Princess Mi Amore Cadenza walked up to a familiar townhome in a quiet, residential part of Canterlot. She was alone for the moment. She stepped up to the stoop and stopped. The sighed, delaying the inevitable. She at last forced herself to ring the doorbell. Ding-dong! This could only go so well.

The princess counted the seconds. One-Phillydelphia, two-Phillydelphia, three-Phillydelphia, four-Phillydelphia, five-Phillydelphia, six-Phillydelphia, seven-Phillydelphia, eight-Phillydelphia.

The door opened. Before her stood Night Light in shorts and a bathrobe, his chest and torso showing as it was not tied. "Hello, Princess, come inside."

"Just Cadance; it's not like we're strangers. Nice to see you as well, Night," Cadance greeted with a smile. "I thought you were going to be gone before we could talk. What happened with your train?"

"I told the company to stuff it for a day as I'll just take a maglev express and still be there for work. Fuck em, got bigger fish to fry!" He caught her eye and saw her expression. "If you could forgive me for not being exactly in the best mood right now, that would be great,"

Cadance stepped across the threshold. "No forgiveness needed, you're under a lot of stress right now."

He closed the door behind her. "Understatement of the fucking century." He growls.

"I don't doubt it," affirmed Cadance kindly. She saw him duck towards where she knew the kitchen was. "No need to get me anything -- this visit is pure business."

Night Light ignored her and opened the tap, filling a copper kettle with water. "Oh, I insist, Cadance, please. I'm dragging you into the middle of my marital problems with no warning. The least I can do is offer you just a little refreshment. Will mint tea do it?"

"No biggie. Do you have oolong?"

"If whatever that is happens to be spelled M-I-N-T, then yeah I guess we do," laughed Night joylessly.

Cadance smiled and answered, "That's it, yes. Funny how they ponycize the original Chineigh." She lay a hand on his shoulder. Three fingers delicately brushed down to his elbow. She felt the tension in his arms through the thick terrycloth of the robe. He didn't resist. It was with a small thrill that she realized Night Light had some very nice arms, just like his son. They were strong arms. He had dependable, reassuring muscles, and from looking at his hands, a soft touch that would be just the perfect thing for a mare to feel on a shitty day. A spike of guilt struck her, remembering how she had passionately kissed his son just shortly before, groping and arousing him, almost fucking him if not for a last second pang of judgement.

Poor Night. He did not deserve what was going on. Maybe she could make it better? She felt it in the way he didn't avoid her touch, in the way he wasn't minding her standing close -- he did not hunch over to guard the teapot or obscure what he was doing. A discrete sniff. He smelled nice, kinda like a chestnut and dark chocolate mix. She could smell it from his blood, her equine nose detecting it in his sweat; unspent androgens. This stallion was in need of a mare. That was why she was here. She rubbed her thighs together. No, not him! She silently admonished herself.

She clears her throat, forcing her mind onto the subject of her visit. "Where's your wife?"

"Sleeping upstairs."

"How was homecoming?"

"Shitty. I wasn't happy with her, she tried to seduce me, I wasn't having it, she stormed out, came home like six hours later, walked right into the bed, and fell asleep without even wishing me good night."

At least he had already figured out what she'd needed to tell Shiny to his face: don't feed the beast.

She had to find a bit of time for self-care, at least relieve the unspent pressure from her extremely hot makeout with Shiny. She'd changed underwear in the bathroom, her former pair having been soaked through. He brushed her fingers off his arm. "Cadance, take a seat, please?" His request could not have been less of one. Cadance waited in the living room. She sat on the couch and wondered where exactly on it had Velvet and Shining done it.

Night Light took deep breaths. If this were a movie, he imagined they'd be coming out heavy and misty like jets of fog from his nostrils. This was going to be a fun day. He first had to explain himself to an inquisitive princess, then he was going to see his son, and then he was going to see his wife. And then he was going to have to go back to work in the morning. Fuck him. What he could do to keep himself calm and collected now was to focus on each task in detail. He put the lid and the infuser in the copper tea kettle. Then he put it on the already red-hot stove. It was a nice few minutes worth of peace he would get. Twilight was playing with Moondancer. Yay. As much has he loved his bookhorse and was happy as hell she was an egghead like himself -- he didn't know what he'd do if she took like Shiny after their mother, having to explain to his pubescent daughter the current situation was a prospect he found as nice as the idea of getting a deep tongue kiss from a minotaur.

The blue stallion touched the copper gingerly on its fading gleam where the patina was growing a deeper green day by day. The warmth slowly grew and arose to radiate through the metal. It was first cool bordering on cold. Then the first flecks of heat came in, welcome. A properly warm kettle was a good thing. It was a welcome feeling, but more than that, more like a memory, a happy place he could touch and then drink. It was liquid life on a frigid early morning. It was the kiss of his wife as he walked in the door as her arms fells around him. It was finding his paycheck's envelope beneath a pile of bills. It was watching the snow fall outside his bedroom window when he was young and tucked up in his bed. It was the bright smiles of his children. It was the first shot from his rifle at a range session. It was the purr of a friendly cat. It was amusement at his son's face as he, all of nine years old, wanted to be grown up and try black coffee -- not that he knew daddy only took his own coffee weak, double cream, extra sugary -- he'd known at the moment Shiny had drunk it all that maybe he was made of some stern stuff after all. So many implications bound up in this simple drink... Life was so full of simple things that just somehow became needlessly complicated. Some pain kissed his fingers as the metal grew hot. The pot was beginning to rumble. Okay, break over, end of his reverie. It had been nice retreating up his own mind for a second.

Night Light poured out two cups of tea. He then went into the living room and sat on the other wing on the ninety-degree couch with her on his right side. He had gotten some strange vibes from her -- it had not been not unwelcome at all in the least to be shown concern by a family friend, but something about it had been off... Night made a mental note to ask if anything was up with the princess if he had the time and inclination to do so later.

Princess Cadance cast some cooling magic with a slight shimmer of her horn. Night held his cup out at her and she did the same for him. "Thanks, Cadance," he said and took a sip.

"You're welcome."

They just sat together as they drank their steaming cups of tea. The silence could not last. Night broke it. "So, how was Manehattan?"

Cadance sat back, her smile dissipating. "How did you know?" The stallion just briefly produced his phone and looked at her.

"Best peetzer?"

Cadance chuckled, "Didn't have too much, but you bet."

"So, how's Velour doing."

Cadance shook her head. She weakly said, "I guess there's no getting around this..."

"Please tell me he didn't hi-"

"He didn't hire her, if that's what you're asking. One of my ROC mares did."

Night Light clenched his jaw. "Thanks for taking my wife away from me during my very limited time here."

"I'm sorry, Night, I thought you were supposed to be gone for another month or so. When Twilight said she hadn't seen her BBBFF in a while, I got worried. I didn't know you were coming home, or else I would have done it differently." The stallion's tension lessened. "I figured out where he was and went to meet him."

"Isn't that a little too much effort to spend on just some random colt?"

Cadance replied, "Random colt? I'm a family friend, aren't I? And if Twi's worried about her big brother, it's the duty of the greatest foalsitter in the history of foalsitters to sort it out."

The stallion met her eyes. "And conveniently have a few days one on one with him, too!" Night Light laughed. She shrunk away, a nearly imperceptible blush on her face. "So, you brought Velour and Shining together because he wasn't taking her whole gestalt thing too well?"

"He found out, they fought, he ran away. You could call it a love problem; the love between parent and child. He did not react well to finding out about Velour." Cadance cursed herself inside for what she was doing. She tried to tell herself it was for the greater good that she was stretching the truth. She was not technically lying, but close enough for serious discomfort. She had told herself going in that she was not going to disclose anything all by herself; if anyone involved wanted to tell about the incest, they could do so themselves -- it was not her place to make a huge family decision like that. Shining trusted her to not reveal the secret sua sponte. Vel, too.

"Sounds about right. So, have you helped him come to terms with Velour?"

Cadance nodded. "He's okay with her now. He's still got some miles to go with Velvet, however."

He snorted. "I wouldn't blame him -- boy just learned something pretty shocking about his mother."

Cadance took the opportunity to steer the conversation. "Night, I didn't come here to talk Shining with you; you can do that yourself. The reason I came was because your messages made it sound like you were having problems with Velvet."

The pink alicorn watched as Night Light seemed to shrink. He turned inwards and away from her. He hunched up his shoulders and leaned forward, curling around his still piping hot cup of tea. "I'm surprised you don't want to talk to both of us about it."

"I do, I just want to talk to you first, as I've had a hard time getting anything out of her for a long time."

"How did you take finding out about Velour? Doesn't seem in character, does it?"

Cadance tensed. "I can't say I'm her biggest fan. Shining told me, but I'd seen hints every now and then, so it wasn't the biggest surprise."

"Why didn't you say anything?"

"I didn't want to be too presumptuous and cause trouble on a small hunch. Things seemed to be working out before this whole crisis thing erupted."

"It'd look like that from the outside," said Night Light, "but in actual fact it's been getting colder and colder for years now. It didn't used to be this way."

"What do you think could have caused it?"

"I don't know. Her going through pregnancy twice? Just growing apart? I married young -- nineteen. To be honest, it didn't really start until Twilight got into Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns and we had to make changes to make ends meet without compromising on our standard of living. Two kids and we wanted to give them the best life possible."

Cadance nodded. She beckoned and asked, "What kind of changes?"

"I had to work more," Night answered. "I took some advanced programming classes, switched companies, and got a great job. The catch is how much traveling I need to do. Even with that, versus inflation, costs of living...."

"Is that the origin of Velour?"

"Among other things.... yeah..." He dragged out the fricative like he was rubbing mulch off on a rock.

"You're not inadequate, if that's what you're worried about."

"No, it's not that.” He stopped. Pinching the bridge of his muzzle just below the eyes. He sighs. “It's wanting to feel special again. The last time we talked, just yesterday... Velvet said it was more... Velvet talked about me like I was a dog, goat, or other domestic animal..." Cadance shuffled closer towards him. She said nothing, letting him take deep breaths while he stared down at his tea. "What she said was: I hold down the fort for months at a time without you, and when you get here, I fill your belly and drain your balls. That's what makes you happy, right?"

Cadance made a face. "That's terrible, Night, truly. I'm going to need to talk with both you and her."

"Thanks, Cadance."

"No problem, Night."

The stallion drained his tea. He turned to her, his eyes ever so slightly wet. "If it's not too much, can I have a hug?"

Cadance hugged him, holding him close with both arms and her wings. He didn't cry, he was too composed and proud to do that in front of her, in front of anyone. However, Cadance knew that if not for that barrier, he'd be letting loose down her back and shoulders. And so, she did the only thing she could. She held him there for as long as he needed. As the minutes ticked by, she waited. And she waited. And she waited. He didn't need to apologize. At long last, Night Light released her. "Thank you."

"No problem."

"How's my boy doing?"

Cadance answered, "Since you're here for another day, why not find him yourself and have a chat?"

He pulled out his phone and started typing a message. He sent it and put away the phone. "Done. Are you going to help him with his mother?"

"Of course," Cadance said, "Velvet's a stubborn woman, so we're going to need to double team her."

He cracked a thin smile. "If you insist -- that almost sounded sexual."

"Yes, because I'm totes mcscrotes master of boats going to have a threesome with your wife and your son." She saw his lip faintly curl. "Sorry, too far. What I meant to say is I can mediate between the two. If Shining needs help expressing himself, I can assist with that. If she tries any bullshit dodges or to mess with his head or anything, I can call her out on that."

He smiled and nodded. Thanks, Cadance. I'm not sure what a princess of love can do for a boy and his mother."

"It's love, family love. Some of the most important there is." She drank more of her tea. He finished his in a gulp.

"I know, but not what you'd think of what you talk about love at first glance, right? If only there was a princess of friendship or something." His phone went off. "Well, Shining's up to meet me soon, so we're going to have to make this brief."

Cadance asked, "Speaking of princess help, want me to help you talk with her? I told Shining I'd at least offer."

"No thanks, at least not yet. I'd like to try talking to her one on one first, but thanks, Cadance."

"No problem. When were you going to do that?" He glanced at the staircase. "No time like the present?"

"Shit." He hugged the princess once more. "Thanks for help. Wish me luck, I'm going to go talk to her."

She patted him on the back. "Best, Night. Celestia needs me back at the castle, so I gotta go. You know where to reach me if you need me."

"Sounds like a plan." Night Light stood up. "Anyway, good luck tag teaming the bitch." He made a face, his cheeks coloring before he huffed. “I didn’t mean that.”

Cadance nodded. “I know.”

She finished her tea and saw herself out. Night Light followed her, locked the door behind her, and then trudged up the stairs and towards the bedroom. He knocked on the door. No response. He tried the knob. It was not locked. Night Light opened the door of the bedroom. It was dark, too dark for this time of day. He shut the door behind himself and walked in deeper.

He called out, "Honey, you here?" He didn't get any words, but he did notice that it wasn't totally dead silent. As his eyes adjusted, he noticed a lump in the covers. "Velvet, you don't need to hide from me. Come out, I just want to talk."

"Well, maybe I want to sleep."

He sat down on the bed by her feet. "All the better to come out then. You've never been one for sleeping in a burrito."

"Maybe I'm this way now."

He was keeping his anger in check. He got naked and lay atop the covers, facing her. "Is something the matter, Velvet?"

Silence. A long silence. Night Light felt the seconds tick by into minutes. He did not know how long this was going to take, but he had to not rush her. She wasn't shouting at or trying to seduce him right away, a very welcome change, albeit an ominous one. He had only ever seen Twilight Velvet like this only a handful of times before. He know that it meant something big was coming. There was nothing to be done but wait and be there for her. He didn't have much patience or empathy, but he had enough remembered love to let her have this. He didn't even touch her. He just watched her sides rise and fall as she breathed. He still loved her. The mare squirmed a little and regathered the covers around her like a cocoon. She finally said, "I have some things to tell you, Night."

And like that he moved to comfort her. "What kind of things?"

"You wanted to know what was wrong earlier and I wasn't helpful."

Just like that he moved to comfort her. "Velvet, you weren't being bad, I was the one who didn't let you talk."

"We can't be remembering the same conversation. You don't have to comfort me, you know. Ni Ni, how are you feeling?"

Night yawned. Without raising his voice, he said, "Still pissed off at you, but we don't have time for me to just be mad at you, so here we are. What's on your mind? No bullshit, Velvet, I'm not in the mood."

"What do you want to know? I was thinking about a lot of things."

"Velvet," Night growled, "I don't have time for this crap. I have to finish packing, I have to meet Shining, and I need to get to the train station today. I'm in no mood for games."

She was hesitant. "Okay."

"Why did you lie to me about where our son was?"

She’s silent for a long moment. Finally she shifts a bit. "I had it all under control. I was going to get him by the time you got back, but you messed that all up by coming home early."

"That's not an answer. Why did you lie to me?"

"I didn't want you to worry."

He huffed, "You thought lying to me was better than letting me know he was hundreds of miles away."

"It is if you're going to freak out about it, since you don't seem to think he's a grown stallion who can handle himself!"

Night Light bit, "Your words both times, not mine. Was it because you were embarassed?"

"No, I knew you'd react badly, and you are."

"I'm reacting to the lies -- I'm gonna meet him later and talk all about Manehattan -- it's the being lied to that's pissing me right the fuck off. I won't talk to you if you won't be honest and stop deflecting. Why did you lie to me?"

"Because I didn't want you to know I'd messed up with him and he knows about Velour." She says simply, defeat in her voice.

Night said, "Well, stuff happens. It was kind of inevitable he'd find out -- it sucks we never figured out a good way to tell him, but he's come home now, and Cadance says he has made his peace with her.

"Velour agrees."

"That's good." He put his hand on what he hoped was her waist. "How did he find out?"

Velvet answered, "I told him when I was drunk."

"Why?"

"Because he'd seen her."

Night Light said, "I guess that would be a good reason to tell him about it. And he took it well?"

The pile of blankets shook its head. "Not the best, but being drunk, too, it got out of hand..."

"That explains it.”

"What's another thing you have to tell me?"

"Well, it's Velour's thing to tell you..." Her voice was hesitant and windy.

"Do you want her to come tell me?" Night did not like this one bit.

"No."

"She's okay; she hasn't been raped or anything, right?" Night asked.

The mass under the blankets seemed to nod. "It's... kinda sorta the opposite thing... Vel has..." She did not finish her statement. Twilight Velvet was quiet. That was never good in this context. And here he went playing the waiting game again. Night Light growled internally, but he checked his frustration with his wife. Wild ideas went through his head, each scarier than the last. Had she been kidnapped? Had someone outed her? Had she appeared in the papers? Was she now embroiled in a major national scandal? Had someone realized who she was in real life? Had someone robbed her? Had she caught something? So many troubles could befall an escort that just even thinking of a few of them was enough to make his head spin and his pulse race. "It was all consensual."

Night Light heaved out mightily, "That's a relief... So what is it?" More silence. Peachy, just oh so perfect and peachy! "Velvet, I need to know. Even if it's bad, I would appreciate being in the know. Not communicating is how we got into this mess to begin with.

"Velour hasn't always been the safest mare of late..."

It took all his presence of mind to not haul Twilight out of the squippers right then by her throat and there and bellow at her at the top of his lungs until she told him exactly what the fuck she meant by that. He snarled, "Please don't tell me you've been taking drugs. Nothing so dangerous and stupid!"

"Not drugs. Dick."

"Fucking customers RAW?"

"Only a few of them -- one's a griffon."

Night growled through grinding teeth, "That's more than the zero we agreed on back when we started this."

"One of them's not even a pony -- he can't infect or impregnate me. He's paying extra for it. Why are you so mad over me finding a way to make some extra bits?"

"How. Long. Has. This. Been. Going. On?"

"I don't fuck very many of them like this."

"How. Long. Has. This. Been. Going. On!?"

"Not long," Velvet answered, "Just a few months."

"And you're telling me now why?"

"Velour insisted; she didn't think we could stay hidden much longer."

Night Light groaned, "Don't tell me, you played dirty and now something's stuck?" He looked down at his own hips.

"No, not that..."

"Well that's a relief. But what if you're just incubating or it's asymptomatic? Anyway -- wait, no, you couldn't've gotten something off a non-pony partner. So other than the griffon you offhandedly mentioned, who's the other one? Velvet, tell me."

She said nothing. "He's clean. I know he is."

"I'm not asking about that."

"Twilight, is there something else you haven't been telling me?" Her fidgeting stopped. Good. It had been aggravating. His head was spinning. He hadn't wanted to think his worst suspicions about her were correct, but here she was, confirming things had not all been on the up and up and she had been keeping secrets from him. He was going to have to put his foot down hard just not quite yet. Get as much out of her as possible first before doing that. "Velvet!"

"Velour threatened to subvert me and tell you herself if I didn't do it myself."

"Shit -- that's only possible if whatever the fuck you're doing is a threat to your core. Come on, Velvet, tell me in full. What is it? If it's that big you have to tell me."

"I've told you enough..."

"Twilight Velvet, for the love of Celestia's radiant cunt lips!"

"Night Light, I love you and I'm sorry, but that's all I can bring myself to say."

The dark blue stallion said nothing. He waited while the pulsing vein of anger in his wrist subsided. With every heartbeat it weakened and cooled. He did not trust himself to speak. Part of him wanted to throw her out of his house right at that very moment. He remembered his argument with her yesterday. Had he really prayed her return just for this? He sucked up his anger and spoke with her in a growl, which while civil, could not be mistaken for any form of friendliness or levity. "I don't know what the fuck is going on, who you've done, or whatever else you might have done, but I'm not going to demand answers from you."

"You aren't?"

"You can tell me if you want -- I have my own theories, but I'm not going to force you."

"Thank you... You don't hate me?"

He answered, "No, Velvet, I don't hate you. I'm mad at you, but I don't hate you."

"That's a relief."

"You're not off the hook. Now, I can't stay here; I've got other things that demand my attention, too, but when I get back in a month, I want to see a clean blood panel from you. And whatever the fuck is going on or not, I want it over and done with for good. If you don't, I will divorce you."

"But that'll hurt the kids."

"Not as much as growing up seeing deception and spite every single day."

The stallion moved to leave. He was just sitting up when a hand grabbed his. "Please stay?" asked the mare's trembling voice.

"I don't have time..." It was a lie and the both of them knew it. He already felt his resistance crumbling.

"If know you don't have all the time in the world, but do you have enough time to remind me that you don't hate me?"

Night Light sighed, "Twilight, I don't hate you. I love you."

"Can you show me?"

She was asking for sex. His dick wasn't saying anything on the matter -- he saw her exposed body and felt no desire. The curve of her hips, the ample bosom, the scar on her abdomen reminding him that she had bred with him. the promise of pleasure in between her succulent thighs. He felt a paradoxical disgust, a desire to not give himself to her, to not let her feel his touch, and to not give her the satisfaction of releasing his essence within. He imagined some dirty stallion with a stubble and clenched teeth grunting and mouth drooling as he shoved into her, a wicked smile on her face at her secret sin, maybe laughing on the inside at how stupid her poor husband was, his seed flooding the insides reserved for that fool pony who may as well have been a fabrication a thousand miles away.

But she'd only spoken about Velour.

And yet something said, and something not said filled him with doubt about it being just Velour and only Velour.

He looked at her again. She was his mare, his wife, his lover, his friend, his companion. She was the mother of his children. She had planted a thousand thousand kisses on his lips. She had laughed long with him. They had shared meals together. They had raised their joined blood together in one house. She had been there for him when he needed her. Her touch made him light up with joy. The promise of delights made him rise with anticipation with a touch, a word, and a swing of her hips as she beckoned him to follow, to come to come. Those breasts he had snuggled against and slept between. Her voice whose shrill cries joined his so many time in bliss.

She was his woman and he could not deny himself to her. His girl was coming plainly to him and hurting. Mad or not, offended or not, he was not going to deny the love of his life the meager comfort he could provide her. This was a moment of reassurance and pleasure to make sure she understood he still loved her, and she hadn't destroyed it all yet.

"Okay. Just let me have a condom."

Velvet didn't question. She understood. She magicked one over to her from the box in the drawer. She turned over to see Night Light sitting with a limp dick. The mare lowered her head and sucked him. He didn't stroke or coo, but she felt him get hard. Her blowjobs really were amazing. The dick began to throb in her mouth as she went from base to tip with steady licks. Her husband let out a few moans unbidden. She touched herself, too, arousing herself. This round wasn't about her pleasure, it was about her wanting to give him something back. Sadly, all she had to offer was her vagina... the same thing she gave her clients, had given prior boyfriends, gave to their son, offered to pink princess...

Thinking about it like that, it really didn't sound so special anymore, more like a sticky version of getting someone a greeting card.

He was hard. She caressed his balls. Had he really not relieved himself since she had last drained him before she went to Manehattan?

Twilight Velvet unwrapped the condom, placed it in her mouth, and lowered her head.

Night Light felt the great heat and wetness of his wife's mouth suddenly become muffled. He had seen her touching herself and heard her becoming wet. She lay partially on her side, one leg held high and one laying low. He was going to have sex with her. He stopped for a moment, looking at her in the dim light. Despite everything recently, he hungered for her. He wanted her. And she was making it known that she wanted him too. No matter his anger at her, that feeling, that love for her, it was still there. He straddled her leg and used his hand to guide his erection to her slit. One of her legs rested on his shoulder and he held to it for stability with one hand. He pressed into her. She was tight, the position giving great pressure.

As he slid into her, he took his hand from his dick to her vulva and then found her clit. He was going to make sure she felt his love for her.

He hilted. He could feel her warmth. He hugged her leg to himself and thrusted. He used the leverage to make sure she felt it, too. Her walls clung to him. His fingers flicked at her clit. She shuddered. She didn't meet his eyes, but he could see quite the nice blush beginning to manifest on her cheeks. He did not touch her face or caress her, but rather kept fucking her. He was inspired by the jiggling of her body, her bountiful breasts especially. Even with the implants they still had magnificent motion. How he loved to kiss and lap at them.

She squeaked as he fucked her. He got a good rhythm going with her clit. He rubbed with the pad of his thumb, and when her pants began to lengthen, he would stroke along her labia, then to come back to where she was most sensitive. She was fucking him back, her hips resisting and answered his. He smelled the sweat on her and the aroma of the musk rising from her nethers. She wasn't just giving him pussy to placate him. There was no lube in this, no silicones, no gels, no oils, it was just her wanting to do something for him. She wanted to give him pleasure, she wanted to give herself to him. This was as close to making love rather than simply fucking that they’ve done in a long time.

He watched her fingers curl as she clenched her hands tight and ball up into fists with the sheets trapped within. She was responding to him but tensely. She wanted him, truly wanted to make love to him. But she was struggling with herself. He smiled a bit to himself as he continued, watching that tension slowly drain away as she gave in to her own feelings for him.

Night Light leaned forward. He felt the slowly lessening tension in her thigh, but she was flexible and so yielding. The pressure on his cock was incredible. He took his free hand and clenched her breast. He rubbed the nipple to immediate results. His wife had always loved it when he enjoyed her breasts. He squeezed and felt the soft tissue, the soft fur, the warmth coming from her, and beneath them, the slightly texture change of the implant. At first, she tensed up, then she slowly relaxed into his touch. Quite quickly, she made happy peals at what he was doing, himself never quitting fucking or fingering her.

His dick tingled with electricity. Lust was overpowering his senses. He wanted her still and he could not deny it to himself.

Twilight Velvet was beginning to pant just a little bit. Night Light smiled and pressed his advantage. He was glad she had always been an easy mare to please. She responded readily to him, for he had learned all her ways, wails, and wiles through their two decades of familiarity and intimacy. His own pleasure was building. It would not be hard for him to abandon her pleasure and go for his own climax, and he was tempted to, his anger and her revelations not forgotten. Part of him wanted to deny her release -- let her go find it with her stud. That would have been unkind, he was not an unkind stallion. And he loves this mare he was making love to. There would be time for anger and confrontation later; he wasn't going to let her get away this easily, but one thing at a time.

He hilted hard again and looked down at her as he halted for just a second. He loved this mare. It was going to rip him up inside awfully if he had to leave her.

As if sensing his hesitation, Velvet reached up and put her hand on his, gentle intertwining their fingers. He welcomed the touch and let out a breath as he resumed. She worked her hips, squirming now. She was not going to hold out for too much longer.

That bubble of rage forgotten for the moment, they started truly making love. Her hand squeezed his on her breast and guided him in the intimate motions. He was gentler. He fucked her with less speed, but went deeper, letting her body embrace his. She wriggled and twisted to receive him. He didn't let up on her clit. He watched the now ruby blush on her cheeks suffuse down to her pale throat. Her mouth opened and called his name in between the moans and gasps. She was getting so wet.

She cried out, "Night, please don't stop."

He obliged. "I won't." He said huskily.

She tried to answer back at him, but no words came. She howled and choked. He saw her stomach and hips lurch. His cock was tingling with pleasure from tip to base and his balls felt a kind of tight pressure.

Twilight Velvet lurched and cried out. "Niiiiiiighhhtt!!" She clutched his hand down harder and he worked at the nipple as he lowered his pace. As he hilted, each time she squirmed, shifted, and squealed, her body yielding to his. A shrill cry and he took his hand from her nethers to wrap around her thigh. He pounded her through her orgasm to peals of wordless praise. He was going to make her hang on for dear life.

He was deep and her body was beckoning. His instincts were getting the better of him. He could keep going, drag out her climax, but he was too turned on restrain himself from that. He was going to fill this condom until it overflowed and ripped.

Night Light hilted with a loud grunt. He released himself inside of her. Sperm flooded from his cock and into the condom. He leaned forward, over her. His lips found her breast and he suckled as he groaned, her mound absorbing his cries of pleasure. White hot lightning of bliss washed over him in rapid pulses as he surged again and again into his wife and she danced her hips back and forth. She patted the back of his head. "Cum for me, my love. Make it swell." He tried to answer, but the release was too intense. He clenched at some part of her and dug in with his fingernails. He raked them down her roughly, taking some dark delight in her hisses. She kissed his forehead as he still pumped into her. Tears welled up in his eyes, some leaking out. he was trusting himself to her again, and she was actually welcoming him again -- not tolerating, but embracing, taking his love and giving him back some of hers. In the swirl of hormones, he forgot his misgivings for several blissful seconds as Twilight's insides caressed and teased his cock for what it could bring forth into them.

His orgasm faded and his cock grew limp. Night stopped clutching his mate and drew out of her, careful to keep the condom on. He tied it up and threw it elsewhere for her to deal with since she was so good at that sort of thing.

He lay down beside her, looking into her eyes. "I love you," he said.

"I know," she answered. They kissed lightly on the lips just once. "That was good, honey."

"You needed me." They held each other. He wrapped his arms around her. She nestled him in between her breasts with her head resting atop his. He laid there, holding on to her. Slowly everything came back to him, why he was angry, why things were in the sorry state they were. He lifted a hand, looking at the wedding band on the third finger of his left hand. He remembered her putting it on him that first time. He slowly sat up, moving off of her. He has to break this mess, end it. Not just for his peace of mind, but for hers as well. He lifted his other hand and brought it to the simple gold band. He slowly drew it off of his finger. He contemplated that simple ring, the symbol of their relationship. Such a simple thing that meant so much, he turned and held it in front of her. "Depending on what you do next, this can be the last time we have sex, and the last day I wear this. It's up to you, you decide." He placed it on her nightstand. "I'm leaving it here as a reminder."

She wilted as her eyes fixated on the small object on the nightstand. "I want you. I love you."

"If that's really how you feel, then make it so. You've shattered my trust in you."

"I'm sorry." She says almost too quietly to hear. Her own ears flicking as she tears her eyes away from the ring and looked up at him.

"Have you reconciled with Shining Armor yet?"

"No," Velvet confessed. She wilts as she sees his own ears splayed back, no mistaking his emotion there.

"Do that as soon as possible."

"Why would I need to? He's the one who overreacted; I'm not apologizing." Velvet whined.

He looked her in the eyes and caressed her cheek. "Consider that a third condition of mine." He got out of bed and walked to the door. "I'm gonna shower and go meet him. Your stories better match. I'll see you in a month. Remember, whatever the fuck's going on, finish it. Clean blood panel. Make up with our son. Whether or not we remain together depends on you now, it's your choice."

"I love you, Night."

He stopped, his hand was on the doorknob. He turned back. "I love you too, Velvet." He let go of the doorknob to walk back over to kiss her on the cheek before he finally left the room.

The air was slightly dusty but thrummed with the feeling of discrete electricity. Murky reflections danced in the burnished stainless-steel decor of the diner. The liquor collection stood proudly on the back wall. It wasn't much, in fact it was rather small compared to a real bar or club, not that the patrons seated on stools at the bar cared. A blue stallion sat at the bar, sipping away at an iced tea.

A pony walked into the bar. Tall, white, standing straight up. He spotted the blue stallion and walked up to him with balled hands.

"Dad?"

"Shining!" the blue one cheered, patting the stool beside him. "Take a seat, kiddo." He lifted up a hand to get the barmaid attention. "Hey, a Mareavian for my guy and for me!"

The white one whispered, "Dad, I'll get carded."

The older stallion nudged him in the ribs. "Shut up and you won't. You didn't think your old bronco wouldn't know a spot or two from when he was your age, would he?"

Sure enough, a pair of pale amber beers came their way. "You weren't kidding."

"Why would I lie about important things like beer?" Night Light joked. He picked up his glass and took a long chug. "So, how have you been, boy? Can't say I've heard much from you in months" He looked at his son with concern and cheer.

Shining Armor didn't meet his eyes or his smile. "I can't say it's been the best. I've been working out, hung out with my friends until they got ate up with other things..."

"And the girls? Summertime young mares, Shining, don't tell me a guy your age in your shape isn't drowning on a nightly basis."

The colt took a draught and laughed, "Well, I can't really brag, but yeah..."

"Anything of note?" He saw Shining Armor tense up and return to his beer for a series of great chugs. His beer already was more froth and head around the bottom than a golden pillar. He could spot the blush plainly on the face of the younger male. "Alright then, keep your secrets; how's everything else?"

"It's good," Shining answered, hanging his head, "except for mom. You may have already heard it, but we had a huge fight and I took off for Manehattan following it."

Night Light rubbed his face and groaned, "Fuck, sorry to hear that. The cat's all out of the bag, ain't it?"

"I know about Velour now if that's what you're asking."

It was now Night Light's turn to drink deep. Before he said anything else, he raised his hand and got the bartender's attention, gesturing for two. A pair of new, frothing beers arrived for them. The two men drank. "How are you feeling about it, about her?" His voice was low, anxious even.

"It was a huge shock, you know, finding out that your mother is a mare of the night." He squeezed his glass hard, white knuckling on it.

Night Light patted him on the back, wrinkling the younger male's jacket. "I'm sorry, my boy."

Shining Armor met his eyes and asked, "For what?"

"Your mom and I, we should have told you, maybe not back when it all began, but years ago -- definitely not kept you in the dark until forced to come clean about it all."

Shining Armor stretched and sighed, "Yeaaah, I can't say your gambit of hide it forever exactly paid off in the end. What were you hoping to achieve -- didn't you wonder about what'd happen if I found out?" They both drank deep of their beers.

"Hey, let's see you raise two children and get everything right! Shit... Shining, you're getting to be a man, so I can't hide behind being older than you, or that I'm your father that much longer, especially since I wasn't that much older than you now when you were born. I may be getting old and grouchy, but it's getting ridiculous to think I can bullshit you."

"Mom sure likes them young," Shining remarked darkly, a finger held up off the countertop, lips not quite closed. He found he could not meet Night Light's eyes again for the moment. He swallowed, hunching back over and taking a marked interest in his beer. "What was your plan?"

Night scratched his neck and mane hard. "That's just it, we didn't have a plan. How the hell were we supposed to inform you and little Twi about it?"

"From that point of view it does kinda make sense..."

"You're taking this pretty well; better than I'd've."

"I ran away when I found out, didn't I?" Shining laughed joylessly. "You missed the big freakout, the grand blowout."

"Do you want to talk about that."

Silence. Shining Armor sat still, staring at his beer. He gulped down the remaining half glass and belched, "Nope!" They both laughed and ordered him another beer. "I wish you had told me. How long has Velour been going on?"

The older man answered, "About six years now."

Shining nodded and drank more. Night drank, too. "I see why you didn't tell me back then. Twelve year old me would have not taken it well at all. I would have spoken with you never again, meaning for maybe two weeks if you didn't bribe me with candy or something. Maybe when I was fourteen, fifteen, you would have. Definitely by sixteen. Not telling me until it blew up, not the smartest move."

Night growled over his foaming beer, "Real talk from one man to another, what the hell was I supposed to say? Yo mama's a whore and daddy's raking in jizz bucks? For argument's sake, imagine having to tell Twilight about Velour now."

Shining growled back, his aggression emerging, "I would like to have known! I am your grown son; I deserve a little bit of trust, a little bit of faith!"

"But how you handled being told about it shows why we didn't tell you... even if, yeah, we did keep a secret from you strictly speaking longer than we needed to. What would you have done in our position?"

"I-“ He falters, his ears flicking from splayed back in anger, to the sides in consternation. He huffed. “I don't know. Maybe just said mom had a job and let us find out what it really was when we were old enough rather than hiding it the whole time."

"And kept that sword of Damocles over our heads for years and years? We didn't want to keep secrets, we didn't want this blowup, but here we are."

Shining looked down. "Forget I said anything. Maybe I'm pissed off at learning a secret was kept right behind my back for years. Sorry. Would you at least explain why mom started being Velour?"

Night relaxed with a prolonged sip. "We started out with Velour, because your mother noticed other guys kept hitting on her, and with your sister just starting out at Princess Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns. You know it's a private school." Shining nodded in agreement. "We wanted to provide the best for you and her, still do, but things just weren't going to work out unless we didn't let her go, or we took a collective major hit to our standing of living."

"Like how major?"

"Like moving to Rockhoof Heights." Shining Armor cringed. "Yeah, not pleasant, but if it meant you kids still got the best education Canterlot had to offer, we would have done it -- would have needed to find a new place to put you, got you a pupil placement or some tutors and a cram school, but if it had to be done, it would have been done. Velvet becoming Velour spared us that . She never wanted to hurt you, she did it because it was really the only way to get the tens of thousands of bits we needed. Between you, little Twi, two college funds, rent hikes, retirements to save for, and now a big money private school, we didn't have too much to spare."

"You could have told me to get a job when I got old enough. I'd have helped if only I knew. "

Night’s muzzle twisted into a wry grin. "I know, Shiny, we did think about it, but she wanted you to enjoy your foalhood, and I agreed, although the bits would have been nice. We didn't want to trouble you with grown up things like taxes, budgets and so on. I had to grow up working a movie theater my teen years, plus odd jobs to help out my family. I didn't want you to have to deal with all that shit if you didn't need to."

"Thanks, dad. You really do love me."

His father hugged him with just one arm. "Of course, Shiny."

"Are you really happy with, well, you know, mom's professional promiscuity."

Night Light drank again. He called for more beer before returning his attention to his son. "Not really. I'm not much the jealous type, but your mother has always been a wild mustang, if you catch my drift. We've gone back and forth on being open, swinging, closed... Do you know why I've never worried about her running off?"

"Why? I'd think a lady fucking around ought to scare her guy."

"Because it was... it was... it was... fairly done -- informed and with permisssion. She had to be safe and return to my bed. I've dallied a bit, too, and I've played by the same rules..." Night Light took a special interest in his beer, hurling the dregs of his dying glass into the new and chugging almost a whole pint down in a flash.

Shining leaned over. He kept his voice low. "Dad, is there something you're not telling me? You said there was stuff to discuss about mom -- is this what you meant?"

Night Light said very slowly, "Well, I found out that your mother hasn't always followed the ground rules we established when she started being Velour."

"What do you mean?"

"I can't confirm it, but I have some suspicions. We've discussed it; can't get a straight answer one way or the other -- lots and lots of omissions and particular wordings." Shining could barely speak. He too drank like mad and signaled for more beer.

"Mom's cheating on you?"

"I just said I think so, but I can't confirm it."

Shining chugged. "You're not going to get a divorce, are you?"

Night Light paused. "I don't know. I'm a merciful man, maybe too merciful, Shining. I told her your mother she doesn't have to confirm anything one way or another, but when I get back from my trip in thirty-two days, she better have ended anything that may or may not be going on."

"I could tell you something..." Shining squeaked, not meeting his father's eyes.

Night Light gave him a look. "Perhaps you could. You've met Velour, haven't you?"

"Yeah. How could I not have, especially when Cadance dragged her up to Manehattan to help us sort things our?"

Night laughed, "Well, yeah, but how did she conduct herself around you? Was she helpful?" There was something in his voice. Shining Armor could not quite figure it out.

"She was professional, fun, and one hell of a flirt. I think she did it to the best of her ability. She didn't advertise who she was. She didn't get us mugged or anything. Well, she didn't stink, like from her armpits or anything -- I mean. she acted upbeat, fun, flirtatious; I guess like an ideal girlfriend or something, not that I'd know what a girlfriend is supposed to be like." He caught his father's stare. "Is there something you're not telling me?" Night shoved his beer aside. Shining responded with a quick swig before doing the same. His eyes darted to the door. He gulped.

"I was hoping you'd tell me this more organically, but..." Shining Armor braced for the worst. Just one quick accusation and he'd spill. If this wasn't it, any second now, his father was going to ask him about the incest, and he'd have no choice but to reveal the secret. "I mean the big problem is I learned Velvet's been fucking some customers without a condom! Did she say anything about that?"

"No." Shining Armor shook his head. "Shit, Dad, I didn't know Velour was being stupid with customers like that." He damned himself for lying in that moment. Not so much lying as misleading omission -- he doubted Night would care about it being the gestalt or the core.

Night paused. His tone was low, serious. "By chance has anypony been coming around to the house? Any strange tutors or gardeners, plumbers, electricians... closet "repair ponies"? Has she been entertaining any neighbors a lot or anything?"

"No... Nopony weird coming around the old homestead."

Night nodded. "I feel like maybe she's being more honest than I'm giving credit for since you're vouching for her, and Twilight didn't have anything to say about visitors. But for Velour to act up, it'd have to be somebody the real Velvet has strong feelings for..."

"Dad?"

"BRRUUUURRURURURRRUUUUUUUUPPPP!" Night belched like a canon. "Nah, you couldn't be..." His eyes traced over Shining Armor. "Bah, forget it, I'm just drunk and talking crazy. If she won't say, that's that." He patted his son on the back heartily.

Shining hugged him. "Don't worry about it, Dad." He fought with his own emotions, part of him wanting to confess. But he holds on, by a fingernail.

"I won't." They held each other. "Cadance is going to help you talk to your mother, is she?"

The younger white stallion nodded. "She will," Shining Armor answered in the affirmative. "She helped with me and Velour; she's good at helping people with love."

"It's her job. I'm going to need her in the middle of our three-way conversation -- Mom can be... difficult to talk to when she doesn't want to cooperate."

"Yeah, that's why you're gonna double team her with Cadance, right?"

"Who said anything about a double team?"

"She did," Night laughed, noticing Shining's small blush.

Shining said slowly, "I guess that's one way to phrase what we'll be doing..."

"If you incest."

"Celestia, you’re such a pungeon master."

"Only the finest for my boy," Night Light said, "Shit, I'm hungry."

"Me too."

"Know what I'm thinking?" That devilish fire was back in Night Light's eye again, the previous steel all but forgotten.

"The clam shack by the metro?"

The older stallion laughed, "Bingo. Let's go." Like that, he jumped off his barstool and strode towards the exit. Shiny watched him leave, taking several seconds to compute this and grab his wallet. He finished both their beers and dropped what he hoped was enough bits on the counter.

He caught up to his dad. "Sounds great, just on one condition."

"What's that?"

"You cover it."

Night Light looked back at the already closed door of the establishment behind them. "Well, shit."

"Don't worry; I got it."

His dad gave him a happy look. "Shiny, do me a favor."

"What, Dad?"

"Never change. And buck up, my boy, you're looking sorry as hell over nothing."

Author's Note

There you have it, chapter 13 of Nights in Pink Velvet!

Thank you for patience, and thank you for reading. I apologize for the slow upload schedule, but I really really want to get this just perfect. Would you believe after this their are only two chapters left to go and it's bee two years since it premiered? Me neither, but the dates don't lie. I'm hoping to finish this fic by the end of the month; it had originally been slated for Mothers Day, because why the fuck not for this story about motherfucking, but this chapter was a bear to write.

What will Velvet choose? What will Shining's encounter with Cadance and Velvet come to? Can they reconcile, or are things already too fucked? Can the love between mother and son be repaired? Will Velvet and Night patch things up, or have we seen their last intimate moments together? What will become of Velour? Will the truth yet be revealed? Find out in the penultimate chapter of Night In Pink Velvet.

Massive thanks to Samey90, Coffee Bean, Shakespearicles, Steel Quill, and Sparky Brony.

As always, feedback is appreciated.

Kalash93