First Kiss

"Are you ready?"

"Y-yeah! Of course!"

"Are you sure? You won't barf this time, will you?"

"That first time was just a fluke! You just make sure to keep those big bug mandibles in check."

"Oh, I'm sorry." Princess Iridescence looked away shyly, fiddling with her hands. "Sometimes they just...pop out when I'm feeling....excited."

"Ha ha..." Cuppa Joe felt his face warm, and his heart gave a strange flutter. "Yeah, well, s-sometimes I barf when I'm feeling nervous."

"I make you nervous?" Irie gave a tiny, hopeful smile. "Y-you weren't just...grossed out from almost kissing a bug girl? I know the mandibles and the teeth freak ponies out..."

"Nah." Joey returned her smile. "You're my best friend, ding-dong. You don't gross me out at all, Irie."

Irie beamed brightly, before once again remembering herself, becoming shy again. "....So.....do you want to start?"

"Uh. Y-yeah." Joey squeaked, blushing down to the tips of his ears. He sucked in a deep, shaking breath for courage.

"Just lean in." Irie reminded him.

"I'm doin' it!" He squawked.

"And pucker your lips."

"G-got it."

"Don't barf again."

"Irie!"

"Aw, I'm just teasing, Joey. C'mon, kiss me already! Sometime before the heat death of the universe, please."

Joe pouted. "....Why don't you kiss me? Be a proactive princess. You don't need to wait for Prince Charming to kiss you-you're just as capable of laying one on him!"

"How about we lay one on each other?" Irie proposed. "I'll meet you halfway. You gotta make sure to turn your head so our noses don't boop together."

"Fine, bossypants." Joey folded his arms with a huff. "C'mon, let's get this over with. One..."

"Two...." Irie leaned in at the same time as Joey, and at the sudden proximity, both teenagers felt a bolt of panic. Joey's heart began hammering in his chest, and he fought hard to settle his fluttering stomach, while Irie struggled to keep her mandibles restrained in her mouth.

"...Three."

Irie and Joey met in their first kiss.

It was awkward. Their noses booped. Joey was sweating. And dimly, Irie remembered that she'd forgotten to take out her retainer. 

After a long moment, they broke apart.  "...Wow." Joey mumbled.

"....Y-yeah." Irie breathed. "....You taste like cinnamon cake pops." 

"Sorry. They're my favorite snack at Dad's shop." Joey blushed, embarrassed. "....Was it okay? It wasn't too terrible of a first kiss, was it?"

"It was wonderful, Joey. Better than I could have hoped." Irie smiled at him, warm and genuine. It caught Joe off guard, and a relieved, happy noise escaped him.

"We'll have to do it again sometime, Princess." He winked at her, just a little awkwardly, but Irie giggled anyway, and Joey felt his chest swell with a burst of fierce affection for his friend.

Later on, their second kiss was significantly less awkward, and as the years went by, the pair found that kisses only grew easier to give.
 
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more anthro stuff
young tween cuppa joe and princess iridescence, right around when they started having feelings for each other. They're about 13-14 years old here. Their friendship was born out of a shared love for sweets, crude jokes, and cheesy romantic comedies, and that friendship has only grown stronger with time.

i'm a fan of the "awkward adolescence" trope. Irie was a tall and lanky bugpone, Joe was short and chubby and had a near mullet goin' on, poor guy. He also thought button up shirts with flames on them made him look classy and hardcore. Oh, Joey...

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