You dart towards the small amount of shelter provided by the overhang above the entrance to Sugarcube Corner. With a shiver, you struggle to close your umbrella, getting your hands extremely wet in the process. In spite of the overhang, the wind is still allowing some of the cold rain from the thunderstorm to hit you, quickly seeping into your clothing in the process. You waste no time throwing the door open, sighing as you finally enter your destination.
The sweet smell of the bakery/confectionery immediately assaults your nostrils. To some, the smell might almost be sickly, but you've come to appreciate it. Looking around, apart from Mrs. Cake, who is barely visible through the open door behind the counter and apparently in the middle of baking something in the kitchen, you can see no other ponies in the building. You suppose that's to be expected. You DID choose to come during a planned thunderstorm, after all. That's all on you, bud.
Placing your umbrella in the nearby basket, you do your best to dry yourself while still standing at the entrance, closing the door behind you as you do. If there were other ponies around it would be somewhat awkward, especially with how crowded this place gets, but right now it's almost uncanny how quiet it is in here.
You eventually make your way to the counter. The displays behind the glass present carefully arranged sweets and baked goods of all shapes and sizes, each capturing your eye in their own unique way. It takes a great deal of effort to pull your attention away from them, instead focusing on the room around you. You didn't come here for sweets.
Well, sort of. "Sweet" is a pretty apt description for Pinkie Pie.
Yes, Pinkie Pie. When you came to this world, she was one of the first friends you made. To be honest, she hardly left you with a choice. Throwing the weird alien thing a "welcome to Equestria" party wasn't something you expected from the pink mare, but it certainly felt nice after facing hundreds of ponies that were much more fearful or suspicious of you. It also allowed you to grow closer to several other ponies who you would get to know well over the course of the next few years. Really, it's only thanks to Pinkie that your adjustment to this new life you never asked for went as smoothly as it did, and you will forever be grateful for that.
For her part, Pinkie is pretty much everything you could ask for in a friend. She is bubbly, cheerful, and surprisingly considerate of others. Her hyperactive and fun-loving demeanor belies her legitimately intelligent and thoughtful nature. She has many talents, she's extremely outgoing, and to top it all off, she's really, really cute.
Oh, and did you forget to mention that she's just about the most popular pony in Equestria?
As a result of her almost obsessive need to keep track of everypony she meets, their likes, their dislikes, and even their birthdays in an effort to make them all as happy as possible, Pinkie is just about as recognizable as Princess Celestia herself. As far as you know, apart from some of the villains that have threatened Equestria's peace, nopony dislikes Pinkie. How could they? She's the best! You love her for that!
You love her for that.
You sigh to yourself in the quiet room. It took some time for you to come to terms with your own feelings. It wasn't exactly easy to do, either. Given just how pleasant she is, of course being around her would make you happy. That's usually her goal, after all. So, knowing that she is so good at the talent that earned her her cutie mark, how do you identify the line between "this girl wants to make me happy and is succeeding" and "I have fallen in love with this mare?" The answer came to you when she invited you to lunch a few weeks ago. She really just wanted you to try out the food at "The Tasty Treat," a restaurant she and Rarity helped out not long prior over in Canterlot. When she asked, you were so excited to spend the day with her that you practically couldn't sleep the night before. Lo and behold, the two of you had an incredible time! Then, a few days after that, Twilight Sparkle asked you to accompany her and Spike to the Crystal Empire on official princess business, mostly because you had never been and really wanted to see it. Twilight and Spike are two of your closest friends, and for all intents and purposes the trip itself was much more exciting than going to a restaurant in Canterlot. While you definitely had fun, you noticed that you were much calmer on the trip. When you were with Pinkie, it felt as though your heart was going to beat out of your chest, and you wanted to avoid saying or doing anything that might cause you to embarrass yourself. None of these feelings were present when you were with Twilight and Spike, regardless of the enjoyment the trip and the company brought you. Then, when you next saw Pinkie a few days later, that anxious, excited feeling came back. You found your thoughts drifting towards her frequently. You wanted to talk to her more. You wanted to be around her more. You wanted... well, you wanted her to feel the same way about you. Unfortunately, you have no idea if she does. After all, you aren't the only one she's brought to The Tasty Treat.
And considering how she wears her heart on her sleeve, you can't pretend like she doesn't seem just as excited to see everypony else as she does to see you.
That thought was eating you up inside. You've never felt this way about anyone before. You've longed for this feeling, sure, but it never hit you until the whirlwind of sugar and energy that is Pinkie Pie entered your life. Perhaps you're acting immature, but you know deep down that you have to do something about it. Sure, you could just wallow in self-doubt and pity until the feeling festers inside of you for so long that you alienate yourself from the idea of love altogether, but surely there are healthier routes to take, no?
So, here you are, sopping wet in an empty Sugarcube Corner hoping to speak one-on-one with Pinkie. You glance at a nearby clock. 5:30. She would have gotten off about half an hour ago, even if the store stays open until 6:00. You were hoping that you would be able to catch her while she was still here, but you don't see her around. Well, you certainly aren't accomplishing much by just standing here.
"Uhh, Mrs. Cake?"
With a little gasp, the short blue mare sets down her cake decorating tools and emerges from the kitchen to greet you.
"Ah, hello, Anon! Goodness, did you really walk here in this weather?"
"Haha, yeah, I did. Wouldn't recommend it!"
"Well, do try to keep yourself warm. Don't want you getting a cold!" Mrs. Cake has always been really nice. She acts like everyone's aunt or something. "Now, what can I help you with today?"
"Um, is Pinkie in? I had something kind of important I wanted to talk to her about." You briefly eye the display beneath you, trying not to give in to temptation. "...And I'd like a blueberry pastry to go, if possible." Dang it.
"The pastry I can do, but Pinkie's not in right now. Funnily enough, she also said she had 'something important' she needed to take care of. She left not five minutes ago, but I don't know where she went."
Well, that's Pinkie for ya. She's not the kind of mare to sit still for too long. At least, not if she has a choice.
"Thank you anyway, Mrs. Cake. Just the pastry, then."
A few moments later, with a sweet-smelling paper bag in hand, you turn back towards the door. You briefly consider trying to hunt Pinkie down, but you quickly realize how fruitless of an endeavor that would be. She could be literally anywhere. With a sigh, you step back out into the rain, ready to return home and... try again tomorrow, you suppose.
...Huh?
Struggling to hold on to your umbrella in the pouring rain, you finally arrived back at your house near the outskirts of town. While you were expecting to just be greeted with your humble abode, you instead see the dark pink outline of a mare, shivering and struggling to stay dry next to your door. Suddenly concerned, you rush towards her, quickly identifying the figure as Pinkie Pie.
"Pinkie? What are you doing out here in the rain?"
She responds through chattering teeth, doing little to hide the fact that she's freezing out here.
"H-hi, Nonny. Y-you w-wanted to s-see me, right?"
"How did you- you know what, never mind. Take this!"
You hand her your umbrella, exposing yourself to the elements. The poor girl looks downright miserable, her usually poofy mane matted and drooping down towards the ground due to the sheer volume of water that's been drenching her for who knows how long. Fishing for the keys in your pocket, you quickly unlock the house and practically shove her inside, closing the door again behind you.
Compared to the wind, rain, and thunder from out there, your living room seems almost eerily silent. It doesn't help that the sudden appearance of Pinkie has you more nervous than you had anticipated, making the atmosphere feel more tense than it probably should. As Pinkie carefully tucks the umbrella away, you fetch a towel and start gingerly drying her off. Ponies have a much harder time drying than humans, after all, what with their fur coats and adorable, puffy manes. Speaking of, it takes maybe two seconds for Pinkie's mane to comically inflate back to its normal size, color, and position. The same is true for her tail. A few seconds later, and she's downright beaming at you.
"Thanks, Nonny!"
"Y-yeah, you're welcome. Er, what are you doing here, Pinkie?"
"I already told you! You wanted to see me, so I came to you to make it easier on you! Only, you weren't home. So, I waited!"
She speaks with the energy and happiness that is typical of someone who just received the best news of their life, but that's just the way Pinkie talks.
"I'm flattered, but you really shouldn't have stood out in the rain like that just for my sake. W-wait, how did you know I wanted to see you?"
"Pinkie Sense!"
"...Right." On one hand, Pinkie Sense makes... well, it makes no sense, ironically. That said, by now you know better than to question its validity. "And what, exactly, is the Pinkie Sense equivalent of 'Anon wants to talk to me?'"
"That's an easy one! I get really nervous and start thinking about you a bunch! Then, my chest starts to hurt!"
Are you sure you don't have Pinkie Sense? Because this sounds awfully familiar.
...Wait a second.
"W-well, yes, I did want to talk to you. I left to go find you, actually. Now that I think about it, how did we miss each other?"
"Oh, I took a shortcut!"
"...A shortcut?"
"Yup! I have LOTS of shortcuts!" You chuckle. She is good at getting around quickly. "Now, what is it you wanted to say?"
There it is, the million-bit question. You set out today to have this exact conversation, but now that you're here, you're finding it hard to articulate what it is you want to say. Come on, Anon, it isn't that hard! Just tell her you like her, and you want to be more than just friends. Easy!
"Wonderful weather we're having, yeah?"
Really, dude?!
"Uhh, I guess if you like thunderstorms, then yeah, it's great out there!" She gives you a smile before it slowly fades, turning into a look of genuine concern. "That wasn't what you wanted to say, was it?"
"N-no."
She looks you up and down. Her nervous stare makes it clear that she's worried about something.
"Nonny, you know you can tell me anything, right? I don't want you to be worried about how I'll react."
"I, uh, well..."
"I'll Pinkie Promise not to laugh! Or to tell anyone! Or to-"
"You don't need to promise anything, Pinkie. I just..." You let out a nervous sigh before continuing. "I want to talk about us."
"Us?"
"...Us."
"Well, what about 'us?'"
"...Pinkie, what do you think about me? Just, be honest. First thing that comes to mind."
"Oh, Nonny, that's easy! I think you're great! You're dependable, you're earnest, you're friendly, and even though you're pretty much an alien, you try so hard to keep all of us here in Equestria happy! You're so different from anyone I've ever met, but you don't let that bother you! You embrace everything that makes you stand out, and it's super cool! You're fun to talk to, you're pretty much my favorite pony-er, person, to be around... I could go on!"
You really weren't expecting her to talk about you like that, and now you can feel your face getting hot as your cheeks are inevitably turning various shades of red.
"Um, thank you, Pinkie. That means a lot coming from you."
"Why do you ask?"
"Well, I... I think you're great too, Pinkie. More than that. Much more than that, in fact! I'm, uh, not really as confident at expressing that as you are..."
"Nonny, don't be silly! I don't expect you to be as open as me! Then you wouldn't be you!"
"Heh, thanks Pinkie. But, I really want to be honest right now."
"Go ooooooon~"
She leans forward, looking up at you with excitement and curiosity. With one final sigh, you decide to lay it all out there.
"Pinkie Pie, I'm in love with you." She suddenly freezes. Her eyes, once wide with curiosity, are now wide with shock. Her jaw hangs open, and she doesn't say anything as you continue talking. "Any time I'm not with you, you're all I can think about. I want to... I want to talk to you more. To be around you more. To be... special to you, I guess." You rub your left arm with your right, a nervous habit of yours. "B-but it's okay if you don't feel the same way! You get around a lot more than I do, and I'm sure there are tons of ponies who have already had this conversation with you, but I just thought that if I didn't say anything, I would regret it and-"
You are suddenly cut off by Pinkie leaping into the air towards you. Not knowing what else to do and with only a moment to react, you catch her right as she is about to collide with you, holding her at eye level. Right as you do, you watch her close her eyes and press her lips against yours. As much as you'd like to return the kiss, you're a bit too shocked to do much of anything but avoid dropping her.
...She tastes sweet.
After a few moments, she pulls back and wraps herself around you, though you don't loosen the grip you have on her. If you were blushing before, you're probably beet red by now, but she doesn't seem to be doing much better. The blush on her cheeks is visible even through her pink coat, and she isn't the kind to get flustered all that often.
"P-Pinkie?"
"Of course I feel the same way, Nonny. I already told you, you are special to me! I was... um..." She hesitates for a moment, something extremely uncharacteristic for her. "I was afraid you wouldn't be interested in a pony."
"Come on, Pinkie, you're the definition of eye candy! Even if you weren't, I don't care about that. I love you for who you are, not what you are."
She squeezes you harder, burying her face into your neck. She's extremely soft.
"Heehee! I've spent a long time wanting to hear that!"
The two of you stand there for several minutes, relishing in the warm, soft embrace before you speak up again.
"So... what now?"
"I dunno! I guess you're my boyfriend now! But, uh, I usually plan parties, not dates. What do couples usually do?"
"I have no idea, I'm new to this."
"So am I!"
"...Do you want to split this pastry I bought?"
She lets out an excited gasp as she finally notices the bag you had placed on the nearby table shortly after entering the house.
"Boy, would I!"
You laugh as the two of you depart to the dining room, ready and eager to enjoy the first evening of many that you would share together, not as friends, but as a couple.
Life like this sure is sweet.
Author's Note
It was really only a matter of time before I wrote something like this. She's just so cute! 
As always, I appreciate any and all feedback!
