Winter woke up, not in any smooth and gentle way. He was suddenly being pressed against, squished in a soft way that was still being squished. The squishing force was warm and, as he felt over it with confusion, female, one he knew quite well. His largest wife had rolled on top of him, and her sawing sounds implied she was still quite asleep.

He could hear the quieter snoring of Maple. She wasn't trying to smother him in pregnant mare. Summer used to not snore as loudly. Pregnancy had a variety of effects on a pony, bearing massive twins didn't help the situation. That was, at least, half his fault.

He pondered how to wriggle free of her without interrupting her sleep. She surely needed that... His horn glowed as he willed her entire body up just a precious few inches, enough to give space for him to slide to the floor and reach it with his cloven hooves. He just as quickly twirled and brought her down to the bed, kissing her cheek as he tucked her in, a smile on his face. Succe-- She grabbed him, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him right back. She made a noise, but it wasn't a word he could make out.

She was still very asleep, but hugging him. Winter rubbed his cheek against hers, returning the hug in a quiet moment of warmth before he gently eased her to the bed and made good his esc--

Maple was in the way. She was awake and watching him, standing in the doorway. She waved for him to follow and walked from the room.

Winter trailed after her into the living room. Calling it 'the' living room was a bit of a misnomer, it being one of two they had. "Are you alright?" he came up beside her.

"Ah'm fine." She curled to face him properly. "But she needed her sleep, an' ah'm awake. You, dear stallion, need something else."

Winter inclined his head. "What do I need? I was going to make breakfast. Would you like some?"

"Precious thing." She brought in her hooves on either of Winter's cheeks. "Always thinkin' 'bout us. But right now, ah'm thinkin' about you. Now, I want you to stop and think about you too. What can I do to make your day a little better?"

Winter mused on that with some conflict. He wasn't the pregnant one. He wasn't working to create new life. He'd just set that fire that was burning through his beloved's. It was literally his job to do something about that. What did he need?

"I can see those wheels spinning." She touched noses with him. "But they aren't goin' anywhere. Winter, you are our loved one, just as strong as we are yours. We want you to be happy. This isn't, and never was, about any of us sacrificin' that for the others."

Winter grabbed her, making her glow as he squeezed her a little from all directions in the most complete hug he knew how to give. "Thank you."

"Just sayin' the truth." She went in for fresh nuzzles. "I know Summer's a bit slow right now, but, lucky you, you have two of us, look at that."

"About that." Winter gently nudged her back. "I want to help her. I... I remember."

"Remember what?" She inclined an ear, brow raised. "That's a powerful vauge thing to say."

It felt powerfully vague to him. A tease of a life or two ago... "Someone very important to me... They didn't get help." He couldn't nail down who it was exactly, but someone very close... People had made noises of faith and well wishes, but nobody had done anything. "I want to help her. I am alright." He pointed at himself. "I am okay."

"Ah don't entirely believe that..." She put a hoof on his chest. "Yer workin' more than twice as hard so we ain't workin' at all. Ain't fair, even if it's all love-inspired." She went up to kiss him between the eyes, on the smooth scales he had there. "I love you too. I want to make you happy. Now, ain't not listenin' to what yer sayin'. Yer right, ah think... Summer really could use more ways t'move. Wouldn't mind it mahself. Good fer both of us. A pool's overkill."

He flipped his ornate ears back ."Then what?"

"That workout thin'." She left at a light trot, returning with a brochure in her mouth she spat out onto a table. "Been looking. Check this out." She tapped a hoof on the display. There was a pony standing on some curious contraption, each hoof with a pad to stand on. Little lines shows the movements, with legs swinging back and forth, in place. "That elliptical thing. No bouncin', which neither of us wanna do much."

Winter smiled at the sight of it. "Yes..." It looked just right to get his mares moving and healthy! He leaned in over the brochure, eyes scanning quickly over it. He found the price and sank to his haunches. "Oh." It was not cheap...

"Don't give up," sang out Maple, flipping a few pages in and tapping a bright yellow starred portion. "They have financial aid! Especially fer ponies that really need it."

That included sick ponies, very elderly ponies, and, as it turned out, pregnant ponies too. There was a little picture of Celestia's smiling bust. The crown itself would cover a great portion of the price to get the device to ponies in true need of it. "Praise the queen," he laughed out.

"Princess," corrected Maple. "But yeah, praise her! Right nice pony she is. So, that's one less thing for you to be stressing about." She nipped at his closer ear. "Handled, jus' like that."

"You are amazing." He grabbed her, hugging with both arms, hooves pressing in against her firmly. One worry, banished, just like that. "How do we order it?"

"Well!" She licked his throat and turned back to the brochure. "We could mail fer it, but ah'll walk into town and make a call. A lot faster." She wiggled each hoof in turn. "Feelin' mobile enough fer that. One little walk and we get what we want. What Celestia won't cover, they'll take over a year, so no big sudden bills."

"Please." He seperated from her, headed for the kitchen with a canter in his steps. A great burden had been lifted from him. He felt great, free, happy...

"Look at you." She followed after him, noticing something else he was feeling. She snickered as she trailed after him. "I'm very glad I could help... But I think I can help... even more..."

[clop]

Even as he began to will the ingredients to breakfast together, she found her own delectable treat. She nosed along his stiffness, inhaling the masculine scent of aroused kirin. "Poor thing. You were so worried, it was keeping you down." She kissed gently along the length of renewed twitching strength. "Time to celebrate."

Winter's hold on proto-breakfast wobbled as he felt himself sink into her ready mouth, being licked and nursed on eagerly. "You don't... have to." Even as he said it, he felt silly. Nopony had to do that. She wanted to. He brought up a hoof to rub over her head as she sank over him, submerging him in warm heat that was doing a great job of distracting his cooking despite his efforts.

He let out a shuddering grasp as her broad equine tongue pressed inside his increasingly excited pole, a firm twitch sending a splash of his essence across her tongue. "Mmmf." He was trying to be quiet, but the urge to speak was growing. He pulled her closer, his flexing against her work even as his eyes moved from one pan to another, still cooking despite it all.

Winter had gone without for a little while, tense and worried for others, he had just forgotten such things could be an issue. He exploded with a sharp yelp. To Maple's credit, she caught the pan that would have crashed to the ground from his slack magical grip. "Thatta boy." The sudden flop had removed him from her reach, but she was smirking, one hind hoof working him as he let out the last sprays. "To the last drop..." She finished the meal without complaint.
[end clop]

Maple slid towards the food as Winter recovered. "Go take a bath, I have this."

"Yeah..." He shook himself out lightly. "Good idea. Um..." He considered her, making breakfast. "I wanted to make it for you."

"You're a mess," she sang, not looking back. "And I want to cook for you even harder. Go, wash, enjoy what I make."

"Right..." He forced himself to accept the kindness she was offering and went off to clean up. He returned to find the food on three plates, two of them being eaten from. Summer had joined at some point and was devouring the food eagerly.

"There ya are." Summer waved as Winter joined them. "Maple mentioned you went an' got messy with the food. Don't do that, silly thing." She rolled her eyes, having no clue what actually happened. "Now what's this surprise?"

"This!" Maple slid a brochure out from under a plate, the one she'd shown before. "I'm going to order this, for us." She pushed it ahead of Summer. "Doesn't it look fun?"

Summer laughed nervously. "It looks like work... But if I can do it, I should." She rubbed at her big belly. "You two deserve a mom in good condition, hm?" The children could not respond to her, but she responded to their quiet with little coos and rubs. "That's right... You can have your first workout with me."

Maple clopped with a big smile. "That's what I was saying! I'll stop by in town and put in the order. You alright an hour or two while I do that?"

"Of course." Summer pushed her plate back. "I can keep things reasonable for that long, I'm sure." She leaned over for a smooch on Winter's cheek. "Fresh-cleaned Kirin, one of the best kinds." She nuzzled into his fur, enjoying the scent of their soap and the lighter fragrances of the cleaned Winter. "Won't that be expensive? Not to be a downer."

Winter crossed his arms in an X. "Celestia will pay for most of it if it's for a pony who needs it, like two pregnant mares." He willed his food up to chomp joyfully. "Mmm, nice touch, what did you put in it?" Maple pointed to a jar of spice. "I never tried that." His clever special someponies... He could feel little but joy towards them. "Not here." He crunched on the fried oats, humming with satisfied appetite. "Want to walk together? We can make that call."

"Mmmm." Maple pushed her plate back, done. "Don't you have to go to work?"

"We can walk together until we have to seperate." He quickly gobbled up the rest of his food and slid to his hooves. "The day will start better with you there."

"Aw." She went to his side and they started out. "I'll be back as soon as I can, Summer. Be safe, alright?"

Summer blurted a laugh. "I'll manage. This house isn't that dangerous, shoot... Just come on back as soon as yer done. Ah'll get lonely by myself..."

"Soon as I can, promise." She slipped out the door Winter was holding for her with his magic. "To the phone!" They didn't have a phone in the house, but she knew where to find one. They hiked together down the road, getting waves and smiles along the way.

There were a few curious looks. Mares didn't usually show so much, but most of them were kind expressions. News of their state hadn't been a secret for very long.

"Maple." A mare was waving from the side of the road. "It's a few years yet... But do bring your little one by when they're ready."

Maple smiled brightly. "Of course!" She swung her head back to Winter. "That's the teacher. She's real nice."

Winter joined in waving at her. "Good. Our foals will need a nice and good teacher." He nudged against her. "Let's get you to a phone."

Author's Note

Snuggles, more, kisses, and, most important, workout equipment! Yay for Celestia's caring nation.

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