>The sound of raindrops incessantly pattering on the windowpane above you clues you in that today is likely to be a wash before you even open your eyes.
>You're also aware of a weight on your chest.
>Cracking open an eye, blue and violet hair obscures your view of the owner's face - not that it's a mystery.
>While Midnight's head is turned to rest on you, the rest of her is snuggled up close beside you.
>Just barely audible amidst the rain is her snoring.
>Over the past month or so, you've noticed that she doesn't wake up with bedhead anywhere near the degree she used to.
>Clear indicator she's been sleeping much more soundly - though you kinda miss the sight of her ruffled and wild hair in the mornings.
>With great care, you brush aside her mane with a hand to reveal her face.
>At the same time, you notice her ear twitch just a bit, along with a slight disturbance in her snoring.
"You awake?"
>The snoring halts at once.
>"...No," comes a lethargic voice. "Are you?"
"I'm not sure yet."
>"That doesn't make any sense."
"Neither does you telling me you're not awake."
>"Maybe I talk in my sleep."
>With great care, you use your thumb to raise one of her eyelids for a view of her peepers.
>From the darkness appears a faint bluish glow that gradually intensifies, while her pupil adjusts to the sudden intrusion.
>"Why?"
"I don't know. But I'm not convinced you're asleep. By the way, did you know your eyes don't really glow that much when you... well, when your eyes are closed?"
>"I can't say I've ever looked in a mirror while *sleeping*," she counters.
"When you say it like that, my question sounds pretty damn stupid."
>As she turns her head to face you, the ends of her mouth turn upward.
>"Might be more than just the way it sounds."
>Her eyes shift away from you and to the window above your head.
>"Sure doesn't sound or look like we need to be in a rush to get up today," she comments.
"No, not particularly. Best we can do is get orders boxed today."
>Midnight nods - or at least as much as she can with her head still resting on your chest.
>"I'm okay with that."
"Yeah, I think I am too. That was fun having Starla stay with us, but having to keep up with the two of you is tiring after a couple of days."
>"Aww, you poor thing," Midnight coos in a sarcastic manner, poking you in the ribs with her hoof. "But you're right, it's nice to be back to... us. Slow down a bit, back to our normal pace."
>You reach up with your other hand and boop her nose, which Midnight answers back by blowing a raspberry in a lethargic manner.
"So cute."
>"Shut up."
"Maybe someday you'll learn that isn't an insult."
>"Nah."
>Midnight straightens up her body, content to now lie beside you, her head resting upon a pillow now.
>Her left wing opens up to drape itself over your form.
"You really have warmed up to flaunting your wings as of late," you speak up, turning on your side to face her. "What's up with that?"
>"I don't really see a problem with it," she replies with an air of uncertainty.
"No no, I didn't mean it as a problem, just a curiosity."
>"I guess I have em - why not use em? I don't really feel ashamed of them like I was before," she replies, shrugging. "Plus they are handy in a pinch, like scouting."
"I don't think you should have ever felt ashamed of them to begin with, Mid."
>"Yeah, yeah..." she sasses, trying hard to hide a hint of bashfulness. "Maybe I'm starting to kind of like who I am now."
"What changed?"
>"Well a lot of shit has changed."
>You can't quite tell whether she's being purposely obtuse, or not quite comprehending your question.
"I mean to get to thinking like that."
>"Yeah, and where do I even begin to answer that?" she responds with her own question. "I honestly didn't recognize - er, accepting who I am, I suppose. I just feel comfortable, y'know?"
>You don't have anything to say or add without making her feel more awkward, so you just nod.
>"It's hard when you wake up and find something new has been added or changed on you. These wings - they aren't real like most of the rest of me," she continues, fully expanding her wing to the point the tip nearly touches the ceiling fan. "They're from a bot. A Princess Twilight Sparkle bot - not even who I was supposed to be. So yeah, it sort of fucks with you when you start becoming someone's after-school project made up of a bunch of odds and ends."
"I'm not trying to stir up any sort of bad memories, Mid," you interrupt.
>"I'm fine, Anon. I swear," she assures you, lowering her wing to blanket you again. "I view things a bit differently now that I have others to bounce my thoughts off. But to my point - it took a long time to figure out how to control these - so maybe I wasn't born with em, but I've adapted, grown more accustomed to having them - there comes a point where arguing about who you are is sort of pointless. And honestly, not using these is wasting all the effort I put forth to adapt. I guess I look at it now as squandering something that I could use to my advantage."
"Good way to look at it. And they look good on you."
>"God, you're just trying to make me feel embarrassed, aren't you?" she asks, hiding her face beneath a hoof.
>You ease her leg away from her head to catch sight of the blush she's undoubtedly suffering from.
>The red tinge in her cheeks is noticeable even in this rather dim light, aided by the glow from her eyes as she tries to shy away from you.
"You blush anymore and you're gonna turn purple, Middie," you tease her.
>"Stop being a queer," she mumbles, trying hard not to smile and failing miserably.
"Nope, I got you where I want you now," you reply, closing in and rubbing your nose against her snout.
>Midnight can't help herself, giggling just a bit even as you can practically feel the heat emanating from her face.
>"You're such a jackass."
"I aim to please."
>Midnight relents just a bit, relaxing as she kisses you.
>A fleeting moment, but you got what you wanted, so you give her a bit of space.
>But she scoots back up to you anyway.
"So you gonna start flying more?"
>"Maybe. I'm out of practice - though I was never really *in* practice," she admits. "Kinda hard finding space to fly indoors, particularly when you're in a fish tank ninety percent of the time."
"I could see where that might be an issue."
>"But, maybe with some time and exercise - it won't be so tiring. That's the biggest issue. I doubt I'm very aerodynamic, either."
"I dunno, you cut a pretty damn good-looking figure to me," you gush, tracing lines through the fur on her stomach with your fingers.
>"God damn you."
>She blushes profusely once again, making you laugh.
>She puts in a half-hearted effort to shove you away with both front hooves.
"It's just us here."
>"It's just us here," she mocks you in a nasally voice.
"Aww, someone sounds gwumpy. Maybe you need more sleep," you tease,  positioning your other arm to reach above her and run a hand through her mane.
>Midnight snorts as her wing raises high enough off of you to come down with a decent whap.
>"I'd probably still be sleeping if *someone* hadn't asked me if I was awake."
"You were the one that answered."
>"Yeah, that was stupid of me in hindsight,  knowing now you wanted to torture me."
>That makes you scoff.
"Turning you into a blushing mess is torture now?"
>"Always was," she replies.
"You know I only do it because I find it enjoyable. And you keep coming back."
>"Stockholm Syndrome."
"You got an answer for everything."
>"I try," she answers, patting your shoulder with her hoof. "Maybe we could go get the engine block today, huh?"
"Mm, maybe. Not quite the end of the week, which is when the shop said it will be done," you remind her. "Also, we haven't gotten the new crankshaft or main bearings yet - so I wouldn't be able to actually do anything with it."
>"Hmph. Thanks for crushing my hopes," she grumbles in jest.
>Midnight rises up to her hooves, before resorting to a few leisurely stretches.
"Could you turn around before you do the face-down ass-up one?"
>A pillow is quick to smack you in the face.
"Ow."
>"Dirty bastard."
"We need to buy some new pillows, these are getting too violent," you mumble through linen.
>The pillow peels itself away from your head, aided by metal wire cinched around the far end from your face.
>That wire releases the pillow to let it flop back on the bed beside you before it slithers its way onto one of your wrists.
>"Time to get up, your comments are getting pretty stale this morning," Midnight instructs, gently tugging you to sit upright by her metal ally.
"Oh thank god. Here I was thinking you were going to do some really kinky shit to me," you answer back whilst pointing to the makeshift bracelet.
>"Oh man, this is gonna be of those days, isn't it?" Midnight sighs as she climbs off of the bed.
>Despite that sound of mild frustration, Midnight sports a pleasant grin to greet the dreary morning.
> It's the kind that's wide enough to force her fangs to pop out just below her upper lip.
>Midnight's wire slips off of your wrist and floats back toward the mare, weaving seamlessly back into her necklace.
>With a grunt, you throw your legs over the side of the bed and climb out of bed yourself.
"You aren't in a rush to get at it this morning, are you?"
>"Pffft, hell no. But I don't want to just lay in bed all day, either," she replies. "Breakfast?"
"Eh, unless there's something you want, I'm alright. Probably just a granola bar or something that doesn't require effort."
>"I'm fine with some jerky," she replies while heading to the door
"Please not the teriyaki - that just does not smell great so early in the morning."
>"Aww, poor baby," Midnight coos, stopping just before walking out and turning her head.
>She has a devious look on her face that only accentuates her elongated canines.
>"I think that's a small price to pay for having your fun."
"That just makes me want to do it again tomorrow morning when you say it like that."
>"Well, I guess we both have to make sacrifices, huh?" she proposes before sashaying out the door.