Delightful Hearts 'n Hooves Day

The flower shop was bustling as ponies were coming in and out for desired roses of all colors, making Rosezeal Ebonemane a very happy, but also very busy pony! She was arranging another vase full of a bouquet of light orange and pink roses. "Admiration and desire, leave it to Thunderlane," she said quietly to herself as the bell above her door sounded, another pony walking in. "Just a minutes!" she called out from the back and finished up with a white bow around the neck of the blue vase. Hurrying out, she found her own Stallion standing there, leaning against the counter with a welcoming but troubled look. "Mercer, what's wrong?"

"I, um, I know I said we'd spend this afternoon together once you closed up here but, I have to go pay a visit to someone. I promise I'll be back for dinner though!"

Roze made her ears not droop at this news and looked at him quizzically. "Why...uh, who are you going to visit on a day like this?"

Mercer glanced sideways and murmured a name but, she didn't quite catch it. She asked him to repeat it and he sighed heavily. "Princess Cadence."

The shop was very quiet for several moments until the bell trilled lightly again as Rarity walked in, Roze looked to her with a forced smile. "Hi Rarity, what can I get for you?"

The purple maned mare smiled, her make-up making her flawlessly stunning, despite her own gloss and mascara it made Roze feel a bit insecure, especially after Mercer's announcement. 'What business could he have with her on a day like this? She's married anyhow...' "Hello darling. If I can have seven of your sterling silver roses with three red ones I'd be very pleased!" she said putting some bits down, as well as a red sash of fabric embedded with rubies. "Please wrap them together with this? It's for Spike later today." The white unicorn blushed delicately and looked to Mercer. "Hello to you as well! What do you two have planned for today~?"

Before Mercer could answer Roze made the door swing open with her magic. "He just had to tell me we'd be eating a little later tonight than he thought. He was just leaving, right, honey?" Her hard stare left no words Mercer could say with Rarity in the same room. Looking a bit crestfallen, Mercer nodded and headed towards the door.

"See you around Rarity, good luck with Spike," he replied briefly before leaving.

Rarity blinked in surprise as the door shut and Roze began arranging the requested bouquet. "Dear, what on earth just happened with you two? You're some of the closest, cutest ponies I know together; not cold and distant with each other."

Roze gritted her teeth and exhaled in frustration, tying the gem-bow around the fresh cut, thorn-less stems. "He has to go see somepony else before our time together. All the way up in the Crystal Empire..."

"He knows somepony up there!? My goodness, who?"

Roze swallowed tears threatening to creep their way up her throat to her eyes, and offered up the bouquet to Rarity. "The Princess of Love herself.

Rarity tilted her head in confounded curiosity, "Princess of Love as in, Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, Cadence?"

"Rarity, I'd rather not discuss this right now, I have a few more bouquets to get finished and deliver before closing...enjoy your day," Roze said as un-harshly as possible. Her heart hurt more and more from the thought of him going to see her, knowing the two had never been a couple, but that he'd been somewhat infatuated with her as an adolescent colt; as told directly from him one day when they were sharing some of their not-so-proud-of past. "Please, have a good day with Spike, he worships you as much as any pony could. You're lucky."

"So are you dear, Mercer tells me he's never been happier since your wedding last fall, he was one of the most anxious grooms in the world when he was getting fitted for his suit. Whatever did, or did not transpire between him and Princess Cadence is nothing for you to worry about now. He belongs to you wholly, I promise that much." Roze's ears perked towards Rarity as she glanced up from the counter, the unicorn smiled and picked up her request with one hand and resting her free one on top of Roze's on the counter. "Chin up darling, you are worshiped too. Be patient with him, from what I hear, the first year of marriage is most trying for both parties. So long," she squeezed Roze's hand gently then turned to leave, the loose curls of her mane and tail bobbing elegantly against her black and purple satin dress.

Roze stood there for some times before resting her forehead against her arms on the counter top, she knew it wasn't fair to be harsh to Mercer, but why chose such a special day to visit an old friend who could have wound up being something more all too easily. Shaking her head with a sigh, she got together the three other orders and waited for Thunderlane to pick up his before delivering the rest, then locking the door and flipping her sign to Closed after 3:00. Instead of returning to their cottage so soon, Roze decided to grab a salad from in town, having skipped out on lunch. Going to one of her favorite vendors, she got a salad with extra tomatoes and cucumber before finding an unoccupied table near by, her appetite soon grew smaller as she sees many ponies coming and going with their special somepony right beside them, some holding hands, some letting their tails wrap together at the bases. Reluctantly, she finishes the salad and makes her way home, not wanting to see any more of the wandering couples in Ponyville.

Along the way, she happens to bump into Fluttershy who clutches a small, woven basket of pink peonies and white rose's close to her body, from Roseluck's shop no doubt. The earth mare was a close friend who was also very busy today. "S-sorry Roze, I didn't see you there," she smiled timidly up at her.

"It's alright Fluttershy, Where are you off to?"

"O-Oh! I, er, was just heading to S-Sweet Apple acres, to see Big Mac."

Roze nodded and stepped out of her way. "Don't let me keep you then, happy Heart and Hooves Day 'shy."

"U-Um! Wait Rosezeal!" Roze turned back to her after starting to walk on. "M-Mercer ran into me earlier today, he gave me these roses when I'd already gotten flowers from Roseluck, said that it made it look m-more complete. Could you, uh, tell him I say thanks, again. Please?"

Roze didn't have the heart to get angry at Fluttershy, she'd been the first pony to be friends with her when she first arrived, and was never cross with her. "Sure, I'll be sure to soon as I get back home."

Fluttershy smiled happily. "Thank you!" she walked off with a bounce in her step.

'Even Fluttershy gets to spend time with her lover...and I get to wait and hope he comes home,' Roze thought miserably as she unlocked the front door with her spare key and stepped inside.

Roze decided since it was almost four o' clock, she would try something besides floral involvement that made her happy; and that meant baking. Since two days ago she had made up her mind about trying an old brownie recipe, so making her way to the kitchen and casting aside unhappy thoughts, Roze heated the oven and began mixing everything together, accidentally sneezing when some of the cocoa powder tickled too much at her nose when she opened the container lid, leaving even more unsweetened powder coating her face in a thin film. "Buck me," she muttered and grabbed a towel and cleaned up while her magic went on to add in the four table-spoons of powder.

After adding some chocolate chips and blackberries, Roze put the baking try filled with batter into the oven and busied herself with cleaning up house for the next forty-five minutes.The smell filled the house in an amazing chocolaty aroma as she pulled the try out of the oven and set it on the stove top and realized it was well past five o' clock. Well past the time Mercer promised that he would be back for their dinner, and rest of the night for them to be together. Looking from the clock on the wall, back down to the brownies she had to bite back a small wail of distress and left the brownies sitting there as she took off the oven-mitts and trudged up the stairs to their room. Closing the door behind her she unlaced and tossed aside her black boots, then laid down on the red, white and black bed.

Maybe I'm just being over emotional because my estrus will start in a another week? That must be it, she thought silently staring up at the ceiling, the fan swirling slowly overhead. The sky outside the single window that over looked the town half a mile off from the cottage, was turning a dark blue as Luna's moon surely rose somewhere above.

"Mercer...where the buck are you...?" Going to the window, Roze looked in the direction of Canterlot, and further north, the Crystal Empire. From so far, the only thing she could make our was the outline of a bright heart glowing, as she was told, above the palace's tallest tower. She wanted to hang the pony who had made that heart in the sky up by the tail that moment, knowing that nothing good would come of it, not to mention treasonous charges, Roze closed the curtains of the window and undressed, not wanting anything but smooth sheets to cover her immediately crawled into their bed. She hugged the lower half of her pillow as her head rested on it as her troubled mind swirled into sleep.

***

Mercer had walked with Princess Cadence in a bit of a rush towards the Crystal Empire's entrance. "I'm so sorry I kept you Mercer, that meeting was beyond outrageously long. I hope Roze doesn't feel too bitter still," spoke the pink alicorn, her voice revealing her genuine worry. No pony should be made at their mate on Heart and Hooves Day.

"Yeah, I'm not sure she'll be that forgiving, but the transportation spell you went over with me should help a ton. Along with this," Mercer held a vertical box about six inches long and two wide, it was wrapped in dark purple and a bow of black lace. It's her, Mercer couldn't help thinking. Especially what was inside. "Thank you for the trouble of getting this here, I didn't want to risk having it mailed all the way from the Crystal Mountain pass to us in Ponyville."

She smiled kindly. "I understand, they tend to be on the fragile side. Now, you best be going. Stallions have no safety from a Mare's fury," she giggled but gave him an encouraging smile. "Take care Mercer. Bring her here to visit when you both have the time." In a gesture of a friendly good-bye, Princess Cadence leaned forward to kiss him on the cheek then stepped back as his horn began to glow with the spell she'd taught him not ten minutes ago.

"Thank, Cadence. Tell Shining Armor I'm sorry I missed him."

"I will," she waved as he was consumed in silver magic then disappeared in a flash of white. Only a few seconds later, her reappeared just inside the front door to their cottage, checking to make sure nothing had been lost through the spell he sighed in relief then removed the thick coat he'd used to go up to the chilly city. He smelt brownies in the kitchen but, all the lights were off down stairs and up stairs. Looking up to the clock in the kitchen, Mercer nearly dropped his gift and wanted to ram his horn into a wall. Bucking nine thirty?! She's going to hate me! Running a hand through his mane nervously, he exhaled heavily then took off his shoes near the door before quietly making his way up to their room. He had to pause at the picture taken of them at their wedding day, happy that Rarity had taken the shot since she was the most experienced at getting fabulous pictures, it seemed like since then, the weeks went by unpredictably. One good, one if-y week, a great one, then one that would make a battle with griffons seem like a day in the park. He wanted so much to be everything for her, and he knew she loved him more than anyother pony could. He hoped everything will level out soon, as much as her loved her as his mate, he couldn't stand the bad weeks when fighting
quarrels happened...

***

Roze shifted in her sleep, the covers wrapped tightly around her naked form as her sides rose and fell with her breaths, Mercer had just opened the door with not so much as a creak. He set the small wrapped box on the dresser by the door and walked over to her side of the bed, her curls fell against her neck and cheeks, her lips parted and face calm. Like this, she did look like a heavenly being equal to either Princess he'd been mentored by, so much he wasn't sure he wanted to interrupt such a serene time by her seeing him home so late. Guilt for being late bottomed out though and he gently uncovered her shoulder and gave her a light shake. "Rosezeal, I'm home. Roze?" he whispered quietly, not wanting to startle her awake.

Her face scrunched cutely as her eyes squinted shut tight before she inhaled sharply and opened her light sapphire-blue eyes, looking up at him in confusion for a minute, then glowering at him while tears formed in her eyes. "You..."

"Roze, please, I'm so, SO sorry! Please, don't cry. Or want to kill me."

"You missed the first Hearts and Hooves Day, after being married..." she said flatly, her voice trembling from tears, but her heard the scorn in there as well, ready to explode if her temper was provoked at all.

"No, I didn't. It's still the exact same day," he said softly, offering a smile. Her tears spilled onto the pillow. She wasn't angry, she was hurt.

"What day? The day is over Mercer, I got to watch everypony and her sister with their special somepony and where were you? Doing whatever suited the pink Princess of the North I'm sure..."

"Wha-?!" Mercer shook his head, taken aback that his mare actually thought him capable of something that unfaithful. True Princess Cadence was the Princess of Love, and very easy on the eyes, but he'd left those feelings behind long ago. "No! Roze it was nothing like that, I swear! I asked her to hold something for me because I didn't want to risk having a messenger pony deliver it to here."

Roze looked him in the eye for several moments then whimpered in despair as she wrapped her arms tight around his shoulders, pulling him close to her while he stayed kneeling to the side of the bed. He smiled at the fact she wasn't inconsolably mad with him and quickly embraced her, moving onto the side of the bed to sit, holding her in his arms as she cried a little in relief and at how stupid she had thought earlier. After a while, she pulled back. "Better?" Mercer asked with high hopes.

"One more thing first."

"What's that?"

Roze smiled some then punched him in the arm with as much strength as she could muster having just woken up. The effect was as desired, he yelped and rubbed his arm. "That. That is for missing dinner."

"Y-You, uh, made brownies though?" He grinned through the sting of her knuckles connecting with his arm from the punch.

"Yes, which you'll be lucky to have any tomorrow," her eyes brightened as she smiled at him.

"I'm going to give you your present now, if that's fine with you?"

"Seeing as how you got yours earlier today, I'd like that." She nodded as he got up and got the box again, he brought a candle flickering to life with a simple spell before offering it to her. With a quiet gasp, she studied it a second then lifted it up out of his hand and unwrapped the bow. "This is what you had, Princess Cadence holding?"

Mercer just nodded with a smile as he waited to see her reaction when she opened the lid.

Roze gently pulled the top off the thin box and nearly dropped it as she gazed down at possibly the most elegant necklace she'd ever seen, minus what perhaps Princess Luna or Princess Celestia might wear to a formal event. She picked it up carefully to reveal delicate crystal chains weaving into and around one another it what appeared to be a choker design, dangling at the bottom were five tiers; the outer two held small aquamarine diamonds, the next ones in were a lovely garnet gemstones, and in the center and also hanging lowest, was a breathtaking inlaid, mother-of-pear crystal shining in the candle light. Her eyes were never wider as she gaped at the magnificent present. "Oh...Mercer!!" she shook her head. "I-I...I don't know what to say! Thank you isn't enough!"

"No...but your reaction is, and maybe some of those brownies tomorrow?"

"Oh buck, you can have them all," she giggled as he laughed loudly. "Good stars. This is unbelievable...where did you find this?"

"A town in the Crystal Mountain pass, they have quite the mining system there, and some jewelers that would put my mom to shame."

"She doesn't make all of her pieces though," Roze reminded him. He grinned with a shrug and carefully picked up the necklace to carry it over and set it down on the dresser before removing his top and pants, then crawling quickly over to her, only the covers separating their warm bodies.

"Me thinks, you should pull down that stupid blanket," he whispered, nibbling the sensitive edge of her ear.

"M-Me thinks -ah!- you sh-should move, so I c-can!" she groaned in response.

He purred as he moved off to the side and removed his underwear last while Roze pulled down the covers, exposing her soft, cream colored body. Her light-coral nipples began to stiffen from the cool air of the room hitting them, Mercer smirked happily. "Now that you did, I think you deserve a reward; for being so patient with me, and forgiving me~" he wiggled two of his fingers as he said this, making her blush deeply. He knew the thought of what to come turned her on to no end.

"Yes, please?" she asked softly, he nodded and rubbed down her strong, toned legs then pushed them up and pulled them apart slowly to show her pink folds, and a velvety soft tuft of red pubic hair above the kernel of pleasure for every mare; her clit. His smiled grew at the sight and he leaned down to kiss her pubic lips as they twitched from the contact of his warm-wet tongue. "Naaagh~!!" her hands fisted into the sheets from the tender pleasure.

"I thought you'd like this, I wasn't aware of how sensitive you were tonight~" Mercer chuckled and licked softly over her clit then down to her opening.

"O-Oh you'll be lucky, i-if you don't drop from exhaustion next we-week!" she cried out as her face contorted with pleasure.

"Hmhmhm~" one finger snaked up to her now thoroughly wet opening. "That time of the season already?" he asked teasingly, mentally making a note to stock up on extra-strength vitamin water when the went to the market in a few days.

"Uh-huh! Aaahn!!" She moaned in pleasure as one, then another finger pushed into her, rubbing and tickling slow at first; then twirling around until her hips followed his fingers' motions in a desperate attempt to speed them up. From the view and scent, Mercer couldn't help but start to stroke his already hardening stallionhood.

"Oh Roze," he groan quietly, gripping his shaft tighter. "C-Care to turn over, love?" Not two seconds after the words left his lips, Roze had flipped onto her knees as her hands grasped the head pillow tightly, Mercer swiftly slid the two fingers back into her greedy, soaking snatch with a small sucking noise and a loud moan from her. His arm pumped them in and out; his fingers tickling and rubbing inside her as no cock could possibly ever do, driving her closer and closer to the edge of a mind-dizzying orgasm. "Mhhh~? Cum for me baby~!" He demanded as he let go of himself and wrapped an arm under her to grope on of her plump breasts, lightly tweaking the perked nipple as his lips caressed, and mouth licked and nipped at her ear; her moans and whimpers growing more breathy and needy.

"W-Want to~! J-Just a little -- THERE~!! Ooooooh!!!" her hips jolted and bucked uncontrollably as Mercer fingered her sweet spot to bring her shouting through her wet orgasm, lasting well over two minutes. As she gasped for breath, Mercer kissed down her neck and across her shoulders, licking between them before leaning up and rubbing her rounded plot, tracing lightly over her Cutie Mark on either side.

"I want now, Roze~!" he said in a husky tone that made her shudder hard. "Can I take?"

"Good Ancients, yes, do! Before I completely lose my senses," she chuckled anxiously as he moved his tip to her dripping folds, prodding for a few moments before slowly easing himself inside her depths. Laying over her, Roze having dropped her lower body flat against the bed and crossing her legs to hug his throbbing member harder, he grasped her hands tightly and turned her head to kiss her deeply, working himself in and out of her with ragged breaths of pained concentration, struggling not to end this perfect night too soon. "Uhhn~ Mercer, you feel thicker~!" she told teasingly as her inner walls clenched and released simultaneously with his thrusts.

"I won-wonder, why~?! Ugh! Couldn't be because you're so d-damn hot inside?" he licked her horn briefly, eliciting a blissful moan, then thrust faster in and out of her, his scrotum smacking into her clit when she pushed her rump up and spread her knees a little, making her tremble and squeeze his hands tighter. "Can't la-last like this, Roze! MMMMNH!"

Roze nodded in agreement and let her knees drop again, tightening as much as possible around Mercer without being painful as she bucked back against him in rhythm, craving his hot climax deep inside her. Some part of her mind felt almost guilty about the frenzy that would last a little over five days next week, she'd be lucky to have him coherent by the end of the seventh day after assaulting him for so many days in a row, however those thoughts soon fled as she heard him grunting louder, and clenching her hands in a near death-grip before moaning his ecstasy. His stallionhood soon erupted wave after wave inside her, gushing warmth throughout her whole body as she groaned in euphoric relief with him, his form soon collapsing on top of her body, fully spent after five minutes.

"Uuugh~...Roze?"

"H-huh?"

Mercer heaved himself off her and over close to her left side, smiling contently. "I love you, so much."

Roze smiled back at him, her eyes half closed in the after-glow of it all. "I love you too, Mercer. This was, a good Hearts and Hooves Day after all."

"Yeah, it was." He pulled her close, tucking her head under his chin possessively, and kissing the tip of her horn softly. "Sleep well, my mare."

"Now that you're here, I believe I can," she whispered, nuzzling into his neck and closing her eyes, enjoying her heart trembling lightly from feeling so warm after such a strange day.