//------------------------------// // Cuddling // Story: The Workhorse // by Backburner //------------------------------// Twilight and Big Mac spent the rest of their time at Sugar Cube Corner in idle conversation. Pinkie only interrupted them again to take away their dishes and present a check that Big Mac covered in full despite Twilight’s insistence she could pay for herself. The couple exchanged very little conversation as they made there way back to Twilight’s library, but as they drew within site of her home Twilight felt her heart pick up speed. “So how long do you plan to spend here? I mean I’ve got all the time you want but I’m just used to schedules and such so-” “Ideally I’d like to stay until ya kick me out, but if it gets to be one in the mornin’ and I’m still hangin’ around I’ve got enough decency to leave so ya can get some sleep.” “Well I could just use my magic to make myself not tiered if that becomes a problem and you wanted to stay longer. I’ve done that tons of times when I was studying late at night, it wouldn’t be any big deal.” “Miss Sparkle, I couldn’t bare to take all your time tonight. It wouldn’t be gentalcoltly of me to deny ya rest just cause I didn’t want to leave.” Twilight rolled her eyes, she had almost forgotten who she was talking to for a second. Big Mac was always going on about how a gentalcolt should act, it was getting to a point where Twilight didn’t even bother protesting anymore when he said something about it. However Twilight had a strange longing to keep Big Mac with her tonight as long as possible, so she made a mental note to find a way to bring this up later. The two ponies reached the door to the library after a moment and Twilight opened it with her magic before entering to the gentle sound of spike sleeping upstairs. “That magic of yours sure is useful.” “It certainly helps. Spike can sleep through anything so we should be fine doing whatever it is you had in mind.” Big Mac closed the door for Twilight and then stood for a moment looking at her without speaking. “Hello, you in there?” “Oh, sorry about that. The moment caught up with me and I just realized I was alone with the most beautiful mare in Ponyville.” Twilight giggled. “Wow that was corny, cute, but corny.” “I’m tellin’ the truth, you’re no small treat for the eyes.” Big Mac edged a little closer as he spoke, taking slow, even steps. “But I’m not even close to the most beautiful in Ponyville, there are to many contenders for that position.” Twilight imitated Big Mac’s walk as the two of them advanced toward each other slowly. “None of them look as good as you do to me.” At this point they were maybe ten feet apart. “Not even the fabulous Rarity?” “She’s pretty, but make up can only do so much.” Eight feet. “Cheerilee? I know you and her had a thing for a little bit.” “A little to, well for lack of a better word cheery for me, she never has a bad day.” Four. “Ditzy Doo?” “The Mailmare?” Big Mac said stopping in his tracks directly in front of Twilight. "I’ve never really thought about it, doesn’t she have somethin’ with her eyes that-” “She’s still really cute.” Twilight said matter of factly as she stopped herself just inches from touching noses with her special somepony. “Even with her eyes she’s a catch to somepony who would chase her.” Big Mac stood looking down at Twilight for a moment before he smiled and closed the small distance between them to rub his cheek against hers. “I wouldn’t leave you to chase anypony.” Twilight wrapped her front hoof around his neck and let him bury himself in her mane. She loved the feeling she got when they were close like this, it almost made her feel like there was nothing else in the world but there two bodies next to each other. Big Mac brought his mouth next to Twilight’s ear and whispered sweetly into it. “Do ya think we could do something special tonight?” “Like what?” Twilight said, her heart racing as she anticipated what Big Mac had in mind. “Do ya have somewhere we can lay down?” Twilight’s heart went into overdrive. That wasn’t a normal question given this context, that was an up close and personal step down from asking if she wanted to… “Big Mac, what are you planning?” She said as she pulled away to look up into his eyes. “Nothin’ bad, I promise, do ya have somewhere?” “Well…I do have a reading couch in the other room of the library, it’s pretty big but I don’t know if we could both fit on it lying down.” “That would be perfect, lead the way.” Twilight reluctantly broke the embrace completely and with her heart filling up her chest guided Big Mac to the next room where a small reading area in the corner sat neglected and underused. Big Mac walked in front of Twilight and crawled up onto a large plush sofa that sat in between two much smaller chairs. Lying on his side facing Twilight, he opened his front hooves wide for her. Twilight was skeptical to say the least, but she took her place in her somepony’s arms. As they closed around her she couldn’t help but admit that it did feel very nice to be snuggled up next to him despite her nervousness. Big Mac’s nose was pushed against hers and Twilight could feel his warm breath on her lips as his chest heaved in and out against hers. In fact Twilight became aware she could feel every movement Big Mac made, every twitch of his body. The one thing that stood out most though was his heart, it was beating at least as fast as hers and pounded into her chest to meat her own. There was a kind of spastic rhythm between the two, each one seeming to grasp out longingly for the other and whenever they beat at the same time a jolt would run up Twilight’s spine. “Are ya ok with this? I know this is closer then we’ve been since back when you came to visit me in the hospital what feels like forever ago, but I’ve always wanted to go back to holdin’ you close to me in a way I just can’t do standin’ up.” Twilight suddenly began to feel very warm, Big Mac’s body pressed against hers was trapping a lot of heat and it made there embrace somehow even more romantic as her cheeks lit up to match the temperature of her body. “This actually… is really nice, I like it.” Big Mac let out a quick sigh that twilight felt ruffle the fur on her neck. “Good, I was a little nervous ya would think it was to soon or somethin’” Twilight adjusted to wrap her own arms around Big Mac’s strong shoulders. “Actually… If I had known you planned to do something like this… I would have told you it was overdue.” Big Mac let out a small laugh. “Was that a library joke?” Twilight realized what she had said and let her smile grow a little wider. “No, but that was pretty funny.” There was a small silence that followed where the couple starred deeply into each other’s eyes. When a moment that felt like it lasted forever to Twilight had passed, she saw Big Mac’s ears slick back and felt him pull her in for a kiss. Twilight closed her eyes and for the first time felt a pressure against her lips that she would expect would come from kissing. It wasn’t forceful or really very strong at all, but there was no doubt about the contact, it was real, and full of love. Twilight had trouble kissing back at first, but as she grew used to the new style of kiss she fell into it. Big Mac pulled back for a second and Twilight actually opened her eyes first this time. “Was that ok? Ya told me tonight I was a soft kisser and I didn’t know if you’d like doing it like this or not, I just wanted to try it out.” His ears were still firmly plastered to his head as Twilight recovered from the rush of emotion that had transferred from his lips to her entire body. “That was amazing, you know I could really get used to just lying here with you after every date if you’re going to make me feel like that.” Big Mac’s ears slowly started there way back to a perk. “Ya liked it that much? Well… could we go a bit… further then?” Twilight threw away her previous reluctance in favor of feeling the same loving touch Big Mac’s kiss had just given. She had never felt anything like it and now that she was this close to a stallion that could make her feel that way it was to intoxicating an opportunity to say no to. “What’s a bit further? Try it and we’ll see if I like it.” Big Mac pulled her into another kiss and this time Twilight took a more aggressive approach. She had never really felt Big Mac’s lips like this and their touch was exhilarating, that is until they parted unexpectedly. Twilight felt Big Mac’s tongue press against the split of her lips and Twilight broke the kiss instantly in response. “Ya don’t like it?” “No it’s not that… I just never did that before, it startled me.” “You’ve never used tongue before?” Twilight shook her head slightly. “I mean its not that I don’t want to, I just don’t know what to do.” Big Mac gave a little encouraging smile. “Well I can show ya then, would ya be ok with that?” Twilight looked away for a second, but nodded when she turned back. “Then just close your eyes and open your mouth a little when you feel me again, I’ll do the rest.” Twilight closed her eyes as she had been told and waited for a few seconds before Big Mac kissed her again. Big Mac had gone back to his usual soft touch, which while Twilight still enjoyed more then she could say, wasn’t nearly as tantalizing as the previous contact. When Twilight felt Big Mac’s lips slowly open, and his tongue press against the space between her lips, she parted them and aloud him to enter. What followed felt like it was happening in slow motion, Big Mac squeezed her tight, but not the least bit uncomfortably as he mingled his open mouth with hers. Twilight felt her chest tighten up as she let Big Mac lead the motions inside her mouth that made her feel attraction like she had never felt before. It was magical. Twilight didn’t know how long they were together like that, but when Big Mac pulled away finally she realized she had been holding her breath and let out a long sigh before taking in shallow gasps of air that her heart speedily pushed out. Twilight felt like she would never come down from this high as she got lost inside the big green orbs of her partner that looked at her with more affection then she could explain. Twilight buried her face in Big Mac’s neck and squeezed her body as close to his as she could. She wanted more then anything to let Big Mac know just how wonderful that had felt for her, tell him how wonderful he had just made her feel, but as she racked her brain trying her hardest to find a word to describe this emotion, she stayed silent. Love, she was feeling love. She loved that kiss, she loved the way her partner was holding her, she was in love with Big Mac. Twilight felt tears well up in her eyes. Everything felt new to her again, the way his arms folded around her in such a kind embrace and the way he had rested his head on hers gained whole new meaning to her. It was a little scary. Was this how things were supposed to work? Can ponies fall in love like this? Was this okay with him? Did he love her? That last question jolted a memory in the back of her mind, he was going to tell her something at Sugar Cube Corner but Pinkie interrupted him, was he going to tell her what she thought he was? Twilight pulled her head away from Big Mac and wiped away the tears that had formed in her eyes when she realized how much she cared about the stallion next to her. “Are ya cryin’ Twilight? Is somethin’ wrong.” Big Mac said with an air of concern that Twilight in her emotionally heightened state found a million times more compassionate then it probably was in reality. “No I’m fine. What were you going to tell me at Sugar Cube Corner?” Twilight’s words were quick and adrenaline filled, she could barely control the urge to kiss Big Mac again or tell him what she was feeling but she held back, Rarity’s strange warning nagging at her in the back of her brain. “What, oh you mean before Pinkie interrupted me?” Twilight nodded her head in two quick shakes as her smile betrayed the hope she had Big Mac was feeling what she was feeling. “Well, I was going to say that… I-” Twilight stuffed her hoof in Big Mac’s face silencing him. She wasn’t ready; she needed time to think. “Hold that thought, I need to use the little filly’s room but I’ll be right back.” Twilight practically jumped off the couch and galloped out of the room up the stairs to the bathroom slamming the door behind her, leaving Big Mac extremely confused downstairs. Twilight paced back and forth inside the small bathroom of her Library. This was very possibly a huge step she was about to take with Big Mac. Twilight, being the avid reader that she was, had read quite a few romance novels in her time, and once two ponies fell in love they… well they… it just opened the door to so many other things that Twilight had never thought about seriously doing with any stallion before. What if Big Mac proposed to her one day? Or asked to move in with her? If they started to sleep in the same room he might ask her to- Twilight stopped dead in her tracks. She definitely wasn’t ready for that yet, let alone the other stuff. This was all happening so fast that Twilight could barely keep up with all the things her mind was saying. Walking over to the sink she picked up a small hand mirror she kept there and took a look at herself like she did before the date. “This can’t be real.” She said aloud to herself. “What if I have this wrong, we’ve been going out for awhile but how can just a few kisses make me think I love him? Wouldn’t I have known before? Is there some way to tell? Oh Twilight what are you going to do?” Nervousness overtook her as she realized she was going to have to go back downstairs to Big Mac eventually, and if he was going to say what she thought he was going to say she had to be ready for it. Twilight gave herself the most serious stare she could muster. “Do you love him?” She asked herself point blank, thinking back to everything they had done over the short time they had been together so far. Deep down in her gut she got a feeling that she didn’t, that it was impossible for somepony to realize they were in love after one exchange. But the more she thought about it and looked at her own judging stare in the mirror, the quieter that voice got, until it was nothing more then a whisper. Then a new voice took over, at first Twilight thought it was her heart but unfortunately that cliché wasn’t the source. Her mind, for the first time Twilight could ever remember, stayed quiet, and then gave her one, solitary sentence. She wouldn’t be asking herself like this if she didn’t. Twilight couldn’t find a way to argue with that, in fact she doubted she could even if she somehow came up with a rebuttal because her mind had completely gone blank. All she was thinking of was the stallion downstairs, and the fact that she must be in love him. Twilight put the mirror back and stood with a little bit of confidence. That settles it. She loves him. Twilight took in a deep breath and then let out a long sigh. That meant all there was left to do is find out if he loved her back. Twilight left the Bathroom with an extreme amount of confidence, she walked down the stairs with confidence. She crossed the library with slightly less confidence, and by the time she reached Big Mac it all melted away. What if he doesn’t? Twilight crawled back onto the sofa and Big Mac wrapped his arms around her again. “Wow, ya really had to go didn’t ya? I’ve never seen anypony run to the bathroom that quick.” Twilight looked away, every fiber of her being trembled with anticipation as to what Big Mac was going to tell her. “Yea, I really had to go, but anyway, like you were saying.” It was all she could do to keep her words from shaking like her body was. “Are ya ok Twilight? You’re shakin’ pretty bad.” Twilight thought fast and snuggled up closer to Big Mac. “I’m fine, just a little cold is all. Go ahead and tell me what you wanted to say.” Twilight had her head buried in Big Mac’s neck so she was unable to see his face, but when he hesitated for a second Twilight started preparing herself for what she knew was to come. “Twilight, you and I have been together for awhile now. Long enough that I think I pretty much have a since of who you are and the major parts of your personality. And I have somethin’ I want to tell you.” Hear it comes, Twilight thought to herself. “Well actually, it’s more somethin’ that I want to ask you.” Twilight’s shaking lessened a bit. He wanted to ask her if she loved him? That’s an odd way to- “Applejack’s going to Fillydelphia to compete in another rodeo, and she’s convinced me to tag along and maybe even enter myself, I was wonderin’ if you wanted to go with us, see me and her in the show.” Twilight moved herself so she could look into Big Mac’s eyes. “What, that’s-” “Now I knew ya might not want to at first. I was worried about askin’ ya because I know ya have the library to think about and your letters to the Princess and all that but it will only be for a few days and I promise it will be really fun.” Twilight felt her heart sink, he wasn’t going to say it. “Is that all you wanted to tell me?” “Eeyup, that’s it. So what do you say?” He… he doesn’t. Twilight almost felt like crying, buck it she DID feel like crying. All this hope she had built up over the course of the night, what she just went through upstairs and the feeling she got being held by him. All of that emotion turned to heartbreak. Twilight’s ears slicked back and her eyes fogged up as she hid her face from Big Mac by placing her cheek over his. “I’d love to go.” Twilight whispered. “Really, I thought it would take more convincin’ before ya would agree.” “No need for that, if you’re going to go somewhere I want to go to.” Twilight’s voice betrayed her as it cracked on the last word alerting Big Mac to the fact that something was wrong. “Are ya sure, it doesn’t sound like you’re-” Big Mac tried to move his head to look at Twilight but she held herself firmly in place and while Big Mac was easily quadruple her strength he aloud the force she applied to his head to keep it down. “Twilight what’s goin’ on.” “Nothing.” Twilight said as she tried her best to keep from giving Big Mac any more cause for alarm. “Now that’s a lie if I ever heard one. Listen if ya don’t want to go on this trip I-” “It’s not about the trip Big Mac.” Twilight said as she moved and accidentally let Big Mac see the first tear roll down her face. “Just don’t worry about it.” “Twilight I’m your special somepony, it’s almost a given I worry about it if it’s makin’ ya upset. If it’s not the trip then what is it? Just tell me what’s wrong.” Twilight turned her head to wipe away the tears and Big Mac took the opportunity to sit up a bit. Twilight couldn’t bear to face him so she looked down at the couch. “I’m not supposed to tell you.” “Why not?” “Rarity told me your supposed to say it before I do, that’s how it’s supposed to work. I’m new to all this I just want to get it right but… but its ok. You don’t have to if you don’t.” “Hold up now I’m supposed to say what exactly?” “I can’t tell you.” Big Mac put a forceful hoof on Twilight’s face and turned her toward him, his face was heavy with confusion and worry. “Miss Sparkle, please don’t make me sit here and watch you cry without being able to do anythin’ about it. I care about you too much to see ya sad like this without tryin’ to fix it. Please.” Twilight’s eyes lined with fresh tears but she blinked them away. “I… I thought tonight would be the night you told me…” Big Mac’s worried eyes tugged at her heart. “You loved me.” Twilight knew she had shattered what Rarity had told her, but she had to say SOMETHING, she couldn’t hold it in like this. Big Mac’s face was so frightened looking, and her own heart wanted so much to tell him. But everything was ruined now, he didn’t feel the same way. Twilight was so engrossed with the fact that she had probably just destroyed her chances with the only stallion to earn her heart she didn’t even noticed he had moved before he kissed her. It was a soft kiss, one that was meant to be far more emotional then physical. When Big Mac pulled away Twilight saw he had in a look of relief. “Is that all? Twilight, ya know I’m not much good with words, of course I love you, I just didn’t want to say I did at the wrong time for us. Please stop cryin’ I’ll say it as many times as you need me to.” Twilight’s ears perked and her eyes stopped fogging further as she tried to wipe away the tears staining her fur as best she could. “You…you-” “I love you more then anypony else in Equestria or beyond, you’re my special somepony Twilight, and I’ll always love you as long as you want me to be here to do so.” Twilight felt new tears well up, but this time instead of tears of sadness, they were tears of joy. “Oh Big Mac, I love you to!”