Flash Sentry sat in the front seat of his car, staring into the parking lot at Canterlot High. It was raining hard, and the droplets flowed down the windshield in rivulets as the glass slowly fogged over from the heat of the interior of the car. His radio was on, but Flash had turned down the volume until the rain hitting the body of his car nearly drowned the sound of quiet guitar and bass. Flash let out a slow sigh and leaned back in his seat and stared into the mostly-empty parking lot. Only a few cars remained, mostly faculty members. Pinkie Pie had asked for a ride, because she'd needed to help clean up the home economics classroom after a "intense baking session". Flash didn't really know what that meant, but he knew better than to ask when it came to Pinkie Pie. She was an enigma wrapped in a petticoat and topped with cotton candy.
As he watched the water drops race each other across the window, his mind wandered, trying to figure out how he'd ended up roped into picking up Pinkie Pie. They were friends, certainly, but they'd been spending a lot of time together as of late... going on outings, texting on occasion. Flash appreciated her kindness, because his relationship with the rest of her friends was complex, to say in the least. Sunset was an ex, Twilight—the other Twilight—brought up confused feelings, and a lot of the other girls varied in their opinion of him from 'air-headed guitar-bro' to 'pretty boy with no sense', or 'nice, I suppose'. But Pinkie didn't judge. Probably because she was so used to being judged by others for her erratic personality and bizarre eccentricity. She just was... nice to him. She liked chatting, even when it was a one-sided conversation she was dominating, but Flash liked to listen to her. She distracted him in the best sort of way, filling his hours with girly giggles, flirtatiously bombastic anecdotes, and a bouncy liveliness that never quit. It helped him, since he hadn't been able to find solace in the usual things he'd enjoyed.
Flash spotted the girl in question skipping across the parking lot, rapidly becoming drenched in the rain. Her usual white stockings, pink skirt and petticoat, and white tank top were enhanced by a bright blue, long raincoat. Her hair somehow avoided losing its bounce, despite the weight of water that must have been filling the curls, and with every step it telegraphed her skipping movements. She took a circuitous route to his car, stomping into puddles and twirling around, her skirts sending fractal spirals of water into the air that hypnotized Flash. Pinkie Pie finally arrived at the car and leapt up onto the hood, raising her arms up and letting out a jubilant war cry, before glancing over her shoulder at Flash. Flash stared up at her through the windshield, feeling a smile tug at the corners of his mouth. Pinkie waggled her hips, making her wet skirt and petticoat flare out and drawing Flash's eyes firmly to her— "Damn it, Pinkie," Flash said, blushing and looking down at the steering wheel in front of him. Pinkie Pie's laugh carried over the sound of the storm and rain, and she hopped down beside the car.
"Heya, Flashie!" Pinkie said, grinning at him, his expression, and his heated blush.
"Hey, Pinkie," Flash replied, supressing the urge to look away and hide his flushed cheeks. She'd only make more of a big deal of things if he tried to hide any of how he was feeling. Pinkie Pie insisted on honesty in his emotions, always, and that meant dealing with a bit of awkwardness at times.
"Good news, Flasharoo! You'll never guess what happened!" Pinkie said as she hopped into the passenger side of Flash's car.
"What's up, Pinkie?" Flash asked, a tired smirk crossing his face as the energetic gal joined him in the warm interior of his car.
"We've got a romance tag, now! And we're rated T!" Pinkie said with a giggle, rubbing her hands together and pressing them against the air vents, trying to warm up her cold hands against the hot air blasting from them.
Flash slowly turned to blink at her, feeling suddenly nervous. "Wait, we've got what for what, now?"
"Never you worry your lil' head, my friend-a-rooni. We're flouncing places no Flash has flounced before," Pinkie declared, grinning and reaching one wet hand out to poke him on the nose. She retracted her hand and reached down, pulling her boots off and letting out an exaggerated groan as she stretched out her toes. "Ah, much better! I miss my sandals."
Flash chuckled, sliding his seat back up into the fully upright position while Pinkie got herself situated in the car—tossing her backpack into the back and kicking her stocking-clad feet onto the dash—and laid her seat almost completely back with a dramatic sigh. "Woo, boy, I am soaked, from tip to tail!" Flash spared her a glance as he started up the car and checked his mirrors, and she cast a wicked grin and a wink at him. "I mean, everything is wet, wet, wet!" She hefted up the hem of her skirt and shook it, sending droplets of water spattering into Flash's face. Flash tried to stay focused but his eyes followed the crinoline hem and fluffy folds for a long moment, before he remembered he was trying to back his car out of a parking space. He shook his head and turned to look over his shoulder, craning his neck. Pinkie Pie raised an eyebrow, and leaned forward a bit, lifting her skirts higher. "Yeesh, even my cute panties! It was a real doozie of a downpour!" There was a moment of something hot-pink-with-polka-dots in Flash's peripheral vision, and Flash slammed on the brakes, sending Pinkie sliding down into the footwell of the passenger seat and upending the laughing girl onto her back, her legs skyward and her skirts askew.
Flash felt a brief moment of concern that overrode his embarrassment at his reaction. "Pinkie! Are you trying to get me in a wreck, here? Are you okay?"
Pinkie's continued laughter assured him that she was, in fact, fine. She wriggled her way back into her seat, smoothing out her jacket, and buckled her seat belt this time. "Sorry, Flash. Was just trying to get a rise out of you. You were so morose looking!"
"Well, it worked," Flash grumbled, blushing a bit as he focused on pulling safely out of the parking lot and getting on the road. He cast a look at Pinkie Pie as he drove. "Nice undies, by the way," he said quietly, trying to make light of the situation.
"Right? They're super cute! I love the polka dots, and the fabric is really comfortable." Pinkie said with a smile. "You should totally try 'em on, I've got a spare pair that are un-besmirched by my pink—"
"Pinkie!"
"— butt. What?"
"Never mind. And no, I don't want to try on your panties," Flash said, letting out an exasperated huff.
"Aw, c'mon, Flashie! They're super nice, I promise! No judgement, remember?"
"No, they're yours, I'm not gonna..." Flash trailed off as he focused on driving, using the moment of changing lanes as a good excuse to change the topic. "So, what are your plans this afternoon?"
"Well, I wasn't joking about being soaked. I need to get changed at home, but after that, we can totally go out and do something! I've got a hankering for some action, and by 'action' I mean 'ice cream'! And by 'hankering', I mean... well, hankering," Pinkie finished a bit lamely.
Flash focused on the road, but gestured up at the rain beyond his windshield. "Ice cream? Really?"
"The heart wants what it wants!" Pinkie declared seriously, nodding in agreement with herself and to show that her decision was final.
"All right. Ice cream. I can take you and drop you off at the mall after you've changed," Flash said, pulling onto Pinkie Pie's home road.
"Drop me off? Oh no, my friend. There will be no dropping off. The only thing that is gonna get dropped are my drawers, when I change into something more dry, and then we're gonna drop... uh... a dank beat on our way to the mall to hang out together!" Pinkie said, prodding Flash's shoulder. She proceeded to beat-box out a staccato rhythm, tapping on the dash to provide some extra percussion to her performance. Flash chuckled, which brightened Pinkie's mood and made her grin at him. "It's nice to hear you laugh, Flash. You don't do it as often as you should. Laughter is scientifically proven to be good for your mental health. I would know!"
Flash nodded. "Yeah, I know. I'll keep trying," he said, casting her a meaningful look. "It's much easier to do it when you're around."
It was Pinkie Pie's turn to blush, and she fidgeted with her curly hair as they pulled into the driveway of her house. Flash parked and hopped out of the car, and Pinkie grabbed her stuff, pulled on her boots, and leapt out as well. "All right, let's get dressed for success!"
Flash snorted as Pinkie Pie unlocked the door and let him inside, and she lead him past the living room into the hallway. As she walked through, she paused and hollered, "Maud, I'm home! Flash is here, too!"
The door to Maud's bedroom opened, and she peered out with her typical nonplussed expression. "Hello, Pinkie Pie. Hello, Flash Sentry."
"Hey, Maud. How's the rocks?" Flash asked, keeping to his typical greeting for Pinkie's inexpressive sister.
"Good. As always," Maud replied.
"We're going out for ice cream. Do you want me to bring back anything from the mall?" Pinkie asked as she opened the door to her room.
"No. I'm expecting a delivery from Rock Crate, today, so let me know if there's any packages for me at the front door when you leave," Maud said, and then disappeared back into her room and closed the door. Pinkie grinned as she paraded into her room, dropping off her backpack and shedding her jacket on the floor. It was a bit messy, with a few articles of clothing on the floor and some dishes on the dresser. Pinkie hadn't ever been embarrassed about a bit of mess around Flash, which was comforting in a strange sort of way. No pretending between them.
"Sit down, Flash, take a load off. Throw off that jacket. We'll take a little break, here, and then head out for ice cream. Ya wanna play any video games? I've got PlayerKnown's Party Grounds!" Pinkie declared as she moved towards her closet.
Flash plopped down on the edge of the bed, running one hand surreptitiously over the duvet and smoothing out a wrinkle before shifting a rumpled t-shirt out of the way, and he let out a yawn. "Nah, I'm good if you just want to relax for a moment. I haven't really felt up for much gaming lately."
Pinkie Pie cast him a worried look. "Really? Not much gaming? You usually really enjoy that."
Flash shrugged. "Yeah... well." There wasn't any excuses, or anything to say. He knew that Pinkie would understand. Pinkie frowned, casting a look down at her feet.
"What about some music? You've got your guitar with you, don't you? I've got my practice drum set in the closet, we could have a sweet jam session!"
Flash winced. "Uh, I left my guitar at home." It was under his bed... collecting dust. It had been there for some time. Flash tried not to think about it too hard.
"Oh well." She brightened up, suddenly, and cast him a grin. "Flashie, help me pick out an outfit!" Pinkie asked, bounding over to him and grabbing him by both hands. "I've got a need to try out something new, and I want an honest opinion that isn't Rarity's!"
Flash blinked. "You want my opinion on picking an outfit?" He shook his head, "I, uh, I don't know anything about girly clothing."
Pinkie cast Flash a wink. "Suuuuure ya don't," she said, strolling over to her closet and throwing it open, before turning back to him. "I know what you like, Flash Sentry. Frills," she said, bringing a blush to Flash's face, "lace," she continued, making Flash bite his lower lip, "and cute," she finished, noting Flash's awkward shifting. Her grin became almost predatory, like a cat that had spotted a particularly slow mouse. "There we go," she purred, and disappeared into the closet. She emerged a moment later with a boom box, and she set it down on the floor and slapped the play button. The boom box began to thump out a runway beat, and Pinkie slipped back inside her mysterious wardrobe. Flash tried to get his composure, but he knew that Pinkie had him exactly where she wanted him. He squirmed, caught somewhere between fear and excitement, as Pinkie strutted out into the middle of her room.
Pinkie was wearing a slim, light pink dress that ended at her mid-thigh, with a subdued floral pattern done in lace all along it. The dress didn't have sleeves; Flash could tell by the cut of the cloth. She wore a white, feminine hoodie with long sleeves and little heart patterns in pink. She'd pulled on long, white socks that just barely reached the hem of the skirt, and tall pink boots. Flash could feel himself start to sweat. As she walked, the skirt bounced, and little flashes of pink skin shone through like beacons of sexuality, despite the overall look having a sort of purity to it that didn't have any dirty connotation. The juxtaposition had Flash blushing harder than he had in a long time, and his heart began to race. Pinkie gave him a smile and did a little twirl, sending the skirt swirling up a little bit. Flash was almost reeling as he watched her move, and Pinkie's grin grew wider. "Wowie zowie. That good, huh?"
"Pinkie, you look fantastic," Flash gasped, gripping the pink bedspread with white-knuckled force.
"Hmm, I dunno. I think I can ramp it up a few notches," Pinkie said, fidgeting with the hem of her dress.
"There's... more notches?" Flash said, feeling his heart pick up an even faster tempo. Pinkie didn't reply, leaving him in delirious suspense as she slipped into her closet once more. Flash let out a slow breath, trying to calm himself down, but he'd barely gotten his breathing under control before Pinkie emerged from the closet once more. She'd retrieved a far more frilly outfit, this time. A knee-length, white pleated skirt with lace trim bounced atop a pink, layered petticoat. She had on a white, ruffly top that was tantalizingly sheer, showing off a pink undershirt with little heart patterns. She was wearing long, pink socks that stopped at her knees, sporting a blue and yellow heart pattern. She'd pulled her hair back with a white bow, forming it into a curly pink ponytail that cascaded over one shoulder, and a little black handbag completed the look. Flash reached backwards and snagged a pillow from the top of her bed and held onto it for dear life, clutching it to his chest as he stared at Pinkie's frilly, girly outfit.
"How's this one?" Pinkie said, grinning at Flash. Flash made a little strangled noise and nodded emphatically. Pinkie Pie gave him a little curtsy, sending Flash's eyes rolling skyward in ecstasy. "Oh! Oh! Best part!" She turned around and hiked up the back of her skirt, showing off a pair of puffy pink bloomers with lace at the hem. "These are the cutest, right?"
Flash's security pillow shifted rapidly from his chest to his crotch. "Y-yep. Hey, is it hot in here, or is it just you?"
Pinkie snickered, doing a twirl that sent hemlines fluffing and made Flash's blood pressure rise. "Methinks the lady doth protest too much," Pinkie quipped as Flash fanned his face with one hand. "So, which one am I gonna wear to the mall?"
Flash tried to consider the two outfits. "Well... this one is way too complex and dressed-up for the mall. You'd want to dress down, so the first one would be far more appropriate. Besides, it would be a crime if you spilled anything on that lace. It looks like crochet lace, which means it'd be impossible to clean."
Pinkie waggled an eyebrow at Flash. "That's awfully insightful for a guy that just said he doesn't know anything about girly clothing."
Flash clutched the pillow closer. "W-well..."
Pinkie Pie shot Flash a wink and skipped past him, making her skirts bounce alluringly. "While you take stock of your femme faculties, I'm gonna swap back into that first outfit."
"By all means. I think if you don't get out of that soon, my head is going to explode," Flash said, letting out a slow sigh.
Pinkie's eyes widened. "Oh! It'll be like those Japanese cartoons! You'll have tentacles shooting out of your nose!"
Flash squinted at Pinkie, and snorted, chuckling. Pinkie Pie grinned and, with a final flounce that flashed Flash her flirtatiously frilly undergarments, disappeared once more into the closet. "No peeking!" she said from inside the closet.
"If I was, it's just because I want to see what other cute outfits you've got in there," Flash replied.
Pinkie poked her head out, shooting him a look. "Really?"
Flash blushed. "Y-Yeah."
"And it's not because you'd be trying to catch a glance at my underpants?" Pinkie said, snickering.
"I mean, they're part of your outfit, right?" Flash retorted. "Gotta take the whole ensemble into consideration."
Pinkie laughed and slid from view once more. "I swear, Flash Sentry, if I waltzed out of my closet buck naked, you'd just give me a confused look and ask 'where's the dresses at?'"
"N-no," Flash mumbled. "I don't just like you for your cute clothes."
Pinkie stepped out of the closet, smiling at Flash. She was back in the much tamer outfit, and she was pulling on her blue rain jacket. "I know."
Flash swallowed hard, surprised she'd heard him. "O-oh." He rubbed the back of his neck, shying away from her gentle expression, until Pinkie Pie reached out and touched him on the shoulder.
"I appreciate it, Flashie," she said in a quiet, sincere voice, and then she turned and skipped out of the room. "Now, let's go get ice cream!"
Flash was briefly left alone with his heart attempting to beat out of his chest, and a new question in his head. When, exactly, had he gone from liking Pinkie Pie to... really liking her?
"So, what's your favorite flavor, Flash?" Pinkie asked, leading him through the mall towards the ice cream parlor. "I've been curious!"
"Hm?" Flash glanced up from his shoes, startled out of a quiet moment. "Oh, uh... I guess chocolate?"
"Chocolate what?" Pinkie asked, leaning in.
Flash gave her a confused look. "Chocolate?"
Pinkie Pie's eyes widened. "Just regular chocolate?"
"I-is that okay?" Flash asked, somehow knowing the answer.
"I mean... I can appreciate the classics like anybody else, but... Chocolate being your favorite? Flashie, my boy, we need to broaden your horizons." Pinkie threw an arm around Flash's shoulders and pulled him in close, her cheek smashing against his awkwardly, but she seemed unperturbed. "There's a whole world beyond 'chocolate'. You can do so much better. You deserve so much better!"
"Do I?" Flash asked.
Pinkie nodded emphatically. "Yes. You do. I'm gonna open your eyes today, Flashie. You're never gonna look at an ice cream cone the same way again. Whaddya say?"
Flash typically wasn't one to go in on the fancy stuff, but... he remembered the little fashion show Pinkie had put on for him, indulging his interests. It would almost be rude to say no to her, after she'd put herself out there for him. "Yeah. You know what, that sounds good."
Pinkie's grin widened a bit, a feat that Flash hadn't been certain was possible, and she let out a happy cheer, jumping up and down and sending her skirts flaring wildly. Flash smiled at her enthusiasm, and felt a little buoyed by his small piece of giving her that happy moment. "Well, come on. Lead me to ice cream nirvana."
"Nirvana? We're gonna open your third eye to an entire universe of flavor. And your other two eyes, too! You're gonna have sugar flowing into your chakras like nobody's business!" Pinkie Pie declared, taking his hand and leading him towards the ice cream shop. Flash held on as he was pulled in her wake, and he smiled.
"You know, usually when I say 'Nirvana', people think about Kurt Cobain before they think about Buddhism," Flash said.
"Yeah, well, contextually, I figured you'd rather have allusions to a religious experience," Pinkie said, casting him a wink.
"I think you already gave me a religious experience, today."
"So, what's one more?" Pinkie pulled Flash through the front doors to the ice cream shop. Inside, the ice cream shop was a wall-to-wall riot of 80's memorabilia, from old movie posters to cast photos of television shows. There were the usual tables, but a long bar-style counter with stools dominated the front of the shop. Quiet pop music played, and the employees looked relaxed. They looked up with smiles as Pinkie Pie entered with Flash, and Flash had the feeling that Pinkie was a regular.
"Hey, Pink. You gettin' the usual?" one employee asked, as he approached. He was a bigger guy, built like a moose.
"Heya, Floyd. Nah, the usual isn't gonna cut it, today. I just found out that this cute boy's favorite flavor is chocolate," Pinkie said with an exaggerated sigh.
"Chocolate and what?" Floyd asked, squinting.
"That's what I said! He needs professional help, Floyd, so I brought him right to the professional," Pinkie said, hopping up onto a stool along the front counter and patting the one directly next to her. Flash took the hint and sat down beside her, and he looked past the glass front to the ice cream. There were three dozen flavors, by the look of things, which presented a large variety of combinations. Flash swallowed hard, and looked up to Pinkie.
"Let's see here..." Pinkie said, scrutinizing the array of ice cream on offer. "You like chocolate, but I feel like if I overload you too much, it'll just send you back to your safe little spot in the vanilla zone."
"I like vanilla, too."
"How about nuts?" Pinkie asked.
"Sure, they're good," Flash replied.
"Marshmallows?"
"Nah, too chewy and they get weird when they're cold," Flash said.
"Sprinkles?"
"You only borrow sprinkles."
"Okay, how ab—wait, what?" Pinkie halted in her line of questioning, staring at Flash.
"What? You've never heard that?" Flash asked, looking at Pinkie.
"I—you know what, never mind. I think I've got the perfect ice cream, anyway." Pinkie turned to Floyd, who was waiting patiently with a pad of paper and a pen out, ready to take the order. "We'll need a peanut butter and chocolate swirl with extra chopped peanuts, a bit of condensed milk, and a drizzle of the dark chocolate sauce. Whipped cream on top, of course."
"Cherry?" Floyd asked.
Pinkie cast Flash a grin. "Yeah, give him the cherry."
Flash cast an uncertain glance towards the counter as he watched a creation rise from the depths of Pinkie's mind. Within minutes, a bowl was set down in front of him. A double scoop of swirled ice cream peeked from beneath a layer of condensed milk and dark chocolate, with peanuts sticking to the edges and a veritable mountain of whipped cream on top. At the pinnacle of the mound of cream sat a bright red candied cherry, practically glowing against the white backdrop. Flash's jaw dropped at the sight of the mountain of dessert, and he took it with both hands and set it in front of himself on the counter. "Holy crud." Pinkie handed him a spoon and watched with rapt attention as Flash got his first scoop, making sure to get a bit of everything into it. He took the spoon into his mouth, and he let out a sigh of happiness as the flavors mingled on his tongue. Sweet condensed milk cut by the dark chocolate and a bit of salty flavor from the peanuts. A heavier taste from the peanut butter that was eased by the whipped cream. It was heavenly. Flash swallowed slowly, staring into the bowl of ice cream. "Holy crud."
"Hey, Mikey, I think he likes it!" Pinkie said, laughing happily and throwing her arms around Flash's shoulders. "Did I do good?"
"You did amazing. Pinkie, the peanut butter is genius. I think... I think it might be my new favorite flavor!" Flash exclaimed.
"Woo hoo!" Pinkie cheered, raising her hand. "One of the same for me, please! I gotta try this. Flash is practically drooling!"
"I am literally drooling," Flash said, wiping his mouth with a napkin before diving in for another bite. Soon, Pinkie had joined him, and they enjoyed their ice cream together. Despite his head start, Pinkie Pie finished her serving before Flash did with a gusto he often saw when the giggly girl had a sweet treat in front of her. "You liked it, too?"
"Not my favorite, but it's really good. It's like... a baby step to the big leagues of ice cream options," Pinkie explained.
"Yeah? What do you normally get?" Flash asked.
"Spumoni and raspberry with black licorice bits, caramel drizzle, sprinkles, and strawberry sauce," Pinkie rattled off casually.
Flash wrinkled his nose. "That... sounds awful, honestly."
Pinkie laughed, "It is awful! It's the worst! But I change one thing about it, every time. A new topping, a new ice cream, a new sauce. It's always exciting, and I figured out that I could keep trying a new combination every day for the rest of my entire life, and never actually try every single combination."
Flash's eyes widened. "Really?"
"Yeah. Thirty six flavors, twenty toppings, eight drizzles, and eight sauces. If I'm only allowed a certain number of each, each time, it'd take a really, really long time to try them all. If I start running out of combinations, I can add a third ice cream flavor, or a fourth, or whatever! See? I could never, ever try them all," Pinkie Pie said brightly, licking her spoon and sticking it to her nose.
Flash frowned. "Doesn't that kind of... make you sad? That you'll never be able to try them all?"
Pinkie's eyes widened, and the spoon fell from her nose. "What? No! It's amazing!" She saw Flash's confusion, and she leaned against him. "No matter what happens, or what changes, or what stays the same, I know that I can always come here and order something brand new. Every time, a fresh idea. A new start to a new group of flavors. I did the math, and even if I only tried ice cream flavor combinations in varied orders, there are something like sixty-eight billion flavor combinations. It's like what happens when you shuffle a deck of cards, right? Once you've shuffled a certain amount, you're holding a completely unique configuration of cards that has never been seen before in the history of ever! It's so exciting to think about that, but instead of thinking about it, I get to eat it!"
Flash leaned back a bit. "Whoa."
Pinkie blushed. "Sorry. I just get excited about this stuff, you know? Knowing that I'll never try everything isn't sad, to me. It's exhilarating! If I can't ever try everything, that means there's no room for regrets or second-guesses, only the now. The moment. Do you feel me, Flashie?" Pinkie said, reaching out and grabbing Flash by the shoulders.
"No regrets. Only the moment," Flash said, nodding slowly. "Yeah. I do feel you."
"Not yet, you don't, but we'll get there," Pinkie said with a saucy wink and a wiggle of her eyebrows, which brought out a laugh from Flash.
"You're too much to handle," Flash said, shaking his head.
"Aw, but I try to be just enough to handle. Do I need to go on a diet?" Pinkie said, her grin widening. Flash snorted and shook his head, and Pinkie giggled, patting him on the shoulder. "Okay, ice cream done. We going dutch, or?"
Flash shook his head. "No way. I've got it. You got the movie the other day."
Pinkie Pie smiled, leaned over, and planted an exaggerated kiss on his cheek. "Thanks, Flashie. You're a real peach!" With that, she hopped up off of her stool and started walking towards the mall proper.
Flash was left momentarily stunned, and one hand reached up to touch the wet spot on his cheek. "What just happened?"
"You just got kissed, dude," Floyd said, giving him a thumbs-up.
Flash chuckled and fished out a twenty dollar bill, and left it on the counter. "Keep the change, ya big elk."
"Yes, yes, yes!" cheered Floyd, as Flash headed out after Pinkie Pie. He caught up to her as she exited the ice cream shop.
"Hey, what was that, back there?" Flash asked.
Pinkie blinked. "What was what?" Flash blushed a bit, and pointed to his cheek. Pinkie's eyes widened in understanding. "Oh! Sorry, was that too much?"
"I don't know. Was it? I'm... really not good at this kind of thing," Flash said, rubbing the back of his neck.
Pinkie let out a sigh of relief. "Me neither! I just thought like it was the right thing to do, you know? Living in the moment? No regrets, only now?"
Flash nodded slowly. "Yeah... yeah, I guess so. I just... I don't know how to do that. Live like that. I overthink things too much."
"Well, then, maybe it's a good time to start learning," Pinkie Pie said, grabbing him by the hand and pulling him along once more, heading deeper into the mall.
"Uh, Pinkie? Where are we going?" Flash asked.
"Lingerie shopping!" Pinkie cheered.
Flash shivered. "F-for you?"
Pinkie Pie cast him a sly grin. "For us."
Flash felt his heart start beating harder, again; a pleasant sensation. Thrilling, exciting. It'd been a while since he'd felt that. "Y-yeah... okay." He swallowed and sped up his pace, before saying with as much confidence as he could muster, "Let's do it."
With another happy cheer, Pinkie pulled him into the crowds filling the mall, and they disappeared into the rest of the afternoon.