It seemed like an eternity had passed since the last time the town of White Tail, named for the woods that bordered it, had seen a beautiful summers day. By the time autumn had truly hit, days of lounging in the sun or playing on beaches had long since faded into memory.

It wasn't as if I was one of those ponies who really spent all that much time outside during such days of blissful sunshine, and maybe that makes me strange, but the sight of our lovely town cast over with such a dull grey atmosphere didn't do us justice. It was as if our town was closely linked with the changing of the seasons; whenever sunshine and clear skies came along, the denizens of our quiet town would frolic in the streets at the pinnacle of their lives. It was hard not to pick up on the contagious happiness. I was, after all, named after such days of contented lounging and good cheer.

This time of year always had a sour effect on me. There weren't nearly as many smiling faces and far less trips to the beach. The town had once again become a sleepy hamlet, secluded from the world's troubles, yet never short of its own.

The trees had started to diminish their supplies of leaves, and with them, rapidly depreciating signs of life as one by one the critters prepared for the impending winter, as if it was some forthcoming apocalypse that sought to rattle their existence and threaten their livelihoods. I suppose it really isn't much different, when you think about it.

On this particular crisp autumn's day, at that strange sliver of twilight between fall and winter, when remnants of summer still lingered and the haunting shadow of winter creeped ever near, I found myself walking along a familiar path through the woods, scarf wrapped tightly around my neck to stay warm.

I was never an outgoing or confident pony in those days; I was still quite young —barely an adult —yet no longer a teen. In fact, I distinctly remember being the type of stallion who would be immediately intimidated by a falling leaf or a rather aggressive-looking fly. I had this habit of always walking with a light, delicate step, so as not to disturb the ground I tread. Coupled with my quiet, timid nature, I would probably blend in with the monotonous atmosphere. It often felt like it was my responsibility to be a wallflower; someone who blended in with the crowd, saying little or disturbing nobody, and though it was the nature of my personality, that didn’t stop it from stinging a little.

My mane clung to my eyes as a blast of headwind thrust itself against me, chilling me to the bone. I hated the cold. Thankfully, my journey through the woodland hadn't been a long one. Forests scared me (you could never know what was lingering behind the next tree). I did eventually make it to my destination, a heavy feeling of relief washing over me as safety beckoned me; my pace increased.

Before long, I found myself on an inviting doorstep, knocking with a hoof on the decrepit wooden door. There was rustling on the other side, some hushed voices, the creak of a floorboard. I strained myself to listen.

"Oh, Azure! Hello, boy! Come in!" The door swung open and I was immediately greeted with the smiling face of a weighty old mare. An apron clung to her wide hips, and she brushed a lock of hair from her frazzled copper mane with a hoof. She was always ecstatic to see me. It warmed my heart.

"Um... hello Ma'am!" I bowed courteously, and she gave an impatient smile.

"Yes, yes. You're quite the gentleman. Tinker is upstairs. Keep him out of trouble, will you?"

I nodded with a slightly amused face. He was always trying to get himself into trouble. It seemed his single function in life to adventure through some new area of the forest or test a new toy he had invented, and it was my task to accompany him; ever the faithful sidekick.

His family's house was ancient. They never had much wealth, but always found a way to make do, something I admired for a long time. His room was the smallest by far, being the youngest sibling of four often meant the last pick. I ascended the winding staircases to the top and tiptoed down the dimly lit hallway. Even though I did everything I could to stay quiet, my light hoofsteps seemed to echo through the house, floorboards creaking as I walked. I cringed, hoping it wouldn’t disturb anyone.

Finding his door at the end, I quietly knocked. With a smile, I recalled how often he lamented about my need to knock before entering his room. I was, after all, ‘his best friend and there was no need for such formalities.’ Alas, I insisted it was polite, and he chalked it up as Azure just being Azure.

"Come in!" A voice called from the distance, no doubt hunched over his desk, crafting something.

I pushed my way into the room, and he glanced over. Tinker’s face immediately lit up, part joy and part guilt. He had clearly forgotten about our engagement. I simply offered him a casual smile as I shut the door behind me, which gave him enough time to put down his tools, jump off his chair, and rush over to greet me with a hug.

I peered into his eyes silently, and in a brief second we passed a mutual thought. He had forgotten I was coming over, but it didn't matter; I was here, and so was he. I felt him relax and take a deep breath as I smiled reassuringly. We gazed into each other's eyes a moment longer, daring each one to make the next move first.

We always played this game. He thought it was great fun. What he didn't realize was that I always lost; I let him win. It was far more entertaining to let him enjoy the tiny victory. There was barely a moment longer of tension before he darted forward and pressed his lips to mine. The first kiss of the night.

It was electric, as if a spark ignited between us. I immediately fell back onto my haunches, willing him to continue. All too eager to do so, he pressed forward, hoof wrapped around my back. His tongue slipped forward and invaded my mouth, which sent shivers up my spine. I graciously accepted it, moving mine out of his path, yet he was having none of it. His tongue wrapped around mine, coaxing it forward. I was shy about it at first, but relented before long, letting him bring my tongue forward until I was in his mouth. Slowly, I moved it around, exploring around and taking in his delightful taste.

My spine tingled again as I felt a hoof on my rump, and I pulled away on pure instinct, cheeks glowing a deep red.

"A-ah!" I yelped quietly. "S-sorry..." I hung my head in shame.

He laughed.

"Don't be. You're cute when you do that." He leaned forward and placed his lips on mine for one more quick, passionate kiss, using his hooves to unravel my scarf--the same one he had given me on my last birthday--from around my neck. He then grabbed my hoof and pulled me over onto his bed, where we sprawled out, him laying behind me with hooves tucked around my waist.

We laid there for a long time just enjoying each other's company and cuddling. We'd talk idly about school, or what new crazy ideas he had to invent, but most often we just lay in silence. Every so often I could feel him turn his head to check the door: he hadn't told his family about us, and while I understood, it somehow hurt a little to be something he had to hide. I was certain his mother wouldn't care. In fact, the probability that she already knew was relatively high. Yet he was determined that they didn't need to know yet. I always accepted it and went along with what he said.

After what felt like hours, I felt his teeth on my ear. I whimpered; that always did wonderful things to me and he knew it. The ear received a gentle tug, and I whined softly, turning my head around to see him smiling.

"I just love the sounds you make, Azure." He whispered.

I blushed intensely, focused on hiding myself in the fur on his chest as I rotated around and burrowed my head into him. I guess I thought that if I buried myself deep enough, he couldn't see me blushing, and I'd stay warm and close to him forever. Seemed like a pretty good deal. This behavior earned a snicker from him, and he started to rub my back again, which was enough to coax me out slightly. He kissed my head as he started to speak, and I listened intently.

"So I was thinkin' tomorrow we should go see a movie in town. There’s this new one playing. Plus, it’s been awhile since we’ve been on a real date.” He gave a hopeful smile and I couldn’t help but return it. Being around Tinker brought out the best in me. It was as if all of the many things in the world I was afraid of became smaller and insignificant when I was near him. At that moment, I had a startling realization; I never had to worry about being a wallflower next to him. It didn’t ever occur to me that I was too shy or that I would blend in standing near him. Because being with him was all that mattered, he was the only one I cared about noticing me, and he always showed that he did.

It was at this point that I became aware of him nuzzling and repeating himself again. I simply looked up, peered into those hopeful, endearing eyes and nodded my approval. I couldn’t say no to him, not in a million years. His affection for me always warmed me and made me feel loved. It was a wonderful feeling.

A powerful yawn escaped me, and the stallion beside me couldn’t help but respond with a yawn of his own. A giggle escaped my lips, and Tinker just pulled me closer.

“I think it’s time for bed.” He whispered, kissing me on the cheek in the same affectionate manner he had a way of doing. He was already turning off the light and pulling the covers over us before I even registered what he had said in my drowsy state, but I eventually snuggled up against him with my head on his chest.

“Sounds like a plan.” I muttered. I had one last thought before me eyelids lazily fluttered closed: I could face the world world with him next to me. Nothing seemed too big or too small anymore. I don’t think he even had a chance to wriggle under the covers before I was fast asleep, a gigantic smile on my face.. It truly was pure bliss to fall asleep nestled into a pony you adored so much. I can’t think of anything better.