//------------------------------// // Chapter 4- Just Dessert // Story: Morning Glory // by Jade Ring //------------------------------// Caramel woke to the familiar scent of chocolate. ‘Must’ve passed out in a slice of cake.’ He thought, inhaling the sweet scent. After how wild and crazy the party last night had gotten, he wasn’t surprised. He couldn’t quite remember eating cake though. In fact, the last thing he could remember was… Caramel’s eyes flashed open to reveal the ceiling high above him. The hard surface against his back was obviously a table. The dessert table, if he had to wager a guess. Upon which he was not alone. Slowly, Caramel turned his head to find a pink-coated mare gently snoring by his side, her legs wrapped around one of his like a stuffed toy. Her body and mane were splotched with chocolate and sugar. The two were surrounded by dozens of half devoured pastries and other confectionary treats. Very carefully, the groom’s cousin began to pull his leg free. Pinkie Pie whimpered in protest and opened her eyes. “Go back to sleep. I’m comfy.” “As nice as that sounds,” he whispered, “I gotta say that this table is makin’ my back mighty stiff.” “That’s not all that’s stiff, from the looks of things.” Pinkie’s giggle faded into a yawn as Caramel awkwardly tried to cover himself. “Relax. It’s not like I’ve never seen one before.” Caramel stopped struggling and looked seriously at the baker’s apprentice. “Miss Pie…” “Pinkie. After last night, I’m pretty sure you can call me Pinkie.” “Miss… Pinkie, did we…” He gestured at the table and their position on it. “No… unfortunately.” She added at the end in a disappointed tone. “I wanted to, and you looked like you did too, but you passed out mid-make-out.” “Sorry, I guess.” Pinkie smiled at him. “No worries. We were both more than a little tipsy after all.” Caramel felt himself returning the smile despite the awkwardness of the situation. “Yeah. That was one wild party all right.” He pushed himself up into a sitting position and gazed around the room. There were passed out ponies all around. They were draped over furniture, slumped along the walls, and some just face-flat on the floor. That definitely looked like Thunderlane slowly spinning in circles, suspended from the ceiling fan by a knot tied in his tail. He looked around some more. “I don’t see Applejack anywhere. Last I saw she was dancin’ with some mare. Guess she finally made it to bed.” Pinkie giggled again. “Not alone either, if I had anything to do with it.” Caramel looked over at her. “What do you mean ‘had anything to do with it?’” Pinkie put her hooves behind her head and grinned at the ceiling. “Maybe I got tired of AJ and Dashie doing nothing about the fact that they totally have the hots for each other. Maybe I conspired with Fluttershy to sneak me some of that Secret Apple Family Honey-whatsits.” “Secret Apple Family Honeymoon Cider.” Caramel corrected her, holding back laughter. “So you gave my cousin and the object of her affections a special brew that would lower their inhibitions?” “Mmm-hmm.” Pinkie noted proudly. “Trust me Caramel; if you were in my place, you would have done it too. Those two are so into each other it’s not even funny. Now that the hard part’s out of the way, maybe they’ll actually do something about it.” Caramel’s belly was shaking. “So yer big goal last night was basically just to get my cousin laid?” Pinkie’s smile faltered. “Well, I kinda had plans to give somepony else a little something sweet, but… he passed out before I had the chance.” Caramel’s laughter died in his throat and he found himself hurriedly trying to cover himself again. “Uh, it’s not that I’m not flattered, uh, Pinkie. It’s just… I’m out in Apploosa helping Braeburn with some things, and I’ve never really been a one–time thing kind of pony…” Pinkie giggled and nuzzled the crook of his neck. “Such a gentle-colt. That’s okay.” She noted the chocolate matted in her fur. “Hmmm…” She gave one of the splotches the smallest of licks and let a wide grin spread across her face. “Yum!” She began to lick the sweet stuff from her coat in slow, languid strokes, savoring each little taste. “Mmmmm…” Caramel watched the plump pink mare before start to clean herself and was only dimly aware of the bit of drool dripping from his mouth. Suddenly, Braeburn and Apploosa didn’t matter so much. Being a gentle-colt didn’t matter so much. All that mattered was the fact that he now how had one hell of a sweet tooth. “WHOA!” Pinkie cried in actual surprise as Caramel lunged at her, lapping almost desperately at the sugar on her neck. “What happened to not being a… ah…. a one-time thing kind of pony?” Caramel drew back only slightly to meet her gaze and lick his lips. “I’d be more than happy to be your one-time thing kind of pony.” He resumed his cleaning attack. “Or maybe a two-time thing kind of pony?” Pinkie was beside herself. “Two-time thing kind of pony sounds… ooo… nice.” She jumped a little as she hit a particularly tingly spot. “Come to think of it, you could be a three-time thing kind of pony…” She gasped as his wandering tongue found its way all the way up to her ear. “Or four-time. Five-times would be good for me too.” “Care to make it six?” He whispered in the ear he’d just licked. Pinkie couldn’t take it anymore. “Caramel, when does your train leave?” “Half past noon. Why?” “C’mon.” She jumped off the table and began to head for the house’s front door. Caramel followed her, his head cocked in confusion. “Where’re we going?” Pinkie looked back at him with hooded eyes. “The Cakes probably won’t be back ‘til eleven. That gives us just three hours, plus a little extra time for some lunch before we get you to the train station.” Caramel fought through the rampaging lust and tore his eyes away from the swaying flank before him before making one last impassioned plea. “Pinkie, I’m still not…” “Can I be your special somepony, Caramel? Will that make you feel better about this?” Caramel was slightly taken aback. “This is… sudden. I like you, Pinkie, but we only just met last night and all.” Pinkie trotted up to him and kissed him, not a kiss of lust but of genuine affection. “Sometimes a girl just knows, Caramel. Now answer the question. Special somepony; yes or no?” Caramel caught that same smell of chocolate and sugar he’d woken up to. It wasn’t possible. He’d cleaned almost all the sweets from her head and face… Unless that was just her natural scent. He kissed her this time, and when they parted, he put his forehead to hers. “It would be nice having a special somepony to come back to.” Pinkie smiled and bounced happily to the door. “Good. Now come on. You’re gonna be in that big lonely desert for a while, so I’m going to give you eight sweet memories to help you along ‘til you make it back.” Caramel followed her out the door, trying to figure out something she’d just said. “Eight? You’re counting lunch, right?” Pinkie paused for a moment, deep in thought, before she looked back and smiled wider. “My bad. I forgot lunch. Better make that nine sweet memories.” Caramel felt his jaw start to drop. “So we… eight times…?” Pinkie Pie bounced back to him and kissed his cheek. “Yep. And I’m gonna add one for every minute we’re not in my bedroom.” As Caramel watched her bounce away, he made a mental note to purposefully drag his feet all the way to Sugarcube Corner. He would just have to catch a later train.