A Meeting to Remember
This was certainly not where he had seen himself a few days ago; laying in bed next to a beautiful white colt. His sweet wonderful stallion. As Match Stick looked down at the sleeping stallion in his hooves, he couldn't help but smile at the memory of the strange series of events that had brought him into contact with the love of his life.
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Match Stick was speeding through the sky. Clouds, birds, and even the occasional pegasus whizzing by as the stallion sped through the air, a second royal guard right on his tail. Match was determined to stay ahead of the other stallion however. He was not going to lose this race, not after the other stallion had challenged his abilities! A number of years on the force had earned the orange maned stallion a reputation for his feisty attitude, especially when it came to matters of pride. And flying was something Match had always been proud of. He knew that he was by no means the best flyer in Equestria, but when it came to the royal guard, he knew he was the best. As he sped towards the designated finish line, he looked back at the gray colt that had foolishly challenged the proud stallion. He couldn't himself. In a moment of hubris, Match grinned at the stallion straining to keep up behind him.
“I thought you said you knew how to fl-“, the stallion taunted as he continued full steam right into a sleeping Pegasus. The impact was enough to knock the pegasus off the could it had been sleeping on, sending them plummeting to the ground. Without missing a beat, Match doubled back, catching the pegasus and delivering them to the ground.
“I am so so so sorry about that! I was being careless. I should have been watching where I was going. Are you alright? Are you hurt?”, Match let out a barrage of questions as two blue eyes stared back at him, dazed and a bit confused. The blue eyed pegasus shook her head trying to grasp what exactly was going on. Hadn't she just been sleeping on a cloud? And now there was this guard in front of her, talking a mile a minute about a race.
“Um…”, she said, trying to stop Match from apologizing, “I think I am ok”, she said, testing out her wings. Match could feel his heart starting to race. Her voice was angelic. And her eyes were absolutely brilliant. Match was captivated by her natural beauty.
“S-sir, are you alright”, the shy pegasus asked, taking a step back from the pony that was staring so intently.
“Better than alright, my dear”, he said, snapping out of his daze. “I must apologize for my rude actions. As a royal guard, I really should have known better. I was racing a friend, you see. But, I can’t say I regret taking his bet”, said the stallion, grinning widely at the mare.
“Oh?”, the grey maned pony asked, still a bit confused about the entire situation.
“Mhm”, Match nodded, “If I hadn't taken that silly bet, I never would have, er, bumped into such a beautiful pony”. The pony in front of him simply blushed, not expecting a compliment from the guard. Match recognized the response as a favorable one. This wasn't his first time flirting with a beautiful mare after all. “I really do feel bad though”, he said, looking her in the eye. “What say you let me make this up to you? Perhaps I could buy you a lovely dinner? I know my way around the Canterlot restaurant scene”. The mare only blushed a deeper red. Match loved the way her blush showed through her white coat. Letting out a chuckle, he extended his hoof to her, “Oh, but where are my manners? My name is Match Stick. I serve Princess Celestia as a royal guard”. Match was almost certain this mare was going to pass out from the heat of her blush. He could tell that she was not used to this kind of treatment.
“My name’s Winters, Winters End” the mare said quietly, extending her hoof to the stallion.
“How fitting that the most beautiful season share a name with such a gorgeous pony”, Match said, giving her his trademark smile. “So what do you say? Dinner on me tonight?” Winters was overwhelmed. This was not something that normally happened. In fact, this had never happened before. No one had ever asked Winters out, probably because the pony spent a lot of time in the park or on a cloud, reading illicit romance novels. Winters blushed, realizing that this situation was almost exactly like one of the stories in a book that had been finished just the previous day. Winters hadn't realized that he had gotten lost in thought, and was now staring down at the ground, covered in a deep blush. Match brought him back to reality when he placed his muzzle only inches from the blue eyed pony’s. Jumping back, Winters let out an eep, wings jetting straight up at the unexpected violation of personal space by the stallion.
“Winters? You alright hun? You seem to have zoned out on me.”
“YES!” Winters blurted out.
“Yes? To dinner?”, Match said, trying to suppress a laugh. He loved how jittery she was over a simple compliment. Match had always loved to make mares blush. Their reactions were simply a thing of beauty. “Great! How about I drop by after my shift? Say, around 8?”
“YES! I live in the cloud house. I mean, all the houses are cloud houses. I live in the white one. I mean, the white one with the snow flake” was all Winters could blurt out before dashing off. Winters did not know how to deal with this situation. Her heart was racing. She felt hot. She was being fawned over but a royal guard. He was chiseled and his red eyes were incredibly deep. But they had just met!
Match couldn't help but let out a hearty laugh as he watched Winters speed off. “Match old boy, you still have a way with the mares”, he said, heading back to his friends. He still had a patrol to finish.
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Winters was jittery all day. She didn't know how to prepare. She couldn't read like she normally would. She was too excited to do anything. She kept pacing back and forth, going over hypothetical’s, trying to remember how the characters in the stories always reacted. Just as she was starting to settle down, there was a knock at her door that caused her to jump out of her to jump out of her skin. It couldn't be 8 already? Looking at her clock, she began to panic. It was already 8 and she had done nothing to prepare. ” ohmygoshohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh”, Winters thought as she paced back and forth, unsure of what to do. Just then, another knock. “C-coming”, said the pony as she slowly went to open the door, unsure of what to do. Standing there was the same guard that had invited her out to dinner. He wore a suit and held a bouquet of roses. He smiled at Winters, as she invited him in. “I, um, I’m sorry. I lost track of time and I didn't know what to wear and you look so handsome and I’m just standing here all plain and-and”, Winters said as she began to grow teary eyed. “I’m sorry”, Winter said, looking down at the ground, dejected. Just then, she felt a hoof on her chin.
“My dear”, match said, bringing her face up to meet his in an intense stare, “I don’t care if you aren't all dressed up for our date. Besides,” he said with a reassuring smile, “any clothes you put on would simply pale in comparison to your natural beauty.” This earned a blush from Winters. He really was just like a character out of one of her novels. “Shall we get going, my dear,”. the stallion asked, offering a hoof to the sniffling pony. Wiping away a tear, Winters nodded and took Match’s hoof.
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“Your table sir”, the stuffy waiter said, leading the two ponies to a booth in the back of the restaurant. Winters had never been to a restaurant like this before. It was so fancy. The atmosphere was very intimate. The whole building was dark, and each table was lit by a single candle. A group of ponies was playing a classical song in the center of the restaurant, and the gentle hum of hushed conversations buzzed in the air. “I will be back to take your orders in a moment”, he said, walking off.
“So, what do you think?”, Match asked Winters, hoping to impress her.
“It’s amazing”, said Winters, truly in awe of the classiness of the establishment.
Match let out a chuckle, “Now now, YOU, my dear are amazing. This restaurant can’t compare to your perfection”. Winters began glowing red like a light as the waiter returned with drinks.
“You are too kind to me, Mr. Stick”, Winters said. Match merely put a hoof up to Winters’ lip.
“Please, call me Match. We are here on a date, not on a mission for the Princess”, he said, giving Winters a grin. Taking a sip in order to recompose, Winters smiled at the Stallion. This kind of treatment was a new experience for the pony and, it felt wonderful. “So, how are you doing now that some time has passed since our introduction”, he said, swirling his hoof in the air as though to reference something.
“Oh, I’m quite alright”, Winters said, looking the stallion in the eyes.
“That’s a relief”, Match said. I would hate to have done something to mar such a beautiful pegasus. Clearly Match wouldn't be content until the mare was covered in red. “But, you know, I think I would like to know more about you, Winters. Would that be alright with you?”. Winters nodded. “Then, how about you tell me about that lovely cutie mark?”.
“Well, my cutiemark, a melted snowflake”, Winters said. “This is going to sound silly, but it is more symbolic than anything. You see, just as winter melts away and is replaced by the warmth and life of spring, so too are the barriers of unfamiliarity melted away and replaced by the warmth and comfort of friendship. So, my cutiemark represents breaking down barriers and making friends.” Match couldn't help but smile as he watched Winters describe his cutiemark. There was something special about this mare. He could feel it. And he liked it. Maybe even loved it. He had to know more.
The next few hours were spent discussing little things. They talked about growing up in Cloudsdale, about their tastes in food, their love of travel, their taste in music, and their shared secret passion for torrid romance novels. As the night progressed, Winters began to open up more and more, becoming more comfortable with this Stallion who had just the day before been a complete stranger. As dinner drew to a close, the two ponies were taking with each other as though they had known each other their entire lives. Winters was laughing and blushing openly, while Match had ceased flirting and was seriously engaged in everything Winters said. They played off each other perfectly.
After dinner, Match had invited Winters to join him for a moonlight stroll along the edge old district of Canterlot. As the two ponies walked side by side, they could feel something magical in the air between them. A type of friendship that transcended the norm. And though neither of them could see it then, somewhere in their hearts, they could both feel it. It was not just the magic of friendship that had been created that night. No, it was something far more beautiful that in the air. It was the beginnings of love. As Match and Winters slowly walked back to Winters house, it was clear that neither of the ponies wanted this magical night to end. When they had reached the door, Match and Winters had been talking nonstop for 5 hours. They both wanted to stall. They wanted to keep each other around for as long as possible, but it had become late. Match had a morning patrol and he knew he had to go. “You know Winters, I think tonight was perfect. I don’t know if you felt it at all, but…” he said, trailing off. “Well, I mean, maybe if you aren't too busy, we can do this again sometime?”
Winters smiled in that cheerful manner Match had already grown to love. She leaned in and gave him a peck on the cheek. “I would love to Match. Good night!” she said, turning to go. For the first time that night, it was Match Stick standing there, bushing at Winters’ door. A stupid smile spread across his face, he couldn't help but cheering as he flew home.
On the other side of the door, Winters had sunk down at the door, heart racing in realization of what had just happened. “This can’t really be happening, can it?” The same goofy smile was plastered on Winters face. The white pony felt weak in the knees, but somehow managed to stand up and make their way towards the shower. Tonight really had been a dream come true.
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The next few dates went in the same way. As the nights passed, the two ponies began to slowly open their hearts up to each other. They told each other secrets that they never thought they would tell another living soul. They laughed together. They cried together. It was almost as if they were inseparable. Every opportunity they had they spent together. One night they even spent reading each other’s favorite romance novel. To say that they had fallen for each other would be an understatement. After the sixth date they had been on, Match was surprised when, instead of the normal peck on the cheek, Winter’s kissed him full on. He had never expected this of the mare. In fact, he would have been content to have things stay as they had been. As long as he could stay by this mare’s side, he would be happy. After the kiss, Winters’ made Match blush for the second time in their relationship be inviting him in for “coffee”.
“Are you sure you want to do this?” Match found himself asking. He was by no means a virgin, but, at the same time, he had never felt this deeply in love with anypony. He didn't want to rush her. In fact, he was willing to wait for her forever.
“I’m sure”, said Winters, sliding into bed. “I have never felt this way about anypony before. It is funny, really. I feel really comfortable around you. I feel like, well…” Winters trailed off, blushing.
Match closed his eyes and smiled. He knew what words the mare wanted to say. He had wanted to tell her how he felt. How much he loved her. How happy she made him. How he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. Without another word, he made his way to the bed and slowly slid in next to her.
Match had always been a fan of foreplay. He hugged the mare close, kissing along her neck, stroking the mare as he whispered sweet nothings into her ear. He could feel himself growing hard. Even if he had been willing to wait as long as she wanted, he would admit that he had thought more than once about having sex with the mare. He slowly kissed down her neck and chest, massaging her smooth butt. As he reached her stomach, he reached down to play with her marehood. As his hoof traced down the length of her body, he ran it over the length of her penis and…HER PENIS?
Match jumped out of bed, pulling the covers with him. As he had though, staring back at him was a fully erect penis, leaking pre like he had never seen before. “I…you…that…what?” Match could only stammer. His mare, the girl he had fallen in love with wasn't a girl at all. Winters looked up at him, very concerned.
“What’s wrong?”, she….no, he asked.
“You are…you are a stallion!?”, Match asked. “You have a penis?!” Match honestly had no idea what to do. He was conflicted. He was straight. He liked mares. Didn't he? He wanted to run. He wanted to scream. But he could only stand there and stare and the mare he loved laid in bed, with his penis standing straight up, throbbing.
“I thought you knew”, Winters said, confused. “I mean, it isn't like we wear clothes around each other…”
“But I’m straight!”, Match blurted out. “I didn't. I don’t I…I”, Match said, backing away.
It had never taken much to make Winters cry, so he was used to crying. It had never been a big deal to him. Just a part of who he was. But, laying there exposed before the stallion he thought had loved him, being told that the love had been based on a lie, Winters couldn't hold back. It hurt. He had known this had been to perfect to be true.
Match was awestruck. He couldn't comprehend what was happening. He was ready to bolt, that is, until he saw Winters cry. Maybe Match hadn't been a colt-cuddler before this. Maybe he still wasn't. But one thing he did know was that he could not stand to see Winters cry. Even though he had literally just had his world flipped upside down, he knew somewhere in his mind that what he had felt had been real. It actually broke his heart to see Winters cry, especially because he had been the one who had caused it with his outburst. As Winters buried his head in a pillow and sobbed, Match slowly flew over to the bed, and took up his place next to Winters.
Winters was crying harder than he cared to admit. He felt like somepony had just ripped his heart out and trampled on it. He didn’t notice the stallion reposition himself in the bed next to him until he felt two hooves wrap around his shaking form. Match was hugging him? But, hadn’t he left? Hadn’t he been disgusted by Winters’ stallionhood? Winters looked up at Match through his tears, and saw the stallion smiling down at him.
“I’m sorry Winters”, Match whispered into the crying stallion’s ear. “It is true that I wasn’t expecting this to happen. I thought you were a mare. A beautiful, sweet, pretty, perfect mare. My mare”.
“Here it comes”, Winters thought, “He is going to apologize and leave. And I will be here, alone with my books again. It’s my own fault. I should have told him…”
“But, I have never felt this way before”, Match continued. I don’t know anything about being a colt-cuddler, or about how to be with a stallion. But, what I do know is that my love for you was real”, Match said, staring Winters dead in the eye. Kissing Winters’ forehead, Match pulled the stallion in close. “In fact, my love for you still is very real. I loved you for who you are. Your sex shouldn’t matter. Mare or colt, you are still the Winters that I fell in love with”.
Winters lost it. He began sobbing once again. He had never thought that it would end like this. He would never have thought he would be laying in the arms of such an amazing stallion. “I love you too Match. I love you more than anything. I’m sorry I didn’t say anything. I’m so sorry”, Winters said, trying to choke back the tears.
“Shhh, there there my love. It will be alright. Let it all out”, Match said, stroking Winters’ mane.
They stayed like that for hours. Eventually Winters cried himself to sleep, leaving only Match awake, holding the mare of his dreams. Only, the mare of his dreams had turned out to be a stallion. He couldn’t help but smile as he looked down at Winters, who was smiling in his sleep. Match let out a quiet chuckle as he laid his head down next to Winters. “Who could have thought I would end like this” he though, as he slowly drifted off to sleep. Tomorrow he would begin his new life with his coltfriend. But for now, he just wanted to hold him close. He wanted the sleeping stallion to know that love had no bounds.
