As the delightful buzz of Sugarcube Corner filled the air, the sound of the coffee machine, the clinking of cups, and the chatting of customers mingled into a calming background music. I leaned back in the booth, feeling Sunset Shimmer's soft weight on my lap. She was sipping a strawberry smoothie through a straw and idly tinkering with the sleeve of my jacket. I was unconsciously smiling at the image because it was so serene and personal.

Across from us, Pinkie Pie was bouncing slightly in her seat, unable to contain her boundless energy. "Soooooo" she chirped, leaning forward "any plans for the holidays? Christmas is just around the corner, you know!"

The question hung in the air for a moment as everyone at the table began to chime in.

Applejack spoke first "Ah reckon Ah'll spend it with the family, like always. Granny’s makin’ her famous apple cider, and Big Mac’s already wranglin’ the tree from the farm. It’s gonna be real cozy back at the ol’ homestead."

Rainbow Dash smirked, crossing her arms. "Same here. I mean, not the cider thing, but my family always gets together. My dad tries to make a turkey every year, and it’s always, like, slightly burnt. Classic Dash family Christmas."

Rarity nodded, her hands delicately wrapped around a steaming cup of tea. "My parents are dragging Sweetie Belle and me to some horrendously tacky Christmas gala, but honestly, I don’t mind. It’s an excuse to debut my new holiday ensemble. And after that, we always have a lovely dinner together."

Fluttershy’s voice was soft but full of warmth. "I’ll be spending it at home with my animal friends and my parents. We always decorate the tree together, and it’s so peaceful. I love it."

Pinkie Pie gasped dramatically. "Oh! My family does this crazy rock-themed Christmas! We decorate with painted rocks, eat rock candy, and Maud always gives the funniest geology jokes. It’s the best!"

The warmth in their voices made me smile . Then I realized Sunset was silent. She remained on my lap, but her eyes had changed, and her turquoise eyes now held a sadness in the distance. Forgotten, her straw dangled loosely from her lips. I leaned in slightly and gently blew a soft puff of air into her ear, making her flinch and laugh a little before looking back at me. "Hey, What’s wrong? Are you not excited about the holidays?"

Sunset paused, her gaze flicking away from mine as she set her smoothie down on the table. She didn’t answer right away, and the silence that followed was enough to catch the attention of the others.

"What is it, darling?" Rarity asked gently, concern evident in her voice.

Sunset shifted uncomfortably, her fingers toying with the hem of her jacket. Finally, she spoke "I… I’ve never really celebrated Christmas before."

The words landed heavily on the table.

Pinkie blinked in shock. "Never? Like, not even once?!"

Sunset shook her head, forcing a small, awkward laugh. "Nope. Not even once. Back in Equestria, we had Hearth’s Warming, but… well, the only pony I was ever close to was Celestia, and after I… ran away, I didn’t have anyone. I was too busy being, well… me. You know, breaking friendships, manipulating people, focusing on myself. Christmas just… wasn’t a thing for me."

The girls stared at her, their wide eyes filled with disbelief and sympathy.

"You never spent Christmas with anyone?" Rarity asked.

Sunset giggled nervously, rubbing the back of her neck. "Nope. I mean, I didn’t really care back then. I was too wrapped up in… being awful." She glanced down, her fingers twisting together in her lap. "It’s kind of funny, isn’t it? The girl who tried to ruin everything for everyone else never bothered to care about something like Christmas."

I felt a pang in my chest at her words. Without even thinking, I wrapped my arms around her from behind, pulling her close and resting my chin on her shoulder. "That was in the past," I said firmly, my voice soft but resolute. "You’re not that person anymore, Sunset. Now you have people you can spend christmas with."

She turned her head slightly to look at me, her eyes were shimmering with emotion. "You mean you?"

I smiled, nodding. "Yeah. Me. And them too." I gestured toward the girls around the table, who all nodded in agreement. "You don’t have to spend Christmas alone anymore. This year, you can spend it with us."

Sunset’s eyes widened, and for a moment, she looked almost overwhelmed. Then she smiled, a genuine, grateful smile that made my heart ache in the best way. "Oh, I was planning on spending it with you anyway," she said, her voice was teasing but also warm.

Pinkie gasped dramatically, pointing a finger at Sunset. "That’s not fair! Just because he’s your boyfriend doesn’t mean you can hog him all to yourself for Christmas!"

Sunset laughed, standing up from my lap and stretching her arms above her head. "Okay, okay," she said, flicking her hair over her shoulder. "We’ll figure it out. Maybe I’ll share him with you all. Maybe." She winked at Pinkie, who crossed her arms with a playful pout.

"Good," Pinkie said, grinning. "Because Christmas is meant to be spent with everyone you love, and that includes all of us!"

Sunset nodded, her smile softening as she looked around the table. "You’re right. I’m really grateful for all of you."

I couldn’t help but smile as I watched her.

"Anyway," Sunset said, clapping her hands together. "I’ll be right back. I need to use the bathroom." She gave me a quick kiss on the cheek before walking off, leaving the rest of us at the table.

I shifted in my seat, wincing slightly. "Man, my crotch hurts" I muttered to myself, earning a snort from Rainbow Dash.

"She’s got a point, though," Applejack said, leaning back in her chair. "Christmas ain’t about fancy gifts or big parties. It’s about spendin’ time with the people who matter most. And Ah reckon that’s exactly what we’ll do this year."

"Okay," I said, leaning forward and resting my elbows on the table. "I have a plan."

Pinkie gasped dramatically, leaning in closer with wide eyes. "A plan? Ooooh, I love plans! What kind of plan? Is it a big plan? Is it a secret plan? Do I need to bring balloons?"

"Calm down, Pinkie," I said with a chuckle, holding up a hand to stop her barrage of questions. "It’s not that kind of plan. I was just thinking… what do you guys think about doing, uh… what’s it called? Slumber parties? That’s what you call it, right?"

Rarity blinked at me, tilting her head slightly. "Yes, darling… slumber parties. Why do you ask?"

"Good," I said, nodding. "Because for a second there, I thought it was called… dumber parties."

Rainbow Dash snorted, rolling her eyes before giving me a playful punch on the shoulder. "Ouch! Okay, okay! Sorry, sorry!" I laughed, rubbing my shoulder. "Jeez, you’re stronger than you look."

Applejack raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms. "And where exactly are ya goin’ with this idea of yours?"

"Hear me out," I said, pointing a finger at her. "Holidays are in what? Two weeks?"

"Three," Fluttershy murmured softly.

"Thanks," I said, flashing her a grin. She gave me a small, shy thumbs-up, completely missing the sarcastic edge in my tone.

"Anyway, what do you think about this? We plan for two or three slumber parties before the holidays, just to, you know, spend some time together as a group. And then—" I paused dramatically, pointing around the table. "We do a pre-holiday celebration at my place. Not on Christmas, though. That’s my time with her."

The girls giggled at my last comment, and I felt my face heat up slightly. Rarity smiled, resting her chin on her hand. "I must admit, that does sound rather fun. A series of slumber parties leading up to a pre-holiday gathering? How delightfully festive!"

"Yeah, that sounds awesome!" Rainbow said, grinning. "But, uh… are you sure your place is up for it? No offense, dude, but last time I was there—"

"Hold up" I interrupted, pointing at her with narrowed eyes. "We haven’t even started planning, and you’re already dissing my place?"

"She’s got a point, though," Applejack said with a teasing smirk. "You sure your house is ready for somethin’ like that?"

I sighed, leaning back in my chair. "Okay, okay, so maybe I need to… tidy up a bit. But it’s not that bad!"

Before anyone else could chime in, Sunset returned from the bathroom, walking back toward the table. She caught the tail end of the conversation, raising an eyebrow as she approached. "Wait a second. What’s this about your house?"

I froze, my mind racing for an explanation, but before I could come up with anything, Rainbow Dash jumped in with a smirk. "Oh, you didn’t hear? He’s volunteering his house for a pre-holiday party."

Sunset stopped in her tracks, placing her hands on her hips as she looked at me. "Your house?"

"Eeeeee…" I hesitated, scratching the back of my head.

"Yeah," Rainbow continued, leaning back in her chair with a smug grin. "But honestly, his house needs some serious cleaning. Did you see how it looked last time we were there? Like, wow."

"Oh, you little—"

Sunset raised an eyebrow, her expression were softening into a teasing smile. "Is that true? Does your house really need a cleaning spree?"

I sighed, shrugging in defeat. "Okay, fine. Maybe it could use a little… organizing."

"A little?" Rainbow snickered, earning a playful swat from Applejack.

"Okey, okey, I’ll clean the shelves, the floors, everything. Happy?"

Sunset chuckled, sliding back into my lap and resting her arms on the table. "Well, as long as it’s clean by the time of the party, I guess I can let it slide."

"Thank you," I said with mock dramatics.

Pinkie clapped her hands together, bouncing in her seat. "Okay! So it’s settled! Slumber parties and a pre-holiday party! This is gonna be the best Christmas ever!"

"First slumber party’s at my place," Applejack said with a nod. "Then Rarity’s, then Rainbow’s, and finally…" She glanced at me, smirking. "Yours. pre-holiday party"

"Fine by me," I said, leaning back with a grin. "But just so you all know, I’m not sharing my time with Sunset on Christmas. That’s non-negotiable."

We had stayed longer than expected, laughing, teasing, and planning for the holidays, but eventually, we had to part ways.

When me and sunset finally reached my house, I held the door open for her.

“You know” I said, leaning against the frame, “if you keep staying over like this, you’re gonna forget the way to your own house.”

She gasped dramatically, placing a hand over her heart. “Ohhh, so you don’t want me here? I get it. I see how it is.”

She spun on her heel and started walking back toward her motorcycle.

Wait—what? No, no, no, that’s not what I meant—!

But she suddenly bursted into laughter, turning on her heel. “Gotcha!”

“You’re evil.”

She grinned, stepping closer, and before I could retaliate, she pressed a soft kiss to my cheek. “And you love it.”

Damn it. She’s right.

With that, she walked inside, leaving me standing in the doorway like an idiot. But finally after dramatic our moment we made our way to my room, and as soon as we got in, I flopped onto my bed, streched my arms out. Sunset followed, lying next to me, her head resting against my shoulder as she nuzzled in close. I sighed, unlocking my phone and scrolling through MyStable absentmindedly. But then, something caught my eye. A new account. One I hadn’t seen before.

Anon-a-Miss.

The latest post was a picture of Flash Sentry in his underwear, looking half-asleep, his hair was an absolute mess and he was sucking his finger. The caption read

"Flashy’s got a flashy morning routine! ;)"

Okay, that was kinda funny.

I scrolled down.

There was a picture of Lyra and Bon Bon kissing in an empty hallway. The caption?

"Secret lovers? Guess it’s not so secret anymore!"

And then—

An image of Bulk Biceps in the locker room, a syringe in his hand, the needle pressed against his..... Well parts below belt

"Is that how you got those muscles, big guy?"

That one made me uneasy.

“Whoa”

Sunset, who had been curled up next to me, tilted her head. “What?”

I turned my phone so she could see.

She gasped, sitting up straight. “Who would do something like that?”

I smirked, looking at her. “I might know someone who used to be reeeeeally mean.”

Before she could react, I darted my fingers to her stomach, wiggling them.

Sunset shrieked with laughter, twisting away from me. “S-Stop! Stop, you idiot!”

I grinned. “I dunno, this really seems like something a certain fiery-haired girl might have done in the past…”

She swatted my hand, still giggling. “You’re so dumb.”

“You love it.”

She rolled her eyes, but the smile on her lips told me everything I needed to know.

Then, she stretched, standing up from the bed. “I’m gonna go take a shower.”

I sat up. “Ooh, good idea.” I hopped up, following after her.

She turned, raising an eyebrow. “Uh-huh. And what do you think you’re doing?”

“Uh… coming with?”

Sunset smirked, tapping a finger to her chin as if she were considering it. “Hmm… No.”

And with that, she shut the bathroom door in my face.

“Suuuuuuunny, let me in!”

I heard her laugh from the other side. “Nope!”

I sighed, pressing my forehead against the door. This girl was gonna drive me insane. I dragged my feet back to my bed and collapsed face-first onto the mattress, groaning into my pillow. The warmth of her presence still lingered in the room, the faint scent of her shampoo could be sniffed in my room . I squeezed my eyes shut, pressing my forehead against the fabric.

Why?

Why didn’t she want… that?

I mean, we had been together for three months now four if you count that whole “I tried to take over the world” phase, but let’s not get into that. And yet… nothing. Just kissing, holding hands, the occasional nuzzle, but nothing more. I wasn’t asking for much, was I? I wasn’t some kind of animal who only wanted one thing from a relationship, but… damn it, I was a guy, and I had needs.

There was something powerful about her when she was passionate. When she argued. When she fought for what she believed in. When she looked at me like I was the only thing in the world that mattered. I wanted to feel that passion in other ways. I wanted her to grab me, pull me close, make me feel like I was drowning in her fire.

But she didn’t. She never did.

I groaned into my pillow, then turned over and started kicking the mattress, throwing a tiny, frustrated tantrum like a kid.

“Grrrhhhhh whyyyyy—?!”

I punched the bed, my arms flailing uselessly before I went limp, staring at the ceiling.

Was something wrong with me? Was I expecting too much? Sunset was the most important person in my life—hell, she was my life. I didn’t want to rush things, but… I also didn’t want to feel like I was the only one who wanted more.

I exhaled deeply, running a hand down my face.I needed a distraction. Something to get my mind off this before I went crazy.

Just then, there was a knock at the door.

I sat up. “Okay, that was weird even for me.”

"Ahem. Hey, Dad?"

The door opened, and there he was Sombra, in all his smug, fatherly glory. He stepped inside, shutting the door behind him with the casual confidence of a man who had way too much experience dealing with my bullshit.

He pulled my desk chair closer, sat down, and kicked his feet up onto the desk, crossing his arms.

“So" he said, raising an eyebrow. "What’s wrong this time?”

I groaned, shoving my face back into my pillow. “Ughhhh i don't want to talk about it”

“We had an agreement. We don't talk about your mom, and you answer all your questions about how you feel”

I hesitated.

This was stupid. I wasn’t seriously going to talk to my dad about this, was I?

…Yeah. Screw it.

I turned my head to the side, looking at him. “You really wanna talk about my sex life?”

I expected him to cringe. To get uncomfortable. To tell me to shut up and walk away.

Instead, he just nodded. “Yep. You’re my son.”

I smirked. Alright, old man. Let’s see how long you last.

“Well," I said, stretching my arms behind my head. "Sunset’s pregnant."

He turned pale.

I bursted out laughing. "I’m kidding!”

His face twitched, processing what just happened. Then, to my horror, he laughed.

I froze. "Wait… why are you laughing?"

He smirked, leaning forward. “Because you think you’re funny.”

I rolled my eyes. “Whatever”

His smirk widened. “So, is Sunset actually—?”

“No,” I said quickly, sitting up. “Sunset isn’t pregnant.”

He let out a dramatic sigh of relief, wiping imaginary sweat from his forehead. “Phew. That’s good. Because I am way too young to be a grandpa.”

I shot him a look. “You’re ancient.”

“Rude.”

I shook my head, rubbing my temples. “To be honest… that’s the problem.”

His expression turned curious. “You’re mad that Sunset isn’t pregnant?”

I sat up fully, giving him the deadest stare I could muster. “No.”

He blinked. “Then…?”

I sighed. “She doesn’t show any interest in me that way.”

Dad tilted his head. “You mean she hasn’t—”

“Yup.”

“Not even—”

“Nope.”

He raised an eyebrow. “And this is bad… why?”

“I don’t know, it’s just… we’ve been together for months, and I feel like I’m the only one who even thinks about it. I don’t wanna pressure her or anything, but I also don’t wanna feel like I’m wrong for wanting more than just kissing.”

Dad leaned back in the chair, stroking his chin. “So, let me get this straight, you’re mad that your four-month girlfriend doesn’t immediately jump you as soon as you walk through the door?”

“…A little.”

He laughed. Hard.

“Dad, stop.”

“No, no, this is great.” He wiped a fake tear from his eye. “My son, the Prince of Salvation, all-powerful, admired by death, feared by enemies, and yet… his girlfriend won’t bang him.”

I threw a pillow at his face. He caught it without even looking.

“Okay, seriously,” I muttered, sitting up. “What do I do?”

He sighed, the humor fading from his face as he leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “Alright. Listen up, kiddo.”

I raised an eyebrow.

“First of all, there’s nothing wrong with you for wanting it” he said. “You’re young. You’re in love. It’s natural.”

I exhaled, relieved to hear it out loud.

“But” he continued, “there’s also nothing wrong with her not wanting it. At least, not yet.”

I frowned. “So what, I just wait?”

He shrugged. “If you really love her, yeah. You wait. You give her space. You let her come to you.”

I swallowed. “…What if she never does?”

Dad studied me for a long moment, then smiled. “Then you decide if just being with her is enough.”

That was… surprisingly wise.

I sighed, rubbing my face. “Yeah. Okay. I get it.”

Dad smirked, standing up. “Good talk. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a lot of work waiting for me downstairs.”

He walked to the door, then paused.

“Oh, and one last thing.”

I looked up. “Yeah?”

He turned, smirking. “If you ever do get to that point… use protection.”

I threw another pillow at him. “DAD!”

He laughed, shutting the door behind him.

I groaned, flopping onto my bed.

Sunset… was everything to me.

And if waiting was what I had to do… then I’d wait.

The door creaked open.

"Why was your dad here?"

Sunset’s voice pulled me out of my thoughts. She stepped inside, wearing her pajamas—just a loose T-shirt and shorts, her hair was wet from the shower.

"We just talked about me again. Y’know, my favorite topic." I tried to sound nonchalant, but the way she tilted her head told me she wasn’t buying it.

"He's really engaged in talking about your feelings, huh?" she said, leaning against my desk chair.

"Yeah. He’s all in on the ‘let’s analyze my son’s emotions’ thing. Like, I get it, I did some crazy stuff, but man…"

Sunset smirked. "If my son tried to take over the world and reshape it in his image, I’d check on him at least a thousand times a day."

I stared at her for a second before I chuckled. "Too bad you won’t have that problem. We’re just gonna have a time-traveling daughter instead."

Sunset’s smirk softened. "Oh yeah. Dawn."

She sat down on the chair, her legs were crossing as she leaned back. She looked up at the ceiling for a moment, lost in thought.

"Too bad she's gone now," she murmured. "But… it was fun meeting her."

I nodded. "Yeah."

Silence hung between us. A comfortable one, but heavy with thoughts we weren’t saying out loud.

Our daughter.

Dawn had been proof of a future that technically didn't exist yet. A future where we lasted. Where we stayed together long enough to have a family. It was terrifying and beautiful all at once.

"I wonder how old she was" I said finally.

Sunset looked at me, considering. "She was older than us. A little, at least. So us from futere would be…" She wrinkled her nose. "Near forty?"

I let out a breath. "Damn."

"Probably closer to sixty, honestly," she teased.

I groaned dramatically, flopping back onto my bed. "I do not wanna think about being sixty."

Sunset giggled. Then she smirked and stretched her arms behind her head, eyes twinkling.

"No kids for now" she said playfully. While getting on her phone, when suddenly—

"Oh!"

Her whole body jerked forward as she sat up straighter, eyes locked on her screen.

I frowned. "What?"

"Look at this," she muttered, turning the phone toward me.

I leaned in. My eyes scanned the screen, and—

My breath hitched.

There, on MyStable, was a photo of Rainbow Dash—walking into the boys' locker room. Three guys stood in the frame, all of them looking over their shoulders like they had just noticed her presence. But that wasn’t what sent my stomach plummeting.

It was the caption.

"New school whore?"

I snatched the phone out of Sunset’s hands before I even realized what I was doing. My fingers tightened around the edges, and my pulse pounded in my ears.

Who the hell would post something like this?

"Who would be so fucked up—" My voice caught in my throat. I clenched my teeth. "Who would do this?"

Sunset’s expression was frozen, her mouth slightly open, her eyes wide.

"I remember this" she whispered.

I turned to her.

"This is fake" she said, more firmly now, like she was trying to convince herself. "Rainbow told us about this! She went in there to yell at those guys to hurry up and get out! It wasn’t anything like… this."

I stared at the image again, my grip on the phone tightened.

"Who would want to frame her like this?"

The anger in my chest burned hotter. Rainbow was a lot of things hotheaded, cocky, competitive as hell, but this? This?

I scrolled up, my gaze locking onto the profile picture of the account that had posted it Anon-A-Miss. My stomach twisted. The outline… it was just a shadowy figure, but—

Something was off.

I squinted. My breathing slowed. My vision tunneled.

I froze.

My heart pounded once, hard, before stopping altogether.

No.

But I couldn’t unsee it.

I turned my head, slowly, and looked at Sunset.

The dim light from my lamp cast a glow on her face. The curve of her jaw. The outline of her bangs. The slope of her nose.

Identical.

It was like a painting. A perfect portrait.

The outline of the profile picture looked exactly like her.

I didn’t say anything. I just stared at her.

I must’ve looked weird because Sunset’s brows furrowed. "What?"

"It… it looks like you."

Her face drained of color.

"What?"

I turned the phone to her. She snatched it out of my hands. Her eyes darted back and forth, taking in the profile picture, the bio, the posts.

"No."

Her breath came out shaky. Her hands trembled slightly. She whipped her head toward me, her eyes suddenly glassy.

"No, no, no!" she said, shaking her head violently. "You don’t think it’s me, right? You believe me, right?"

Her voice cracked on that last word.

I opened my mouth, but for a split second—just a split second—I hesitated.

She had been alone in the bathroom.Maybe that's why she didn't want me to come with her

That’s all it took.

Sunset’s breathing hitched. "No…"

No.

I knew that look. That crack in her voice. That fear.

She thought I doubted her.

"DON’T DOUBT SUNSET."

Death’s voice ripped through my mind.

I shot forward, dropping to my knees in front of her, grabbing her hands before she could retreat .

"Sunset."

Her body stiffened, her breathing ragged. She looked scared, so scared.

I tightened my grip on her.

"There is no world—no world—where I wouldn’t believe you."

Her lips trembled. "B-But—"

"Even if that profile had your face, your name, a damn video of you posting this yourself—" My voice wavered, but I pushed forward. "Even if you looked me in the eye and said you did it—"

I exhaled sharply, shaking my head.

"I wouldn’t believe you."

Her eyes widened. A small gasp slipped past her lips.

"You changed" I whispered. "I know you. You would never do this."

Her whole body shook.

I cupped her hands in mine. "Sunset."

A tear slipped down her cheek. She squeezed her eyes shut, her breath hitching. "I-I just… I was scared that—"

Before she could continue, I shifted and drew her close to me.

She let out a tiny gasp as her body hit mine, but she didn’t resist. She didn’t fight. Instead, she collapsed into my chest. I held her tightly, pressing my forehead against her shoulder.

"I believe you," I whispered into her hair.

She buried her face in my chest, her breath warm against my shirt. I felt her fingers dig into my back.

I pressed my lips to the top of her head. "I believe you," I repeated, softer this time.

For a moment, she didn’t speak. Just breathed.

Then—

A tiny, broken whisper:

"Thank you."

I closed my eyes. Held her tighter.

Whoever did this, whoever were framing my Sunset

They were going to pay.

But… who?

Flash? No way. He was an idiot sometimes, but he’d never do something this cruel. Besides, he was one of the victims of these posts. If anything, he was probably just as pissed about this as I was.

One of the girls? Impossible. No one in our group would ever do something like this to Rainbow. Even if they had problems, even if they had disagreements, this was different. This was something vicious.

It could be anyone.

The photos had to have been taken at school. That meant someone at CHS had access to them. The picture of Flash—it different, sure, but I knew it had been floating around before. I had even seen it on MyStable months ago.

I closed my eyes for a moment, frustration crawling under my skin like an itch I couldn’t scratch.

I had nothing. Not a single clue.

"Can we go to bed now?"

Sunset’s voice was small. Soft. So unlike her.

I looked at her. She was still huging me.

Her eyes…

They weren’t as glassy as before, but the weight of the night had settled over them. The exhaustion, the hurt, the quiet sadness she was trying so desperately to hide from me.

She didn’t want to talk anymore.

She didn’t want to think about it.

She just wanted to be close.

"Okay, Sunny," I murmured.

We pulled the covers over us, shifting into position. As soon as I lay down, I felt her warmth press against me. Her back met my chest, and for a second, she hesitated—before shifting again, turning to face me.

Her teal eyes met mine, half-lidded, her cheeks tinged pink.

She didn’t say anything. She just looked at me.

And then—slowly—she moved forward, pressing her forehead to my chest, her arms wrapping around me as she buried herself against me.

I exhaled, feeling something in my chest ache.

I brought my arms around her, holding her close, running my fingers gently through her hair.

"I love you," she whispered.

I swallowed.

"I love you too," I whispered back.

Her arms tightened slightly. A quiet, barely-there sigh escaped her lips.

She was devastated.

Even if she wasn’t saying it. Even if she was pretending to be okay.

I could feel it. The way her body curled against mine, the way she clung to me like I was the only thing keeping her grounded.

She didn’t want to break down anymore.

She didn’t want to worry me.

But I did. I worried.

Because I loved her.

And I hated that she had to go through this.

Hated that someone was trying to tear her down.

Hated that, even after everything, after all the good she had done, after all the ways she had changed—

Someone still wanted to hurt her.

I pressed my lips to the top of her head.

I wouldn’t let them.

Whoever they were, I would find them.

And when I did—

They would wish they had never even thought about messing with Sunset.

But for now…

For now, all that mattered was this.

Not the pain, not the anger, not the mystery waiting to be solved.

Just this.

Sunset in my arms. The soft rhythm of her breath against my skin. The warmth of her body melting into mine.

For a moment, it felt like nothing else existed.

And this—

This was enough.

More than enough.

Because love wasn’t just about fighting battles, or proving things, or fixing every little problem.

It was about this.

Holding each other. Being vulnerable. Being ourselves.

And I was wrong. This wasn’t something little.

This was everything.

"Snoooooor… snoooooor…"

A quiet, familiar snore broke through the silence.

I blinked.

Then, before I could stop myself—

A tiny, tiny smile pulled at my lips.

Just like that first night. Just like before.

I sighed, adjusting my arms around her, feeling the weight of exhaustion pull at me.

Slowly, I let go.

And, just like her, I drifted into the dream realm.

Author's Note

Okey okey, first of all im dumbass, when the pace or topic changed i just were typing ------- now i know i can do [hr. and it looks better, i wont change the chapter and stories before just funny that i didn't knew that sooner, anyway, i hope you like this