It was a sunny day outside and you figured that you'd take this opportunity to simply chill and relax for once. Besides, your skin looked like it belonged to a ghost, so a little bit of tanning wouldn't do any harm. Fortunately, the Cakes' at Sugarcube Corner had a balcony built onto the side of Pinkie Pie's room that left a rather generous space to lounge in.
It came with a small table and a pair of deck chairs to the left by the door to access the balcony, one of which you were 'chillaxing' on, as Rainbow Dash might say. You've only met her at least three times in your entire time of being a resident of the town, but you liked her already, enough so that you could call her a friend.
It was just you, the hot sun and the calm and gentle breeze that wafted through your shortly-trimmed hair. You didn't dress too excessively, simply opting for a basic white T-shirt and a pair of camouflage shorts. Normally, you wouldn't be caught dead in a pair of shorts back on Earth, but given that this wasn't Earth but rather Equestria, you felt the need to be naughty and bend the rules you swore a personal oath to. Suck it, Earth!
You laid there, lounged back with your bare feet up and with your eyes closed, looking like a Lord. With the gentle breeze combined with the somewhat soothing background ambience of the market scene below in the centre of town, you could easily find sleep in this blissful place. Come to think of it, this is the most peace you've had since you came to Equestria. Not willing, of course, but things seemed to have settled down for the most part, even with Pinkie constantly on your hide.
The odd thing is that, while Pinkie might be annoying at times, you knew she meant well. You wouldn't really admit it, but you thought she was a sweetheart, and a cute one at that. Despite the flour bombings and constant pestering that may occur on a daily basis in the kitchen, you couldn't find the will to be mad at her, not after all she has done to make you feel at home when you were out of place in this foreign world. If anything, she's the one pony that got you back on your feet and acted like an emotional crutch, so you felt like you owed it to her to show some gratitude for her kindness.
Speaking of Pinkie Pie, you haven't seen her all day. Not in the bakery where she normally hangs out, nor with her friends and not even with the Cakes' or their babies, Pound and Pumpkin. You didn't know where she might have gotten to, but there wasn't really any telling with her. She's broken so many rules of physics and the quantum timeline so many times that even Sir Isaac Newton and Stephen Hawking would be astonished, and maybe even a little proud, if not, downright terrified.
You strangely found yourself missing her presence, but you quickly shrugged away the feeling. If she were here at the moment, you had a feeling that all of this peace and quiet you were currently enjoying wouldn't be so enjoyable. It would likely result in yet another flour bombardment or a doughball cannon blast, neither of which were something you could say you'd enjoy.
Just as you could feel yourself beginning to doze off, you heard the door to the bedroom opening and closing with a loud click, followed by the rhythmic tapping of hooves against the wooden floorboards that gradually became louder and louder as they got closer to the balcony. Sure enough, you heard the door to the balcony open and close before you could sense the presence of somepony take occupancy of the remaining deck chair. For a while, you didn't hear the pony say anything, but you could only hear their breathing. Slow, soft, gentle, and smelling a lot like candyfloss. You didn't need to open your eyes to know that it was Pinkie Pie. You figured she didn't say anything because she thought you might be sleeping, so to avoid making things uncomfortable, you decided to speak up and start a conversation.
''Hey, Pinkie,'' You greeted quietly, still keeping your eyes closed as you continued to sunbathe. ''I've not seen you all day,'' You said, this time, opening your eyes and turning yourself around a little so you could see her. ''Where have you been, anyway? It's been kinda lonely without you around.'' You admitted, and you could see the look on Pinkie's face momentarily shift into one of warmth.
Pinkie, unlike yourself, was curled into a half-ball on the other deckchair, her head turned to face you with those adorable baby blue eyes of hers. For some reason, you could detect some form of unease in Pinkie Pie's features, one that suggests that she had something on her mind that was bugging her quite badly. However, your comment on her not being around making you feel a little lonely seemed to lift the distant expression on her face a little, bringing back the mood that was typical for the bubbly girl.
''I've just been to see a friend,'' Pinkie said, albeit, a little off of her usual tone, almost evasive. ''How about you?'' She asked, and you shrugged a single shoulder.
''Meh, not much. Sunbathing, trying to sleep, etcetera,'' You said softly, and then you frowned at her, catching onto her not-so-normal attitude. ''Pinkie, is something bothering you? You don't really seem like yourself today.'' You said, and Pinkie immediately looked away towards the town below as she thought upon her next line of questioning. After a couple of moments, Pinkie raised her head and turned back to face you with curious eyes.
''Andy, do you remember when you were sitting on the porch of the shop with that cigarette and you told me about Earth?'' She asked, and you looked to the sky in thought as you tried to recollect the memory. Within seconds of entering your internal memory banks, you knew what she was talking about. Nodding, you allowed her to continue. ''Andy, I was just wondering...why haven't you told me about it yet?'' She inquired, and she seemed to be a little sad, her ears drooping slightly as she asked the question.
Oh, now you could remember. You had actually dedicated yourself to a Pinkie Promise, the sacred bond that Pinkie shares with all of her friends as a sign of trust that, if broken, renders as a punishment as equally painful as death - losing the friendship of the pink mare. You found it unlikely that such an event would arise, but you knew that losing friends hurts something fierce when it happens from personal experience, regardless of the cause.
It only hit you then that in the time after you promised to tell her about it, you seemed to have forgotten about it. After all, it was around maybe a month or two ago. It was really hard to tell when exactly it was when you told her. However, speaking of cigarettes, you remembered that it has been a good while since you've had a good, deep, long puff on one of those hand-rolled death sticks. Hmm, you are doing well for yourself.
''Huh, I guess I don't really know,'' You said, feeling somewhat guilty. ''I guess I either forgot or I didn't feel there was really an appropriate time for telling you about it. It's not really something I like talking about, y'know?'' You said, and you could feel a soft pang in your heart, although you weren't sure of the cause.
''Well, how about now?'' Pinkie said. ''We're alone, it's quiet, we're away from other ponies. Please?'' She asked, almost pleadingly, as she gave you the most adorable puppy eyes and pout you've ever seen. Not even an actual puppy is that cute. Man, what is it with these ponies and being able to pull off the most affectionately adorable expressions ever? With looks like those, they could dominate the entire world and forge an empire of cuteness. The only thing you've seen back on Earth that was this cute were your two guinea pigs, Dave and Oscar, that had the most gorgeous faces you've seen on a domesticated animal. One day, those guinea pigs could have such a powerful cuteness that they could conquer and enslave mankind, forcing them to work the farms to produce endless supplies of veggies such as carrots and lettuce. All hail The Piggie Kingdom!
Looking at Pinkie's face made you give a mental sigh. How has living in an equine world weakened your will of iron into such a blob of jelly? Oh, ponies, how you wound me so.
''Pinkie Pie, I...oh, alright,'' You said, and you could feel the instant change of mood in the party mare. ''For you, I'll tell you about it.'' Sighing, you positioned yourself back onto your back to be more comfortable as you watched the sky. It was devoid of any and all clouds, leaving a brilliant canvas of bright blue, the sun high overhead in the middle of the sky, indicating that the time was midday. You spotted a couple of birds fly by and you could feel yourself physically relax from the tranquillity of your surroundings. You can't recall ever feeling this peaceful.
''Pinkie, I miss my family,'' You said, not once breaking your eyes away from the sky. ''I miss my mother, my father, my brother and my sister. I didn't exactly leave on the best terms, if I'm honest. A part of the reason I've been kinda grouchy towards you is because I'm stressed about it,'' You explained, turning to face her, seeing that her lips had transformed into a sad, sympathetic smile. ''I don't know if I'll ever see them again, Pinkie. I don't know what I can do or if there's anything I can do.''
''Oh, Andy,'' Pinkie cooed gently. ''I'm sure there's something that you can do to tell them that you're alright,'' Pinkie said, trying to lift your spirits. However, it didn't really do much. True, the idea of being able to send them a message or even a photograph seemed like a longshot, but that's all it was and ever will be. As far as you know, even with the advantages of magic and sorcery on your side, they can't be used in a way that they can transmit messages or thoughts to an alternate universe or planet. It seems as far-fetched as something out of a cheesy, classic sci-fi novel or film, something that can only take place within the realms of imagination and that can't take a step into the real world and become non-fictional. All of those thoughts and ideas can and will always remain as just a piece of fiction that serves as a source of entertainment. Nothing more, nothing less.
''I appreciate the thought, Pinkie, but I just don't see it. I won't be able to tell them that I'm sorry, and even then, I don't know if they would accept it. For all I know, they are still disappointed in me. Some son and brother I turned out to be, huh?'' You said, feeling your insides twist. You felt a queasy feeling that you haven't felt since you left Earth. It was like a warm tingle in your gut, yet it was a part of sadness rather than happiness. It was what you could only describe as guilt. It hurt, it stung and you knew that it would always remain there as a reminder of what you won't have or be able to experience for as long as you might live.
''What did you do?'' She asked, keeping her eyes fixed upon you. You inhaled deeply and gave a heavy, tired sigh. Turning yourself back onto your back and staring back into the sky, you took a few moments before saying,
''I got into a fight with my younger sister.''
After you finished your sentence, you could hear Pinkie give a soft gasp. She didn't say anything else, so you decided to continue with your story.
''She found my...stash. My stash of things,'' You said, wording your explanation carefully. ''We ended up arguing and fighting for a while. I don't remember exactly what I said, but it wasn't anything nice, not to say to a girl, at least. When she found my stuff, my sister tried to take it from me so I could get better because she could see it wasn't doing me any good. Me, being the dumbass that I am, wouldn't let her when she told me she was going to tell our mother.''
Jesus, you could feel yourself tremble and ache on the inside. You felt like you were beginning to implode and maybe shrivel up into some kind of ball or like a spider once it gets sprayed with poison before it begins acting crazy and drying up before dying. You felt sick, to say the least. Rotten, horrible, guilty and miserable for your misdeeds.
''I told her not to, and I promised my sister I would stop using,'' You said, turning back to face Pinkie, seeing how mortified she looked. ''I lied, Pinkie. I lied to my sister and my family, even after I promised my sister I'd clean up my act and get myself back on my feet. I won't ever be able to tell her I'm sorry. For all I know, I'm dead to my family.'' You said, a stray tear burning your eye before rolling down your cheek. ''Ever since then, I took up smoking to ease myself whenever I got stressed. It's all my fault that I got in with a bad crowd that would turn out to be nothing than a huge mistake. Because of those scumbags I met at college, I ended up getting hooked for a very long time.''
''Oh, Andy-Candy,'' Pinkie said soothingly, picking herself from her deckchair and coming over to yours before climbing on it beside you, snuggling herself up to you as she put her hooves around you and hugged you close. Only then did you feel yourself begin to truly break and cry. You could feel it all wash throughout your body - the pain, the aches, the symptoms you knew all too well as withdrawal. You felt like your system was burning itself up and about to burst open, killing you in the fire. Granted, it's been a while since you had been able to inject yourself with addictive substances, and when you were brought to Equestria, you were forced to be taken off of them for good due to the lack of availability. In a way, you saw it as a blessing in disguise. For sure, if you remained as a fully-fledged daily user and abuser, you'd be dead by now. ''I'm sorry, Andy. I had no idea!'' Pinkie said.
''No, it's my fault,'' You said, your voice slightly cracked. ''It's always been my fault for getting myself addicted. I know I can't ever take anything back, Pinkie, but I swear I'll make it right one day, in this life or the next. I'll fix it,'' You said, hugging the pink mare back. ''I've got to fix it, no matter what.'' You spent over half an hour wrapped in each other's embrace as you both cried. Pinkie's candyfloss-scented mane enticed your nose with its infectious scent as you had your cheek snuggly pressed her own, and her hooves wrapped around your back were loose yet firm, holding you in place as she had her body pushed up against yours.
You continued to hug for the better part of about an hour, and you had both settled down to the point where you were back to normal. You were laying on your back again, your eyes looking out to the sky as Pinkie Pie was laid next to you with her head nestled comfortably onto your left shoulder, one of her forehooves resting on top of your chest and lapping over to the point where it could be considered a half-hug. You didn't mind. It's been far too long since you've felt the comfort and warmth of another being this close to you. As a matter of fact, you actually enjoyed Pinkie's company. She was warm, soft, comfortable and cute. Even a little...sexy.
Oh! No, you did not just think that. Bad! Bad Andy!
''Andy? Something wrong?'' Pinkie asked, seeming to catch onto your sudden change of embarrassed mood, as emphasised by your blush. Her baby blue eyes looked up to face you, and you tried to force the blush away, yet only seemed to make it brighter upon her noticing it.
''Uh, no, nothing!'' You said abruptly. You coughed nervously into your hand and tried to calm your thoughts down. Eventually feeling calm enough, you spoke up again. ''Hey, Pinkie?'' You asked, and you felt her respond with an inquisitive 'Mmm?'. ''Listen, I know I may have been a bit mean to you in the past year or so, and I don't think I ever apologised. I just wanted to say that I'm sorry if I ever hurt your feelings, Pinkie. Up until now, everything has just gotten to me, and, I, um, I'd be lying if I said I didn't like you,'' You said, and you felt Pinkie's body tense as she looked up at you, surprised, and perceiving your statement as something else. Catching on, you quickly added, ''As a friend! I mean, I really, really like you, Pinkie. You've been my best friend ever since I came here, and I can't thank you enough,'' You said, feeling a little awkward as you pulled her into a cuddle, holding her close to your chest for a solid minute as you rubbed her back. When you pulled away, you held Pinkie's cheek with a single hand as you faced her.
You both blushed and she looked at you curiously for a moment, wondering what was on your mind. You haven't seen her this closely before, and you had to admit that she was actually really beautiful. Gorgeous, even. Those big, bright shiny blue eyes, those adorable cheeks and that beaming smile...they made your heart melt like butter. You could feel your heart skip a beat as you had a thought come to mind.
''A-Andy?'' Pinkie asked quietly, blushing a little brighter as she stared into your eyes. With your thumb, you gently rubbed her cheek, caressing it, and you could tell she enjoyed the sensation. Every now and again, you could see her occasionally glance for the briefest of moments from your eyes to your lips, and you did the same. ''Andy?'' She asked again, and this time, you stopped to gaze directly into her eyes.
''Pinkie Pie, I guess what I'm trying to say is that I...I l-like you,'' You said with a blush. ''I like you as a friend, and, uh, perhaps maybe a little more than that.'' You said, and Pinkie breathed slowly as she stared back into your eyes, a calculating expression behind them that you couldn't quite place. Her heart thumped softly behind her ribs and her face gained a dreamy expression. There was this new light in her face and eyes that made your heart and stomach flutter, a feeling you have never felt nor experienced before. There was no question or denying in the back of your mind that you liked Pinkie Pie.
You...you loved her.
''P-Pinkie, I, oh, come here,'' You said, coming forward and softly kissing her on the lips in a light peck. It didn't last longer than a couple of seconds, but in both of your minds, it played in slow motion. Her lips were smooth and they tasted of candyfloss and candy canes, like one might expect with what she does for a living. You could even pick up a gentle hint of vanilla on her breath, making it all the more blissful. When you pulled away, your cheeks burning like a wildfire in the Queen of Heart's rose bush gardens, you saw that her lips were still in a pout, as if yours were still pressed lightly up against them. Her face was frozen and her eyes remained closed, savouring the moment. You could only watch, a smile of amusement curling upwards on your lips as you watched her. Because of the colour of her bright coat, you couldn't tell if she was blushing or not, but you got the strong sense that she was. After around a minute or so, Pinkie eventually opened her eyes to stare at you with a radiant expression of affection and warmth.
''You...you like me, too?'' She asked softly, her voice smooth and warm. You only nodded. ''Oh, Andy, I don't even know what to say! I didn't think that you liked me in that way!'' She said in disbelief.
''Well, of course I do, Pinkie! You took me in, treated me like I belonged and you made sure I was happy, even when I was an absolute jerk to you, and for that, I hope you know that I'm sorry. I was just so on-edge when I was suffering from withdrawal, and it kinda makes me go crazy sometimes. Thankfully, with your help and hospitality, I've managed to keep it together, so thank you,'' You said, pulling her into a brief hug. Breaking away, you kissed her on the cheek and said, ''I love you, Pinkie.''
''I love you, too, Andy,'' Pinkie said. After those words were spoken, both you and Pinkie shared a hug as you snuggled together on the same deckchair that you were sharing. The sun had begun to lower and the air had become cooler as a result, making the scene all the more cosy. The warmth you found as you were pressed up against each other was enough to relax you both to the point where you could find yourselves beginning to nod off into the waiting arms of dreamland.
For once, being in the embrace of somepony you loved and knowing that there was room for peace was enough to make you smile with a sincerity that you thought was lost to you long ago. With Pinkie by your side, you knew that there was going to be no more using addictive and harmful substances or any other type of narcotics, apart from the occasional cigarette, and all you needed to be happy was her. You held her close as she slept peacefully with her head snuggled into the crook of your neck, and you could feel yourself beginning to lose yourself to the world of sleep as you used her puffy, candyfloss-scented mane as your pillow.