It's day 3 of your vacation with Pinkie. Yesterday you spent time on a nature trail with Pinkie when a storm erupted while you were at a rest point. Luckily there was a well stocked cabin for the two of you to take shelter in. To pass the time you made hot chocolate and played a variation of Strip Poker with Pinkie. In a moment of desperation you made an all or nothing deal with Pinkie, and when you lost you lived up to your word and ran stark naked through town with Pinkie on your shoulders. It turned out better than expected, the locals not understanding your taboo of being seen naked, and the night ended with you stripping Pinkie of your clothes in a teasing manner before snuggling up to her and sleeping, all your cares drifting away as you snuggle her soft body.
 
>You awaken to the clamor of a phone ringing
>Wearily you roll over, pulling the earpiece to your head and mumbling a confused “Hello?”
>”Good morning sir. I am calling to give a Birthday greeting to a miss 'Pinkie Pie'. Is this the correct room?”
>You wipe at your eyes with your free hand, attempting to rub the tiredness out by force as you take a quick look over your shoulder at Pinkie. A pink hoof is draped over your shoulder in a half embrace, while the other rests under her pillow, her hind legs hidden beneath the covers of the bed. She's still sleeping, a light snore filling the otherwise silent room.
>You can't help but smile. Even while sleeping she manages to warm your heart, and you can't help but reach a hand out and toy with her curly hair, wrapping a stray lock around your finger and admiring it's softness.
>”Excuse me, sir? Hello?”
>Oh, right. The phone.
>You inform the caller that it is the correct room but she's sleeping, so he'll have to call back later.
>”Of course sir. I will call back at approximately 8am, should you wish to inform her.”
>You thank him and hang up, rolling over to admire Pinkie some more.
>You're playing with her hair again, the slumbering Pinkie smiling gently as she dreams of something pleasant, when it hits you: The front desk called to wish Pinkie a happy birthday
>Today is Pinkie's birthday
>And you didn't know about it until now
>You try to calm yourself as you realize you don't have a gift, or anything for her birthday.
>You resolve to do something for Pinkie's birthday today, confidence filling you as you look at her again. She's thrown parties for you and given you so much, you HAVE to do something for her.
>But what? And how to do it without outright telling her? After all, she loves surprises.....
 
>You gently slip out from under Pinkie's arm, quietly putting on some clothes and your shoes before writing a note telling Pinkie you're going for a walk and didn't want to wake her up, signing with a smiley face next to your name
>The door closed and locked, you head down to the front desk to ask for directions to a local gift shop
>He marks a store on your map, telling you it has the widest variety in town and isn't too expensive
>You thank him and step out into the early morning, the sun just beginning to rise. The orange glow makes you think of your shared breakfast with Pinkie yesterday, filling you with a warm, fuzzy feeling as you ponder what to get her
 
>You wonder if the hotel can host a small party, and promptly turn around and head back to the hotel lobby to ask
>You pose the question to the front desk stallion, "Well that would depend on what you want at the party exactly, sir. Having just reopened we aren't exactly stocked for large scale parties, though we could always just do a cake and some streamers for you, perhaps playing music over the intercom in one of our ballrooms?"
>You ask for a price
>"Well, since it's spur of the moment, 200 bits would be your total."
>That seems a little steep for a cake and some streamers, even if they do use the intercom for music
>Upon inspection of your wallet your total comes to....250 bits on your person
 
>You give him a look before asking how much it would cost to reserve a ballroom alone for an hour
>He looks at a sheet behind the desk, "For one hour? Let's see.......50 bits."
>Would you play music during that time?
>"For a moderate fee of about 20 bits, yes."
>"Then I'll give you 120 bits for the package deal, no cake a hotel makes costs 80 bits."
>"Sir, are you haggling with me?"
>"I'm telling you what I'll give you for that package."
>"Sir, the price stands at 200 bits. I cannot lower the price."
>"Not even for my friends birthday, which is today?"
>"I'm sorry sir, 200 bits."
 
>You mentally note you can probably get a cake and streamers pretty cheap and could set them up yourself after reserving the ballroom, but keeping Pinkie busy during that time would prove difficult at best
 
>You ask if there's an outdoor patio section you could reserve instead of a ballroom
>"Of course sir, there's a more secluded section that's quite popular during our busier times. To reserve that for a day is only 100 bits, which allows you access at any point until midnight. It has quite the view of the sunset on the beach, perfectly romantic."
 
>It sounds too good to pass up, so you hand over the money, sign some forms, and are presented a key and directions
>"It's a small patio just down the beach, not far off from the pier. It's sort of hidden, being surrounded by palm trees. There's a locked door that opens up to the table that overlooks the beach and pier. This is due back by midnight or we will have to charge you additionally. Please don't lose the key or you'll have to pay for a new one. Thank you, and enjoy your day!"
 
>You pocket the key
 
>With the issue of location now put to rest, you decide you need a cake. And some streamers.
>You need to hurry before Pinkie starts looking around for you, she might find out about your little surprise
>With that in mind you head to the local bakery shop
>The shop is open, making doughnuts for the morning and making pastries for the afternoon and evening
>The door chimes as you walk in, the smell of hot dough and sugar flooding your nostrils. The desk mare's eyes bulge a little as she sees you, "E-excuse me, how can I help you?"
>She's a young mare with a brown coat and blonde mane that's a little frizzed, younger than Pinkie it looks like. She seems nervous at your presence.
>You ask for the cake catalog and begin looking through their selection before deciding on a chocolate cake with colored icing
>The young mare answers your questions and tells you that they can make a design with text on the cake for about 30 bits total, including delivery price. The delivery would take place at minimum in a few hours since they have to bake and ice the cake.
 
>You have 150 bits left after reserving the secluded patio
 
>You ask them to put a smiley face on it, with the words "Happy Birthday Pinkie Pie" on it. You jokingly say "Make it as illegible as possible," ensuring you laugh afterward so the nervous mare doesn't take it seriously. You hope.
>You instruct the girl to have it delivered to the secluded patio area between 6 and 7pm, giving you time to get Pinkie there for the sunset without the cake sitting out all day. You also instruct the girl to return the key to the hotel, asking it to be returned to your room or held for you after the delivery takes place
>The young mare takes the key from you, assuring you that it'll be delivered on time and the key returned
>You pay for the cake and leave the bakery. It's now about 9am, the sun fully up and the day bright. You should probably get back to Pinkie before she gets suspicious. Or you could buy other stuff for her and hope she doesn't come looking for you. But every moment you're out buying things is a moment you could be spending with Pinkie on her birthday instead.
 
>You're torn about what you should do, but in the end you decide you should grab some flowers and chocolates for Pinkie.
>You take a look at your town map and find that the gift shop is a block away. Perfect.
>You put some hustle in your step and get to the gift shop quickly, opening the door and entering.
>The place smells of flowers and book pages
>You look around and find the owner, an old stallion with wrinkles lining his face, his mane threadbare and limp over his blue body
>You quickly ask where the flowers and chocolates are and he directs you to the back corner of the store. They even have little balloons. There's a blue one that says "Happy Birthday!" on it in bright pink lettering.
>The fancy chocolates are rather expensive, about 40 bits for a medium sized package. The flowers are 10 bits for a small arrangement and the balloon is 5.
>You don't want to buy the cheap chocolate for Pinkie on her special day, so these are the only real options
 
>You think the balloon is a cute touch and decide to buy it all. It is her special day after all
>You grab the items, agonizing seconds ticking by as the old stallion counts your bits and rings up the total. You sprint out of the store and start running back to the hotel, doing your best not to mess up the flowers and trying not to drop the box of chocolates
>You get back and take the elevator to the fourth floor and slowly open the door, wondering if Pinkie is awake yet
>The lights are on and you can hear the shower going, Pinkie singing in the shower
>"I see skies of blue~, Red roses too~"
 
>You decide you want to surprise her when she exits the shower
>You carefully maneuver yourself and your gifts, including the balloon, into the closet after shutting the room door
>It's a tight fit with the dumb ironing board, but you manage to close the closet door most of the way, leaving it open a crack so you can tell when Pinkie exits the shower
>Pinkie continues to sing, wrapping up her current song and starting on a new one
>"I've got the world on a string, sitting on a rainbow~ What a world, what a life! I'm in love~"
 
>Is.....is she singing a love song?
 
>You manage to contain yourself without making any noise, though your heart is thumping pretty hard in your chest
>Is she just singing songs? Does she mean it? Your head is filling with questions, and as a result you almost miss when the bathroom door opens, Pinkie walking out on two legs while rubbing a towel on her head with the others
 
>Your chance arriving you throw open the closet door once she's clear of it, shouting "Surprise!"
>Pinkie screams in fright and smacks you in the nose with the corner of the wet towel
>You have enough sense to let go of the balloon in one hand before grabbing your face. Goddamn that stings!
>"Oh! Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry, are you alright?"
>After a moment of rubbing your nose tentatively you assure her you're alright
>"Jeeze, don't scare me like that! Hey, what's with the balloon?" Pinkie shifts gears and looks at the balloon before her eyes light up and her mouth opens, a wide smile splitting her features as she looks back to you and to the flowers and box of chocolate in your hands
>"I....You....A-are those for...me? How did you know?"
>"A little pegasi told me," you joke.
>She wraps you in her arms as she gives you a squeeze that threatens to break your spine, "Oh thank you so much!"
 
>After her excitement fades a little you set the chocolates and flowers on the nightstand, letting the balloon float about the room as you wonder about what you're going to do until your surprise is set up for the evening
 
>You ask Pinkie what she'd like to do on her birthday
>"Actually, I was just thinking about hanging out on the beach today. W-with you. If you're okay with that, I mean." Her ears flatten a little as she speaks, looking at you sheepishly, "I mean, we already did most the stuff this town offers for excitement. And the chocolates and flowers are nice but," she blushes, her pink cheeks turning absolutely red as she looks away and speaks quickly, "I'd really like to just spend some time relaxing with you today. We don't even have to go to the beach if you don't want to, we can just watch movies in here all day."
>You aren't sure how to respond to this confession of sorts, but in the end you smile, cup her head in your palms and tell her that you'd like nothing more than to be with her. Why else would you go on vacation with her?
>She smiles and nuzzles her head into your right palm, "Alright, let's head to the beach then. You look like you could use some sun!"
>She gives a giggle as you get your swim trunks and the two of you head to the beach
 
>You arrive and spread out a blanket in an area under a shady palm tree as Pinkie trots through the sand, remarking at the feel of hot sand under her hooves
>"Oh, hey, you wanna build sandcastles? Or lay around first? Or play around in the water?"
 
>You mention you haven't built a sandcastle in ages
>"Oh it's easy, c'mon I'll help you!" She prances off to the shoreline where the sand is wet but the tide currently doesn't threaten to destroy whatever you build
>She takes a seat and starts working with the sand as you plop down beside her and start working on your own little sandcastle right next to hers
>Pinkie makes cute little noises as she packs the sand with her hooves, her tongue sticking out the corner of her mouth as she plays around, taking moments to look at your sandcastle and remark about how it's coming along
>"No, not like that, you've gotta make it rounder or it'll fall apart. Yeah, like that. Good! Now make a moat!"
>The two of you play around for a while, laughing and building your sandcastles, poking each other with your elbows and joking around as you bathe in the hot sun, the cool water lapping at your toes every now and then
>In the end, Pinkie's sandcastle looks much better than yours and she jokes about how only hobbit ponies could live in yours
>Mocking offense you poke a hole in her sandcastle and stick your tongue out at her
>"HEY! That's not nice!" She promptly squishes your sandcastle in retaliation. So you squish hers. She gives you a push while laughing, so you push her back, then she hops up, boops you on the nose with a sandy hoof and darts off down the beach line, "Ha ha! You'll never catch me!"
 
>You hop up and give chase, running on the hot sand as Pinkie laughs and bounces ahead of you, giving you an occasional goading or sticking her tongue out
>You're slowly catching up to her though
>Another minute later and you're feeling winded, but Pinkie is almost within arms reach
>She turns and sees you, giving a small yelp as she continues to hop
>Finally you're alongside her and during one of her hops, you grab her with both arms, wrapping them around her middle as you change direction and throw her over your shoulder as you head for the shallow waters of the beach
>Pinkie is laughing madly as you splash through the water playfully, finally dropping her in a shallow section so she doesn't submerge. You don't want to make her panic like a couple days ago.
>She lands with a splash and flips back onto her feet, still laughing as she regains her balance before she uses her hooves to splash water at your face
>The two of you splash water at each other like that for a while before Pinkie all but tackles you and starts trying to tickle you in the shallow water
>She has moderate success with her tail and mane, but you have fingers and soon gain the upper hand, making Pinkie flail about and gasping for breath
>When the two of you are finally exhausted you rinse yourselves off in the water and head back to your towel in the shade
>You lie down first and Pinkie lies next to you, making sure to scoot up right next to you and lay her head on your chest, her wet mane splayed out as she cuddles you
>Her wet body feels good on yours and soon you're getting less than innocent ideas......
 
>You ask Pinkie if she wants to go for a swim
>She has her eyes closed as she hugs you, "Uh uh, I'm tired from all that horsing around."
>You laugh out loud at her pun and she gives a giggle when she hears you laugh, opening her eyes as she looks up at you
>Shes about to say something when your stomach growls, and soon her stomach growls in return
>"Our stomachs are talking to each other," she giggles, "Maybe we should go back to the hotel for some food."
>The sun is past it's apex, it's probably about 3pm
>You agree, your stomach chiming in again as Pinkie, almost regretfully, lets go of you and stands up, shaking out her mane and tail and splatting you with droplets of water
>"Let's go get some food!"
 
>The two of you head back to the hotel, taking a brief moment to let you get dressed in your room before heading to one of the hotel restaurants
>You take seats at a small table across from each other and order some pasta in a cream sauce, Pinkie ordering the same thing
>Soon your food arrives and the two of you begin to dig in, or you do at least. Pinkie seems to be having problems using her fork to whirl the spaghetti noodles.
 
>You give a small scoff as you see her struggling, eventually trying to wield it in her mouth
>She gives you a dirty look, "You better help me out then or I'm just going to eat it with my face in the bowl, buddy."
>You tell her she should be happy you're around, since you have fingers
>"Whats that supposed to mean?" she says with a wink
>You balk and she laughs at you as you regain your mental balance
>You stick your fork in her food, twirling the noodles around your fork, "See? It's pretty simple."
>You're interrupted by an "Aaaah," sound. You look up to see Pinkie, eyes closed and mouth open with her tongue hanging out a little, waiting for you to feed her
>Slowly you put the food laden fork in her mouth, careful not to get any sauce on her cheeks.
>Dinner passes with you hand feeding Pinkie, taking breaks to feed yourself as she swings her legs and hums while she waits
>Eventually dinner is over. The waiter comes by and removes your plates, asking if you'd like anything else. Dessert, perhaps a bottle of wine for you and the lady?
>You don't want to ruin the cake surprise with a dessert here in the restaurant, but wine doesn't sound like a bad idea
>You ask Pinkie if she'd like a bottle of wine for later
>"I'm usually not big on wine, but I guess we can share some for my birthday!"
>You purchase a bottle of wine, a merlot that goes with chocolate as you pay your bill
>"We aren't going to drink it now?" Pinkie inquires
>It's about 6pm. Your cake should be at the spot or will be very soon. Perhaps it's time to reveal your surprise? Or would it be better to just take her there without saying anything?
 
>You tell Pinkie that no, you aren't drinking it right now. You don't say anything else as you head to the front desk.
>Pinkie follows you, a look of intrigue on her face as you ask the clerk for the key that should have been dropped off for you
>He rummages around behind the desk for a moment before pulling out a small envelope, handing it to you
>Sure enough the key is inside, and you give a small sigh of relief
>You turn to Pinkie, "Let's go!"
>"Go where?"
>"Just follow me, you'll see."
>You make sure to grab two wine glasses as you leave, though for a moment you imagine sharing the bottle with Pinkie the old fashioned way...
>You shake your head. What is happening to you? These thoughts weren't this frequent before. Maybe it's the beach air. Or the fact you caught Pinkie singing in the shower..
>"Hey, hey are you okay? You look a little....strange."
>You snap out of your reverie as Pinkie looks at you with concern and confusion
>"I'm alright, let's go."
>Putting the thoughts from your mind you head to the secluded spot, the sun beginning to set as you and Pinkie walk alongside each other, in no hurry to be anywhere else
>You arrive and unlock the door, Pinkie giving a little "Ooooh~," as the door swings open
>There's a wrapped package in the center of the table and Pinkie trots over to it before looking at you, then at the sunset, then back to you
>"What is all this?"
 
>"This," you say while spreading your arms in reference to the little patio you share, the cake and the sunset included, "is the real surprise."
>Pinkie's mouth hangs open as she looks at you and around at everything again before looking at the package, "C-can I open this?"
>You nod, setting the wine glasses on the table and opening the bottle while Pinkie hurriedly unwraps her gift of sorts
>The small pop of the wine bottle opening is lost in the rustling of the paper covering the cake and Pinkie let's out a squee of joy when the cake is revealed
>"I...I love it! That smiley face is great! But...hey, what's 'Hapvw mnulh milnum nim' mean?"
>You walk over to the cake and take a look for yourself. Welp.
>You give a small laugh as Pinkie thinks about it before you tell her it's not important
>"Happy Birthday Pinkie. I hope it was everything you wanted it to be."
>Pinkie, for once, has no words. She just smiles, at you, at the cake, at the sunset, at everything. She grabs you in another spine shattering hug, and you're pretty sure you can see tears in her eyes
>She looks up at you, her eyes twinkling in the fading light, her smile just as radiant as ever. "It was the best day ever. You are the best. Thank you! Thank you, thank you, thank you!"
>Eventually she calms down and you pour her a glass of wine as the two of you sit next to each other and gaze at the sunset
>And ever so slowly, her hoof finds your hand. The two never part for the rest of the night.
 
>The two of you sit, holding hands and sipping wine for a while before Pinkie suggests you eat the cake before it gets hard
>Unfortunately the bakery didn't provide anything to eat the cake with, and in your haste to reveal your surprise you forgot about utensils
>"Just use your hands as long as they're clean, silly."
>You oblige Pinkie, grabbing a small bites worth and hand feeding it to her as she sits next to you, a muffled Mmmm" escaping her as she tastes the moist cake
>You grab a bite for yourself as she sips on her wine some more. The cake is delicious, a dark chocolate with a hint of vanilla to break the chewy monotony of pure sweetness
>You take turns feeding Pinkie and yourself until you're feeling pretty full and Pinkie is starting to look a little sleepy, a content look on her features that speaks volumes
>You're about to get up when Pinkie asks, "Got room for one more bite?"
>You give a small groan, "Alright. Sure."
>"Let me get it for you this time."
>You aren't sure how that's going to work when Pinkie gets up, wandering to the table and out of your vision
>She comes back with the last piece of cake in her mouth, and you go to reach for it with a hand. She promptly smacks your hand with a hoof and climbs, straddling you as she brings her face to yours
>She slowly leans in, cake gently held in her mouth.
>The cake enters your mouth slowly before your lips meet, Pinkie's tongue sliding under the cake to meet yours as the cake begins to melt in your mouths, creating a syrupy, sticky mess that only heightens the sensation of your kiss.
>The cake now firmly in your mouth, Pinkie withdraws, licking her lips and hopping off you as you chew the last bite of cake and take a sip from your wine to wash it down.
 
>Pinkie gives a yawn as you finish your glass, curling into a ball on her chair. All the wine must've gotten to her to make her nearly fall asleep like that.
>You're feeling a little lightheaded yourself, but you manage to walk over to Pinkie and gently pick her up in your arms
>This startles her a little, but soon she gives a gentle smile at you, "Reminds me....of that time we parties all night together. Do you remember that?"
>You make sure you've got the key to this spot before you start your walk back to the hotel. You nod to Pinkie, smiling down at her tired face. "How could I forget?"
>"I know I told you not to drop me, then. Is it weird....that I just....sort of knew you wouldn't? I just wanted to say it anyway?"
>You figure that's the wine talking and just nod as you walk her back to the hotel room, carrying her all the way back to the bed
>As you lay her down you ask if she had fun today
>She smiles, "You know what would make it perfect?"
>"What?"
>"You wrapping your arms around me and singing me a lullaby."
>You lower yourself into bed next to Pinkie, put your arms around her, and though you aren't a very good singer, you sing for her.
>It's the last night of your vacation with Pinkie, and you spend it singing to her as she falls asleep in your arms, the world around you forgotten when you see her smiling face before you fall asleep, almost as content as she is.
>Almost.