>Be Floridafag Anon
>Suns out guns out all year long
>When packing for Equestria, you have no idea what to bring
>The warmest thing you bring is some khakis
>How some beachwear, flip flops, sneakers, some too-big shorts from before all the weight loss, a bunch of shirts varying from collared business casual to a few gray tanks
>Show up in Crystal Empire
>It's below 40°F
>Jesus Christ you're going to die
>Can't stop shivering
>Northfag Anons not effected at all
>Fucking yanks
>You miss the beach and the scorching sun and the humidity
>So here you were, freezing to death in a huge parka, with half your face covered
>Fucking cold
>Cadance sends you a letter
>Dearest Anon,
>You won't like this, but you'll be travelling further north to meet with a very sweet and lonely mare. Dough Hearts runs a bakery in Neighcorage. They have a beach so you may want to check that out! Turn the scroll over twice to recieve your train ticket.
>Warm Regards!
>Princess Cadance
>You flip the scroll over
>Nothing
>You flip it back over and a train ticket is sitting on top of the text you were just reading
>Magic, how does it work?
>Enter Dough Hearts, baker in Neighcorage
>Haven't seen the sun in about a month, it hasn't been out
>It just dipped below 0°
>You roll out of bed and head downstairs
>In all of Neighcorage there was maybe one human, you'd only seen him once during the summer
>Not too much business this time of year, ponies already stocked up for the winter
>You look in the mirror
>Sweet Celestia, your winter coat looked atrocious
>You don't care to brush it, nopony will care
>What next? Brush those teeth
>Thankfully, you had a horn to hold the brush
>Suddenly a scroll materializes on the sinktop next to your toothpaste
>You stop and open it up
>Dearest Dough Hearts,
>Thank you for contacting me about the husbando placement program, we have some good news for you and some bad news. The good news is we've found a match for you, the bad news is he doesn't handle the cold at all, more good news is he's coming to meet you anyways!
>The train arrives at 6 tonight, Anon is a tropical breed human so you need to keep him extra warm. Please don't be late to pick him up from thebtrain station, he may actually freeze if left out in the cold!
>Regards,
>Princess Cadance
>You look at the clock
>5:40
>OH HECK
>You quickly get on something to keep away the cold and rush out
>Oh no, he was going to freeze out there
>And after coming all this way just for you
>He must've thought you were something special
>But you weren't, you were a baker living in a frozen wasteland
>And you were fat from always sampling your own food
>A-at least your fluffy winter coat, scarf, and windbreaker would cover it up for now
>You hustle yourself down the empty street, slipping over ice and sleet towards the train station
>When you get there you check the clock
>5:55
>You still had some time
>You take a seat on a cold bench
>Another scroll appears by you
>You open it up
>Dough Hearts,
>Enclosed is a small booklet with some basic information on caring for your new coltfriend.
>Please give it a thorough reading soon.
>Regards,
>Princess Cadance
>It wasn't a very thick booklet, just covering some important human stuff
>Diets, clothing, general needs
>And a short chapter about your human specifically
>It was just a scribbly drawing of a lizard under a heating lamp and a note below it
>Please love him
>Your ear flicks, you can hear a train whistle in the distance
>The snow blocks the view but you can hear it echoing
>You wait for the train with barely containable anxiousness
>Surely he liked you if he came all the way out here just for you
>Nopony in their right mind would come out to a frozen village to strike it rich
>As the train comes to a halt at the station, you roll up the scroll and stuff it into your jacket
>For several minutes the doors don't open, you thought the train was empty
>Then you decide to go and check
>You open the train door and look into the car
>It was empty aside from something large and motionless in the back of the car
>You approach it, it looks like a human-shaped thing
>It's so wrapped up in winter gear you couldn't tell what it was
>You wave as you get close
>Nothing
>Did Anon already die?
>You poke his leg
>"Huh? What?"
>Oh, he fell asleep in the train
"Anon?"
>"I'm looking for Dough Hearts." he says with a yawn concealed behind a scarf
>It was really happening
"That would be me. We should probably get off the train before it goes any further north."
>Anon gets up and looks out the window
>He grabs a suitcase and follows you outside
"Here it is, welcome to Neighcorage."
>"Damn, it's cold out here."
>You look back
>Anon is shaking like a leaf
"You shouldn't have had your jacket on inside the train."
>"The train was cold too!"
>You don't see how he was cold, he was completely covered, from the heavy parka to the hood, boots, and scarf
>You could barely see his eyes
>You wondered what beach-dwelling reptile was under all of that gear
"Well let's get you home. It's warmer than here, at least."
>Anon walks with you back to your home above the bakery
>He couldn't walk on the ice and kept slipping
>You could kind of help him stand but it made you slip too
>You needed to get some cleated horseshoes
>As you unlock the door to the bakery, Anon glances in the front window
>"So you live here?"
>Uh oh, did he not like it?
>Was he already unimpressed by you?
>"Like, uhh, Bob's Burgers."
>You don't know who that was
>But you did read that a burger was a sandwich with meat
>A favored treat among american humans
>Anon and you step inside into the warmth of the bakery
>Anon was gradually stopping shivering
>You lead him to the back and up the stairs to your home
"Y-you can hang your stuff up by the door if you want, Anon." you say
>"Th-thanks." Anon says, finally unzipping that huge parka
>It was like watching a Hearth's Warming gift unwrap
>Anon pulls off the scarf and hangs it by your door
>Then the parka
>Then the coat beneath it
>Then the sweater
>Then he pulls off his outer pants and boots and sets them folded by the door
>Underneath everything, he was wearing a shirt that said something in human language and these weird short pants that went down to his knees
>Holy guacamole he was wearing all those layers and still shivering
>"Do you need me to put these anywhere?" he asks
>"There is fine."
>You take a close look at Anon as you take off your own gear
>He was... weird
>You wished you had kept the coat on
>Suddenly conscious of your belly, you sucked in your belly in an attempt to hide it
>Anon stood by the door quietly
"Make yourself at home, Anon. You -do- live here now."
>Anon nods, clutching his suitcase and setting it down by his coat
>He takes a seat on your couch
>You sit down next to him
"How do you like it here?"
>"It's not so cold inside, I like it."
>You really wanted to hug him
>Don't do it
"It can get pretty cold, we won't be getting any sunlight for another month either."
>"Oh, so it's going to be very cold?"
"It can go below 0°."
>Anon doesn't look too happy about that
>You notice he didn't really have a coat of fur, he kind of did but it was so thin it might as well not even be there
>You scoot closer to Anon
>You didn't really want to go too fast, but you still wanted to see how he would react
>Anon wrapped his arm around your back
>His side was really warm but his hand was cold
>"You're pretty warm, Dough." he says as his arm tightens slightly
"Y-you too."
>It was still too early to go to bed
>Too early to go to bread too
>You wanted to talk to Anon
"Can I ask you something?"
>"Yeah."
"What was it like on Earth?"
>"Depends on who you ask."
"What was it like for you?"
>"It was okay, a little lonely but otherwise okay."
"What about coming to Equestria?"
>"I thought I was dreaming at first, it all seemed too perfect to be real."
"And here?"
>"Well... I've been freezing since I got here, and my heart's been cold for years. But since I met you, it's been different."
"Different? Do I need to turn the heat down?"
>Anon leaned over, pulling you directly against him
>"I like you already, and I trust Cadance:s judgement. I hope I get to spend every day with you."
>Your little heart skipped a beat
>You felt what could be described as warmth in your chest light up
>You understood what Anon meant by different
>"You know, I'd never seen snow until today. I just remembered that."
>You laugh
"How could anyone forget that?"
>"I don't know, I was more excited about you, I guess."
>You lay against Anon, he didn't seem to mind
"Everything back on Earth, you left it all behind?"
>"I guess I did. Family and friends, everything except for some clothes."
"Just for a chance to meet me?"
>"Yeah."
"No stallion has ever really given me the time of day. It means the world to me what you did to be here."
>Anon's hand runs through your mane like a really ineffective brush
>"Well I'm here now, and I don't plan on leaving." Anon laughs, almost villainously, "So I guess you're stuck with me forever!"
>You wouldn't want it any other way
>How were human husbandos so perfect and why had you been denied this love for so long?
>Anon's arms wrapped around you, his spider-like hands settled on your back
>You hadn't been hugged in forever
>"I'd do it all over again too." he says
>The way he looks up at you
>His gaze is pure love and elation
>Like he thought you were perfect
>His hands drift downward and grip onto the sides of your belly
>You forgot for a brief moment that you might as well be a whale
>But Anon doesn't seem to care
"D-don't, I know already."
>"That you're built for cuddling?"
>You can't control it, your ears flip back and your muzzle scrunches up
>Anon rubs your cheeks and chin
>"Stop being so sweet." he says playfully, bringing your nose to meet his
>His head interlocked with yours perfectly, your nose against his, and his forehead touched yours
>Your horn didn't get in the way at all
>"Hey."
"Yeah?"
>"You wanna go to bed early?"
>It was already night
>It had been for a few weeks straight
>It was 10:30
"Yeah, let me show you my room."
>You get off of Anon, the couch creaking
>Anon stands up and follows behind you
>You think he's looking at your flanks
>Was that good?
>You really regret not reading that booklet more thoroughly
>Your bed was tiny, it was the sad one-pony mattress of a mare who would never find anypony else to sleep with
>Anon removed his pants only to reveal he was wearing yet another article below
>There was nothing under his shirt
>He was now wearing only the form-fitting thing that only covered where you assumed his genitals would be
>Why was he wearing so much?!
>There was no way the both of you would fit on this tiny mattress
>You laid down on it and scooted up to the edge against the wall
"I don't know if we can both fit on this."
>Anon climbed in too, getting really close to you
>You pulled your legs in and he wrapped around you
>Jeez, Anon really didn't mind sharing personal space, he was right up against you
>F-facing you too
>"I don't think this is going to work." he says
>Anon rolls slightly and falls off of the bed with a loud thud
>You get up and check to see if he's okay
>He's fine
>Anon gets up and wraps his arms around your midsection
>He pulls you up and lays back down, with you stacked on top of him
>Anon's legs hung off of the bed, but his arms held onto you
>You pull the blanket over both of you, now that it can cover you two
>Anon's face presses into your fluffy chest as you rest your tired head next to his
>It was good
>"Goodnight, Dough." Anon says quietly
"Night, Anon."
>He holds you tightly for the entire night
>When you wake up in the morning, Anon is still asleep
>You should probably head out and make some food for today
>That was the issue with baking, things were only good for a day or two
>You shift slightly and Anon's eyes bolt open
>He tenses up under you for a moment
>"Morning?"
"Sleep well?"
>Anon nods, stretching and then grasping onto your back again, keeping you on him
>You try to get up, but Anon keeps a tight grip on you
>He buries his face into your chest, inhaling through the fur
"Come on, I gotta get up."
>"Nooo, stay here..."
"No seriously, we gotta wake up."
>Anon held still, smelling you for a few moments before sighing
>"Okay." he lets go of you and you get out of bed
>The floor is ice cold on your hooves
>Anon sits up, the mattress uttering a desth rattle
>Under your combined weight the poor little springbox had been destroyed
>Granted, it was years old, and you'd already done most of the damage before Anon arrived
>Anon shuddered when his feet touched the floor
>He grabbed you and lifted you off of the floor
>How he was able to hold you, you didn't know
>With and arm under your rear and one against your back, he braced your against him
"Put me down, we can't go back to bed it's already..." You look at the clock, "10am."
>"It's too cold for you.", Anon says, leaving the room and setting you on the carpetted floor
>You watch as Anon opens up his bag and quickly gets on an outfit
>It must be annoying for humans to always wear so much
>You find your own coat and grab the booklet, tucking it into your mane for later reading
>"Dough Hearts, that's a pretty name." Anon says, looking at a small booklet of his own
>He had one too?
>You head to the kitchen and open up the cabinet
>Ramen was a good food for humans, right?
"Hey Anon?"
>He peeks into the room
>"Yeah?"
"You can eat noodles and stuff, right?"
>"Yeah."
"You want some noodles for breakfast?"
>"Sounds good."
>Romantic breakfast incoming
>It wasn't exactly a romantic breakfast, but Anon was happy ro be spending time with you
>He sat next to you at the little unused table in the kitchen
>Soup and noodles, best breakfast choice
>Anon paid little attention to how hot the soup was and finished off his bowl faster than you could
>While you lazily fed yourself with the spoon, you kept looking over at Anon
>Every time your eyes locked with his, he gave you this big smile
>"So how is the baking business this time of year?"
>You finish a noodle that came up and whipped you in the face
"It's not busy. We don't get too many shoppers until the sun starts coming out again."
>The two of you head downstairs and you unlock the bakery's doors
>You briefly think about what to make today while Anon eyes a danish through the display case
>Maybe cinnamon buns today
>As much as you tried to get Anon to help, you needed to explain everything to him
>He really insisted on helping you, but only slowed things down
>"You shouldn't have to work alone."
>It was nice that he cared
>After an hour in the kitchen, you finally put everything into the oven and went out to the counter
>Your shop was empty as it usually was this time of year
>You had all this time with Anon to talk
>What to say
"How do you like it here?"
>"Neighcorage is pretty cold, and I haven't seen much of it yet."
"N-no I mean, here with me?"
>"Well..." he paused
>This couldn't be good
>"I really do love it, I just can't believe it's all real."
"It's real."
>Anon sighed and averted his eyes from you
>"You just, I keep thinking this is all a dream and I'm going to wake up back on Earth."
"No no no, that's not gonna happen." you reach for the helpful booklet and flip through it
>It lands on a page titled 'Disconnection Syndrome, How to help your husbando'
>He may not believe that this world is real, he might think he's dreaming
>Nothing will ever be more real to him than your love and affection
>Give him a hug
>You stare at the booklet
>You look at Anon staring at the counter
>You get up from your seat and hug him as hard as you could
>It catches Anon by surprise, but he settles into your embrace
>"You're just too perfect to be real."
"Look at me, Anon. I'm real, you're here, this is all real."
>His eyes lock with yours
>He seems mesmerized by your stare
>"Thanks... I needed that."
"Y-you can let go now."
>"No, I want to hold you forever."
---
>Anon was, to put it simply, the best
>In just this short bit of time, Cadance had made you a firm believer in her abilities
>Anon was warm and cuddly, and every weird or lame thing about you further endeared him to you
>He always saw the best in things
>In the short week he'd been here, the mare in the mirror was brighter and happier than ever before
>You woke up happy
>Anon was happy to be here with you
>Instead of boredom or dread, you felt like each day was a new adventure, even if you were snowed in and the sun had been gone for nearly a month
>You always had someone to hug and snuggle with when it got too cold
>Someone was always happy to see you
>Today, the snow had finally cleared enough that Anon and you could go out
>He didn't mind you seeing him put his heavy clothes on, you hadn't seen him put on the parka or any of that since you met him
>You had a coat that you'd put on, although it was nowhere near as much as Anon wore
>You heard there was going to be an aurora in the sky sometime today
>Maybe you and Anon would see it
>Maybe it would be super romantic
>Maybe you'd get more than a hug from him
>As you lock up the bakery and head down the street with Anon, he asks about the shore
>Technically, it was a beach, but it was snowing
>He wants to go
>It's a pretty short walk from your bakery, unlike the train station across town
>The time was 2pm, pitch black and snowing on the beach
>"So, you see this every night?" Anon stared up at the stars
"Not every night, sometimes the clouds get in the way."