Nº 2
A quick, tune-like knock pulled Tea Leaf's ears from her favorite record to the door, a little knot forming in her stomach as she looked to the clock that hung in the living room; exactly 9:00 PM. Perfectly on time. With haste, Tea turned to the sink, running her flour-coated hooves under the luke-warm water for a moment before drying them on a towel hung from the oven's wide handle. As she trotted from the kitchen down the short entrance hall, that little knot in her stomach tightened. She stood with her hoof on the door knob for a moment, taking a breath as she finally opened it. Instantly, her nostrils were filled with the pure vanilla scent being given off by Fleur De Lis. A wonderful smile rested upon her gently pink lips, her similarly-hued eyes seeming to glimmer despite being in the relatively dim hall of the building, and her pink mane flowed with perfection; not a hair was out of place.
"Right on time, Miss De Lis! I don't know how you're so perfectly timed," greeted Tea as she stepped aside, allowing Fleur to step inside.
"I keep my time better than I keep my appearance," returned Fleur with a smile.
"Well, I don't know about that..."
Fleur's ears hadn't quite picked up Tea's little comment as she stepped further inside, her eyes browsing over the quaint apartment.
"Your place is adorable, it's exactly what I was expecting from two college students."
Her steps came to a pause as her eyes were drawn to the outside world beyond the apartment's two sliding glass doors that led to a small balcony.
"My goodness! Look at that view!"
"Gold Thread and I have to pay a bit more for rent for the side facing Canterlot, but it's well worth it."
"On the note of your friend and roommate, how has this internship of hers been going?" inquired Fleur De Lis as she stepped past the couch and coffee table in the living room towards the porch.
"Really well, actually," Tea made her way the rest of the way down the entrance hall into the kitchen, "she basically has a job at the place; the only reason it's still an internship is because she's in school. Next year when she graduates the position she's got will become her full-time job."
"Really? Well, that's wonderful! So, she's a Junior like you?"
"No; she's a Senior, it's just that next year is graduation."
Fleur hummed as she turned from the window, looking around in the dimly lit apartment; the only light being provided by the kitchen. For two college students, they kept their abode quite tidy, any piles of books or papers had a rhyme and reason to them, and there weren't random items scattered across the small living room. To her immediate right was a single, closed door; one she assumed would lead to the bedroom.
"I'm going to assume you have a single bedroom and bathroom?"
"Yep. Keeps things cheap, and the bedroom is big enough for us to have two beds."
"And having a single bath doesn't get annoying? Two mares trying to ready themselves in the morning with a single bathroom sounds like pure chaos." Fleur noted, dropping her haunches to the cushiony couch, her ears only lightly tuning in on the guitar, drums and male vocals playing from the record player sat atop its own little podium before the coffee table.
The clanking of pots drew Fleur's attention towards the kitchen, the angle at which she sat making it so that only the back of Tea's head was visible through the open window of the kitchen's wall. "She gets up at 7, I get up at 5. Things work out pretty nicely."
Now curious with the commotion in the kitchen, Fleur got to her hooves and walked into the kitchen, stopping at the entrance and placing her front hooves atop the edge of the counter, her pose purposefully showing off the contour of her stomach and hind legs. "I feel as if this should have been the first thing I should have asked; what are you preparing for us?"
"Homemade pizza; one's cheese, and the other is garlic, olive oil instead of tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, and peppers." Tea explained as she kneaded a ball of dough against a large, bamboo wood cutting board, her eyes being drawn to Fleur's pose for only a moment.
"Goodness me; that's quite the jump in style!"
"Well, I don't know what you prefer, and I didn't want to make something you wouldn't like... so I figured going to either end of the spectrum was a safe bet."
"Dear, I would never let my personal preference get in the way of something a dear friend has done for me. You could make any pizza and I'd eat it just the same."
Tea smiled brightly, clearly tickled by the comment. "I'm glad you consider me a 'dear friend'."
"Well, of course, I do! You're one of the most interesting and fun ponies I've been acquainted with."
"You're just trying to flatter me now! You're a model and a business-mare, I doubt I'm the most interesting pony you've met."
"Everypony in my line of work is nearly identical. It gets horribly boring; having to see the same type of pony wearing the same type of clothes and speaking with the same tone as the next. You, on the other hoof, are a struggling student working her flanks off to make a life for herself. Working in a niche coffee shop, going to University for hours, then coming home to cook home-made pizza. That is interesting."
Tea's hooves paused their motions as she simply stared at Fleur with a blushing, slack-jawed expression. "Really? You'd... prefer to be friends with me over ponies with wealth and success?"
Fleur scoffed. "Any day of the year, my dear!"
"Wow... I don't know what to say," gushed Tea, continuing to knead her hooves into the dough.
"You don't need to say anything, I was simply speaking my mind." returned Fleur as her eyes wandered through the kitchen.
It was clear Tea Leaf enjoyed the culinary arts; her workplace was laden with many high-grade pieces of equipment, each one displayed proudly instead of sitting in an equipment cabinet as most ponies would do with their machines. Professional-grade stand mixer, French press, high-end blender, two different type of juicing machines, toaster oven; it was all there. One machine out of them all caught Fleur De Lis' eyes the most; upon a large, dark wood cutting board sat a huge, rectangular, stainless steel coffee maker, the little void space around it being taken up by various little containers and a stack of four tiny saucers and four equally tiny espresso cups.
"Goodness me, that's quite the coffee maker," Fleur had a quick chuckle, "you're supposed to be a poor college student, how have you been able to afford all of these amazing machines?" she inquired, waving her hoof across the kitchen to address each mentioned machine.
"The only thing I've actually bought was the stand mixer and the toaster oven. Everything else was gifted to me by my parents; except for my baby there." Tea motioned her head towards the beautifully chromed coffee maker. "I won that in a promotional campaign a good 3 years back when I worked in a different coffee shop. The manufacturer had this thing where they gave all the employees at my work these discount cards to give to customers, and the cards had our names on them. Whoever could get enough customers to use their card and buy something would win the machine, and, well..." Tea once more looked to her beloved coffee maker, "guess who did the best?"
"For how much charisma you have and as friendly as you are, I'm not surprised that you won. Buying something like that on your own would be quite the endeavor; I can tell it has quite the hefty price tag."
The clack of wood on wood broke the air for a moment as Tea's hooves brought a rolling pin to her dough ball. "1,500 bits. And, amazingly; that's one of the cheaper ones."
Fleur's eyes went wide. "1,500 bits? For that much, I should hope it does everything!"
"Oh, it does. Roasts and grinds its own beans, froths milk, you name it. It almost takes the fun out of making coffee... almost."
"I might have to get one of those..."
"But, if you do, then you'll stop coming to Tip-Tops!" Tea whined jokingly.
"Dear; you're right... scratch that idea."
"That, and how often do you drink coffee other than in the mornings?"
"That's the only time."
Tea chuckled. "Don't bother dropping the insane amount of bits, then. If you were like me and drank a cup with dinner and a cup before going to bed, then I'd suggest it."
"Oh, heavens. I could never drink that much coffee."
Fleur's eyes were drawn to the rhythmic motion of Tea's hooves as she expertly smoothed the pizza dough into a perfectly circular disk. "Is there anything you can think I could help with?"
Tea's motion paused, exhaling from her nostrils as she thought, her eyes coming from her work to Fleur De Lis' fairly lengthy horn.
"You have magic! I can get you to chop up the tomatoes and peppers! Trust me, Miss De Lis; chopping with hooves is way harder than with magic." Tea beamed, turning to the cabinets behind her as she took a second cutting board out.
"I'll take your word for it, and please; just call me Lis. No need to be so formal."
"Well, Lis; would you like to do the peppers or tomatoes first?" inquired Tea, now sifting through a drawer upon placing the cutting board on the counter before Fleur.
"Peppers."
"Alright, so," Tea set a large chef's knife on the cutting board, stepping across the kitchen to the fridge, "What you'll want to do first is cut the top off." A bright red bell pepper was placed beside the knife right-side up, Fleur's pink magic taking the blade and the pepper as she complied with the first step. "Okay, turn the pepper upside down so you've got a nice, stable platform so you can chop it in half." The pepper rotated, came to rest, and was halved with a satisfying 'chop', Tea smiling as she went back to her dough. "Now dice each half into thin strips so they all look like little C shapes."
A quick chopping took over the gently playing music from the other room as Fleur worked happily at her peppers, Tea stepping back and opening a cabinet above the stove to retrieve a bottle of olive oil.
"Done."
Tea's step paused, the bottle of olive oil hanging in her mouth as she looked at Fleur, her hoof coming up to take the bottle. "Already?"
Fleur hummed as Tea's eyes went to the cutting board, a pile of perfectly diced peppers sitting beside her knife. "You're sure you've never cooked before?" she asked with a joking smile, placing the bottle beside her dough.
"Indeed, and I'd certainly like to change that. This needs to be a more often occurrence."
"I concur." Tea's hoof lifted a bunch of 5 tomatoes still attached to their branch from a bowl of assorted fruits and vegetables that sat a short distance from her cutting board. "So, now for the tomatoes," Fleur's magic took the bunch from Tea's hoof, "take two from the bunch and do what you did with the peppers; cut their tops off."
The pop of a cork drew Fleur's eyes up as Tea opened the olive oil, beginning to pour a perfectly steady and precise stream of the oil in a spiraling motion from the outside of the dough to the inside. "Shall I slice them or cut them into little squares?" Fleur asked, having finished preparing her two tomatoes.
"Well, personally; I like cubed, but w-" "Cubed it is, then."
Fleur brought her knife down to chop one of the tomatoes in half, her eyes widening at the ease at which the knife had moved through the fruit. "Goodness, this knife is very sharp..."
"Oh yeah, that's one of my favorites."
"Do you sharpen them yourself?" Fleur asked as she continued working at dicing the tomatoes.
"If I tried to sharpen them, I'd ruin them. The stallion that owns the supply store I go to sharpens them for free if you've bought them from his store, and I only buy from his store, so I get all my knives done for free!"
"Already got some friends in the business, I see?"
Tea hummed past the olive oil bottle in her mouth as she turned around to place it back in its home cabinet. With the bottle away, she turned to Fleur, looking at the two fine piles of chopped veggies,
"Now, time to put the toppings on. I... assume you can handle that without needing my direction?"
Without a worded response Fleur lifted her chopped ingredients with her magic, floating them above the prepared pizza and spreading them in an intentionally perfect manner.
"Perfect! Alright; now to shred the cheese. Wanna handle that, as well?" Tea asked as she went to the fridge.
"Might as well! I've nearly made this pizza by this point."
Tea chuckled, taking an unwrapped block of mozzarella cheese from the fridge to the chopping board before Fleur. "To be fair, the dough is the hardest part. You know; I could do a... sort of cooking class for you."
"Really? I'd absolutely adore that, dear! It'd be a great way for us to spend more time together!" Fleur looked down to the cheese as she used her knife to slice open the packaging, Tea stepping back over to deliver a cheese grater.
"Yeah, it would! If... I can make time to do this often."
Fleur simply smiled as she began to shred the mozzarella. She couldn't decide if Tea Leaf was truly strapped for time, or if she was dodging her advances.
"How much cheese do we need?"
Tea shrugged. "As much as you'd like."
With her magic moving with haste and precision Fleur continued on reducing the block of white cheese down, her enjoyment of the somewhat menial task showing through the little smile she held. After a healthy pile had built up Fleur stopped, placing the block of cheese back to the cutting board.
"Done."
Tea paused a moment as she looked at the cheese, clearly thinking on something. "What if... we put potatoes on the pizza."
Fleur cocked her head back, scrunching her nose. "Potatoes on pizza?"
"Have you really never had it before? Slice 'em super thin to where they just melt in your mouth, and add that wonderful starchy-ness to everything," Tea's head rolled back, "oh, it's so good."
"You're the cook here; I'll trust your insight."
Tea turned for one of the cabinets. "You won't be disappointed."
From a hemp bag in the bottom compartment of the cabinet Tea procured a single, somewhat small potato with her mouth, bringing it to the chromed, stainless steel sink and running it under the water while scrubbing it with her hooves.
"I would tell you to get your knife ready... but I've got something that will make quick work of this potato."
With a smirk, Tea opened a different cabinet, pulling what looked like a tiny version of an old-timey washboard out and placed it on what little space was left on the large cutting board. Though, where this device differed was the incredibly sharp and shiny angled blade attached to the middle of the slotted board.
"This here; is the chef's cheat sheet. A mandolin. So, take the potato and cut it in half."
"I thought you said my knife wouldn't be needed." she returned with a smug look, complying with Tea's directions.
"Okay, maybe we'll need it a little bit. So, now that you've got two halves, place one of them at above the blade." Fleur's magic positioned one-half of the potato right where she had been instructed. "Now, just slide it up and down on the board."
Effortlessly, and with little resistance, the potato slowly withered away, perfectly sized slices falling to the cutting board below.
"You're quite right... that was cheating." commented Fleur as she leaned her head down to meet the freshly sliced potatoes at eye-level.
"Trying to do perfect slices like that with a knife is a pure pain in the flank," Tea slid the mandolin into the sink as she looked over all of the ingredients, "well, I think we're ready to put the toppings on!"
A pink aurora surrounded every single individual piece of ingredient from each pile and, with perfect precision, delivered them to their oil-soaked circle of dough. Everything was perfectly placed; perfect spacing between potato slices, evenly spread cubes of tomato and pepper, and not a single space left without cheese.
"Now that was cheating..."
With the pizza now ready, Tea turned around to open the oven and retrieve a thin, wooden pizza shovel, the utensil being held firmly in her teeth as she wiggled the blade under the pizza, transferring it from the counter to the ceramic pizza stone on the top shelf of the oven.
"And now, we wait."
~§~
"So, dear; I'm curious. I know you're in school for business, but exactly what do you want to do with your life?"
Tea sat back in the living room couch where she and Fleur De Lis sat side-by-side, the record player before them quietly playing folk music.
"I'm hoping to open a restaurant. I'm not too bad of a cook, and thus far, I've gotten quite a bit of experience from previous jobs. That, and my father's a business owner, and he knows his way around the paper work and technicalities of things."
Fleur's eyes widened, her magic setting down her glass of water to the coffee table in front of the couch. "A restaurateur!? That's quite the venture."
"Oh, I know. It's a hard, unforgiving business... but any business is."
"You are quite right in that. I'm kind of surprised you don't work at a restaurant currently."
"I only have a few hours in the morning to work; no restaurant has any job that requires that little work. I've got my restaurant experience already, though. My first job was as a dishwasher for a friend of my dad's; he owned a little restaurant just a few blocks from the house, so I could walk there after I got off school. I was only 14 when I started out there, just working 2 or 3 hours, then slowly moved up to a prep cook, and after I got out of high school I found a full time job at a place as a line cook. I worked there for a year before I moved to Prance for a year to attend Le Cordon Jaune; I got my Grand Diplôme, which is the highest training you can get without actually being in a degree program, then I got homesick, moved back to Fillydelphia for a while where I worked as a sous chef for 6 months, then moved to Canterlot so I could get my Master's in Business."
Fleur held her silence for a while, her mind processing everything she had just heard.
"I don't think the Princesses are as busy as you."
Tea laughed heartily, "I don't think they are, either! It's... been a ride, that's for sure. A fun one, though. The stress of it all... I love it. That's why I keep pushing. Every Head Chef I've worked with has said that I've got more than what it takes, so that's good, I guess."
"You are easily the most devoted pony to your craft I've ever seen. I do wish you luck in the future."
Tea blushed, looking at Lis from the corner of her eye. "Thank you... that means a lot, coming from you."
"What do you mean?"
"From somepony of success. From somepony that's met more ponies than most others will."
Fleur waved a hoof. "Oh, you're just flattering me now."
Tea shook her head. "Oh, no I'm not. I mean it."
A little giggle left Fleur as she leaned back into the couch, her physique and posture causing her head to stand much taller than Tea's. There was a slightly awkward silence as the two drew each other's gazes away, the record player taking over the room's sound.
"I'm more of a Swing type mare... but this folk you listen to is quite relaxing," finally piped up Fleur, taking her gaze back to Tea.
"Gold Thread is to thank for the music. I didn't really know what folk was until I met her, and she got me hooked on it."
Fleur's magic lifted her nearly empty water from the table. "It's certainly a lot slower than Swing," she slid from her haunches, standing up to refill her water, "Swing's got so much more... beat to it! It makes you want to swing!" as she began walking for the kitchen, she swayed her hips side to side, her tail brushing through the air like a pendulum as it, for only a split moment each time, revealed herself to Tea.
Tea cleared her throat, looking forward as she blinked a few times. She was trying to decide if that had been on purpose or not.
"Would you like a drink, dear?" called Fleur from the kitchen, prompting Tea to turn back around to see her peeking at her through the kitchen's open wall.
"I would, actually. The cabinet just above the stove, in there's a bottle of Bourbon. Black label, half-full. If you'd bring it as well as the glass next to it, that'd be wonderful."
A little cough of distaste came from Fleur. "Bourbon? You like this stuff?"
"Oh yeah. I assume you're more of a wine mare?"
"Champagne, if I do drink it. I only drink if I'm at formal parties. Never really did develop a taste for liquor..."
Tea hummed as Fleur stepped from the kitchen, her magic holding her glass of water as well as a now filled glass of Bourbon, along with the bottle. Each beverage was set to the table before their respective owners Fleur sat back down.
"For some reason, you strike me as somepony that would enjoy liquor."
"I could never bring myself to enjoy the taste, and I don't appreciate what it does to the body."
Tea picked up her glass with a hoof, swirling the dark liquid around. "I kinda do. That little buzz, it's fun sometimes. Getting totally drunk? I've done it once, and will only do it once. Worst morning ever."
She shivered.
"I, too, have only gotten horribly intoxicated once before... and I concur that it was one of the worst experiences I've ever had."
Tea sipped at her bourbon, smacking her lips quietly as she savored the flavor. "If being a chef doesn't work out, I'm going into liquors."
"Oh, don't worry, dear. You'll make it. I can tell you will."
A ding from the kitchen instantly perked Tea's posture, her hoof delivering her glass back to the table as she rose from the couch.
"Dinner's ready!"
~§~
"I... can't eat another bite," groaned Fleur as her magic placed her half-eaten slice of cheese pizza to her plate.
"That's a shame... I have dessert."
Fleur turned to Tea, looking a little angry. "Why didn't you say so before my 5th piece!? If I had known, I wouldn't have eaten so much."
Tea smiled. "I guess you could stay a while longer to let your food settle. It's just a little bit of cheesecake."
A power-play. Tea had made a move. Fleur felt a tiny knot in her stomach. Tea was going to try something on her, she could sense it.
"I... have no problem with that."
Tea's smile remained as she shifted her gaze to the nightlights of Canterlot city, the castle shining brilliantly in the distance being a sight she had never grown tired of. The two, at Tea's suggestion, had sat on the porch to enjoy their meal as opposed to the small dining table within the apartment. Fleur had been slightly skeptical of the idea at first; the porch chairs looked far less comfortable than the dining room's, but the tradeoff was worth it. A totally unobstructed view of the city. Thin clouds above glowed from the high moon's light, that oh-so-pure white light producing a faint glow on the shingle roofs of Canterlot's many buildings. Like specks of dust on a sunbeam, the occasional lone Pegasus over the city gleams for a moment in the air, flying from one place to the next. It was quite romantic, something Fleur knew Tea had done intentionally.
Or, at least she felt she knew. There was a little bit of doubt in her mind. It was quite possible that Tea's choice hadn't been with that intent. She had, after all, stated that she and her roommate ate on the porch often. As the two sat quietly, Fleur began realizing something. Tonight had been the most fun she had had in quite a long time. There was something different about it, however. Something that made her feel... warm inside. It was happiness, sure, but there was something else there that she couldn't put a hoof on. She hadn't been able to put a hoof on it all night.
As Tea Leaf slid her plate from her hoof to the little wooden table before the two, she looked away from the skyline to Fleur. "So, what did you think of dinner?"
"Dear, it was absolutely exquisite. Both the cheese and the... mix-bag pizza you prepared us were equally phenomenal."
"You made the mix-bag pizza; not me."
Fleur chuckled. "Oh, I suppose you're right on that! Well, you did make the dough... and the ingredients were your idea."
"I didn't come up with the recipe, though."
A look of frustration took Fleur's smile, "honey, you're discrediting yourself far too much."
Tea paused, laughing nervously. "I... am. Sorry."
"Oh, no need to apologize. You're just far too modest, which... isn't something I see a lot."
"In your line of work, I'd assume not." Suddenly, Tea gasped as her eyes widened in remembrance. "Oh! Speaking of your line of work, a day ago some mare wanted me to say that she loves your work in 'extenuating the mare's physique'." I forgot to tell you that morning when you came in."
Fleur's eyes widened, "oh! Well, if you see her again, tell her that I give my thanks."
Fleur's wide eyes slowly narrowed.
"How... did she know that you knew me?"
"She saw us at lunch. Apparently she and her husband were a few tables away."
Fleur hummed. "Small world."
The conversation fell flat, the two staring back out over the city beyond.
"Lis... I got something to confess."
Fleur's stomach instantly turned into a knot. She felt as if her pizza would come back up. Her eyes quickly darted to the worried, nervous expression on Tea's face.
"Honey... I know. You're... madly in love with me."
Tea's face went pale, her jaw dropping. "I-I... wha-! I was going to tell you that I used a special flower mix for the pizza dough!!"
An awkward pause hit the two, their shocked gazes quickly diverting.
"Tea... I-I didn't mean to jump the gun like that."
"How long have you known?"
Fleur stopped, looking into Tea's eyes for a moment as she thought hard.
"For... only a little while now."
Tea held her silence, her cheeks red as she turned her gaze away, sighing. "Don't be mad at me..."
Fleur laughed gently, leaning over and putting a hoof on Tea's shoulder. "Dear, why would I be angry with you?!"
"Because we're both mares! A-And... you don't like other mares... how I do!"
"How do you know that?"
"B-Because I know that you and Fancy Pants-"
"No, dear, I mean how do you know that I don't like other mares?"
Fleur felt her stomach tighten further. Internally, she slapped herself. She was only digging the hole deeper.
"I... are you trying to say that... you do like me? I know you enjoy my company and all... but do you like me how... I like you?"
The look Tea had given her made her heart sink. She was going to have to say no. She was going to break Tea's heart.
"I think so..."
"You... think so?"
Fleur cringed. She took a deep breath.
"Tea... I'm not a mare's mare, and I don't quite find myself attracted to you as... you would be attracted to me, but I absolutely adore you, and I love being around you... a lot more than I thought I actually would."
Tea's smile brought reassurance.
"You adore me?"
"Honey, of course, I do. You're the most adorable little thing I've ever met."
There was a moment of tranquility as the two's eyes remained locked, their cheeks red. Tea was the first to look away, her gaze falling back on the city beyond.
"Well... I guess the proverbial cat is out of the bag."
"Aren't you happy that it is?"
Tea looked back to Fleur's little smile.
"As long as it doesn't... ruin what we've got."
"Dear, you're going to have to do a lot worse than telling me you love me to ruin our friendship."
To that, Tea smiled.
~§~
The tranquility of the night was no longer broken by speech. Tea had gone inside a moment ago to get their desserts, leaving Fleur to sit and ponder. And ponder, she did. Emotions mixed and mingled like the ingredients of a dish in her mind. She hadn't ever felt such a way. She hadn't ever felt such a constant pounding from her heart, or such a heavy knot in her stomach. She hadn't ever felt happy and sad at the same time. Tea had taken things wonderfully, but she still felt horrible that her personal preferences would get in the way of, basically, what Tea wanted. Tea wanted her as a lover and companion. She was able and willing to be a companion... but what's the point of holding the pony you love in your hooves if you can't make love to them?
Love. A word that now seemed to linger in her mind. The strange things she had been feeling, had they been love? Fleur thought back on her life, trying to think of a time she had felt the way she did now, but she couldn't. She had spent many nights with Fancy Pants before, and many times, through steamy breaths, declared that she loved him, but that was a circumstantial type thing. Sure, when in his company, she felt happy, and did feel a little flutter in her chest at times, but this was far different. Far worse. Far more... potent.
The sound of the sliding glass door brought Fleur's gaze to Tea as she stepped outside, a plate of cheesecake held carefully in her teeth and by her hoof. The plate in her hoof was set down to the table first, followed by the plate in her teeth. Fleur's eyes locked with the cake, her mouth instantly beginning to water as she stared at the perfectly presented slice given to her, the slightly golden brown top being adorned with a gooey cherry sauce and a few strewn about maraschinos.
"Oh... goodness. This looks incredible." Fleur's pink aurora lifted up her plate from the table, a look of disappointment taking her expression as she looked to Tea, who had just sat down beside her. "Dear, how should I eat this without a fork?"
Tea's smile faded as she looked to the table, seeing a lack of silverware.
"Oh, for Celestia's sake..."
Fleur giggled as she watched Tea stand back up to return inside. Her eyes went back to the cake floating in her magic, a few moments going by as she stared at a drop of cherry goo slowly making its way down the porous side of the slice. As if acting against some law, she floated the plate to her muzzle and chomped the front portion of the slice off, the act leaving a dollop of the red sauce on her nose. A tiny moan left her throat as she spared no time in taking a second, larger bite, this time her muzzle pressing against the plate as she scrapped up the crumble-y crust up with the cake. Again, what cake remained deposited its remains on her nose and the fur surrounding her mouth.
The sliding door comes open again, causing Fleur to freeze as her wide eyes dart up to Tea, who held two forks by their ends in her teeth, and around her teeth her lips formed a frown. Fleur's magic took the two forks from Tea's mouth.
"Dear, how should I eat this without a fork, hm?" Tea says, jokingly annoyed.
"It's... really good cheesecake."
Tea's smile returns as she sits back down beside Fleur, her eyes remaining locked not with Fleur's, but something just below. After a moment, Tea's hoof rose as she gingerly gathered some of the cake that had gathered around Fleur's mouth with the tip of her hoof, the act causing Fleur to flinch a tiny bit. Keeping eye contact with her, Tea brought the tip of her hoof to her lips, a little giggle leaving her throat as Fleur groaned, rolling her eyes.
"Just because I know you love me doesn't mean you get to act all... saucy with me!" Fleur whined, shrinking into her chair as she placed one of her two forks beside Tea's plate.
"Oh, come on! That was funny!"
Fleur smiled, giggling as she turned her gaze back to her treat, her magic guiding her fork to cut off another bite. "It... was funny, indeed."
~§~
Cakes had been eaten and many, many words had been shared. The awkward topic of the night had somewhat fallen into the background, regular conversation resuming. Though, it had not fallen entirely into the background. Tea had, at first jokingly, informed that it was quite difficult at times to use a fork properly without magic, and had loosely suggested for Fleur to assist with her horn's powers by maneuvering her fork for her, but (Fleur assumed it was a surprise) to her surprise, Fleur had obliged. Fleur had done many promiscuous things in the past, but feeding another mare cake was almost at the top.
The moon now hung a little lower in the sky, and the city beyond remained silent. No more Pegasi flew from point A to point B, and no specks of movement could be seen on what few streets were not totally concealed by trees or buildings. Both were quite tired, their voices held that ever-so-slightly audible croak that came with drowsiness. From the moon's position, it could be estimated that it was around 1 in the morning. Fleur, of course, now fantasized about returning to her own apartment to drop down into bed and cuddle up with a pillow and her sheets. Tea's mind held an idea identical save for the pillow being replaced by Fleur's soft figure.
Sometimes, sugar is the sweetest when you don't eat it. A yawn from Fleur drew Tea's gaze over to the slouched Unicorn.
"Tired?"
"Oh... of course. It's past midnight, I do believe."
Tea hummed, that hum being followed by a yawn, as well. She blinked a few times, a hoof coming up to dry the wetness that had been brought by the yawn.
"I'm getting tired, too. I've... had an amazing night with you, Lis."
Fleur smiled. "As have I. Now that I know your secret, does this mean we can spend more time together?"
Tea chuckled as she slouched further into her chair. "Yes, it does. It is relieving knowing that I don't have to try and hide it anymore."
"You... aren't bothered by the fact I don't share your feelings with such intensity?"
"Not really. I mean... you aren't into mares. I am. There's a little bit of a conflict in interests, ya know?"
Fleur looked away. She was awe-struck with Tea's maturity.
"I'm just glad that I can still have you as a friend. At the end of the day... that's all I really want."
She turned back. "Well, you've got a friend. That's for certain."
The two shared a smile before silence returned. That silence hung heavy for a time before Fleur yawned again, stretching her slender limbs out before her.
"I... feel it's my time to depart, unless you've got more of that cake around..."
Tea laughed. "No; sadly, I don't. I'll walk you out."
With that, the two stood up, Fleur stretching a bit more before she followed Tea back into the quaint apartment. A little bit of stumbling in the darkness brought the two to the door, where a single, somewhat dim light in the entry hall allowed the two to see.
"Well, goodnight, Lis," spoke Tea with a somewhat somber note to her voice as she opened the door, standing aside to allow Fleur out.
"Goodnight, Tea Leaf. Thank you for such a wonderful meal, and such a wonderful time."
Tea smiled as Fleur stood just at the edge of the doorframe. "You're welcome. See you Monday morning?"
Fleur nodded, returning that smile, "indeed."
With that, Tea slowly pushed the door shut, standing idly for a moment before turning and beginning to move back into the quiet apartment. That quiet broke, however, as Fleur burst back in through the door, her eyes locking with Tea's as she walked towards her, stopping just short as she held Tea's face close to hers with a spell.
"You... stupid dork! You made me fall in love with you!!"
Instantly, she locked her lips with Tea's. Every muscle in Tea's body tensed for a moment as her eyes went wide, and as the seconds dragged by she slowly relaxed. Their kiss broke with a smooch, Tea's bed room eyes staring deeply into Fleur's as she reared up on her hind legs, wrapping her forelegs around Fleur's neck and pulling her into a second, harder kiss. Their heads turned, their lips accepting one another's invitation. Fleur had thought she would simply imagine herself in the hooves of a stallion, but as she engaged with Tea, that image never came. She was loving every second of it. It was an odd pleasure. It was a pleasure that came from knowing Tea found pure bliss in their oral engagement. Tea broke the dance, holding her head back as she stared at Fleur for a moment.
"Sleep with me."
Fleur laughed nervously. "Dear, I-I don't think I... I could make love t-"
"I meant actually sleep with me. Like... fall asleep with me. Stay the night."
Fleur's expression went blank as she looked at the lustful mare holding her.
"You... don't wish to make love to me?"
Tea chuckled, pressing her muzzle into Fleur's. "More than anything."
Fleur leaned her head back, smiling nervously. "T-Tea... I just don't think I actu-"
"Then don't. You're going over the top even with this," Tea brought her hooves from Fleur's neck, standing normally, "Lis, the fact you even kissed me is... more than I can even fathom. If you're just comfortable with falling sleep with me, then that's fine by me."
~§~
Fleur knew it would happen. Deep in her mind, she had known she would do it. As she lay half-awake in the morning sun, Tea curled up beside her atop the covers, she thought on the previous hours. Her head craned up as she looked to Tea, her mane disheveled and her coat of clay-brown fur out of place and ruffled. A little smile worked its way onto her lips. There was something so unconceivably adorable about the young mare. Maybe it was Tea's demeanor. Maybe it was the fact that Tea loved her so much. Maybe it was that Tea was a genuinely attractive mare. Fleur couldn't decide. But, whatever it may be, it had been more than enough to make her heart flutter. Above that, it had been enough for her heart to over-power the doubt and fear in her mind of making love to somepony of the same sex.
Their venture had started with cuddling and kissing, as Fleur had planned, but so quickly had she become overwhelmed with lust. Sex was on odd thing. While the whole act itself had been pleasurable, of course, she gained more pleasure from not the act, but from Tea herself. Her steamy little moans. The way her eyes seemed to sparkle any time Tea had looked down at her. The way she had shakily and nervously asked for Fleur to 'use her magic on her'. Seeing Tea smile, giggle, and whine in ecstasy had been more than enough stimulation for her. That hadn't stopped Tea from returning the favor, however. Fleur smiled again. She had been pretty horrible at it. Her tongue's movements were inexperienced, and she kept pausing to ask 'is this good?' instead of shutting up and keeping her muzzle buried between Fleur's legs. At one point, she had simply held Tea's head in place by clamping her thighs around her head.
Fleur's gaze was again drawn to Tea as a little groan of waking sung from her throat. Slowly, her eyes opened, her limbs stretched out, and her back arched.
"Good morning." Fleur spoke, her voice a little croaky.
Tea groaned, twisting her back as she stretched further. "Great morning."
There was a moment of quiet as Tea finally stopped stretching, her eyes wandering over Fleur's sunlit, glowing figure for a time.
"You're so pretty..."
Fleur giggled, waving her hoof. "Shut up! You flatter me too much!"
Tea responded by reaching forward, scooping one hoof under Fleur and wrapping the other around her back, pulling her into a hug. "No. I don't." Tea nuzzled her cheek into Fleur's chest. "Oh... and you're so soft, too."
Fleur blushed, feeling her cheeks heat up. "S-Stop it!"
Tea giggled, complying to save Fleur the embarrassment.
"Thank you... Lis. That was the single greatest night of my life. Bar none. Nothing will ever top that. Well... getting all three of my Hoofelin stars might top this. But for now... this is the best."
Fleur's expression went blank. "Hoofelin stars?"
"Oh, come on! You're in the ritz of Canterlot and you've never heard of the Hoofelin Guide or the three Hoofelin stars?"
"I'll assume it's a restaurant thing..."
"It is the restaurant thing. Having your restaurant get three stars in the Hoofelin Guide is to become immortal. It's the highest rating a chef or an establishment can get."
Fleur nodded, smiling at Tea's dorky passion. "I understand."
"So... what happened to 'I don't think I could make love to a mare'?"
Fleur thought a moment. "You happened. I... think last night was also the best night of my life."
"R-Really?"
"You're... horrible at actually making love to another mare, but you make up for it quite well with all those giggles and whinnies of pleasure."
Tea blushed, turning her head away. "Now you're the one flattering me..."
Fleur smiled as she sat up, sitting to her haunches atop the bed. "No, I'm not."
With that, Fleur slid from bed, stretching and arching her back before walking towards the bedroom's open door. "How hard is that coffee maker of yours to work?"
"You put a cup under it and press the button."
"I think I can manage that."
As she began leaving, Fleur swayed her hips a little, flashing herself to Tea as she walked to the kitchen.
"O-Oooh, please don't do that anymore..."
Fleur laughed. "You're too easy."
Now standing before the grand, chrome coffee maker, Fleur looked around at the many cabinets in the somewhat small kitchen. Simultaneously, a pink aurora surrounded the knobs of each door, swinging them open in perfect sync. With zero effort the coffee mugs were located, and two of the bright red, lacquered vessels were brought down to the counter. With equally little effort each cabinet shut quietly, Fleur now focusing on the task at hoof.
She jumped as the sound of the apartment's front door coming open cut the morning's silence. Fleur stood totally still as she kept her eyes on the kitchen's entrance, her eyes eventually locking with those of a blue-furred, white maned mare, her flank adorned with the mark of a simple golden string looped into a knot.
"Wha... who... Fleur De Lis!?" Exclaimed Gold Thread, staring at Fleur with wide eyes.
"Indeed. I assume you're Tea's lovely roommate, Gold Thread."
"Oh, Gold! Uh, good morning!" Tea called from the bedroom as she trotted into view, her mane and tail a mess.
There was a slightly awkward pause as Gold's eyes darted from Tea to Fleur.
"No..." She began smiling. "Wait... oh, no..."
Fleur returned the smile, now looking at the blushing Tea. "Oh, yes."
Gold now too looked at Tea. "By the throne, you finally did it."
"Well... technically, Lis did. I just... I didn't think she'd go that far with me."
Gold giggled as she danced on her front hooves, bolting over to Tea and taking her in a hug. "Oh, my goodness!" Gold looked to Fleur. "You managed to lose your virginity to her! I'm... I'm jealous."
Fleur's eyes went wide, her gaze locking with the still bashful Tea. "You were a virgin before last night?!"
"Y-Yeah..."
Fleur laughed, stepping forward and propping herself up on the counter, folding her forelegs to her chest. "You are quite lucky, you know that? Not many ponies get to lose their virginity to a photography model."
Tea's eyes darted across each of the smiling mares before her, feeling horribly small. "I-I'm gonna take a shower."
Gold and Fleur shared a little laugh as Tea backed into the bedroom, closing the door behind her.
"Well, this wasn't how I expected to meet you," commented Gold as she walked into the kitchen, lazily leaning against the counter.
"I can say the same. I assume you know me from my work?"
Gold scoffed. "I know you because Tea hasn't shut up about you for the past 2 months."
"It's that bad, hm?"
"Oh, it's bad. I can't wait to hear what you did to her last night."
Fleur laughed at Gold's grin. "You believe she'll actually tell you about it?"
"I know she will. Though, I gotta guess... she sucked, didn't she?"
Fleur threw her head back in laughter. "Yes! Yes... she wasn't all that good at it. But... like I told her, all of her cute little noises made up for it."
"That's... sweet to hear. You don't know how happy you've made her."
Fleur nodded, turning to the coffee machine. "I have a pretty good idea."
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Woot, heartwarming little story with a happy ending for all. How about a alternative heartbreak version?
7873415 Funny enough, I already fixed that problem.
As for a heartbreak version... why tho?
7873416 because im a sadistic little s**t ?
I was mostly kidding though, love it the way it is, am a sucker for happy endings.
7873441 I am both of those things, as well.
Enjoyed the fic and feel sorry that it ended
7874581
It was a nice little thing, wasn't it? I too feel like this story could go on for another 2 chapters or so, but I always like cutting myself short. It keeps things from going stale.
7874585 still would be interesting to see fancy and his reaction and the relationship itself develop a little bit more
7874751 Thanks! And, thanks for all the favoriting and the follow!
Absolutely fantastic. Worth the wait.
7875441
So glad you finally got around to checking out the new chapter! I was hoping you'd like it.
Finally Fleur de Lis has come back to Tea Leaf!!!
Loved this story from the beginning and I loved the ending! Nice work, mate!
Stay awesome!
7875584
7873441 Isn't that the fun thing about being an author? We can be... very sadistic sometimes.
As for this story... this is quite a story to gain inspiration from. Especially when learning about the trick of showing (or in this case showing the emotions before this type of scene) without having to delve into an explicit act itself. Tea Leaf was adorable and so was Fleur. Plus being a story with a romantic story so... nice, it was really a good break from all the other... shameless clopfics out there. XD I really loved this story and also was inspired, per say, about how emotions shown is much better than a... sex scene. Good job Coffee Bean! Thanks for a nice and happy ending.
7878626 Goodness, that made me happy. Thank you for commenting, and I'm glad you liked the story! I'm also happy to see my choice of not writing a sex scene paid off. I found it a lot more... intriguing to simply read Fleur's recollection of it rather than actually seeing it.
Clop gets boring after you write it like 4 times...
This story was a break for me, as well. I finished chapter 2 right after I finished up a huge, emotional fic that had been draining me for the past like 2 months, so it was nice to actually write something and not feel horrible while doing it.
7878652 Hahahaha! You're welcome. And I understand that feeling. The stories I write... do sometimes make me feel like I'm or am, a little bit sadistic with my characters. XD (Then again I don't know when I've written a happy one. One story series literally has three bitter sweet endings. The romance one I was speaking about does have that... somewhat hopeful ending to it since its first and only sequel is being written).
So I understand you completely when sad stuff tires you out. I've done that three times.
And yeah, after having read this. I might end up going with just showing the emotions of said scene without adding the sex. At least I'm more assured about doing it. But yeah, all in all, good job.
7878692
The slow buildup of the relationship was a joy to read. Indeed, FleurTea may very well have earned a place in my heart.
Fantastic work, Coffee.
7884773
Thank you! FleurTea OTP
That cat's going places once it starts speaking, probably a laboratory to be studied, but places.
Aaaaaaaagh. It's not enough. I want so much moooooooore. This was one of the cutest, sweetest things I've ever read, especially involving an OC. It's so rare to find something like this done well, and, though I'm not ashamed to say i only read it because the oc was a mare, I'm so glad i gave it a chance. It was beyond worth it.
7957671 oh, well thank you! Glad you liked it so much!
Good ending. Sweet without being sappy.
One point to edit:
"If you're just comfortable with falling sleep with me, then that's fine by me."
Should be:
If you're just comfortable with falling asleep with me, then that's fine by me."
7985244 Thanks for the error spot, my guy! Glad you liked it, and it was quite hard to balance the sap and the sweet. I've got other stories like this, if you care to check them out. Not to mention I've got a Discord/Celestia romance coming out """""SOON"""""" that will be quite sweet.
Again, thanks for the comment!
I love this kind of romance, the build up takes me back in the day and I can feel so much of what Tea was feeling! I would have liked to see Fleur's revelation to be a little more organic but the end result certainly made it all worth it! I would truly love to see some more of this ship!
8100014 The revelation bit was... very hard to work out. I tried my best, lol. Also, I assume you came from the review, and if you did, thank you so much for giving my story a chance! I appreciate the comment, and I'm over-joyed you liked it.
This was a lovely story. Very cute and definitely worth the read.
8100624
Thank you so much! Glad you've like it!
This story is adorable! I loved it!
8247834
Well, thank you! Sorry for taking forever to reply. Just got back from a 5 day bear hunt, so I didn't have internet for that whole time.
I have reviewed your story for the reviewer café. (Link below)
https://www.fimfiction.net/group/211585/reviewers-cafe/thread/308771/reviews#comment/6206427
Thank you for your hard work and contributions to fimfiction!
8557558
You beautiful bastard. My heart began pounding the second I saw your comment. I'm so, SO happy you liked this story, especially for how young into writing I was at the time of composing it. Not to mention, the first chapter and second chapter were written like 4 months apart, so seeing that I was able to keep a consistent tone and such is lovely.
I thank you for taking up this story, and once more, I thank you for enjoying it.
8557667
We are both glad you liked my husband's review.