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The building was old. An aging relic of a time when professors had once lived on college campus' and the wealthy had been the ones to attend. The grandeur that had once been entertained in the sad façade was lost as a century and a half had weathered the outside until it was nearly crumpling in places and it showed where patching jobs had done their best to keep it erect and livable. The porch was bowed strangely in the middle, dipping down where it was obviously in need of repair, but partially hidden by a matt that had been placed down to allow for traction of cloven hooves so they didn't skid all over the place. The only real part that looked new were the brass numbers that were ridiculously polished and placed right against the side of the door to announce it was indeed the right address and not some abandoned building left to the march of time. Lance.. was not impressed.

<Are they serious? This is it?> His ears went back and he twisted his head to look back at Ben who was looking just as unhappy as he was. <Why not a barn?>

<Ulysses said he'd just had it remodeled under the scholarships resources.> He offered a little weakly and stepped forward. <Come on, we can at least try it.>

Lance snorted unhappily and sighed. He had been excited to have a place he could call his own entirely, but he had been led to believe that it would be an actual place, not an old house that was tossed o him like he was some sort of beggar. It wasn't his fault that he wouldn't likely find a job until he was more settled and comfortable in his body, that's why there were scholarships and grants in place to help, but that didn't mean he had to live like this. He had been dropped off by Jonathan, the man had offered to call one of their parents, but that would have meant waiting until there was a day off, waiting to have time to pick them up and he hadn't wanted to wait, he'd wanted to be gone. His tail tip flicked back and forth lightly as he stepped forward and eyed the door a little dubiously. The handle was at least the sort he could push down with his horn, the lock missing, though he had been told that they would have a lock installed by the end of the day.

It was awkward getting the door open, it wasn't the sort he had gotten used to on the estate and he had to use his horn to push the handle down while shoving forward. Still, he managed alright, trying to ignore the fact that Ben was crowding him from behind as he pushed open the door and his hooves hit something rough and textured. It took him a moment to realize that the floor wasn't the sort of flooring he was used to in the least bit. Instead of the marble that had been textured in Ulysses' home he found himself on what appeared to be slate that was scored roughly to allow his hooves to move freely over it. The dark coloration was lightened by the sterile whiteness of the walls that greeted him and he continued in with his ears twitched back against his head dubiously.

Clean. Sterile. Impersonal. The grandiose memory of the outside of the house stopped the moment the door was opened and he glanced around to see the walls were all squared off. Whatever elegant woodwork had once decorated the aging home had been covered with drywall and given a stark appearance. The large fireplace that should have been in the living room was only a memory squared away by a bit of a pushed out rectangle. His hooves echoed oddly as he stepped in and twisted his head around unhappily, he had been expecting... He didn't know what he'd been expecting, but he hadn't been expecting this.

<It's at least clean.> Ben spoke up with the same emotions in his mind-voice as they walked through the place behind one another. <It could be a lot worse.>

<I guess, but I wish there was some color.> Lance sighed a little bit to himself and set his sights down the hall.

As they had both been warned, the bedrooms were little more than stalls that would allow them to sleep on padded modified beds, but didn't have any real room for sets of dressers or even a closet. It was... disturbing to see the small bedroom, more like a large closet, but he had to remind himself that his personal possessions no longer included clothing. He had a few covers and wraps for cold weather, even a rain coat, but there was no need to have pants or shirts, and he didn't have the ready money for real decorations yet. Ben's tail drooped as he inspected the other room and they continued on into the kitchen. Here was at least a spark of personality. The kitchen had been done in a soft blue color with silver Ivy along the top of the ceiling. The stainless steel appliances were offset by the dark low counters that were ideal for them to reach anything they needed without having to rear up on their haunches. The real appealing part, though, was the massive bay windows and the inset table designed for a unicorn.

<At least this is nice looking.> Lance walked over to look out the windows with his ears pricked forward, his tail lifting a little bit. <And we have a direct route onto the walking path towards the college.>

<Better than the bus, by far.> Ben opened up a set of drawers curiously, tugging at it and pushing it closed again. <It'll be better when we have furniture and things to relax on.>

<My Mom has an old couch we can use, and I think Jonathan mentioned that we had credit at the Co-Op if we wanted to get beds this evening.> Lance glanced back at his friend with a little flick of his ears. <Or we can just make do, I guess, but I don't really want to sleep on the floor.>

<Neither do I, besides, we'll need at least to pick up some food or else order take out.> Ben trailed off a little and there was as slight pickening of his ears. <I'm just not sure how to go about it.>

<Easy, we have a card to use, at least for now. We get one month credit. You have one too, it's in the pack we brought.> Lance tossed his head back towards his haunches smugly.

It felt strangely good to be organized and have the answers for the other young stallion, especially since Ben had been almost bouncing with excitement at hearing they could leave and return to the real world again. It was somewhat like having a younger sibling, but not quite, someone to take care of and watch over that helped keep him from thinking about other thoughts nibbling at the back of his mind, worries and concerns that he never had the answers for. He had to contort himself to flip open the pack attached to his back, nosing it open to reveal the very neatly slotted folder inside of it. Every card and paper was tipped with a loop of vinyl that made it easy to tug out and tags that said exactly what they were. There were papers for their lease, for the power and water bills, as well as his own personal items such as the contents of his wallet and his driver's license. That he tried not to think about too hard, but what they did have was a card.

They weren't like credit cards, he couldn't use them for anything at a regular store, but held credit towards a Co-Op that provided newly Changed with items to help them adjust in their lives. It was a system that worked strangely well as young stallions grew older and passed on things back into the Co-Op for other youngsters to have and older stallions donated new items as a tax right off. Both he and Ben had an allotted amount they could spend on such things as beds, bedding, clothing they might find helpful and small things to help them adjust. They had a larger allotment due to being enrolled in college, also allowing for specialized books and writing instruments to be purchased, but for now all he could think about was getting things set up in their apartment.

<Come on, we've got bus passes as well, we can head down now before they close.> He flipped the pack closed with a little toss of his head. <We're the first to move out on our own, we'll have our pick of what's there.>

_Don't stop, don't move, just keep going and worry later. _ He told himself firmly as Ben followed behind him towards the front door. His mind still slipped towards Emily, he had had Jonathan call and leave a message. Had it been passed on? Did she know where to meet him? Would she meet him?

~ ~ * ~ ~

"Thank you for coming." Emily murmured softly to the unicorn at her side, the older stallion walked sedately with his head tilted to look at the rows of houses.

Father Blanchard seemed entirely at ease as they went along the block, he didn't appear to be annoyed at being taken away from his home or that she hadn't been able to give him an answer on how long they would be. He had simply agreed and met her on campus near her own dorm. It had been a bit embarrassing to see people give her odd looks for meeting the unicorn, but she had shrugged them off. She hadn't known if she should go and visit Lance or not when she heard he had left the estate, her parents had certainly seemed to disapprove of her going to see him, but the urge had gotten the better of her. She was just happy that Lance was back in the real world again, where she could see him, talk to him, try and adjust to his changed situation and perhaps even get their relationship back to something more normal.

Blanchard was a steadying point. She had spent many afternoons talking to him, always a bit shocked that he had never once turned the conversation to something deeply religious, but helped to guide her into understanding what adjustments she would faced with. Some of them she had known, but others she hadn't truly understood. Such as the fact that Lance would live far longer than she would and he wouldn't age the same way. Unicorns didn't wrinkle and grey as they grew older, and even then it took centuries instead of just a few decades to begin to show wear. They were caught in a slowdown that would turn their horns black, their bodies frailer and less substantial and over the course of two centuries come to a natural end to their lives. She could look at another sixty or eighty years and he would still be in his prime. Could she ask him to be her one and only for so long and assume he would want her when she was older? Would he still even look at her the same way?

Her thoughts were interrupted by the clatter of hooves and a strange squeal that brought her eyes up in time to see a unicorn nearly buried under a large loose looking mattress. The humans helping grabbed the edges to push it up, but the horn had already scored through the outside as the young stallion scrambled backwards with his ears splayed to either side. It was a chaotic dance as the mattress was lifted up high and a second young stallion was attempting to get past to get to the front door. For a moment, she thought they were just normal college students getting settled in their house, but was quickly disabused of her first impression as the stallion at the door turned towards her after he'd swung it open. His wears went up high and she watched his head lift up, the golden eyes brightening at seeing her. Lance.

<Emily!> His mind-voice was filled with warmth and welcome, thought he was quickly crowded to one side to let the humans carry in the mattress. <I thought you wouldn't be here until tomorrow!>

"I was going to, but I had tonight free..." She trailed off a little bit as Blanchard lifted his head up and regarded the two young stallions and let out what amounted to a snort. "I thought I could at least see your new place."

Lance came down the stairs with more agility than she had thought he would have going down stairs, ending with a little leap onto the ground before trotting up to her. It was so strange looking at him as he was now, it came with a startling moment of confusion as she had to study him to see it was him. She knew it was, she knew the weight of his eyes, the way his entire body perked up just to see her, his tail curling and his ears up high on his head while he nearly danced his way towards her. He loved her, truly loved her, entirely and completely, the flutter of doubt calmed as he approached her and Father Blanchard paused so she could walk ahead without him. It felt silly now that she had wanted him here with her.

<It's not much right now.> Lance tilted his head back to look at the open door. <I had hoped it would at least be better looking.>

"Well, not many students are staying in beautiful accommodations you know." She tilted her head to one side, a smile teased the edges of her lips as she thought of her own dorm. "You should see the dorm, we're stuffed in there four to a room, at least this looks like you have some space."

The house was a sad looking building, she had to at least admit that much, it sagged as if the weight of its years, but at least it was roomy looking. It was on a better part of the campus as well, perhaps not the elite sort of spot, but nicely tucked away from the bustle and loudness of the fraternity neighborhoods. Her praise seemed to perk Lance up, his ears twitching forward and his head lifted before he gave a little toss of his head back towards the porch.

<Would you like to come and see? We just got back from the Co-Op and had beds brought in...> Lance's thoughts stilted to a halt and he ducked his head down. <I mean that we're starting to get moved in.>

<You'll need more than beds.> Blanchard spoke up with amusement in his voice from behind her. <Did you pick up any other furniture?>

<Do we need it?> Lance countered, confusion flavoring his thoughts. The priest snorted with amusement and stepped forward, his hooves lifted gracefully in an easy trot.

<Human or unicorn, young males are all the same. Let me see what your place looks like, perhaps the parish can help offer you some comforts for a time.> He extracted himself from the conversation neatly, heading up the stairs without even an attempt at asking permission.

Emily just felt relief, she wanted to talk to her boyfriend, she wanted to enjoy her time with him even if it was brief, but Lance seemed to feel something else. His delicate silver ears pinned down flat to his head, the tip of his tail began to lash back and forth as he stared after the retreating stallions back unhappily. Almost as if he were angry. The pose wasn't anything like a human displaying anger, it was more like seeing a pony bristling with impotent anger. It was... unsettling.

"Lance?" She spoke his name softly, only to have him jerk his head up and looking startled before turning his head back towards her.

<Sorry.> He gave a shake, from nose to tail, blinking his eyes a few times. <I just thought he'd ask before going into the apartment.>

"Is that a problem?" She moved to touch him, her finger tips itching to feel the softness of his coat beneath them.

<I suppose not. It shouldn't be.> His thoughts were still annoyed, almost angry, the feel of the emotion was strange and lapped against her subconscious like rocks against her skin. She stroked his neck, the hide so soft that she spread her fingers over it and felt him pressing against the touch, the tense muscles relaxing. <It's just, that's my home, my space. I don't like someone going in without my permission.>

"That's entirely natural." She murmured and stroked towards his mane, he shifted his body, a little side step and shiver that pressed him in closer so she could twine her fingers through the long strands. "It's your first place, after all."

<It is natural, just not.. very human of me to react that way.> Lance turned his eyes up towards her as he spoke, the emotions too complicated to come through the mind speech clearly.

~ ~ * ~ ~

Lance was filled with emotions that nipped at each other, chasing their tails in circles in a volatile mixture of anger and confusion, outrage and the desire to chase off the intruder. The moment Blanchard had walked by him he had wanted to go after the older stallion, the sight of him walking into the apartment had nearly driven him to trying to bite or kick. It had been not like him at all, an instinctual anger that had erupted from the deepest parts of his soul and spilled outwards. He had nearly done it too, he had been so terribly close to going after the other stallion that he had been in the process of turning when Emily had spoken his name so softly. It should have been like cold water to snap him out of the dark emotions, but it had only drawn his attention back to her, his eyes to her sweet face and the feel of her hand against his neck.

"What do you mean not human?" She kept stroking him, but even that was vaguely unsettling for him to deal with because she smelled faintly of HIM.

He had known the priest all of his life, Father Blanchard had given him his first communion, had taught him in Sunday school, he was a good stallion and an upstanding member of the community, but the moment he had gone up the stairs he had become something else. He had become an intruder, a challenger, and the fact that his Emily smelled of him was an affront to his senses that kept the angry thoughts lurking just beneath the surface. They weren't human thoughts, they were animalistic thoughts of dominance and possession that he should have never felt towards anyone, let alone someone who had done nothing to him! He tilted his eyes to watch her, dragging in a warm sweet breath of her scent and sighed it out again, trying to subdue the way his heart began to pound faster against his chest.

<Just, not very human. More like a stallion than anything and that's not who I am.> He tried to articulate his thoughts, but they still came out all wrong. <I just didn't like the fact he was in my territory.>

_God I sound stupid. _ He tilted his head away as she stroked his neck, a feather light caress that had his body quivering in enjoyment, his heart speeding up. Every touch made him want to do more, push his advantage and turn his head to run his nose along the sweep of her hip where her scent would be so much sweeter and fuller.

It was hard to think around her, but he was better able to control himself as he kept his surroundings in mind. He didn't want to be dropped down in front of cars passing by, nor did he want her to see him in such a shocking state. Still, the scent of her, the way his anger started to slip away in the face of her continued strokes down the length of his neck and towards his shoulders had his cock tip edging out of his sheath. He could feel the cool air against it when he moved, making him snap down on his control before he went any further.

"I.. guess that's not that surprising." She kept petting him, her fingers moving until it seemed as if anywhere she placed them they were a sensuous delight that he wanted to bask in. His anger dampened ever so slightly. "But didn't you move in with your friend? The one from Ulysses' estate?"

<Ben? Oh! Yes!> Lance had to drag his thoughts away from how delicious she smelled when her arm brushed his cheek. <You haven't met him yet!>

"No, I wanted to at least say hello since I was here." She smiled shyly at him and he twitched the thick silver tuft of his tail back and forth. "I mean, I don't want to be a stranger."

<You'll like him.> Her touch moved away from him as he stepped back and glanced towards where the men from the Co-Op were getting the second bed in. <Come on, I was going to order take out and you can stay too!>

"How are you going to order take out?" Emily tilted her head a little bit as he led her down the walk towards the front porch. "Can you use a phone?"

<No, but we can still order it, we just have to use a modified phone is all.> He arched his neck a big smugly at that. It took a delicate touch of his horn to really use the phone well, the enlarged buttons helped, but they were still tricky to hit in the right order. It didn't really work like a phone for normal people, it worked by touch tones and was rapidly becoming more commonplace with bigger businesses.

Lance caught Father Blanchard's scent as he stepped into the living room, an affront that had his ears swinging back and the muted emotions come surging to the foreground. He'd never felt like this at the estate, he'd felt a little more on even ground there, but this was almost all consuming. He was choking on the anger that had his tail lashing, forcing him to swallow it down, shuddering a little bit as the need to face the other stallion passed. Emily touched his back, her hand a blessing as it trailed backwards, but what should have been a sweet caress from one he loved felt more like a person stroking a growling dog. He forced his ears up and his muscles to relax, his tail drooping as he struggled against the emotions. It wasn't Emily that helped him, though, it was Ben when he heard the other young stallion coming down the hall.

_Shit! _ The outrage left him and he stepped away from Emily with a burst of worry more for his roommate than anything. Ben had always had trouble controlling himself, his emotions, his lust, he hadn't heard any fighting, but Father Blanchard might not mean anything.

<Did you know that the table in the kitchen opens up to let humans eat there too?> Ben looked pleased, not at all ruffled, as he stepped out with his ears held up. <It really is a nice little spot, Father Blanchard was just showing me.>

<He was?> Lance stumbled over the thought as Ben seemed entirely relaxed, his head up, his tail held in a slight curl as if he weren't bothered at all. <Oh, that is good. I guess..>

<They're just getting ready to set up your bed and then I was going to see if I could head back and pick up something to sit on in the living room. We really shouldn't just be sitting on the-> Ben's cheerful mind-voice ground to a halt as his nostrils twitched and shivered, his eyes opening a bit wider.

The calm eager colt became locked in place as Lance watched the nostrils pulling in the air as fast as they could gulp them down, his ears going straight up high. The redness turned his hide pink, flashing over the smooth cheeks and brightening the points of the muzzle as he scented Emily. Lance took a slow step forward and deliberately crowded the other stallion, trying to keep the scent dulled down. He would have thought of this sooner if he had been in his right mind, but seeing his girlfriend and then his strange emotions with Father Blanchard had gotten him distracted. He knew that Ben wasn't ready for this, at least, he knew that Ben wasn't going to be able to keep himself from showing the arousal that was so much a part of his life.

<Easy..> Lance whispered the thought through his friends mind softly. <It's just like dinner, remember? Just breathe shallowly.>

<I see you brought Emily.> Ben's words were public, but they were convoluted and twisted strangely with his attempts at keeping himself in control.

"I wanted to meet you." Emily spoke up behind him, but she didn't come forward, did she know? Did she understand? God, if she knew, what must she think of him and what he had gone through in the past?

<This is Ben, he's still getting adjusted.> Lance cast his eyes back apologetically towards her, her features were brightening while her eyes remained fixed on a point of the wall behind the two stallions. <I really wasn't thinking, I was just so happy to see you...>

"It's alright, really it is. It's uh.. very nice to meet you." Emily didn't look down, and Lance knew why. Ben hunched his back oddly and ducked his head down, casting his eyes around miserably.

It was there hanging under him, his ability to control himself lost in that scent, a scent that even Lance found impossible to ignore, but Ben lacked control. The heavy pink length was swinging back and forth with the medial ring jutting forward just enough to flash the fat thick edges of the sheath. The young stallion's face was dark red, his ears vibrantly colored before they were pinned back flat to his head and he took a few more steps backwards, the movements stilted as his cock swung back and forth under him. Lance knew he should have thought of this, he knew he should have expected this, but it was still shocking to see and he had absolutely no idea how to fix any of it. Emily had seen it, had seen him, all of him flashing himself as boldly as any stallion chasing a mare in estrus.

<I'm going to go.> The mortified embarrassment and hurt in those words echoed in Lance's mind as his best friend bolted, his hooves scrabbling loudly against the ground.

"I should probably leave too..." Emily trailed off and Lance jerked his eyes back towards her desperately, she wasn't looking at him at all.

<No! You don't have to go, I'm very sorry, I just wasn't thinking about all of this.> Lance flung the words desperately and she just glanced at him, reddened even more and looked away again.

"I really need to go, you need to get things set up and.. I just should go, I have to get orientation in the morning as well and curfew at the door.." She was babbling, oh she didn't even know what she was saying, he saw it in the way she continued to trail on and on.

Had she never seen a unicorn before? Never witnessed the girth one bore? She had to have! He tried desperately to recall what they had talked about when they had both been human, but he could never recall touching upon anything so sordid. She looked shocked, embarrassed, and confused as she turned to go. He wanted to stop her, to scrabble forward and try and explain, but what could he explain?! That his best friend and roommate had just flashed her half his flaccid cock and it wasn't his fault? That he wasn't built like that when he really was? He had no idea what to say to her or even what he should do about it. He could just watch as she moved towards the door and let her walk away from him. They had come so far, but she didn't even offer him a kiss as she quick walked onto the porch leaving him drooping his head in the living room.

<It's alright.> The warm mental voice of Father Blanchard failed to rouse him as he heard the older stallion step up beside him. <I'll talk with her.>

_Great, a priest talking to her about why my roommate got hard just by sniffing her. _ He thought dully and simply snorted.

<You would be surprised at how much she has been willing to accept in such a short time, Lance. Don't let your thoughts be clouded over by a single incident and believe it gone.> The nose touched his shoulder lightly in sympathy. <I believe we will contact you before we visit next, it will make things easier all around, and perhaps I will stay away. I am not your enemy, son.>

He watched his priest walk out after his girlfriend, and all he felt was miserable and uncertain. This was supposed to be so different than it really was, it was his first day of freedom, his first day of his new life and it tasted like ashes on his tongue.

~ ~ * ~ ~

It was late in the evening and Lance's mind was still mulling over the day unhappily. He sprawled out with the book in front of him, the bed soft beneath his belly, but not quite what he was used too. He had wanted to go after her, he had even imagined himself catching the bus and going down to her dorm, but he had dismissed the urge almost immediately. He had no doubt that if he appeared at her dorm it would just make things worse, it would make her look at him like he was trying to push her into an untenable situation. Was she even now there thinking about how to break it off? Had it been that shocking? Or was she trying to come to terms that the change meant that all of him had changed? He wanted nothing more than to pull himself into her thoughts, to try and understand or at least stop the doubt from nipping at the back of his mind.

He stared at the book in front of him, his attempts to read the guidelines for unicorns in the university were lost as he couldn't keep his attention on it. He had already tried to sleep earlier, but it was all too quiet and strange, the house absolutely the opposite of his home at his parents house or at the estate, he had never really had a room to himself anymore. He had given up, but reading was nothing more than an annoyance as his eyes were in the wrong position for him to read easily and his mind was stuck on what had happened earlier and what it meant. It didn't help that Ben had locked himself in his room and had refused to come out, not even the lure of food had brought him out earlier, he had just said he wanted to get some sleep.

_A new record. First day in the new place and my girlfriend ran away scared of my best friend and my best friend is probably wanting to kick me senseless because I brought her here. _He tipped his ears back and pushed the book off his bed with an angry shove of his nose.

He had to fix it somehow, the need to fix it was strangely intense as he considered Ben and Emily. It went beyond just the current situation, he was more than just upset, it was an itch, something that dug into his mind as he shifted on his bed and tried to find a comfortable position in the cold small room. Perhaps he could simply try to talk to her on campus, in a neutral area, try to explain that Ben hadn't meant anything by it he was just having problems. And Ben surely had to know it wasn't just his fault, he couldn't help himself, it was just things were going all sideways with him. This was supposed to be the best time of his life, it was supposed to be something so much more than what it was. He shook his head roughly, trying to throw off the urge to simply wallow in his depression.

<Lance?> Ben's mind voice filtered to him clearly despite the closed door, tired sounding, upset and something else. Lance pushed himself up just enough to push the door open to reveal the other young stallion standing in the hall.

Ben didn't look particularly happy, his ears were splayed to either side, his mane oddly ruffled and pushed up to one side as if he had been tossing on his mattress. It was dark in the hall, but there was little need for light to see an all white unicorn. He didn't want to say something he'd regret, not if Ben had actually come out of his room after remaining firmly entrenched in it most of the afternoon and all evening. To him, at least some part of him, Ben seemed delicate. No really physically, all unicorns had the same build after all, but there was something delicate and fragile beneath the sapphire eyes and soft mind voice. Had he always been this way? Or had this only been since his change? Lance didn't know, but just seeing him stirred protective urges that he hadn't experienced as a human.

<Hey, you want to grab something to eat?> He tried to keep his voice light, careful to keep out any trace of blame.

<No. I'm tired and we have to get up early tomorrow.> Ben stated flatly, turning his head to one side so he wasn't looking directly at Lance.

<I see.> Lance didn't see, why the hell had Ben gotten up to tell him he was tired. He waited, hoping that Ben would say something else, but the young stallion remained silent, shifting awkwardly. <Did you need something before you turn in?>

<No... yes... I-> The mind voice cut off and the emotions clamped down as Ben scuffed a hoof on the ground and gave his head a shake. <I can't fucking sleep.>

<Neither can I.> Lance confessed and shifted, tucking his forelegs more firmly beneath him. <It's a strange place, just too much to get used to, I guess.>

<It's too quiet in my room.> Ben dropped his head down and flicked his eyes up and sighed. <I'm not used to it, I keep trying to sleep, but it's too quiet and I'm... I'm not used to it.> He finished miserably, his embarrassment plain.

<If it helps any, I'm having the same problem.> Lance answered, happy at least that the problem was something he could understand. <I used to sleep in the room with my brother at home, and then at Ulysses' place we had the shared space and now...>

<It's just all too quiet and weird.> Ben answered and lifted his head a little. <I don't want to be weird.. I really don't, but can I sleep in here? I just want to sleep and forget today, and every time I try in my room I just can't stop thinking...>

The mind voice trailed off, the humiliation was there from earlier, but mostly about having to ask and Lance tipped his ears back. His immediate knee jerk response was to tell his roommate no, he was not going to have another male in his bedroom when it was so small they would be damn near shoved up against each other. His bed would barely hold them both! It was a response that he would have snapped out if he had been human, if it hadn't been tempered with the way that Ben looked so... lost in the hallway. He looked unhappy and tired, they had both had such a long day and they had been sleeping in the same room together for weeks before this. It wasn't that different, it would just be crowded between them. As a human that would have been an uncomfortable thought, but after weeks of dealing with other unicorns it was almost comforting to have someone close by to stop the silence of his small bedroom and fill it with the sound of someone else's breathing and warmth.

It would make him feel better, feel like you aren't angry at him. _Lance thought to himself and shifted on his bed a little. _I'm not mad at him.

_ _

<I don't see a problem, it's not like we haven't been sharing space for weeks now. Just for tonight.> Lance shifted as far as he could on the bed while all the tension left his friend and the young stallion came all the way into the room.

<I didn't want to be weird, but I'm just so tired.> Ben sighed as he dropped down onto his belly, gracefully folding his legs under him. <It'll just be for tonight, I'm sure it's just because today was... strange.>

<No problem.> Lance murmured, strangely aware that some part of him was soothed at the familiar warmth and presence of someone near by. Was that who his stint at Ulysses' estate had changed him to be? Or was it simply being a unicorn.

Ben didn't take long to settle himself, thoughtfully turning with his back facing Lance as he curled up as far away as possible and tucked his head down onto the pillows. Before too long the soft heavy sound of his breathing filled the room and his friend slipped into dreams, not even his tail stirring as Lance shifted and turned to face away from Ben and settled himself in. It was just for tonight, after all, and it was no more stranger than it had been at Ulysses' home. He fell asleep, the worries that had been nagging him releasing him, as the familiar rhythm of his best friend's breathing lulled him to dreams. His problems would wait for daylight.