One more week.
All she needed was one more week of practice... And then she would be ready.
She glided the bow across the cello's strings, some of the notes coming out forced and harsh as if to contradict her point.
She winced. No, no, that didn't sound right at all.
She was twisting the pegs on the end of the neck until she found the right pitch to match the piece she was attempting to play.
Resuming playing, she closed her eyes, feeling the music wash over her as she weaved the bow around the strings, each note an epitome of harmony, of passion...
... Ah, who was she kidding, she was out of practice.
Bungling up the notes for the measure, she silently cursed her luck for procrastinating up until that point.
She had a month. A month to prepare for her performance at Canterlot.
Admittedly, she had been planning to practice the day she was asked to play, but she had... other things to do.
She smirked. Well yes, that was partially true, after all, going out with Anon was vitally important to her just the same as her career was.
Who would've thought it? The day Anon came into her life was coincidentially on the day she performed at the Grand Galloping Gala. The amnesiac human had wandered to where they were playing, drawn by their music, he said.
The most interesting thing about him was that he didn't remember anything about his past at all. The day he arrived in Equestria had been a puzzlesome one, materializing just a little ways near the Everfree Forest. Princess Twilight had come to investigate, only to find a very bewildered and confused human, who didn't know anything about himself other than his name and age.
Fast-forward a few months later, he was invited to the Gala, where he took Twilight as a plus-one.
Octavia had been playing the Gala's serenading and romantic music when she noticed a very starstruck human staring at her, gawking at the way she played. The hoof holding her bow moving in singular, precise movements, smoothly resonating the notes that emanated from her instrument in perfect synchronicity with the other orchestra members' instruments.
She wouldn't deny that a blush had crept up her face when the human smiled at her, but she could only smile back softly in return as she finished playing the rest of the piece.
Looking back now, everything seemed to fly by so fast. Their little talk after the performance, Anon attending every performance and practice of Octavia's that came after, cheering her on and supporting her when she wasn't able to attract a decent audience when she performed in Ponyville...
And then... Things changed.
Talks turned into dinner dates, walks together along Ponyville's streets at sunset became quieter and more meaningful, and hugs became harder to part from, an ache forming within both of them as they each took their separate ways.
But there was that one night... Octavia's hoof holding her bow went slack, her mind wandering elsewhere. That one night after another performance, they were walking home.
They were outside Octavia's shared apartment with Vinyl, when he had said that they needed to talk.
Needless to say, confessions were made, feelings were voiced out, and then...
Octavia sighed, leaning on her cello for support, head resting against the neck. Her expression melted into a goofy, dreamy smile amidst the thick blush on her face as she recalled the sweet, two minutes of bliss that followed.
Their first kiss.
A soft giggle escaped her throat.
Anon had been so adorably flustered when she had stood up on her hind legs and wrapped her front hooves around his neck, pulling him into a loving, passionate kiss, ending only when Vinyl came out, looking at the both of them smugly.
She smiled and rubbed her cello affectionately before mentally slapping herself back into reality, gritting her teeth.
Oh, sweet Celestia, she's been daydreaming again, hasn't she?
This is how it all started. All her "later"s and "I'll do it tomorrow"s had reduced her time of a month into weeks, and then, of course, there were excuses that she still had time for practice, just after a date or two... Oh? Two weeks left? No matter, a little picnic wouldn't hurt...
A little play to watch...
A walk through town...
And so she went on, delaying the inevitable in exchange for dates and dinners, fervently wishing that the notes would somehow magically find their way into her head, with the least practice.
Ah well, no use dwelling on the past, isn't there? All she could do was practice now, and hope that she would be able to master the piece by the end of the week.
With an immense effort, she picked up her bow and placed it on the strings, looking back at the sheet music before playing. Well, here goes nothing.
...
The door to their apartment creaked open, and standing in the doorway was none other than Anon, the resident human.
He was carrying two brown bags filled with their groceries that he bought on the way home, fresh from a day's work at the printing press.
The first thing he noticed was his marefriend, Octavia, lying down amidst piles of sheet music, her bow lying forgotten next to her while her cello stood forlornly to the right.
He smiled at her.
"Hey, Tavi."
She tilted her head to look at him, smiling weakly.
"Anon... my love."
She stood up with some effort before trotting over to where he was, where he bent down as she threw her hooves around him, nuzzling each other's cheeks affectionately before breaking apart to grin at each other.
"How was your day?" she trotted back to her sheet music, cleaning them up a little before stacking them neatly on the table.
"Oh, the usual. We double-checked the final drafts of the story today, before we noticed that the chapters were all backwards." he smiled sheepishly.
"Oh dear, what happened?"
Anon sat down on an armchair, Octavia walking up to him and climbing up on the chair to snuggle into his chest, hooves pressed against her own. He put his arms around her, one arm resting on her back and the other one massaging the back of her head, before replying.
"Eh, turns out that there was a mix-up at the post office, the chapters were out of order when they arrived, but the one in charge there forgot to arrange them before sending them to the printing press..."
He smiled sadly.
"Ditzy was practically frantic after they tried to sort them out, the chapter numbers were printed on the wrong pages by then."
Ditzy. The name rang a bell.
"Oh, you mean Derpy?" Octavia shook her head sympathetically. "The poor dear... I'm sure she didn't mean it."
"Yeah, she's actually really nice, she's the one who baked us those muffins last week."
Yes... The batch of blueberry muffins in the fridge. They had both finished it all in around two days.
Octavia's stomach gave a rumble. She looked up sheepishly at Anon, who was trying not to laugh.
"Hungry, aren't you?"
Octavia pressed herself harder against the human, speaking directly into his shirt, sending vibrations through his chest.
"I'm starving." she sighed as Anon gave her a gentle squeeze.
"In that case, I'm cooking tonight. No, no, don't you dare object!" he added, as she started to protest, "You've been practicing all day, and you need some good food in your belly. I'm making Potatoes Au Gratin, and a little soup to top it off, how does that sound?"
She smiled. Arguing with Anon was pointless, especially when he was trying to be sweet.
She leaned upwards to kiss Anon on the cheek, eliciting a blush from the latter.
"I think that sounds delicious, darling."
...
The potatoes were sliced up and placed in the pan, along with the onions. Anon was stirring the cheese, milk, and flour in a saucepan, adding salt and pepper every now and then.
Octavia was sitting on a chair, taking in the scent. The aroma alone was enough to make a meal. But she couldn't focus on the food right now.
She looked at her instrument. While it was true that she had practiced all day, what she didn't tell Anon was that she had barely learned the piece at all.
Panic began to flood her, as she thought of all the possible disasters that would come as a result of her neglect.
Maybe the orchestra members would have to find another cellist to play on a short notice, or maybe the ensemble would have to find another piece to improvise, other than the one requested...
...or worse, maybe the entire performance would have to be called off.
Her worry must've been visible on her face, because Anon was looking back concernedly at her, a questioning look on his face.
She smiled lightly, waving Anon back to work. No, he couldn't know. He already had far too much on his plate to worry about.
As a filly, she had been strictly disciplined when it came to the topic of courtesy. She had been brought up to be independent, to take her problems into her own hooves, rather than shove it on anypony else.
She could handle this.
Anon was just taking the pan and placing it in the preheated oven when Octavia decided that she would take the time to practice for a while before eating.
"Anon, love, you don't mind if I play for a while before we eat, don't you~?"
She tried her best to sound care-free, and not worried and stressed about getting some much-needed practice. Using her sing-song voice was her idea of showing that she was superficially at ease.
Anon pulled out a chair to sit on to watch her play.
"Sure! I don't mind a little music before we eat. In fact, I'd love to hear you play again, it's been a while."
Once again, his words brought a blush to her face, her insides becoming bubbly and warm at the praise.
She lifted the bow to the strings, and a haunting melody filled the room once more.
Anon could only gape, becoming lost in the music, letting the melody wash over him in waves, each note filled with passion and love, yet sad and chilling all the same.
This was his marefriend, his Octavia.
The rest of the evening passed that way, Anon staring transfixed at the way she played, her beautiful music that would haunt him for nights to come.
...
"Come on, it wasn't that bad."
They were eating their dinner, Anon trying to console his agitated marefriend, who had her head in her hooves.
"Anon, a single mistake can be the difference between a successful performance or a catastrophic disaster."
"But, really, only two mistakes? That's what you're worked up about? Why, if I knew better I—uh..."
Anon's voice faltered when he saw Octavia glaring daggers at him.
"You should know better," she hissed at Anon, "...the cello is one of the most important instruments in an arrangement, the string instruments are the backbone of the orchestra, do you understand?"
Anon gulped, nodding. He knew it was practically suicide to argue with Octavia when she was in this state.
She resumed talking in a normal voice, as if nothing had happened.
"Listen, Anon..." she spoke carefully, trying to find the right words, "...this performance means everything to me, and I should've placed more effort into learning this piece, but admittedly, I've been... distracted."
Anon looked away guiltily. Part of this might've been his fault, after all, who was the one taking her out nearly all the time?
Anon felt a hoof on his hand. He looked back to Octavia, who was smiling softly at him.
"... Not that I mind, darling, it's been lovely going on all those picnics and stage plays, but for now... I'm going to have to focus on this."
She smiled sadly.
"I've—We've had our fun, but for now, I'm going to have to ask you to leave. I-I need to focus. Just for tonight."
When Anon came to Equestria, he stayed with Twilight in a guest room at her castle while he adjusted to life amongst equines. When he and Octavia became a thing, however , they moved into an apartment of their own, where they lived together for the most part. Twilight would happily welcome Anon back should he choose to move back in, though.
Anon's expression was unreadable.
"A-Anon?" she sounded scared, unsure if she had hurt him or not.
Anon visibly shrugged before replying with an offhand tone.
"Okay."
"Wait... You're fine with this?" she was looking nervously at him.
"Sure! I mean, I know this means a lot to you, so best I stay out of your hair while you practice."
"Oh... Okay then..."
Anon stood up and began to walk to door, calling out behind him.
"Well, here I go, off into the cold, cold night, with nothing but the shirt on my back and our fondest memories together..."
Oh no. Was he really resorting to this? Octavia fought a grin from forming on her face.
"Anon, please, you're better than this."
She was trying hard not to smile.
"Oh, no, no, no, it's fine, really, I don't mind sleeping alone for the first time in so long... In fact, I really don't mind being separated from the one pony I've come to love for one night, a cold, miserable night with nothing but a tear-stained pillow to keep me company..."
"Anoooooooooooooon."
She was on the verge of giggles, mildly amused at his antics.
"Anon, this self-pity act of yours isn't going to work—"
"Boo-hoo, won't I ever have somepony to keep this lonely, broken heart company...?"
"Anon, I—"
"Oh well, I suppose the castle will have to do," he smirked. "...after all, I'm sure that a certain purple alicorn wouldn't mind sharing a bed for a night—"
"Okay, fiiiiiiiiiiiine, you win."
The smile spread across her face.
"Just...promise to be quiet, okay, love?"
Anon smiled.
"Okay, I promise—"
"And one more thing."
She hopped off the chair and trotted over to where Anon was standing, before yanking him sharply and pinning him against the refrigerator, looking at him with a half-joking, half-serious expression.
"Don't you dare think about sleeping with the Princess."
"Hey! I was kidding, would I really—mpfh!"
She leaned forward, pressing her lips against his. Startled, Anon froze, before wrapping his arms around her midsection, pulling her closer to deepen the kiss.
There they were, caught up in a furious make-out session, Anon pinned against the refrigerator with Octavia in full dominance, pressing herself lovingly against him as she tenderly slipped her forehooves around his neck. Anon was only vaguely aware that things were starting to heat up considerably, beginning to explore each other's mouths with their tongues dancing around with each other intimately...
...He could taste the cream and cheese very faintly, mingled with the savory flavor of the mushroom soup. But the flavor that Anon couldn't miss was the undeniable taste of something sweet, oddly reminiscent of candied cherries.
Her lipstick that she used in her earlier performance.
Anon didn't know how long they were making out, for in the heat of bliss minutes were but seconds, and every worry simply melted away. But at one point Octavia broke away, panting.
"...or else you might regret it."
Anon chuckled, running a thumb lovingly across her cheek before prying himself from her embrace, walking over to a nearby beanbag and settling down comfortably.
"Alright, you've proven your point... I won't make a peep. I promise."
She smiled, walking to her instrument, picking up the sheet music as she went and placing them on the music pedestal before picking up the bow on the floor.
Squinting at the paper, she lifted the bow gently to the strings, and, taking a deep breath, and began to play.
...
Octavia had been playing for two hours straight, starting over whenever she made a mistake, and pressing forward despite the visible fatigue and exhaustion apparent on her face.
Anon was worried about her. She was always like this before every performance, before every solo. She would always push her limits despite every circumstance telling her that she needed rest.
Eyebags were visible under her eyes, indicators that she wasn't getting enough sleep, her mane was a little bit frazzled, a few stray strands sticking out at odd angles, indicating that she had been running her hooves through her mane in frustration a little while ago, and, while the music was soothing and filled with emotion, the tick in her eyelid and her stiff, animated movements suggested that she was not as at ease as the music was portraying.
Anon sighed, looking forlornly at Octavia. As much as he wanted to help her, any attempt that he made to pull her into a conversation about her well-being was blocked by her insistent shushing and with a hasty "I'm fine".
But...looking at her now, he couldn't stand to see her this way. No, he had to interfere, no performance was worth his marefriend's emotional health.
He stood up, walking towards her.
"Hey, Tavi—"
"Anon, I'm fine."
"No, no, not that, I was just about to ask where you put the soda water."
She jerked her head in the direction of the kitchen.
"Over there...in the cupboards."
"Thanks."
Anon smiled. This was all part of his plan.
He walked back after fetching a bottle of the soda water, taking a little sip before passing by Octavia.
He gave her a little poke in her side.
"Eep! Anon!"
She accidentally swerved the bow off-key, turning to glare at Anon.
"What was that for?!"
Anon took another sip, before replying nonchalantly,
"Oh, you just seemed a little stiff, that's all."
"Please, don't do that again..."
"Hey, I thought you wouldn't mind me "poking fun" at you, ey?"
"Har har."
She resumed playing, but Anon was still standing there, watching her, planning his next move.
"Your posture is kinda off, you know."
She stopped playing, looking back at Anon, puzzled.
"Pardon?"
"I meant your posture, are you supposed to be all rigid like that?"
String instrument players' movements had to be as smooth as their music, and clearly, Octavia's movements were anything but.
"Oh... I suppose you're right."
Anon smiled, walking towards her.
"Yeah, here, lemme help you—No, no, you don't have to stop playing! I'm just here to...help you...get into...the right position..."
Octavia's breath hitched in her throat as Anon placed both hands on her waist, gently positioning her in a more relaxed form. Something was clearly off, did he really have to be touching her that...intimately?
"Does...that feel better?"
"Y-yeah."
Anon's smile grew wider.
"Your shoulders look a little...tense. Let me...help you with that..."
Anon's hands began to travel up her torso, leaving ticklish sensations on her coat as his fingers dragged along her form, passing by her back before resting on her shoulders. He began to rub on her shoulder joints, gently easing her tension and relaxing her hooves, allowing her more smooth movement of the bow.
She was trying to concentrate on playing, but the new sensations that were building up were almost too much for her to handle...
She nearly moaned from the way Anon was touching her, it was as if she had an itch that was longing to be scratched, or a hunger longing to be satisfied. The way Anon was touching her was like...filling her up in a way that she didn't know that she was starved.
But no. She was better than this. She was Octavia Melody, she wasn't about to fall prey to some cheap attempt at seduction, no, she would simply have to ignore Anon, and keep her focus on the piece she had to play.
This would be harder than she imagined, though.
She nearly fumbled her instrument and gasped in surprise as Anon suddenly pressed himself against her back, wrapping his arms around her and securing her in a warm, cozy embrace. This action elicited a sigh from her, as she was pulled into a semi-spooning, upwards position.
He began to slowly move, swaying her softly to the music she was playing, nuzzling the top of her head affectionately.
Her breath came out in short, shuddering bursts, a blush on her face now clearly visible despite her attempts to appear stoic. This was...too much.
"A-Anon?"
"Yes, Tavi?"
"Please... I need to focus."
Anon smirked. His plan was working.
"Aw come on, Tavi, don't tell me that you want me to stop...helping you for the performance...after all, you do want to have the best posture when you perform, don't you~?"
She gritted her teeth, only vaguely aware that she was playing off-key. Anon was rubbing his cheek on the back of her neck, sending shivers down her spine.
"Anon..."
"Yes, Octavia?"
"Please...stop."
Anon grinned.
"Aw, why? You seem to be relaxed, you're playing so well now—"
"Anon."
"—if anything, I'd say that you're even enjoying yourself, I can feel your heartbeat, and you're shivering so—"
"I will kick you."
...
Anon laughed nervously.
"Go ahead, let's see you try."
The music stopped abruptly, the last few notes echoing around the confines of their apartment. Octavia gingerly lifted the bow off the strings before surreptitiously leaning into Anon's warm hug.
Anon was silent, before giving a low chuckle.
"Well? Should I be doubling over in pain by now?"
"...Depends."
"...On what?"
Octavia shifted a little, wiggling up to rest her head in the crook of his neck, sighing contentedly.
"...Depends on whether you plan on holding me like this throughout the entire evening...or, if you let me go." she cooed, nuzzling Anon's cheek with her own.
Now it was Anon's turn to blush.
"B-but, what if I don't?"
Octavia didn't answer, instead contenting herself with reaching a hoof for her bow again, clearly torn between spending cuddling time with Anon or practicing for her performance.
"Tavi..."
Anon reached out a hand and restrained her forehoof, preventing her from making contact with her beloved instrument.
"Anon...please..." her voice was strained, as if struggling to resign herself to the worst, "... I really have to do this...you know well what this means to me, what this could change for me, for us," she placed a hoof on his cheek, smiling painfully. "...and you also know what could happen if I don't—"
"Octavia Melody, listen to yourself." Anon's voice suddenly became stern. "I know what this means to you, I really do, and I know what could happen if you don't perform this music at Canterlot next week, but while I understand the importance of this performance clearly, what I do not understand is why you have to beat the literal crap out of yourself just to play this one piece."
She was quiet, so Anon took the opportunity to continue.
"... Tavi, in all seriousness, I really think that you should stop for tonight. I want to be supportive, and I promised you that I would be there for you no matter what, but...this is too much. I really hate to see you inflicting this harm on yourself, and for such a trivial reason."
He gripped her a little tighter.
"I hate to see the mare I love this way. You deserve better."
He nuzzled her dark gray hair, burying his face directly into her frazzled mane, the stray strands tickling the side of his face as he rubbed his cheeks against her silky hair, a faint smell of lilac hitting his nostrils and further absorbing him in the moment.
Octavia leaned in, her tail swishing around eagerly, brushing by Anon's shins and leaving tingling sensations on his skin. She sighed and closed her eyes, struggling to remain upright.
They held onto each other like that for a while, with no sound other than their synchronized, relaxed breathing and the ambient chirping of crickets, mixed with muffled sound of ponies who were about their business in the city below.
Anon broke the silence to ask a question.
"Octavia...when was the last time you had a good night's sleep?"
She fidgeted.
"Two days ago."
Anon placed a finger on her chin and lifted her head up to meet her in her tired, glazed eyes.
"Then...won't you come and rest with me in bed? Just for tonight, I promise."
Her ears were pinned down flat against her head as she pondered the offer.
"Well?"
She was twiddling the bow around in her hooves, obviously in a mental battle between the need to rest, and the urge to play. She was biting her lip, considering the best possible option amidst the circumstances.
Eventually, she made up her mind, giving way to the exhaustion and fatigue as she let out a defeated sigh.
"Oh, buck the whole performance."
She threw her bow down on the floor, landing with a clatter. She wiggled free from Anon's embrace and started nudging him playfully towards the bed.
"Come on, now...you asked for this..."
Anon smiled. This was definitely turning out better than he expected.
They were at the edge of the bed, where Octavia gestured towards the covers, a teasing look on her face.
"Hop in."
Anon smirked.
"Ladies first."
Octavia shot Anon a look, before suddenly leaping and tackling him to the bed, pinning him down with two hooves pressed firmly on his chest.
Anon looked sheepishly at Octavia, now towering over him with an half-lidded, flirty expression.
"I...take it that you want to have a little fun before bed?"
Octavia licked her lips before replying, enunciating and adding emphasis to every syllable while rubbing her hoof in circles on Anon's chest.
"Oh...you have no idea~"
She reached over to the light switch with one free hoof, flicking it off and leaving the room in darkness.
The atmosphere suddenly grew warm, in contrast to what it had previously been, and Anon only noticed now how intimate the entire situation was. The air surrounding them had been a cool, steady breeze flowing from the half-open window, where sparse moonlight was filtering through. The curtains were blowing ever so slightly, stirred only by the soft breezes that came through the opening.
There was no light in the room, other than the opaque glow coming from the lamp on their nightstand that casted a dim, ambient light on the both of them, leaving them in an almost complete semi-darkness...the only sounds to be heard were the quiet rustling of the curtains as they brushed by each other, the quiet tick-tock of their alarm, the clock's face reading somewhere past midnight, and their slow, rhythmic breathing...
Anon barely registered any of these as he looked up towards the face of the one who snatched up his heart so long ago.
Her eyes were a beautiful shade of mauve-purple, but in the sparse lighting resembled a shade of mulberry that reminded Anon of the currant jams that would fill the stalls of Ponyville's market in springtime. The beautiful shades of purple reminded Anon on why he loved to stare into her eyes, getting lost in a sea of color as time lost it's meaning and every other worry or care became nonexistent.
Anon nearly jumped out of his skin as Octavia pressed herself against his stomach, adding more weight as she lowered herself onto his lying-down position. She was nearly lying down completely on top of him, her rear hooves reclining comfortably on Anon's ankles, tail flicking around seductively.
Anon, paralyzed from this new advancement, could only stutter and mouth incomprehensible gibberish as she lowered her hindquarters on his spread-out legs, allowing him to straddle her, should he wish. Anon's senses were on fire, especially since she was positioned on top of a very particular area between his legs, a very sensitive area, to be exact.
Octavia chuckled softly, feeling a a bulge beneath her beginning to harden.
"Eager, aren't we~?"
Anon was stuttering, trying to find the right words.
"W-well, this is a very suggestive position, after all—"
"Suggestive of what?"
"I-I, uh..."
Anon's eyes were darting around, trying to look at anything else other than the mare who clearly knew what she was doing.
He was also vaguely aware that she was creeping slowly towards him, her forehoof tracing along his chest before resting on his flushed cheek, keeping his attention entirely on her.
"My love?"
"Y-yeah?"
She leaned in closer.
"...Suggestive of what?"
"Well, uh, suggesting that we...d-do something—"
"... And what would that be, hm~?"
Oh crap.
"I-I, uh..."
Anon desperately wanted to say something, anything, as long as it would mean that she would relinquish her assault on his senses, because by now, overwhelming sensations were coming from his lower half, as well as his upper half, where she was leaning in dangerously close...
Their faces were only inches apart, they could feel each other's breath as their lips moved closer to each other, almost touching.
"Anon...?" Octavia's voice was barely above a whisper.
"Y-yeah?"
She closed her eyes, tenderly slipping her forehooves around his neck, her face now so close that Anon could count her eyelashes.
"... How badly do you need me?"
That did it.
Octavia could feel it too.
She closed the distance between their lips in another passionate kiss, keeping their limbs entwined with one another. A few whines escaped Octavia's throat, as Anon began to straddle her, gently rocking into her with slow, steady hip movements. Their faces were both flushed with a crimson haze, the overwhelming sensations now common between the both of them.
Anon moaned, motivating Octavia to reach down and struggle with the fabric of his shirt. Anon stopped rocking into her, smiling slightly as he reached down to help her pull the shirt off his head.
They managed quite well, but now Anon felt quite bare in comparison to his equine lover. He shivered in the cool breeze, but the feeling of Octavia's luscious, silky coat against his bare skin compensated enough for it. As Anon's shirt came loose, Octavia grabbed it with one hoof and tossed it aside, eyes not leaving Anon for one minute.
"It's...not like you'll need that anymore, darling."
Anon shuddered. Her voice was hinting at something far more intimate than just cuddles. And he really wanted to know what.
"W-why won't I need that, exactly?"
"Oh, Anon... You're so adorable when you try to play innocent."
She leaned in closer to a stuttering Anon, before pressing her lips to Anon's with such vigor and passion that Anon struggled to match.
Anon practically melted into her hug as she threw her hooves around him, deepening the kiss and causing Anon's mind to go blissfully blank. A portion of her mane swept in, blown by a breeze, and fell on the side of his face, bombarding Anon's senses completely. The scent of lilac was at it's strongest now, mingled with her natural scent of pine, likely from how often she applies rosin to her cello.
Anon could also hear his own heartbeat, thudding rapidly in his throat. Breathing shakily, his heart felt like bursting out of his chest when she slipped her tongue inside without warning, overpowering his and issuing a whine from him. He could taste a faint flavor of mint, her toothpaste, he realized. But he could also make out another sweet flavor, vaguely like ginger snaps.
Anon was so lost in the heat of the moment that he forgot that this was just supposed to be a typical cuddling session, but, what care did he have now?
All he cared about was making his marefriend happy. And she indeed seemed to be so, from what Anon could tell, after all, what else could the way she purred against him, or the way that she would cling onto his arm and whisper sweet nothings into his ear in the middle of the night be trying to say?
She loved him.
And of course he loved her back. Deeply. And he was going to tell her that right now.
Anon reached out for her hoof, proceeding to caress her fetlock affectionately. Octavia looked at him, eyes shining bright and reflecting the moonlight from the window.
Anon smiled lovingly before speaking.
"... I love you, Octavia Melody, I truly do, you are the best thing that's ever happened to me, and you made life in Equestria worth living for this lonely human. You are a beautiful and talented mare, and there's not a pony or creature out there that can convince me otherwise."
Octavia's smile absolutely reduced Anon to a warm, happy puddle as she responded with equal, sincere commitments of undying affection.
"I love you too, Anon. From the bottom of my heart to the last atom of my being. There's not music out there that I can play that can describe how I truly feel for you, because you are the music that makes my life more beautiful. You are what brought back meaning to this musician's cold, empty life..."
Her smile grew wider, matched only by Anon's, her voice trembling ever so slightly.
"... And you are the greatest masterpiece that's ever happened to me. And nopony can ever take that away."
She smiled mischievously at him, shimmying up his bare chest to press his head against the crook of her neck, sighing comfortably.
Anon shivered as she wiggled in his embrace. Her fur felt nice, in a ticklish, tingly sort of way.
They were both silent for a while, unsure of what to do now that they were relaxed and carefree. Their arms and hooves were still intertwined lovingly with each other, caressing each other comfortably and snuggly to the point that sleep was inevitable.
There was still a little bit of the mood left over from their...cuddling, however, and this Anon planned to use to his advantage.
"... Tavi?"
"Mm-hmm?"
"You, uh, said I wouldn't be needing my shirt anymore, right?"
Octavia's flirty expression returned, amidst a grin that was forming on her face.
"You won't be needing the rest, either."
The familiar heat returned to Anon's face, as Octavia reached down to slide his shorts off.
Now as bare as possible, Anon reached out to pull her into another intimate embrace, pausing for a while, debating whether to continue with what he had in mind.
Ah, well, he pulled a giggling, blushing Octavia towards him.
Whatever makes her happy.
THE END