Disclaimer: I do not own My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. It belongs to The Hub, Hasbro, Studio B, and Lauren Faust. I do not own any of these characters in any way or how, nor do I claim ownership to the pony franchise. These characters are simply my toys.
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"Oh... that isn't the right thing to say, is it?”
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Melting Snow
Chapter 12: Special Somepony
It was only a gentle ray of light peering through the window that first began to tear Caramel from his sleep, the light drifting over his eyes, giving him a brief moment of blindness when he managed to crack them open without thinking, sunlight filling his eyes as they began to water and burn quickly.
The tan pony let out a tired whimper, turning his body over as he began to cough into his hoof, his cough still sounding wet and filled with mucus. To be honest, the stallion could feel his head pound as he flicked his tail in mild annoyance. He briefly checked to see if he had any sweat on him, hoping that his fever had broken… no such luck.
He looked briefly around the room, taking a few moments to place where exactly he was before his memories fell back into place as his eyes fell upon a large horse yoke, his mind briefly remembering seeing his friend in one before winter truly began. The sudden realization hadn’t failed to dawn on him that he was in fact in another stallions bedroom, sleeping in their bed.
The tan stallion could feel his cheeks warm up as he thought about the previous day… and the fact that he was lying in the same place where his first coltfriend slept.
The pony held his breath, still using that word to describe Big Macintosh, even in his head, made him a tad woozy.
Caramel tried to sit up, finding it rather difficult before he simply gave up, flopping back down on his back as he panted quietly. He turned over to avoid the dagger filled sunlight, pressing his face into the firm pillow.
It smelled like Big Macintosh.
Caramel could feel his heart beat in his chest as this realization dawned upon him. He took his shaky hooves to the bottoms of the pillow, pressing it against his face as the scent of apples filled his nose, mixed in with a gentle sweat that was far from unpleasant to the stallion.
“Ya awake, Sugar Cube?”
The gentle voice did indeed manage to startle the stallion, who lifted his red tinted face out of the pillow quickly, staring at the doorway as he saw the large head and neck of Big Macintosh poke itself in, a small frown on his face which quickly lifted into a gentle grin as he was greeted by the others face.
The steed popped in quickly, his weight causing the floorboards to creak as he came forward, stopping near the edge of the bed just as the door closed slowly on it’s own. This time Caramel managed to sit up on his own, staring into the steed’s eyes for a brief moment before looking down at his own fiddling hooves.
“How ya feelin’?” The steed questioned, reaching his hoof out and pressing it to the other’s belly before rubbing in small, soothing circles. It jiggled a little, causing Caramel to squirm sheepishly for a moment before he realized it only made it more obvious, so he simply shrugged, trying to contain his blush as the warm hoof rubbed his belly through the blanket.
“I’m feeling alright…” Caramel responded, half-lying to make the steed feel better. It was true he was feeling okay enough to move around, but he was by no means in the clear. He quickly covered up his half-lie with a few more words. “I mean… I’m used to having colds…”
The hoof on his belly began to drag itself up before coming off entirely, lifting itself up before resting on his forehead briefly. The steed frowned gently as he got to his hooves, sitting on the bed next to the stallion.
“Want me ta get ya anythin’?” He questioned with a tilt of his head. He had obviously done this dozens of times before, for he showed no sign in any panic at the warmth coming from Caramel. “Need yer pills?”
The steed set something down that was in his hooves next to the pillow, something Caramel hadn’t noticed him carrying before as his eyes glanced to it. It was simply a battered old doll, it looked to be a hundred years old at the least, half falling apart with many patches sewn on recently by the looks of it to attempt to keep it together a while longer. It looked like a donkey… or was it a pony?
“What is… that?” Caramel asked, ignoring Mac’s previous question in favor of his own train of thought.
“Smarty.” Mac stated blankly, his voice a tad quieter than usual, speaking in few words so not to go into great detail. He quickly made sure the doll was sitting upright as best as its stuffing would allow.
“Oh um…” Caramel trailed off, remembering something like this being mentioned before… to be honest, he thought it was a joke, or something to cheer him up about his own childish item.
Caramel couldn’t tell if he was grateful for the creaking of the door, which managed to quickly change the subject as a small brown furry dog pushed its wet nose against the door, a small yellow filly with her hoof still on the knob as it scattered itself in, looking both energetic and excited that the stallion from last night was still around.
“What is it Apple Bloom?” The steed questioned the filly, whose mane was messy and missing her usual pink bow. She jumped at the sound of her own name, eyes flickering from Caramel to her brother.
“C-Can Ah come in?” She questioned, dragging her hoof on the creaky floorboards as she looked down. “Y-Yer usually up by now, so Ah thought Ah’d wake ya…”
“It’s fine, sweetie.” Big Macintosh answered, glancing to Caramel before getting a nod of approval. “Ya can come in.”
Just as the steed said that, Winona jumped up on the bed, Big Macintosh sliding off of it before sitting on the floor once more, glancing at Caramel try to defend himself from the fearful licking he was being tortured with.
Apple Bloom walked up to her brother, pressing herself up against his leg as she stared at Caramel as he finally managed to settle down Winona with a gentle push to get her to simply lay down and demand she be pet, which the stallion complied with.
“Winona likes ya…” She murmured quietly, both ponies glancing to her as she spoke. “Winona doesn’t like bad ponies… she knows if a pony is good…”
“Caramel ain’t a bad pony” Big Macintosh stated bluntly, a mild irritation in his voice not directed at his sister, but more so in general. His eyes narrowed briefly as he looked down at the floor, letting out a heavy sigh.
“Ah know…” Apple Bloom murmured quietly under her breath with a nod. “Everypony just goes quiet whenever ya two are brought up…” She spoke in a small voice, a frown slipping onto her face. “Ah don’t get why everypony’s like this…”
Caramel could feel his heart sink as he looked down to the dog in his lap. He held his breath briefly, ears pressing to his head as he tried to act like Big Macintosh, put a blank expression on his face.
“Caramel?” Apple Bloom suddenly asked, the tan stallion jumping, as he didn’t expect to be spoken to directly by the filly of all things. She looked at him with her amber eyes burning with curiosity. “Are you… in love with my brother?”
Well that was a question the neither pony was prepared for. This wasn’t exactly the most romantic time to make a proclamation of his affection with such strong words. Caramel couldn’t answer either yes or no, in fact he remained rather silent as he squirmed. He looked to Big Macintosh, who somehow managed to hold a blank expression as he looked to Apple Bloom.
“Ya shouldn’t ask somethin’ like that… least for a while…” He added the last bit quieter than the others. He actually chuckled quietly as he ruffled her mane.
“But Ah saw Caramel kiss ya…” Apple Bloom murmured quietly. “D-Don’t ponies who love each other do that?”
“W-We’ve only known each other for a little over a month…” Caramel spoke, deciding this was the safest way to answer the question as he tugged on the blanket covering his lap. He wasn’t sure that he liked two ponies and a dog staring at him as he spoke. “But… he is my…” He glanced to Big Macintosh for some sort of sign of approval, but only got a blank stare. “C-Coltfriend…”
“Oh.” Apple Bloom spoke with a confused frown before looking to her brother with a tilted head. “Is that why Granny’s upset?” She whispered, rather loudly, to her brother, her tail drooping. “Ah don’t get it…” She groaned quietly, shaking her head. “I-Is… Caramel the reason everypony keeps fighting?”
There was a long silence where nopony spoke, however Winona did begin to pant loudly, whimpering as Caramel had stopped petting her. Big Macintosh sighed loudly, looking down at Apple Bloom.
“Listen, Sugar Cube.” He spoke to her quietly. “Granny’s old, she don’t understand that things are different than they were way back when… don’t get mad at her, and especially don’t get mad at Caramel.” He seemed to demand that last name, looking deep into her eyes as she nodded silently.
Caramel opened his mouth to say something, but found himself suddenly coughing, causing Winona to jump off of him quickly out of shock. The stallion pressed a hoof to his forehead quickly, groaning quietly as he tried to clear his head with a shake. He was beginning to feel a tad dizzy…
“Oh, right…” Big Macintosh spoke, glancing around the room before frowning, looking a tad upset with himself for a brief moment. “A-Apple Bloom, could ya go downstairs and grab Caramel’s saddle bags? Ah forgot ta bring them up case he needed them.”
Apple Bloom nodded, giving a quick “Okay.” Before scurrying off to grab the bags, Big Mac letting out a sigh as he looked to Caramel. He let his muscles relax as he looked at Caramel, his expression blank before his eyes glanced up to the ceiling.
“Snow’s cleared up…” Caramel spoke softly, attempting to break the silence. “Maybe I should go back home soon… Sage’ll worry about me if I’m not home before lunch…”
“Ah’ll take ya home soon.” Big Macintosh agreed with Caramel. “Though ya sure do sleep in long… it’s only an hour and a half till lunch.” He gave the stallion a gentle grin. “Gonna be hard not ta wake ya up when I’m ready ta get out of bed.”
It took Caramel a moment to realize what the steed was talking about. Although he didn’t blush when it finally dawned upon him, instead his belly turned and his chest tightened with nerves. Somehow the thought of something like sleeping in the same bed with Big Macintosh for… reasons… had entered the other’s mind before his own.
“Oh… um… I…” Caramel really had no idea how to continue what he had already begun. He swallowed hard, thankful that the other’s hoof grasped his own before the steed stood up.
“Ah should go see what’s takin’ Apple Bloom so long… Ah’ll grab ya an apple on my way back up.” The steed spoke before giving Caramel’s hoof one final squeeze as he looked into his eyes, watching the other’s worry slowly fade before he simply looked down sheepishly.
“Be back soon, Sugar Cube.”
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The staircase still needed to be replaced at the fifth step down… it was a random thought that popped into Big Macintosh’s mind as he lowered himself down the staircase, hearing the creaking pierce his eardrum as he winced, grumbling under his breath how he would have to fix that before somepony fell through it, mainly him considering he weighed twice as much as Applejack.
The steed’s bare hooves clicked on the wooden floor before he settled them down. He took a moment of silence before his eyes glanced to the direction of the living room, a familiar yet gentle creak of his grandmother’s rocking chair in his ear. It continued for quite a while, feeling much like a lullaby to the large steed.
Big Macintosh’s eyes glanced to the window. It looked bright once more, almost warm if not for the gentle snow sprinkling down. This winter felt like it had been going on for a year.
His hooves moved in the direction of the living room when he managed to tear his eyes away from the outside world, walking into the slightly dimmed living room as he heard the gentle snoring coming from the rocking chair. From the distance, Big Macintosh could see his grandmother with her head against her shoulder as she rocked back and forth; breathing in and out. Her chest rising with each breath and then sinking with a mumble from her wrinkled lips.
There was a moment of hesitation when Big Macintosh spotted the saddle bags lying on the couch, for they were very near to Granny Smith’s resting place. He blinked, staying put for a moment before moving his hooves forward as he entered the room, quietly but swiftly moving in the direction of the saddle bags, snatching the strap with his hoof.
The steed attempted to spin around quickly, but a sudden wrong step caused the floor to cry out from under his hooves. He watched as his grandmother, only a few feet away snap out of her sleep. She let out one of her usual strange noises, speaking in gibberish for a few moments, still half inside of whatever dream had swept over her mind as she began to rub her eyes.
“Is that you, Sugar?” Granny Smith squinted her eyes as she leaned forward in her chair, rocking back and forth slowly as her eyes fell upon her grandson. She smiled gently when her eyes focused enough to make out the red figure in front of her.
Big Macintosh could feel his breath get caught in his throat for a brief period as he glanced to his grandmother. He tightened his grip on Caramel’s saddle bag for a brief moment, his front hoof suddenly tapping against the hardwood floors impatiently as his eyes glanced to the staircase.
“Mornin’ Granny.” He spoke quietly, a little surprised at how quiet his voice was, his mind easily wandering as he took a few steps forward, stopping briefly in front of her as he glanced around the room. “Er… where’s Apple Bloom?”
“Oh,” Granny spoke, eyes widening slightly as she gave her usual warm smile. “Ah told the dearie ta go and play outside with her sister, the two haven’t had much filly time in a while… not with all this hippin and hoppin goin’ on.”
Big Macintosh would have normally begun to avoid the subject at this point; however his ear began to twitch in a brief moment of annoyance before he shook his head. “G-Granny, Ah asked her ta… get somethin…” He murmured, quickly placing the saddle back on his back to keep out of his Grandmother’s sight.
“Oh, she offered ta go and get ya.” The old green mare nodded. “Such a sweetie. But Ah reminded her that ya always get yer coffee at nine o’clock durin’ the winter… though yer a little late today, ain’t like ya ta be off schedule…” She trailed off, slight worry in her tone.
“L-Look, Granny, Ah’m in a bit of a hurry.”
The red steed had a feeling he truly would have managed to say nothing more to his grandmother if he hadn’t felt her frail, wrinkled hoof reach out and grasp the strap of Caramel’s bag, which was currently resting on his own back.
The strong, muscle bound steed stopped dead in his tracks as if he was being yanked back by a mighty force by that gentle tug of the old mare’s hoof. He glanced behind him, trying his best to keep his expression his usual emotionless one. He watched as her eyes squinted to look at the pale green bag, her lips forming a frown as she let out a shaky yet audible sigh.
“Granny, look, Ah really need ta get back ta my room.” Big Macintosh tried to speak, but felt a hoof be pressed against his lips as his grandmother made an audible “Shh” sound.
“Come now dearie, why don’t you make some morning coffee for your dear old granny.” The mare spoke before releasing the bag, her hooves dragging across the floor as she walked almost painfully slow towards the direction of the kitchen. Big Macintosh trotted past her quickly. The sinking feeling in his gut forced him to move quickly, grabbing the kettle and filling it up with water, managing to flick on the flame before his grandmother had even arrived.
“Ya used ta make tea for me every time Ah visited.” Granny spoke softly as she arrived at the kitchen, sitting down at the table as she stretched one of her lets the best she could before rubbing her tired hip. “Ya were such a sweet child. Applejack and Apple Bloom used to get into trouble, but not ya…” His grandmother chuckled softly, however Big Mac let his eyes blur as he stared into the flame, only half listening as he tapped his hoof impatiently.
“Green or Pumpkin?” Big Macintosh mumbled quietly. He knew this speech by heart; she said it many times in his life.
“Green is fine.” The mare replied before laughing quietly in a raspy tone. “Ya used ta hide behind yer folks at family reunions… Braeburn tried for years ta get ya ta talk ta him, first couple times he cried when ya ignored him.”
The steed could feel his cheeks grow warm at the thought. He could remember himself as a young colt, already the size of somepony twice his age, yet hiding behind his father like a scared child whenever somepony tried to talk to him. He scratched his cheek briefly, knowing that his freckles would soon fade into the color of his fur if he thought about it any longer.
“But ya always talked ta yer folks…” Granny Smith sighed, shaking her head. “Ah know that it hit ya harder than the others when they passed… ya were still their baby when it happened.”
“G-Granny…” Big Macintosh spoke in a rough voice, finally glancing behind him. He couldn’t decide just yet if the memories were embarrassing or painful to be reminded of, all he knew was that he wanted it to stop. He glanced to the kettle, watching steam rise enough to make it cry out. He let it sit there a few moments before removing it, just enough time to zone out and recollect his blank expression.
“Why did ya let that stallion in our home?” Granny Smith questioned her grandson. Her tone wasn’t accusing nor demanding, simply curious. She tilted her head, the frown on her face showing her closer to thinking than judging.
Big Macintosh bit his lower lip for a moment before tightening the muscles in his legs for a brief moment. He didn’t answer as he prepared her tea, remaining silent for a good long while as he tried to take his mind out of the situation. As he turned around however, setting the tea on the table, he could feel something fall on his head.
He winced as his grandmother’s cane landed on him; it wasn’t hard by any means, just a gentle tap even by the frail old mare’s standards for strength. He didn’t say anything still, simply rubbing the spot with his hoof as she removed the cane.
“Don’t ignore yer grandmother.” Granny Smith spoke in a disapproving tone, seeming to get progressively more annoyed.“Ya can stay silent fer a lot of ponies, but not me.”
“C-Caramel…” Big Macintosh frowned, avoiding eye contact with his grandmother as he opened his mouth, feeling it go dry. “He got real sick at dinner last night… Ah didn’t want him walkin’ home alone and we live a lot closer… Ah didn’t wanna put anymore strain on him…” He remained silent a moment, dragging his hoof across the ground before looking his grandmother in the eye. “A-And Ah let him sleep in my bed… Ah slept on the couch, got up early like usual…”
His grandmother’s gaze softened slightly as she reached out her hoof to take a sip of her tea. She smiled gently as she placed it down. “Ya always make the best tea, sugar…” She remained silent for a few moments before returning her gaze to the stallion, squinting her eyes in an attempt to get a decent look at him. “Ya didn’t have ta hide somethin’ like that from Granny.”
The red steed glanced down, using his hoof to poke and prod the medicine bottles in the saddle bags that he wanted nothing more than to take upstairs…
“G-Granny, could Ah….”
Big Macintosh was cut short as his grandmother took a loud drink of her tea, lowering the mug before staring at her grandson with eyes that he honestly couldn’t read. She was smiling, but it seemed weak.
“When Ah was ‘round yer age…” She began with a chuckle in her tone. “Ponies started datin’ differently… stallions were datin’ stallions and mares datin’ mares…” She looked into her tea with a small frown. “It wasn’t as common as today, but it existed… lots of ponies don’t take change well, my folks always warned me ta stay away from them… Ah ain’t never been comfortable with the idea of ponies actin’ that way…”
Big Macintosh glanced to the stairs again, but didn’t dare to make a move for them… it was rare for his grandmother to stay on one topic so long without falter.
“If there’s one thing Ah hate more than anythin’, it’s a liar.” The green mare glanced to her grandson. “Ah had plenty of friends back then who lied straight ta my face almost every day, only to expect me ta forget it the moment they told ta truth…” She trailed off, taking another small sip of her tea. “Did Ah ever tell ya Ah dated a coltcuddler?” She asked as she looked to the red steed.
The earth pony shook his head, unable to hide the confused expression from leaking onto his face. “No, ma’am.”
“He told me he loved me after our first date…” Granny Smith chuckled as she held a hoof over her chest. “Ah didn’t say it for quite a while, but Ah loved him back not long after…” She began to rock back and forth in place. “Ah thought ah was gonna marry that colt… but the day Ah thought he was gonna pop the question, he told me that he spent the past month in bed with another stallion…” She breathed in deeply, licking her wrinkled lips as she took her final sip of tea, placing the mug down on the table before neatly folding her hooves. “Ah tried ta just avoid ponies like that fer a while… never even occurred ta me that my own grandson might swing the other way…”
Big Macintosh suddenly felt rather exposed as his grandmother’s gaze fell back onto him. He swallowed a lump in his throat as he quickly swept up the mug, taking it to the sink before washing it out.
“Ya never did last long with mares… always over in three months.” He could hear over the rushing water. He knew her eyes were drilling into him, even though he was turned away. “Applejack says she caught ya takin’ good care of that colt… carried him ta the house, she could spot it from her window… can’t recall ya ever doin’ that with one of those mares ya dated.”
The steed couldn’t decide if he was grateful or annoyed at his sister for slipping that out to his grandmother. Well she didn’t seem upset about that, she didn’t exactly sound happy. He could feel his hooves freeze up for a moment at the simple thought of Caramel holding tightly to him as he trotted through the blizzard.
“Tell me sugar…” Granny Smith spoke, a noise in his ear sounding like she scooted back in her chair as she shuffled her hooves over to him, placing a hoof on his shoulder before continuing. “How do ya feel about yer friend up there?”
“Ah…” The stallion began, finding it difficult to provide any thought into how his grandmother might react with how fast he was willing to respond. He had been asked this question many times this week, but each time he had been unwilling to answer.
“Ah want Caramel… ta be my special somepony… and Ah wanna be his.” He spoke softly, shutting off the water quickly as he dried his hooves, anything to take his mind off of his grandmother staring at him. He closed his eyes, breathing in a large intake of air before releasing it slowly. “Ah… want ta do things that ponies that love each other do cause… Ah care ‘bout him…”
The steed could feel the green hoof pat his shoulder, almost making him wince before he realized it was actually gentle, understanding.
“Ya always tell family how ya feel if they ask.” Granny Smith spoke in her usual understanding voice. “They’re family, and they’ll love ya…” She frowned before removing her hoof from him. “Ah’m very upset with ya, bottlin’ all that up… Even if we ain’t alright with it, ya shouldn’t hide things.” She sighed loudly, shaking her head. “Go check on him, Sugar, he’s probably worried why ya ain’t back yet.”
Big Macintosh’s mouth went dry. He suddenly felt unsure if it was alright to abandon his grandmother in this moment… however the fact that she asked him to made his hooves move without much thought.
“T-Thank ya Granny!” He spoke quickly, giving little thought as he hurried to the stairs.
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Big Macintosh’s hooves banged against the floorboards much louder than he usually let allow as his heart began to beat roughly in his chest. His mind was spinning as he managed to take a deep breath, not realizing he had been holding it the entire short run.
He tightened his hoof around the saddle bag strap, swallowing hard before his hoof latched itself onto his doorknob. He briefly shuddered at how cold it was before turning it, stepping inside quickly as he glanced to the bedside to see… not Caramel, but a messy, ruffled comforter and sheet.
The steed heard a creak however, turning his head to the direction of his bookshelf, which to be honest held a lacking of books as he stepped inside, shutting the door with a swish of his tail as he spotted Caramel glancing over to him. He was holding a photo in his hooves that was placed in an expensive looking frame, one with detailed patterns.
“This is… your family… right?” Caramel murmured, his legs shaking slightly before he forced them to straighten out. He closed his eyes a brief moment before breathing in, looking to Mac with a vaguely tired expression.
The steed moved over to the other, glancing over his shoulder at the four ponies in frame. The oldest mare was smiling, her green skin like her mothers, her mane slightly streaked with grey, yet her face was beaming with youth. Next to her was a yellow stallion with an orange mane, one much less grey than the others.
“You look… smaller than I imagined…” Caramel murmured, eyes focusing on the skinny red stallion with a large green apple on his flank. He did have muscle, but it hardly looked like the large steed standing behind him.
“Ah was only nine…” Big Macintosh mumbled quickly, feeling his belly twist as Caramel held the picture. He had the strange urge to grab it, afraid Caramel might drop and damage it… but he couldn’t bring himself to do something like that based on an irrational fear.
“O-Oh… you look a lot bigger for that age then…” Caramel murmured, realizing the shy looking colt was almost as tall as his mother. His eyes glanced to a very small filly standing next to her father, an even smaller one resting on his back. “Your sisters look a lot younger than you did… AJ’s only a couple years younger than you, right?”
“R-Right…” The red steed stuttered briefly, reaching out his hoof and gently pulling the frame out of Caramel’s hooves. He couldn’t help but sigh as he quickly wiped any smudges the other had left on the frame before setting it back in place. His eyes couldn’t help but glance at the much less kept up picture frame, coated in a thin layer of dust as it held the current Apple Household. He took his eyes away from it before looking back to Caramel.
“Why are ya outta bed Sugar Cube?” The steed questioned before turning back to the stallion. He quickly walked over to him, giving him a gentle nudge before leading him back to the messy mattress, helping him into the bed as he placed a hoof on his forehead. “Yer real warm…” He spoke quickly before setting down the saddle bags, grabbing a hoof full of pills before placing them on the bed, remaining silent for a few seconds before frowning, unsure of which was the right one.
“I’m fine,” Caramel spoke as he rolled his eyes before letting out a loud cough into his arm, giving an annoyed grunt when he finished. “I know the limits of my own body… I just… got excited being in your room…” He spoke, grabbing two bottles before popping the lid of both, placing three pills between his teeth, swallowing hard a few seconds later with a gasp on the end.
The stallion looked down with a frown on his lips. “These pills always make me drowsy.”
The steed reached out his hoof, giving Caramel a gentle pat on the back. He could feel the weight on the bed shift as Mac scooted onto the bed himself, almost forcing Caramel to lean up against him as his hoof changed to ruffle his mane.
“You took a while to grab the bag…” Caramel murmured quietly as he turned and twisted one of the bottles in his hoof. “Did… everything go okay?” He asked as he looked up to Big Macintosh, staring into his emerald eyes. “Y-Your grandmother didn’t… try to stop you, did she?”
The steed looked down as he shook his head, reaching out his hoof to pick up the small worn doll, running his hoof through it’s yarn mane as he chuckled gently. “Nope, just wanted ta talk a little.”
“Oh…” Caramel looked at the doll with mild confusion once more. “She didn’t… yell at you, did she?”
The steed frowned at the worry in Caramel’s tone. His eyes suddenly looked a tad more frantic than before. He watched as he clutched his own belly, biting down on his lip as he glanced away from the steed. “M-Maybe I should go soon… I-I mean, if she’s gonna…”
Big Macintosh reached out his hoof, pressing it against Caramel’s mouth before giving the other a deadpan expression. He shook his head before speaking. “Caramel, yer over reactin’.” The steed spoke softly. “Besides, even if she didn’t want ya here Ah ain’t lettin’ ya leave till the snow blows over.” His eyes glanced to the window, watching as the snow fell, seeming to pick up speed once more. “Just… let me take care of ya fer a while… it’s fine ta relax a little, Sugar Cube.”
The hoof was removed from Caramel’s lips. He rubbed his face briefly as he looked down to Big Mac’s lower body, not wanting to glance back into his eyes. “You… shouldn’t have to take care of me…” He whispered under his breath around the time Mac was adjusting the blankets over his lap once more. “I’m sorry… I shouldn’t be this useless…”
Caramel could soon feel Big Mac’s eyes bore into him, he already knew he had said something that should very well have given Mac a reason to lecture him, because the steed soon sighed. However instead of a lecture, he was given a warm, tight embrace, a hoof soon stroking his mane.
It was very hard to get used to Mac hugging him without his heart beating exactly two times as fast as it’s normal rate. His face flushed red as he was forced to place his nose against the other’s chest, warm breath leaking down his ears as Mac hunched over slightly to hold him better.
“Ya ain’t useless… just a little sick.” Mac chuckled as he dug his hoof near playfully into his neck. “I want ta take care of ya… ya worked hard last night just fer us ta have a nice dinner, Ah wanna repay the favor. I wouldn’t be a very good special somepony if Ah didn’t.”
Mac took Caramel’s light nod, which he could feel scraping against his chest, as a sign for him to release his bulky arms. However he could feel Caramel cling to his chest when he attempted to pull away. He stayed a moment, not bothering to ask why as he gave the other’s mane another gentle stroke.
“I…” Caramel spoke softly, his body tightening slightly as he forced himself to pull away a good foot, making sure to keep his hooves pressed against Big Mac’s warm, soft chest before he looked up at the other. “I.. love you…”
A strange thing happened inside of Big Mac’s belly when those words were spoken. He could feel his mouth go dry and his heart beat a very loud and distinctive beat when those words reached his ears. His front hooves shook slightly, which he tried to quickly steady by tightening the muscles in his legs.
“I… Know this isn’t the best time in the world…” Caramel began to ramble, glad that he could now look away. “But I… r-really wanted you to know it… it just popped up and… y-you don’t have to say… I-I mean… I wanted to say it first… y-you did everything else fir-”
“I love ya too, Caramel.” Big Macintosh’s words were solid, his lips were barely in his usual soft smile, but his eyes were bright, looking quite overjoyed. There was a moment of dead silence between them.
“Okay.” It was probably a stupid thing to say, but it truly was the first thing that came to Caramel’s mind. He could see his vision blur, feeling his eyes water slightly as he tried to wipe them quickly, however they soon refilled.
“S-Sugar Cube?” Big Macintosh asked, panic in his voice. “Ah’m sorry… Ah didn’t mean ta… d-do… that…”
“N-No.” Caramel quickly shook his head, realizing his voice was becoming shaky as he could feel a couple of the tears spill over. “N-No it’s… f-f-fine…” He felt like a real over emotional filly right now, however the warmth in his chest began to feel like a balloon slowly expanding… it almost hurt him, but it felt so amazing. “I-It’s great!”
He was given another hug, this time much tighter than before as he was almost scooped up, Mac holding him tight enough to hurt. If Caramel wasn’t as small as he was, he was almost positive the steed would tighten his grip.
“Ah love ya.” The steed spoke again, his voice soft but his body strong as he bear hugged the pony in his arms. His voice almost felt relieved to say it, as if he had been holding it in for quite some time without even knowing it.
Caramel struggled to say it again, he simply nodded, the words much harder to say a second time. He was glad Mac released him within a few seconds as he gasped silently for air. He had already stopped his crying, however hearing it said again did make his heart skip. He knew his eyes were red by now, that on top of his sickness probably made him look less than spectacular… however Mac still pressed their lips together... it was warm, gentle, and still made the stallion's heart skip a beat as he pulled away for a brief moment, only to look down and chuckle.
The steed used his hoof to push back his mane, looking into Caramel's eyes with his own. He let out a silent chuckle as he lowered his head, nuzzling the other's neck gentle before giving that area a sudden lick of affection. Caramel squirmed at the contact, feeling his belly turn in what wasn't a rush, but a little bit of fear. He had to pull at the covers to keep from making any sudden movements at the steed's sudden lust. A hoof ran across his back, pulling him a tad closer as his gut pressed to Mac's belly.
Caramel felt a moan escape his lips involuntary as Mac's teeth scrapped the area he was licking, biting down hard enough to make the other squirm a tad harder. He suddenly squeezed his eyes shut, chest tightening.
"M-Mac..." He whispered quietly as he blushed, feeling Mac's heartbeat increase... he hesitated a brief moment, hooves unsure of what exactly to do in the moment. The steed's other hoof suddenly began to run down his chest... over his belly and... lower, beginning to rub very gently in the area, forcing the stallion's legs to spread a few more inches than comfort allowed. A hoof settled on his cutie mark and squeezed, pulling gently as Caramel's body became closer to him. Something pressed against the stallion's belly that made him hold his breath.
“Mac... The snow stopped…” Caramel murmured as he glanced to the window, trying to keep from making any sudden noises. His legs closed tightly without him realizing he had willed them too. It was hard to explain why he said it so suddenly, but it did cause his heart beat to slow down when Mac pulled away. He looked away from Mac, suddenly pulling the sheet up to cover himself up better. He couldn't help but blush, both from embarrassment and worry with how suddenly he stopped it all.
“Eeyup.” Big Macintosh spoke, his emotions vanishing the moment he took his eyes from Caramel, pulling away only to look at the window, even so resting his head on Caramel's shoulder. He glanced back to the stallion, frowning slightly as his eyes moved down Caramel's body. "Sorry Sugar... One step at a time."
To be honest, it was a little strange to feel Mac cling to him like he was doing, having to hunch over to do so because of his height. It wasn't unpleasant by any means however, Mac simply buried his nose into Caramel, breathing in and out deeply. He lifted his hooves a moment, but set them down before he pulled away, a gentle frown shown on his face.
"Ah'm... g-gonna go get ya some food." Mac spoke, ripping his eyes away from Caramel, as if deciding the stallion in his current state likely wasn't going to be ready for what he would put out if given the chance. He had to take his hoof away from Caramel's body with a slight frown. He paused a moment, smiling up at Caramel. "I'm... s-sorry for bein' so sudden." He spoke, finding it hard to keep himself calm. Caramel's legs were still tightly shut, covered up by the blankets as he heard the other audibly swallow a lump in his throat.
“O-Oh… alright.” Caramel spoke, feeling like a real idiot only half a second later as he realized what came out of his mouth. "Y-You too..." He attempted to salvage it. "I just... I don't think I'm..." He paused, unsure of how to finish when Mac turned away. He put his hoof to his neck on the spot Big Mac had... touched so much... it stung a little. He could feel his tail wrap itself tightly around his body before he began stroking it with the edge of his hoof.
"I love you... I really mean it." He paused, looking to Big Macintosh, who seemed to look a little less worried at what he had done with Caramel.
The steed smiled, however it didn't manage to reach his eyes and give off the warmth that the stallion loved. He ruffled his mane gently. He opened his mouth briefly, but closed it as he looked down.
Caramel wasn't sure how to feel about that, but he did force a smile as he let Mac lift his blankets up further, giving his shoulders a quick rub for warmth as he looked deep into his eyes with a kind of affection he hadn't seen before directed towards him.
It was true... he had fallen deeply in love. The fact that he received the exact same feelings in return only made his chest grow when Mac so much as smiled at him.
But... the smile Mac had made his heart sink deep into his chest.