I open the door to Pinkie's room and trot inside.
"Hi Dashie," Pinkie says to me.
"Hey, I'm bored, wanna do something?"
"Yes, and I have just the thing."
"What?"
"A contest!"
"Oh, sounds exciting, what kind?"
"Hugging."
"Hugging?" I ask, confused.
"Yea, we hug and last one to let go wins."
Seriously?
"What are the stakes," I say in a disinterested tone.
"Winner gets anything they want from the loser."
"Anything?" I say as ideas of stuff I could make Pinkie do enter my mind.
I could make her do a funny prank.
I could make her buy me cider.
"Anything."
"Okay, I'm in."
Pinkie trots over to me and gives me a hug.
I hug back as I realize what I just agreed too.
So, this is my life now.
As we hug, I can't help but notice how soft Pinkie is.
I guess our normal hugs don't last long enough to notice.
Pinkie comments, "This is nice."
I agree, surprisingly. "Yep."
A few minutes into the hug, I don't know what to do. "So, what now?"
"What do you wanna do?"
I don't know, maybe we can go see a friend?
"Let's go see Twilight."
"Okay, let's go."
With that, we shamble to the door, opening it slowly.
This is going to be a rough day…
Twilight opens the door, or at least I think it's Twilight, Pinkie is facing the door at the moment.
"Hi, girls…" Twilight says from behind me, a quizzical tone in her voice.
"Can we come in?" Pinkie asks.
"Sure," Twilight says in a confused tone.
We shuffle into her tree house.
"Go for the couch, Pinkie, I need to sit down," I say.
We make our way to her couch and sit down. I breathe a sigh of relief.
Phew.
"What are you two doing?" Twilight asked.
I explain, "Me and Pinkie are seeing who can hug the longest. We just came from her house."
"Oh, interesting. Why are you doing this?"
"I like winning."
"Okay."
"You should have seen the stares we got on the way over, it was like they thought we were a couple," I say before laughing.
I can feel Pinkie nod her head. Twilight moves over to Pinkie, where I can't see.
I rest my head on Pinkie's back.
Pinkie makes a good pillow; so soft.
Pinkie nuzzles my neck.
Why'd she do that?
I don't get an answer, probably because I didn't as a question.
I can hear Twilight moving something around before I hear chalk on a chalkboard.
Seconds later, I feel Pinkie nod.
"What's going on?" I ask.
"I'm talking to Pinkie, in private. Sorry," Twilight says.
They go on for a couple of minutes, having a conversation I'm not allowed in.
Boo.
If they're going to exclude me, I might as well take a nap.
I close my eyes and nuzzle Pinkie's back, holding her tight, I fall asleep.
I wake up sometime later. I can feel Pinkie's head resting on my back.
She must have taken a nap too.
Looking around, I don't see Twilight.
"Twilight," I call for her.
Moments later, Twilight comes from upstairs. "Yes?" She says as she approaches the couch.
"Is Pinkie asleep?"
"Yes, I believe so."
"How long have we been asleep?"
"About an hour."
"Okay, thanks for letting us nap here."
"You're welcome, can we talk before you wake Pinkie up?"
"Sure, what's up?"
"I know you laughed it off earlier, but have you considered a relationship with Pinkie?"
Date Pinkie?
"Like a romantic one?"
"Yes."
"No, I haven't, why?"
"I think it's something you should think about."
"Do you think Pinkie likes me?"
"I don't know, but she seemed really excited about you two being closer from this experience."
"Okay, I'll think about it."
"Thank you, for her sake."
I lay my head back down on Pinkie as I think.
Date Pinkie? That's a big question…
I mean, sure, I've enjoyed most of the time I've spent holding her today, but dating is a lot more serious of a consideration.
I guess I got plenty of time to think about it.
I decide to put it off till later. Thinking about dating your best friend is a daunting task, okay?
I nudge Pinkie with my head, trying to wake her. "Pinkie?"
She doesn't respond. I try again. "Pinkie?"
She starts to wake up, I feel her start to remove her forelegs from around me.
"Stop!" I shout.
Pinkie freezes as I feel her tense up. A moment later, she relaxes. "Thanks."
"You're welcome."
I guess I wasn't ready to stop hugging her.
"Have a good nap?"
"Yes, I had a nice and soft pillow."
"Me too," Pinkie says as I can hear the blush in her voice.
"Where should we go now? It would be rude and probably boring to stay on Twilight's couch all day."
Pinkie takes a few seconds to think, eventually she says, "Let's go see Rarity."
Oh, great…
"Okay, but I'm walking forward this time."
"Okay."
We say goodbye to Twilight and manage to leave her house.
Rarity opens the door with a smile, once she sees us, her smile grew wider.
Here we go.
I lead us inside, walking past Rarity. I walk us to the couch, where we sit down.
Rarity says, "I must say, you two look positively adorable together."
I was about to say something when Pinkie spoke, "Thank you."
Rarity asks, "Is this some way of telling me you two are dating or something?"
I lay my head on Pinkie's back, defeated.
Is everypony going to mention something about us dating?
Pinkie explains, "We're having a hugging contest, to see who can hold a hug the longest. The winner gets whatever they want from the loser."
"Oh, okay."
I stop paying attention to their conversation as I try to enjoy Pinkie's embrace.
I close my eyes and start to think.
That's two ponies who mentioned it, next thing you know, Fluttershy is going to tell me to kiss her.
I don't know what to do, it sure seems like our friends want us to get together, or at least half of them do so far.
I guess now is a good time to think about dating Pinkie.
So, Pinkie Pie.
She's definitely soft.
Without thinking about it, I nuzzle Pinkie's back, reaffirming her softness.
She's really pretty.
Beautiful, she is beautiful.
So, I think my best friend is hot, that doesn't mean anything, right?
Rarity interrupts my thought process, making me suddenly aware of the blush intensifying on my face. "Rainbow, are you alright? Your face is rather flush."
My stomach grumbles and I find my excuse. "I'm hungry, could you feed us?"
Nice save.
"Absolutely darling, come on into the kitchen," Rarity says before leading us into the kitchen.
We sit down in two chairs placed beside each other.
I sigh as I realize what I have to ask.
"Rarity, can you spoon-feed us? We can't let go to eat…"
I can hear the excitement in her voice. "Yes."
Pinkie asks, "Do you have any peas and carrots?"
That actually sounds kinda good right now.
Rarity answers, "Yes, is that what you want too, Rainbow?"
"Sure."
Rarity gets the food out, going to Pinkie first. "Here comes the choo choo train."
This is so embarrassing…
Pinkie excitedly goes with it. "Yay."
Rarity says, "Chugga chugga choo choo," as I can hear her feed Pinkie.
Rarity walks over to me with the food.
I deflate her fun. "No, if you do it, I am leaving."
"You're no fun."
"If you want fun, have it with Pinkie."
Rarity relents, "Okay."
Rarity feeds me quietly before going back to Pinkie.
With each round of food, I think of a new thought.
I wonder what I should pick when I win.
Maybe I could prank Rarity.
Or I could get her to wait in line for me for cider season.
I could do something nice for her?
Like, do whatever she wanted if she won.
I wonder what she wants?
As Rarity comes back to me, I notice she only has one spoon in her magic.
We've been sharing a spoon.
The thought makes me blush.
Rarity notices. "Rainbow, are you sure you're alright? Your face is red again."
I decide we need to have a chat. "Rarity, can we talk, in private?"
"Sure," Rarity says before she goes in the other room for a moment, coming back with some black cloth.
Rarity levitates it over to Pinkie. "Pinkie, I need to talk with Rainbow, is it okay if I cover your head for privacy?"
"Okay," Pinkie says.
Rarity covers Pinkie's head with the fabric.
She comes over to me and whispers, "It's sound deadening, if we whisper, she won't be able to hear."
"Okay," I whisper.
"What's going on?"
"I think Pinkie has a crush on me."
"Oh, do you like her back?"
"I don't know, I'm conflicted."
"What about? If I may ask."
"Everything, this contest, the hug, my feelings. It's all so overwhelming, and when I start to think about how I feel about her, I accidentally blush and get interrupted."
"Well, if it's making you blush, then, there is something there, wouldn't you say?"
"Yes, but how do I know that isn't just from hugging her for hours straight?"
"How have you liked hugging her so far?"
"To be honest, way more than I expected."
"Pinkie has blushed more than you since you've been here, you know."
"Why didn't you say anything about her blushing?"
"It's more fun to tease you."
"Thanks…"
"Sorry."
"What should I do?"
"Follow your heart, darling."
"What does that mean? I don't know what to think with all these emotions in my head. Pinkie is my best friend and I love her more than anything. I do think she's more beautiful than even you. Sorry, no offense. I can't think straight when all I wanna do is hug her and not let go."
Rarity throws me a curveball. "What do you want from winning?"
"I don't know, I had thought about making her do a prank, or buy me cider."
"What do you think Pinkie wants from winning?"
"I don't know, but from what Twilight said, she might want me, like to date me, or to kiss me."
"Do me a favor, think about you and Pinkie kissing."
I close my eyes and imagine us kissing.
I bet her lips would be super soft.
She would be a good kisser.
I wouldn't mind kissing her.
I can feel a blush forming again on my face.
"Did it go well?" Rarity asks with a smile.
"Yes."
"I think we're done here. I would recommend considering Pinkie's feelings when choosing your prize if you win."
"Okay," I say. "I would give you a hug if I could, thank you."
Rarity hugs me. "You're welcome, darling."
After the hug, Rarity pulls the fabric off Pinkie. "Sorry it took so long, darling."
"It's alright," Pinkie says.
Rarity asks us, "Do either of you want more food?"
Pinkie answers, "No, I'm good."
"I'm full," I say.
"You two are welcome to stay for as long as you want, my couch is always free."
"We've burdened you enough. Do you wanna go see Fluttershy?" I ask Pinkie.
"Sure."
We say our goodbyes to Rarity and leave her shop.
Fluttershy opens her door before looking at us. She opens her mouth in surprise as her eyes widen.
I say, "Hi, could we come in?"
"Sure, what's going on?" Fluttershy asks.
I lead us inside her cottage and over to the couch before we sit down.
I explain, "Me and Pinkie are having a contest to see who can hug the longest. Winner gets a prize from the loser."
"Oh, my, how are you holding up?" Fluttershy says.
Pinkie answers first. "I'm good, having lots of fun."
Fluttershy turns to me.
I say, "I'm alright, kinda exhausted from having to walk like this, but other than that, it's been fun."
"How long do you think the contest will last?" Fluttershy asks with concern.
"As long as it takes to win," I say with confidence.
"How long has it been so far?"
"Over seven hours."
"What are you going to pick if you win?"
"I don't know yet. I've had some ideas, but I'll pick something when I win."
Fluttershy turns to Pinkie, awaiting her response.
"I have an idea of what I want…" Pinkie says in a higher pitch.
Is she embarrassed?
Is she talking about me?
The thought makes me blush.
Stupid face.
Thankfully, Fluttershy doesn't say anything about it.
"Where have you been for all that time?"
Pinkie answers, "We started the contest in my room, then, we went to Twilight's and took a nap. After that, we went to Rarity's and she fed us. Now, we're here."
"Do you need anything from me? I'm happy to help."
"I'm all good," Pinkie says.
Maybe Fluttershy can help me figure out my feelings.
"Do you have a chalkboard?" I ask.
"I'll look, I should somewhere," Fluttershy says before she starts looking.
Pinkie puts her head on my back, sighing.
Is she annoyed?
No way, right?
I turn my head a whisper to Pinkie, "Are you alright?"
She says, "Yea," in a somber tone.
Maybe we should have a talk later.
Fluttershy returns with a small chalkboard as the reason for Pinkie's demeanor change doesn't register to me.
I take the chalk in my mouth as Fluttershy holds the board for me.
I write, 'Should I ask Pinkie out?'
Fluttershy erases the board between each message.
She writes, 'Do you like her?'
I write, 'I think so.'
She writes, 'Does Pinkie like you?'
I write, 'I think so.'
Fluttershy writes something on the board I can't see and takes it to Pinkie.
What's she doing?
I feel Pinkie lift her head. She nods and then nuzzles my back.
What'd she ask her?
Fluttershy comes back and writes, 'She does.'
At the realization of what she asked her, my face blushes intensely.
Fluttershy writes, 'I think you like her too.'
My blush deepens as I write, 'does she think I'm pretty?'
Fluttershy writes something new of the board before taking it to Pinkie again.
Pinkie nods enthusiastically before she hugs me a little tighter.
Fluttershy comes back to me and writes, 'Yes, very much so.'
I write, 'What should I do?'
Fluttershy writes, 'I don't know, kiss her?'
I write, 'I'll kiss her once I win.'
Fluttershy nods.
Soon after, I yawn, followed by Pinkie.
Looks like we're both tired.
Fluttershy says, "It's getting late, you two should sleep here."
I say, "I'm okay with that, Pinkie?"
"Sounds good to me."
Fluttershy continues, "You should take my bed, it's a lot bigger than the couch, and more comfortable."
I ask, "Are you sure?"
Fluttershy insists, "Yes."
"Okay, thank you."
Pinkie says, "Thanks."
We get up from the couch and say goodnight to Fluttershy.
We fumble our way up the stairs and fall onto the bed.
I lay my head down on Pinkie's back, and she does the same to me.
I close my eyes as I start to think about kissing Pinkie again.
Staring into those beautiful blue eyes.
Her hooves tenderly wrapped around me.
Those soft lips pressing against mine.
As I'm fantasizing about kissing my best friend, it hits me.
I want Pinkie Pie.
I want to date her.
I want to kiss her.
I want to hug her… romantically.
I can feel a massive blush on my face as I try to think of how to handle this.
I should wait till after this contest to talk to her.
It would be awful right now since we can't see each other's face.
I decide to think about it more tomorrow. I need to sleep.
"Goodnight, Pinkie."
"Goodnight, Dashie."
I nuzzle her back, and she nuzzles mine in turn.
I love you, Pinkie.
I wake up to a face full of rainbow mane.
Did she turn over?
I lift my head up, seeing Rainbow is facing the other way, no longer holding me.
Oh, no!
I lay my head back down, thinking.
She wanted to win so badly…
I wanted this hug to last longer…
What do I do?
Do I wake her up?
It would be okay if I enjoyed holding her for a bit longer before I wake her up, right?
I nuzzle Rainbow's mane as I hold her tighter.
I love you, Rainbow.
I just wish I could tell you…
I guess my prize will reveal it…
I wish I knew what you and Rarity had talked about, and why Fluttershy asked me those questions.
Makes me think you like me, but that's probably just me overthinking everything again.
This hug has made me so happy, I enjoyed every second.
I just wish I could make you that happy.
That's why I kinda wanted you to win.
To bring you the happiness this hug has given me.
Maybe I still can…
Do I make it look like she won?
That means I don't get my…
It feels so wrong to lie…
I'm sorry…
Silent tears slowly flow from my eyes as I quietly move to the other side of Rainbow.
I pull her legs around me as I lay there crying.
I'm doing this for you…
I feel so bad for lying that I can't control my tears and start to cry audible.
I hold Rainbow's hoof to my chest.
No going back now…
I can feel Rainbow rustling awake.
Oh, no!
My tears flow freely as I cry openly.
What have I done?
I wake up to a face full of pink mane.
I feel my hooves wrapped around Pinkie, and what feels like a rapid heartbeat in the right one.
I lift my head up, noticing Pinkie is facing away from me.
I hear somepony crying, looking down, I see it's Pinkie.
She's crying!
I try to comfort her.
"Shh," I say as I hold her tighter.
I hear her crying slow as I nuzzle her.
I use my hooves and motion for her to turn over and face me.
As she looks at me, I can see the tears falling down her face. I wipe them away with my foreleg.
I pull her close, holding her.
"What's wrong?" I ask gently.
She averts her gaze. "I cheated," she says as more tears flow.
I console her, "I don't care, all I want is for you to be happy. Don't cry because of me."
"I had so much fun hugging you all day… I just wanted you to be happy like you made me… So I made it look like you won."
"I didn't even notice. Winning some contest means nothing when my best friend is crying her eyes out."
"I'm sorry…"
"Apology accepted," I say as I wipe away more tears and then nuzzle her.
Her tears slow as she says, "Thank you…"
I ask, "Now what do you want for winning?"
"What about what you want? I want you to be happy."
"Why don't we both say what we want at the same time, sound good?"
"Okay."
I count us down, "Three, two, one."
We both say in unison, "A kiss."
We look at each other shocked.
Moments later, we both blush.
I slowly pull her closer, staring into her beautiful eyes.
Our lips meet as her eyes sparkle.
I savor the moment, her soft lips, my hooves holding her, her teary eyes.
My eyes start to water, too.
It's everything I imagined, and more.
We hold the kiss for a while, until I unfortunately end it.
"Pinkie…" I breathe.
"Dashie…" Pinkie breathes.
This is awesome!
Why didn't I just talk to Pinkie in the first place?
The realization of what I'd done hits me.
"Pinkie?" I ask.
"Yes?"
"I'm sorry, I spent all day talking about you, literally behind your back. When I should have just talked to you about my feelings."
"Well, I'm sorry too, I started it by talking to Twilight about my feelings for you. I also came up with the hug contest because I wanted us to be closer."
"I'm glad you came up with the contest, I don't know if I'd have realized I liked you so soon."
Pinkie blushes.
She's too cute.
I nuzzle her cheek.
I ask gently, "Pinkie Pie, will you go out with me?"
She smiles. "Yes," she says as more tears slowly trickle from her eyes.
I pull her close, resting her head on my chest.
We lay there cuddling for a while, enjoying our newfound closeness on a physical and emotional level.
I nuzzle the top of her head. "Goodnight, Pinkie."
Pinkie nuzzles my chest. "Goodnight, Dashie."
