Sombra didn't sleep.
Laying down on the couch was probably one of the worst places to sleep in the entirety of the house, Sombra concluded. In fact, he was so sure of that claim, that he bet that if he slept on the floor, he wouldn't even crack an eye open at any point in the night.
'And that my back wouldn't feel like somepony jabbed thousands of needles into it...' Sombra added silently to himself, 'I've already had to endure that because of Sweetie Belle... Needless to say, she's no seamstress...'
But, even if it weren't for the discomfort from the couch or even the thinness of his blanket and pillow, he knew he wouldn't have slept a wink at all. He couldn't, not without Pinkie next to him.
Sombra frowned as he thought about Pinkie's father and how he probably holding his wife right now, sleeping soundly no less. Sombra was envious, he knew, and while he knew it was childish to be, he didn't really care. Yet, he knew that he couldn't exactly say anything about it, what with his current status in the household.
'He's just making sure Pinkie's safe, which is completely understandable,' Sombra admitted to himself, 'I know what it's like to worry for her...'
Yet, he also knew that Pinkie was completely capable of taking care of herself, despite her random antics and acts. And while there were moments he didn't exactly understand Pinkie or her actions, he was trying really hard not to brush them off like he did in the past. He cared for her, and if he had any chance in having a future with her, he was going to have to take the time that he needed to understand her.
It was a bit saddening to see that a lot of ponies didn't understand Pinkie, or that they didn't care to even try. She was friends with them and she took time out of her day to understand them and to make ponies feel better whenever it was needed. So why was it so difficult for everyone else to do the same?
Sombra felt like rolling over, but he didn't exactly want his side to be subjected to the pain his back was feeling. Not that turning over would have made a difference. He knew that he was incapable of sleeping by himself.
COCK-A-DOODLE-DOOOOOOOOO!
Sombra didn't even bother flinching at the rooster's cry, the location of it being a mystery he didn't care to solve. He had heard a rooster cry every morning since his arrival in Ponyville all that time ago, so it wasn't exactly new to him. He sighed as he sat up from the couch, then let out a tired yawn. Tartarus, he was exhausted.
"You awake?" asked a male voice.
Sombra turned to see Igneous at the entrance to the living room. He was as stoic as ever, with a hardset frown on his face and set jaw. Sombra nodded in response. "Yes, sir." It was still strange to say.
Igneous didn't even blink. "Did you sleep well?"
Sombra knew that he wasn't actually curious about whether or not he had gotten any sleep, let alone a good sleep. Igneous was trying to scare him off. Well, if keeping Sombra from sleeping was the best he could do, then Sombra would live. Because he'd gone many a night without sleep already, and a couple nights wasn't going to stop him now.
"Yes, sir," Sombra replied. He smiled at him. "Thanks for asking."
Igneous' face flickered into surprise, then immediately turned back into it's previous stoicness. "Good. Wouldn't want our guest to have trouble sleeping, now would we?"
Sombra shook his head. "No, sir, we wouldn't."
Igneous nodded at him, then began to make his way over into the kitchen, no doubt to get breakfast started. Sombra held back a heavy sigh. It was going to be a long morning.
* * *
"Iggy, why are you so intent on tormenting that boy?" Cloudy Quartz asked her husband, "You've seen how nice he's been!"
Igneous huffed through his nose. "Just 'cause he's polite in public, doesn't mean he's the same way in private." He narrowed his eyes as he watched Sombra and Pinkie wash dishes by each other at the sink after eating breakfast. "I have no reason to trust him, Cloud."
Cloudy frowned at her husband. "That was just flat-out mean, making him sleep on the couch."
"He said he slept fine," Igneous said in a flat tone.
"Say that to the bags under his eyes," Cloudy argued gently, careful to make sure nopony else was listening, "Iggy, you know I don't like it when you're like this."
"I have no idea what you're talking about," Igneous said, averting his gaze while keeping a stoic face.
"Don't do that to me." Cloudy gave him a look only she could give. "You know I don't like it when you get stone-faced like that." She softened her features. "Is this about what happened last time?"
Igneous flinched. "Cloud..."
Cloudy furrowed her brows. "It is, isn't it?" She sighed. "Not all stallions are alike, dear."
"You're right," Igneous said, "not all stallions enslave an entire race of ponies."
"Igneous!" Cloudy snapped in a hushed voice, "You know that's not what I meant! What I meant was that not all stallions are selfish like... he was!"
Igneous narrowed his eyes. "You'd be surprised." His eyes flickered to Sombra. "I remember how at the first sign of trouble, he darted outta here quicker than a rock skipping over water." He returned his gaze back to Cloudy. "And how devastated Pinkie was when he did."
"And he only came back because it was a false alarm..." Cloudy murmured to herself, "we were all upset about that. I'm surprised you and Maud didn't kill him on the spot."
"Pinkie stopped me," Igneous said simply.
"And she can be awful frightening when she or someone she cares about is in danger." Cloudy gave him a reassuring smile. "And I remember how loud she was when she gave that boy a tongue-lashing unlike any other."
Igneous frowned. "That didn't stop him, did it? He still ran off, keeping Pinkie on a leash from afar without her knowing it." He growled to himself. "And still went with that floozy..."
Cloudy narrowed her eyes. "What did I say about demeaning mares based on their relationship choices?"
"Sorry," Igneous said softly, then added sternly, "but I can't help if a stallion makes such stupid decisions that involve running off with another mare." He gave Cloudy a soft look. "You know I'd never do something like that to you."
"I know," Cloudy replied with a smile, "but you have to at least give him a chance."
Igneous didn't respond immediately, and when he was quiet for a long while, Cloudy began to think he was going to reject her plea. But, he sighed in surrender. "Alright, Cloud. I'll try to give him a chance."
Cloudy smiled. "Love you."
"Love you, too," Igneous told her before pecking her on the cheek.
"Ew..." Marble commented as she passed by, "get a room, you two!"
Cloudy giggled while Igneous just shook his head. While his wife's attention was away from him, he turned his head to Sombra and Pinkie, who were giggling and whispering together at the sink.
'You better treat her right, Sombra,' Igneous thought to himself, 'and pray to Celestia that you're nothing like that coward Baritone.'
* * *
Pinkie didn't sleep.
It didn't matter how comfortable her blankets were or how soft her pillows felt. She simply couldn't close her eyes worth anything. Well, she could, but it didn't do anything to help her sleep.
'I miss Sombry...' Pinkie thought to herself, 'I feel so weird without him next to him...'
Pinkie was extremely aware of why her dad didn't let Sombra sleep in the room with her. He knew because of Maud, who held no filter in regards to the intimate things in life, Pinkie's love life included.
'I should've made her Pinkie Swear not to tell anypony,' Pinkie thought, hindsight dawning on her as she frowned to herself.
But, Pinkie wasn't irresponsible. Responsibility was her middle name, after all. And it's not like her and Sombra's relationship revolved around their intimacy alone. They had many instances in the past year alone where they had to come to terms with that fact. It was just that she preferred to have him next to her when she slept.
Because she liked that security. She liked to feel safe.
'Mama told me all about how she hated it when Dad left for business without her,' Pinkie remembered, 'how she hated to sleep alone...' She sighed. 'I guess it runs in the family, then.'
Pinkie felt another odd turn in her stomach, which caused her to sigh. It was just another false alarm. Nothing was inside her. Nopony was inside her.
'I remember how freaked out Sombry got the first time I mentioned it...' Pinkie mused to herself, 'that was... what, three months into dating each other?'
It had been a really frightening experience for the both of them the first time it happened. It had been a frightening the second time around, but significantly less so. The third time was still stressful, but they at least knew what they were doing that time. The fourth time was practical and maybe even routine. The fifth time was just flat-out tedious.
Pinkie sighed. 'I probably could have handled it better the first time around...'
* * *
"Ugh..." Pinkie moaned as she rolled over restlessly.
"Pinks?" Sombra murmured sleepily, "You alright?"
"My tummy hurts..." Pinkie whined.
"Do you want me to get you something from the cabinet?" Sombra asked tiredly, then yawned as he rubbed his eye.
"I think I'm pregnant," Pinkie said, not even fully realizing what she said.
Sombra's half-awake eyes popped open immediately and he froze in the exact position he was in. "What?"
Pinkie didn't reply. Instead, she rolled over and let out a small whine as she drifted back into a fitful rest...
...only for Sombra to shake her awake almost immediately. "Pinkie! Pinkie, get up!"
"Whaaaaaaaat?" Pinkie moaned as she rolled over to face a frazzled Sombra.
"We gotta find out!" Sombra said in panicked tone.
"Find out what?" Pinkie asked, totally confused.
"If you're pregnant or not!" Sombra replied hastily.
Pinkie woke up almost instantly. "I'm pregnant?!"
"No, you're not-- Well, I don't know for sure!" Sombra let out a sigh. "Do you have any way to find out?"
"24 hour pharmacy!" Pinkie replied, "Come on, we gotta go!" She tried to climb out of bed, but almost immediately fell down on account of her lack of balance and her upset stomach. "...Carry me."
Sombra sighed as he scooped her up effortlessly. "I don't think I can handle having another baby..."
Pinkie let out a loud retching sound as she leaned against the toilet. "Sombry, my tummy hurts..."
Sombra darted to the door. "Are you sure it isn't an upset stomach like last time?"
"I don't know..." Pinkie answered miserably, "and I don't know how any of this works..." She looked up. "Do ponies even get morning sickness?"
Sombra sighed. "We have to go back to the pharmacy again, don't we?"
Pinkie nodded. "Uh-huh..."
"Fine... I'll go get the membership card..."
"Sombraaaaaaaa...." Pinkie whined, "my tummy hurts..."
Sombra sat up immediately. "Pharmacy. Go. Now."
"OK..." Pinkie sleepily, "can you carry me again?"
Sombra sighed. "Fine."
"Sombra, this isn't the brand we bought last time!" Pinkie protested.
Sombra blinked. "Does it matter?"
"Yes!" Pinkie insisted, "The other one is more accurate!"
Sombra frowned. "You like it because of the baby bunnies on the front, don't you?"
"...Maybe."
He sighed. "This one has baby froggies on it..."
"Yay!"
"Sombraaaaaaaa..."
"Test is in the cabinet with the others."
"OK."
* * *
'Yeah, I totally could've handled it better...' Pinkie thought, 'but I was panicking! I've never been pregnant before!' She gasped. 'What if I'm pregnant now?! I'm craving pickle hay fries and everything! ...Oh, I already eat those...'
She was overreacting. There was absolutely no way she was pregnant! Sure, her stomach felt weird a lot of the time, but that wasn't anything too weird!
And sure, she was a lot more emotional than usual and perhaps even a bit more hormonal, but that didn't mean anything!
And maybe she was a bit more hungry than usual, which already unusual, but that was just her being her! She was always hungry!
'Yeah, that's right, I'm totally not pregnant!' Pinkie told herself, 'I think I'd notice that!'
She sighed in content and closed her eyes with a blithe smile. Yeah, she was just being paranoid! There was no way the moving in her tummy was anything more than her food settling! ...Even though she went to the bathroom earlier... And she wasn't even hungry... And she didn't feel sick...
She sat up in bed, her eyes wide with shock. "Oh, horse apples."