There's Always An Afterwards

"I don't like it when it rains." Pinkie said as her ears taped to the back of her head and watched the rain pour down outside the window, her elbow resting against the windowsill.

"Why not?" Cheese asked as he approached her from the kitchen, carrying two donuts. He hoofed one to her.

Pinkie sighed. "Everypony's sad and wanna rush inside their houses." She took a bite of her donut and swallowed almost instantly as multicoloured sprinkles fell to the floor. "I like the rain, I just don't like it when it rains."

"Huh?" Cheese muttered as he licked some sprinkles off his donut.

"I like the rain but when it rains, everyone is wearing a frowny-face and nopony wants to play with me." Pinkie said.

"I could play with you." Cheese said as he ate half his donut.

"You would?!" Pinkie beamed as her tail started waging like a dog's.

"What else are coltfriends for?" Cheese asked.

"A lot of things, but I still don't care," Pinkie beamed as she threw her arms around Cheese, her voice becoming muffled. "You're so awesome!!"

"You're even more awesome," Cheese said back.

Pinkie giggled in return.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Pinkie asked. "Let's go!"

Cheese nodded as he shoved the rest of his donut in his mouth and followed in close pursuit behind Pinkie as she darted out the door of the closed bakery. He immediately shivered as he stepped outside, the cold raindrops splashing on his orange fur.

"If we get frostbite, it's your fault !" Cheese chuckled as he ran of, his lifted hoof touching her shoulder. "Oh, and, tag you're it!!!"

"Hey!" Pinkie called. "You gotta head start!"

"Ha ha!" Cheese laughed.

"It's too bad I'm faster than you!" Pinkie giggled as she somehow appeared in front of Cheese.

"What the-?" Cheese wondered as he planted his back hooves nearly in between his fronts and and time a skidding halt.

Pinkie giggled as she lightly tapped him on the nose with a high pitched 'boop'. And then she was off running again.

She gave one glance at Cheese, making him come to a halt again. Her eyes sparkled with excitement and glee.

Pinkie stopped too. She looked back at Cheese, whose mouth was slightly agape, and whose eyes were wide open. Her heart pounded from the excitement of finally playing in the rain, and by the funny sight of Cheese being soaked. She probably looked pretty ridiculous too.

"Cheesie? Are you okay?" Pinkie asked.

"Hm? Yeah I'm fine, just admiring how beautiful you are," Cheese responded with a smile as he inched closer and closer to her.

"Awe! Thanks!" Pinkie giggled as she blushed.

"Oh, and tag you're it!" Cheese laughed as he tagged Pinkie on her shoulder.

"You're gonna get it now, mister!" Pinkie fumed playfully. She started hopping towards Cheese, who was currently making silly faces at Pinkie. She couldn't help but giggle. She stopped hopping and galloped towards Cheese.

For the safety of his shirt, he pulled in off and hung it on a tree branch nearby, right before Pinkie pretty much body checked him into a giant mud puddle, her tumbling down with him.

With a big splash, both ponies were covered in mud. Instead of saying 'eeeeeew! My coat!' (Like one pony she knew), she bursted into laughter. Cheese joined in once he realized that Pinkie was okay.

Once the laughter calmed down, all that was heard was their breathing and the rain patting on every surface facing the sky. For the first in a long time, Cheese stared into Pinkie's huge, blue and cute eyes.

More mud had collected on Cheese's coat, considering Pinkie was on his belly.

"Can I kiss you?" Cheese asked.

"What's the passcode?" Pinkie asked as she sat up and crossed her forearms.

"Please?" Cheese asked.

"Correct!!" Pinkie beamed.

Before anything else was said, Cheese slid his lanky forearms around Pinkie neck and pulled her into a passionate kiss. Pinkie's hooves planted themselves behind her coltfriend's ears as her head tilted slightly. One of Cheese's hooves stroked Pinkie's mane, while the other ran down her back, making her giggle and wiggle ever so slightly.

All around them, the rain poured harder and harder until Pinkie started to shiver. A huge crack of lightning tore through the sky as extremely loud thunder erupted through Ponyville.

"Yikes!" Pinkie screamed as she used Cheese's chest as a launch pad. He coughed as she shot away.

"Uuuuuhhhhhnng....." He groaned as he rubbed his chest.

"Oh-uh- oops! Sorry..." Pinkie giggled.

"It's... alright...." He huffed. He sat up, and finally got out of the mud puddle.

"Cheesie....." Pinkie giggled. "...I don't think Mrs. Cake will let you inside of Sugarcube Corner!" She started laughing.

"Wha-" Cheese stopped as he noticed almost his entire body was covered with dripping mud, that was continuously getting more watery as the rain kept falling. "Oh." He simply said.

"Don't worry- I think it'll wash off 'cause of the r-rain," Pinkie said as her shuddering reached her jaw.

"Pinkie, are you cold?" Cheese asked.

"Y-yeah, a l-l-little bit" She managed as her teeth chattered.

"I don't know how much this will help, but," He wrapped his wet arms around Pinkie's chest, locking her forearms in the the hug.

Pinkie stopped shivering and smiled. "Yeah Cheesie." She said. "That helped a lot." She nuzzled Cheese's cheek with her own.

"I'm glad," Cheese said. "But we should go inside, 'cause I'm cold too, and we won't be warm for long."

"Okay." Pinkie whispered. Cheese put his shirt on and followed Pinkie.

More lightning flashed and thunder boomed as the couple walked back to Sugarcube Corner, their legs too numb to run.

As Cheese opened the door the the bakery, the smell of pastries and warmth enveloped them.

"That's strange," Pinkie muttered. "Sugarcube Corner should've been closed a long time ago!"

"Oh, you two are back!" Mrs. Cake said as she walked into the shop part of the building. She smirked at the sight of the two dripping wet ponies. "I saw you go outside in the rain, so I decided to make some muffins and hot cocoa!"

"Oh, Mrs. Cake, you didn't have to!" Pinkie laughed.

"But you must be freezing!" Cup Cake said.

They paused for a moment. "Yeah, we are kind of hungry." Cheese said.

~~~~~~~~~~

"I think you need to take Pinkie up to bed again." Mrs. Cake said.

"Hm?" Cheese looked up, and then back down to Pinkie,

Her eyes her closed, her breathing becoming more steady. She still held half of her ninth cupcake in her bent hooves, which slipped out and dropped to the ground. Several crumbs dotted Pinkie's face, as well as a glob of icing on her nose.

"Oh...." Cheese smiled warmly at the sight of his marefriend in his hooves.

"You're a lucky stallion," Mrs. Cake said. "I've never seen her so calm and happy in my life."

"Really?" Cheese asked.

"Yes. You know how crazy she can be." She chuckled.

"I guess," Cheese said. "I only had the chance to witness her true personality at Dash's birthday,"

"I'd say that's plenty of time for someone like Pinkie." Mrs. Cake laughed. "Just don't get on her bad side, and if she is, don't let her buy turnips."

"I'll be sure to," Cheese said as he got Pinkie on his back once again.

Lightning flashed through the building, making Cheese's heart rate speed up. Thunder followed the lighting, making the windows rattle.

He slid Pinkie off his back and Onto her bed, him laying down beside her. Before closing his eyes, he attempted to wipe the icing off Pinkie's nose, only for her to lick his hoof with a 'non' where the icing was and pull him closer so their heads were pressed together.

Cheese smiled as he kissed her ear and whispering, "I love you," before falling asleep.