>The fire crackles and spits in the corner, sending a soft flickering light across the room as it warms the air around you to a toasty eighty-something degrees
>Actually, the warmth is just because you turned the furnace up
>And the fire is just the pony version of the Yule Log, flickering away on your crappy CRT TV
>Still, despite your lack of a fireplace, your apartment looks pretty damn festive
>A fully lit, ornamented tree stands next to the television, and strands of lights and holly intertwine around your coffee table and are hung above every doorway
>Even if ponies may not celebrate Christmas the same as you did back on earth, they still have their own winter-solstice festival that's close enough
>So you've got your whole place all decorated and cozy
>Perfect for you to sit in and... be alone, you guess
>Fuck
>You never stopped to consider the fact that you have no one to spend the holiday with, did you?
>The only pony you'd consider your friend is Soarin, and he's with his family
>So... Christmas for one, you guess
>Heading to the kitchen, you whip up some pasta and salad, loading it onto a plate with some store-bought cornbread
>Not bad for a bachelor, eh?
>Even if you're a lonely bastard, you can still enjoy some nice food
>You're just about to take your first bite when a knock sounds at the door
>Surprised, you set your plate down, and go to answer it
>Carolers?
>Open the door does not reveal carolers, but instead just a single mare
>Her coat is a smooth creamy color, offset by a powder-blue mane
>She's a pretty one, that's for sure
>Over her back is slung a pair of fancy-looking saddlebags, and she looks up at you with a friendly, if nervous, expression
"Can I help you?"
>The mare crosses her rear legs
>"Uh, hi. My name's Coco Pommel, I live right down the hall."
>She nods toward her own apartment
>"I, uh... noticed you didn't have anyone coming over for Hearthswarming Eve. I don't really have anyone coming over either, so... I thought maybe we celebrate Hearthswarming together?"
>She smiles up at you
"Uh... sure. C'mon in."
>You gesture to the inside of your apartment
>Coco trots right in, looking around your apartment with an expression of awe
>"Wow! It looks great in here! Did you do all this yourself?"
"Yep."
>"It's really pretty. Is that a real tree?"
>Without waiting for you to respond, she takes a big sniff of its branches
>"It is! Aww, it's so pretty!"
>She leans in again, and takes another huge whiff of it
>"I love the smell of pine..."
>You're... not entirely sure how to respond to this pony
>Still, you're glad she likes your decorations
>Coco spins around, trotting over to you
>"Anyway, I made you some cookies! I baked more than enough for me, and since I don't really have anyone else to share with..."
>She reaches into her saddlebags, and pulls out a peppermint-patterned tin
>"Here you go!"
>She watches with anticipation as you open the tin, finding a neat little pile of ginger cookies inside
>"Try one!"
>You take a cookie out, and bite into it
>...damn, that's good
>You nod to Coco, and give her a big thumbs up, before scarfing the rest down
>She giggles
>"Slow down! They're not THAT good."
>You swallow, and close the tin
"No, they definitely are. How do you make cookies like this? Are you a baker or something?"
>"Baker? Ha, no, I'm a fashion designer. Well, an assistant designer."
"Really?"
>You take a seat on your favorite chair, and gesture for Coco to sit on your couch
>She does so, dropping her saddlebags to the floor
>"By the way, you never told me your name."
"Anonymous. But most people call me Anon."
>"Oooh, cool. What do you do, Anon?"
"Eh, nothing interesting. I'm a bouncer down at Quarter Note's."
>"Really? That sounds pretty interesting to me. You must be tough."
"Tough? Nah, I'm just tall. But... it pays the bills, I guess. Speaking of whi--"
>You're interrupted by the sound of Coco's stomach making a noticeable growl
>She turns bright pink, folding her hooves over her midsection
>"S-sorry. I haven't eaten much today, and that food you have looks really good..."
>You realize that your dinner's just been sitting on the coffee table
"Oh, jeez, I'm a lousy host. Would you like something to eat?"
>"Yes please! If it's not too much trouble, heh..."
>You jump up from your chair, and fix a plate of food for Coco
>She claps her hooves in delight when you bring it to her, immediately digging in
>Coco eats your food about as quickly as you ate her cookies, inhaling spaghetti, bread, and salad alike
>When she finally pauses in her devouring, her muzzle is smeared with spaghetti sauce
>"This is amazing, Anon! Forget being a bouncer, you should be a chef!"
"Heh... it's nothing fancy, just pasta..."
>You're blushing like crazy from this little pony's compliment
>She's so sweet, how the hell does she not have any other friends to spend her holiday with?
>"Nothing fancy, maybe, but it's delicious! Can I have more?"
>She holds her empty plate up to you, licking the sauce around her mouth
"Uh... yeah, sure."
>You take Coco's plate back to the kitchen, and reload it
>Removing a carton of milk from the fridge, you pour a glass for the both of you, and then awkwardly carry the various dishes back into your living room
>Coco is delighted, clapping her hooves and squealing with excitement
>She guzzles down the milk, and sets to annihilating her second plate of food
>You can't help but be flattered with how much she loves your cooking
>When her second plate is cleared, Coco leans back on the couch, patting her belly
>"Wow... that really hit the spot..."
>She lets out a little burp, and covers her mouth, blushing
>"Heh... oops..."
>You just chuckle, and slowly work through your own plate
>Coco alternates between watching you eat, and watching the Yule Log flicker over on the television
>The fire's flickering light reflects in her big blue eyes, seeming to fill her with a cozy light
>Coco looks like she has something she'd like to say, but is too timid to do so
>When you finish, you carry both your dishes back into the kitchen, and wash them off
>But on your way back into the living room, Coco's waiting for you in the doorway
>"Um, uh, Anon?"
"Yo."
>"I was, uh... do you want to do something?"
"Do something?"
>"Yeah, uh... I mean, your apartment is really nice... but there's a big Hearthswarming play tonight! And a parade! And there's going to be a lot of cute little shops open, and... and I think it would be a lot of fun if we went together."
>She gives you a bashful, hopeful smile, pawing nervously at the ground
"Oh, yeah, sure. Just lemme get my coat."
>"Yay! I'll go get dressed to. Just come to my apartment when you're ready, okay? I'm number 739."
"739, gotcha."
>Coco skips out your door, tail cheerily swishing as she does so
>You watch her go, a little surprised by how this day has gone down so far
>You were all prepared to spend Christmas --er, Hearthswarming-- by yourself, watching a log burn on TV
>Now you're taking a mare you've never met before on an impromptu holiday date
>Eh, stranger things have happened, you suppose
>You grab your coat and sling it over your shoulders before going out to find Coco's apartment
>735...37...39
>You knock on her door, hearing her muffled voice come from behind it
>"Coming!"
>Your hear some sort of commotion coming from behind the door, continuing for nearly two minutes until Coco finally opens it
>She's bundled up in a puffy, furry overcoat, with a scarf wrapped around her little neck
>For a second, you can only gape at Coco
>She's... really pretty, wow
>"You ready to go?"
"Yeah... yeah, I'm ready. So, where should we go first?"
>"Well, we have to go the Hearthswarming play, silly!"
"We do?"
>"Of course! They're a tradition!"
"I've never been to one..."
>"You haven't?"
>Coco looks shocked
>You shake your head, starting off down the hallway
>"Well then we definitely have to go! Come on, Anon!"
>She darts ahead of you, trotting towards the elevator
>You jog to keep up with her
"Alright, play then. Then what?"
>"I dunno, we'll play it by ear. Now hurry up!"
 
>Coco leads you through the busy Manehattan streets, eyes wide as she takes in the holiday wonder all around her
>You stick close by her, as you don't really know the city all that well
>She leads you to a large, festively-decorated performance hall
>Towering pine-trees flank the doors, and lights are strung across every wall and doorway
>Coco squeals in delight at the sheer magnificence of it all
>"Isn't it beautiful, Anon?"
"It's pretty impressive, not gonna lie."
>You scan your eyes across the building one more time, taking in the multicolored sights, and the wintery, pine-y scents
>It practically radiates holiday spirit
>Coco trots up the stairs with you at her side, her tail flipping back and forth under her coat
>A huge, psychedelic crowd of ponies fills in around you, bustling inside the performance hall
>Within the hall proper, row after row of folding chairs sit facing the stage, already crammed with ponies
>You and Coco file in alongside the other ponies, trying to find a pair of chairs for yourselves
>Ponies are crammed in tightly though, and you only manage to snag a single chair
>You gesture for Coco to take it instead of you, and she does
>However, she scoots to the chair's side, motioning for you to sit next to her
>You shake your head, worrying you'd crowd the tiny horse
>"Come on, Anon, I don't bite. It'll be nice and cozy."
"Uh... okay..."
>You take a seat next to her, trying to stay as far on your end of the chair as possible
>Coco doesn't seem to mind your proximity at all, though
>In fact, as the houselights dim, you hear her whisper into your ear
>"Anon, is it alright if I... if I sit in your lap?"
"Uh... sure?"
>Coco doesn't say a word after that, and instead just clambers up into your lap
>She's really, really, really soft
>You've always thought that girls had naturally soft bodies, but Coco's... damn
>She's warm, her fur is silky, and she smells like vanilla and coffee
>You're starting to feel a little sleepy already
>Your arms dangle at your sides, as you're not sure where to put them
>Is sitting in strangers' laps just a pony thing, or is Coco sending some very aggressive signals?
>Eh, best not to dwell on that right now
>Now is time to enjoy your holiday play
>The curtain pulls away to reveal a single pony, dressed in a tuxedo
>He takes the mic, and cracks a few corny jokes
>The entire audience laughs along with them, Coco included
>Encouraged by his audience's response, the pony cracks a few more jokes, sending Coco into a howling fit of laughter
>She collapses back against your chest, shaking and cackling
>Your arms reach up to grab Coco, preventing her from sliding off your lap
>And just like that, you're holding her
>Coco quickly wriggles further into your grasp, pulling your arms around her midsection
>She leans her head on your shoulder, her mane tickling your neck
>Okay, yeah, she's sending some signals alright
>Just gotta take it easy, Anon...
>Remember, this is just a fun little holiday outing
>Even if she's sending signals, no need to make this complicated
>The tuxedo pony disappears as the curtains close again, and when they reopen, a cast of colorfully-dressed ponies stand on the stage
>They run through a cute little story about the original three tribes of ponies that lived in Equestria, and how they came to build the town of Ponyville
>Ponyville... that name sounds familiar, though you don't think you've been there
>The play's pretty quaint, and Coco clearly enjoys it much more than you do
>She laughs at all the dumb jokes, and claps her hooves during her favorite moments
>When the show ends, she stands up in your lap, applauding wildly
>Several ponies around you give her strange looks, but Coco doesn't even care
>Once she's finally finished applauding, Coco slumps back into your lap
>She bounces up and down in your lap, excitedly, accidentally whacking your face with her tail
"Ack!"
>"Oops, sorry Anon!"
>She turns around to face you, sitting precariously between your knees
>"See, wasn't that great? I told you you'd love the Hearthswarming play! All the jokes, the story, the beautiful costumes... oh, it's my second favorite part of the whole season!"
"Second favorite? What's the first?"
>Coco giggles
>"Heehee. You'll see!"
>And just like that, she hops off your lap, joining the crowd as mills toward the exit
>"Now come on! Don't you want to see the parade?"
>She pauses for you to catch up, then leads you back out into the city
>The cold hits you like a wave, stinging and numbing your face
>Coco shivers too, pulling her coat tightly around her
>"Brrrr..."
>All around you, ponies file down the street toward some source of commotion a few blocks down
>That must be the parade
>You can see more strands of lights strung up between the buildings, and several troupes of brightly dressed ponies marching down the street
>Coco, however, can't see over the heads of the crowd
>She starts poking you in the leg
>"Anon! Pick me up!"
"Huh?"
>"Pick me up! I can't see!"
>She sits back on her haunches, holding her forelegs up to you
"Uh... okay..."
>You grab Coco under her arm (leg?) pits, and lift her up into the air
>The coat adds a bit of weight, but she's still surprisingly light
>Once you've got her up, Coco clambers across your arm, pulling herself up to sit on your shoulders
>Her weight makes your back ache a bit, and you try really, really hard not to think about the fact that she's not wearing pants right now...
>But the expression on her face when she sees the parade is completely worth it
>Coco's eyes light up, and she gesticulates wildly toward the first float as it rolls down the street
>"Look! There it is! Look!"
>The float is covered in ponies doing some weird sort of traditional dance
>Coco squees in excitement
>"Get closer! Get closer!"
"I'm working on it..."
>You slowly shove your way through the pony crowd, until you and Coco are within a dozen feet of the parade
>A group of marching band ponies pass by, glaring trumpets and tubas
>You're pretty sure you just went deaf
>Coco doesn't seem to care about her own ear trauma, though, continuing to applaud wildly as the band passes
>A line of ponies dressed in old-timey outfits follow the band, tossing candy into the crowd
>Coco grabs a pair of candy canes from the air, handing one to you
>You eye it suspiciously, but Coco immediately tears the wrapper off hers and shoves it in her mouth
>Shrugging, you bite off the end of your cane as well
>It's pretty good, very sweet and minty
>Magical ponies sure know their candy, apparently
>As the last float of the parade (which consists of a giant torch surrounded by more dancing ponies) passes by, the crowd finally disperses back into the city
>Now that there's no more parade to watch, you set Coco back on the ground
>"Awwww..."
>She frowns as her hooves touch the pavement
>"I like being carried..."
>She makes an exaggerated pouty face
"Yeah, yeah. You had your turn. Now you have to carry me for a while."
>"Carry-- ah!"
>You pretend like you're about to climb onto Coco's back, causing her to squeal in terror and sprint away
>She gets about five feet before she realizes you're not pursuing her, and turns around
>Coco sticks her tongue out at you
>"Meanie!"
>You stick your candy cane in your mouth, giving her a shit-eating grin
>She pouts again, but her bright little smile quickly returns
>"Well, come on! We have to visit the shops!"
"We do?"
>"Of course! It's not Heartshwarming if you don't visit the special shops!"
>She darts behind you, and starts trying to push you toward the colorful stalls
>"It'll be fun! I promise!"
"Okay, okay... ease up there, you..."
>Coco quits pushing you, and darts back around to lead the way into the holiday market
 
>The shops are... a little overwhelming, actually
>There's dozens upon dozens of them, each selling their own variety of cute little gifts
>You see candy canes in all colors of the rainbow, hats, scarves, wreaths, horseshoes, candles...
>Christ, it just goes on and on
>Coco keeps trying to tug you over to different booths, navigating the stalls in some sort of crazy zigzag pattern
>Eventually, you get separated from her entirely as she sprints off to investigate some hairpins
>It'd be pretty simple to track her down again, seeing as you stand three feet above everyone else in the crowd...
>Or, you could use this opportunity to buy Coco a little gift
>Nothing fancy, of course, just a little something to say 'thank you' to her for spending time with you over Hearthswarming
>But what sort of gift does one buy for an excitable little cream mare?
>You scan up and down the aisles, not entirely sure what Coco would want
>Having just met her today, you really don't know what interests she has, aside from holiday plays, so... best to go with something useful, you guess
>A few stalls down, you find a pony selling little bottles of fancy scented shampoo
>You buy a nice coffee-scented one for Coco, along with one of the colored candy canes from earlier
>It's powder-blue, just like her mane
>A third shop sells colorful gift bags, and you buy one and slip Coco's gifts inside
>When you finally track her down again, your new friend looks completely exhausted
>She's holding a brown paper bag in her mouth, and beams up at you
>"Hey 'non!"
"Hey Coco, what'd you get?"
>"It's a secret. What about you?"
>Discretely, you slip Coco's gift bag inside your coat, tucking it into one of the inner pockets
"Also a secret."
>Coco's go wide, and she starts hopping excitedly from leg to leg
>"Really? Is it a present? Did you get me a present?"
"Maybe."
>"Well come on! Let's go!"
"Go? Where are we going now?"
>"Just follow me!"
>You're afraid Coco's going to drag you to more shops, but she doesn't
>Instead, your creamy little friend leads you past the end of the row of stalls, and into the city proper
>A few snowflakes whirl through the air around you, but it's not much more than a flurry
>Still... it's kinda pretty
>Coco trots happily beside you, her paper bag still clutched in her mouth
>She's humming a tune you don't recognize, but you get the feeling it's a Hearthswarming carol of some sort
>The two of you arrive at a small coffee shop, and Coco leads you inside
>It smells delightful inside the store, all rich and chocolatey, and the warmth is refreshing after an hour in the cold
>Coco orders two cups of, well, hot cocoa, and the two of you take seats by the window
>The snow is pretty as it swirls around outside, disappearing the moment it touches the ground
>Coco scoots closer to you, until her foreleg is barely touching your elbow
>Driven by some desire for coziness, you wrap your arm around her, feeling her soft, warm little body press against you as she scoots in to close the gap
>Neither of you say anything, simply enjoying each other's company and the taste of your cocoa
>Coco guzzles hers down quickly, leaving a little chocolate ring around her muzzle
>She sets her up down, curling up happily against your chest
>It feels a little... disingenuous cuddling with her when you barely know her
>Still... she's really soft
>Really, reeeeeaaaaally soft
>You wipe her muzzle with a napkin, before polishing off your own cocoa
 
>Even after both of your drinks are consumed, the two of you linger a bit before heading home
>Coco's just such a... comfortable pony to be around
>Everything about her is so soft, so warm, so full of festivity and cheer...
>She's like your own little holiday spirit, a Ghost of Christmas... something
>Eh, whatever, she's cute and you've enjoyed spending a night with her
>When you do finally leave, the cold hits you like a truck after so much time in the cozy shop
>Coco shivers, drawing her coat tighter around her, and burying her face in her scarf
 
>The two of you make it back to your apartment around eleven o'clock, both exhausted from hours of walking
>You stumble up the stairs, and pause in front of your apartment
>Coco does as well, and the two of you stand facing each other
>She has her same bright, if tired, smile, holding her paper bag in her mouth
"Well, uh... you want your present now?"
>Coco nods furiously
>You reach into your jacket, and pull out the little gift bag
>Coco squeals, setting your present down before taking the bag from your hands with a look of near-reverence
>"Wow... I haven't gotten a Hearthswarming present since I was a filly..."
>She smiles, overcome by awe of the little package in her hooves
>"It's so pretty..."
>Slowly, she opens the bag, and peers inside
>You're starting to feel bad about the simplicity of the gift, but Coco is delighted
>"Awww, this is perfect for me, Anon! Oh, and it smells great too!"
>She pulls the cap off the little bottle, and takes a long sniff
>"And this candy cane is adorable!"
>She holds it next to her mane, making the obvious comparison in color
>Slowly, she returns both gifts to the bag, before pouncing onto you and hugging your legs
>"Thank you, Anon! Thank you, thank you, thank you!"
>You're... a bit overwhelmed by how grateful she is
>It's just some shampoo and a sugar stick...
>Still... did she say she hasn't gotten anything since she was a kid?
>Ouch...
>Sympathy blossoms in your chest for poor Coco, and you reach down and pat the top of her head
"You're welcome, cutie."
>The compliment just sort of slips out
>Coco immediately jerks her head up, staring into you
>Her cheeks go from cream, to pink, to scarlet in about two seconds
>"A-Anon... you..."
>She sits back on her haunches, fiddling with hooves while a nervous smile spreads across her face
>"N-no pony's ever called me cute before... heh... oh, wow..."
>She wraps her forelegs around herself, doing some sort of weird wiggly motion as she squees
"Uh, well... I mean, it's true."
>You kneel down, and pat her on the head
"You're a very pretty pony, Coco. And I'm glad I got to spend the night with you."
>Coco unwraps her forelegs from around her body, but the blush remains on her face
>"Me too, Anon. This has been the best Hearthswarming I've ever had. Normally I'm, well, doing everything alone. And it's fun that way too. But with you, everything feels... really special."
>Coco reaches up to scratch the back of her head, nervously glancing at the ground
>"Anon... did I tell you about my first favorite Hearthswarming tradition?"
"Uh... no, don't think so."
>Coco points to the top of your doorframe
>At the apex, right under the room number, is attached a sprig of green leaves and red berries
"Mistletoe?"
>Coco nods
>"And you know what you do under mistletoe... right?"
>She looks up to you, hope and overwhelming bashfulness mixed on her now-scarlet face
"I do."
>"Well..."
>Coco sits straight up, and leans in toward you
>Her lips pucker tightly, and her tail curls around her haunches
>Slowly, you cup her cheek in your left hand...
>And place a quick peck on top of her lips
>Coco's eyes fly open as soon as your lips have left hers
>"A-Anon... you really did..."
>She presses a hoof to her mouth
>"You... you kissed me... I got a kiss... I got a kiss!"
>Coco begins hopping excitedly up and down, chanting
>"I got a kiss! I got a kiss!"
"Whoa, easy girl, easy..."
>You place a hand on her withers, calming her
>She beams up at you, happier than you've ever seen a pony look
>"That was the best gift you could have given me, Anon... thank you..."
>She wraps her forelegs around your neck, and you return the gesture
>So soft... how can anything be so soft...
>"Oh, speaking of gifts..."
>She grabs her paper back, and hands it to you
>You unwrap it, revealing... a pair of aviator sunglasses
>Designer sunglasses too, you think
>"I... I thought you'd look cool in them."
"Heh. Thanks, Coco. They're great."
>To show you appreciation, you unfold the glasses and put them on
>Coco stares up at you in awe
>"Wow... you look awesome, Anon!"
>The look begins to fade though, and Coco glances at the ground
>"So, uh... I was wondering... would you like to spend time with me... more often?"
>She traces circles on the ground with her hoof, giving you that same bashful yet hopeful smile
"I don't see why not. I had a really good evening, Coco."
>You take the glasses off, and kneel back down, once more on eye level with her
>"Me too. I... I think you're fun to be around, Anon."
"You too, cutie."
>You pat Coco's head
>She grabs the bag with her presents
>"So, uh... guess I'd better get back."
"Yeah. Me too."
>The resulting silence is as awkward for you as it is for Coco
>"739, remember? You'll come visit me sometime, right?"
"What? Of course. And you feel free to stop by my place anytime, alright?"
>"R-right. Thanks."
>Coco turns to leave, then reconsiders
>"Anon, uh... before I leave..."
>She smiles nervously at you, ears laying flat along her head
>"Could I get another kiss?"