"Here we are!" Sugar Heart announces as soon as we walk in.
Okay...not what I was expecting. I was sure this party would be at a pub or bar of some sort, I mean, this is a work party after all. Instead, I'm greeted with the blasting music that'll burst your eardrums the second you step in, the strong scent of alcohol and vomit, and the strobing flashing lights that can only be found in an underground nightclub.
I glance around, but it's hard to see anything, the only source of light in this place being the flashing lights that seem deadset on blinding anypony unlucky enough to glance upwards. Bodies grind together on the dance floor, ponies reaching for their drinks on the bars for a sip without missing a beat. Deep bass floods my ears, my heart pounding to the beat. The smell of smoke assaults my nostrils, making me cough and clear my throat. I take a step closer to you, the crowd making me uncertain and uneasy. I've never been too good with crowds. Ironic, considering how I grew up.
"Sugar Heart!" You scold, drawing my attention back to you. I can never keep my attention from you for very long. "What are we doing here?"
Sugar Heart looks confused. "What do you mean? This is where the party's at."
You hit you hoof against your forehead, groaning a bit with irritation. "Sugar Heart, this is against so many work protocols, it's not even funny. Do you have any idea what corporate would do if they found out we were holding a work event here?"
"It's not a work event though," Sugar Heart responds with a sly smile, before shrugging casually. "I'm allowed to invite my friends who just happen to be my coworkers to an evening of fun in an underground nightclub. Corporate can't tell me what I can and can't do in my free time." She winks at us, before noticing somepony and gasping. "Oh, Winter, there's somepony I want you to meet."
Sugar Heart grabs my hoof and drags me through the crowd, pulling me farther away from you. I stare at you for as long as I can before you're swallowed up by the crowd. Sugar Heart somehow travels through the crowd seamlessly, like a missile through water, while I'm bumping into anypony and everypony, feeling like I'm standing in the middle of a stampede and I'm barely able to stay on my hooves.
She stops in front of a dark blue stallion pegasus with black eyes and a black mane, looking down at us with a glare mixed with a little bit of...is that pity? Why is he looking at us with pity? Sugar Heart, bless her heart, gives him a tight hug with all her strength.
Once they separate, Sugar Heart starts introductions. "Rainy, this is Streaky and I's new coworker, Winter Breeze. Winter, this is my amazing coltfriend of two years, Rainy Night."
My jaw drops, I can't help it. This is Sugar Heart's coltfriend. There are just so many differences, it's impossible to list them all. To start with, Rainy Night is just so...gothic while your sister is just so...not gothic. Actually, she's quite the opposite of gothic. She's every goth's nightmare. I mean, she's a lot like one of those element bearers my father likes so much. I think she's the element of laughter or something. The hyperactive one. That's your sister. And Rainy Night just looks like he'd prefer to stand out in the rain...at night...like his name.
"I know," Sugar Heart says when she sees my expression, nuzzling Rainy Night affectionately. "We seem like complete opposites on the surface, but we have a lot in common."
"We're both misjudged by our looks." Rainy Night states in a dreadfully dull tone, with no emotion whatsoever.
"Oh...he's just so deep," Sugar Heart says in a seductive voice I don't want to hear from anypony else again but you.
"Sugar has helped me become more expressive with my emotions." Again in the dreadfully dull tone.
I hesitate, unsure of what to say at this point. "And you're feeling..." I trail off, motioning with my hoof for him to continue.
"Esctatic that my marefriend has come to save me from the death complete boredom in this dreadful place tried to put me in. Can't you tell?" Rainy Night says in such a dull tone that almost seems to be bordering on irritation, that if I wasn't taking Sugar Heart's word for how 'deep' he is, I would've mistaken it for sarcasm. Oh well, to each their own I suppose. I mean, you and I just met this morning and I already know we're meant to be eternal partners. Who am I to judge?
You then walk up to us, levitating four drinks in your magical grip, saving me from having to answer that question. Oh, you've only been gone for five minutes but dear sweet Celestia, I've missed you. You're like an oasis in the desert I've been trapped in for weeks, with only memories of you serving as drops of water to sustain me until we'd meet again. I can't imagine how hard it'll be when I'll have to go home and we must separate.
You give me a smirk and my heart thumps heavily in my chest. You hand me a drink, which leaves your light blue magical aura and enters mine which is a couple of shades lighter than yours, bordering on white. Wow, even our magical auras are similar. If that doesn't scream soulmates, I don't know what will.
"I see you met my sister's coltfriend." You say with a chuckle, making my heart swoon all over again.
"I...uh...I...umm...y-ya..." I stutter, not quite sure how to answer without being rude, all the while my tongue is heavy and my mind is speechless, simply from the spell you put on me by just being in your presence.
You chuckle again, rubbing the back of your neck with your hoof, levitating two drinks over to Sugar Heart and Rainy Night. "Yeah, I was confused too. Still am, but Sugar seems happy and Rainy says he's happy so...I guess I can't complain."
A new song comes on and Sugar Heart gasps, grabbing both sides of Rainy Night's face with her hooves, looking into his face with the biggest smile in the world, setting her drink down on the bar with her magic. "Oooh ooh! Rainy, I know you don't like to dance and you're not a fan of crowds, but please please please dance with me just this once? I love this song! Please!"
Rainy Night rolls his eyes and sets his drink on the bar too before taking Sugar Heart's hoof and leading her to the corner of the dance floor at the edge of the dancing crowd. I stare at them, shocked, but pleasantly understanding. On the surface, they look like a couple that'll barely last a week, let alone two years, but watching them now, it's clear how they've made it this long. Compromise. Lots of compromises. One pony doesn't take all or give all. They're the perfect example of a give-and-take relationship.
You and I are left alone and I can't help but wonder: will we be that in love? I have no doubt we're meant to be together, that you're meant to be mine and I'm meant to be yours but what if you don't see it? What if you do all you can to deny it until it's too late?
I shake my head. No. I can't have that doubt. I can't think like that. You're mine and I'm yours and I'll make you see that through in means possible.
"Those two make an...interesting couple. I mean, he's so gloomy and your sister's so..."
"Spastic?" You say with a light chuckle. "Yeah, I know, but even though I don't understand him, I'm glad she has him and I'm happy for her. In high school, the other foals used to call her Spaz and it'd get to her. The other foals used to make fun of her a lot, and she struggled with it. She'd often hide her personality, but seeing her be herself with someone so different just shows how far she's come. Of course, it helps that he accepts her the way she is and loves her for her."
"Yeah. I'm sorry about what your sister went through though."
"Eh," He waved a hoof dismissively. "She's over it. Kinda. What about you? Got any siblings?"
"Oh, me?" I chuckle nervously. "No. I've always wanted a little sister, but...it never happened. It's just me, my dad, and my...mom." My hooves become sweaty, but this time it isn't because of you
"Where's mommy?" I squeeze my eyes shut, squeezing them so tightly it blocks out the blinding flashing lights instead of blocking out the unwanted scene trying to play in my mind. No no no. Not here, not now.
"It's been two years sweety. We need to move on..."
"But...but...I want Mommy! Where's mommy?! She's going to come back. I know she will. I know she-"
"Winter?"
You cast the unbidden memory from my mind simply by the sound of your voice. I look up at you, coming back to reality, and notice the concerned look on your face. I take a deep breath, clearing my mind, and focusing solely on you. Your mane, your coat, your beautiful smile and laugh, until the thoughts of you consume me, until you consume me.
"Are you okay? You look pale." You ask, putting a hoof to my forehead.
I try to smile, but it's weak and frail, exactly how I feel. Like the smallest gust of wind made from the flap of a pegasus wing, is going to go blow me over. I levitate the drink you gave me early when my smile clearly doesn't convince you I'm fine, and I take a sip, before chugging the whole thing, desperate for that tingly buzz that comes from the soothing alcohol.
The drink, a margarita, burns a bit going down my throat, but soon the tingly warmth flows throughout my body, relaxing it and a slightly lopsided smile appears on my face. I slowly levitate the glass to the bar while you just stare at me, your concern deepening.
"Are you sure you're okay?"
"Yeah yeah yeah. I'm fine. I just...zoned out a bit. Didn't sleep well, that's all."
You hesitate, knowing you can't force me to say what I don't want to, you simply say, "Right," making it clear you don't believe me.
But that's okay, because I know you're patient. You understand. I don't know how and I don't know why, but I will find out. Just like how one day, I'll share with you every detail of my past life, you'll with me yours. All you need is a little time to trust me, to feel comfortable with me, just like what I need to do with you. But that's okay because we have all eternity to figure it out.
Well, that's what I think until your blabbering sister trots up to us with her coltfriend by her side, looking around as though looking for somepony, but when she finds none, she looks at you with a confused expression.
"Where's Rose, is she coming? I thought you said she was coming?"
You shake your head. "Nah, she said she was, but, she was feeling under the weather so she decided to stay home."
Feeling out of the loop, and hating it, I look between you and Sugar Heart. "Rose? Is that another sister of yours?"
You shake your head. "No, Ocean Rose is my wife."
And just like that, my entire world shatters.