Of Bells & Sports

1, 1

"Unfurling Anticipation"

One night, all alone in the cozy confines of Butterscotch's cabin... Elusive prepared a warm treat. Butterscotch always adored his cooking, and this would be no exception. He only asked that Butterscotch remain outside... and while his animals were all inside, enjoying the aroma... they knew to keep their distance when the Unicorn was at work. Whenever he wore his glasses Elusive meant business.

"I'd like to surprise you."

Butterscotch fought with every ounce of control he had to keep from peeking, while Elusive sweat bullets... multi-tasking as he would in his shop.

In his dark green bathrobe, Elusive added the final touches to his delicacy -- a small, stealthy drop before leaving it to cool. His horn pulsed and glowed, then beneath a perforated dome it sat... a barrier to keep the little scamps out, of course, but also to add an aire of mystery as it began to steam up. The posh stallion turned to the door frame and could barely see locks of straight pink mane peeking out... He grinned, setting his glasses on the counter with his magic.

"I know you're there," Elusive said, slyly. "I trust you didn't peek, did you?"

"Oh, n-no...," Butterscotch stammered in reply, leaning in so the two could make eye-contact. "As tempting as it was, I have no idea what you've made for me... but it smells wonderful."

"In a matter of minutes it will all be yours. Have you any guesses as to what I've made you?" The Unicorn paused, still sweating, as he watched Butterscotch's hoof brush by his head in contemplation. "Come on, now. Come closer and guess! There are no clues left in your kitchen; I've made doubly sure of that."

Timidly, Butterscotch took a few steps forward and looked around. Except for the foggy glass dome, his kitchen was spotless... immaculate, as the Unicorn would say. Elusive was always so good at cleaning up after himself, be it in the kitchen or the shop... or even the bedroom.

The Pegasus shook his head, tugging firmly at the edges of his bathrobe:

"Honestly, I've no clue..."

"One guess?" Elusive took two steps towards his mate, smiling... fluttering his eyes in a way that he knew would excite the pegasus. The stallion's wings fluttered out as he shifted his weight, hoping to hide what was slowly growing under his bathrobe. Sensing this, Elusive moved in even closer... close enough for his mate to feel his breath and smell his musk. He playfully nipped at Butterscotch's cheek. "Oh, pretty please.. while it cools, at least take a few stabs at it? ... perhaps that was a hint, dear -- stab, slice, moist, delicious."

"Is it cake?"

"No, no... not quite, but you are closer than you'd think!" Elusive was admittedly being a tad dishonest, as Butterscotch was far off... but he knew once he understood more he would get the connection. "Two more guesses?"

"Pie?"

"Wrong again, dear. One more guess, then I'll simply have to show you!"

Butterscotch rubbed his chin and sat as all his nearby animals, including Lilith rabbit, gathered around in hopes of pantomiming hints. They did their best and Butterscotch nodded his head, but at the same time he scowled in frustration:

"But that doesn't make any sense!" he said to Lilith, who gritted her own teeth in frustration.

"Hey, no fair giving hints!" Elusive said, shaking a hoof at the tiny doe.

Lilith blew him back a raspberry, then turned back to Butterscotch. Butterscotch looked up at Elusive:

"What my animals are telling me doesn't make sense, as you really can't cut it."

"Oh?"

"Yes, but I trust you..."

"And I you." Elusive put his hoof on Butterscotch's shoulder, gently rubbing, looking at him with calm blue eyes. "Do you give up, or would you like to use your last guess and perhaps take a chance with me?"

Butterscotch's ear perked up on those last words, but Elusive tenderly rubbed it back, kissing on his forehead. The stallions might later be rubbing back other things... things known to stick up, but for now... they'd enjoy this small moment together. This modest proposal which had the yellow Pegasus flummoxed.

"The only thing I can think of that you could cut would be bread, but Elusive... that would have taken hours and it smells much too sweet for anything like that. It smells almost like icing!"

"Is that your final guess.... simply bread? Icing?"

The Pegasus nodded.

"I am sorry, Butterscotch, but that is wrong, too." He gently kissed his Special Somepony's cheek. "By now it should be nearly cooled... beneath that steamy glass it waits. I wish for you to eat all of it, and I want to see you eat it... can you do that for me?"

"Elusive, you're being awfully intense."

"I thought you said you trust me... don't you?"

The Pegasus nodded as Elusive affectionately stared back into his warm green eyes. He blushed furiously.

"O-... okay."

"Then eat up! It's small, but it is scrumptious. I can promise you you'll never forget this dish... I've gone lengths to make sure of that."

Hesitantly, Butterscotch approached the counter, peering at the glass covering. His animals followed, Lilith getting right on the counter and looking down inside... Butterscotch lifted the lid.

Underneath was a single serving of butterscotch pudding. It sat there for a moment, the stallion staring at it. Lilith bent over to sniff it,but before she could get too close her tail shined a faint blue and she was pulled back almost a foot, letting out a tiny cry. She groused indignantly, tugging at Butterscotch's bathrobe when the glowing finally ceased. The stallion's eyes went wide.

"Hey!" he snapped, turning to Elusive. "That wasn't very nice!"

"Trust me, her ego's hurt most of all to think she won't get what I've made solely for you." Elusive pointed at the doe, who's tail was twitching, but unharmed. She pouted up at Butterscotch, gesturing down to the desert while rubbing her stomach. She did want a piece of it. "That is your pudding and no pony else's."

"How you know these things about Lilith is beyond me, Elusive," Butterscotch said, cracking a smile. "I'd normally just give her some."

"In the fashion industry one learns quickly when he is being taken advantage of... even by the cutest, most adorable of clients." His horn glowed, passing Butterscotch a metal spoon. "Now, no more waiting, and no more stalling... dig in, dear, lest I force-feed it to you."

"Oh, you wouldn't?" the pegasus squeaked, looking up at Elusive with surprise in his eye. "... would you?"

"Try me."

Gulping, Butterscotch looked down at the desert... something was going on, but he couldn't quite put his hoof on it. He was hoping whatever it was, it was going to be good. He casually took a deep scoop and opened his mouth. Shutting his eyes, he took a bite. The rich, wonderful taste of butterscotch -- which he was named after -- filled his mouth... and it was sweeter than any he'd had since colthood.

Butterscotch looked up at Elusive, grinning ear-to-ear. His eyes said it all.

"See? I told you it would be good, didn't I? ... now, eat up dear. It's arguably best served when warm. Slowly... give yourself time to appreciate its finer texture. There's an ingredient you may not taste... but it will certainly enhance this experience."

The Pegasus glanced up:

"What ingredient?"

"Keep eating... we'll get there, dear."

Butterscotch did as he was told... taking another slow bite, savoring the sweet taste of the richly crafted desert... then another. Elusive's smile grew after each tiny bite the stallion took. Butterscotch was becoming a bit uncomfortable as Elusive watched him eat, but he rationalized it away... perhaps this was for a cooking contest in the future? He would give an honest opinion when he was done, or so was planned... Elusive's look of anticipation warranted at least that.

Then he bit into something hard.

Clink.

"Ouch," he whispered, spitting out this object on the counter where it rolled out of sight. He turned to the Unicorn. "Elusive, did you put something metal in my food?" The ivory stallion nodded. "... that seems a bit dangerous."

"The thought had crossed my mind, hence why I wanted to see you eat it dear..." Elusive winked.

Butterscotch's confused look turned to one of annoyance:

"Elusive, that's in no way cute or funn-"

"Now, before you say anything too rash, why don't you first take a look at what you bit into, hmm?"

He paused, glancing down at the white counter as Elusive pulled this metallic thing closer with his magic. It was smooth, circular... silver, yet cast with blue. Designed to be worn by Unicorns around their horns; other ponies would need to wear it on a chain... a ring. Butterscotch looked up at his Special Somepony, his expression melting back into confusion.

Elusive, normally posh and confident, was now blushing... the words had simply left him. The color started to drain from his face as well. He was clearly nervous, Butterscotch could see that. The Pegasus stared at his Special Somepony for a few moments, until he finally spoke up... cutting through the silence:

"Would you like to be Sweepy Belle's Uncle?" Elusive asked, chuckling under his breath. "That's really the closest I can get to asking what I really mean, without completely losing my composure and breaking down into a sea of tears. That would be quite unbecoming. Now, please... don't tell me I have to be any clearer."

Elusive watched as Butterscotch's lip slowly curled upwards into a smile.

"Oh, Elusive!" The stallion set his desert on the counter (which Lilith immediately dove towards, though Elusive grabbed it with his magic). Butterscotch wrapped both forelegs around the sleek muscular barrel of his unicorn mate. "Yes... I'd like that. So much!"

"Me, too, dear...," Elusive said, the color finally returning to his cheeks. He tenderly rubbed Butterscotch's stiff wings. "More than you can imagine. I love you, Butterscotch."

The posh stallion felt tears against the back of his neck as he and Butterscotch snuggled. The yellow Pegasus didn't have to reply... he knew what he would have said. A response would have diminished the value of this moment, anyway. Elusive started to cry, too. They were there, together, in love... ready to take it to the next level.

* * *

Finally, once they broke a part, Elusive gave Butterscotch back his pudding:

"Now please," he said quietly, nodding at Butterscotch, who looked a tad blurry. "Please enjoy this. It was made with love... but you know that. Either way, there are some special ingredients in there that I had to work long and hard to get..."

"It's okay, Elusive, I completely underst-" Butterscotch suddenly froze, looking down at his pudding... his gut turning sour as his brain made a few connections. "Oh, my goodness, Elusive! You didn't!?"

"Didn't what, darling?"

Butterscotch was turning green. He couldn't look his mate in the eye, though Elusive could see him grimacing under his pink mane.

"Darling, what didn't I do? You can tell me."

He spoke up, slowly:

"It's too embarrassing for me to say, Elusive... though it might have some bearing on why you didn't want me giving any to Lilith."

It was Elusive's turn to be confused. He stared at his mate, perplexed. Between the awkwardness of past the few minutes and this, he was left scratching his mane. Butterscotch's unnatural sickly hue and expression weren't enough to clue him in... the pegasus began to make gestures towards the bowl with his eyes, then downwards... towards his barrel. He made this gesture a few times, a bit more aggressively each time, and Elusive finally understood:

"Butterscotch! Are you suggesting you think there might be an ingredient of me in there? Something as personal as that ring, but far more... uncouth, to say the least. Vile might be the best word."

The pegasus nodded, blushing beneath his coat. He went from feeling sick, to now feeling a bit silly.

"Darling, that would be downright perverse of me! You don't have to worry about that..." He got in close again, taking a nip at the stray hairs sticking out from Butterscotch's ear. "But that's not to say we won't get a chance later on once Lilith's in bed. Perhaps out on a blanket, under the stars... hmm? Me on one end, you on the other."

"But Elusive, I've never been able to get you to-"

"Shhhh." The posh stallion put a hoof to Butterscotch's lips. "Never mind that. We do it, dear, because we love each other. A mouth, a hoof, another more personal body part... all that matters is that we are together and enjoying ourselves, right?"

"Mmm... You're right."

"You know I am." The stallion winked, watching Butterscotch take his last spoonful. He smiled. "Now, since the pudding is gone... how 'bout putting Lilith to bed while I get out the blankets? Doesn't that sound lovely?"

Butterscotch could feel Lilith tugging at his bathrobe and pouting, though his eyes never strayed from Elusive.'s The pegasus grinned:

"That sounds like a good idea to me, Elusive."

"Splendid!"

Lilith continued to object and tug at his side, but Butterscotch remained unflinching... all he could think about was his unicorn sweetheart. To the pegasus, this summer night was the most wonderful night since he and Elusive had first decided to become Special Someponies... since they had first made love. And it would keep getting better and better as time passed... because that's how true love works.