//------------------------------// // Chapter Seven // Story: Generosity // by Richie Richter //------------------------------// Chapter Seven Tenderhoof yawned and looked from the doorway over at the desk in the corner. The soft scritching of a pen on paper reached his ears. He smirked and started creeping across the floor, making his large self as small as possible. Once he reached the desk, he hesitated for a moment and then jumped and shouted at the pony inside. Checker startled, her glasses shot off onto the floor, and she somehow managed to swallow the pen she was writing with. She instinctively clutched at her throat and started trying to hack it up.         "Oh shit!" He rushed around the desk through the little door and yanked her out of the spinning office chair. He set her back down in the middle of the room and pulled the smaller body up to his chest. He wrapped his forelegs around her belly. Checker let go of her throat and braced herself against the floor with her legs. He leaned over her and and began to pump with his forelegs. She choked and sputtered some more as Tenderhoof grunted with each pump of his hooves as he continued to work on her. At this point, they were both making a lot of noise and were covered in sweat.         Rarity was tramping down the stairs. She was in a sour mood, and was really not ready to see two forty somethings getting busy in the middle of the room. With one look at the couple, she was bright red. Rarity shook her head and flew back up the stairs. It was quite the change of emotion from what she had just been feeling. She sat on the top step, the couple out of sight but not out of mind, breathing heavily.       With a few more pulls, the pen shot out onto the floor. Both collapsed to the ground, and Tenderhoof rolled over, bringing Checker with him onto his chest. Checker was covering her mouth, coughing. "Are you alright?"         "Yea, I'm fine." She wiped her mouth, still breathing hard.         "Do I need to give you mouth to mouth too?"         "Shut up. Don't think you can wheedle your way out of this one."         "I think I can manage." He grinned and looked up behind him. He eyed the pen across the room before drawing his eyes back to Checker. "C'mon, you're fine." He wrapped his hooves around her back and started rubbing her wings before moving in for a kiss. She pushed off before he could plant it. "Hey! C'mon, I'm sorry, okay. Gimmie a kiss." He chased after her as she tried to return to her desk. "Checker, I'm sorry if I gave you a scare alright. I am." Checker stopped and turned in place.         "I forgive you. But don’t do that again. Especially when I'm writing."         "Ok, I promise... Maybe," he whispered. She glared back.         "Just not when I'm writing then, ok? I don't want to go choking on- aghh!" Checker wailed and fell to the floor.         "Checks!" He came to her side. "Are you alright?"         "What do you think!" She took in a sharp breath through her teeth. "My back! It's my back!"         "Is it? Ok, I know what to do." He took her by the hoof and rose her to a standing position while she cried out in agony. "You remember how to tango right? It's been awhile." He grinned.         "Tango? What the f-" He reared her back onto her hind legs. They leaned against each other to keep standing.         "Okayyyy, and one and two and one and..." she continued to scream in pain as Tenderhoof dragged her through all the steps. "And...spin!" He held one hoof in the air so that she could twirl in place under it. She continued to yell, and she would have grabbed at her back but her hooves were being held in place by his. They did a few more steps and then, "Here comes the dip! You ready? No? Are you sure? Yes? Too late! Aaaand Dip!" He held out one of his legs and draped Checker across it. There was a snap. A loud snap. Her initial screams slowly dropped into deep moans of relief as she melted across his hoof like plastic in a mold. She flung her head back and let her hooves fall around her. Her wings unfurled to their full length. She hung around his hoof for a few seconds, moaning. The clip in her hair had fallen out. He swung her back up to his face, their noses touched. She was grinning. "Better?" She nodded once. "Better!"         He let her back down to all fours. She quickly recollected the clip and bunched her hair back up. She twisted her torso a few times. "Yeahhh, that's better." The smile ran away from her face and was replaced with a scowl. "You could be a little more gentle next time, when your giving the heimlich. And for that matter when you're trying to fix my back. A massage would have worked just as well and it wouldn't have been so painful. Ow."         "It wouldn't have been as quick either." He grinned. "Or as fun."         "You know I'm not as limber as I used to be, Tender."         "I disagree! You're plenty flexible to still be able to dance like that." She blushed.         "Just try and be a little more gentle with me next time." He started snickering, but stopped when he saw the sad look in her eyes. "I'm." She stopped and sighed. "I'm getting old, Tender... I am old."         "Don't you dare say that!" He rushed up to her. "You're not old! You're just...aging."         "Yeah, and not very gracefully." He cupped one of her cheeks.         "Those ponies in the retirement home? They're old. You? You're not old. Old ponies can't dance like that. In my eyes you're still the same pony I met all those years ago. And that's all that matters."         "But, my face! Wrinkles everywhere! And my coat is dull and I think I'm starting to lose some of my hair and whatever hair isn't falling out is starting to turn grey at the roots, and...well, when I look at a mare like Rarity, who's so young and beautiful, with a perfect coat and mane and skin that doesn't bunch up around the eyes, I just...it's-" Tenderhoof pulled her into a hug.         "And none of that matters, Checks, because to me, you're still beautiful. You always will be." He raised his head off of her shoulder and pressed his muzzle to hers. He pulled away and nosed a tear from her eye. "And that's the truth." She gave him a quick peck before she let go. She smiled, straightened herself out, and turned to retreat behind her desk. Tenderhoof followed her in. "You're still not done with your work?"         "It's been a busy day, yes," Checker said. She slung her glasses back around her neck and put them over her eyes. She sat down in her office chair and spun around to her papers. Tenderhoof hugged her from behind and rested his head on her shoulder.         "How much more do you have to do?"         "Not much, I'm almost done."         He took the clip out of her hair and let it fall around her shoulders. "Such beautiful hair doesn't deserve to be pent up like that all the time." He tossed it a little, wrapped a bit around his hoof and tugged at it. He ran his hooves through it and flipped it over her ears and around and across her shoulders. He hugged her again, this time leaving his head on top of hers. He left a few kisses in her mane. "Can't you do any of this tomorrow?"         "No, Tender, I need to finish at least this much today. I promise I won't have nearly this much to do tomorrow." He raised his head and started to spin her chair in circles. She looked oddly cute in the massive chair. Like a filly that had wandered into her daddy’s office chair. He kept it spinning. "Stop that." He spun it a little faster. "Stop that, Tender, I need to work," she said, almost laughing. "Stop!" he gave her one last spin, and then backed away. She slowed to a stop, and through some coincidence, the chair came to a stop facing him.         "You can't take even a little break?"         "I’m sorry, but no.” “You’re no fun.” “Well then why did you marry me?” “I-I don’t know...” He clutched his head. His face grew worried as well as his tone. “I-is this not working out, Check?" He fell to his haunches. "Oh god, It’s not is it? All these years...for nothing.” They met eyes and both cracked a smile. “Tease,” she whispered. “Tease,” he muttered back before leaning in for a peck. Their ears perked and they turned their heads just in time to see Rarity stumbling down the stairs. “Rarity? Everything alright?” “Oh! Yes, yes.” She shook her head and blinked a few times. She looked across the room to see Checker and Tenderhoof both perched up on the desk with their forehooves hanging over. “Just a little dizzy.” “Can I get you some water?” asked Checker. “Yes, please. Thank you.” Checker came out through the door and went away down the hall, returning a few seconds later with a glass. Rarity took it in her magic and choked the liquid down. When was the last time I drank tap water? There really is nothing like an icy glass of Perrier. Perrier with a lemon wedge... Even if it is two dollars a bottle. She sighed and shook off the rest of her daze. “Thank you. That’s much better.” Checker nodded and took the glass back down the hall. Rarity turned back towards the desk and Tenderhoof was already standing in front of her. They both smiled and started pawing at the tile floor. After a moment more of awkward silence, Checker returned. “Tenderhoof told me that you would like to meet for dinner sometime?” “Oh, yes! We spoke earlier, and I was just thinking that we have never really gotten to know each other, and because I don’t plan on going anywhere anytime soon, I thought we could sit down someplace nice and just...talk, I suppose.” “That sounds like a great idea,” said Checker, “do you have a place in mind?” “Well...well I wouldn’t want to impose...” “How about we go to that new place down on Mane Street,” Tenderhoof said. Checker twitched at the mention of the restaurant. He glanced over to see his wife's expression. “A bit spendy, yes, but I’ve heard it’s worth it. Great food. Great service. Excellent atmosphere. Well, at least that’s what the reviewers are saying. And live music too!” “Oh, that would be splendid! I’ve wanted to have dinner there for quite some time now.” “Then it’s a date. Does next Friday work for you? We can get someone else to watch the orphanage that night. Easy.” “I’m sure that will work. My schedule is flexible.” “Great! And we’ll see if we can get our daughter to come down too. I’m sure she’d love to meet you.” “Did you say daughter? See! This is exactly what I’m talking about. Almost a year we’ve know each other now, and I had absolutely no idea!” “Oh yes! Just one, though,” said Checker. “She’s studying up at the University of Canterlot. Material Science.” “Really? That school isn’t easy to get into. Your daughter must be very bright... I studied there too, you know. School of fashion design. Top of my class.” Rarity smiled and swelled up with pride before exchanging the look for a devious smirk. “Ohhh I can remember this one time I...oh dear, the time. I apologize, but I really must get going if I want to beat this storm. But I’m sure we’ll have plenty of time to talk this coming Friday!” “I’m sure we will,” Checker said with a smile. “Thank you again for your weekly contributions Rarity. You have no idea.” “Of course... And I want to thank you two. The things you manage to do for these children despite all that’s stacked against you. It's amazing.” Rarity gave a slight bow before turning and opening the door. She poked her head outside and glanced around at the darkening sky. She hesitated and looked back over her shoulder. “Just one more thing. Please...please just keep an extra close eye on Silver Streak for me, would you? She was acting a bit...strange today.”         “Really? Umm, okay,” stuttered Checker, “thank you for telling us that Rarity, we’ll look for anything out of the ordinary.”         “Thank you.”         “Have a nice evening!” Tenderhoof said.         “So long.” Rarity turned her head and made her way out, closing the door behind her. Tenderhoof pulled his wife into a half hug. He kissed the top of her head as they both stared off into space. “Rarity. Rarity. Rarity. Some element of generosity you are.”