Pink Skies at Sunset

by Luminous Comet

The First Real Date

Fall Break would only last a total of six days. Sunset had finally managed her confession the last day before, during the formal. The next day, Pinkie had stayed over. Family obligation kept her away the next two, which meant there were only three days left before they had to go back to school and the last two were covered for plans with the whole group. Of course they'd see each other between classes, but they barely had any together and homework would keep them apart too. So both of them were eager to spend as much time together during their week off as they could.

"So you're ready for your first date?"

Sunset looked up from the text conversation she was having with Pinkie, at Rarity sitting at the table with her. "What?"

"Darling. Your first date," she stressed again, putting her pumpkin spice latte down with enough of a thud to emphasise her point.

"I don't know, I was just going to invite her to... you know, hang out."

"But you just got together! You can hang out anytime, but isn't it time for you to do proper couple things? It'll be a lot harder once we're swamped again."

Sunset frowned down at her phone. She was right. She didn't have a lot of friends in relationships - really only Twilight - but perhaps it really was high time. In fact...

"We're doing this all backwards, aren't we? I mean, Twilight went on several dates with Timber before she called him her boyfriend!" She sat up straight and ran a hand through her hair. "Oh man, we're so overdue!"

"Relax, it's not like it's an obligatory order. Twilight and Timber are just more traditional. It's different when you've already been friends for a while." Rarity put a calming hand on Sunset's shoulder, before picking up her drink again. "That said, you might want to get on that soon."

---

"Liiiiiiime!" If the yelling didn't tip her off, the hammering on her bedroom door didn't leave any doubt that it was Pinkie. Limestone groaned and dragged herself over, opening the door quick enough that her little sister's hand swiped empty air for a second.

"What do you want, sis?" she grumbled, her headphones still in one hand, the loud rock music faintly blaring from them.

Pinkie bounced in place and just squeaked excitedly while holding her phone in Limestone's face, showing her a text conversation with someone saved in the memory as "💖Sunny💘".

"Do you want to go out tonight. Like, for real. As, like, a couple," Limestone read out loud with an unimpressed deadpan tone, before staring blankly at her sister's face, which looked ready to burst with excitement. "Aren't you already dating her? You were screaming about nothing else for days."

"Yeees!" Pinkie bounced faster, somehow. "But this is a real date, our first real date! We were just friends before - but now we're more than friends!" Limestone grimaced as her sister grabbed her shoulders and shook her. "Not that I value any of my friends less, you know, but still! But we were just friends before and so we never had any dates - aside from friendship dates, obvs! - so we totally started dating without going on dates before and now it's finally happening!"

Pinkie's voice had risen into a screech on the last few words and Limestone felt a headache coming on. "And why are you telling me all this?"

Pinkie's expression dropped into concern. "Because I've never been on a date before. Not even one! I don't know what to do or where to take her! And what if I take her somewhere she doesn't like? What if she takes me somewhere I don't like and then I have to lie to her and tell her that I did and then I lied to my super amazing new girlfriend and--mmpfh!"

Limestone grit her teeth and pressed her hand firmly over Pinkie's mouth, pressing her fingers into her squishy cheeks. "Get. To. The. Point."

Pinkie nodded and muffled an affirmation. When Limestone let her go, she took a deep breath, but let it out again slowly. "Help me, please," she said a lot calmer, with the sort of smile that their parents used to deem more acceptable, before they both chilled out about a lot of things.

"Look... first dates are never amazing. They're there so you get to know someone and see if you have enough in common to get along. But you already get along and you already know her. You for sure have a party-planning folder about everything she likes, don't you?"

Pinkie's eyes darted back and forth. "Haha... no I don't. Pffh, that would be... so creepy. Obviously not..."

"Ugh. My point is, you don't need to worry that much. Just go somewhere you both like. And... hold hands and stuff. I guess... think of it as a private party for just you two."

Pinkie's eyes lit up and she quickly wrapped Limestone in a firm hug that could have been crushing, if she hadn't gotten used to her sister's surprising strength years ago. "Oh, thank you so much! I knew I was right to ask you!"

"Yeah, yeah... just text Maud next time or something."

"Oh, you're right! Maud already has a boyfriend!" She giggled and tapped her own head with her knuckles. "Silly me!" She hummed and skipped up the steps to her own room again.

Limestone groaned and closed the door, putting the headphones over her ears again. "I'm not jealous. Absolutely not. Who would be jealous?"

---

Sunset didn't own any clothes that hit the dating sweet spot. She had dresses, Rarity had made her more than one over the entire time they'd been friends, but wearing one of those felt like too much. And while she liked all her other clothes, she wore them casually, even to school, so it wouldn't seem special enough to go with those.

Her solution was to just combine the least fancy dress - a short red one with a neck halter - with the pants, boots, and vest she wore every day. After messing with her hair for a bit, she brushed it all over one shoulder and tied it into a loose braid.

Thus satisfied, she headed out for the movie theatre ahead of schedule, arriving a good ten minutes before the time they had agreed on. After getting their tickets, she leaned on the wall outside the door and busied herself with her phone until she heard rapidly approaching steps.

"Sunnyyy!" Pinkie ran towards her, the long ribbons of her blue-and-pink dress dancing behind her. She had a yellow balloon tied to her wrist by its string, which bounced back and forth, jerked around by the swing of her arm as she sprinted.

Sunset quickly put her phone away and stood straight, already setting her back foot more firmly against the floor. Sure enough, Pinkie skipped into her waiting arms for a firm hug. After Sunset had put her down, she stuck her hand into one of the pockets hidden between the layers of her frilly skirt and pulled out a party blower, excitedly blowing into it, sending a small amount of confetti drifting into Sunset's hair.

"Happy first date!" she announced loudly, drawing the attention of the other theatre patrons waiting nearby.

"Um, yeah, you too, Pinkie. Wanna head inside?"

"Yup!" Pinkie beamed and confidently took Sunset's hand, holding it tightly as they headed inside.

Subconsciously, Sunset had her back more straight as she stood next to her, showing two tickets to the woman checking for them at the door. With both of them a little dressed up and holding hands in plain view, it had to be obvious to anyone that they were here on a date. With their friends, it was one thing, she'd gladly hold her girlfriend close all day. But they were in public, in front of complete strangers. A slight paranoia snuck its way into the back of her mind.

They were some of the first inside and quickly found their seats. Sometime between heading inside the building and getting to the seats, Pinkie had bought an armful of popcorn and small snacks, distributing them across both of their laps and into the cup holders as they sat down. Finally, she unravelled the string from her wrist and tied it around an armrest instead, letting the balloon bob in the air about the same height as their heads.

"Think you got enough?" Sunset asked with an amused smirk.

"I dunno, we'll see," Pinkie said with a shrug, already reaching into the bucket of popcorn.

Throughout the pre-show ads and trailers, they started kidding around and quietly making joking remarks at each other. Every time Sunset whispered something to Pinkie, her girlfriend giggled and even snorted once, touching her arm and her shoulder like she had to hold on to not fall out of her seat.

They only mostly pulled themselves together when the actual movie started, still whispering amongst themselves during the opening parts, until the action properly started. Sunset could feel herself getting pumped by the well-choreographed fights and snappy dialogue, while Pinkie kept on giggling, trying to stifle herself between snacks.

As the movie slowed down before the climax, Sunset tuned out for a bit. The plot had been the weakest point so far and she was just waiting to get to the scenes the trailer had already spoiled for her. So instead of paying attention, she looked down at Pinkie, who had leaned over and was resting her head on her shoulder, one hand in the bag of gummy snacks in her lap, the other touching Sunset's hand, running the fingertips over her palm and playing lightly with her fingers.

She moved her hand to lace her fingers with Pinkie's and caught her eyes as she looked up. They smiled at each other, their faces only illuminated by the shifting colours of the screen. And without exchanging any words, Pinkie pushed herself a bit further over, closing the distance and kissing her softly on the lips.

Sunset's heart pounded, faster than for any of the action. The paranoia made itself known again, making her think of the people in the row behind her, what they might think if they noticed. But she didn't want to cut this moment short. She raised her other hand, slightly sticky from the popcorn, and ran it through Pinkie's curls, playing with them between her fingertips.

They only parted when the sudden start of the climax made both of them look towards the screen again. But Pinkie stayed close and their hands remained interlocked.

---

The sun was leaning towards the horizon when they left the theatre. Sunset walked a few steps ahead onto the sidewalk and stretched her arms over her head. Pinkie caught up after handing her balloon off to a child who had just come out of another movie with his parent.

"Sooo, what now?" she asked as she came up next to her, reaching for her hand again.

"We'll find somewhere to eat. At the mall maybe? If you still have room after all those snacks."

"Oh, Sunny. You know I have a separate stomach for snacks." Pinkie shook her head with a smile that almost seemed condescending.

"Good. Because I'm not ready to bring you home yet."

The mall wasn't far from the theatre and it didn't take them long to agree on a place to sit down and eat at. School was still out for a few days, so the mall was packed, even for a Friday night. But they still found a small table outside one of the eateries. Pinkie sat down to make sure no one else took it while Sunset went to order their food. She returned with two big servings of fried noodles with vegetables, sitting down across from Pinkie.

They ate and chatted about the movie. Pinkie retold some of the events in a way that, combined with her facial expressions, made Sunset almost cough up her food a few times, stifling her laughter while holding a hand over her mouth. They got through most of the meal before Pinkie adjusted her position and reached behind her, getting something that was hidden behind the large ribbon at the back of her skirt.

"Here you go," she said cheerfully, having calmed down from the giggle fit she had had almost all evening. On the table she placed a small, flat present, wrapped up in orange paper, printed with little bonfires, and with a red bow. Instead of a name, it was marked with the sun icon that featured on a lot of Sunset's clothes - her cutie mark back in Equestria. "Happy first date!"

"Pinkie..." Sunset looked down at the present and picked it up, an uncertain smile on her face. "You don't have to give me anything. You don't give gifts on first dates."

"You do on a Pinkie Party Date." She grinned across the table and winked at her.

"But, I don't have anything for you."

Pinkie waved it off. "Pffh, that's fine. You don't give gifts on first dates, silly!"

Sunset put the plate aside and opened the gift, doing her best to unfold the paper instead of ripping it. Inside was a simple plastic box, from which she retrieved a hand-woven wristband, made from yarn in different shades of pink. Attached to it was a plastic charm in the shape of a heart, with three balloons in the middle.

Sunset looked up to see Pinkie beaming at her, holding up her own hand. On her wrist was a similar band, orange and red, with Sunset's cutie mark printed on the heart. Sunset stared dumbfounded for a moment, before the smile overcame her again. She quickly put hers on and reached out for Pinkie's hand, looking at the wristbands next to one another on the table as she held it.

"You made this today?"

"Actually... I kinda already made them on the night after the formal," Pinkie admitted with a quiet chuckle.

Sunset looked up at her bright, blue eyes. "I don't deserve you."

"Of course you do. I..." Pinkie hesitated, her eyes drifting away as a deeper blush rose into her cheeks. "You make me happy."

Sunset looked at her, trying to search her expression for the reason of her sudden apprehension. She thought for a moment to read her emotion, through the geode she was wearing around her neck, as always, but decided that was inappropriate.

"I'll take you home," she said finally. Pinkie smiled and nodded and they got up together.

---

They stopped in front of Pinkie's family home. Which window belonged to her room was plain to see from outside, bright curtains covering the inside and balloons tied to the windowsill, in stark contrast to the heavily subdued colours the house was painted it. They stood in front of the door and loosely held hands, standing in silence for a moment.

"I had fun," Sunset said finally. "I mean, of course I did. I always have fun with you."

"Yeah, thank you for inviting me." Pinkie looked up into Sunset's green eyes. Here was another chance, but she could already tell it was going to pass her by again.

"I'll... see you then. Tomorrow, right?"

"Yeah, of course!" She squeezed Sunset's hand. She almost forgot in all the excitement that they were all meeting up. It wasn't a school break without getting together with everyone, after all. "I'll miss you."

Sunset laughed quietly, a bright melody that made Pinkie's heart flutter. "It's only one night, Pinkie."

"I'll do anyway!" She stepped in and wrapped her arm around her, hugging her close. Sunset's hand slipped from hers and both her arms wrapped around her back. She could have spent another hour in the warm embrace, but they both flinched a little as the porch light turned on and the front door opened.

"Hey, sis. You better come inside before you fall asleep out here," Limestone said gruffly, talking to Pinkie but with her eyes fixed on Sunset.

"Okey-dokey." She quickly got on her tiptoes and gave Sunset a quick peck on the lips, briefly feeling her breath on her own, before she walked backwards to the door. "Good night, Sunny."

"Good night." Sunset smiled and waved, before she turned around to walk back home by herself.

She held onto herself until Limestone had closed the door, before she let out a deep sigh, sinking against her older sister and hugging her.

"I guess it went well then," the older girl grumbled, patting Pinkie's shoulder instead of returning the hug.

Pinkie squeaked with tired excitement and skipped on the spot, before she caught a glimpse of Marble, peeking in from the living room. She ran over to her and pulled her little sister into a warm hug as well. "Oh, isn't life wonderful!?"

"Mm-hm," Marble mumbled passively.

Comments

[ScisetShimmerEvan]

They were some of the first inside and quickly found their seats. Sometime between heading inside the building and getting to the seats, Pinkie had bought an armful of popcorn and small snacks, distributing them across both of their laps and into the cup holders as they sat down. Finally, she unravelled the string from her wrist and tied it around an armrest instead, letting the balloon bob in the air about the same height as their heads.

She's so gonna be in trouble once someone learns she brought that balloon.

The sun was leaning towards the horizon when they left the theatre. Sunset walked a few steps ahead onto the sidewalk and stretched her arms over her head. Pinkie caught up after handing her balloon off to a child who had just come out of another movie with his parent.

At least she gave it to a child, so I guess I can let it slide.

Pinkie waved it off. "Pffh, that's fine. You don't give gifts on first dates, silly!"

Then why did you do it is the question.

Sunset looked up to see Pinkie beaming at her, holding up her own hand. On her wrist was a similar band, orange and red, with Sunset's cutie mark printed on the heart. Sunset stared dumbfounded for a moment, before the smile overcame her again. She quickly put hers on and reached out for Pinkie's hand, looking at the wristbands next to one another on the table as she held it.

How nice of her.

They stopped in front of Pinkie's family home. Which window belonged to her room was plain to see from outside, bright curtains covering the inside and balloons tied to the windowsill, in stark contrast to the heavily subdued colours the house was painted it. They stood in front of the door and loosely held hands, standing in silence for a moment.

painted in.*