One Step at a Time

by -Wolf-

One Year

Present time...

"That's the last of it..."

Once the final box has been placed on the wagon, you are able to let out a sigh of relief that the entire thing hasn't collapsed yet.

Your mare stood next to you. "You should have never doubted your Queen. As you can see, your wagon is structurally stable and fit for the task."

"Yea, until we hit a rock, that is..." You had every right to be worried; the wheels were now bending at an awkward angle from the bulk of the entire thing. You really didn't want to spend any bits on repairs if this entire thing does collapse in on itself. And it was a gift too...

In response, you got a small slap on your back. 'Small' means you almost got launched to the grassy floor by your mare's immense strength.

"Don't dwell on such things and help me with transporting."

"Why'd you want to leave so soon anyway? Got places to be?"

The main plan was to clump all the boxes into small piles before making short roundtrips to your house. What happened instead was your marefriend disregarding your plan completely and just dumping all the boxes into the back and expecting everything to be hunky dory. You tried to object, but a stern glare shut you up real quick.

"I want to leave because of this dreaded sun. If you want to stay in an empty cottage with nothing to do, than be my guest; I'm going to my new home." She stated.

Great, now she's all pissy. You rolled your eyes (behind her back, of course) and made some effort to help. You occupied the back of the wooden vehicle while your mare took up the front. You thought about helping with the metal ring that should go around the waist, but she seemed to get everything on just fine. Odd how ponies act just like horses with this whole wagon thing...

"Ready?" She yelled back.

"Ready as I can be!" Please don't break, please don't break, please don't break.

With a great heave from your marefriend that would easily put Big Mac and Applejack to shame, the wheels started to slowly spin as the wagon groaned in protest, causing you to cringe just ever so slightly. A couple of boxes slid back, which threatened to slam into your fingers, but a rope tied around the top was able to prevent anything from falling out. And with that, you both were off!

"You good, Umbra?" You yelled towards the front.

She grunted heavily, "Yes, I'm fine."

That doesn't sound reassuring... The walk to your house should only take five minutes, but you honestly couldn't tell how long it would take with this much added weight. You awkwardly stared and waved at anypony standing by, trying your best not to look like you were dying inside.

You can only hope it will be a pleasant journey...

Yea... scratch that, everything went completely wrong. Just ten minutes into pushing and pulling, you and your marefriend had the unpleasant chance to encounter Derpy. You had no problems with the mare; you found her clumsiness quite adorable, if only a little inconvenient at times.

Like now.

"L-L-LOOK OUT!"

That was the only warning you were given as the gray mare slammed into the side of the wagon with the force of an oncoming train, causing the front right wheel to finally give out. From there, the three remaining wheels popped off as well, leading to an avalanche of boxes that nearly crushed you. Once the dust settled, all that was left was just a pile of packages, scattered mail, a broken wagon, and a dazed mare on the side.

You crouched down and checked to see if the mailmare had any injuries. Surprisingly, despite diving head first into the side of the wagon, her muzzle had no notable injuries whatsoever, not even a bloody nose. Likely a byproduct of the countless times she rammed or busted her face during her mail routines. She's practically immune at this point!

"You alright, Derpy?"

"Ooo... my head... yeah, I'm fin-EEP!"

Her wings immediately spread out once she saw the large form of your marefriend. She spared no time in flying up to the nearest cloud she could find, kicking up dirt in the process. The speed and buildup of dust in your face nearly made you bust your ass.

Luckily, two strong arms stopped your fall.

Coughing, you padded both arms that held your sides, "Thanks, Umbra." You turned your body, only to be met with an angry visage. Ah jeez... "Now, Umbra, it'll be fine. I'll just get some unicorns who can help us—"

"—Take it off."

"W-What?"

"The dampener. Off. Now."

You gulped, "U-Umbra... you know you can't. Look." You gestured to a crowd that was just starting to form.

Despite your nervousness, you knew Umbra would never hurt you in any shape or form, giving you the confidence to get closer to the raging mare. "Please... just calm down... I can get some ponies who can help. This will only make things worse for you." You whispered. It's hard enough that she gets a bad rep for all the things she has done; you definitely don't want it to exacerbate any more than what it is already.

Finally, her scowl slowly dwindled away and was replaced with an unreadable expression. She reached out and held your hand in hers before leaning down for a kiss. A collective gasp erupted behind her, making you remember that your relationship was mostly kept a secret—besides Rarity, who knew about your little paramour. You can only imagine the headlines in the newspaper tomorrow...

Who cares at this point...

You ended the kiss with a little mwah and faced the group of wide-eyed ponies. "So, uhh... can somepony help us?"
.
.
.
"Thank you, Mr. Davenport! You really didn't have to do this..."

"Ahh, nonsense, you're a great employee! Just, uhm... when you said you were taking time off to help your marefriend, I didn't think you were referring to... her." He pointed with his eyes to the large unicorn standing in the corner with her classic, unreadable expression.

"Yea... she's a... handful, you can say..."

You helped and coordinated where the last remaining boxes should go for the next couple of minutes as your mare continued to stare at the floor. When all was said and done, you bid your boss and his movers farewell before closing the front door. "Well, that turned out better than I expected! See, I told you everything would-" You turn around only to find an empty spot where she stood.

Wow, she's quiet for almost being 7 feet tall. "Umbra!" You yelled out. "Where are you?"

It didn't take too long to find the oversize unicorn crouched over a box in your bedroom, or technically, her room as well. "Hey... you, um... alright?"

"Yes."

Yea, no. You crouched down opposite her and closed the box lid, stopping whatever she was doing. "Hey... look at me... please." She raised her head with an exhale from her nose. "What did I do wrong?"

She turned her head away from you. "I'm a bit annoyed that you leapt to the rescue for that ingrate-" You raised an eyebrow. "Grrrr... that mailmare... instead of being angry with her actions like any understanding pony would..."

"Oh, Umbra..." You smirked, "Is somepony getting a little jealous?" Reaching forward, you pinched her cheeks just like any mother would to a child, which earned you a slap across your hand.

"Stop it. I'm not a foal, and I'm most definitely not jealous. I won your heart, and I know it." She confidently said.

A smile came to your face, "Heh, you know I never go for any other mare..."

"Good, because if you did, your presence would never be seen by any other pony. Ever."

You gulped, "R-Right... so um... what's in the box?" You lift the lid up and are met with an abundance of different colored crystals.

"This..." She waved with a hand, "...is my personal coffer."

"Coffer?"

"A chest of valuables... well, not much of a chest, but you know what I mean. All of this used to be in my castle before that excuse for a crystal princess confiscated all my commodities. I don't know what compelled her to do such a thing, but she gave me everything back."

Thank God, I put that word in for her.

You lifted up a crystal. In fact, mostly everything were crystals. "Wow, you really love your crystals, huh?"

She gently plucked the crystalline off your hand. "Mmm, yes... crystals..."

...Right.

You eyed all the contents. "I didn't even know you had this much!"

"Of course! It's my little secret. I have to hide it from anypony who wants to lay their grubby little hands on it."

"But why from me? You trust me, right?"

"How would I know you wouldn't steal these from me right under my nose?"

That hurt. "Umbra. You know I never do such a thing..."

"I know, my love, which is why I'm letting you use them." She pushed the box until it reached your legs. "With all of these gems in our possession, we'd be funded for the foreseeable future. No more of that job you have as a... ugh... a store clerk. My King shouldn't have to do such frivolous activities."

Your eyes scanned through every single gemstone in the box. If you trade these in, you and Umbra will probably be able to buy the most expensive mansion in Canterlot! Or...

"Umbra. You do know what's next week, right?"

She smiled, "Of course! I can never forget such a momentous occasion."

A wide grin split across your face. "Let's go pay a visit to Rarity..."

---

An exact week has passed since your mare moved in; all her little decor was finally set up, which made the interior design look a lot more livelier and not 'wearisome' as she likes to call it. One wall of the house you're especially proud of is dedicated only to pictures. Said wall contained almost every single important event you both shared during your time together: a picnic where she's wearing a cute sunhat, her flipping off the camera, the first time you try to teach her how to cook with a burning oven in the background, and most importantly, smack dab right in the middle is you and her kissing under the moonlight.

And here you stand today, wearing a suit and tie as you prepare for one of the biggest nights of your life. You reached out with a finger and brushed away any lingering dust that settled on the picture frame.

"I'm not fond of that memory as much as you are..."

Your eyes widen once you hear her voice. Turning around, you are greeted with the incredible sight of your mare in the most jaw-dropping dress.

"How do I look?"

Rarity did a tremendous job. Umbra's box of crystals worked perfectly in this situation, as her red dress positively dazzled. Quite literally, as all the crystals adorning the garment from top to bottom made her shine from every angle, making her the center of attention. Her red lipstick, coupled with the eyeliner that the fashionista helped apply, made her look gorgeous. While not as pretty as your mare, your suit also had the same careful crystals lined up on the lapel of your outfit, two on each sleeve, and a line of them right under the breast pocket. All of this is being done to celebrate your 1-year anniversary of being together.

"Y-You look... stunning. Beautiful even..."

A blush streaked across her muzzle. "O-Oh you... flatterer. Y-You're just saying that..."

You stepped closer, "I'm not."

"A-And these scars?"

You eyed both of her arms from top to bottom. Over the years as a ruler, she has gotten into many countless fights with ponies and alicorn alike, some of these battle scars being very visible across her body. A couple of lines where the skin hasn't healed cover parts of her arm—two large ones on her upper right and left shoulder, while some minor ones occupy her forearm. The most obvious has to be on her face; a small line went from the left side of her muzzle to the underside of her lips.

"Umbra... I could care less about these scars. In fact... I think they make you look prettier. It shows that you're not afraid to be... you."

She smiled and leaned in for a small kiss. Mwah.

"Aaannnddd... it makes my girl look badasss." Standing on your tippy toes, you locked onto your mare's exposed neck and attacked her with small kisses. She squirmed and giggled from your little smooches, a noise you rarely hear from her.

A noise you very much wanna hear more.

"Hehehehe, alright, A-Anon, t-t-that's enough!"

You obliged and ended your rainstorm of kisses. Adjusting your suit and tie, you offered your hand. "May I?"

With her blush still lingering, she reached out and took your hand in hers. "Yes... yes you may, my King."

The moon shined high above the dark sky and left its light on your mare's body. Your walk through the darkened streets of Ponyville meant less attention for you and your company, but that doesn't mean you didn't experience the one stare or two—you've lost count of how many times stallions had to pick their jaws up from looking at the mare next to you. But she wasn't the only one getting the attention, as some mares took turns taking peeks at you from around corners or through windows, but one look at your marefriend's disapproving glare was enough to send them away.

Everypony knows that you are hers and hers only.

Newspaper headlines had a field day once they caught wind of your relationship with the reformed tyrant. Hell, you even had a couple reporters come up to you during your working hours. Your close friends didn't shy away from questioning you either, as they were surprised that Umbra even had an affectionate side to begin with. Applejack congratulated you, Rainbow gave you a rough pat on the back when she returned from doing Wonderbolt stuff, Fluttershy gave you her best wishes, Pinkie threw a small party, Spike gave you a fist pump, Twilight sent you a letter, and Rarity... well, she knew as much already.

What gave you the most surprise was the message from Twilight, as she wasn't the only one congratulating you. Retired princesses Celestia and Luna wrote down their cheers and praises for showing Umbra the ways of love and friendship, with Luna stating, 'You're the only person Umbra dreams about'. While you got praise from the two, Cadance did give you some caution against your mare—her weariness stemming from Umbra's attack on The Crystal Empire—but either way, she gave you the equivalent of 'good luck' at the end.

Umbra promptly ripped up the letter when you read it to her.

The feeling of her tail wrapping around your waist brought you back to the present.

"Umbra! Nobody is looking; relax!" The tall mare was scouting the area with her red eyes, sweeping left and right to locate any unwanted attention. "They are all looking at you. Harlots, they are... I'll sho—"

"—None of that! Come on! We're almost there." You wrapped an arm around her waist and speed-walked through town, nearly crashing into a post at one point.

Finally, the restaurant came into view. "We're here! What do you think?"

Her eyes landed on the name of the building, "The Big Lily?"

"Rarity recommended it. Come on, I set us up with a private booth."

Despite the majority of restaurants in Ponyville taking a more medieval-style theme, it's clearly obvious that this building took inspiration from various establishments in Canterlot with its 'rich' aesthetic and noble themes.

Basically, only rich ponies dine here.

Once inside, a stallion waiter with a fancy suit and monocle approached you. And a killer mustache. "Anon and Umbra?"

Surprise he's not freaking out. Either he's really good at hiding it or he's just not scared. "Yea, that's us."

"This way, please."

Almost everypony in the room took subtle glances at your mare; some waiters paused while others continued on with their work. You noticed her gaze starting to divert as you continued to follow the stallion, her eyes wildly searching for any active 'threats'. A small squeeze from your hand was enough comfort to reassure her.

You and Umbra pass through a large doorway to the back part of the restaurant. The loud clattering of forks and ponies chatting decreased in volume as you both were taken to your designated table. From what you can tell, only a minimal number of ponies occupied the booths; it is hard to tell when the curtains are all shut.

"Please, take a seat; our waiter will be here with you shortly." And with that, he left.

Your mare took her seat while you shut the large red curtain to give some privacy. You turn back around to see that your chairs weren't actually chairs to begin with. More of a couch—a fancy couch—shaped in a half-circle, allowing you to sit next to your marefriend instead of the traditional face-to-face that you're both used to. More handholding for the both of us.

"So, what do you think?" You asked while you took your spot. The menus are already lying flat on the table, with a whole multitude of choices. Half of them you probably can't even eat because of the 'humans can't eat hay' thing.

"It's nice; it makes me feel like I'm in my castle again. Although a couple more crystal designs would be better."

Right, her crystal addiction. "Well, I'm glad you like it. What are you going to order?" The menu had almost everything, from salads all the way down to small sandwich bites. Your eyes glided to the desert section, "Hey, what's a... mi-cu... a mi-cuit aaa... a mi—"

"—Mi-cuit au chocolat. It's Prench for molten chocolate cake." She spoke fluently.

"Didn't know you spoke Fr-Prench?"

"There's no need for me to learn it; I can learn any language just..." She pointed to her horn. "...from this."

"Wow, impressive."

She nodded. "Yes, indeed. Now, confectioneries can come after; right now, you should be choosing what you want to eat."

You also nodded and browsed the different sections. No fish? Bummer... Reading the menu over, you noticed a slight trend. "Lot of hay and wheat-related products... guess I'll just take a carrot sandwich with some cider."

Right on cue, the waitress arrived. You immediately noticed her tail giving off nervous flicks. "Hello! W-What would you want today."

Once you both gave your orders, she was off, leaving you alone with your beautiful date. From there, you and Umbra talked about the future. The quiet and calm atmosphere, accompanied by the sounds of violins playing in the background, provided the perfect backdrop for your conversation to flow smoothly as you both awaited your meals. The topic of future plans then went on to talking about each other's lives. Despite Umbra knowing your time on Earth and vice versa, you still enjoyed making her laugh with all your outlandish stories of 'boxes being able to make moving images', or 'the entire knowledge of a library being able to fit inside of a small brick'.

Her past life was... well, complicated. She never really likes talking about the old days of her ruling, as the stories aren't really family-friendly per se. Her life as a filly was also lost on her. Being able to only remember small glimpses of what her foalhood used to be like. You scoured whole libraries to see if any could give you details about her life; sadly, the cons outweigh the pros, and you were only given the negative aspects of her existence. The food arrived shortly after, prematurely ending your conversation.

You picked up your drink, "To one year of being with my Queen..."

She picked up hers, "To one year of being with my King..."

You both clinked your drinks and took a sip. The hard cider, being much stronger than what you're used to, burned your mouth and throat. Umbra, on the other hand, didn't seem to have too much trouble drinking her glass. From there, you both ate your respective meals, with moans of delight coming from the both of you as you took your first bites. Taking advantage of the closeness, you wrapped an arm around her back while she ate. She wiped her mouth with a napkin and gave you a small lick on the cheek. Returning the gesture would only leave you with fur in your mouth, so you gave a kiss instead.

With the main course now being finished, it was time to move onto desserts. "I may have that lava cake now. What do you want?"

"I'm not in the sweets mood right now, but more cider wouldn't hurt."

You nodded and opened the curtain to wave down a waiter. After giving your next order, the stallion took the empty plates and glasses before leaving you and your marefriend alone. Wait, my glass wasn't empty...?

"Did you drink my cider?"

"...No." Her bright red cheeks said otherwise.

"I didn't ever take you for a lightweight. Now that I think about it, we don't drink a lot, do we?"

"No, the last time we ever drank was during the—HEY! I'm not a lightweight!" She loudly exclaimed.

You covered her mouth, "Shush! We can be kicked out for being too loud!" You hurriedly whispered. Despite the situation, you couldn't help but let out a small smile.

She removed your hand, "Take it back..."

"Take what back?"

"Take. It. Back..."

"What, that you're a lightweight?"

The close proximity meant that she was able to grab you tightly without much struggling on your part. "H-Hey, let me go! Let me go! The waiter will be back any minute now!" You whispered as quietly as possible. You tried spreading your arms out, but that only gave her more incentive to squeeze harder. Eventually, her muzzle connected with your hair, and she took large sniffs. "HAH! U-U-Umbra, STOP! That tickles..." Her sniffs traveled downward and into your neck, where she started to give long licks along your skin, causing you to involuntarily shiver.

She stopped, "I'll let you go if you take back what you said." And then continued.

There was no denying that she was taking pleasure in your 'torture'. You can practically sense that smile in her tone of voice, despite not being able to face her directly. "Last chanc—"

"—Umm... Ma'am? Sir?"

You both froze. You stopped mid-struggle, while your mare stopped mid-lick.

"Y-You're... dessert's ready..." Damn, the service here is quick...

Awkwardly, the waiter leaves your plate of cake and places Umbra's glass of cider down. The stallion gives a bow and closes the curtain.

"..."

"..."

Lick lick lick.

"Really? Even after we got caught, you still want to play."

Licks were your only answer. Wrenching one arm out of her deadly grip, you reached for a fork and took small bites out of your cake. Mmm, warm. Finally, you felt Umbra's arm leave your midsection and instead reach for the glass of cider. Even with your newfound freedom, you still stuck next to her and occasionally plopped your head on her shoulder. Stabbing your cake for another piece, you leaned in for a bite, just for your mare to chomp down on your poor utensil. Her sharp teeth quite literally bent the fork, making a 90-degree angle from the base to the neck of it.

Wide-eyed, you looked over at the sight of a giggly mare chewing on your piece of chocolate cake. "I-I—Umbra, I think you're drunk enough. You almost took my face off."

"Hey! I'mmmno lightweight."

"With the utmost respect, your majesty... yes, you are."

She merely grunted and drank her last bit of cider. "Mmmmore." How weak is the pony liver?

"I'm getting the check now."

You stumbled out of the restaurant with a drunk mare in tow. Her incoherent mumbling and shaky movement didn't help as you trudged through town in the dark with half her body leaning onto your shoulder. "Umbra! Can you at least stand up a little?! I'm trying not to fall here!" You only got a grunt in response before she dropped her head onto yours. Luckily, nopony was out this late at night, meaning you didn't have to feel embarrassed if you accidentally encountered a wandering stallion or mare. "C'mon, Anon, you got this."

The occasional streetlamp helped with your vision a bit. Having a reliable source of light made the trek much easier since you weren't planning on tripping and having the full weight of a 6'11 unicorn on your body. Crossing a small bridge, you recognized the path that led up to your house. It was at this point that you felt the sensation of drool streaking down your neck. Gross.

Reaching the front door, you opened and stumbled into the entrance as you dropped your mare onto the couch. "Anooonnnn... where'd you go?" You shut the door and turned to see your mare pawing the open air.

Cute. "C'mon, let's get you to bed." You took hold of her hand and pulled with all your might, only making slight progress in your effort to get the pony up. Eventually, she got the message and helped with your struggle. "A-Alright, up we go." You pulled her through the hallway and into the bedroom. Kicking your shoes off with a flick of your feet, you didn't bother taking off your clothes or pulling the covers off before collapsing onto the bed with Umbra by your side.

Man, what a day... "Goodnight, my love..."

No response. Not surprising, she's most likely asleep—

Your thoughts were cut short when your body did a complete flip in the air. Facing up now, the only thing you were able to see were the two glowing red eyes in the dark. "U-Umbra?"

A large hand rested on your torso, clenching your suit as—

RIIIP

"U-UMBRA! What the hell?! I paid good money for this!"

She didn't respond before giving your pants the same treatment.

Oh God...

---

You awoke with a jump, or at least, your body tried too. If it wasn't for the heavy weight holding you down, you would have fallen off the bed by now. The claustrophobic feeling of having your entire torso crush will throw anyone into a panic attack; luckily, you're used to it, as weird as it is. You sighed and laid your head back, Man, what a weird dream... Although the contents of said dream have since left your mind, you could tell it was a bad one—a really bad one. "When was the last time I had a nightmare like that?" Realizing that you were talking to yourself, you check the clock on your bedside table.

"6:20... 10 more minutes..."

You freed one arm and preemptively turned off the alarm. If there was anything else that you hated, it was that stupid ringing that you have to wake up to every day. "Why'd you buy that thing..." You whispered to the sleeping beauty that laid on you. Her tail subconsciously coiled tighter around your calf upon hearing your voice, a small smile coming to her face. It's only now that you start to feel the familiar soreness coming from your pelvis; the pain grew even higher when your mare decided to shift in her sleep, her head now resting right next to yours. Fucking ow...

During her shift, her red sharp horn came dangerously close to your face. It's a surprise you haven't ended up in the hospital sooner, given how many times you both end up in this position. Taking a scan of the room, the first thing you noticed was all your clothes strewn across the floor and table. Clothes may not be the right word, just a pile of torn fabric at this point. Even her red dress, which had so much care put into it, suffered the same treatment. "Rarity's going to kill us..." Her angry posh accent is already ringing in your ears as you imagine the berating you're going to get later.

"Why do you care about what she thinks..."

Turning your head to the side, you faced Umbra, who now had one eye open. "Look who's awake now." Looking past her head, you check the time once more. 6:26

She leaned forward and licked your face, "How much... did I drink last night?" She mumbled, her eye closing.

"Too much, to the point where you clawed all my clothes off."

She chuckled, "Good..." Her arms squeezed you tighter, pulling your head to rest under her muzzle. "Now... rest my love..."

While her neck fluff was a good motivator to lull you back to sleep, you really had other things to do. So, with great reluctance, you pulled away from her. "As much as I would love to stay in bed all day, I sadly have work to do."

She squeezed you tighter, "Take a day off..."

"That's the problem, Umbra; I've already taken days off to help you move out. Anymore, and Davenport may have to reconsider my position." That last part was a lie; your boss stated that you can take as many days off as you want. Saying something along the lines of, 'Mares. Am I right? Of course, that was before he knew the ex-ruler of The Crystal Empire was your marefriend, you're sure that he wouldn't have said that if he had known.

She growled, "If that no good-AH!"

You stopped her soon-to-come tirade by scratching her ear that wasn't covered by the pillow. "Stop. It's too early to be angry. I'm also assuming you have a hangover, correct?" An abundance of 'ahh' and 'ooh' was her answer as you continued your scritching.

"I-I-mmm-sto-op-op-I-I-mmmmmm-grraaaaHH! I COMMAND YOU TO CEASE."

"Not until you get off of me."

Hearing your disobedience, she grabbed your hand and pulled you up against her. Seeing an opportunity, she snaked her other arm under you and wrapped tightly around your back, stopping any thoughts you even had of escaping. "I-I won't allow such acts; now, go to bed, my King." She sniffed your scalp and rested her muzzle on your hair. A satisfied smirk crossed her muzzle.

God dammit. "U-Umbra! Come on! L-Let go!" No matter how hard you pulled, her grip was just way too strong for your feeble human body. With a sigh, you resigned to your fate and stuck your nose back into her neck.

"There you go... submit to your Queen's warmth..."

You rolled your eyes and took a peek at the clock. 6:31

Fantastic. "If you want, I can bring you a glass of water. It'll help with the hangover."

She contemplated her answer with a small hum. "Hmmm... will my King try to run away? Leaving her Queen to suffer all alone in the cold?"

"Uhhh... no?"

"Your tone suggests otherwise... I'm fine where I lay..."

You blew a raspberry into her neck, which caused a small giggle. If you were going to be forced to stay in bed against your will, then you'd make her regret it. With her eyes closed, she didn't even see your hand lifting up before it suddenly attacked her exposed neck. With all your strength gathered in your palm, you gave her what she deserved...

Tickle tickle tickle tickle

Surprisingly, she kept a straight face. Her pride won't allow her to admit it, but she's probably the most ticklish pony you'll ever meet in your lifetime. During a particular grueling cooking session that involved her burning almost all the ingredients for a cake, you poked her hips playfully to lighten up the mood. What you didn't expect was for her to let out a yelp and drop the flour onto the floor. Using this forbidden knowledge, you glided down her neck and onto her hips to continue your escapade.

Finally, her facade broke, and she released her hold on you. "HEHEH-HAHAHA A-A-ANON S-STOP! THIS I-I-IS T-TREASON!"

With your newfound advantage, you gathered your strength and pushed her onto her back to continue the assault. "Heh, look who's on top now, my love." A response was not needed as her laughs answered for her. Grinning like a madman, you scooted down and started blowing raspberries all over her stomach while continuing the tickle session. Seconds passed by with her laughs not dying down in the slightest. Sensing the losing battle, she tried raising one of her arms to retaliate, but one good tickle under the armpit was enough to halt her efforts.

Seeing tears starting to form in her eyes, you decided that she had enough and quickly got off. Leaving the sputtering mare, you grabbed your boxers off the floor and threw them on. "Well honey. It was fun, but I need a shower."

She sat up, albeit shakily, "I... hah... I-I'll join you..."

"As long as you don't attempt to bring me into bed again, we can go take one together." With what just happened, you didn't expect her to do anything hasty, but you kept your guard up regardless.

One messy shower later, you were now sitting happily at your kitchen table with some toast in hand. Sitting next to you was an equally happy Umbra who munched on some oats while she read a newspaper. "It seems like we're still making the news, honey."

Leaning over, you rolled your eyes at the outlandish title and claims the press has made again. "Will they ever make a better title? I mean, come on, 'WILL THE TYRANT AND ALIEN OVERTHROW EQUESTRIA?' They're trying way too hard at this point."

You finished your last piece of toast and drank your coffee before standing up, "Anyways, my Queen. I'm going to work now; I'll bring back some of your favori—"

"—I'm coming with." She said while putting her bowl in the sink.

You looked up at her, "I uhh... sure? What are we missing? Some groceries?"

She looked away, "No... I've been thinking for some time, and I've come to the conclusion that I need an occupation to earn some bits. We used up all the crystals for our late-night escapade. With me living here now, I'm a burden until I can provide for the both of us."

"Hey. You're far from a burden... but I won't lie by saying we are getting low on bits..."

She moved closer, "I was... thinking if I can work alongside you... or maybe some other occupation you know of." She added on quickly. "Staying in the comforts of my abode is nice, but I would feel rather safe if I worked closer with... you."

I... make her feel safe? You reached forward to hold her hands. Davenport is looking for some new movers... maybe she can handle the heavy stuff? "I... I think I can make something work out. Let's talk to my boss." That warm feeling in your chest grew tenfold when a smile appeared on her face. Leaning up, you both met in the middle with a long passionate kiss, with your hands resting on her hips.

Ending the kiss with a smile on both of your faces, you opened the front door. The morning sun greeted you with its warm rays while ponies around you took the time to pause and stare. Some went on with their mornings while others gave a wave; only a few looked on with nervous glances. "Come on, my King, don't want to be late now, do we?" She said while walking ahead.

Shutting the door behind you, you sped up to the fast mare, "Hey! What's the rush? I guarantee that we're already late with the morning that we had. Besides..."

You took one of her hands in yours.

"...we can take it one step at a time..."

Author's Note:

Yay! The ending where the title matches up with the final words! Totally original!

Anyways, I'm finally glad I was able to get this story done. Mid-terms completely messed up my writing and sleep schedule, so sorry if I was a little late to posting this. Don't think this is the end for this lovely couple! I may write special chapters for certain occasions like Christmas or whatever. Keyword, may.

Who knows... maybe an M rated chapter? Hahaaaa wink wink

As always, appreciate all the likes and comments this story gets from you guys. Wouldn't have the motivation to write this if it wasn't for all you lovely readers out there. See you in the next one!

Comments

[LoserkidUwU]

<3
It's ending was soooooo gooooood!!!!!!!!
It made me so happy to see them being so cute. :)
I wish I had a girl who would treat me like that ('~')

[Hye]

This was adorable, cute, and, um, yes, maybe...

[DeathWolf06]

This was pretty good and yes I do hope more chapters or oneshot stories related to this come in the near future. Or even other stories that’s similar to this but with other mlp characters instead

[CourageousHeart]

M rated chapter! Don’t mind if I do! Be a sport and Add some titfucking and boobjobing in it if you can!