Tempest Shadow darted around her apartment, taking inventory almost like the old days. Bra? Check. Shirt? Check. Panties? Check. Pants? Check. Dagger? Check. Wait, that wasn't right. She returned to her dingy bedroom and took her rondel from the table and slid it into her dresser drawer. Anyway... Lube? Check. Condoms? Check. Bed? Check. Wine on the counter? Check. Glasses? Check. Envelope with bits? Check. Excitement? Not check. One hell of a romantic Hearts And Hooves Day awaited.

"This is insane, this is bullshit!" Tempest groaned to herself under her breath. "I've been sniped at, I've dueled monsters, I've been from Klopdagar to Grazny without a scratch, but this, why can't I stop myself from shaking? Keep it together, Fizzy, you've had worse, this can't be too bad -- you're used to getting stabbed, just not in a hole that's made for it."

The clock struck noon exactly. Where was he? He was supposed to be here at twelve sharp! Seconds ticked by -- sixty eternities. Then suddenly -- Ding-Dong! Knock. Knock. Knock. "Cumming!" blurted out the mare, bolting to the door like a fighting position at the first sound of gunshots. She checked the peephole, seeing all five foot... whatever of him, bearing chocolates in a box that may as well have housed a bomb for how her pulse was pounding. She calmed herself. "C'mon, Fizzy, you can do him, er, this. It's only been... a while since you last saw any of this kind of action. It's like riding a bike, you never forget... only the bikes complain you suck at riding them and point out every minor little imperfection in your figure and technique, and then they wonder why you're so shy about riding." She hugged herself around her middle and breasts.

"Hello? Miss Fizzlepop Berrytwist? It's me, Sought Touch, I'm from the agency. We have a date set for right now, Hearts and Hooves special, don't we, or is this a bad time? Hello?" Knock knock. Ding dong. "I can come back later if you'd like."

She took a deep breath. She realized the chill in the winter air seeping from the outside. Cold... she couldn't. No, not this one, not this time. Tempest Shadow threw open the door. "Heyhiyahowarya!" The stallion tried to answer, but she kept blurting out," Cuminnowinmenotyetbuthehouse! pleaseohmycelestiathisisawkardasfuck! Sorrycomein!" she blurted all at once, giving the biggest, shittiest smile she knew she could before lidding her eyes in an attempt at being seductive, but she had a bad feeling she looked more like a madmare.

"Fizzlepop Berrytwist, I presume?" smiled back the stallion.

Fizzlepop Berrytwist scowled, baring her teeth. "Call me that and I'll gut you." She softened, remembering her manners. "Tempest Shadow."

"Miss Tempest Shadow, my name is Sought Touch, and I'll be your gentlecolt for the evening. It's so good to see you."

"Good to see me, too!" Tempest shot back, her horn admitting a few jittery sparks of nervouscitement, anger forgotten.

He laughed, "How can I help you this fine afternoon?"

"I uh really need to get laid," squeaked out Tempest, her voice suddenly deserting her.

"Not to worry, my lovely mare, we have plenty of time." He looked around her apartment. "Oooh, is that a bottle of Marevignaun?"

"Y-yes!"

"Splendid," replied Sought, stepping into the house and shutting the door behind him.

"O-ookay, you open me up and I'll the wine to get wet."

Sought Touch laughed, "Sounds like a plan, as you wish." He sat down on the large loveseat by the coffee table and waited for her to come around with two glasses of wine. Tempest soon did,, bearing two very large glasses and already taking mouthfuls from one. She gave one to her seated companion and assumed something not unlike a military parade rest position, albeit one with a wine glass perched in her whole fist. He beckoned, "Come, sit with me." She did, rigid as a paralyzed snake. "So, Miss Shadow, what can this gentlecolt do for you?"

"Make me remember what it's like to be a mare."

He scratched his chin. "Make you feel like a mare... meaning?" He saw her tense up and go stiff, looking straight ahead. "Hey hey, it's okay, Miss Shadow," he soothed, "I'm not trying to threaten you, just make it easier for the magic to happen, Miss Shadow." He stood up and walked over.

"T-Tempest," she grunted, a couple sparks jumping from her horn. He took note of that, frowning on the inside. He would be wise to not bring up magic again. "Sorry," she said, fists unclenching."

"It's my fault, I should've picked my words better, beautiful."

Tempest froze and started at him again. "What. Did. You. Just. Call. Me?"

"I called you beautiful," said Sought Touch. "You look nice.

The mare relaxed, the slightest hint of a blush and giggle betraying themselves. "I s-see."

"May I touch you?"

A big sigh came from the hardened mare. "Sure, but watch those hands."

"You got it, Mi- Tempest." He had almost disregarded a direct request from a client, but in that infantessimal flash of a glare, he thought he had seen something curious, something out of place. Filing it away for later, the stallion wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Tempest, let's have a seat."

"Okay."

There, this wasn't so hard; sure the mare looked like murder and had a bit of temper, but she wasn't really all that bad. He'd have her loosened up and very thoroughly enjoying his company in less than thirty minutes, guaranteed. Some defensiveness was to be expected from certain kinds of mares. Mares with deformities, mares with scars, mares with disabilities, mares with dry spells long enough to have seen the rise and fall of empires... Not all were like that, but ponies were funny sometimes -- they'd let him see them naked, they'd let him touch them everywhere, they'd spread their legs for him, but a wayward word about a masectomy or lameness and they'd lash at him like a hurting dog. It was the job of the escort to please the client -- delight the body, enliven the mind, bring a fantasy to life, realize parts of themselves they didn't even know existed. Any kind of companionship, from just having someone to bring to an event, to an all week sex staycation, an escort's job was to provide it.

They were sitting side by side now. She blushed furiously as she asked, "So what're you going to do to me?"

He gave a rather genuine smile -- she was too perversely adorable not to, so he chose to blend his those feelins in with the performance. "Well, Tempest, that depends, what were you hoping for?"

She looked away and said under her breath, "Nothing, ju- just some uh- sex, please."

"Sex, you want to have sex?" He used his arm around her shoulder to gently guide her face back towards his. She resisted. He tried to push it, only for her to lock up again and sparks to leak from the stump of her horn. He stopped pushing, instead caressing with his thumb. She shivered at his touch, but didn't back away or bristle.

"I would," answered Tempest Shadow, reverting back to her formal military posture.

He let go of her, deciding it would be better if he tried to answer her moods and attempt to get her to escalate rather than guide them, suggesting things subtly while letting her decide when and how to open the gates. "And what kind of sex would you like?"

"Intercourse." Clearly it was far easier on her to be formal when discussing these matters, but she couldn't properly enjoy this session if she insisted on treating it like requisitioning an expense report from regional accounting. He already had the permission to touch her platonically, so he upped it by one and rested a hand on her lower thigh right above her knee. A few seconds passed and she didn't resist. He took a sip of his wine. She took a gulp. She had to make this work; she couldn't scare him away, she couldn't run away. It had been too damn long and she wasn't going to run away, not this time. But oh how scary it was.

"Okay, and how would you like it?"

"I- I want you to be on... I want you to be on top."

"I can do that. Positions? Anything? Fingering? Licking? Kissing, perhaps?" Some mares didn't have the greatest gift for expressing what they wanted, let alone knowing what they wanted. While he doubted that Tempest Shadow was one of that particular cryptic tribe, he found that generally speaking, the more options a client got, the less likely they'd be to choose something -- best to give no more than four ideas to let the mind run and open their imaginations. At least she didn't seem the sort to tell him she was up for anything, only for him to then find that anything had a very specific definition. While he didn't work with stallions, his colleagues of both genders who did called them simple enough to figure out -- talk a bit, escalate to flirting, groping, a bit of oral and then a fuck worked for 99% of them. But mares... mares could be more complicated to figure out. Sought Touch didn't mind, however, he actually enjoyed a challenge almost as he enjoyed making ponies, especially mares, smile.

Tempest shook. "I-I don't know. I- it's been a long time, okay? Let's just start with not intercourse." She glared at him, but the leer didn't reach her cheeks. "I just don't know!" He felt something warm on his hand. it was hers, clenching hard. She had to touch him back, she had to decide it was going to happen, and on her terms. Touching him was her way of exerting control. He couldn't and wouldn't touch her except for how she wished. She'd make sure of that.

"It's okay, Tempest," he soothed. "Let's just go to bed, okay, and it'll all progress naturally from there, okay?" In response to this, Tempest Shadow grabbed the wine bottle from the table and ingested several large gulps. Then she stood and led him by the hand, trying her best to shake her hips and smile. She couldn't seduce worth a damn and she knew it, but she was going to at least try to enjoy her time together with Sought Touch.

When they got to the bed, she deliberately took the side with her dresser, her dagger within its drawer. She had to make sure she could defend herself. She turned on the single lamp, making it the sole source of light for them now. They lay together fully clothed on the bed.

Tempest Shadow took a deep breath. "I want... I want you to hold me." He moved towards her. She flinched, barking, "And just hold me; no grabbing, petting, kissing or anything, got it?"

"As you wish, Tempest," answered Touch, wrapping her in a soft hug. Heat suffused her cheeks. Here she was with a stallion, in bed, chest to chest, in his embrace. Yeah, this was nice, maybe, she guessed, she hoped. His warm breath tickled her cheek.

"Stop that!" Tempest hissed.

"Stop what?" He was already backing off her.

"STAY! On me -- just don't breathe on me..." Tempest was so embarassed.

"Sorry, Tempest," he chuckled, "I can't help that."

"S-Sorry," she said back. "It has... it has... it has..." she paused for several minutes while he held her patiently. "It has been a long time."

He nuzzled her. "It's okay."

"No, it's not okay."

"Tempest..." Sought tried to console her. He could feel her anger flaring up. No, wait, it wasn't anger, at least not anger as he'd think of it.

"Nine years!" Tempest errupted. "Nine fucking YEARS! So long witho -- I'm just so -- Arh, FUCK!" She threw him off. "Don't fucking touch me!" He let go wordlessly, letting her vent."I am a mare, I am supposed to have sex with stallions -- it's natural, but here am I, trying to have sex, it's been just so long without that, without just being treated like a mare that I don't even know what to do, how to do it, how to get it, or even if I like it. I feel gross, unwanted, like my vagina has grown shut from lack of use."

"Tempest, you aren't ugly." The ugly card, this could turn sour.

She glared at him. "Prove it!"

"What?" He started towards her.

Before he could say anything to the lashing mare, she had yanked off her shirt. Underneath sat two modest breasts in a plain cotton sports bra, one of them much more circular and sitting higher than the other. She hugged herself around the middle defensively. She yanked off the bra and hurled it at him, her breasts spilling out.

"Well!?"

"They're lovely, Tempest."

She hestiated. "Tha -- come closer and tell me that again."

Sought Touch did. He could look at them now. The one on her right, his left, was clearly wrong, looking as if it had a seam in it, and it was the wrong shape -- not the oblong teardrop of healthy breasts, but instead looked like half of a ripped orange, a rigid circle nailed to sit at the bottom edge of her collarbone, and without a nipple on it, that having been sliced off and replaced with a thick keloid scar that wrapped around from the inside surface of the beast to almost her spine. The other one, however, was a fair c-cup and a lovely shape. "They're lovely, Tempest."

"Closer." Just a growl this time. It was official, she was mostly bark, using it to cover up insecurity and vulnerability. Nothing he hadn't dealt with, nothing he couldn't deal with -- everyone had their way of seeming brave. Now that he knew her style, he could work with her. He complied, doing his best to not betray how he'd seen through her ruse. He was close to her now, crawling on hands and knees. "Touch them."

"Are you sure?"

"Just. Do. It, Sought Touch." He didn't say anything, instead reaching out gingerly. He made contact on her unmarred breast. It was amazing, actually, with soft fur, warmth, and a very pliant, supple texture -- the kind of breast he loved working with. "Other one." Sought complied, but with his other hand. This one was simply put, fucked up. It had three great scars on it. The first, a great, ugly keloid, wrapped around from her side and ribs. The second was underneath, and the third ran across the upper front like a jagged crack. He had seen worse. He touched it carefully, respectfully, acting like a colt who had never before had the honor of handling a mare's teats, even letting out a small, soft gasp as if in disbelief at his luck. He squeezed softly and felt the implant. He felt the scars. This poor mare! What had happened to her?

"It's nice... may I?" Tempest looked at him quizzically.

"Do what?"

"This," he announced, not waiting for permission, moving his face toward the maimed mamary before the mare could shut him down. With the lump just inches from his face, he held it up, puckered his lips, and kissed it. Then he kissed it again. And again. He kissed it ten times, forming a line from high right to low left, gracing where the nipple would have been and not avoiding any of her scars. Then he kissed a spiral around the breast, spiraling in towards the apex. He hummed as he did it. He felt something surprising -- not the hardness of the keloid or even a punch, but instead Tempest Shadow grabbing the back of his shirt and balling it up with her fists, her breathing increasing from that very first touch to her areola. She was a mare after all indeed!

Regaining her composure, she chuckled, "If that's how you feel about me, then fuck me. Get hard and take me now if I'm so sexy to you."

"Tempest..." A defensive play -- she can't be doubtful if she gives the word to advance, or so she's trying to tell herself.

"Do it!"

The escort paused, weighing his options. He was dismayed at how bad all of them were. He saw now that the mare was conditioned to think in a very strange way. She had to be the commander or the commanded, under orders or giving orders. The easiest thing to do right now would be to walk out of there, thank her for the money, and run before she caught him. But he wasn't like that; Sought Touch was no coward or shirker. When he had signed up for the agency, he had joined for money, yes, but he wanted to bring joy to mares, make fillies delight, spread good feelings and love around. He liked mares and knew how to make them happy. And before him right now was the most in need mare he had ever seen. Besides, he had a secret thing for tough mares and tsundere mares -- something about their exterior just made him want to make them smile and squeal all the harder; no way in hell was he going to give her anything less than his best. After running, he could just give in, fuck her, give her an orgasm, and call it quits. However, his conscience held him back -- he remembered how awkward and jumpy she had been back at the table, how she had said she wanted to be made to feel like a mare. And what would just giving her a quickie be? Treating her like meat. What was he? An escort, a professional companion. And what was it he had to be? Not a fuck, but a companion. He sucked in air through his teeth as he disrobed into undershirt, underwear, and pants. He got on the bed and crawled towards his client.

Tempest Shadow inhaled and tensed. Her stallion hooked fingers into her waistband and pulled off her pants. She arched her back to give him some assisstance. They came off, revealing her simple, plain, utilitarian panties. She wanted to hide herself down there, but she couldn't without hiding what was on her stomach He reached out to touch her. She tensed. This was it, just like back then, he was going to take her like a bull mounts a cow and be done with it like she was so much meat.

But the touch between her legs never came. Instead, she felt the matress shift under her twice. She felt a warm hand cup hers and then another warm hand cup her side. She opened her eyes to see him looking into hers with the kindest smile she had ever seen. "No."

Author's Note

Opa, here we have it! What's going to happen next? What is Sought Touch going to do for the most client client he's ever had? What's Tempest going to do next? Read tomorrow when chapter two goes live to find out! Feedback is appreciated very much so. :)

Happy Valentine's Day / Singles' Awareness Day

May you all get the loving you deserve.

Thanks for reading

Kalash93

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