Stay

by Wintergreen Diaries

The Path Ahead

The afternoon had been an interesting one for Merry. Doctor’s orders had mandated no less than a week of agonizing boredom in the form of bedrest, and though he didn’t exactly count himself the defiant type, Chai hadn’t even finished asking for help before he leapt out the door and wriggled into the harness tethered to the tea cart. Passively, he knew that more rest meant more fun sooner, and that would have kept him inside were it not for the fact that Chai couldn’t meet the demand for tea and coffee all by herself. He had been nothing short of elated for a chance to get out and mingle again, just as the townsfolk were eager to see him. The wealth of attention made it difficult to sit still, they had been busier that morning than they had in quite some time, so by the time they had closed down for evening and he had pulled the cart back home, he didn’t really feel up to doing much of anything but plopping down on the couch.

“Oooh, I shouldn’t have hopped around so much,” Merry muttered with a quiet groan, wincing as he carefully eased his injured hoof onto a pillow. There hadn’t been much but the occasional twinge when he had awoken, but the throbbing was coming in waves that left him feeling light-headed.

“On the contrary,” Chai spoke up from the loveseat across the way, “if you had sat still, you likely wouldn’t be smiling.”

“Hehe, yeah, probably not,” he replied with a guilty chuckle. “I know it’s only been a few days, but it feels like I’ve been cooped up in my room for ages! It was really nice to see everypony again, yanno?”

“Mmhmm,” came her murmured agreement while she took a deep draft of relaxing chamomile tea. “I was a little shocked with the turnout. You were right to pack extra tea, or we would have run out by mid-afternoon.”

“Well, but doesn’t that leave us with less for the week?” he asked hesitantly. “Our stock is pretty low, and the plants in the garden won’t be ready for another month or two, right?”

“Indeed, it is a concern,” she agreed, adopting a pensive expression. “Chances are good that, in the end, I’ll have to swallow my pride and order the herbs we need from other growers.”

“Blech, pride tastes awful,” Merry blanched, sticking his tongue out.

“It is quite bitter,” Chai laughed quietly. “Perhaps that’s why all the unpleasant ponies drink coffee.”

“Oh, come on, that’s not fair,” Merry rebuttaled, failing to maintain his stern expression for more than a few seconds. “What about that one stallion that keeps coming by?”

“You mean the one that has worked the perfection of his swill down to a science?” Chai replied dismissively, slowly breaking into a broad grin. “He could stand to have a couple of your mints before assaulting me with his bean breath.”

“This from the Queen of Leaves,” Merry countered, rolling his eyes. “You know, you keep talking like that, and you’re going to end up falling for a coffee drinker.”

“That sounds like quite an unexciting relationship that would be sorely lacking in intimacy,” she said, her lips curling into a devious smile. “After all, I cannot imagine a greater deterrence for romance than kissing someone that smells of finely roasted bilgewater.”

“You’re such a drinkist, Vanille!” Merry cackled, thoroughly amused at the idea of his sister falling for some dashing stallion obsessed with coffee. “Alright then, what kind of pony would you consider worthy of your affection as queen?”

“Why this sudden curiosity?” Chai answered calmly, raising an eyebrow. “Could it be perhaps that you’re projecting?”

“Nope, there’s no need to be loud,” he explained with a wink. “We’re indoors.”

“Indeed…” she murmured, shaking her head and taking a few moments to collect her thoughts. “... I’m not actually sure that I have an answer.” Catching the somber undertones in his sister’s subtle shift of tone, Merry perked his ears and gave her his full attention. “This may come as a surprise to you, but I think of romance quite frequently.”

“... Really?” Chai had been correct that her words came as a surprise. Merry couldn’t recall her ever really saying much about love or dating other than the occasionally comment, and even then she seemed disinterested. “You don’t really talk about it, ever.”

“That’s because there isn’t a whole lot to say.” Chai’s gaze drifted back down to her cup as there followed another brief pause. “Romance is… something of a mystery to me,” she conceded, looking almost ashamed. “When we were young, all the other fillies at school were always chatting about how cute one colt was, or how lame another was, and I just didn’t understand the point in any of it. I can understand not wanting to be alone,” she pointed out, “but I’ve always had you around, and I’m… content with that.”

“Sis, that’s… really sweet.”

“Perhaps, but it won’t last,” Chai continued with a rueful sigh. “You’ve had several marefriends since we moved here to Dodge.” Her brother looked away with evident discomfort. Chai knew she had broached a painful subject, one that was yet another reason she never brought up romance in casual conversation. “There’s no shame in finding another, Merry. Your heart yearns for affection in a way that I don’t personally understand, but one of these days, you’ll find that special somepony that will never leave, and I’ll end up alone.”

“No, sis, that’s…” Merry began weakly, but found himself without the words to refute what she had said. She was right that they had always been together, and even when he had been dating, he hadn’t realized how it would affect his sister. “... Why didn’t you say something?”

“I wanted to see you happy, Merry.” He knew he should feel touched that his sister had stowed her own needs so that he could pursue his own, but all he felt was regret that she had dealt with her fears on her own.

“But… how can I be happy if my happiness makes you sad?” he asked quietly, tucking his hooves to his chest. “I don’t want you to be alone…”

“So you understand, then, how much I want to make sure that you never have to feel that way,” Chai pressed, setting aside her tea and looking upon her brother with evident concern. “You… you still haven’t healed completely, Merry. You’ve come a long way, and most days it’s almost impossible to see, but I know there’s still a hole in your heart. I don’t care what happens to me, as long as it gets filled.”

“... Can you come here so I can hug you?” Moved by the simple request and the frailty in her brother’s timid voice, Chai swept over and lay down beside Merry on the spacious sofa, holding him fondly. She found herself wondering who was drawing strength from who as she pressed closer to combat the wellspring of emotions bubbling within her chest. Her brother’s support was indispensable, and the prospect of having to find her comfort elsewhere was intimidating for the mare that knew she lacked proper social skills. And yet, she knew that between the two of them, it was the extrovert that she clung to that needed somepony most at the end of the day.

“Would you still hug me if I liked coffee?”

“I would make an exception for you, little brother,” Chai murmured encouragingly, meeting his hesitant expression with gentleness.

“So that means that you could fall for a coffee pony!” he chortled, grinning despite himself.

“That thought certainly has you sidetracked,” she murmured, playfully prodding his chest. “What about yourself, hmmm? What is it that you look for in a mare?”

“Pin-” His hooves raced to cover his mouth, but it was too late. He had already divulged more than enough information for Chai to know what he had been going to say, and he shrank back a little as he flushed deeply. “I m-mean, um…”

“Hmmm, let’s see now…” Chai mused aloud, thoughtfully tapping a hoof to her chin. “Playful, energetic, supportive, encouraging… has a laugh that makes my little brother swoon, a scent that makes him salivate, and competitive gaming skills… am I missing anything?”

“... She’s pink?”

“Ah, yes, she does look like quite the pretty rose, doesn’t she?” Chai cooed sweetly. “Somepony appears to be blushing.”

“Not like you’re helping any,” he muttered, looking away.

“There’s no need to be ashamed, Merry,” his sister assured him. “While I won’t say that there aren’t still some reservations on my end, Pinkie seems like she could be a wonderful friend, though I suspect that it will soon be something more the way she has you leashed.”

“S-sis!” Merry exclaimed, covering his face with both hooves as an invigorating rush of heat swept over him head to hoof. “D-don’t say things like that! I already accidentally licked her once, and I don’t need you making me think about being… about that! Besides,” he added as he peeked out from behind his hooves, “I’m preeetty sure she already knows that I like being treated like, um… like a…”

“Pet?” He ducked back behind his hooves while his ears wilted under the heat, though they gave themselves a nasty case of whiplash as the sound of somepony knocking at the door snapped them upright. “Oh, now whoever could that be?” Chai murmured, ruffling her brother’s mane as she rolled off the couch and stood upright. “Do you need a moment to… compose yourself?” She giggle like a filly as a pillow was sent sailing in her direction before trotting over to the door, finding none other than one Pinkamena Diane Pie waiting on the other side. “Good evening, Pinkie.”

“Hey, Vanille, sorry to bother you this late,” the mare apologised with a wearied grin.

“Oh, it’s no bother at all!” she laughed, smiling sweetly. “After all, I’m sure my brother would love the company.” The pleasantness lacing Chai’s smooth words struck Pinkie as odd, considering how stoic she had been the first time they met. She was, however, rather tuckered out from both the long walk over and the rigors of the day, and she couldn’t help but giggle as a pillow sailed through the air and landed with a plop between the two of them. “Come on in, Pinkie. He’s resting on the couch.”

“Hehe, okay!” Snatching up the pillow, Pinkie plodded over to the couch and found Merry clutching the last of the ammunition to his chest like a teddy bear. “Hiya, Merry!”

“H-hi.” He shuddered as he caught the scent of Pinkie’s mane wafting over, and he swallowed hard, fighting desperately to cram down all the steamy thoughts that his sister had unwittingly put into his head with her teasing. Unfortunately, the mare seated beside him touted top notch sleuthing skills, and between his stammered reply and his reserved behavior, Pinkie correctly deduced that something was up.

“Is everything alright?” she asked, leaning closer. “You look really flushed. Oh no, are you getting a fever?” Before he could muster a reply, Pinkie reached over and put a hoof to his forehead, though she pulled away as a tiny yelp slipped from his lips. “Oh my gosh, you’re burning up!”

“I’m fine, r-really!”

“Fine? Your face is, like, a million zillion degrees!” Pinkie exclaimed, concern etched onto her muzzle. “What if it’s something serious?”

“Well, I mean, it is serious, but-”

“Then why haven’t you gone to the doctor?”

“That wouldn’t help!”

“What if-”

“Pinkie, I’m not sick!” Merry shouted frantically, growing more embarrassed by the second. His ears peeled back as Pinkie shrank away a little at the outburst, leaving him with little recourse but to own up to the real reason why his cheeks were painted crimson. “...ike you.”

“Huh?” Pinkie mumbled, herself still trying to recover from the shock of hearing Merry yell. She knew it wasn’t an angry sound, and she certainly wasn’t any stranger to loudness what with all the parties she had thrown, but that didn’t change the fact that it had rattled her more than she felt it should.

“I s-said that, I, um… lk y…” It was difficult to say which was making it harder to understand, the stammering or the fact that he was talking through the pillow.

“You’re gonna have to try that again, Merry,” she said, carefully prying the pillow away. “What is it?”

“Ohhh, I said that I like you, okay?” Pinkie blinked.

“... Well, duh, I already knew that,” she replied with a hint of exasperation. "All that build up for nothing? We’re friends. Friends like friends. It’s math.”

“No, not like casual, get-together-to-hang-out-like-normal friends...” Her hooves moved of their own accord, hugging the pillow that she had brought over from the door to her chest to cushion the pounding in her heart: Merry wasn’t the only one blushing anymore.

“You mean...” she began to say, her voice trembling with nervous excitement. “You mean like close-friend-that-you-might-want-as-something-more like? Really?” Her question at the end made Merry worry that he had crossed some kind of line, though what he heard as incredulous was nothing short of barely restrained elation.

“I’m sorry, okay? I didn’t mean to!” Merry pleaded, completely missing her meaning. “I know we haven’t known each other very long and it’s way too soon for me to even be thinking about dating, but I just… I can’t help it!” He hugged his pillow tighter as he peered back at Pinkie. “There are so many things about you that I really, really like. I haven’t been able to focus, or… or anything,” he finished, looking away. “That was so lame… I can’t imagine what she’s thinking right now.”

“...Hehe!” Melodious and warming, Merry turned towards the mare only to find himself even further smitten as she giggled from behind her pillow. “I’m glad I’m not the only pony that hasn’t been able to think straight!”

“Wait, you mean…” She nodded, her eyes twinkling merrily.

“B-but… it doesn’t bother you that I’m already thinking ahead like that?”

“Mm mm,” she murmured, shaking her head. “I haven’t had a whole lot of time to think about my feelings yet. Life has been moving so fast, I can’t hardly keep up! On the way over here, I had a little bit of time to think, and, well...” Her curls bobbed as she poked her head up over the edge of her pillow, just enough that Merry could see her smile. “I have a lot of fun when we’re together, and I miss you when we’re apart. You’re always on my mind, and you know what? It doesn’t bother me at all. You’re right, though,” she admitted reluctantly, “this is all happening really fast.”

“You don’t… feel pressured at all, do you?”

“What? Oh, nonono, that’s not what I meant at all!” Pinkie assured him. “That’s just it, though. You didn’t even have to try to catch my attention, but you have it anyways. My parents would want me to take things slow, to give it time, but I’ve seen my friends fall head over hooves just like that. I’m nervous to reach for it, but… I want to.” Pinkie could hardly believe how open she was being with Merry, and how safe she felt in doing so. It was just one more reason why she felt that her interest in Merry was well founded.

“I’m glad I’m not the only one that’s nervous about it,” Merry offered with a sheepish grin. They both sat in silence for a time, thinking about what they had just learned from one another.

“One month.”

“Huh?” Merry snapped out of his contemplation and gave his attention back to Pinkie.

“Well, both of us are nervous, and we haven’t known each other very long, right?” she replied excitedly. “Why don’t we take a month to just spend as friends while we get to know one another?”

“That’s a great idea!” Merry said, brightening on the spot. “A month would give my hoof plenty of time to heal, and it would give me some time to get to know your family. Your father really cares about you, and I don’t want to tread on his hooves. One month...” They both fell quiet again with similar thoughts: could they even make it that long? “Sure seems like a long time, huh?”

“Heh, yeah, it really does,” Pinkie snickered, shuffling a little closer. “Who knows? Maybe a week will be long enough?”

“Don’t start talking like that!” he chided her playfully, wriggling with excitement. “... You’ll get my hopes up.”

“That won’t be the only thing if she leans a little closer.” A deeper crimson could not have been achieved by either pony as Chai seemingly materialized behind Merry with her forelegs resting on the ridge of the couch and an infuriatingly calm expression barely concealing her amusement.

“S-s-sis!” Merry cried, completely mortified that his sister would say something like that. All things considered, she wouldn’t, and that’s what made it even more flustering. “H-how could you s-say that!”

“Words make it fairly simple,” she replied, looking down at her brother with a mischievous glint in her eye. “As the elder sibling, it is my birthright to give my brother a hard time…” She paused just long enough for Pinkie’s partially suppressed giggle to break the silence before continuing. “Besides, if you intend to become comfortable with her family, then it stands to reason that she be given a taste of ours.” Her declaration sounded like a death sentence.

“You’re not normally like this, sis. What’s gotten into you?”

“Oh, don’t be so stiff.” Chai knew that she was treading a fine line, but her intentions weren’t nearly as malicious as Merry probably felt they were. She had said what she had as a kind of test to gauge Pinkie’s reactions, and while an imperfect test on account of her not really having any set barometer for passing, the mare certainly hadn’t failed. “Alright,” she relented, standing to leave, “I’ll leave you two alone. Play nice, alright?”

“She’s such a butt,” Merry muttered darkly, assuming Chai to be out of earshot.

“Always will be,” came the unexpected reply, leaving the poor colt even further abashed. At that moment, he imagined that being swallowed into the cracks between the sofa cushions would have been a kinder fate than trying to pick up the pieces of his dignity.

“Ugh… Pinkie, I’m really, reeeally sorry about my sister,” he began with a groan. “She isn’t normally like that, honest.”

“Hehe! You don’t need to worry about that,” Pinkie said soothingly, scooting over to the edge of the couch and patting his head. “You think having one sister is bad? I’ve got three.”

“I guess…” he muttered, far from convinced.

“Hmmm… Hey, I know! Why don’t we play a game to cheer you up?”

“Really? I mean, yeah, that sounds like fun!” he replied, perking instantly. “What game do you think we should play?”

“How about Twister?” they heard Chai’s voice call out from the other room.

Merry barely had time to scowl before Pinkie raised her voice and shouted, “Gotta wait until he’s better before I let him tie me up!” No sooner had the words left her mouth than Pinkie brought her hooves up to keep them in, but she was much too late. “Where did that come from? That doesn’t sound like me at all!” She had known that being around Merry was disarming, but she hadn’t expected something like that to ever come out of her mouth. Coming to, she looked over at Merry with a sheepish grin.

“So… one whole month, huh?” Merry glanced over his shoulder towards where he imagine his sister might be, then back at Pinkie with fated acceptance written upon his muzzle, punctuated with a bashful smile.

“We’re never going to make it, are we?”

“Not if we don’t stop thinking about it, nope,” Pinkie agreed as she stood. “You wait here, I’ll find a game to play.” From there, the evening passed somewhat uneventfully. Chai seemed to have reverted to her usually reserved self by the time she joined in on the festivities, and within no time they were laughing and cheering their way around the board. Minutes became hours with seamless transition, and in what seemed like no time at all, Pinkie found herself blindsided by her curfew. Part of her wanted to just ignore the clock and stick around, with the justification being that her parents had acknowledged that she could make her own choices, but she didn’t want to worry her parents any more than she already had. Allowing her to leave at night, and to see a colt, no less, had been a great show of faith on their part, and so it was that they cleaned up the cards at the turn of the eleventh hour.

“Don’t worry about the cards, Merry, I’ll put them away. Just rest,” Pinkie urged him, gathering the scattered clubs and the rest. It bothered him a little, having to be cared for like he was, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t grateful.

“I’ll make it up to you when I’m better,” he assured her, sinking deeper into the sofa and watching the mare with growing admiration as she bounded down the hall. There was a vibrancy within every action that made him feel alive, from the way her mane bounced at the slightest movement to the way she hopped, skipped, and jumped as often as she would walk. “Perhaps two weeks won’t be so bad,” he thought as she traipsed back into the living room, beaming up at her in an almost dream-like stupor.

“Why’re you looking at me like that?” Pinkie inquired, pawing at the ground and trying not to blush.

“‘Cause you’re amazing.”

“Eheh, you’re just saying that ‘cause you’re tired,” she deflected, unable to keep a faint blush from rising to her cheeks as she neared. “Come on, I’ll help you to bed.” Pinkie had definitely been right about the tired part. Flopping off the couch like he’d had too much ale, Merry struggled upright with Pinkie’s aid, leaning heavily upon her as they walked. However, something was different. She had helped him as she was a number of time without thinking anything of it, but the moment they touched, she became acutely aware of every brush of every hair on her coat as he leaned upon her. She was glad that he was so focused on walking, because the only words that came to mind were an incoherent babble of random descriptions for how stimulating his touch really was.

“I hope he’s not lying on the couch next time I come for a visit,” she thought, nearly losing her step as she felt the warmth of his tickling the back of her neck. “I don’t know that I’ll be able to keep myself from cuddling up next to him, or- oooh, why’d I have to think of that?” she wondered as an all-too-familiar heat kindled within her chest. Fortunately, they were only a few steps from the bedroom, so she didn’t have long to dwell on it.

“Ahhh, thanks, Pinkie,” Merry said with a contented sigh as he pulled the covers around him.

“You’re welcome. See you around!”

“I meant what I said, you know.” She stopped at the door.

“... I know you did, Merry,” she said softly, turning back to face him. “But you don’t really know anything about me yet, and I can’t help but worry that you won’t always think like that.” They both fell into an awkward silence, one that was broken by a similar admission.

“... There are plenty of skeletons in my closet, too.”

“They sure must be cramped with all those games in there...” Though their laughter was faint, it was still there, and they both exchanged rueful grins with one another in mutual understanding. They weren’t perfect, and they both had doubts, but there was no denying that there was something forming between them. “One month?”

“One month,” the stallion chuckled, shaking his head. “Take care, Pinkie.” For a moment, she lingered at the doorway, seemingly unsure. “Is everything…” he started to say, but found his question answered as Pinkie darted over and wrapped her hooves around his shoulders.

“Just one more for the road,” she whispered.

“How about two?” he suggested instead, returning the embrace.

“Works for me…” They held each other for a time, each one unwilling to be the one to pull away. She didn’t want to let go, but she knew her father was waiting. “Thanks for being amazing, Minty,” Pinkie murmured as she pulled away. “I’ll see you around.” Savoring the sensation of his embrace even as it faded from her shoulders, Pinkie flashed one last smile before trotting out to say goodbye to Chai. The mare was seated at the table watching her expectantly as she approached.

“G’night, Vanille. I’ll be seeing you.”

“Yes, I’m sure you will,” came her ambiguous response as she waved. “Oh, Pinkie?” The mare paused with her hoof on the door handle. “... Please, be gentle.” There was a weight in her words that seemed out of place, but Pinkie shook it off and nodded.

“I… I will.” Sent away with an approving nod, Pinkie stepped out into the evening and started towards home. The cool of the breeze brushing her face helped soothe the heat that still lingered just below the surface, and despite all the questions on her mind, she found herself irregularly calm as she trotted through the quiet streets of Dodge. Whether she was just too tired to really take it all in, or just reveling in the afterglow of feeling she hadn’t dealt with before, she couldn’t say, but she had some time to get things sorted out. She set a brisk pace and made it home with ten minutes to spare, receiving a warm welcome from her father as she stepped inside.

“How did things go with Merry?” he asked, closing the door behind Pinkie as she mosied inside. “You don’t seem as lively as I would have thought.”

“Huh? Oh, yeah, it went fine,” she said distractedly, heaving a tremendous yawn. Sensing her father’s curiosity, she took a few seconds to gather her thoughts before explaining from the beginning what they had both decided. Igneous listened intently, and as she concluded her tale, he strode over with an approving smile and placed a hoof on her shoulder.

“You make your father proud, Pinkie. I know how excited you are about Merry, and it brings me great comfort to know you aren’t just rushing headlong into something you might regret. Don’t worry,” he chuckled, patting her back, “the time will have passed before you know it.”

“Yeah, you’re probably right,” she agreed. “Thanks for letting me see him tonight, daddy. I feel a lot better now that we’ve talked things over.”

“Communication and honesty are two of the most important building blocks for any relationship,” he told her. “One of the quickest paths to ruin is keeping secrets from one another. I’m not saying that you have to just spill everything out all at once, but if you and Merry ever hope to make things work as a couple, you’ll have to be comfortable enough to talk to one another about anything, and I mean anything.” He couldn’t help but grin a little at his daughter’s hesitation. “For what it’s worth, I’d guess that you both are better in that regard than a lot of young couples. Now, go on and get some rest, Pinkamena. I’ll see you in the morning.”

Murmuring her thanks, Pinkie drowsily made her way up the stairs and to her room where she gratefully collapsed onto her bed. Poking his head out from the closet, Gummy waddled over and gummed his way up to Pinkie, though she seemed to have already passed out by the time he made it over. At a gentle prod of his nose, her hooves reached over and pulled him to her chest, her muzzle wrapped in a warming smile. It was the kind of smile that Gummy hadn’t seen Pinkie wear at night for a long while, and it made him smile, too.

“One month,” she murmured, cracking open her eyes just long enough to beam down at Gummy. “Just one month…”

Comments

[Fe94Knight]

Its like Oprah here... "And you get an innuendo, and you get an innuendo, and every one gets and innuendo!"

[SageBrony07]

What a sweet chapter. They aren't going to be able to make it a month are they? Great job and thanks for the update.

[OminousBrony]

6455285
Look at all the other couples in this series. I don't think any of them made it a month. I think the only ones who came close were Fluttershy and Whisper/Jade... and he was in a Coma for a week or two if I remember right so I don't think it counts.

[moguera]

All that talk about coffee made me remember this little tidbit about tea...

[Lucky424]

Gotta wait until he’s better before I let him tie me up!” No sooner had the words left her mouth than Pinkie brought her hooves up to keep them in, but she was much too late. “Where did that come from? That doesn’t sound like me at all!”

...well... this is sounding like my kind of story more and more. Bit of bondage, pet play... wonder what will be next.

Part her wanted

Part of her wanted

Huh... so her father approves of him. Interesting...

6455742 I don't know... I think Storm and Dash did. I mean, it gets mentioned that her Wonderbolt tryouts is in a month at one point, and it's after that things happen. Or do you mean just getting together in general?

[djthomp]

Okay, we need someone to ship Chai with, too.

That's actually pretty mature of Pinkie and Merry to hold off and get to know each other better when there's clearly so much interest and lust in the air.

“Don’t start talking like that!” he chided her playfully, wriggling with excitement. “... You’ll get my hopes up.”
“That won’t be the only thing if she leans a little closer.”

Hahaha!

“How about Twister?” they heard Chai’s voice call out from the other room.
Merry barely had time to scowl before Pinkie raised her voice and shouted, “Gotta wait until he’s better before I let him tie me up!”