That wasn’t quite the wedding that Tarnished Teapot had expected, but then again, he had never given much thought to being married. This whole day had been very, very long so far. His mother was smiling again, but also crying, and she kept muttering about something that Tarnish could not quite make out. Pinkie Pie was her usual bouncy self. And Maud, Maud was Maud. Tarnish figured that Maud would tell him how she was feeling about all of this later.
Realising that something was amiss, that something had been forgotten, Tarnish came to a halt and then said, “Maud… hold up.”
“What?” Maud turned and looked at Tarnish.
“There is something I need to do.” Tarnish felt his mouth go dry at the worst possible moment, and he was all too aware that his mother was staring at him. So was Maud. Pinkie Pie was still bouncing ahead, not at all aware that the others had stopped.
Licking his lips, Tarnish became aware that other ponies were staring, watching, waiting, at least it felt that way. It felt as though there were a million eyes focused on Tarnish right now. He took a step forward, closer to Maud, he could feel himself trembling, and the way that Maud stared at him wasn’t making anything any easier. He tilted his head off to one side, and he could feel his lips quivering. Just before contact, he closed his eyes, and then felt his snoot bump up against something warm, somewhat fuzzy, and a little damp from her breathing. He found her lips and then drew Maud in, kneading his lips against hers, she was unmoving, at least right at this moment, but Tarnish knew that she would respond; she always did.
He could feel his lips sliding over hers, there was a growing moistness, and he felt Maud react. Her head tilted to one side, and he could feel her breathing. He felt one strong foreleg wrap around his neck, pulling him closer, and he could feel Maud against his chest, against the base of his neck. He felt the tip of Maud’s tongue flick against his lips, a little curious lick, and he returned the gesture. He opened his eyes, only just a little, and could see that Maud’s eyes were closed. Tarnish closed his eyes once more, relying upon his other senses. Maud was a slow kisser. She did everything with a slow, careful pace.
Tarnish might have initiated this kiss, but now he was along for the ride. He felt his knees wobble as suction increased. Maud was working the kiss now, slippery lips slid across one another, and Tarnish was overwhelmed by the rough sensation of Maud’s tongue sliding back and forth across his own. There was friction in the kiss, even with the slipperiness, and Tarnish could feel his lips growing warmer. Feeling emboldened, Tarnish asserted a bit of dominance, getting ahold of Maud’s bottom lip and suckling upon it, his tongue now moving like a paint brush back and forth over the edge of her lower lip.
He heard a whinny and felt heavy breath flooding into his mouth; it took a moment to realise that it was Maud whinnying. Tarnish was seeing stars now, and the need for air was almost painful. Regretting his action even before he did it, he pulled away, leaving behind a thin trailing string of slobber that he did not see because his eyes were closed.
Trembling, his whole body shaking, Tarnish struggled to breathe. He felt breathless. He opened his eyes. Maud’s mane was a curly mess now. Her eyes were closed, and she was sucking on her own lips. Other than that, she was as she always was, and her expression was unreadable.
The rushing sound in Tarnish’s ears subsided, the sound of blood rushing, and Tarnish became aware of the fact that ponies were hooting and cheering. He had himself a quick glance around. There were a lot of ponies hooting and cheering.
“That was some kiss.”
Embarrassed, Tarnished Teapot realised that was his mother’s voice. He drew in another shuddering breath and felt Maud’s foreleg let go of him, slipping away, allowing him to take a few steps back. He saw Maud’s eyes open halfway, and her usual somewhat sleepy somewhat bored expression returned.
“You.” Maud said in a flat, seductive monotone. “Later, you and I are going to finish what you just started.”
At least, Tarnish imagined it as a seductive monotone. In his ears, it was the most alluring voice he could think of. It held all sorts of promise of wonderful things to come. That was the magic of Maud’s voice; it left a little to the imagination. It was a little like seeing a mare dressed up in a sexy, seductive dress. It left her covered up and what she looked like beneath it was left up to the imagination.
“Is it just me or is it warm?” Maud asked.
“I’m warm too!” one of the ponies who witnessed the kiss shouted.
“It is a little warm,” Pinny said, her red, bloodshot eyes somehow looking happy.
“Did I miss something?” Pinkie Pie asked as she came bouncing back.
“You know, I think everything is going to be okay… and this day can be salvaged.” Pinny Lane looked at Maud, then at Pinkie, and then at her colt. “I’ve gained a daughter.”
Pinkie Pie, her blue eyes filling up with tears, stood there, smiling, her lips trembling. “Take me too!” Pinkie cried as she tackled Pinny Lane, bowling her over, wrapping her forelegs around Pinny’s neck. “Take me, take me, take me!”
“Okay, several daughters…”
The impromptu party in Sugarcube Corner seemed to be taking off. Sipping a cup of poison joke tea, Tarnish sat in the corner, pleased about the soft blue glow from his amulet. His mother was chatting with Mrs. Cake while Mr. Cake looked after Pound and Pumpkin, who seemed to be the life of the party, with guests fawning over both of them.
Maud was dancing with her sister Pinkie Pie. Maud stood there, more or less, while Pinkie Pie bounced in circles around Maud. There was music, and even if it was music that Tarnish didn’t care for, it seemed that everypony else was enjoying it. Tarnish, an odd sort when it came to music, liked waltzes. Or music with a lot of horns.
He gulped down the last of his tea, summoned his courage, got up from his seat, crossed the room, pushed past several ponies, and approached Maud with one eyebrow raised in what Tarnished hoped looked suave and sophisticated.
“Excuse me, Pinkie Pie, but might I borrow your sister for a dance?” Tarnish asked.
“Sure! Just return her when you’re done,” Pinkie Pie replied in a chirpy, almost syrupy voice that bubbled with good cheer.
Bowing his head, Tarnish then gave Maud a saucy wink as he lifted his head back up. He extended his leg that had a cast on it, then smiled. “Dance with me?”
“Oh, I don’t know, we hardly know one another,” Maud replied in a disinterested sounding voice. “My mother warned me about dancing with strange colts. They can get gropy.”
Snickering, Tarnish’s eyes narrowed as his grin widened. “Why, Missus Pie, make no mistake, I do intend to grope you.”
“Hmm… at least you’re honest about it.” Maud blinked and looked as though she might drop into a deep slumber at any moment. “I’ll dance with you, but the hooves stay above the cutie marks. Don’t get fresh with me or you’ll be sorry.”
Moving with slow assurance, Maud rose up onto her hind hooves, lifted Tarnish up, and steadied him before he fell over backwards. She slipped a foreleg around his ribs, and her other foreleg around his neck, just above his withers. She felt his forelegs slip around her in much the same position, and the coarseness of his cast was rough against her smock covered back.
“Wait, you can actually dance?” Tarnish asked as Maud whisked him around.
“All four of us Pie sisters can dance. Mother insisted on us taking lessons. She has this long lecture about good and proper mares knowing how to dance.” Maud hugged Tarnish a little closer. “I think I understand now why she was so insistent about the issue.”
“When we’re alone, when it's just us, and we’re out in the field somewhere, and the day is done, and the stars are out, will you teach me how to dance?” Tarnish asked in a low voice, leaning against Maud, feeling her neck against his, he could feel her breathing and something about it excited him.
“Oh, I think I’d like that,” Maud said in a dull, flat monotone. “The nights were the worst. It got lonely out there. Sometimes, more than anything, I just wanted to go home so I could be with somepony that loved me.”
“It’s hard being lonely. I understand that.” Tarnish almost stumbled and he felt Maud holding him up as he regained his hoofing. “You know, just so you know, I really do love you. I really do want to spend the rest of my life with you. I want to know your secrets.”
“I guess I’d better come up with some secrets.” Maud heaved a contented sigh as she continued dancing neck to neck.
“Is this how you imagined getting married?” Tarnish asked.
“Tarnish, before I met you, I never had dreams about getting married. I gave up on those. I didn’t think that anypony would be interested. Nopony really put much effort in trying to understand me,” Maud replied. “I had dreadful fears Tarnish… that I would be the sort of mare that lives with her parents to stave off loneliness. That I’d be the weird aunt that vicariously has foals through her sisters and is kinda creepy to be around. I was afraid of being bitter and disillusioned, burned out on life, living only for my career and my studies.”
“That’s awful.” Tarnish closed his eyes and ran the hoof of his good leg up and down Maud’s spine. “I’m glad we found each other.” Tarnish was aware that there was a crowd around them, but they all seemed distant somehow. He continued to allow his hoof to slide up and down Maud’s spine.
“That was almost below my cutie mark,” Maud said in deadpan. “Just you wait until I tell my mother about you.”
Chortling, Tarnish pressed himself against Maud, clinging to her, allowing his hoof to keep wandering. The fabric of her smock was smooth and slippery against his pelt and there were little crinkling sounds as he moved against her. Pulling his head away, Tarnished Teapot opened his eyes just enough to guide his muzzle to her lips once more. He pressed in, soft at first, he could feel the plumpness of Maud’s lips against his. He felt her lips part, just a little, and he was aware of the hardness of Maud’s teeth, he could feel them pressed against the back of her lips. Her mouth opened a little more, her teeth spreading apart, and Tarnish could feel the softness in Maud’s lips now, and like everything else about her, they were muscular and firm.
There was something arousing when a mare opened herself up, inviting you inside, giving you a willing invitation. The back of Tarnish’s mind contemplated this aspect of life as the kiss intensified. She was trusting you, trusting in your gentleness and your decency. She was trusting in love, trusting that when she opened herself up, that she would not be hurt. A mare was vulnerable in these moments, opened, exposed, their tender places, the very places that made them feminine, were now unguarded and there was an invitation to experience the most intimate touch of all. She was inviting you inside, where her heart was.
With all of this floating in the back of his mind, Tarnish’s tongue crept forward, past Maud’s lips, a curious visitor, and he felt Maud’s tongue rising up to say hello. The underside of her tongue was smooth, standing out in sharp contrast against the rough topside. He felt one of Maud’s forelegs slip from around him, and then he felt something under his chin, tilting his head back, and then he felt Maud press her advantage and her lips against him, applying pressure. His hind knees buckled and he felt his legs give way, but he did not fall. Maud was holding him up, her one strong foreleg still wrapped around his body.
Recovering, Tarnish kicked his hind legs downwards, bracing himself, pushing upwards, his body sliding against Maud, and he lifted his good foreleg up, wrapped it around Maud’s neck, and hooked his fetlock around the back of Maud’s head, pulling her in even tighter. His lips were tingling now, almost throbbing, and he could feel the blood rushing through his ears.
After a few more intense seconds, he pulled away, gasping, aware that the kiss needed to end before his arousal became a growing problem. He stared into Maud’s open eyes, fell in, and got lost, never wanting to be found.
Gazing into each other’s eyes, the pair was unaware that the entire party had stopped and everypony in the room was now staring at them, wide eyed, mouths open, awestruck by the blistering display of romantic affection.