"Two large jelly doughnuts with extra pink sprinkles," said Sugar Glaze as he set a paper bag down on the counter. "Eight bits, please. Thanks, and happy Hearts and Hooves Day!"
Donut Joe’s was a mainstay in downtown Canterlot. Founded by the eponymous unicorn some years back, the shop provided a welcome alternative from the pricey, ‘conveniently-sized’ meals one might find down on Restaurant Row. After all, even the most health-conscious ponies got the craving for sugar and batter now and then. What better place for a cheat day?
However, as Joe loathed to admit it, he was starting to get on in years, and keeping up with the increasing demand was proving more and more difficult. Common sense won out over pride, and he hired an assistant to lighten the load. Enter Sugar Glaze; a young stallion with a cherry-pink coat, a neat, fringed blond mane and a passion for baking, hence the heart-shaped chocolate-chip cookie serving as his cutie mark. Glaze was a life-long fan of Joe’s, so he had spent the last year chipperly providing quality service to his fellow unicorns in the form of plump mounds and rings of soft dough and jelly.
Hearts and Hooves Day was one of the shop’s busier times of the year. The time for couples to surprise each other with gifts to show their love. Glaze wasn’t sure why there had to be a day dedicated to something one could do any old time, but more customers meant a bigger paycheck so he kept his mouth shut. Besides, there was something heartwarming about seeing so many couples filling the tables, sharing pastries and muttering sweet nothings to each other. And ever since Princess Twilight Sparkle had taken the throne of Equestria and made the borders more open to other creatures, it was becoming more and more common to see a pony getting kissy with a dragon or a kirin. In fact, the pink-sprinkled jelly doughnuts he had served were for a unicorn and her hippogriff boyfriend.
Now that the line had finally reached its end, Glaze took a moment and kept pony-watching, feeling a yearning before long. He swallowed, putting a hoof to his chest as a soft ache began to grow inside. What he wouldn’t give to be smooching and sharing doughnuts right now…
The familiar jingle of the bell above the door chimed, and the ache quickly made way for an eager fluttering when Glaze saw who was coming in.
A griffon, the same age as him, with a head of grey feathers and a body of white with grey splotches. His olive jacket had huge holes for his big grey wings. His icy-blue eyes shifted, like he was wary of someone recognising him. Glaze’s smile grew when the two locked eyes and the griffon approached the counter, his chest heaving in and out.
“And what can I get you, handsome?” Glaze asked, winking.
“Ha ha,” the griffon panted. “I don’t want the other griffons seeing me eating doughnuts. They might think I’ve gone soft.”
Glaze craned his neck. “You’ve already gotten kinda soft, Grant.”
Grant clacked his beak softly and looked at his body. He was indeed rounder than typical griffons, his stomach curving out and bouncing between his legs despite how much he sucked it in. His feathers did a good job of hiding his puffy cheeks and the beginnings of a double-chin though. Glaze did him the courtesy of not pointing out his jacket was looking rather snug around the middle.
“Like you’re one to talk,” he grumbled, gently prodding one of Glaze’s cheeks with a talon. “You been taste testing again, Sugar Ball?”
Glaze grinned and gently brushed Grant’s foot away. He certainly wasn’t wrong; with his barrel-like stomach, round face and thick, jiggly flanks, Sugar Glaze wasn’t exactly the picture of fitness himself. But he was comfy with his plush physique. Never trust a skinny baker, as they say.
“Maybe I have,” he giggled. “Oh, any luck with finding a place?”
“Um, yeah, about that,” Grant muttered, rubbing behind his head and looking aside, “I, um.. everywhere I tried in town has no tables free. The Tasty Treat’s booked solid, everywhere else on Restaurant Row is out of tables, even that little cafe you like is reserved. Since when did cafes have reservations anyway?”
“Well that’s what happens when you leave it till the last minute, you big featherbrain,” Glaze said, smirking cheekily. “Don’t worry, I’ve got Plan B taken care of.”
Grant tilted his head. “Really? He’s cool with it?”
“Oh yeah, I just have to let him know.”
“Cool, cool.” The griffon looked down, a talon circling the counter. “Sorry about all this, Glaze. I’ll make it up to you tonight, I swear.”
“What matters is you still tried anyway,” Glaze said, smiling and planting a little peck on his beak. “You look exhausted, you want a coffee?”
“Oh, please,” he sighed gratefully. “I used to be able to clear a few laps of this city no problem, but after that one trip my wings are killing me.”
“I couldn’t imagine why,” Glaze giggled, using his magic to turn on the coffee machine behind him. “You want a doughnut with that? I know you love them, and you can’t have coffee without a doughnut~”
Grant rolled his eyes and reached into his pocket, setting some bits on the counter. “Alright, but just one.”
Glaze beamed and put the coins in the register, then used his magic to lift out a plump, chocolate-filled doughnut coated in powdered sugar out from the display window. He put it in a little paper bag, then snuck in a second one before folding the top over.
“Made it specially for you in case you came in,” he said.
“You’re always thinkin’ of me,” Grant chuckled, grabbing the bag in his talons. “Not complainin’ though.”
“Gotta keep my favourite griffon well-fed.”
“What, are there other griffons in your life?”
“I bet you’d love the competition,” Glaze remarked, pouring some freshly brewed coffee into a tall cup, chasing it with a few drops of milk and sugar.
“Competition implies it’d be hard.” Grant’s wings ruffled eagerly as Glaze lidded the cup and handed it over. “Thanks a lot. I got something I gotta take care of at home, but I’ll meet you back here later, yeah?”
“Ooh, a surprise?” Glaze guessed, smiling. “For lil’ old me?”
“No, for big old you,” Grant snickered, tickling Glaze’s double-chin. “You’ll see later… if I don’t screw it up, I mean.”
“Oh, you’ll do fine. I’ll see you when my shift’s over then.”
The two shared a griffon kiss - rubbing their beak and muzzle together - and Grant exited with his snack. Through the window, Glaze watched as he looked in the bag, then gave him an irritated glare. The unicorn giggled and winked at his boyfriend, who rolled his eyes with a smile before taking off.
Sun Glaze looked at the purple sky through the door window as he flipped the ‘Closed’ sign around. The sun was setting, and every creature was either heading home for the day, or as he could see, setting out on the town in couples.
Behind him, Donut Joe was counting the bits in the register, muttering to himself as his magic lifted the coins into small piles stacked across the counter.
“Not a bad haul today, kid,” he said with a nod. “Maybe hiring you wasn’t the worst idea in the world.”
Glaze turned around to comment, but caught the smirk on Joe’s face. He returned his own. “Only ‘maybe’?”
“We’ll see after tonight,” he said, putting most of the bits away. “There’s your pay for the day, plus a little extra for saving me a lot of hassle. Managed to get ready on time for once.”
Glaze watched his employer step out from around the counter, and his eyes widened. He was so used to the tall, stocky stallion in his white hat and baking jacket; he looked like somepony completely different in his tuxedo jacket and bowtie, his frizzy mane combed down.
“Wow, boss,” he gasped. “What’s her name? Or his?” he added with a wink.
“Wouldn’t you like to know?” Joe chuckled, walking up to the door. “Remember to lock up when you’re done. And if you two make a mess, it’s coming out of your pay.”
“We’ll be good,” Glaze promised. “As long as you will.”
Joe snorted, then stopped halfway out the door for a moment before looking back at his employee with a nervous frown. “Does my mane look okay?”
“It’s fine, and your tie’s on straight,” Glaze said, rolling his eyes. “Just go and have fun.”
Joe nodded and took a deep breath. “Right, wish me luck then.”
Glaze smiled and waved him off. “Go get ‘em, boss.”
Once he was gone, Glaze set himself on getting ready. He grabbed his pay and went to the back, hung up his own hat and jacket, and went to his saddlebags. Using his magic, he tossed the bits in a purse and lifted out a bottle of aftershave, spraying a little under his chin, then rolled some deodorant under his front legs. Next he lifted out a magenta shirt, swiftly buttoning it up and doing his best to ignore that snugness around his middle. Finally, he ran a comb through his mane to get his fringe nice and neat, along with a few strokes through his tail for good measure.
“All set,” he said, smiling and flicking his tail. His ears perked up as he heard a knock at the front. “And just in time~”
He trotted out to the door, grinning when he saw a familiar griffon standing there, a plastic bag clasped in his beak. A pink aura wrapped around the handle and the door opened.
“Sorry, sir, we’re closed,” he giggled.
“I know, thish ish a robbery,” Grant remarked out the side of his beak.
“What’ve you got there?” Glaze asked, raising a hoof to the bag. Grant gently pushed him back with a splayed foot to the face.
“Ah-ah,” he said. “Shurprishe.”
“Ooh, I love surprises,” Glaze smiled, watching Grant set the bag on the counter. “Ooh, did you get your feathers done?”
“Just slapped on a bit of gel,” he said, shrugging. “Couldn’t find any feather stylists around here. Or griffon tailors.”
“That explains the tuxedo T-shirt,” Glaze giggled, beaming. “My bit-store boy.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Grant muttered, rubbing behind his front. “I was busy puttin’ your surprise together, so…” he trailed off, nodding toward the bag.
“Aww, I’m just teasing,” the unicorn giggled, pecking Grant on the beak. “I love how resourceful you a--wait.” His eyes shot open. “Are you saying you made me something…?”
“Well, I didn’t say that exactly,” the griffon said, glancing all around. “But, uh… yeah, I kinda, technically did.”
“Okay, now I have to see what it is,” he decided, his horn lighting up.
Before Grant could object, out of the bag floated a tray of biscuit-like treats, coated in powdered sugar with jam oozing from the top. Glaze grinned eagerly at the platter before him.
"Ooh, scones!" he gasped, and slowly looked back at Grant as he put two and two together. "Did… did you bake these?"
“Well, yeah,” Grant muttered, rubbing the back of his neck. “Scones are pretty big back in Griffonstone, and I thought you might like something baked… so uh, there you go.”
“Aww, babe!” Glaze squealed, throwing his front hooves around the griffon’s neck. “I already love them!”
“G-glad… you do…” Grant rasped, eyes bugging out. “But… can’t breathe...!”
“Oh, sorry." Glaze let go and gave the griffon a bashful grin. "Oh! Since you showed me yours, I'll show you mine."
Grant half-smirked. "I thought we were gonna do that at home."
"Wha--oh, you know what I mean!" the unicorn squeaked, cheeks flushing red. He went behind the counter and used his magic to lift a platter of his own from the cooling display. "Behold."
Grant licked his beak when he took in the sight of his Hearts and Hooves gift. "That's… a lotta doughnuts."
"Your favourites," Glaze beamed. "A baker's dozen~"
"But there's thirteen," Grant said. "Isn't twelve a dozen?"
"A baker's dozen is thirteen, babe," Glaze pointed out.
"Seriously?" the griffon grumbled, slapping his palm onto his face. "I wouldn't have taste tested one of them if I knew that."I
"What kind of baker doesn't taste his own treats?" Glaze grinned. "You can be taught!"
"Ah shaddap," Grant chuckled, and blushed as his stomach let out a hungry growl. "Speakin' of which, what say we get diggin' in?"
Glaze’s own belly grumbled, and he smiled eagerly. “Sounds good to me.”
The unicorn trotted over to the windows and closed the blinds before turning down the lights. “I know you like your privacy, and now none of your tough griffon buddies can see what we’re doing.”
“Oh, they don’t care who I’m goin’ out with,” Grant explained, sitting at the plush booth. “It’s the ‘seein’ me eatin’ doughnuts’ thing I’m worried about.”
“Oh, you’ll still be my big bad birdy,” Glaze giggled, bumping his flank against Grant’s as he took a seat across from him. “Just full of sugar and chocolate sauce.”
“You always know just what to say,” Grant remarked, rolling his eyes. Both platters were set out before them. “Uhh, you wanna go first? I mean I know your stuff is always good, but uh… I kinda wanna know how I did.”
“Am I your taste tester now?” Glaze smirked, and lifted a scone to his mouth to take a bite. For a moment, he moved the taste around his mouth, deciphering it. “Hm…”
Grant drummed his talons on the table in a rare show of nervousness. “So…?”
“Nice and crunchy,” Glaze mumbled before swallowing, “and that’s a lot of jam. Have you been practicing?”
“Kinda, while you’re at work,” Grant admitted, smiling a little. “I don’t actually know the recipe, apart from the ingredients; I just kinda winged it. Y‘know, from watchin’ you.”
“You did a really good job,” the unicorn beamed, clapping his hooves. “I’ll be happy to give you some pointers sometime!”
“I’d… yeah, I’d like that,” Grant agreed. “But let’s stuff our beaks first.”
“Sounds good to me~”
And with that, the two began gorging themselves on sweet treats. Grant crammed a doughnut in his mouth with his foot, Glaze cramming a scone into his with magic. The griffon was thankful no one else could see him because he didn’t look like a typical tough-guy griffon right then, the way he was eagerly cramming pastries in his mouth and getting sugar and chocolate sauce on his beak.
Glaze kept crunching into his scones, licking jam off his muzzle. “Griffons used to make these with rocks?” he asked, choosing to ignore the tightness on his shirt buttons intensifying.
“I know,” Grant mumbled, tugging his T-shirt down. “Weird, right? Apparently that’s why they have a doctor there now--all those chipped beaks.”
What Grant didn’t know was Glaze had added a little extra to this batch of doughnuts, just for him. A special dough that he’d come up with, designed to be extra filling for the likes of yaks or buffalos or Pinkie Pie. Glaze had it in his mind that a stuffed-to-the-gills griffon would make for some extra-comfortable cuddles later on.
But what the unicorn didn’t know himself, was that Grant had used some of that dough to make the scones he was stuffing his face with.
And so, both boyfriends happily swallowed mouthful after mouthful. While at a brisk pace at first, they began to slow down around halfway through.
“Oh geez,” Grant groaned, licking chocolate off his beak, “this stuff’s… pretty fillin’.”
“No kidding,” Glaze muttered, stifling a burp and resting a hoof on his swollen stomach. "I've still got six more to go."
After a short break to sip some coffee, they were back to it. As more and more treats were forced down, the two felt more and more like they were going to burst. Glaze had soon caught on that Grant had dipped into his special dough, but he couldn't very well call him out on it. Besides, part of him was curious to see what the cuddles would be like if they were both overly full.
The aches in both their stomachs intensified and their pace slowed with very finished pastry, but neither of them stopped. Not that they wanted to, with how much they were enjoying it. Grant found himself tugging his T-shirt down more and more often as he went, and it didn’t occur to him that it was because his stomach was bloating quite a bit. Glaze, meanwhile, was wiggling a little as his shirt hugged his own swelling middle even tighter.
PING!
“You hear something?” Grant mumbled.
“Uhh… n-no,” Glaze murmured, ears drooped. He knew exactly why that pinching on his belly relaxed a little, and the last thing he wanted was for anyone in general to find out.
On the third floor of Canterlot’s Lunar Heights Apartments building, a key entered a door.
“Careful now,” Sugar Glaze groaned, stifling a belch as he stumbled inside the apartment.
Grant clumped in after him, flinching as his badly bloated stomach squeezed gently against the door frame. “Oh, man… we really overdid it.”
“Maybe just a little,” Glaze admitted, hiccuping. He glanced down at his shirt, frowning at how it was stained with crumbs and jam, and now missing a total of three buttons from the bottom up. He was only glad Grant didn’t tease him too much about it, and even helped him find the missing buttons on the floor in the bakery.
Their stomachs were taut and aching badly, making them moan with each step. They definitely went overboard with the treats, especially with that extra-filling dough. Every slight movement made them feel ready to explode, so the walk home was slow and ponderous, and peppered with stops to catch their breath. Grant certainly wasn’t going to risk flying; he couldn’t get that bloated gut of his off the ground alone, nevermind with a rather heavy unicorn on his back.
“Let’s just go to bed, huh?”
“No complaints here,” Grant grunted, pulling the chocolate-stained T-shirt off his body and tossing it next to the washing machine. “I’m gonna find a position that won’t make me throw up.”
“I’ll be right with you,” the unicorn muttered, using his magic to carefully disrobe and set the two stained garments into the machine. He couldn’t be bothered doing the laundry now, while his legs were shivering with exhaustion.
He stumbled toward the bedroom, listening to the griffon huff and the bed creak as he rolled around. He entered and gently closed the door, allowing the cloudless, moonlit sky through the windows to guide him to the free half of the bed. He gingerly climbed in, shimmying down onto his side and resting his head on the pillow, right in front of Grant. He looked into the griffon’s eyes and sighed dreamily.
“Oh, hey,” he muttered, sidling closer and giving Grant’s beak a cheeky little lick. “You missed a bit of chocolate~”
Grant smirked and gently rubbed the tip of his beak on the corner of Glaze’s mouth. “And you missed a bit of jam.”
Glaze giggled and wrapped his hooves around Grant, feeling his warm fur. Grant positioned his feathers on top of them as he wrapped his own front legs around the unicorn. Their bloated bellies touched ever-so-gently, making them grunt under their breaths.
“Happy Hearts and Hooves Day, big bird,” Glaze cooed, nuzzling under Grant’s chin.
“You too, Sugar Ball,” Grant purred, resting his chin on Glaze’s mane.
