“Ngh, AJ. Don't stop. That's so good.”

Spike could hear his wife giggle underneath the bed sheets. “Oh, ya haven't seen nuthin' yet. Just wait and see what ah got planned for our first Hearts and Hooves Day.”

The dragon grinned. “This wouldn't have anything to do with you asking to borrow my Seven of Eight poster for reference material?”

“Maybe,” she replied teasingly. “Just so you know. Resistance is irrelevant.”

“Ah,” he groaned, feeling her mouth on a rather sensitive spot again. “It's resistance is futile, honey.” Nonetheless he couldn't help but correct her when it came to Pony Trek.

“Heya, you two!” Suddenly their bedroom door was flung wide open.

“Whoa!” Almost as suddenly, he felt himself being vaulted out of the bed in a knee-jerk reaction from AJ at hearing her sister's voice. “Ouch!”

“Apple Bloom!” she yelled, covering herself with the blanket while he landed behind the bed and out of sight. “Don't just come in here!”

The filly made a pouting face, knowing that AJ was defenseless against that, most of the time. “But ya said ah could visit anytime ah wanted to.”

“And ah meant it! But knock before ya enter somepony's bedroom. Granny and ah taught ya better than that.”

Apple Bloom cocked her head, then she spotted Spike peering up over the edge of the bed. “Oh, ah get it. Ya were just about to have sex. Ah'll just go wait downstairs in the living room for ya to finish. What'cha need? Half an hour?”

Applejack opened her mouth, then closed it again to think for a moment. “Yeah, half an hour should be good.”

“Alright then.” With that, the filly pulled the door closed and her hooves could be heard clattering down the wooden stairs.

AJ turned towards her husband. “Alright. Ya heard her. We got half an hour, so we might have to skip some of the usual stuff and get right down to business.”

Spike gawked at her. “Are you serious? I can't do it with your little sister being downstairs!”

She returned his look with a bemused expression. “Why not? Ya didn't have a problem while we were living at Sweet Apple Acres, and she was next door.”

“Well, that was before I knew she was actively listening in and keeping a running log on our pillow talk,” the dragon grumbled.

The two of them took a few minutes to make themselves presentable and joined Apple Bloom in the spartan-like living room downstairs. Basically it was just a couch, a coffee table and a rug.

“How come yer bedroom is so much nicer decorated than the living room?” Apple Bloom inquired.

“Well, we spend much more time in the bedroom than down here, so it hasn't been a priority,” her big sister explained. “Besides, we haven't found a piece of furniture yet that was the perfect height for...”

Spike coughed audibly. During the couple of weeks they'd been married so far, he had noticed that it was sometimes necessary to reign her honesty in with some small cue.

“Uh, never mind,” AJ said, getting the hint. They both sat down on the couch on either side of Apple Bloom. “So what is it that ya wanted?”

“Well, tomorrow is Hearts and Hooves Day, and the school is gonna host this dance in the evening.”

“So ya've told me before. What about it?”

The filly fidgeted. “Well, Granny Smith was supposed to chaperone, but her hip is acting up again. And ah can't ask Big Macintosh, cause he's gonna be outta town for a delivery. So ah was thinking, maybe the two of ya could...”

“Geez, tomorrow? That's awfully short notice, Apple Bloom,” the farmpony replied.

“Ah know. Ah wouldn't ask if there was another way. But if we don't have enough adults, the whole thing might get canceled.” There was that puppy dog look again.

“Oh, alright, ah guess.”

“Honey? Can I talk to you for a minute?” Spike asked urgently. The pair retreated to the far side of the room, whispering amongst themselves. “I understand you wanting to help your sister out, but this is our first Hearts and Hooves Day as a couple.”

“Ah know, Spike. But it's not like we made any specific plans yet.” She arched an eyebrow at his silence. “Did we?”

“I was gonna surprise you with a home-cooked dinner,” he admitted. “And the guy from Quills and Sofas found us a dining table that is, you know, the right height. Plus, sturdy enough to hold both our weight.”

She grinned at him. “So we'll pick another night for a romantic candle-light dinner and to break in that table.”

Yet Spike was still a little sullen, looking over his shoulder to make sure Apple Bloom was out of earshot. “What about Seven of Eight?”

Applejack nuzzled his cheek affectionately. “Come on, it's school event. How long is it gonna run? Nine o'clock? Ten if ya figure in clean-up. We'll still have plenty of time to get back home and service the collective.”

Spike was still unconvinced. He'd wanted their very first Hearts and Hooves Days to be special, after all. Then he felt somepony tug on him from behind.

He turned around to see Apple Bloom staring at him with those wide, innocent eyes. “Pleeeaaassse?”

He groaned, trying to tear his eyes away from the adorable attack that was now squarely focused on him. He sighed, slumped his shoulders and finally admitted defeat. “Fine, we'll both be there.”

Seeing the little filly's bright smile, almost made him feel like he hadn't been played like a lute just now. Almost. “Great! And can ya whip up some of yer famous punch?”

* * *

Applejack and Spike stood off to the side of the school's gymnasium, not sure exactly what to do other than looking the part of two responsible adults on the lookout for potential trouble. The place had been decorated by the students with lots of hearts, obviously. And while the disco ball hanging overhead seemed a tad tacky, Spike couldn't help but feel that it was something else that was off.

He turned his head to find Applejack looking at him with a smile. “What?”

“Nothing,” she replied. “Ah just thought ya looked good in a tux.”

He tugged at his red bow-tie. “I feel like an overdressed idiot.”

“How do ya think ah feel?” she asked sarcastically. Always the practical one, AJ didn't have much of a wardrobe for such events. So she'd simply dusted off the dress she'd worn to the Grand Galloping Gala. “Ah hate dressing up like this.”

He glanced over at her. And as much as Spike would be the first to say that her natural beauty was there whatever she was wearing, he had to admit that the sight of her in formal wear had a definitive effect on him. “Pity,” he said simply. “I kinda like the way your mane falls over your shoulder when you have it in a braid like that.”

To his surprise, she actually blushed at the compliment. “Uh, thanks. It's just a chore to get it to look like that when all you've got to work with are hooves.”

Now the dragon began to blush as well. “I could always do it for you,” he offered. “Opposable thumbs do come in handy sometimes.” He wasn't exactly sure how that suggestion was gonna go down. Quietly he wondered whether Shining Amor would ever suggest something like that to Cadence.

Her reaction was far more subdued than he'd expected. “Well then, ah might wear it like that more often, if ya like it so much and all.”

It was then that a mare with a cerise coat trotted up to them. “Hey, you two. Enjoying yourselves?” Miss Cheerilee asked.

The couple exchanged a look. “Uh, sure,” Spike said while Applejack could only give her a forced smile.

The teacher's face fell. “Don't say anything. It's a complete disaster.”

“Aw, come on. It's not that bad,” AJ tried to reassure her.

“Isn't it? Look around you.” Cheerilee swept her hoof across the dance floor, the empty dance floor that was. The colts were standing off to one side of the gym while the fillies had gathered on the opposite wall, avoiding it like it was a minefield. “I don't know why I bothered with the dancing lessons. It was the students themselves who talked me into it.”

“Dancing lessons, huh?” Applejack mused. “Didn't have those when we were in school.”

Cheerilee gave her a puzzled look. “Of course we did.”

“We did?” The farmpony narrowed her eyes.

“Yeah, it was one of those summer electives they used to offer during the break, at least until they cut the budget on that. Don't you remember?”

“Now that ya mention it. Ah just never took one of them courses, cause ah would always work the orchard during summer vacation,” she admitted.

Cheerilee sighed. “Too bad. I was hoping they might get over their nerves if somepony got the ball rolling. And since you just got married, I was hoping you could do that for me.”

“Sorry. But we didn't even dance at our wedding. Wouldn't know how. Right, Spike?”

He gave her a look. “That was just because all they had at AppleCon was line dancing. I can dance.”

His wife blinked at him. “Ya can?” First time she'd heard of it.

He nodded. “Of course I can. I spent half of my childhood in and out of Canterlot Castle. Twilight wasn't the only one who received an education from Celestia, you know. She didn't want us to make fools of ourselves when we were among the Canterlot elite.”

Applejack's eyebrow shot up. “No offense, sugarcube. But if yer dancing is anything like Twilight's...”

He frowned at that. “Hey, is it so hard to believe that there's one or two things in the world I'm better at than Twilight?”

“Of course not,” she replied quickly. “But this is something you learned as a kid, right? When was the last time ya actually put it into practice?”

Spike scratched his cheek. “Well, I don't practice it all the time if that's what you mean. But I brushed up on my skills in preparation for the Gala and Shining Armor's wedding.”

Cheerilee had been watching their exchange with interest. “In that case. Would you mind, Applejack?”

“Huh? Oh, uhm, of course not.”

The two mares looked at Spike. “What?” the dragon asked in confusion. It seemed like they had just decided on something that somehow involved him, but he couldn't quite figure out what it was.

Applejack gave him a light bump in the side for that. “Don't be rude, Spike. Miss Cheerilee would like to dance. And here ah thought you were a gentledrake.”

He looked back at the teacher who was giving him an expecting look. “O-oh,” he said, finally getting the hint. “Alright then. If you're okay with it, honey.” He extended a claw to Miss Cheerilee. “May I have this dance?”

“Of course,” she replied, placing her hoof in his claw. Spike was keenly aware that all eyes were on them as he led her out into the middle of the empty dance floor. “Sorry about making you do this,” she whispered to him while giving Vinyl Scratch over at the music station a nod. “Just one dance, so we can get the students out of their shells.”

“It's fine,” he said. As a slow piece started playing, he placed his right hand on her barrel and kept holding her hoof with his left. “It's just that I'm not used to being the center of attention.”

Despite the inherent problem of a bipedal dragon dancing with a four-legged pony, Spike made it look easy as he took the first few steps, leading easily while Cheerilee followed his rhythm without a problem.

Once they'd gotten used to each other, Spike felt comfortable enough to make the steps a little more intricate, but kept the change gradual as to not throw off his partner. Soon they were gliding effortlessly across the floor, as if they'd done this so often they could do it in their sleep.

Some of the fillies on the one side of the room were making low squealing noises, enraptured by the sight in front of them.

The colts opposite from them shuffled nervously. During lessons, they'd always been paired up. But now it was up to them to invite a dance partner, a task made even harder by the Hearts and Hooves Day atmosphere around.

Out of the corner of his eye, Spike could see the pair of Snips and Snails talking to one another. “Alright, I'm just gonna ask her,” the plump Snips said after draining his plastic cup of punch with one gulp. “What's the worst that could happen?”

“Here we go,” Spike whispered to Miss Cheerilee as he spun her around so she could see her student cross the imaginary boundary that had been dividing the room.

His choice of a dance partner startled both of them initially. “Diamond Tiara. Would you like to dance with me?”

The filly was simply looking at him, but it was her best friend Silver Spoon who answered. Both fillies were wearing matching dresses that looked ridiculously expensive, no doubt sponsored by their fathers. “Are you being serious? There's no way DT would dance with somepony like you!” She accented that sentiment with a laugh.

Snips was already turning away, probably having strongly considered this outcome beforehand. But he was stopped by a pink hoof being laid on his shoulder. “I think I'd like to dance.”

“What?” Silver Spoon demanded in a strangled outcry.

“R-really?” It seemed like Snips was just as incredulous.

Diamond Tiara nodded, and they both made their way out onto the floor. Of course their steps were a lot more basic and awkward than those of the two adults, but Spike couldn't help but smile when he saw that dumbfounded grin on the colt's face.

“Just goes to show,” the dragon mused. “You'll never know what she'll say if you don't ask.”

“That how you got AJ to marry you?” Cheerilee asked playfully.

“Basically.”

Now that the unlikely pair of Snips and Diamond Tiara had taken their first turns, the rest of the students seemed to take some heart. More and more of the colts got up the nerve to ask some of the fillies to dance.

In a charge led by, to nopony's surprise, the Cutie Mark Crusaders, some of the fillies even turned things around and asked the colts to dance. Spike had a sneaking suspicion that ballroom dancing was somehow related to the CMC's latest attempt at getting their cutie marks, which would explain why Apple Bloom had been so desperate to enlist their help, so the event could take place.

The music stopped, and Spike and Cheerilee parted. “Well,” she said. “I don't think I've danced like that in a long time. Thank you, Spike. That was lovely.”

He took a bow. “It was my pleasure, Miss Cheerilee.”

“Uhm, Miss Cheerilee?”

She turned to see one of her students standing there with a blush. “Yes, Snails?”

The lanky colt gulped. “Would you … would you dance with me next?”

“Sure,” she told him, and Spike couldn't help but chuckle inwardly as he recognized that same dumb grin that had been on his best friend's face after he'd asked Diamond Tiara. So Snails was into older mares, huh?

Then Spike could feel somepony tip him on the shoulder. He turned around to see Twist standing there. “Mr. Spike? Would you dance with me as well?” the filly with the red mane and glasses asked.

To his surprise, there were several other fillies standing behind her. “Me too!” “I'd like to dance as well!” “Yes, please! Me as well.”

“Wait. All of you?”

“You made quite an impression out there,” Cheerilee whispered to him while starting her dance with Snails. “Just go along with it.”

“Er, alright then,” he said a little embarrassed. “One after the other. I promise I'll get around to all of you. But since you asked first ...” He offered his claw to Twist, and the filly squealed in delight.

About an hour later, having handled as many male students as she could, Cheerilee rejoined Applejack at the snack table. “Phew, looks like this evening isn't gonna be a disaster after all, thanks to Spike,” she said happily.

“Eyup,” AJ replied in neutral tone, getting herself another cup of punch. Then she went back to watching her husband dance with a gloomy expression.

“Applejack? You alright?”

“Eyup,” she replied again, wrestling with the complicated feeling she had inside of her. She wasn't really jealous. She knew that Spike was just humoring the foals, and they were having a great time as a result. But part of her now wished that they had gone with the romantic dinner instead. This was their first Hearts and Hooves Day as a couple, yet she'd spent it watching him from afar due to her non-existent dancing ability. "Shoulda made use of that half hour yesterday," she muttered to herself.

“I never knew that he was so good with kids,” Cheerilee commented.

“Me neither,” AJ told her, watching how he approached Silver Spoon. The filly had been sulking ever since her best friend had been whisked away by Snips. Due to her reaction, none of the colts had asked her to dance. When he offered her his claw, she turned her head with a 'hmpf.' Then she started to blush, glancing to see if he'd withdrawn his offer yet, and finally she accepted the invitation.

“I'm really happy for you,” Cheerilee told her then. “Between you, me and Rarity, I never really thought you'd be the first mare from our class to get married.”

“Guess ah was just lucky to find the right guy ahead of y'all.”

The music stopped and the light dimmed a little more than it had before. Vinyl could be heard over the speakers. “This is it, fillies and gentlecolts. With the evening almost over, this is the last dance. So grab that special somepony if you got 'em, or just enjoy the song. Good night and Happy Hearts and Hooves Day, everypony.” A glance at the clock revealed that it was almost nine o'clock.

Applejack looked around in the dim light for her husband, only to find him already standing in front of her, claw extended. “Applejack? I saved the last dance for you.”

Wordlessly, she placed her hoof in his claw and followed him out onto the dance floor with a smile.

* * *

“Sorry, sorry, sorry.” Applejack had been apologizing for a solid five minutes in the dark locker room behind the gym while Spike had been cooling his sore feet in a bowl of cold water from the nearby shower room.

“I told you, it's alright,” he said once more, trying to wiggle his toes to see if the feeling in them was back yet. “But seriously, you should stop giving Twilight grief about her dancing. Even she didn't manage to step on my toes that much while we were learning back in Canterlot.”

Applejack hung her head. “Ah guess ah'm just not wife material,” she said dejectedly. “Ah just never learned things like dancing or all that fancy stuff.”

He shrugged. “So you got four left hooves. So what? Nopony's perfect. I married you anyway.”

She looked away. “Some bride ah turned out to be. When ah saw ya out there today, I really thought that ah missed out on something, not being able to dance at our wedding.”

He shook his head. “It's not like we have to do it. It's just a silly tradition. After all, we're already married.”

“Ah know. But ah want to. Ah wanna go out onto the floor at our wedding reception and look like ya did with Cheerilee today. At least the one dance... Will ya teach me?”

Spike hadn't thought that this was gonna be so important to her. He was seeing a new side of his wife for the first time. Then he gave her a smile. “Of course I will. How hard can it be?” His smile turned into a grin. “We're perfectly in sync otherwise. All we have to do is translate that from the bedroom to the dance floor.”

Finally she managed to give him the smile that suited her best in his mind, a naughty one. “So this is gonna be dirty dancing then, is it?”

“If the horseshoe fits,” he joked.

Applejack drew herself up to give him a kiss. “Ah love ya.”

“I love you, too.”

They kissed again, longer this time, and they both could feel their body heat rising. “Sorry for ruining our first Hearts and Hooves Day together, and for stepping on yer feet so much.”

“It's alright,” he told her again.

“No, it ain't,” she protested in mock seriousness. “Ah wanna make up for it.”

“You don't have to ...” Spike stopped as she slid down lower on his body, reaching that certain place and sticking out her tongue. His pride had already been pressing against the protective scales during the kiss. Now it was reaching out to meet her lips. “Or maybe you should decide whether or not you want to … Ohhhh.” He shuddered.

She looked up at him, her green eyes shining in the darkness. “Happy Hearts and Hooves Day, sugarcube,” she said before wrapping her lips around his tool.

Spike moaned softly while putting his claw on her mane, gently stroking it. “Yeah.”

* * *

15 minutes later the two of them stood in the flooded gymnasium alongside Cheerilee. All three of them were drenched, their fine clothes soaked. “Well, at least the students were already gone by the time it happened,” Cheerilee stated.

“Yeah, lucky us,” Spike commented dryly, just as the sprinkler system overhead finally stopped the downpour.

An earth pony stallion with a red helmet walked up to them. “We turned the system off. No obvious source of ignition or signs of a sustained burn. But you're gonna have some water damage.”

Cheerilee nodded. “Well, the gymnasium was due to be remodeled anyway.” So she said, although she knew how well this unexpected expense would go over with Mayor Mare. “At least nopony was hurt. That's the important thing. Any idea what caused the fire alarm to go off in the first place if there was no fire?”

The firefighter pony shrugged. “Can't say for sure. All we know is that the alarm was tripped in the locker rooms. My guess, you've got a prankster on your hooves. Ma'am.” With his job done, he inclined his head and left.

“Hm, I'd hate to think that one of my students would cause such trouble on purpose,” Cheerilee muttered to herself, then looked at Spike and AJ. “You two were back there, weren't you? Did you see anypony suspicious around?”

“Well, actually, … the truth is …” Applejack started.

Spike coughed, then gave her a look.

“Nope,” Applejack said with a decently straight face, since it wasn't technically a lie. “Ah can honestly say that ah didn't see anypony back there but us.”

“Maybe it was just a fault in the system,” Spike suggested. “The building is pretty old.”

“I guess so,” Cheerilee admitted. “It'll just have to remain a mystery. Well, I better start cleaning this mess up.”

“We'll help,” Applejack said, then gave her husband a guilt-ridden look.

Spike frowned. They had just gotten away with it, too. And it wasn't like the truth would change anything. Finally he placed his claw over his eyes with a sigh. “Go ahead if you must.”

“Cheerilee, wait,” Applejack began. “Here's what really happened ...”

She did forgive them in the end, but not before pressing Applejack for a very detailed account of what they'd been up to in that locker room, which led to Applejack giving a vivid demonstration of her technique on a banana that made Spike blush furiously while Cheerilee began taking notes out of sheer habit.

Author's Note

Again, sorry for the delay. As I stated in one of my blogs, this was supposed to be done for Hearts and Hooves Day. You can probably see why, now that you've read it.

Anyway, Happy Belated Hearts and Hooves Day, everypony!