Luna could not get the smile off her muzzle if she wanted. She was laying intertwined with Jax on the bed, slipping in and out of consciousness.
They were facing each other, their lips barely apart. Sometime one or both of them would lean in and kiss the other - when both of them did it extended to a longer session.
It felt so natural. Luna thought she would have problems with her first kiss, but in the moment instinct just took over. She wondered if her first mating session would feel the same way. She had considered doing it then and there, but there really was not any need to rush, and Jax seemed to be fine with that. He had a smile on his lips as well.
She felt like she could just lay there forever. She was so content with everything, it was almost unreal. Everything had gone better than she would ever have thought, even if she did not deserve-
No… none of that now. She was happy. Everything was perfect. Jax had kissed her of his own free will, that meant he felt the same way as she did. Right?
“Jax?”
“Mmm?”
He was so adorable, laying there with closed eyes. She could not resist the urge to lean in and kiss him. He ran his hand over her neck as he kissed her back. It felt amazing, all of this. She could not wrap her head around it.
She pulled back. It was time to see if he felt the same way. She took a deep breath, preparing herself mentally. She was going to tell him that she-
“I love you.” She blinked. She looked down at his green eyes. They looked at her with a wonder that few looked at her with. Did he just say….
He let his hand run up until it rested on her muzzle. “It’s okay if you don’t say it back. Maybe it’s a bit too early to come with confessions like these, it’s just… you make me so happy I can’t even comprehend it. If that isn’t love, then I don’t know what is.”
She leaned in and kissed him passionately. He had a habit of making her feel warm, fuzzy, content and simply… loved. And that made her very happy. It is as he said. If that is not love, then what is? Making each other happy, trusting each other with their feelings… that was the kind of relationship she longed for.
She finally broke off the kiss and looked him in the eyes. “I love you too, my dear Jax.” She said honestly, before looking away, slightly embarrassed. “And though it will not be easy, I would love for you to be my special somepony.”
His hand guided her head back to face him. He had that smile, the teasing one. “You do realize that I’m not-“
“I know you are not a pony!” She burst out laughing. “I do not want to remind you that I know your body better than most other ponies.”
“Alright, alright.” He laughed, before becoming serious again. “But it doesn’t bother you at all? We’re different species after all. I know it’s a long way down the line from now, but I don’t think we will be able have children. Hell, I’m not even sure-“
Luna put a hoof over his mouth. She leaned in to better look him in the eyes. “I choose you, a human, as my mate, and I accept every complication that will arise with that choice. To Tartarus with my reputation, I want to be happy, and I am happy with you. As for children, alicorns have a low pregnancy rate already, and I do not feel ready to give birth to one in any case. Even when time takes its toll on you, and you have to move on, I will not complain. This I promise you. So I ask again: Will you be my mate?”
He took hold of her hoof to remove it from his mouth, but kept it in his grip, giving it a small squeeze. He gave her a small smile, his eyes practically radiating joy. “Luna, I would love to be your… erm, mate. Boyfriend. Whatever you want to call it.” Luna’s smile widened at his words. “Listen, I don’t know much about dating a pony, so-“
“That makes two of us.” She smiled at his surprised face.
“Really? Haven’t you lived for like… hundreds of years?”
She nodded. “You are my first kiss as well.”
“Well… right back at you. I guess there will be many ‘firsts’ then” His smile betrayed his relief. She felt the same way. It was soothing to know that they both went into this relationship with equal amounts of experience.
“With patience from both sides, I am certain we can overcome any obstacles that should present themselves.”
They smiled at each other, even as they closed their eyes again to doze off. Luna had been up all night, so she was more tired than she cared to admit. No matter how long she could stay awake for, she preferred to sleep. Even so, she could not quite fall properly asleep. She did not want to. She wanted to enjoy as much time with Jax as she could, she would have to teleport back to Canterlot in a couple of hours after all.
“Tell me… Tell me something about back then… back before you were banished.” Jax suddenly asked, sounding close to sleep. Perhaps he was asking to keep himself from falling asleep? It was hard to tell.
“There is not much to tell. Things were different, but not so different that I cannot recognize many things. Yet many things are completely new to me. The first time I saw a train, I checked three times whether I was dreaming.” She giggled at her own folly. “A wonderful invention that helps many ponies.” She frowned a bit. “Something less wonderful is that dreadful music that was invented… what was it called? Techno and… and… stepping on the bub.”
Jax burst out laughing. “There’s a music genre here called stepping on the bub?! Oh man, that sounds genius, where can I hear it?”
Luna looked at him in confusion. Did he not know? “You already have. It was played at your ‘Welcome to Ponyville’ party.”
“Ohhhkay… You mean dubstep.” He sounded a little disappointed. His expression changed to a smile again. “I like ‘stepping on the bub’ better though.”
Luna blushed a little. She coughed into a hoof. “Yes, dubstep, that is the term. It sounds like a bunch of dying cats trying to escape a deranged timberwolf.”
Jax started laughing again. “You kind of sound like a granny right now.” He changed his voice to fit that of Granny Smith. “You youngsters and your techno and stepping on the bub!”
She was caught somewhere between being amused at his imitation and being hurt by his bluntness. It was a weird feeling. “I am pretty old you know.” She pouted playfully.
He waved her off. “I know, I know, and if it was me that was suddenly thrown a thousand years forward, I probably would have problems adjusting as well. You’re doing well, Luna. As I said, I like ‘stepping on the bub’ better. Sounds funnier.”
She smiled lazily at the surge of warmth that spread through her. She loved this feeling.
“How were you and Celestia back then? Did she actually say ‘Surely, there is no pony so lovely and so well beloved as I’? It doesn’t sound like something she would say, though I have to admit I don’t know her very well.”
Luna pondered the question. “Something you have to understand, my dear Jax, is that time changes us. Not as much as a normal pony, but still. So when you ask how we were back then, it’s hard to give you an answer, since our personalities changed during the centuries.” She thought some more on the subject. “I am guessing you mean right before I was… banished though. In that case, while I did not hear her say such words, Celestia was more prideful back then, and I would not put it past her. She has toned down on her pride and focused on her… motherly nature during the centuries I was… gone.” Though it still hurt a little to think about, it felt freeing to talk so calmly about the subject. She knew Jax did not see her as a monster, he had made that very clear for her, making it possible to talk about the past without too much discomfort.
“And you?” His voice was gentle.
“I was… also prideful. Mixed with the pride was loneliness and a wish for appreciation on an impossible scale. I used to compare myself to Tia a lot, I still accidentally do sometimes, though I try not to… I normally catch myself before I go too deep. There is naught but depression on that path.” She felt she should be sad, but it seemed like all the good that had happened that day made it impossible for her to fall into the pool of depression. She had even managed to sing that damned song for him without too many problems.
“Well at least you have something she will most likely never have. The best goddamn human in Equestria.” He smiled at the joke.
She nuzzled him lovingly. “I would rather just not compare.”
He nodded with the smile still there. Then it slowly faded. “I’m so fucking happy right now Luna, because you’re telling me these kinds of things. It’s a bit unfair that you should be the only one to talk about your past, so there’s something you need to know about me. The details about how I ended up here.”