and they were neighbors

Twilight was used to pulling all-nighters, her sleep schedule and eyesight destroyed by the dozens of textbooks she poured over under terrible light. Empty energy drink cans and tea mugs competed for space on her desk.

She just wasn’t a morning person. She’d never been one, no matter how hard she’d tried. She felt much more awake at night, which is why she’d signed up for afternoon classes, content with coming home and studying in the peaceful silence of the night.

Well, the mostly peaceful silence of the night. The wafer-thin walls of the student apartments sometimes let her in on her fellow students’ lives, more than she or probably they would ever want her to know. She knew, for example, that someone in a nearby apartment was an online gaming enthusiast, as well as a ridiculously loud sore loser. She also knew that her next-door neighbor—a woman, based on her voice—had recently broken up with her boyfriend and cried long into the night.

Well, used to cry long into the night. It used to be an almost nightly occurrence for weeks, but recently, it had dwindled down to two or three nights a week, and only for a few hours.

Good for her, Twilight’d thought. Better things to cry over than guys.

Straight girls and their boy problems. Well, that wasn’t exactly fair, lesbians also had issues, but it felt like lately all Twilight heard about was straight people problems.

Like that girl from the club. Rarity.

Ugh. She leaned back on her chair, rubbing her face with her hands. There I go again. Thinking of her again, getting distracted again, doing the one thing that even a relatively relationship-averse lesbian like her knew she should not do.

Have a crush on a straight girl.

She could not stop thinking about her ever since they met at the bar last week. She’d just expected to distract the poor girl with one fun dance, but then they’d ended up talking for six hours. Six hours, and Twilight had spoken for almost three of those about her projects, and not once had Rarity looked bored. She even had questions! Real questions, the kind where it shows you were not just paying attention, but interested!

Of course, then Rarity had taken over the next three hours to ramble—there was no other word for it—back at Twilight about her own fashion projects, and the interesting designs she was trying to innovate on, passion pouring out of every word, and Twilight had fallen just a little in love.

Twilight always kind of fell a little bit in love with girls who were more than a little crazy over the things they loved. So, when Raritty finally had to leave, Twilight didn’t offer her number, expecting this to be just a nice moment with a friendly stranger.

But then—

‘Twilight!’ she’d said, having dashed back into the club so fast she was a little out of breath. Over Twilight. Out of breath over her. ‘Hi. So sorry I didn’t ask before, but could I have your number? To text. And maybe go out one day? As friends. I want to be friends, if you’d like that too.’

‘I’d love that,’ Twilight had replied, somehow completely calm and naturally for someone internally and repeatedly reminding herself the woman in front of her was straight. Twilight even managed a cool giggle. ‘I must have been a great distraction!’

Her eyes drifted towards her phone on the desk. She was usually so good at minimal screen-time, her health app constantly praising her for not doomscrolling like the rest of her friends at all times.

But this week? This week, well—

She picked her phone up, typed in her thirteen digit long passcode, and then opened up her messaging app, staring at it for the umpteenth time that hour.

Applejack – 4:05AM
Straight as a ruler. Why are you askin, though? I hope not because you’re thinkin anything ab…

Rarity – 12:27PM
I’m sure your finals week is more thrilling than mine! I really should just find a study group an…

Rainbow Dash – Yesterday
dude pls y have to just let me copy your notes, come on twi, its literally for a whatever cla…

She clicked on Rarity’s message, the conversation she’d reread the entire day splaying out before her.

Rarity – 12:27PM
I’m sure your finals week is more thrilling than mine! I really should just find a study group to join… I was part of one at the library last semester, but I spent most of it being a chatterbox. I’m sure that’s why they stopped sending me the meeting times! Speaking of which, I have a meeting with my advisor, so I’ll be off to that. I hope your classes go well today! ♥

Twilight reread it another time and then stared at the thumbs-up emoji she’d reacted with. That had seemed appropriate at the time—neutral, friendly—but then she kept thinking of that entire seminar Pinkie gave her on the hidden messages behind emojis, and now she was worried about it.

‘Thumbs up can be suuuuuper passive aggressive,’ Pinkie had said severely.

‘What? Why? It’s just—It’s just saying ‘Okay’. I send it all the time.’

‘I’m just saying!’

It’s not like she could have replied with a ‘heart’ emoji. They barely knew each other, and heart emojis were appropriate only for friends and partners, and apparently Rarity thought she was a friend. Which they were? Technically speaking? They had been texting almost daily since they met, and—

Her thoughts slammed to a stop when, right before her eyes, a speech bubble with three dots materialized. “Oh, crap,” she whispered. ‘Why is she even awake at this hour? It’s two A.M.’ she thought next.

She stared at her phone, waiting and waiting as the speech bubble kept popping in and out for a solid ten minutes, until finally a message came through.

Rarity – 2:13AM
I hope classes went well!

Twilight frowned. That took ten minutes to write?

You – 2:14AM
They were all right. Control Theory was fun, but I think the professor was feeling a little sick, since he kept repeating himself while explaining feedback loops. 

It was only after she sent it that she realized how technical that was. Maybe that wasn’t what Rarity wanted. If she wanted anything at all. Should she explain? She started typing up an explanation, but stopped when the speech bubble appeared on the other side of the screen, the message coming back surprisingly quick.

Rarity – 2:15AM
Really? It sounds to me like he was just providing a practical example.

Twilight did not giggle at that. She did not. She only made a noise that happened to sound like a giggle.

The speech bubble returned, as did a new message.

Rarity – 2:16AM
Also, I did not expect you to be up at this hour. I sincerely hope I didn’t wake you up!

You – 2:17AM
No, you didn’t. The energy drink I drank an hour ago did.

Twilight didn’t much care for emojis in general, but she’d be lying if she didn’t feel a rush of something when a laughing one appeared on her message.

Rarity – 2:18AM
I see! Pulling an all-nighter for a project, then?

You – 2:18AM
No. I finished all my pending assignments for this week days ago.

She hesitated, remembering how she was only ever funny when she wasn’t trying to be funny, and then took the plunge as she sent a message just as Rarity sent one in turn.

You – 2:20
This is just who I am as a person.

Rarity – 2:20
…So this is just who you are as a person.

Twilight put her phone down almost immediately, as if afraid Rarity could see the absolutely dumb expression on her face. She then picked it back up just as fast when the notification ding went off seconds later.

Rarity – 2:21AM
Thags so funny, adn we saud it at the sme time! 😂

Four more dings followed, quickly.

Rarity – 2:21AM
That’s*

Rarity – 2:22AM
and*

Rarity – 2:22AM
said*

Rarity – 2:22AM
same*

You – 2:22AM
…Looks like someone might need to consider sleep. Why are you even awake? It’s almost half past two in the morning.

The speech bubble popped in and out for several minutes before a text finally appeared.

Rarity – 2:23AM
Roommate issues. She brought someone over without warning me, and…

Rarity – 2:24AM
I’m trying to think of how to say this delicately. They sound like they REALLY like each other, to put it mildly.

You – 2:24AM
It can’t be that bad.

Rarity – 2:24AM
It is. She’s brought him over before, and they had to get the bed replaced. It’s /bad/, Twilight.

You – 2:25AM
…Oof.

Rarity – 2:25AM
And considering I recently went through a breakup, this isn’t exactly pleasant for me to be subjected to. Not that it would be even if I wasn’t single, but it’s not great.

Rarity – 2:26AM
I apologize, you probably don’t need me bothering you at this hour with my relationship issues.

You – 2:26AM
No, no, it’s okay. I get it! I’m happy to talk!

Two exclamation points. Was she being too eager? Ugh.

You – 2:26AM
Is there a friend in your building? Maybe you can stay with them.

She wracked her brain, trying to remember if Rarity had at any point mentioned what dorm building she was living in. If they were in the same one, Twilight would be happy to offer her small couch, but… she couldn’t just ask, could she? Wouldn’t that be weird?

Rarity – 2:27AM
Sadly, no.

Rarity – 2:27AM
Oh, my, STARS. They’re being so loud. I can hear them through the noise-cancelling. I may actually kill them.

You – 2:27AM
I’d rather you wouldn’t. I don’t want to have to figure out public transport to the state jail for visits.

Rarity – 2:28AM
I think they just broke something. They’ve stopped.

Rarity – 2:28AM
Will I find rest tonight? Will I be allowed the beauty sleep of the just and deserving?

You – 2:28AM
It could still happen.

Rarity – 2:29AM
Dear lord, I think they broke it as a sex thing. Haven’t I suffered enough? I have to wake up in five hours!!! I’m almost tempted to beg a neighbor to let me sleep on their couch.

You – 2:29AM
Why don’t you? You’re in a student building, right? I’m sure they’d understand.

Rarity – 2:30AM
They must all be asleep by now.

Rarity – 2:31AM
Well. Actually… My next-door neighbor might be awake. I can always hear them doing something in their room long past midnight. God, what if THEY can hear my roommate? She’s on the other side of the apartment, but…

Rarity – 2:31AM
As an update on the situation, by the way, against my will, I’ve now found out my roommate likes werewolf roleplay.

You – 2:32AM
And now I too know that against my will.

Rarity – 2:32AM
You’re SO welcome, dear.

Rarity – 2:33AM
All right. I can’t stand this. I’m going to knock on the neighbor’s door and hope they take pity on me. Wish me luck.

You – 2:33AM
Good luck!

She waited another minute for a text, and when none came, she pocketed her phone and got up for a stretch. If her neighbor doesn’t let her stay the night, she thought, walking over to her studio’s kitchen, I’ll just offer for her to come over.

She was in the middle of pouring herself a glass of water when—

Knock, knock, knock!

Twilight froze, the sink water pouring out her cup as she stared at her front door. Okay. That had to be a coincidence. But who would be knocking on her door at two AM?

A muffled bzzt! bzzt! came next, and she quickly turned off the faucet to fish out her phone, her eyes widening at the text message preview.

Rarity – 2:38AM
I knocked.

“Holy shit,” Twilight whispered.

She quickly unlocked her phone, opened up the text conversation, and shot back a reply.

You – 2:38AM
And?

Rarity – 2:39AM
Nothing yet. I think they might be asleep. Drat.

You – 2:39AM
Try again.

The speech bubbled appeared and disappeared several times.

Rarity – 2:39AM
I really wouldn’t want to wake them up. I’ll just live with it.

You – 2:40AM
I’m sure it’s fine. One more knock won’t hurt.

She started walking towards the door, her heart racing.

You – 2:40AM
Rarity?

Rarity – 2:41AM
Okay, okay! One more knock.

Twilight stopped, her eyes glued to her own door, waiting and waiting and waiting and wai—

Knock, knock, knock!

It felt as if time slowed to a crawl as she closed the gap between herself and the door, and when she opened the door, she could hardly help the grin on her face at the sight of none other than Rarity herself staring down at her phone, already in the middle of texting Twilight herself.

“Oh, hi, I—!” Rarity began, looking up from her phone only to see Twilight and her shit-eating grin. “…Twilight?”

“Hi,” she said, politely stepping to the side and gesturing towards the inside of her small home. “I heard you were looking for a place to escape your roommate and her furry-coded adventures?”

“Twilight Sparkle!”