders. “Sunset…” I started, but I didn’t know what else to say. What could I say to ease a pain like that?

She looked at me, her lips trembling as she tried to smile. “It’s funny, isn’t it? You miss your mom, and I… I miss someone who was like a mom to me. We’re both just…” She let out a broken laugh. “We’re both just trying to hold on to something we’ve lost.”

Her words struck a chord deep inside me. She wasn’t just talking about Celestia—she was opening up a part of herself . And in that moment, I realized something.

“You know,” I said carefully, “I think she would forgive you. If she was as kind as you say, if she cared as much as you think… I think she’d want you to move forward, to forgive yourself.”

Sunset’s breath hitched, and she gave me a small, shaky nod. “I dont know. Maybe. I hope so.”

We fell silent again, the weight of our shared pain settling between us. I saw Sunset not as the girl who seemed to have everything together, but as someone who was just as lost and broken as me. And in that, I found a strange kind of solace.

“I guess,” she said after a while, her voice softer now, “we both have a lot to figure out.”

What the fuck am I supposed to do? panic surging through me. She just poured her heart out, and I’m sitting here like a clueless idiot. I should say something.

Then, almost on instinct, I did the first thing that came to mind. I reached over, grinning mischievously, and poked her side. “Hey,” I said, trying to sound playful. “You know what? There’s one thing I have figured out. But that's.. That is wild take..”

She looked at me, confused. “What’s that?”

“That .... you..... need to laugh more.” Before she could react, I dug my fingers into her sides and started tickling her as best as I could.

“Ah! Wha—what are you—stop! Now! ” she shrieked, squirming and trying to push me away, but I didn’t relent.

“Nope, no sad faces allowed today!” I declared, doubling down on my efforts. Her laughter filled the room, genuine and unrestrained, and for a moment, it felt like the weight we’d both been carrying had lifted just a little.

“Okay, okay, stop!” she gasped between laughs, tears streaming down her face. “I can’t—breathe!”

I finally pulled back, grinning like an idiot. “See? Much better,” I teased. “You’re supposed to be the wise, reformed Sunset Shimmer. What kind of example are you setting?”

She swatted at me playfully, still catching her breath. “Oh, you’re the worst,” she said, but her smile betrayed her. “You’re lucky I don’t want to throw you out for that.”

“Lucky? No, no. You’re lucky I’m here to keep you entertained,” I shot back, puffing out my chest dramatically. “I’m like a free comedy show.”

Sunset rolled her eyes but laughed again, shaking her head. “You’re ridiculous. But… thanks. I needed that.”

She leaned back, stretching a little before turning her attention back to me. “So, what are we gonna do? OOH lets order something! Pizza? Chinese?

Instinctively, I grabbed inside my pocket, but found nothing. I had a heartbreaking realization. “Uh…I grumbled as I looked in the other pocket, but naturally, I couldn't find anything there either. “Sunset, I- didn’t grab my wallet. I think I left it in my room when I—”

Before I could stammer out an apology, she bursted into laughter, “Don’t worry, don’t worry, I’ve got it,” she said, waving a hand dismissively. “You’re my guest, after all. But if I’m paying.... I get to decide! How does pepperoni with extra cheese sound?”

“Amazing. it sounds amazing” my tone filled with genuine gratitude.

“Pepperoni it is!” She pulled out her phone to place the order.

As we waited, Sunset motioned toward her TV. “Want to play something? To get time to pass quicker. I got my ps hooked up arleady. How about some Mortal Kombat?”

“That's good”. Video games? I could im good not to flutter. Or so I thought.

We started playing, and it became clear almost immediately that.... She destroyed me in every match “OH FOR FUCKS SAKE!” tossing the controller onto the couch after another humiliating defeat. “How ?!”

She smirked, clearly enjoying my frustration. “Years of practice, my friend,” twirling her controller in her hand like some kind of gaming champion. “Face it you’re just not good enaugh Mortal Kombat greatness.”

“Yeah, yeah you're better i got that” I muttered, crossing my arms and pretending to sulk.

“Aw, don’t be like that,” she teased, nudging me with her elbow. “You’re just as not good as me what can i say haha.”

Before I could come up with a witty comeback, there was a knock at the door. “Pizza’s here!” Sunset announced, jumping up to grab it. She returned with the box, the smell of fresh, cheesy goodness filling the room. “Dinner is served,” she said with a grin, setting it down on the coffee table.

We grabbed slices and settled in, flipping through her movie collection until something caught her eye. “How about The Greatest Showman?”

“Sure. I’ve heard it’s good.”

As soon as the film started, I was hooked. The show, the music—it was all so... colorful. I would occasionally look over at Sunset, who was totally engrossed, her eyes bright and wide. “This is actually pretty good,” I admitted halfway through, reaching for another slice of pizza.

“I know, right?” she said, her enthusiasm infectious. “It’s one of my favorites. I love the message about finding where you belong, about being proud of who you are, adequate movie for you.”

Her words hit hard. We both became engrossed in the plot and lapsed into a comfortable silence as the film continued. When it was over, I felt, in some way, lighter.

“So,” she said, breaking the silence. “What do you think?”

“I liked it,” I said honestly. “It fitted my situation haha, the other side was the best song”

“Anytime,” she said, leaning back against the couch and stretching again. “Buuuuut i liked rewrite the stars more.”

As the credits rolled in the background and we sat there with the empty pizza box left on the table, I became acutally aware of how much I valued this moment. Just the two of us, laughing and enjoying a piece of pizza, letting the world fade away for a bit. No drama, no serious discussion. It was just what I required. I wasn't alone, either, based on Sunset's expression.

Author's Note

It's time... for a wholesome chapter, the previous chapter had a lot in theme, its just time for sunset and oc to get some rest. They dont realise it now but there grow closer each moment right? What will come from their relation? Time will show us. Have fun reading !