When Cadance had arrived home that afternoon, it had been all Twilight could do to keep the eager grin from coming to life upon her face. A shared smile between the two wasn’t uncommon, especially after the tumultuous circumstances that had kept them so wearied and strained for so much of the year; that they were together was more than enough reason to be happy. But Twilight’s display needed to be smothered, kept strictly at bay for a little while longer- at least until the proper moment. After all, she wasn’t even supposed to know.

“What are you laughing about?” Cadance asked as they sat together in the living room, eyeing her beloved over the rim of her tablet. “Did something happen at work today, or something?”

She was doing her best not to crack; really, she was. Twilight knew full well that Cadance hadn’t meant for the surprise to be spoiled, not when it was meant to be something so personal. It had just been pure accident that she had found the duffel bag in the closet, stuffed beneath an old hamper they’d meant to get rid of. But now, knowing what she did, there was to be a struggle until the time came for revelation. She’d just have to act surprised, Twilight supposed.

That won’t be too hard. I only sort of know what she’s wanting to do, the younger woman mused.

Cadance set down her tablet and regarded her mentally occupied bride, a smile starting to grow upon her pursed lips as she watched Twilight remain in a world all her own. It was a common occurrence, really: watching the brilliant girl become so absorbed in her thoughts that she wouldn’t even realize that she hadn’t replied at all. An annoying habit if it was something of importance or urgency, but quite amusing when it was clear to see that Twilight was focused upon something pleasant- or in this case, something hilarious. “You know, I like jokes, too,” she remarked. “Especially if they’re really silly puns. Mind telling it to me?”

Twilight’s gaze darted over to Cadance, and then away to wherever her thoughts roamed next- and then immediately back to her amused companion with a sudden start that came with a refocus upon reality. “Ohmygosh- I’m sorry, I thought I’d said something! What did you ask, Cadance?”

The older woman took a turn to laugh herself, enjoying the sight of her graceful bride’s cheeks turning a softened pink as she tried to recover from her momentary spell. “Twilight, how I envy your ability to tune out the rest of the world. I’d love to know your secrets.”

“I’ll try not to next time,” came the reply, the younger woman brushing hair from her eyes and trying to pay attention. “OK, OK… so what did you ask? I’m listening this time.”

“I asked,” Cadance said, “What are you laughing about? You’ve been looking like you’re about to burst ever since I came home. Did something happen at work?”

Twilight shook her head. “No, work was fine, it was actually a pretty easy day. Exams seem to be going well, most of the students I’ve talked to seem to be doing alright… it ought to be an easy holiday break.”

“Then what am I missing?” the soft-faced woman pressed. “Is it something I’m doing, do I have something on my face, or-”

“No. No! You’re fine, you look…” Twilight had to pause for a moment and regard her bride, a mist spreading across her features as memory conflicted so starkly with reality. “You look amazing, just as always.”

It was a far cry from what was not even a year ago. Cadance’s long locks were not quite back to their former length, but the bob she had endured over the summer was now grown to just beyond her shoulders, regaining its lustrous sheen once more. The pallid skin she had possessed early on, marked with faded bloody splotches just beneath, was now smooth and glowing yet again thanks to the absence of mouth sores that made eating a trial. Her exhaustion would likely never fade away forever thanks to the wearing press of time, but the smile she bore was genuine, a match to the soft glow in her eyes. If it were not the noticeable absence upon her chest where space now lay empty, an ignorant person would see nothing unusual in the slightest. Dressed comfortably in a pullover and sweat pants, it was the most snugly comfortable Twilight had seen her dreamgirl since the very start of the year.

Cadance, however, was not always easily convinced. “I wish it was longer already,” she said, fingers running through strands of hair as she mourned what had been unwillingly lost. “This just isn’t how I like it.”

“It looks good! I know it was shorter at the wedding, but I thought Rarity did a great job with it,” Twilight replied. “Besides, shorter hair is in, right? You’re just being fashionable.”

“I guess, but it’s not me,” was the counter. “You know? I’ve had it to about my waist for ages now, so I just got used to seeing it that way.”

“Well I like how you look right now,” Twilight said, making sure to add, “As I always do.”

“Well, you’re sweet. But despite your attempt to distract me, I still wanna know what you’re not telling me.”

“Oh for heaven’s- nothing! It’s absolutely nothing, I promise,” Twilight insisted. Her grin spread wide once more as the threat of revelation came upon her once more, eager to be spilled and spread- but it would ruin everything, and it was going to be something that meant so much to Cadance. She didn’t want her wife’s efforts to be rendered moot by complete accident!

“What is it? Why can’t you tell me?” Cadance asked.

“Because it’s nothing, it really is nothing,” her bride insisted, though clearly doing a poor job at lying. “Look, ask me another time and I’ll tell you. But not right now, OK?”

Cadance sighed and returned to her tablet, disappointed that the note was both final and unsatisfying. “If you say so,” she said.

Twilight returned to her own efforts of literature, another glance shot over at her spouse. If Cadance suspected her cover was blown, she didn’t seem to act like it. Good. I really want to see what she’s up to.

The rest of the afternoon came and went in relative quiet as the two women relaxed together in the living room, allowing their workload and career lives fade in the face of more peaceful times together. Though they did not always spend such time now after returning home eager to speak, the fact that they were together and at ease was reason enough to be joyful; what they possessed now was far better than what they would have dared to dream of several months ago. So there they sat in each other’s company, waiting for the night to fall and allow them the chance to come alive in a different way.

“Do we have any of that chili left over from Thursday?” Twilight asked as she headed to the kitchen, unable to ignore the rumbling of her stomach for long.

“I think there’s some left. I was thinking about having it myself, actually…”

Twilight paused at the threshold. “I can leave it for you, if you want,” she offered.

Cadance shook her head. “Go ahead, I’ll make myself something instead. I need to do something with those carrots before they go bad, anyway.”

“And you’re sure?”

“Yeah, I’m sure. You’re fine, Twilight,” Cadance said.

The younger woman was relieved; with the emptiness now gnawing away inside, it pleased her greatly to only have to wait a few spare minutes of a microwave’s magic to finally dig into something tangible, the rich flavor of Cadance’s white chili like heaven to her deprived taste buds. I should start bringing a small snack to work for the afternoons, she counseled herself. Like a fiber bar or something, being this hungry for this long is miserable. So great was her hunger that it was only a short span of time before the once-full bowl was little more than a few strands of chicken sitting in a miniaturized puddle of broth. As she put her bowl down in the sink for later cleaning, her mind now turned to the woman who still resided in the living room. She hadn’t eaten as of yet, and she was likely more tired than Twilight; being a principal of a high-profile school wasn’t a small task. Maybe it would be a decent thing to be given a little extra love today.

Cadance’s head poked through the kitchen threshold some time later, investigating the sounds of activity and fresh scents of food taken to heat. “Was the chili not enough to fill you up?”

“No, I’m good,” Twilight said, chopping the last piece of a broccoli head before casting it into a now-sizzling frying pan. “Anything you want on this? I’ve got some zucchini in there, some carrots, some broccoli, and some chicken.”

“Twilight, you didn’t have to make me dinner,” Cadance said in a soft voice, the sound of a smile evident within her words. “Thank you so much, that’s super sweet of you.”

“You’re welcome.” A quick swish of the pan, trying to stir the ingredients together. “It’ll just be a sort of stir fry… I guess. Sound good?”

“Sounds wonderful.”

A short time later and Cadance’s face came alight with delight at the sight of the steaming bowl set before here, fork already settled within its contents and ready to be of service to its lady. “Thanks so much, Love. You don’t mind if I make it up to you, do you?”

“No. I don’t think so,” Twilight teased. “Why would I mind, if it’s coming from you?”

Cadance’s eyes gleamed and she began to dig into her freshly cooked meal, mind away and to more hidden places that were not quite as secret as she had hoped. Twilight knew what her bride in mind likely had something to do with her unintentional discovery, and perhaps her actions would accelerate the process. And considering what she had found, Twilight didn’t mind in the slightest. It could turn out to be a very enjoyable evening.

The night sky outside had long turned dark before Twilight’s anticipations began to bear fruit. As she sat in the living room, poring over what notes she had kept from work, movement at the corner of her eye gave her notice that something was amiss. Cadance was behaving oddly, an almost constant check on her phone with little more than a solitary button press; something on her screen was all she needed to see, then setting it down to ponder her thoughts. Once, twice, three times over before the pattern began to change, she closing her laptop and heading towards the stairs.

Twilight grinned; the yawn she was pretending to stifle was a little too exaggerated to be considered something genuine. If Cadance had something planned, her first step might be occurring right before her eyes. So now I wait, the younger woman thought. I wonder if she’ll make it be a while. I hope not, what she had was… her imagination began to try and paint the picture she was about to witness, finding it more than satisfactory. Come to think of it, Cadance hadn’t done anything of the like all year. Holidays were something special to her, reasons to celebrate and be a little friskier than usual- a feat, considering how willing she was to hunger for her partner. But then again, this year hadn’t exactly been low-stress; it was easy to let commonplace occurrences slip by when there were far more important things that required their attentions.

But she’s trying again, Twilight told herself. And it looked amazing- how much better will it look when she’s wearing it? The conclusion felt obvious to her, but the fact that she hadn’t seen it yet only made her more excited. It was, after all, something specially bought for her viewing pleasure- for her! Cadance wanted to put in all that effort just for Twilight, to please her! If her childhood self had ever been told that such a thing would ever, ever occur, it would have been impossible to believe. Or that it was just a stupid dream- come to think of it, it all really was a little too good. Could it actually be a dream of-

“Oh Twilight…” the soft, sultry song called down to her from somewhere at the top of the stairwell, just out of sight and only just loud enough to get her attention. “Are you still just sitting there, sweetheart? Aren’t you bored?”

Twilight’s heart skipped a beat. She’d been so preoccupied with her own excited thoughts that she had lost track of time! “I’m here,” was her stammering reply. “I’m… I’m a little bored. But you know how work is.”

“Aww… that’s too bad. Why don’t you take a little break, hmm?” A creak from the upper steps, indicating movement. “How about you do something fun instead?”

Twilight bit her lip to hold back the squee. “And what would that be?”

A solitary leg now came into view, garbed in a soft-white stocking with a thin garter strap rolling up the thigh. Then another, straps leading to a lurid red miniskirt that concealed so little behind its thin, snowy fluff. That smooth, perfect waist was revealed, bare skin the next prize before another flash of bright red came to life across the chest, a single magnificent mound halfway bound beneath the ribboneqsue bra that concealed as little as it could manage- all leading to the gorgeous face, plump lips, and shining eyes of Cadance, staring down at her awestruck bride with all the love and desire that her sumptuous body could possibly hold. “Well,” she said, “How do I sound?”

Twilight had to take time to soak her in, the full experience rather overwhelming- but in so many good ways! This wasn’t just any beautiful woman standing there; this was Cadance, the one who Twilight had been infatuated with all her life. The dreamgirl, the perfect specimen, the woman of all women, and her bride to boot; to think that she now stood there and wanted Twilight to look at her- no, to lust for her and to enjoy what she saw was more than she could have imagined. Cadance had adorned herself in this sultry, sensuous finery for Twilight alone, and that thought was something dazzling.

“I’ve got a delivery,” Cadance purred, strutting down the stairs to her awaiting lover. “Something very special, just for you.”

“Just for me..?” Twilight breathed. The thought was beautiful, intoxicating. It had been too long since Cadance had held her in such a gaze, that sweet flame in her eyes enough to make her melt. Even how she walked, that small sway as her hips rocked to the sides, was something she wanted to treasure. And all for her!

“But- on one condition,” Cadance added. She came to Twilight’s place on the couch and leaned down, letting her solitary cleavage attempt to take the fullness of her bride’s visual senses. “It’s for good girls only. Have you been a good girl this year, Twilight?”

Twilight really, really could have continued to enjoy the view, but forced herself to glance up at Cadance’s awaiting visage. “I think I have,” she said.

“Is that so? Well…” The sweet-hearted beauty pushed her beloved back against the couch and slid into her lap, wrapping herself about the younger woman’s form and encompassing her. “Then how about a gift of my own, first?”

Twilight knew it was coming before the moment passed, those delicious lips finding hers and kissing them oh so softly. It was such a simple act, a commonplace event between them that could easily be taken for granted- but this one was slow to deepen, the smoothness of Cadance’s lips wondrous as the kiss became so strong. The younger woman knew just how much physical affection meant to her bride, how much she enjoyed these romantic gestures; but Twilight had never spoken of her own delight in these things, how Cadance’s sweeping gestures gave life to her beating heart. What could be more wonderful than this sweet woman’s love, more pleasurable than the feel of that elegant form upon her skin? When she kissed her bride, Twilight knew that what she experienced was a small taste of heaven.

Cadance broke away slowly, gloved hands caressing her sweet companion’s cheeks before moving to the rest of her body in slow movements as she found more to appreciate. So what if Twilight’s form was more slender, less curvaceous? It was a graceful and lovely, belonging to the woman she loved. It was an empowering feeling to be treasured like this, and Twilight would ask for it from no one else.

“Alright, good girl,” Cadance said sweetly, “Go ahead and unwrap your present.” She leaned back just a tinge, letting her lingerie be there and ready for the plundering. Even a small thrust of her hips for good measure, a small hint for where she wished Twilight to delve. And with more than enough memory of what riches lay below…

Twilight felt herself beginning to salivate. Cadance wanted to be teased, to suffer that joyous struggle at her beloved’s hand. And oh yes, it would be so much fun; however, the young woman found herself distracted by a single thought that now fixated upon a solitary object. Cadance had gone to this much effort for her sake, primped and pretty for the sake of Twilight’s satisfaction- why not do something nice in return?

The awaiting woman gave a start as she watched Twilight’s hands not descend, but begin to go about her back and reach for the clip of her bra. “Twilight, what are you-”

Festive fabric fell away to reveal that one magnificent breast, still so perfectly formed and made to be praised as it sat next to empty space adorned with a long scar that had yet to fully fade. The sudden act made the once-commanding woman freeze, memory of better days well-contrasted against the now by her very form alone. It hadn’t been that long ago- yet here she was, her flawless figure torn by disease and gifted a scar that would never truly go away. Perhaps it was vain, but she had valued that wholeness, that loveliness that had captivated the woman she loved. But all it had taken was one day for it all to disappear, never to return. The sight of that scar was something that hurt.

She saw the energy begin to fade from Cadance’s form, and Twilight knew that she would have to act. A plunge forward and she took hold of unsuspecting breastflesh within her mouth, a deep, slow suck of the nipple that made the older woman gasp in both surprise and delight. It hadn’t been what she had intended, but now it would be given a gift of Twilight’s own making. Too long had they been together like this, and neither would wait any longer.

“Twilight-!” Cadance’s voice was struggling, kept at bay by her senses. She had quite forgotten what breastplay felt like in Twilight’s hand, as though the memory had been carved away by the surgeon’s knife. But now…

Twilight grinned, eager for further mischief. “Does that still feel good, Cadance?” she asked in a hushed whisper.

“Yes,” Cadance breathed.

“Then how is this?” A hand reached out to begin its act, finding the nipple and giving it a small tweak- a gentle thing, followed by one more fierce. Playful, teasing twists meant to incite just enough pain that pleasure would still win out. And judging by the reaction she was getting, Twilight’s efforts were not unsatisfying in the slightest.

“Now, which felt better?” Twilight asked. “Number One-” A quick brush of her tongue across the areola came upon her bride, and Cadance gasped. “Or Number Two…” A flick across the nipple came, followed by a sigh.

“Twilight…” Cadance had meant to be in control all throughout, give Twilight all of herself for the young woman’s enjoyment. But now, with the tables equally turned, the evening’s festivities could be something exciting for them both. “I- a little of the first, maybe?”

“As you wish,” Twilight said, love meant in every word as she returned to her favorite pastime of worshipping Cadance’s breasts, licking and lathering away at whatever she could claim for the sole purpose of making her bride sing. A long, slow lick from bottom to top- then a quick nibble of nipple that hardened at the action. Cadance, long bereft of such affections in the wake of survival, was being happily riled up in a hurry. As Twilight kissed along the breast, small licks about the areola in a slow rhythm, the sounds of her happy sighs rang through the warmth of their peaceful home.

But peaceful was not what Twilight wished for; there were far more pleasant notes to be heard echoing across Cadance’s lips, and the sight of this beauteous woman in such clothing had inflamed her. She wanted more, for both their sakes! As she continued with the enjoyable hobby, a single hand slithered down Cadance’s trim waist and down to red fabric, fingers searching for the outline of her awaiting gift- there! Beginning to dampen and eager for further, the tracing of its form enough to stimulate even more. As Cadance gave a stifled moan, her young bride knew it was time to truly dive deep within, plunging beneath the skirt and finding her touch eagerly awaited-

“Oh…” Cadance moaned in utter delight at the feel of Twilight’s fingers within her, that comforting feeling she craved plucking away at her folds in a comfortable, casual rhythm. It had been too long since she had felt this, kept trapped away by pain and fear and illness so that the memory of these days was sometimes all she believed she had. But now, wonderful now, she was with Twilight again- and it felt amazing! Her beautiful, wonderfully loving bride was there and happily plucking away, fingers seeking out where she wished to be felt. All that she had to lead her was sound, simply notes of sensuous song to guide her along- and when Twilight found the heart of her treasures, she couldn’t have hoped to hold back her cry. She needed more, right there- faster, fiercer, more than she could hope to handle. And Twilight was so willing to please, swiftly plucking away in a rising pace that threatened to push her to the brink so quickly. But it was wonderful, delight to her very core, why hold on when she could relish all of this in utter ecstasy-

Her senses reached a painfully wondrous new step, yet now began to fide. The mist across her eyes started to dissipate, hurried gasps of air began to slow and fade in intensity. As Cadance’s near-crescendo slowly fell away, she remembered herself and where she had come to rest: atop Twilight’s lap, being made love to by the one person in the world she loved most, and Twilight’s dripping fingers there for her to lick clean. Never one to be bashful, she held the young woman’s hand and did the deed as best she could, lapping at awaiting juices before finding herself led away where another tongue was eager to join in; Twilight was there to kiss her, the two women hungering for the feeling of one another as succulent morsels dined upon one another in the midst of giggles and soft sighs, lips at last sealing them together as arms held them fast together.

She had tried to keep the stinging from her eyes ever since Twilight had turned upon her, but this sweet union that she craved so deeply could not be defeated; a pair of droplets fell across her cheeks as their kiss came to an end, only to be swiftly wiped away before their mark could truly be made.

“Hey, don’t you dare!” Twilight teased, trying to be insistent. “If you start crying, then you’re going to make me cry, and then we’ll just be a blubbering mess! So hold it in for both of us, OK?”

“No promises,” Cadance hiccupped, her smile wide all the same as she fell into her beloved’s arms, little more than a soft sigh rising from between them, speaking to all of their relief that such moments like this were not yet lost to time. “Merry Christmas, Twilight. I… goodness, I love you so much.”

“I love you, too,” Twilight murmured, meaning every word.

For a time, the two women simply sat together and enjoyed the peace of the moment. But, as Twilight had said to herself, peace was not to be the reigning emotion tonight, especially with plenty of night still left at their disposal.

“Twilight? Love?” Cadance piped up, rising back to a sitting position on Twilight’s lap.

“Yes, Princess?” Twilight asked.

“We’re- we’re still gonna have sex, right?” Just in case the moment had been lost, especially when she had come so close to satisfacation...

Twilight, however, looked at her as though she were insane for thinking otherwise. “Oh. Yeah, I need to hear you scream.”

“Great, but can that wait for a bit? I need you to sit on my face.”

The night was long, and dormant hungers now revived had come to find themselves voracious. The happy couple would make a symphony of heavenly sound before the sun rose.

Author's Note

I like writing these two. It feels comfortable, in a sense; like I know who they are as people.
They'll be back before too long, one last time. Trust.

Enjoy, I guess. Merry Christmas.