The Wheel and the Butterfly
A Dan X Pinkie Pie saga
Part 13 Dan & Pinkie Vs. Couch Hunt
Chapter 114: Sunset Shimmer Vs. …
-oooooo-
As Casa Paradisio sat illuminated in streetlight and the yellow and red glows of the neon lights from the apartment complex’s own sign, a couple made their way up to their apartment. The sound of shoes hitting concrete softly interrupted the otherwise peaceful night as Dan and Pinkie walked up the steps, or rather, as Dan dragged Pinkie up to the couple’s second story apartment.
Dan chuckled. “Maybe you should take a hard blow to the head more often. I kind of like this.”
Pinkie turned and grinned sheepishly as she gripped him tightly in one black-tight-clad arm and held on to the handrail with her other hand, all while desperately attempting to maintain her balance walking up the steps. “I thought you hated walking me up and down the stairs.”
“Well sure!” Dan exclaimed. “I mean… I did, but it took me a while to figure out that I like holding you,” he said with a smile.
Pinkie giggled as Dan took out his keys and unlocked the door to apartment ‘8’. She nuzzled her head against Dan’s. “Like you need an excuse at this point.”
Dan smiled warmly at Pinkie and opened the door. His heart skipped a beat as he looked inside, despite somehow knowing exactly what he’d see.
“Couchy 2!” Pinkie said excitedly.
Dan and Pinkie entered and Dan closed and locked the door behind them. He walked Pinkie over to the red couch and gently sat her down then collapsed next to her. Pinkie wasted no time in lying her head down on Dan’s lap as she sprawled across the surface of the count.
Dan looked down at Pinkie as she stared up at him with a smile on her face. “Aren’t you going to ask how the couch got here?” he asked.
Pinkie shook her head. “Does it matter?”
Dan frowned. “I guess not… It’s just lately …” Dan sighed as he raised his hands in front of him and stared at them. “Somehow I’ve been able to do things I can’t explain… like when we were in magic, evil cloud land…”
Pinkie giggled. “And you’re upset because you’re somehow even more awesome-possum then before?”
A corner of Dan’s lips pulled up into a small smirk as he let his hands drift down to the sides of Pinkie’s face. “Well, no but… The whole thing just makes me feel like we’re not done with those floaty clown goons yet…” Dan’s face suddenly went serious. “Like they’ll try to take you away again.”
Pinkie reached a hand up to stroke Dan’s cheek, her smooth palm gently caressing the rough, stubble covered side of his face. “It’s okay Dan. If that happens, you’ll protect me.” Pinkie’s smile widened. “Just like you did last time.”
Dan smiled. “Of course I will,” he said. His face went serious once more. “I just… I just don’t know what I’d do without you.”
Pinkie’s eyes widened slightly and then her expression softened once more. She giggled. “Hehe… Maybe I should get hit in the head more often! I kinda like all the attention I’m getting.”
Dan inhaled and then let the air out in one long, continuous exhale before he continued,“Look, I’ve been thinking…”
Pinkie frowned slightly. “Yes, Dan?”
“Maybe I don’t need anything more than what I have now… Maybe I don’t have to get mad anytime something goes wrong…”
Pinkie said nothing, instead opting to grasp at Dan’s black sweater. She pulled herself and her face up to Dan’s, wrapped her arms around his neck, and placed her lips against his.
Dan closed his eyes and parted his lips. He encircled his arms around Pinkie’s black-tight-clad body. He felt a warmth flow through him as he savored the feeling of her lips against his, her tongue playfully darting around the insides of his mouth, and the feeling of her against his chest.
Pinkie slowly broke the kiss and leaned her forehead against Dan’s. She stared deeply into his emerald eyes with her sky-blue ones and held onto him tightly.
“Pinkie…” Dan whispered out.
“Shhh…” Pinkie hushed softly and shook her head slightly. “You don’t have to do anything different… You don’t have to be someone you’re not. I love you just the way you are. I have you and you have me.” Pinkie smiled softly as tears formed under her sky-blue eyes. “That’s all that matters right now.”
Dan himself felt tears form around his eyes as he smiled. He pulled Pinkie into his chest and held her tightly. “Us two against the universe, eh?”
“I wouldn’t have it any other way,” Pinkie replied.
Dan chuckled. “I guess I can be happy with that,” he cooed as he brought a hand up to Pinkie’s shoulder, hooked a thumb into the collar of her tights and began to pull them off her shoulder as he slowly lowered his face to her neck and begin kissing it.
“Hmmmmm…” Pinkie hummed with a content smile. “Now what’s all this for?”
Dan continued to slowly remove Pinkie’s tights as he tilted his head slightly and answered. “You made me feel better, so I figured I’d return the favor.”
Pinkie giggled before she declared, “Still best couple’s outing to get a couch eveeeer~!”
-ooooo-
“Uuuuuuuuuh…” Sunset Shimmer moaned as she slowly opened her eyes. “Ow…” She uttered as the throbbing pain in her forehead arrived as quickly as the rest of her awareness. She sighed to herself as she glanced up at her head, feeling a brand new bump that wasn’t their last time she checked. Guess that means I lost…
Sunset squinted at her surroundings. Wait, where the heck am I?! She rubbed her head and blinked a few times as she let her eyes adjust to the soft light of the room. She frowned as the unfamiliarity of her environment struck her.
She looked over a plain beige-colored wall and slowly ran her eyes across the room to a brick wall with a wooden door set in the center, a black-leather couch, then another brick wall. She looked down and noted three things. One: she seemed to be sitting in a rather comfortable black leather chair. Two: her belongings looked to have been neatly arranged on a coffee table in front of her, and three: that she was fully dressed in her magenta top, leather jacket, skirt, and boots. Dressed… well that’s pretty concerning, at least I don’t seem to be tied to the chair or anything.
Sunset reached for her items and began to take stock of everything. Wrestling mask: check. Contents... Sunset reached for a handbag on the coffee table in front of her. Phone: check. Persona items: check, Asprin... Sunset took out a small pill bottle, opened it, and popped a couple of pills into her palm. She raised her palm to her mouth and quickly swallowed the pills. Check. Wallet… Sunset paused to open her wallet and check the contents. All credit cards and cash accounted for: check. Alright, I’ll piece together what happened later.
Sunset stood up and took a couple steps to the door.
“Leaving so soon?”
Sunset flinched as a masculine voice called out from behind her. She turned to see a short man with short, well-kempt hair and a triangular soul patch smiling back at her. He wore a buttoned blue shirt and a red-and-yellow striped tie. He sat at a round table with what might be described as a romantic dinner set for two: Two sets of placemats, champagne flutes, flatware expertly wrapped in cloth napkins, a salad in a wooden bowl, and a bottle of champagne on ice.
“And I spent all this time making a lovely dinner for my gorgeous guest as well.”
Sunset squinted at the man. “Dan?!”
The man chuckled. “In a manner of speaking…”
Sunset took a couple of cautious steps forward and looked at the man closer. “No, you’re not Dan… Though you really look like him… Are you a relative of his?”
Dan* winced. “I certainly hope not.”
Sunset pointed a thumb at the door behind her. “I take it the door’s locked.”
Dan* nodded. “Yes, but you can turn the little button in the center to unlock it.”
Sunset rolled her eyes. “Yes, I know how doors work, thank you,” she said sarcastically.
The man chuckled. “Sorry, couldn’t resist. And might I say, that it is an absolutely stunning look you have going for yourself.”
Sunset looked down at her clothes briefly then gave her host a suspicious look. “So, you take me from the match, take me to your home, dress me, and then make me dinner?” She glanced up at the ceiling and rubbed her chin. “Well, I guess I’ve had worse starts to dates.”
Dan* flashed a mildly surprised look before he closed his eyes and began laughing. “Heh heh heh heh heh… What an excellent sense of humor you have!” He motioned to a wooden chair across from him. “Why don’t you relax and join me for dinner?”
Sunset gave Dan* another skeptical look. “Tell you what. I’m hungry and you’re kind of cute, so if I look under my shirt and skirt and see that my sports bra and biker shorts are still on I’ll join you for dinner.”
Dan* raised an eyebrow. “And if they aren’t?”
Sunset scowled. “I’ll grab one of the knives off the table and stab you with it.”
Dan* chuckled and shook his head as he took a playful swipe at the air. “Heh heh heh, Meeeeow~! Watch out for you, Tigress.” Dan* smiled a little darkly this time. “You’re welcome to do that regardless.” Dan said as he motioned to his chest. “I’m afraid it won’t do much since they’re not real silver.”
“Kidnapped by a vampire, awesome…” Sunset said with a sigh.
“Guess again.”
“Maybe later…” Sunset replied. She pulled back the collar of her shirt and looked down. She followed this up by lifting her skirt slightly to reveal a pair of black biker shorts. She pursed her lips slightly as she walked over to the table and sat down.
“Disappointed?” Dan* asked with a smirk and a wink.
Sunset shook her head. “You had me going there for a second.”
“Hmmmm, sorry,” Dan* said, maintaining his smirk. He reached for the champagne in the center of the table. “I have an unfortunate habit of teasing people.” Dan* pulled of the cork to the bottle of champagne with a ‘POP!’ “Champagne?” he offered with a smile.
“Sure, assuming it’s not drugged, of course,” Sunset replied as she held her champagne flute out.
Dan* flashed Sunset a surprised look. “Oh, where are my manners? I’ll go get the undrugged champagne immediately.” He grinned. “A shame too. I spent a lot of time somehow recorking this bottle after I put my evil chemicals in it.”
Sunset shot Dan* an unamused expression. “You’re lucky I’m a fan of sarcasm.”
Her host chuckled as he poured the sparkling wine for Sunset. “Anyhow, why would I need to drug a lovely woman who was already unconscious when I brought her to my apartment?”
“Uh, good point… Assuming this isn’t some elaborate fetish I’m playing into that ends with me being eaten…”
Dan* chuckled again. “I see you’re not the trusting type. No, nothing of the sort.”
A ‘Ding!’ rang out from an open door next to the room.
Dan* stood up. “Ahh, that would be the main course.” He walked towards the door.
Sunset narrowed her eyes. “It’s not like… liver or other internal organs that you’ve cooked up, is it?"
Dan* frowned and paused at the doorway. He looked back at Sunset. “Do I really come off as a serial killer?”
Sunset smirked and held up a thumb and forefinger, signifying a little bit.
Dan* sighed and smiled to himself as he walked out of the room. The sound of metal clanking and rustling sounded out from the room.
Sunset raised her champagne flute to her nose and sniffed it. She then took a small sip and swished the liquid in her mouth. He eyes widened as she swallowed and regarded the glass with a smile.
Dan* reemerged from the other room holding a plate of food in either hand, a square piece of grilled meat and seasoned red potatoes sat on both.
Sunset frowned as her plate was sat in front of her. “Filet Mignon.”
Dan* shot Sunset a concerned look as he sat a plate at his end of the table and sat down. “Is that a problem? I thought it was your favorite meal.”
“It is my favorite meal, and that’s what has me worried.” Sunset tilted her head slightly as she gave her host a bemused look. “You’re not helping the whole serial killer thing you have going on.”
Dan* robbed the back of his head sheepishly. “Uh… Sorry… I guess I have a tendency to stalk people, too… Sort of an occupational habit.”
Sunset took a sip of her champagne. “And that would be killing people and taking their identities?”
Dan* threw his head back in a guffaw. “Hah hah hah!” He looked back at Sunset as he shook his head. “No, I’m smart enough about picking my targets that I don’t have to kill anyone.”
Sunset frowned. “I’m really having trouble figuring out when you’re joking and when you’re not.”
Dan* poured himself a glass of champagne. “Maybe you’d like to get to know me better, and then you can start figuring that out for yourself, hmmm.”
Sunset knitted her brow. “So this is a sort of weird, stalker date?”
Dan* threw back his head and laughed again. “Hah hah hah… Sunset, Sunset, Sunset, I’m never going to get anywhere with dinner if you keep me in hysterics like this.”
“Well, what then?”
Dan* smiled wickedly. “I have a proposition for you.”
Sunset scowled. “I’m still debating stabbing you, you realize…”
Dan*’s eyes went wide with surprise and broke into a fit of laughter, raising his fingertips to his forehead. “Hahahahahaha… That’s not… hahahahahehehe… Not that kind of proposition.” Dan* wiped a tear from his eye. “Oh Sunset Shimmer, you are the living end.”
Sunset chuckled. “I bet you say that to all the girls you kidnap.”
Dan* shook his head. “Just the exceptionally beautiful ones.”
Sunset smiled and rolled her eyes. “Alright, you’re charming. Kind of creepy, but charming. So what’s this ‘proposition’?”
Dan* nodded. “I believe we have a mutual enemy, or enemies to be more precise.”
Sunset narrowed her eyes. “Pinkie and Dan?” she growled out.
Dan* smiled wickedly. “Right on the first guess.”
Sunset shook her head. “Oh, it wasn’t a guess. You knew who Dan was as soon as I dropped his name.”
Dan* chuckled again. “Heh heh. Stunning good looks and a brain to match! Why don’t you save some of those great traits for the rest of us?”
Sunset smiled and nodded. “Alright you shameless flirt. Just one more question.”
“Shoot.” Dan* took a sip of his champagne.
“You don’t have like… a random collection of socks I’ve worn or underwear of mine stashed away somewhere do you?”
Dan* made a small choking sound as he attempted to swallow the sparkling wine in his mouth and laugh at the same time. “Ckkkpffft… Hahahaha… Oh my, no… The only thing I’ve collected from you is information.”
“Pity,” Sunset said with a smirk. “I was kind of hoping there was something a little more flattering than a sports bra and biker shorts stashed away somewhere.”
Dan* paused then grinned. “Now who’s the shameless flirt?”
Sunset shrugged. “I can’t let you have all the fun, now can I?” Her mouth opened into a devilish smile. “So you want to take out Pinkie and her trollish boyfriend?”
Dan* nodded. “That’s the long and short of it.”
Sunset raised her glass. “I’m sure I can help in that department.”
Dan* raised his own glass and lightly tapped it against Sunset's with a small ‘clink’. “Music to my ears…”
-ooooo-
Dan sighed heavily as he stared up at his ceiling. He laid on top of the couch and under Pinkie. Pinkie rested her head against Dan’s chest with her eyes closed and gently breathed in and out. A white sheet covered them both up to Pinkie’s bare shoulders and Dan’s bare arms, the sheet sloping gently with Pinkie’s curves. The couple’s clothes were strewn about the floor and the coffee table in front of the couch.
Sirens sounded out in the distance, a noise somewhat welcome over the gunfire from the firing range across the street which had finally gone silent. Though it wasn’t the noise that was keeping Dan up.
“Can’t sleep?” Pinkie asked quietly.
Dan knitted his brow slightly. “No, but that doesn’t mean you have to stay up.”
Pinkie giggled and pulled herself up slightly to nuzzle Dan’s chin with her curly pink hair. “I sleep better when you’re not worrying about something…”
Dan rolled his eyes. “Is this some ‘Pinkie sense’ nonsense?”
Pinkie began tapping her fingers against Dan’s chest. “No, but I think I’m starting to develop a ‘Dan sense’,” she answered as she looked up with a smile.
Dan uttered a soft grumble. “Maybe you should go back to bed.”
“Maybe you should tell me what’s bothering you.” Pinkie brought her hand up to Dan’s nose a gave him a small nose boop. “You’re not still worried about what you said earlier, are you?”
Dan shook his head. “No, that’s not it.”
“Then what?”
Dan frowned. “I'd rather not say.”
Pinkie pulled herself up so she was now staring down at Dan. “Dan! You can tell me anything! I’m sure you’ll feel better if you just let it out.”
Dan scrunched his lips to one side as he thought about this. “Alright… It’s just…” He let out a heavy sigh. “You think if I have the ability to teleport objects around I could summon turkey sandwiches whenever I wanted?”
Pinkie’s eyes went wide.
“What?” Dan said.
A smile slowly spread its way across Pinkie’s face as she began giggling. “Hehehehehehe…”
Dan frowned. “Stop laughing! With great power comes a great urge to have turkey sandwiches whenever I want!”
“Ahahahahahahahahahahaha…!” Pinkie lowered herself back to Dan’s chest as she continued her giggle fit and gripped Dan tightly by the shoulders.
Dan scowled at her briefly until the corners of his mouth began to pull up. Dan barely noticed as the tension of his not-so-weighty question left and he instead began to laugh with Pinkie as joy permeated through him.
“HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA…!”
The couple held onto each other as they laughed, their mirth filling the apartment and pushing away any noises or concerns that might plague them during the night.