A Parting Gift

Torch wakes up in comfort this morning. A soft bed beneath her, a thick blanket covering her up, and the coziest pillow under her head. She keeps her eyes closed, not yet ready to get up. It's not time yet. Patience. She waits several minutes, savoring the feeling of waking up somewhere comfortable. Eventually, she feels a shifting in the bed beside her. Last night's cuddle buddy. He's a sweet dude. As he gets up from the bed, Torch feels a soft peck on her cheek. She suppresses a smile, holding still. Just a bit longer. The unseen stallion can be heard stealthily trotting towards the door. When she hears the door slowly shut, she finally allows her eyes to open. She waits another 30 seconds before getting up herself, sneaking over to the door. Pressing her ear to it, she's immediately rewarded. The faint sound of a running shower greets her. Exactly what she was waiting for. It's go time. Returning to the side of the bed, she picks her bag up and puts it over her shoulder. Looking towards the night stand, she spies what she'd been smelling as she woke up. A packed bowl of marijuana, a grinder and lighter right next to it. Taking a long hit off the bowl, she quickly stamps out the embers with her hoof, exhaling with a sigh. That hits the spot. She relaxes in spite of what she's about to do. She opens up her bag, withdrawing a large clear bag of the good stuff. Her special mix - tobacco, weed, her favorite flowers. Sometimes some harder stuff mixed in. Not now, though. Dumping the contents of the bowl into the clear bag, she opens up the grinder and takes what's inside that, too. Scraping out every last bit she can. Screwing the grinder back together, she opens up the nightstand's single drawer. A small baggie of more marijuana greets her, and she grabs the whole thing. Stuffing it all back into her tan bag, she leaves the bedroom, quietly opening the door. Tip-hoofing past the bathroom, she enters the living room. Nothing in here to-- Oh! What's this? A bright yellow attracts her gaze. Several loose bits strewn across the coffee table. Torch swipes them up, admiring the jingling noise in her hoof for a second before depositing them into her bag. A half-filled beer rests on the table. She takes a sip. Blech. Warm and flat. Making her way into the kitchen, she heads towards the fridge, opening it up and scanning through it. Not much to be found - fruits, vegetables, orange juice, eggs... A bright orange color catches her eye. Cheese. An unopened block of cheddar. She shoves that into her bag, too. Dragging a stool over and opening up a few of the cupboards, she comes across a family-size box of wheat thins. This will go perfectly with her cheddar. It barely fits into her bag, but she manages to zip it shut after a bit of effort, hopping off the stool. The sound of hooves on carpet meets her ears, and her coat stands on end. Shit. That was a fast shower. She turns around to see a stallion in the kitchen doorway, leaning against its frame. He speaks up, "G'morning, sleepy-head. You leaving so soon?" She turns to place herself between him and his view of the bag. "Uh-- Yeah, sorry. I, uh, gotta go t'work." She looks at him nervously, right wing twitching. "Ah, that's a shame. Y'know, you're welcome back any time - last night was fun!" He replies, smiling down at her. "Yeah, yeah, sure was! I'll uh, I'll be seein' you around. Just, whenever." Torch says, edging towards the front door. "Alright, take care hon!" The stallion gives her a little wave, and she flashes him a forced grin. Opening the front door and scurrying out, she throws the door shut, practically galloping away from the apartment. Her heart pounds in her chest, and she feels just a little light-headed. Whew.. That.. That went.. Absolutely perfectly! Truly, what a wonderful way to start her day.