> A Pillow and Basket Case
>  by Westphalian_Musketeer
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Why Is Spoon Doing This?
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Silver Spoon tossed her head in the air. "Ugh! Like... where is she? Does she want this prank to go through? She's going to have put up her end of the plan if this is going to work," she brooded rolling her eyes. A knock at her home's front door broke off the tirade as she stepped out of her room and made her way down the stairs.

She smirked and nodded at the silver lettering on a pink banner hanging over the entrance to the living room. The light from the midday sun shone off of it. "Happy Twelfth Birthday Silver Spoon!" Custom made, as per her instructions which her mother conveyed to the banner maker. Silver Spoon would not stand the direct involvement of that pink ball of barely contained psychosis, Pinkie Pie, on the most important day of her year.

Walking to the door as another round of knocking began, Silver Spoon cleared her throat. "Coming!"

She threw open the door, and her face cracked into a massive grin. It all came naturally to go through the motions. Clop hooves twice... "Bump, fun..." Then press flanks together... "Sugar lump rump!" Silver Spoon giggled alongside her best friend, Diamond Tiara.

"Come on inside!" Silver Spoon stepped to the side. "My home is your home."

Diamond Tiara nodded, then reached over to her side and pulled up a pillow twice as big as either of them. It was a slate grey, and covered in a soft felt.

Silver Spoon gulped. "So... going through with it, huh?" Diamond Tiara's eyes narrowed as the corner of her mouth curled upwards. Coughing, Silver Spoon trotted to the staircase and waved a hoof to her friend. "Upstairs, upstairs!"

Bucking the front door closed behind herself Diamond Tiara spat the pillow out of her mouth. "What's the rush? You knew this was coming after we agreed to dare each other." She walked past Silver Spoon, holding her chin in the air. "You take the pillow upstairs. I just got it from the quill and sofa shop. It took daddy hours to convince the stallion there to sell it separately and throw in a free couch with it."

Silver Spoon wasted no time in obliging Diamond Tiara. She clamped down on the pillow with her teeth.

"Hurry up!" called Diamond Tiara.

Why did Silver Spoon's knees feel like giving out under her when Tiara shouted? Shaking her head, the budding grey earth mare bounded up the stairs after her friend, forehooves kicking the pillow dangling in her mouth.

Upon entering the room, Silver Spoon tossed the pillow onto the grey comforter of her bed. Diamond Tiara's eyes trailed upward from where the pillow landed. "Nice bed canopy, when did you get it?" she asked.

Spoon walked to her bed and hopped onto it. "My daddy got it for me just a month ago. Do you like it?"

"I love it!" exclaimed Tiara as her eyes narrowed. "It gives the room just the right hint of luxury for the dare." She glanced over at Spoon and the pillow. "Well, go on! You're going to have to practice for when Rumble is here."

Gulping, Silver Spoon looked over at the pillow. In either careful consideration or a twisted sense of humor, it matched the grey coat of the pegasus colt perfectly. All the more to get her comfortable with the dare when the actual act came about. She leaned forward parting her lips as she closed her eyes.

"Hold on. We agreed that you'd do everything you could to make it convincing," said Tiara as she paced around the bed. "Talk a little bit, figure out what you're going to say."

As Tiara walked behind her, Silver Spoon bit her lip and rolled her eyes. Stupid, stupid dare! Of course Tiara would think of a better dare. What had Spoon decided would be the harrowing task for her friend? Climbing a tree. Maybe if it had been climbing the mountain that dragon had tried taking its century-long nap on would have been adequate to what Tiara was asking her to do. But no, Tiara had sensitive hooves, and her left hind one gave out sometimes if she'd been walking on it too long. So Silver Spoon would grin and bear the dare set on her. Kissing that pegasus colt.

Diamond Tiara was right. Talking would be needed for the plan to go off without a hitch.

"I don't hear you saying anything," huffed Tiara.

Spoon cleared her throat. Time to practice this 'flirting' mother had talked about. "So... Rumble..." Spoon giggled and constantly averted her eyes from the pillow. Admittedly the rigor with which she exercised refusing to actually look at the pillow avatar of Rumble was akin to how most might try to avoid looking at a cockatrice. "How do you like the room? Well I personally think it's a little cold; sit next to me?"

Tiara snickered. "This is going to be perfect!"

One gulp of saliva later, Spoon was back on track. "So..." Horse apples! What could she say to compliment him? She glanced at the canopy and visualized Rumble. His... coat and eye color reminded her of her own, so that was a plus. What else? What else?

"Ahe-he-hem!" coughed Tiara.

"I... has anypony told you how pr-handsome my-your... eyes... are?" offered Spoon. The pillow remained silent. "Well I do. Would you mind if I took a closer look?" She leaned forward, trying to visualize Rumble's muzzle in the way. She'd just open her mouth and kiss him. On the lips. Like Diamond Tiara told her to. Her head jumped forward to land her lips on the pillow at the thought of Diamond Tiara.

"There you go," chided Diamond Tiara. She walked to Silver Spoon's closet and opened it. She looked over her shoulder as she walked in. "Well, go on, continue!"

Silver Spoon's heart raced as she pressed herself against the pillow. A bit of saliva dripped on it, and she nibbled on the pillow's corner, imagining the colt quite paralyzed by her actions...

Silver Spoon pulled away sighing. It wasn't working. It was cold, lumpy and lifeless. It was a poor substitute, Rumble would be warm, if she was lucky; active, also if she was lucky; and... come to think of it the wings probably would feel lumpy regardless of any luck.

"Hey, why'd you stop?" asked Diamond Tiara as she pushed aside some clothing in the closet.

"The pillow is... decent for practice... but... it's not really enough." Silver Spoon curled her tail, covering her cutie mark. "There's no... feedback, you know? I'm worried I'm going to screw it up. And I want this to work."

"Ugh." Tiara rolled her eyes and walked back to Spoon's bed before jumping onto it. "You took a dare, and you are going to see it through!"

Silver Spoon gasped. What was that? She just spread her legs while it felt like a balloon inside of her chest was being filled with warm... stuff. "H-hang on." She batted her hooves in Tiara's direction. "I am going to do it. I just need..." She looked past Tiara's head, and traced a circle around it with her eyes.

"Ugh! Silver Spoon! You're acting the same way you did when I was giving you instructions for our tryouts as flag carriers for the Equestria games! A-and when I told you to get some paste we could spray on those blank-flank's clubhouse door!" Diamond Tiara waved her hoof in front of Silver Spoon. "Hello!? Equestria to Silver Spoon? What were you saying?"

Silver Spoon settled her eyes on Diamond Tiara's face. "I need to practice on something with lips. Do you think you could help me practice?"

Clamping her mouth shut Spoon pulled away from Tiara as the pink earth mare did the same. What happened? Why was Diamond Tiara looking at her like she'd sprouted a second head? Well, her request was rather lucid in elocution, but also rather spontaneous.

Diamond Tiara's eyes moved ever so slightly, scanning Silver Spoon. Spoon's Jaw hung open slightly as she looked at those eyes. Normally so commanding, judging, always expecting more from her. They looked confused. Of course! She'd asked Diamond Tiara to do something!

Silver Spoon cleared her through. "Uhm... That is... it's just a suggestion of something you could tell me to do," she said.

Face scrunching up into a wrinkly pink mass that was just adorable, Diamond Tiara looked up and down Spoon's body. The young grey earth mare wiggled under observation. Finally, Diamond Tiara rolled her eyes and shrugged. "Alright, if it will make you able to pull this off flawlessly." She shut her eyes, shook her head, then leaned forward as her lips puckered.

Swallowing her saliva in hopes that it would wash down her nervousness, Silver Spoon leaned forward. She kept her eyes open locking them intently on the end of Tiara's muzzle and lining up the approach. She puckered her own lips, and pressed them to Tiara's. A line of hair running up the length of her back tingled. Her nostrils flared. This close to Tiara, she could make out the minute details of her scent. The powerful scent of rosewater gave way to playful undertones of sweat and wood varnish. Perhaps Filthy Rich had been inspecting one of his furniture outlets and brought back a sample.

Silver Spoon perked her ears at the smacking and suckling of their lips as she scooted forward. She tugged at her friend's lips. This wasn't enough. Rumble might want a bit more once they started. Tiara's lips parted slightly, and Spoon capitalized on it by pressing her tongue in the opening, widening the bridge between them. Tiara shuddered and flinched. Spoon threw her hooves around Tiara and dragged her back. Goodness she tasted extravagant. What had Diamond Tiara been eating? Something divine for certain. Hopefully she hadn't spoiled the meal Spoon's mom had planned for the party. No, Spoon wanted Diamond Tiara to enjoy her visit.

Pushing her tongue into Tiara's mouth, Silver Spoon continued her kiss and washed Tiara's muzzle with hot breath. She leaned back pulling Tiara down with her. Spoon grunted as her back hit her bed comforter. Tiara's momentum caused the pink filly to continue falling until she pinned Spoon to the bed. Diamond Tiara's eyes snapped opened and stared at Silver Spoon who wiggled and squinted her eyes playfully as the corners of her mouth pulled upwards.

Silver Spoon laughed into her friend's mouth. Diamond Tiara in turn shuddered at the action, but didn't pull away. Good she liked it, she couldn't tell herself no. Wiggling her hind legs free from underneath Diamond Tiara, Silver Spoon followed through with wrapping them around her friend. Their bodies pressed together, and the closeness everywhere else let Silver Spoon pull out of the kiss and switch to nipping and nuzzling Tiara's neck.

All the while her friend alternated between staring dumbfounded at open air or locking eyes with Spoon.

Silver Spoon reached with a forehoof to wrap it around Tiara's haunches, then pulled her up a bit. She pecked her cheeks and forehead, then finished with another round of tongue kissing. She felt the small divots and crevices of Tiara's teeth, always so perfect... Spoon pulled out of the kiss and held her friend by the withers.

Tiara's eyes scanned left to right over Spoon. The grey filly pulled her hooves up against her chest and smiled. Uh... That was nice. Think it will catch Rumble off guard? Think maybe we could practice for another minute? Maybe five? How about we make it our little project for the afternoon? Oh no! Her lips are quivering! Oh shoot Diamond Tiara,if you didn't like it, what are you going to. Oh, Oh, she's smiling. Perfect teeth, perfect smile. It's a rare treat to see her smile like tha--

Diamond Tiara dove forwards and kissed Silver Spoon. Her hoof landed on Spoon's mane, holding her head in place. Silver Spoon closed her eyes, relishing the body warmth as their tongues danced in staccato rhythm against their combined heart beats. Spoon reached her hooves up to Tiara's sides, then leaned over eventually flipping their entangled forms until she was on top. She pulled away and nibbled on Tiara's ear. They remained silent except for some heavy breathing. Occasionally when they switched positions, or lay on their sides to nuzzle or bat at each other's chests with their hooves, Spoon would wince her eyes against the sun blazing into the room through the window.

Diamond Tiara lay on the bed, her hooves splayed out around her as she panted. Her mane stuck out at odd angles, and Silver Spoon's braid had become a tangled mess.

"Silver Spoon! Some of your guests are here!"

Tartarus... "Ugh..." Silver Spoon flopped over so she stared up at her bed's canopy. "I'll be down in a minute, Mom!" she yelled. Flopping over a few more times rewarded Spoon with a short drop to the floor. She got up, and Diamond Tiara hopped out of bed. Tiara walked to the corner by the door and grabbed her titular headgear before following after Spoon as she walked to the bathroom down the hallway. They each turned the faucets on at the two sinks in the bathroom and splashed water over their faces.

Silver Spoon glanced over at Diamond Tiara, then turned her head away when the pink filly's eyes met her own. Okay. So they liked each other as friends. Really liked each other as friends. Or Tiara was just eager to get her ready for the joke to play on Rumble.

Spoon leaned over and opened a drawer and pulled out two combs. "He'e," she said, tossing one brush to Tiara.

They spent a few minutes brushing their manes out, then joined the gathering crowd that was forming on the first floor. It passed by uneventfully for the first half. The music was okay, it was amusing to occasionally laugh with the others, but Spoon kept glancing over her shoulder to see where Tiara was. Never seeing any sign of her, Silver Spoon would return to facing whichever group she was with, sighing, and walking to the next crowd to listlessly hear their congratulations.

Supper came: pasta with the freshest tomatoes, onions, mushroom, and even a dash of spices all the way from Saddle Arabia. All of it topped off with the finest mozzarella, and baked in the oven until the cheese had turned golden brown. The baking also got rid of the excess water that would gather on the plates, making the meal much more palatable. Silver Spoon looked up from her plate and saw Diamond Tiara nibbling at a few noodles before dabbing at her mouth with a napkin. Good, she approved. Silver Spoon smiled and dove into her own dish, becoming keenly aware of her own hunger, all likely spawned from a few hours of impassioned, if highly affectionate, wrestling on her bed with Tiara. Her hooves quivered at the memory of the feeling of their coats rubbing against one another.

Spoon shook her head and slowed her eating.

When the meal was finished, they moved onto the cake. Banana flavor with vanilla icing. With that the party moved onto a lull when the guests settled to lounging in the living room to digest their meal before the opening of presents.

Diamond Tiara prodded Silver Spoon and pointed to the kitchen counter where Rumble was leaning, sipping some cola out of a glass. "Alright, now let's do it. You get him upstairs, I'll be watching from the closet. This is going to be hi-larious when he thinks you're actually interested in him."

Diamond Tiara walked to the house entrance foyer, and Silver Spoon glanced over at Rumble. It'd work out, just tell him that... his wings were nice... and she wanted to hear about what he did at flight camp.

"Ahem!"

Spoon glanced over to see Tiara none-too-subtly stabbing her hoof in Rumble's direction.before making her way up the stairs. Clearing her throat, the grey earth pony made her way to Rumble, weaving between a few crowds of ponies chatting and murmuring away.

Reaching Rumble, Spoon coughed once more, drawing the pegasus colt to look up from his beverage. "Oh, hi Silver Spoon! Great party!" he chirped. Sweet Celestia his voice must have cracked three times with just that sentence.

"Hi, Rumble," replied Spoon. She coughed again. "How was flight camp this summer?"

"Good," he answered, "the instructor was a little harsh, but I was around the top of my age and weight class."

"Wow!" Silver Spoon swooned, batting her eyes a few times, fighting the urge to wince and gag. Get it over with, like pulling off a bandage. "Hey, it's a little loud down here, maybe we should head somewhere quieter so you could uh..." Silver Spoon coughed again. "regale me with your flight camp mark?"

Rumble blinked a few times at her. Merciful Luna, this wasn't going to be like pulling a bandage, was it? Rumble sipped his drink then placed it on the counter. His wings fluttered a bit. "Ooookay..." Nope, not a bandage, definitely like pulling teeth. Silver Spoon turned in place and led him out of the kitchen, through the living room, and up the stairs.

The occasional pony would stare at the filly leading the colt through to the entrance. Jeez, why did Tiara have to ask her to lead Rumble up when he was as far from her room as possible? What if somebody followed them? What if he panicked upstairs and every pony came bolting up the stairs to see Silver Spoon trying to choke a colt with her own tongue?

Silver Spoon sighed. She'd told Tiara she'd do it, she would do it. She perked up a little and smiled as she walked into her room. Maybe if things didn't work exactly to plan with Rumble, she could demonstrate to Tiara what she did, and from there figure out where she went wrong.

Baring her teeth Silver Spoon jumped onto her bed and patted the spot in front of her. "Now, tell me all about flight camp..."

"Buh!" Rumble looked around the room, gulped and then jumped onto the bed, facing Silver Spoon. "Well, it was a little cold at first, but I got used to it real quick. Some of the other ponies had icicles forming on their..."

Silver Spoon drifted out of the conversation, imagining her next moves with Tiara--Rumble! Next steps with Rumble, then maybe, hopefully, Diamond Tiara. Silver Spoon licked her lips and leaned forward a bit, resting her chin on her hooves.

"So... Rumble..." said Spoon. The colt cut his sentence short and stared at her. "How do you like the room?"

"Uh... It's... nice?" he said, glancing around him.

"What's good, but I personally think it's a little cold; sit next to me?" she asked, patting the bed a little closer to her.

"Uh... okay. Don't see how you're cold though." Rumble obliged, plopping himself beside Spoon.

Silver Spoon giggled, suppressing it down into a light titter as she... ugh, he felt kind of greasy, must have been the pegasus wings. She leaned against him ever so slightly and looked into his face. "Has anypony told you how handsome your eyes are?" she asked.

Rumble's ears perked as his eyes widened. He raised his head slightly and blinked a few times. Silver Spoon leaned forward and parted her lips. So close, just another inch... There. She did it, her lips were touching Rumble's. His eyes were crossed, so he was definitely aware of where their faces were in relation to one another.

But beyond that, no passion, no fire, no energy, no nothing! Not from him, most definitely not from her. She reached her hooves to his shoulders and gripped them. Nipping his lips got them to open, and she pressed her tongue in. Yeesh! Maybe his batch of pasta was off! He tasted bad!

Spoon glanced over at the closet, and her hips bucked a little as she tried wrestling Rumble's tongue out from the corner of his muzzle it was hiding in.

Diamond Tiara would be right there! Watching with a camera in case she ever got an idea for those later. Maybe do some cutting and pasting to make it look like Rumble was making out with a minotaur on top of a mountain maybe. Returning her attention to Rumble, her eyes looked at his face up and down. She pulled away, sighed, and hopped off the bed.

Silver Spoon made her way across her room, kicking a Rubick's cube on her way. She threw open her closet.

"Hey! What are you doing?" shouted Diamond Tiara.

Silver Spoon wrapped her forehooves around Diamond Tiara's neck, and pressed her mouth to her more-than-friend. Her heart bloomed with warmth at the renewed contact. No words, no playing about and certainly no bashfulness. Just the desire to be close with her friend, and make her happy. Their tongues wrestled as their bodies did the same, until Silver Spoon was atop Tiara, massaging her friend's shoulders. They moaned into each other's throats while Tiara closed her eyes.

A shiver ran up Spoon's spine. Her ears twitched as she pulled away from licking Tiara's neck. Rumble was staring, mouth agape, when he shook his head, hopped off the bed, and trotted to the doorway. "Uhh... I should probably go home now. N-nice show Spoon... Party! Nice party!" he broke into a gallop as he reached the hall.

Grinning, Spoon looked down at Tiara and shrugged. "I think he's too weirded-out to tell anyone," she said.

Diamond Tiara nodded wrapping a hoof behind Spoon's neck. "Good, now... let's keep erm... practicing. M-maybe we can try Pipsqueak later this month?"

Spoon leaned forward and pecked Tiara on the cheek. "Whatever you say," she replied huskily.