Laying on a blanket, Tarnished Teapot looked up at the stars, his stomach full of macaroni pie. Beside him, Maud Pie was also sprawled out on her back, her forehooves folded and resting upon her barrel.
This was something that they did almost every night now. Sometimes, they talked. Sometimes, no words were needed. They would just lie beside one another and watch the myriad of stars overhead.
“Tarnish, how long have we known one another?” Maud asked.
“I dunno…” Tarnish reached up and scratched his chin. “I’ve spent two weeks here with you on the farm… and we were together for about a week or so during that trip home—”
“Is this place home for you, Tarnish?” Maud turned her head and looked at Tarnish.
“I… um, well, I might have misspoke… I don’t know, I guess I said it without thinking—”
“If you wanted to call it home, you could. It would make me happy.” Maud’s eyes glittered, reflecting the starlight. “It’s been three long weeks. Do you love me?”
“Yes, yes I do… I love you madly in ways that I cannot possibly explain.” Tarnish closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He heard the rustle of fabric beside him and felt something brush up against his side.
Opening his eyes, he saw Maud Pie. She was standing up and he could see her silhouette in the starlight. There was a thump as her belt dropped to the ground. When she started to slide her smock off over her head, Tarnish’s heart picked up speed and he wondered what Maud was up to.
Sitting back on her haunches, Maud folded up her smock, placed it down upon the ground, placed Boulder on top of her folded smock, patted Boulder with her hoof, and then said, “Look after this for me, Boulder.”
“You took your smock off,” Tarnish said.
“There’s no sun for me to get sunburned. I don’t need it.” Maud shivered in the chilly night air. She stepped back onto the blanket and stood looking down at Tarnish. “Look, I can’t make what it is that I want any clearer. I’ve tried dropping hints, but that didn’t work. I’ve been laying out on this blanket with you hoping that you would try to make your move.”
“I wanted to… I really, really wanted to, but I behaved myself… I… I don’t want to mess things up… I don’t want this to end.” Tarnish looked up and discovered that there was something about having a mare looking down at you, her mane tumbling around her face.
“This isn’t ending. This is beginning.” Maud’s voice, a monotone as always, was little more than a whisper. Maud laid down beside Tarnish. “Let me make this clear. This is me hoping that you will make your move.”
“Um…”
“Just be good to me Tarnish.”
“Maud, I… well, I really don’t know what I’m doing, I mean, there was… but I… but then… and when I did it I didn’t think about her and I just wanted to make myself feel good… and… well… I don’t want to let you down and you are the most amazing mare I’ve ever met and I don’t want you disappointed with me and I am so scared right now that I-hmmlph”
Maud silenced Tarnished by sticking her hoof into his mouth. “I’ll make this easy for you. I like when you nibble on my ears and give them little tugs. Start there.” She pulled her hoof from Tarnish’s mouth after she saw him nod. “And just so you don’t worry… I’m on the pill. I went and got some from Doctor Hedge just a few days after we came home.”
Stretching out his neck, Tarnish went to work, nibbling on Maud’s ear.
As Cloudy Quartz moved about the kitchen, fixing lunch, her instincts told her something was amiss. Maud’s mane had been standing up all morning. Seeing it at breakfast had caused a few giggles between the twins, but now, Cloudy was aware that something was off. Maud had been working all morning and so had Tarnish. And unless they had snuck off somewhere for a quick smooch…
No!
Cloudy Quartz took a deep breath as she looked at Maud, who was sitting at the table, drinking water, and taking a bit of a break. The matron of the pie family gnawed her lip for a moment, wondering what to say, what to do.
“Maudlin Persephone Pie… did you—”
“Did I what?” Maud set down her glass of water and looked at her mother. She hadn’t heard her mother use her full name in a long, long time.
“Maud, your mane… it’s been sprung all morning. Did you and Tarnish…” Cloudy let her question fade out, not wanting to make it sound like an accusation.
“So what if we did?” Maud picked up her glass and took a drink.
“Maud… you’re not in trouble… I… I’m your mother and I love you and I worry about you and I want so very much for you to be happy.”
Maud, holding her glass in her folded fetlock, reached up and pointed at her mane with her other hoof. “See this? This right here? This mess? This means I’m happy. Mother, your little filly grew up.”
The back door opened and Tarnished Teapot walked into the kitchen. He stood in front of the door as it closed behind him, took one look around, and then froze. Right away, Tarnish knew that the kitchen was the last place that he wanted to be.
“Hello Tarnish. My mother was just commenting on my mane.” Maud took a sip of water and then lowered the hoof she had been using to point at the crazed mass of curls. She rested it upon the table.
Hanging his head, Tarnish sighed. “I suppose it is time to face the music.”
“I’m very happy for both of you,” Cloudy said as she took a step backwards from Maud. “I should get back to fixing lunch. Igneous will be hungry when he gets back from town.”
Tarnish scooted forward, sidestepped Cloudy, and then sat down beside Maud. He glanced over at the earth pony beside him. Maud Pie, who liked having her ears nibbled. Maud Pie, who always sounded bored and uninterested.
Except for last night, when Tarnish had discovered a way to make Maud make noises, to make Maud respond. He had discovered a way to make Maud make faces. Adorable faces. Funny faces. Silly faces. And all he had to do was…
“Tarnish, you’re breathing hard. Are you alright? Did you bump your bad leg again?”
Maud’s voice snapped Tarnish from his reverie. He blinked, blushed, and looked at Maud. He tried to say something but all that came out was a faint whinny.
“Tarnish?” Maud leaned over, trying to see if Tarnish was okay.
Not knowing what else to do, Tarnish’s head darted forwards and he planted a quick peck upon Maud’s snoot. He then sat back in his chair and began to giggle.