The First Date.


                                            >You are Anon, an Average student, Otaku, and boyfriend of Sunset Shimmer, the Amazing Spider-Woman.

                                            >After a month and a half of mostly just hanging out, holding hands, and occasionally walking her home, you finally hit pay dirt.

                                            >That's right tonight is your first official date!

                                            >The two of you are going to spend the evening at a carnival.

                                            >A little cliche but it seems like a good idea

                                            >After all, when was the last time some superpowered nut case showed up at a carnival.

                                            >You glance at the clock.

                                            >4:45, just 15 minutes 'till you have to pick up Sunset.

                                            >Time to get your ass in gear.


                                            >It is now 5:02.

                                            >You just barely managed to arrive at Sunset's apartment complex on time.

                                            >Now you are just waiting on her to finish getting fucking ready.

                                            >Not that you're mad or anything.

                                            >Sure she went on patrol and almost forgot your date, but at least she's here now.

                                            >"Alright Tiger, you ready?"

                                            >Speaking of your Date, the sight of her makes your heartbeat quicken, and your throat tight.

                                            >She stands in the doorway, a pink turtle-neck sweater outlines her rather generous breasts and toned stomach, a rather tight-fitting pair of jeans hug her hips and thighs, accentuating the slight hourglass of her form.

                                            >Her leather jacket, a gift from Rarity, completes the image.

                                            >It takes an amount of will that would impress Applejack to keep yourself in check.

                                            >Not to mention "little Anon".

                                            >"So I take it the outfit is a hit then."

                                            >It's not a question, yet you still find yourself nodding, entranced by her.

                                            >"Well let's get going, or did you have something else in mind?"

                                            >She winks, you lick your lips, your mouth feeling dry.

                                            >DON'T FUCK UP, DON'T FUCK UP, DON'T FUCK UP!

                                            "I-I uh, r-r-right let's go."

                                            >She laughs and grabs your arm as you lead her to the elevator, then to your car.


                                            >The drive to the fairgrounds is rather nice.

                                            >Sunset speaks animatedly about her day.

                                            >For your part you focus as much as you can while driving from the inner city to the suburbs, then finally into the outskirts where the fairgrounds ore located.

                                            >You pull into the parking lot, shift the transmission into neutral, and apply the parking brake.

                                            >You and Sunset step out of the car.

                                            'Alright Anon, just take this one step at a time. No need to be nervous.'

                                            >As soon as you purchase your tickets, and enter the carnival your nervousness leaves you.

                                            >The atmosphere of excitement and joy take hold.

                                            >Also the smell of funnel cake.

                                            >That smell brings back memories of a simpler time, and of the parents that loved you.

                                            >The happiness drains from you, leaving only brooding contemplation and melancholy.

                                            >Sunset notices and turns toward you.

                                            >"Anon, you alright?"

                                            >Her concern is comforting, but tonight is only about the two of you.

                                            "It's nothing Shimmy."

                                            >Your smile is only half sincere.

                                            >"... Alright but if you want to talk about it I'm always here."

                                            >You nod, your smile becoming more real by the second.

                                            "I'll hold you to that. Now come on Sunny-bun, let's get something to eat."

                                            >The afternoon fades to evening and you find yourself glad you decided to bring a hoodie.

                                            >Even this early in Autumn the nights can get a little cold.

                                            >Though you can't find the energy to care as you and Sunset compete to win the most prizes.

                                            >You would like to say that you put up a good fight, or perhaps that the games are unfairly rigged, even more than normal.

                                            >But alas you just can't seem to keep up with Sunset's strength and finesse.

                                            >Though you are a better shot than her.

                                            'Thanks, Granddad.'

                                            >In the end, and to the surprise of no one, Sunset wins with three large Teddy Bears to your one.

                                            >After half a second of deliberation, you make it four to zero in her favor.

                                            >This, however, earns you a kiss on the cheek.


                                            >After a quick stop by the car, you decide to take Sunset on some rides.

                                            >This quickly leads to the fate of all people who dare to enter the dreaded Tea Cups.

                                            >Between retches into a nearby trashcan, Sunset makes you a solemn vow.

                                            >"Anon, if you ever take me on those damn things again I can't be held responsible for what I will do to you."

                                            >You smile as you rub her back.

                                            "Of course Sunny, now let's find you something for your stomach.

                                            >Ten minutes and one overpriced Ginger-ale later, you find yourselves on the most rickety wooden roller-coaster you have ever seen.

                                            >Sunset clings to you even as she shrieks with joy.

                                            >With every turn she is pressed into you.

                                            >And with every turn you find her lovely breasts pressed into you.

                                            >You blush, but otherwise, keep yourself under control.

                                            >For now.


                                            >As you exit the roller-coaster Sunset is still smiling like a madman.

                                            "Remind me to take you to a real amusement park someday."

                                            >You chuckle as she pulls you into a kiss.

                                            >"You bet your ass I will Tiger!"


                                            >Only a few rides are left so you decide to take a break and replace the dinner Sunset lost during the Tea Cups.

                                            >You grab a hot dog and a coke and find a table for the two of you.

                                            >As you wait, you are assaulted by the smell again.

                                            >That damn smell.

                                            >Oh how you hate that smell.

                                            >"Anon, You've got your 'Beetle-Face' on. Are you alright?"

                                            >You look up and see both your girlfriend and the source of the smell.

                                            >Sunset has funnel cake.

                                            >You sigh.

                                            "It's nothing."

                                            >"It doesn't seem like nothing."

                                            >You turn, or at least you try.

                                            >Sunset has both hands on your shoulders, her funnel cake forgotten on the table.

                                            "Look it's not that important. Just.."

                                            >She looks at you expectantly.

                                            "Just bad memories."

                                            >"Of what?"

                                            "My dad."

                                            >She continues to stare at you.

                                            "Look just forget I brought it up."

                                            >She silently pulls you into a hug.

                                            "When I was six, just after mom died, my dad disappeared."

                                            >"I'm so sorry. Do you know where he went?"

                                            "I'm not the one to ask. be better to ask Doctor Strange."

                                            >"What do you mean?"

                                            >Her expression has pulled a one-eighty from concerned to confused.

                                            "After mom died both dad and I went into a downward spiral. I retreated into fiction, and he fell headfirst into the bottle. Not that he ever took it out on me mind you, just couldn't handle being sober anymore."

                                            >It feels better to let it all out after so long.

                                            "Then one day he sobers up enough to really see what's going on around him, decides that what we need is some quality time together. So he takes all the booze in the house, even ones that he bought when mom was alive, the ones he didn't even touch, takes them outside, and burns them."

                                            >You smile ruefully.

                                            "After that, he came to my room, hugged me, and then he just started to cry. I'd never seen him cry before, sure I'd seen him sad, but not like that, never that bad off before."

                                            >Sunset's eyes glisten.


                                            "After that things went, well not back to normal, but better. I'd catch him drinking still sometimes, and there'd be times he'd not come home 'till the next morning, but we managed. Then one day he said that we should go and do something together. So he packed up the car and took us to a carnival, it was nice, no homework, no bullies, no missing mom, just a father and son out enjoying a day of fun."

                                            >You can feel the tears streak down your face.

                                            >"Anon.."

                                            >Sunset tries to stop you, but you can't stop.

                                            >Won't stop.

                                            >You need this, need closure.

                                            "God we must have been at it for hours, 'cause dad stopped me, said 'Why don't we have some supper?' He gave me twenty bucks, told me to get us something nice. And I was just a kid see. So I grabbed us the most sugar-laced, fattening thing I could find."

                                            >You direct your gaze to her meal.

                                            >And Sunset seems to understand as she puts a hand to her mouth.

                                            "And then, on my way to the table that dad was at, there was a flash, like lightning, except it was red. It knocked me on my ass, and when I came to, I was in the hospital with about fifteen other people, Grandma said it was some kind of gas line exploding, that it vaporized dad. But, thing is, I can remember plain as day what I saw, and it was not some explosion."

                                            >You glare into Sunset's eyes for a fraction of a second, before your gaze softens.

                                            "What kind of explosion contains people?"


                                            >You consider calling it a night there, but Sunset has other ideas.

                                            >Soon the mood lightens once more, and you find, though the past coloring the evening, you are enjoying Sunset's company even more.

                                            >Now, though, you find yourselves being strapped into a plastic and metal Viking ship.

                                            >"Are you ready for this Anon?"

                                            >Sunset slides closer to you.

                                            >All you have time to do before the ride starts, is laugh.

                                            >And with the subtlety of a brick through a window, the ride starts, whisking away the last of your thoughts of the past.


                                            >As the night waxes toward its regrettable conclusion, you find there is just one more ride left to enjoy.

                                            "That has got to be the third or fourth biggest Ferris Wheel I've ever seen."

                                            >Sunset stairs at you incredulously.

                                            >"Third or fourth?"

                                            "Well, the Eye of London for starters."

                                            >She takes the cheek with all the grace that you have come to expect of her.

                                            >And then she descends into snorting laughter.


                                            >After several minutes in the line, you finally make it up to the front and just in the nick of time.

                                            >"Last ride."

                                            >The man at the controls gives you a wink as he sets the wheel into motion.

                                            >At first Sunset seems to like it, however, after a few minutes, the novelty seems to wear off.

                                            >At this point you become acutely aware of Sunset's hand on your upper thigh.

                                            >"As fun as this is, Tiger, why don't we spice this up?"

                                            >Be for you can react, she leans forward and plants her mouth on yours.

                                            >Slowly you find yourself becoming unaware of your surroundings, save for her hands.

                                            >One slowly raises yours to her breasts.

                                            >The other massages thigh, before she begins to slide it towards the zipper of your pants.

                                            >Before either of you can make any real progress, an explosion startles the two of you out of your fun.

                                            >You both look around, looking for signs of a fight before a whistling brings your attention to the sky.

                                            >This time both of you see the cause and relax instantly.

                                            >Fireworks, from a nearby Stadium.

                                            >Sunset leans into you as you start to descend.

                                            >All and all you couldn't ask for a better night.


                                            >You ride home in companionable silence, only broken by the soft sound of the radio.

                                            >"Anon."

                                            >You glance at Sunset, taking your eyes off the road for only a moment.

                                            "Yes, Shimmy?'

                                            >She blushes slightly at the pet name.

                                            >"When we get back to my apartment, do you want to come in for coffee?"

                                            >You smile brightly.

                                            "I'd love to."


                                            >You follow Sunset up to her apartment on the fifth floor.

                                            >Though you take a couple more minutes than strictly necessary in the elevator.

                                            >Thankfully you find the hallway empty when the two of you finally notice that you have reached her floor.

                                            >After a brief fumble with the keys, you find yourselves in her brisk apartment.

                                            >"Guess I left the window open."

                                            >Sunset starts chuckling, though the laughter dies in her throat as the acrid smell of cigarette smoke wafts into the entry hall.

                                            >Slowly you make your way into the living room where the stench is the strongest.

                                            >When you step into the living room the stink of alcohol joins the cigarette smoke.

                                            >"Sorry to ruin the mood Luv, but I got tired of waiting."

                                            >That voice.

                                            >Sunset drops into a fighting stance.

                                            >You'd recognize that voice anywhere.

                                            >"Just who do you think you are!"

                                            >He hasn't aged more than three years since you last saw him.

                                            >He's even wearing the same clothes.

                                            >"Just give me a minute and..."

                                            >You look him in the eyes, just to be sure.

                                            >"I said start talking!"

                                            > They're a little more bloodshot than you remember, but it's him alright.

                                            "Dad?"