Not a Monster 2: Under Their Spell

by Dreamscape

Beyond Friendship?

For the next couple of weeks, I spent nearly every evening with the sirens. It was growing more and more difficult to complete my homework on time due to that fact. I grew so desperate that I even began to take it to their apartment or wherever we happened to be going that night. My mother and step-dad were growing more worried by the day. I completely understood their reasoning. I had never been one to go out, much less do it nearly every single night. I tried to explain to them that I had new friends who enjoyed that sort of lifestyle, and that I was attempting to do something new. When they asked me if I enjoyed it, I said yes, but in reality, I was lying both to them and myself.

I began to dread each and every evening, knowing I’d have little to no fun while listen to the girls many fights in discomfort or receiving demands. At the same time, I felt obligated to be with them, and once I was actually in their presence, I was content enough to stay. Along with that, I had the strange feeling that by dedicating as much of my time as possible to them, that it would pay off. I would perhaps be fully accepted into their group or receive a wondrous award for my dedication. I was either forgetting or denying the fact that none of it would ever be true. The kiss was the largest and greatest reward I had ever received, and that seemed like the gift from some almighty god compared to the many nights of absolutely nothing. Night after night, I slowly began to come to terms with the truth of the situation, but was still quite lost in each of the girls’ charms.

***

For once, I was finally free from their grasp for the night. A few weeks before, I would have been more than happy to spend the night alone and waste my time playing video games or watching mind numbing shows in front of a television for hours on end. That night, I felt quite different. Perhaps it was some kind of withdrawal from their charm and seduction, but I felt as though I was missing out by not being with them, even though I despised it. Along with that, I was lonely. It had seemed like ages since the last time I had been alone for the night.

The sudden thought of a bright, happy, and always fun friend of mine rushed into my mind during my final class of the day. I had told Pinkie that I would spend time with her, and she had yet to discover the ‘deal’ I had made with Adagio. Although I felt guilty going behind her back, I realized how desperately I wanted to see anyone other than the sirens, especially Pinkie. My heart wrenched at the realization of having not seen her for weeks, and then fluttered at the memories we shared. I simply had to make sure that the sirens saw nothing of it, or even the slightest of hints towards such a get together.

I figured that an evening at my place was the safest bet. I knew for certain that the sirens were clueless to the location of my home, and that if they were anywhere in town, they wouldn’t be seeing us. I decided to send Pinkie a quick text, asking her if she wanted to come over after dinner. After dinner was simply another precaution; the girls wouldn’t see the two of us walking to my home together at the end of school as we likely would have.

My heart beat with excitement as my phone vibrated quietly in my pocket. Shoving it halfway beneath my desk so it wouldn’t be seen by the teacher, I read the lightly glowing screen. Sounds great! :) :3 :D See you then!

***

With the rest of the school day, my walk home, and throughout dinner, all I could think of was Pinkie. I was rather surprised at how much I missed her. In reality, she was truly one of the best friends I had ever had. Perhaps she had missed me just as much. As I scraped up the final remnants of food from my plate, there was a loud but happy knock upon the door.

My parents looked at me oddly as I stumbled to my feet and rushed to the door. Even though I had told them I was having a visitor, I don’t think they were expecting me to be quite so excited about it. “Pinkie!” I gasped with joy as I opened the door to see her gleaming grin.

“Hey!” she greeted cheerfully, pulling me into a tight squeeze and patting my back vigorously. “I think someone’s excited to see me, huh?”

“Yeah,” I mumbled, hugging her back with equal strength and resting my chin upon her shoulder. My cheeks grew heated as I blushed with realization. I was receiving the same warm, blissful sensation I got when seeing my real dad or other close family after an extended period of being away from them, but with Pinkie, it was even stronger.

“It’s okay, I missed you too!” she gasped happily, managing to squeeze me even tighter. I could feel the breath expelling from my lungs, and enjoyed every single bit of it. “Anyways, what’re we gonna do?” she asked as she pulled away, her arms still resting on my waist.

“Uh… hadn’t really thought of that. I just wanted to see you. Want to just watch TV or a movie?”

“Sure!” she said with a smile. “In the mood to relax or something?”

“Yeah,” I said with a nod, “I haven’t done that for a while.”

“Really? You?” she asked, staring at me if I was joking. She knew me all too well.

“Yeah, really,” I said with a laugh and then sighed.

“Well, it sounds like somebody needs some nice R&R with a buddy to keep them company.”

I smiled contentedly at the thought. “Sounds great.”

“Then let’s do it!” she squealed, pulling me inside and onto the couch. Before sitting down, she gave my parents a quick wave. Luckily, they had seen her plenty of times before and had no reason to question why she was there. With even more luck, they would leave us be.

I grabbed the remote as she sat down beside me and flicked on the screen, its low, shifting glow illuminating the room. “Just tell me if there’s anything you’re interested in,” I said as I pulled up the guide and began scrolling my way through it.

“Okie dokie,” she said in a chipper tone as she grabbed the blanket which my parents always had slung over the back of the couch. I looked over to see her completely wrapped up in it and smiled. “You wanna join?” she asked sweetly. I was suddenly quite glad the illumination was so dim; my cheeks were on fire. Although being under the same blanket as her wasn’t necessarily cuddling, it was quite close to it due to how much smaller the distance between our bodies would be.

I nodded my head softly in response, and she flung part of the blanket in my direction. I scooted beneath its warmth and realized that my shoulder was pressing up against her own. Of course, the closeness of our bodies made me nervous, but at the same time, I felt much more comfortable than I suspected I would have. In a way, it had grown rather hard to think of Pinkie as anything more than a friend after we had become so close by being exactly that. At the same time, the feeling I received when being in her presence was beginning to make me think that perhaps that perception was wrong.

“Oh, let’s watch that!” Pinkie gasped excitedly, tapping my shoulder with one hand and using the other to point at the screen. She was pointing to something which I couldn’t even come close to pronouncing. From the description, it looked to be some sort of foreign game show.

Of course that’s something Pinkie would choose, I thought to myself, rolling my eyes and pressing enter.

“Oh, man, I love this show so much! It’s hilarious and so cool!” she exclaimed joyfully, her arm smacking against my own as she moved her hands around vivaciously.

“Well, it definitely looks interesting,” I said, watching a contestant make his way through some strange and brightly colored obstacle course.

“Yeah,” Pinkie said with a laugh as the contest fell through a patch of loose tiles in the floor beneath him. I laughed as well as the scene was replayed in slow motion, better displaying the shock on the poor man’s face.

“Ah, this is gonna be a nice night,” I said with a happy sigh and rested my back against the couch cushion.

“You really did need this, huh?” she asked softly, looking over at me with concern. With her gaze came the realization of how exhausted I truly felt. The deeper my body sunk into the cushion, the more relaxed I grew, my eyes blinking slowly.

“Yeah… it’s just been a while since I’ve actually got to do something really enjoyable and relaxing… something with a friend.” Pinkie’s gaze grew even more curious at the statement. “It’s nothing,” I muttered, knowing she wanted a better answer.

“Nothing?” she repeated, giving me the most serious gaze that she could manage. It was no surprise to me that she had already discovered that there was much more to it, and that I needed to talk about it. I just wasn’t quite ready.

“Fine… but can it wait for a bit? I just really need to you know, chill a bit first, prepare myself.”

A soft smile appeared on her bright and caring face. “Mhm, no problem. We’ll watch an episode or two of this first.” I immediately sighed with relief. Then, realizing that my body had tensed its way out of its previous position, I let myself relax once more. My heart began to pound as her arm wrapped around my shoulders. I instinctually looked in her direction, wondering exactly what the cause of such intimacy was. “You look like you need a cuddle,” she said sweetly to my questioning stare. “You do, right?”

A stupid grin appeared on my blushing face as I nodded my head. “Y-yeah, you’re right. So do I… uh… well, you know-”

“Cuddle back? Of course!” she explained cheerfully, lifting her back away from the couch for easy access. I contemplated wrapping my arm around her waist but quickly decided against it, believing it was perhaps a little too intimate for friends. I instead went for the shoulders, just as she had. I was even more content than I had been previously with the extra warmth of her body pressing against my own. She squeezed me almost just as tightly as she would with one of her hugs, and I was more than pleased with the affection. We both sighed contentedly as Pinkie rested her head against my own.

Although I was overjoyed being so close and personal with a friend, I was also quite confused by the signals which she was sending me. Was she simply being her caring and friendly self, or was it something more? The evidence for the former seemed more logical. She knew me well enough to understand that I quite enjoyed attention, especially in the form of touch and embrace. It’s quite odd, really, especially considering how awkward I normally am. It seems as though someone like me would dislike touch, but I craved it. The attention, even if it was a simple, quick hug, made me feel special and loved. Pinkie knew that well, and the way I was acting, I was sure she thought it was a good tactic to help pick up my mood. At the same time, we had never before cuddled. Had she decided that we had grown close enough as friends to do such a thing? I understood that it was something that girls would sometimes do with one another when they were close friends, but with a guy, I was unsure. Cuddling was certainly quite a step farther from hugging.

I tried my best to move the thoughts to the back of my mind for later use. I wanted the time before Pinkie and I had a serious discussion to be completely without worry, but it certainly turned out not to be completely without thought. As I returned to watching the many strange games, puzzles, and competitions on the screen before me, I couldn’t help but think about the girl giggling and laughing beside me… and Sonata Dusk.

In a way, Pinkie did remind me of her. They were both equally as silly and fun. The main difference was that Pinkie’s antics were purposeful, to make others laugh, enjoy themselves, and be happy. Sonata, on the other hand, was a bit of clutz, and by a bit of a clutz, I mean a major one. Her silly attitude, her clumsiness, and her random statements never had reason behind them. Although she did always manage to use such a personality to her advantage. I certainly had a thing for Sonata and her many charms, but I was quickly realizing how much better Pinkie was. Unlike Sonata, Pinkie was caring, sweet, and always there for me. Sonata could make me smile and laugh, but Pinkie could do it when I was experiencing my worst moments. Sonata could make my heart pound and my stomach flutter with love, but in a way, Pinkie was beginning to make me feel the exact same way. I had a hard time believing it in those first few moments, but I was starting to think of her as more than a friend.

I loved her, of course, but I was under the impression that it was only as a friend. I always knew she was a beautiful girl with an amazing personality but had been so caught up with Sunset Shimmer, that I had never fully developed my feelings for Pinkie. The only problem was that we were already so close as friends. It was to the point that it seemed as if that was all we could ever be. I had something else to worry about first rather than love though. I had told Pinkie we were going to talk, and after thinking about her and Sonata, I had realized exactly what I wanted to say.

“…You were right, Pinkie,” I muttered, looking away from the screen and to her illuminated face, the image of the show flickering in her bright blue eyes.

“Huh?” she asked, looking to me.

I cleared my throat and spoke more coherently. “You were right.”

“About what?” she raised an eyebrow curiously.

“Those girls are using me… and they are still dangerous. I’ve been wasting almost every day with them and haven’t done barely anything in school because of it. All I can think about is pleasing them and being rewarded. Most of the time I spend with them isn’t even enjoyable, but I do it anyways. I’m sorry, I should’ve listened to you. I mean, they’re not evil or anything, but it’s just who they are; they’re sirens.”

“It’s okay,” she said with a sigh, pulling me closer against her. “I’m just super glad you realized all this before it was too late. Yeah, you’re right, they’re not really evil, and I never should have said they were, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t really dangerous to be around. Maybe they will get better but not yet, and there’s no way you’re gonna be able to change that alone.”

“Yeah… it’s not like I was really doing anything to show them some kind of ‘better’ path anyways. I was just following them around,” I admitted, shaking my head. “Thanks for being here, you sort of helped snap me out of whatever I was thinking.

“I’m always gonna be here for ya,” she cooed sweetly, a soft, caring smile upon her face.

“Thanks, I’ll always return that favor,” I mumbled, beginning to blush, wondering exactly how much she cared for me. I stared into her beautiful eyes a moment before shying away. Even though the realization was still extremely fresh, I wanted to tell her my newfound feelings for her. Oddly enough, I felt much less hesitant than I would with any other girl, perhaps it was due to how close we already were. The gap between friends and what lay beyond that was certainly much smaller between the two of us than it was with the average relaltionship. I was always afraid to take the jump over that gap, especially when it was so large, but as small as it was with Pinkie, it didn’t seem that scary at all.

I closed my eyes and took in a deep breath as I grasped her hand in my own. “… I uh, I guess I’ve sort of been too caught up with the sirens and before that, there was Sunset… but I never realized how much I… I really like you. Pinkie, I… do you feel the same?”

I grew rather nervous to open my eyes when I heard nothing in response. My heart began to wrench at the thought of rejection and the worry of what my actions would do to our friendship. I forced my way through the hesitation once more, and my eyes blinked open to see Pinkie as I had never seen her before, in complete shock. Her eyes were wide and her mouth hung slightly open. Her hand began to tremble slightly in my own. I was almost afraid by such a reaction, wondering exactly what I had done to her. “Uh… Pinkie?” I muttered, attempting to break the awkward silence.

A weak smile appeared upon her face as her free hand moved up to wrap around the back of my head. Her eyes closed, so I closed my own, knowing what would come next. My heart pounded heavily and my stomach fluttered widely as her smooth, soft lips pressed down upon my own, the kiss growing deeper by the second.

My eyes suddenly shot open, knowing something about the kiss was off. She was still trembling, and although the kiss was deep, nothing about it seemed passionate or even affectionate at all for that matter. I wondered, was she actually nervous, or was it something else?

“Um… sorry,” I muttered, pulling away with a deep frown. “Something’s wrong.” Her lips quivered and tears began to shed from her suddenly weak and distraught eyes. “P-pinkie… what is it?” I muttered softly, squeezing my hand more tightly against her own for comfort.

“I’m just so super happy for us. It’s really sudden, but wow… you’re gonna be so happy,” she replied weakly, struggling to put a smile upon her face. My heart grew heavier by the second, and for the emotions of my friend rather than my own. I desperately needed to know how I had hurt her so that everything could be fixed.

“I’m going to be happy?” I asked softly. “You never said anything about you, and you really don’t look happy.”

“N-no,” she bumbled through her tears. “As long as you’re happy, s-so am I.” Another fake smile appeared upon her face.

“Pinkie, please don’t lie to me. I want to know the truth so I can fix whatever I did. I really screwed something up, didn’t I?”

She closed her eyes, and I listened as her shaky, heavy breaths began to slow back to normal. “You really haven’t been yourself at all lately, and that makes me super worried. You know I’ll do almost anything at all to get you happy again. If dating me will really make you happier, I’ll do it.”

I squinted my burning eyes in pain and let warm tears drip down over my face. The way she put it, it made me feel as if I was using her as an object of happiness rather than being her friend. That was never what I wanted, and never what I meant. “But you don’t want that.” She shook her head lightly and unsuccessfully attempted to wipe away the tears from her eyes as more began to flow. “I never wanted this just because it made me happy…did I?” I muttered, second guessing myself. “Even if I did, I know that’s not right now. I wanted us to be together because I finally realized how much I love you. I love you enough that I would never want to hurt you, ever, but I am right now… I want you to be happy too. I mean, that’s what makes you, you. You’re right, I don’t want this either if all it means is hurting you.”

“I’m so sorry!” Pinkie gasped, burrowing her head into my shoulder and chest, sobbing once more.

“Pinkie, it’s fine, really,” I said, petting her head in an attempt to comfort her. “You already make me happy enough as a friend, and that’s how it should be. I should have never even tried to bring things to the next level.” Even though I told her it was fine, it wasn’t at all. My insides felt as though they were being ripped to shreds with the pain of rejection and the realization of how alone I truly was. I stayed strong for her sake though, not wanting to hurt her any more than I already had, and only wanting to help.

“A-are you sure?” she whimpered, pulling away from my shoulder and looking up at me with glazed eyes.

“Yes,” I said as confidently as I could manage. I didn’t even attempt to smile in assurance, knowing it would look as fake as those that Pinkie had given me previously.

“Okay,” she said with a nod, once again wiping the tears from her eyes. This time, it seemed as though they would stay dry. “I’m still really sorry though,” she said with a pout.

“Don’t worry about it. I’ll be alright, and I’m just glad I’m not forcing you into anything.” I was more than pleased with my decision not to use her in such a way, but that didn’t mean I was happy. All I could think was if she only could feel the same way as I did.

“But I did sort of lead you on… I mean, with the cuddling and all. I just thought it would make you feel better.”

“It did,” I said with a sigh. “I just ended up taking it the wrong way, I guess.” The air in my lungs expelled as she pulled me into one of her incredibly strong hugs.

“But we can still be the pal-iest of pals, right?”

“Of… course,” I gasped, patting her back and chuckling lightly. Even though I was in so much pain, she could still make me smile, at least a bit.

Surprisingly enough, cuddling with Pinkie and watching her strange selection of shows for a while longer was the perfect remedy for helping me to forget the awkward event which we had experienced together. The entertainment was mind-numbing and the warmth of another body made me more than comfortable. It was only when she finally did leave that my emotions settled in. The day that was to come would only make those emotions even stronger.

Comments

[Mekapix]

This chapter... You are one hell of an under rated author. Some of the best story telling I've ever seen.

[SweetCaptain77]

Yeah, If I was in that situation with Pinkie Pie, I'd be getting mixed signals to. Don't worry buddy - you're only human.

[Garnet Shield]

Huh as I read this I'm getting some signals of deja vu here I've actually been through a very similar situation

[Alticron]

There's a spot where you're missing a quotation mark.

“Thanks for being here, you sort of helped snap me out of whatever I was thinking.

[djpon5]

He should have cut himself off from the sirens right there! I seriously want to punch this guy out! He needs to forget sunset shimmer who I also wanna punch and the sirens and move on. I love and hate this story right now.

[Hoppa_21]

Glad he didn't jump straight into another relationship with Pinkie. Still let me wonder how this will turn out. Better keep reading!