Since Troy and Canvas’s house was just outside the outskirts of Ponyville, with their closest neighbors being Sweet Apple Acres (who were quite a distance away), the couple had quite a few advantages when it came to appreciating their daily lives together. Aside from living in a relatively quiet space, being out of town for most of its surprisingly common disasters, and not having to deal with nosy neighbors too often, the stallion and Gryphon also never had to deal with things like noise issues.

And that detail was more than a little helpful when the two were in bed one specific night. While the rest of the area was fairly calm, without even much of a stir from the forest behind their home, certain sounds could be heard if someone were to get in close enough to the barn.

"Ha… ha… Harder!!!"

Canvas was panting heavily, his blushed face beading with sweat while he was leaning against the headboard of the bed. While his forelegs were gripping the bed-frame tightly, making the whole bed rock and creak with each powerful thrust, his hind legs were spread wide apart while Troy continued to pound him from behind.

Meanwhile, Troy's claws were firmly grasping both sides of the stallion's flank, mounting him against the bed like a mare in heat while he rutted him wildly.

"Come… Come on!" grunted Canvas through gritted teeth as he took in each thrust of the Gryphon's cock. "Gi-give it to me! H-harder!"

Hearing his stallion's moaning cries, the Gryphon did just that as his talons dug deeper into Canvas’s sides. Even though he wasn’t sure how much longer he was going to last, Troy clenched his eyes shut as he plowed his lover even harder. With each hard thrust he made into the stallion’s rump, the Gryphon’s plump balls slapped lewdly against Canvas’s, which combined quite well with the pleasured cries that the pony was making; of course, those noises also covered up the creaks the bed's frame was making, which was becoming increasingly louder with each movement.

“Y-yeah!” moaned Canvas as he pushed himself back with each hard thrust of his boyfriend’s cock, anxious to be properly filled by him. “Come on, Troy!! D-d-do it!!”

Troy’s rhythmic thrusts moved at a faster pace, pounding into Canvas even harder as he felt himself reach close to his breaking point. The large knot of his cock, which was tugging from inside of the stallion with each movement in and out of him, was starting to swell enough for Troy to know he was about ready. Of course, with the way his hips were repeatedly slapping against the pony’s rear, each sound fueling his primal urge to breed him, Troy’s voice came out in a grunted pant as he tried to speak up over the moans and creaks. “C-Canvas… I’m… I’m gonna…”

Canvas, who could feel the throbs of Troy’s cock just as well as the Gryphon could, rammed himself back against his hips as hard as he could, wanting that knotted member to be in as deep as possible when it happened. Reaching his peak as well, it didn’t even take a second before the stallion replied with an eager cry, “GIVE IT TO ME!!!”

That pleading shout was enough to set Troy over the top. Feeling his entire body pulsating through his groin, the Gryphon responded with only one final thrust, ramming straight into the pony while his claws wrapped around him tightly. “AAAAAHHHHH!!!”

CRASH!!!

Even though the bed that Canvas bought was of an incredibly high quality, the fact that a large Gryphon has been using it for the past few weeks or so was enough to make it lose its integrity during that heated lovemaking session. As soon as Troy made that last hard movement into his lover to release, so did the frame’s structure. While both the stallion and the Gryphon came, the bedposts broke apart nearly in unison, making the frame of the bed crash to the floor while Troy flooded the inside of Canvas with his hot, gooey load. Of course, due to the sheer intensity of Troy’s pent-up orgasm, and Canvas’s similar release as soon as he felt that wonderful warmth filling deep inside of him, neither of them even realized that their bed broke apart as they climaxed together. In fact, as soon as both of them finished, the stallion and Gryphon passed out into each other’s embrace, with Troy still mounted on top of his lover as they slept on their wrecked bed.

“Uuuuuughhhh… what the…”

Feeling the morning sun hit his tired eyes, Troy slowly awoke as he felt his body lying awkwardly. Readjusting his balance, the Gryphon realized that he was hanging halfway off the mattress, with his now throbbing head nearly touching the hardwood floor. Despite his whole body feeling sore, Troy managed to pull himself back up onto the mattress, which resulted in him hearing a more than unpleasant-sounding splintering from underneath.

“Hm?” Immediately realizing something was off, Troy opened his eyes to look around, catching that he felt slightly lower than usual. When he groggily looked to the sides, he saw that the post which was usually in his line of vision was now missing. Troy then lifted himself up so he was sitting upright, his eyes widening when he scanned his surroundings.

All four of the bedposts were broken off of the bed-frame, and were lying haphazardly on the floor among a few random splinters and what Troy assumed were broken nails. The frame, which was now slightly skewed off the floor due to the bottom of one of the posts still being attached to it, was obviously laying in a manner which implied it wasn’t nearly as straight as it was last night.

Troy, who was on the lower-side of the mattress, looked over to the part that was still raised up, and put out a claw to test the stability; unfortunately, as soon as his claw pushed in on the mattress on the other side, he heard another loud crack before the frame snapped under the pressure. Part of the frame’s side snapped in half, and the remaining piece of the final bedpost broke off among the others, which made Troy and the bed make an ungracious crash onto the floor.

“Troy?!” spoke up Canvas from downstairs in a worried tone. “Are you alright?”

“Ughhh…” After rubbing his back to make sure nothing was hurt, Troy made a small nod to himself before replying. “Yeah I’m… I’m alright…”

He then looked down at the bed he was sitting on, realizing that aside from maybe the mattress, the whole thing was pretty much destroyed. “Uhhhh… the bed is broken.”

“Oh really?” asked the stallion in a slightly sarcastic tone. “How can you tell?”

Troy couldn’t keep himself from making a small snicker as he got himself out of the bed, being careful not to step into any of the splinters or nails as his paws touched the floor. “Oh, ha ha ha... “ After making a quick stretch as soon as he got himself out of the bed, the Gryphon sighed before speaking down the stairway, “Sorry, Canvas…”

“It’s not your fault,” piped up the stallion more sympathetically, which made Troy a little less guilty as he made his way down the stairs. While he smelt something good coming from the kitchen, he heard the pony’s voice continue in a more optimistic tone, “Honestly, I’m just glad that the mattress looks alright. I mean, the frame wasn’t cheap, but it was nothing compared to that. Besides, we can always get something stronger.”

“Yeah,” replied Troy with another sigh as he reached the kitchen. When he walked inside, he kept a tired smile on his beak as he let the smell of fried eggs flood his senses. “I’ll try to get the bed fixed if I can. I mean, I’m not a carpenter or anything, but I--HHHUUUUUHHHH!!!”

As soon as he saw how Canvas looked, both of Troy’s claws shot up over his beak as he gasped in shock.

“Hmm?” Canvas turned around from the stove, looking over at Troy with a confused expression. “Troy, wha… what’s wrong?”

Despite the pony apparently not showing any signs of pain, it didn’t make Troy feel any better when he saw how his aqua flank looked. Due to the previous night’s intensity, Troy’s claw marks could be clearly seen scraped down the stallion’s rump, leaving four deep-looking red slashes down both sides. And worse of all, despite the fact that Canvas was clearly fresh out of the shower, a few faint lines of blood could be seen going down against his fur.

“... Oh no…” Troy’s voice came out much more whimpered as he tried to step up to him, with one claw still over his beak. And with the way the Gryphon’s expression looked like he was close to crying, Canvas was worried what might have caused this. “Canvas, I’m… I’m so sorry…”

“W-what are you talking about?” asked the stallion worriedly, not wanting to see his boyfriend look this distressed. “Troy, you’re really making me nerv--WHOA!!”

As soon as he looked down at himself, seeing where his lover’s welling eyes were staring, the pony yelped in shock when he saw the slashes made against his flank. Even though he recalled a slight twinge of pain when he was cleansing himself in the shower earlier, other circumstances obviously made him think that it was caused by something else. And since he didn’t really look back as he cleaned, mostly since it was sort of difficult to do so, the pony never really noticed the scratches, nor any of the blood that flowed down through the shower drain.

“Canvas, I’m so sorry!” Overwhelmed by massive guilt, Troy quickly pulled Canvas in for a deep hug, his eyes clenched shut as he struggled not to cry. “I can’t believe I did that! I’m so sorry, I’m so sorr--”

“Troy, TROY!!” Even though he didn’t want to raise his voice, the stallion couldn’t stand to see Troy looking so distraught about an honest mistake. “Troy, it’s okay,” said Canvas assuredly as he hugged him back. “I swear, it’s not that bad! It was just an accident, okay? I’m not upset, I promise.”

After letting his hug last for another long moment, Troy finally pulled back with his eyes tightly shut. Even though the Gryphon turned his head away, Canvas could see clear as day that Troy was trying not to cry. His beaked opened faintly as he tried to speak in a tone stronger than a mortified whimper. “I… I can’t believe I hurt you…”

“Oh, Troy!” Canvas gave his boyfriend another tender hug, desperate to reassure him otherwise. “Honey, you did NOT hurt me! It was just a little scratch! It was completely accidental!”

Even though he tried to hug Troy as snug as he could, Canvas could tell that the Gryphon still felt horrible about what he did. Canvas cautiously stepped back as he looked down at his flank, and brought a hoof back to inspect it. “Troy, it doesn’t even hurt!” said the stallion surely before pressing a hoof against it. “It’s just a -- GAAHHH!!”

Canvas winced in pain as he pulled his hoof away in an instant, not expecting that laceration to sting so badly. Troy, having heard that cry clear as day, cringed hard as he sunk his head into his claws. “No, no, NO!!! Canvas, I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry, I’m so sor--”

A hoof pressed against his beak quickly shut the Gryphon up. Despite looking slightly pained from his own accord, Canvas carried a stern look as he eyed Troy. “Troy, it’s okay! It wasn’t your fault, and I’m not pulling back until you say that right now!”

Panting heavily, Troy could see from the stallion’s firm stare that he wasn’t just saying that. It took a lasting moment of silence, but the Gryphon complied after sighing with his eyes closed. “It… it’s…”

Canvas could see that Troy was more than a little hesitant to finish that statement. Fortunately though, the Gryphon finally completed what he was going to say in a low tone. “It… wasn’t my fault.”

Troy immediately felt Canvas pull him in for a strong hug. “That’s right,” said the stallion sweetly as he kept him in his embrace. “It’s not your fault, Troy. Accidents like this are bound to happen sometime.”

After giving Troy a kiss on the cheek, Canvas finally pulled back as he tried to lighten the mood. “How about this? I was planning to go into town anyway, so I can easily get myself patched up without anypony knowing. And while I’m out, maybe you can see if the bed can be fixed? I can even swing by Davenport’s shop just in case to see what they have.”

A long exhale escaped Troy’s beak while his head was turned away from the stallion. After a brief moment of silence, the Gryphon managed to swallow his guilt enough to turn back to him and give a more natural smile. “Uhhhh… okay. I’ll do that.”

Canvas only smiled in response before giving Troy’s beak a light peck. “Thank you,” said the pony sweetly before pointing to the dining table. “Now, come on. Breakfast is almost done.”

Troy nodded with a smile and went over to the table, letting the smell of breakfast help to cloud his obviously troubled mind for the time being.

The door to Davenport’s Sofas & Quills opened slowly, revealing the disappointed aqua stallion as he exited the store. While the weather wasn’t necessarily that cold yet, the light blue hooded sweatshirt that Canvas had on wasn’t suspicious enough to make any ponies turn their heads. And while his art bag was propped over his backside in a slightly different manner than usual, it still looked natural enough to not warrant much of a glance while it hid his hastily applied bandages on his rear.

Of course, the pony shook his head as he walked, barely thinking about his injury as he thought over what to do about the bed situation. Even though Davenport’s beds aren’t necessarily bad or too highly-priced, Canvas couldn’t find a single one which he knew could support his and his Gryphon’s weight. So, he only took a catalogue to browse over on his walk toward the marketplace. He didn’t want to resort to getting a custom frame, but it seemed to be the only option he had left if he didn’t want to sleep on his mattress on the floor like a bum (or a recent college graduate).

Canvas sighed as he put the catalogue into his bag and continued his walk, not wanting to think about that right now. Who knows? thought the stallion as he trotted at a slow pace so his art bag wouldn’t move around too much on his back. Maybe Troy can get it fixed. I mean, it looked bad, but there’s no way of knowing whether or not--

Since he was so lost in his thoughts, Canvas wasn’t aware of his surroundings enough to notice the striped figure he accidentally bumped into. Even though it was barely more than an accidental tap, the stallion pulled back in a sudden jolt as he sputtered a statement out of instinct. “Gah! Oh, ummm… I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to…”

When he saw how it was he stumbled into, Canvas paused for a brief moment. Even though he’s been living in Ponyville for almost half a year, he hardly knew too much about the zebra who occasionally came into town for supplies. Of course, from what he’d heard about her, Canvas wasn’t necessarily afraid or cautious of Zecora, despite how unique her appearance may have been. But still, he would’ve liked to have met the zebra in a way that didn’t involve running into her.

“Oh, do not worry,” said Zecora when she looked back at him, her expression not showing anything negative despite that bump. “It is quite alright. It’s not uncommon for one to lose sight.”

“Y-yeah…” Rubbing the back of his head nervously, Canvas gave a small smile up to the zebra while speaking. “I was just lost in my thoughts, I guess.” Realizing that this may actually be one of the first times he actually got a chance to speak with her personally, he brought out his hoof courteously. “Umm, my name is Canvas. I-It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“Likewise,” said the zebra with a smile as she shook his hoof. “Although, I’ve learned from others about you. As well as your significant Gryphon-friend too.”

Canvas giggled with a light blush after pulling his hoof back from hers. “Y-yeah…” He looked away from Zecora bashfully. “I guess we are sort of a popular topic in town.”

“Well… about as much as a new couple would get.” Zecora’s muzzle grew a wider smirk as she added, “Especially one that’s part of a town-wide bet.”

“Ugh, don’t remind me of that.” Even though he wasn’t nearly as upset about the bet as his partner was, Canvas still shook his head while his hoof covered his eyes. “I’m still shocked how many ponies were in on that bet. I heard even the Cutie Mark Crusaders had a few bits in!”

The zebra’s eyes widened in surprise, looking quite amused by that fact. “Wait, really? That info is new!” After a moment of contemplation, Zecora had a hoof under her chin as she thought out loud. “Although… it’d make sense if it’s true…”

After stifling a giggle of his own, Canvas’s eyes looked over at the town marketplace nearby as he tried to end the impromptu conversation. “Well… I was actually planning on getting some supplies, so I think I better make my leave.” Before he could trot away, he looked back at Zecora with a warm smile. “But it really is nice to talk with you, Miss Zecora.”

“The pleasure is all mine. Have a wonderful day.” After giving him a nod, Zecora’s smile lessened a little when she saw the stallion begin to turn towards the market. Seeing his bag, the zebra’s eyes narrowed on him as she noticed something beneath it. “Wait a minute… Canvas, are you feeling okay?”

“Hm?” Canvas had a confused brow when he looked back at her.

“Forgive me if my question is unwanted outside, but…” Her hoof pointed to Canvas’s bag as she finished her rhyme. “... Are you covering a bandage on your backside?”

Canvas made a panicked gasp as he turned to check how his bag was covering him. “What?! I… I…” As his breathing started to become more rapid, the stallion looked back at Zecora as he blurted out instantly. “It’s nothing bad, I swear! It… it’s just--”

“Canvas, please…” Her tone became more reassuring as she walked up to him. With her eyes peering at the obvious cover-up Canvas had on his rear, she looked back up to him before asking. “Would you mind if you let me see? If it’s not too bad, I swear I’ll let you be.”

Canvas was worried, mostly because she didn’t want this zebra to assume anything about Troy that most certainly wasn’t true. However, the stallion also knew that Zecora was a professional when it came to fixing ailments. And considering the fact that he was already considering seeing somepony to make sure the scratches healed properly, he let out a worried whicker to himself before pulling his bag upward. “F… fine…”

Zecora nodded to his acceptance and carefully inspected the bandage. Even though the large, white cloth was properly taped around his aqua fur, the zebra got it off with surprisingly painless ease as she looked underneath. Seeing the large scratch marks, her eyes widened for a brief moment, which made Canvas cringe and look away in worry. Before he could try to say anything in defense, Canvas heard the zebra make a low chuckle under her breath.

“Ohhh… I think I can see what happened here...”

When Canvas looked back at Zecora, who had a randy smirk pointed back at him, he was unable to say a word before she finished her rhyme. “His grip got too tight while holding your rear?”

The heavy blush that exploded across the stallion’s face was a better answer than anything he could have said, which prompted Zecora to laugh even louder. Canvas’s muzzle wrinkled a little, not looking happy about her reaction.

“Oh, do not worry,” said Zecora cheerfully as she reapplied Canvas’s bandage and pulled his bag back over it. “I’m not making fun of you. In fact, I can probably fix that, good as new.”

“Wait, really?” asked Canvas in a surprised tone when he looked at her with his eyes wide open. “You can do that?”

“Why of course I can! I have the treatment at my hut.” She looked over at the marketplace for a split second before giving a naughty grin back to Canvas. “Besides, I doubt you could go shopping with a scratched butt.”

Canvas became even more flustered at that little jab from the zebra, but he stayed silent as he looked back back down at his injury. Realizing that he was meaning to get it fixed anyway, the stallion merely shrugged before turning back to her. “Well… yeah, I guess you have a point.”

“Excellent.” Zecora kept a smile as she lead the way for Canvas to follow. “I promise you that I won’t make you late.” While walking towards the edge of town to go towards the Everfree Forest, the zebra looked back at him as she added in a more sultry tone. “And maybe, you could tell me some more about your mate.”

Canvas, despite keeping his pace with Zecora’s, gulped nervously at that last comment.

By the time Troy got all the broken pieces of the bed frame out by the curb, his feathers were already beginning to bead with sweat. The worst of the summer heat may have passed, but that didn’t mean that it wasn't too hot to be lugging a bunch of broken lumber out of the barn to be picked up by the trash collector the net day. After a hard toss, Troy sighed when the last of the splintered wood was placed by the road, giving him one last thing to do today.

Looking at the busted frame, Troy was surprised that he even thought it could be fixed. Even a skilled carpenter would’ve seen the damage and known that it would’ve been a lost cause. So, the Gryphon looked back to the barn with a disgruntled expression, knowing that it wasn’t going to be fun to explain to his boyfriend that they had to sleep with their mattress on the floor tonigh--

Bark! Bark!

Troy turned around to the source of the noise, and saw an excited Border Collie with a brown and white coat. Recognizing the dog quite easily by her red collar, Troy smiled as he bent down to her eye level. “Oh, hey there, Winona.”

Winona barked happily once more, and motioned her head down to a broken bedpost that was in front of her. Quickly realizing what this dog wanted, Troy’s brows skewed when he looked around, realizing that Winona was surprisingly far from Sweet Apple Acres. “What are you doing out here, girl? Shouldn’t you be back on your farm?”

“Bark! Bark! Bark!” Winona pushed the bed post with her muzzle towards Troy, her tail wagging excitedly when she looked back up at him. After a brief sigh, Troy shrugged his shoulders before picking up the post.

“Oh, alright,” said the Gryphon begrudgingly. “I’ll play fetch. Probably better than you running off into the woods or something, right?”

For about ten minutes, Troy played fetch with the Border Collie, even though he felt slightly guilty that he was using a piece of wood that was part of the previous night’s particularly rough session with Canvas. By the time he started to grow tired again, mostly due to the humid weather, both the Gryphon and the dog overheard a filly’s voice calling out in the distance. “Winonaaaa… Winonaaaaaa…”

The dog put the bed post down after returning it to Troy, and pushed it on the ground towards him with her muzzle like a primitive “Thank you” gesture. By the time she began to head off towards the voice, its source was revealed as Apple Bloom came running down the road with a relieved smile. “There you are!” Winona happily ran towards the yellow filly, nearly pouncing her to lick her face. “Hehehehe, stop that! Ya had me all worried, girl!”

Troy decided to speak up. “Oh, it’s fine. She just wanted to play some catch, that’s all.”

“Oh, alright.” Keeping a grateful smile on her muzzle, Apple Bloom looked up to the Gryphon while petting her dog. “Thanks fer helpin’ me fi…”

The filly’s gaze moved over to the pile of broken wood that was beside the trash can, and her eyes narrowed on it slowly. While Troy’s eyes began to widen in worry, Apple Bloom’s head tilted slightly. “Ummm… is that yer bed, Troy?”

“Uhhhh…” Troy’s nervous expression started to look more apparent as he looked between his former bed and the confused filly staring at it. Of course, since it was fairly apparent, Troy knew better than to lie about what it was. “Y… yeah… Our bed kinda… broke.”

Apple Bloom blinked a couple times as she looked the frame up and down, almost like she was trying to see where the worst breaking points of the frame were at. After a few seconds, she looked back at Troy curiously. “How’d ya break it?”

Troy tried not to suck air through his beak quickly enough for the filly to hear as he winced. While he expected her to ask that sort of question, that didn’t make it any less uncomfortable for the Gryphon to make a response. He looked back to the bed as his mind desperately tried to think of an answer to come from his open beak. “Aaaahhhh…”

Apple Bloom walked in a little closer to the bed, her eyes narrowing on how badly the middle of the frame was broken in. Her brows suddenly raised, like she just got a good idea of what occurred. She turned to the Gryphon and asked, “Were you and Canvas jumpin’ on it?”

Troy’s eyes were open, his beak now firmly shut when he imagined a light bulb turning on above his head. Staring at the bed after seeing how Apple Bloom was looking back him, Troy was silent for only a second before giving a very firm, “Yes.”

After making a quick exhale to let off any lingering tensions, Troy grew a more confident smile as he clarified his answer to the filly. “C-canvas and I were… jumping on the bed, and… it broke.”

Seeing the honest-looking expression on the Gryhon’s face, Apple Bloom giggled as she looked back at the bed. “That’s silly, Troy! Why the heck were ya doin’ that for?”

“I dunno,” said Troy in a more carefree-sounding tone. “I guess we figured it would be fun or something.”

“Ah suppose,” replied the filly with a shrug before looking closer at the broken bed-frame. She made a small whistle when she got a closer look at the damage. “Jeez Louise! No wonder ma sis always tells me not ta do that!”

Troy nodded quickly while beads of sweat appeared on his forehead. “Definitely!”

While Winona sniffed at one of the bedposts suspiciously, a new voice called out, grabbing Troy and Apple Bloom’s attention. “Applebloom!”

The yellow filly turned around to see her brother, a massive red stallion, walking toward them down the road she had just been on “Ya find Winona?” asked Big Macintosh as he got closer.

Apple Bloom nodded happily with a smile and pointed a hoof towards the Border Collie. “Yep! Troy here was playin’ fetch with her!”

Troy gave a more timid wave to the workhorse, desperately hoping that he wouldn’t be as curious about the bed as Apple Bloom was. Unfortunately, Big Mac’s head tilted when he saw the broken frame that the dog was sniffing at. “Uhhh…”

The stallion turned his head towards Troy, whose beak had a more worried-looking smile while looking between him and the bed. Before the Gryphon could say anything, Apple Bloom piped up on his behalf. “Yeah, he and Canvas were jumpin’ on the bed and it broke! Isn’t that silly?”

The farm pony’s eyes shot wide open, giving Troy a look that showed he clearly knew what really happened. While Troy stood in a defenseless state, only able to give a trembled smile on his clenched beak, Mac was frozen for a brief moment before his muzzle clenched shut as well.

“Mmmmph… pbbt!”

The red stallion couldn’t take it much longer, and he looked away from both Troy and Apple Bloom with his eyes tightly closed. His hoof came up over his muzzle as he desperately tried not to laugh, which only made Troy’s embarrassed blush grow even more. Hearing her brother’s muffled snickers, one of her brows raised in confusion. “Uhhh… somethin’ wrong, Big Mac?”

Mac quickly shook his head and looked back down to her. “N-nope! Nnn…” Mac had to cover his muzzle again to keep another giggle from coming out too audibly. “Nuh-uh. Ah… Ah think we should head on back.”

Even though the filly still seemed confused, she took a second before merely shrugging her shoulders. “Alright then!” Apple Bloom whistled to grab Winona’s attention, and the two Apples began to head off while Mac kept struggling not to snicker. Troy waved goodbye while his head was pointed away from them (mostly to hide his embarrassed expression), and he overheard Apple Bloom say to her brother, “Hey Mac, didn’t ya tell me that Gryphons slept in nests?”

“Uhhh…” Mac looked back at Troy to make sure that question didn’t offend the Gryphon, and turned back to his sister to answer her, “W-well, uhhh… Ah did, but… Ah don’t think they have ta do that.”

“Oh. Okay…”

As the two walked back down the road with their dog, with Apple Bloom seeming alright with her brother’s answer, Troy stood in silence for a brief moment while staring at the broken bed frame. Blinking a few times, the Gryphon seemed to be thinking hard about what he just heard, which made his brows slowly raise in a sudden revelation. The light bulb returning, Troy smiled wide as he got an idea. An odd idea, to say the least, but an idea good enough for him to quickly shoot off into the skies to get what he needed.

As the bubbling brew of some unknown green substance boiled in the massive cauldron, most of Zecora’s quaint hut became illuminated with an eerie neon glow. Of course, even without that unsettling lighting, Canvas would’ve still felt uncomfortable with how he was seated on the mat in the middle of the space. While his head rested on the burlap pillow stuffed with duck feathers, his rear was raised while Zecora applied the rag which she pulled from the pot. He had no idea what kind of mixtures were on that cloth the zebra had, but it certainly stung when it was held against his already sensitive scratches.

Canvas sucked in hard through his teeth, wincing from the burning pain when he felt that glowing green rag press hard against his wounds from the zebra’s hooves. Zecora looked down at him as she applied the unique bandage to his scratches. “It will only sting for a moment more. But then, it won’t look like it had before.”

Canvas nodded shakily, knowing that Zecora was regarded as one of the best curers of ailments in the Ponyville area. After another minute, Canvas stopped biting his lip when he felt the pain begin to subside quite quickly. And after a long moment, Zecora removed the rag from the stallion’s rump, and smiled when she saw that the scratches were no more.

When Canvas turned his head to see the result, his eyes widened in shock when he saw that his flank looked absolutely flawless. Without even a scar to show evidence of the Gryphon’s clawmarks, the pony smiled in elation. “Holy… cow! That’s amazing!”

Zecora chuckled at Canvas’s remark, knowing that he was planning to say something other than “cow” for that reaction. “Well, I’m glad that you’re satisfied, with that quick treatment to your hide.”

“I am!” After getting off of the mat, Canvas stood back upright and put his hoof out to the zebra. “Thank you so much for that, Zecora!”

“Oh, it is not a problem at all,” she said as she happily shook the stallion’s hoof. “I tend to treat problems big and small.”

“Well,” began the stallion with a sigh as he looked back at his flank, thinking for a moment. “I hope that I don’t have to come back for this problem.”

Zecora merely chuckled. “I really doubt that it would, given what you told me. I think he’ll be more cautious when you two make whoopee.”

Canvas’s muzzle wrinkled with a surprised blush, not expecting that sort of term from the potion-maker. “Ummm… whoopee?”

“What?” asked the zebra with a shrug of her shoulders. “It’s a perfectly fine word to describe the act. I know plenty who say it, as a matter of fact.”

The stallion chuckled and rubbed the back of his head. “Well, I’m not denying that. It’s just odd to hear, that’s all.” Thinking it over, the stallion couldn’t help giving off a tiny giggle. “Hehehe, I can only imagine how Troy would react if I asked him to have ‘whoopee’.”

Zecora almost dropped her rag from laughing in response, but was able to put it back in her cauldron before saying, “Okay, to that I will agree. His face would be a sight to see!”

While chuckling, Canvas’s gaze turned to look around the rest of Zecora’s hut. Despite it being within a large hollowed-out tree, the place seemed surprisingly spacious, almost reminding the stallion of the Golden Oaks library. Of course, the shelves of countless bottles and jars, along with all the odd decorations on the walls, certainly gave the hut a more alien feel in comparison to Ponyville. As his blue eyes scanned the room, Canvas made a mental note to ask Zecora for some Zebrican literature sometime, just to see if any of this could add to his artistic inspiration.

Seeing how he was looking around her home, the zebra smirked after putting the used rag back in the pot. “I take it from the way you’re looking around, that perhaps some inspiration is abound?”

Canvas merely shrugged before admitting, “Well… maybe.”

The zebra chuckled and walked over to one of the shelves of treatments, motioning for the stallion to join her. “Well, feel free to ask whatever you please. I’m always glad to give my expertise.”

“Well, thank you,” said Canvas happily, turning his sights to the various bottles of different sizes and shapes. Due to their odd appearances, the stallion had no doubt that all of these glass and ceramic containers of different colors were made by hoof, which just made him more impressed. “Man… you certainly don’t see this kind of artistry anymore.”

Zecora smiled gratefully, seeing that the stallion really looked impressed by her work. “Well, it’s nice to see that these catch your artistic side. Although, I tend to focus on what they have inside.”

Understanding the zebra’s point, Canvas peered in closer to see the labeling on the bottles and jars. All of them seemed to be for various aliments or issues, which were represented by symbols which were easy to understand; Bad joints, chipped teeth, ear infections, and even problems like receding mane-lines. However, one symbol seemed to confuse the stallion, which was merely of a water drop followed by several arrows going in one direction. “Ummm… Zecora?”

She peered in to see what Canvas was looking at, which made her brows raise as she smirked. Meanwhile, the stallion’s head tilted curiously. “So… what does this jar do?”

Zecora only made a light chuckle, which made the stallion look over at her with a puzzled expression. “That jar that you see contains a substance I created, which I made for lips after the fall season has faded.”

Canvas’s head tilted the other way, taking a moment before thinking, “So… it’s like a lip balm?”

Zecora shrugged. “I planned that at first, and it worked out quite quick.” She then reached over and grabbed the jar, with her muzzle growing a more salacious smirk. “But I found it makes all surfaces quite… slick.”

Catching the emphasis she placed on that last word, Canvas’s eyes widened when he realized what that symbol was supposed to represent. “Ahhh… So…”

The zebra nodded with a smile while holding the jar in her hoof. “Yes. To be honest, making a lube was unintended. But, it definitely sold more than lip balm would’ve pended.”

“Yeah, I suppose,” pondered the stallion as he took a closer look at the jar. He made a small chuckle as he added, “I gotta admit, I wouldn’t have expected that sort of thing to be sold here.”

“Neither have I, but I’ve sold quite a lot,” admitted the zebra with a light smirk and a blush. “No pun intended, but the sales are… ‘hot’.”

Canvas let off an involuntary giggle, and tried not to show his lip being bitten in slight contemplation. While he honestly had no real issue with the product he and Troy have been using, their bottle at home was just about to come up empty. And despite its effectiveness, the fifteen-bit pricetag that the Ponyville Pharmacy boasted was a tad bit high for the stallion. So, he gave a glance back at Zecora as he asked, “So… how well does it work?”

While Canvas tried not to word his question in a way to question the zebra’s product, she only smiled and replied. “I’ve only gotten positive reviews from those who used it before. One even said that it could…” Zecora paused for a moment, pondering whether or not to finish her statement before deciding to go for it. “... It could… fit a carriage through a doggy door.”

Canvas’s eyes widened in surprise at Zecora’s comparison, but he only stayed silent for a few seconds before cracking up. He looked back at the jar while laughing and said, “You know, that might be the best thing you can say for that kind of product!”

“I suppose so,” said the zebra with a giggle of her own, “and I don’t mind at all. As long as I can help those big and small.”

Canvas nodded in agreement, but paused momentarily as he blinked a few times at that last statement. Even though he had absolutely no complaints about what he and Troy have been doing the past few days, a certain idea has been creeping into the stallion’s mind recently. And despite how much he loved what Troy has been doing for him, Canvas had pondered whether or not to take things into a different direction. And since one of the biggest worries he had was ‘size’ (especially with how the Gryphon has reacted to it), Canvas stayed in thought for a brief moment as he looked at the jar, wondering if this product would help ease the idea as well as its… literal use.

Zecora tilted her head slightly as she asked. “So… is there something on your mind? Or something else for you to find?”

Coming to his decision, Canvas shook his head with a smile when he looked back at her. “Actually, I think I’m alright.”

He then picked up the jar before asking Zecora, “So, how much would this cost?”

The stallion had a fairly optimistic smile by the time he got back to his home, with his art bag full of the groceries he was able to get after being given a free sample of Zecora’s “Lip Balm”. During his shopping, one of the vendors mentioned seeing Troy fly through town not too long before him. Of course, when he saw the pile of broken bed pieces outside their home, Canvas figured that Troy had to go into town for supplies or a temporary bed. So, with a relieved smile, Canvas trotted back into his house, giving a cheerful, “Honey, I’m back!” as he went to put away the groceries.

Strangely enough, Canvas didn’t hear any response from the Gryphon, and he ended up putting away all of the groceries himself. Even though he didn’t mind doing the task on his own, the stallion still decided to take the first orange creamsicle from the packaging before putting the rest in the freezer, despite knowing how much Troy enjoyed them. While sucking on the frozen treat, he trotted out of the kitchen and up the stairs, wondering if the Gryphon was at least able to do something with the remains of their bed. “Troy? Are you up he…”

The pony paused when he finally reached the top of the steps, momentarily forgetting about his creamsicle when he finally saw why Troy was in town. While it was still lying on the floor, their mattress was now surrounded by at least a dozen thick, plush blankets of different colors, which seemed to blend together in almost a collage sort of way while wrapped around one another. And on the top of the mattress, which was draped with a couple more comforters, the silver Gryphon was sprawled out on top of it, wings spread out as he laid on his back in a near comatose state.

Canvas grew a surprised smile as he quickly realized what his lover had done, and was actually quite impressed he hadn’t thought of the idea himself. Since he was living with a Gryphon boyfriend, it only made sense to have a nest as opposed to a regular bed. And since it was mostly composed of blankets instead of sticks, the stallion honestly had no complaints about the setup. Instead, he only admired the look of the impromptu bedding while finishing his creamsicle, and licked his hoof after tossing the stick into the wastebasket.

With his mouth still tasting the creamy sweetness of his treat, the stallion slowly went towards the nest, and put his forehooves on top of the edge to test its stability. As his brows raised, impressed by both the strength and softness of the nest’s outer shape, Canvas smiled when he walked inside of the nest with the sleeping Gryphon. With each step he made onto the plush bedding, the stallion was beginning to enjoy this setup more than he had his original bed.

Troy shuffled his body a little in his sleep, letting off a small purr as he rested peacefully. Upon closer inspection, Canvas saw that the Gryphon’s grey fur was slightly matted in sweat, undoubtedly having gone through a bit of a workout lugging all those blankets here from Ponyville. As he lifted a hoof, Canvas bit his lip softly when he pressed it against Troy’s chest, just underneath his feathers. Feeling how damp the Gryphon’s body felt, Canvas’s face started to blush, and both of his lips pulled inward from nervousness.

His hoof began to rub against Troy’s sweat-drenched fur, petting him lightly as he saw how the fur was sticking against whatever direction he moved it. When he finally opened his mouth, all that could come from Canvas’s muzzle was a meager shudder as he continued to stroke the Gryphon’s fur, barely noticing his purrs becoming more profound. Instead, all that the stallion could think about was just how thick Troy’s scent was from where he was standing.

While it wasn’t overpowering, the smell of Troy’s unique scent was still fairly noticeable, even while just petting him the way that Canvas was. The slightly spicy, and undeniably masculine aroma was already coming off enough for the stallion to notice, which just made him blush deeper when his nostrils started to flare out. Without even thinking, Canvas’s head began to move in while his second hoof started petting Troy’s chest as well. Rubbing Troy’s wet fur in opposing circles, all that Canvas could hear was the Gryphon’s deep purrs when he moved his head in even closer against him. And with his breathing coming out more shakily with each passing second, Canvas closed his eyes as he tried to settle his nerves, and slowly took in a deep breath through his nostrils while it was less than an inch from Troy’s fur.

That thick musky scent hit the stallion’s senses harder than ever before, and he let off a low, guttural moan when he finally exhaled. While his hooves became less focused on rubbing at Troy’s chest and belly, the stallion went past subtlety and laid down on top of him, pressing his face in against that warm, sweaty fur. His hooves wrapped around the Gryphon as he breathed in once more, letting that strong musk make him moan even louder while muffled against his chest.

While Troy stayed passed out, not even stirring from his exhausting rest, his stallion kept his face pressed in hard against his sweat-matted chest, rubbing against it while moaning and taking in that manly scent. While taking in the purring Gryphon as deeply as he could through his nostrils, Canvas’s hips began to thrust at a slow rhythm, rubbing against the nest’s interior as he let that thick scent stir the deeper recesses of his growing desires.

Canvas’s sheath began to stiffen as it rubbed against the bedding, and his cock slowly began to emerge. The stallion kept rubbing his head in against Troy’s chest, matting his own face in the very sweat that was stirring his own urges, and his moans became stronger as he felt his hardening cock rubbing against the soft comforters underneath him. With each thrust that his hips made, Canvas can feel himself growing a stronger need with each passing second to just take Troy where he was right now. He could only imagine how intense and amazing that could actually feel, and envisioned his own chest pressed hard against the Gryphon’s back, and holding him down as he--

“Hmmmm…”

With only that deep groan from his lover as a warning, Canvas quickly had to pull back as he felt Troy’s body start to move. The Gryphon turned over in his sleep, and rested on his stomach while his wings stayed slightly extended. All the while, Troy continued to let off a soft, unchanging purr. Meanwhile, Canvas’s blush turned to a deep crimson when he saw the very sight he was imagining.

The Gryphon’s backside was absolutely flawless, boasting a firm and muscular build that was barely concealed by his smooth, sweat-glistened fur. As the stallion stared at Troy’s body with building lust, his eyes traveled downward as he saw not a single strand of the Gryphon’s matted fur was out of place. In fact, his grey coat seamed to emphasize how much his fur was pointing downward, like it was directing Canvas towards the grand prize that began at the Gryphon’s tail…

Canvas’s eyes widened when he finally looked down at Troy’s rear, which was laid in front of him like a waiting reward for him to admire. The stallion involuntarily licked his lower lip as he froze with his eyes glued to the toned, yet full rump of his mate. “H… holy…”

Even with how much the stallion was able to draw out beauty from any canvas or backdrop he touched, Canvas knew that he could never be able to fully recreate the sight in front of him. With the way that Troy’s dark grey fur laid flawlessly against his muscular rear, Canvas was almost afraid to touch it with his bare hooves, and risk disturbing its sleek curves. Nevertheless, with the way he felt his own cock nearly throbbing in need, the stallion took the initiative to bring his hooves out, pressing one against each smooth and firm cheek.

Troy’s purr turned louder for a brief second, but soon settled after Canvas’s hooves rested against his rump. The stallion, however, was breathing out more shakily as he eyed the Gryphon’s rump with a bit lip. While Troy’s tail swished lazily from side to side, not giving any sign of the Gryphon’s consciousness, Canvas lifted one his his hooves slowly, and used his foreleg to pull the obstructing object from his view. When his hoof was finally back against Troy’s cheek, with the Gryphon’s tail pulled out of the way by his foreleg, Canvas shuddered in need when he caught sight of what was underneath.

While Troy stayed asleep, undoubtedly not realizing how exposed he was at the moment, Canvas breathed out shakily when he stared at the pink, puckering hole in front of him. Even though he never considered himself to be a huge admirer of that aspect of the male body, the stallion couldn’t deny how turned on he was by the sight of Troy’s pristine entrance presented right in front of him. As his eyes became half-lidded from the lust that was clouding his senses, he couldn’t control himself when he let his head move in…

Canvas slowly closed his eyes, and his mouth opened slightly to allow his tongue to come out. Without even thinking, the stallion kept Troy’s rear firmly in the grasp of his hooves, felt his tongue press against the bare, twitching flesh in front of him. Tasting nothing but the bitter musk of his lover’s sweat on his tongue, Canvas let it mix with the lingering aftertaste of orange and cream as he moaned, and slowly dragged his tongue upward to feel every inch and wrinkle of the Gryphon’s flesh.

Even though he was still asleep, Troy made a light groan as he felt that warm and inviting wetness press against his open hole. And when Canvas’s tongue finally pulled back from the underside of his tail, the Gryphon let off a more legitimate moan when he felt that warmth run up against his hole again…

And again…

And again…

After several deep, slow laps against the Gryphon’s rear, Canvas pulled his muzzle in even closer than before. With his cock almost at the threshold, Canvas felt his lust driving him to want more of that taste and feeling on his hungry tongue, which prompted him to plant his lips right against that exposed hole before licking more profoundly.

A deep, tired gasp escaped the Gryphon, and his eyes began to open while Canvas lapped at his rear more rapidly. Not even realizing that Troy was waking up, Canvas had his eyes closed as he continued to eat him out, nearly moaning himself as he went faster through his own overpowering urges.

“Ughhh… ahhh…” In his dazed stupor, Troy didn’t even realize what was happening when he first woke up. But with the way his own cock was nearing full mast from the incredible sensations he was just starting to realize was occurring, Troy’s former purring was now a full-blown moan that accompanied the sound of Canvas’s slurping tongue. “Aaaahhhhh…. Aaaoohhhh…”

Even though he had no idea that Troy was even awake, Canvas’s lust drove him to wrap his hooves around the Gryphon’s waist, and pull his rump upward to get a better hold of him. Troy gasped more profoundly as he felt himself get pulled back, and Canvas’s warm tongue hungrily pressed against his hole even harder than before. If it wasn’t for how intensely amazing the sensation felt, Troy’s voice would’ve came out in a tone louder than a meager moan when he finally tried to speak up. “Ca… Canvas, what… what are youuuuuaaaAAAHHHHH!!”

Feeling how the stallion’s tongue was pushing harder inside of him, opening him up even more, Troy cried out in a mix of confusion and deep pleasure. Panting heavily, Troy was just barely able to turn his head back to see Canvas eating him out. While the stallion’s hooves were wrapped around him, Troy could see from Canvas’s blushed face that he was loving every second spent in this position, despite how tightly his eyes were shut.

As that tongue began to wriggle in deeper into the Gryphon’s quivering hole, Troy’s body gave out as he slumped back into his pillow, only keeping his rear raised for his lover to keep going. With his beak open and panting, Troy didn’t even care that his tongue was slightly lolled out. In fact, of all the things he could have thought of, aside from how amazing that kind of sensation felt against his rear, the one thing Troy was able to note was how infinitely grateful he was for keeping himself clean whenever he could. Because of that, he had absolutely no protests to Canvas’s now rabid assault with his tongue, and could only moan out in a growing need of his own. “A-aahhhh… keep… keep going…”

Canvas didn’t need to be told twice, and was moaning himself as his tongue pushed deeper inside of that unbelievably tight ring. Even though he could almost feel his tongue ache from how hard he had to move it around, he groaned in satisfaction when he felt Troy’s hole relax enough to let him slip deeper inside. As his tongue lapped around eagerly, pulsating and wriggling against Troy’s twitching flesh, he could overhear the Gryphon’s voice as his moans became stronger. “Nnnn… don’t… don’t stop… I… I’m…”

Canvas could feel how hard Troy’s hole was tightening around him, which he knew could only be one thing. Because of that, he tried to move his tongue as much as he could against Troy’s restraints, which only made the Gryphon cry out even deeper in response. Troy’s eyes clenched tightly, making him focus more on how utterly amazing Canvas’s tongue felt back there. Even though he never even knew that sort of thing was possible, Troy couldn’t keep himself still as he pushed his hips back, allowing that thick, wriggling tongue to slide in deeper and press hard against his prostate.

Troy’s talons dug into the bedding as his whole body pulsated, and the intensely wonderful sensation rolled through every inch of him like a tidal wave as his back arched upward. He cried out in pure ecstasy, and his eyes rolled back as he felt himself come without even touching himself. With each mind-blowing pulse that went through his body, the Gryphon could feel his cock practically pouring like a faucet, as cum dribbled out in a weak but steady flow on the new bedding. Meanwhile, Troy’s entire body, and especially his cock, twitched harder than he ever thought possible like electricity was pulsating through every nerve. With the last of his strength, Troy pulled one of his claws back to grab at his cock, and used it to give himself several hard strokes, just to get a few hard spurts of his jizz to shoot out with ease.

While Troy let off a moaning sigh in pleasure before collapsing forward, Canvas’s tongue lingered inside of the of the Gryphon for another moment before slowly pulling out. He gave the outside of Troy’s sensitive hole a few more loving laps, savoring the unique feeling against his tongue before giving it a tender kiss. Panting deeply, Canvas wanted to just leave his lover like this, happy to make him satisfied without even touching him in the front. However, with how badly his own cock was still throbbing, the stallion only stayed still for another moment before pulling himself upward.

“GAH!” Due to how wiped-out he felt from that monumental orgasm, Troy could barely do a thing when he felt Canvas mount himself on top of his backside. And when he felt something new press against his rear, which was both warm and throbbing, Troy tried to speak out in tired protest. “Can… Canvas, I…”

Canvas’s cock was planted right between Troy’s toned cheeks, with the head pressed right at the underside of the Gryphon’s tail. Despite how badly his body wanted to give in, and drive himself deep inside of the Gryphon to plow his tight rear, Canvas shuddered as he settled with rubbing his throbbing cock between those cheeks. With his teeth gritted, Canvas could barely think as he thrust his cock against Troy’s rump as rapidly as he could, anxious to get off while rubbing at his hole.

Even though Troy was already spent, he could only clench his eyes as he felt how the stallion’s thick cock teased at the outside of his already sensitive hole. Rubbing at his raw and twitching flesh, Troy moaned meagerly as he pondered how it feel, just being in this position if Canvas actually decided to--

The sound of a deep, almost primal yell stopped Troy’s lingering thoughts as Canvas finally came. Gripping Troy’s body as tightly as he could, Canvas shot off load after load of his thick cum, which landed against the Gryphon’s rear, back, and spread-out wings in white, sticky ropes. The pony felt his whole body pulsate with each hard throb of his cock, and he could only hold on to his lover as he rode that sensation as long as he could. With the way his cock was twitching almost painfully, Canvas could only pant shakily when he finally let the last of his seed dribble from his head, which poured right against the underside of Troy’s still raised tail.

After shuddering deeply with a hard sigh, Canvas fell off of Troy’s back and back into the nest, looking just as wiped-out as Troy was. Of course, the stallion was still able to look over at him with a tired smile, and only stared at him without needing to say a word.

For a few minutes, neither of them said anything, and just laid next to one another while looking into each other’s eyes. As the glow of the aftermath lingered, and the two rested in their new nest, Troy sighed with a smile as he looked at his mate, and waited a long moment before asking. “So… you like what I did?”

Canvas kept his smile as he lazily looked around the inside of the nest, and nodded when he looked back at the Gryphon. “Yeah… I love it.”

Troy’s smile grew bigger on his beak, which prompted Canvas to finally move in towards him. With his eyes closing shut, Canvas was just about to kiss the Gryphon before feeling him pull back. “WHOA! WHOA!!”

Canvas reopened his eyes in confusion, seeing that Troy pulled back a couple feet with a confounded look on his face. Canvas blinked before asking, “What?”

“What are you doing?!” asked Troy in slight shock.

“Ummm…” Canvas thought that was a fairly dumb question as he responded obviously, “I was going to kiss you?”

Troy’s face turned to a deadpan expression as he stared at Canvas. Before the stallion could ask why he was looking at him like that, he opened his beak and asked, “Dude… where was your tongue no more than a few minutes ago?”

“It was…” Immediately realizing why Troy reacted the way he did, Canvas grew an embarrassed blush as he shut his mouth, pursing his lips in understanding. After making a small nod, the stallion looked away and replied, “Okay, yeah. You have a good point.”

Troy couldn’t help chuckling at the pony’s reaction, and could only lie in the nest for another moment as Canvas finally pulled himself up. “I’ll go and brush my teeth.” As the stallion went toward the stairs, Troy groaned as he made a long stretch, knowing that he would need to take a shower himself.

“Be sure to extra mouthwash!” called out the Gryphon, which was responded by only the closing of the bathroom door downstairs. As he got himself back on all fours, Troy caught a glimpse of himself from the mirror at the corner of the room. Seeing how much his grey fur emphasized the white ropes of cum splattered on his backside, he blushed deeply before making his way down the stairs. With each step, he could feel that one specific glob underneath his tail begin to dribble down, running down right against his still-wet hole.

While hearing Canvas use the shower in the bathroom, Troy paused as he looked back at his backside, letting what happened start to sink in. Even though he couldn’t deny that he loved the things he and his mate have done, the Gryphon was always slightly cautious about actually doing anything other than topping. But right now, with his back and rear splattered in the pony’s seed, all that Troy could think about was what could have happened if Canvas actually did what he thought he would.

Even though he knew the stallion’s size was one of the biggest reasons why he was hesitant to try anything like bottoming, Troy couldn’t stop thinking about it when he finally started to walk again.

Could I handle that sort of thing?

How painful would it have really been?

Would it actually feel similar to what I just experienced just now?

Would…

Would I want that?

By the time Troy snuck around to the outdoor shower behind the barn, making sure that nopony could see him in the state he was in, he turned on the shower to let the water quickly remove all the drying cum from his back. However, before he could clean off his backside as well, including underneath his tail, that last question stayed on Troy’s mind for a little while longer…

And he decided on his answer by the time he finished cleaning himself off.