Perhaps it was too much when the tan stallion found himself burying his body closer to the warm fur wall he laid up against, for the workhorse beside him made a strange stirring sound, his body shifting slightly in a groggy haze as the smaller kept his body still, his blue eyes wide as his muzzle pressed up against the other’s chest. He had to be careful when he squirmed, for he didn't want the workhorse to awaken before he was ready on his account.
The sunlight from outside was pressing up against the tan stallion’s backside, the warm feeling like a blanket on top of the heated heat the other was giving off. When the other settled, the stallion felt the smile creep back onto his lips.
His body ached when he shifted ever so slightly, the previous night taking a great deal of physical toll on his body, the memory only strengthened by the warm air from the other’s nose blowing onto his mane. The stallion closed his eyes briefly to take in the scent of the other, giggling as his chest ran against the workhorse's belly. The larger smelled like apples, the sweet ones that tasted even better once baked.
The stallion felt his head begin to ache when he glanced the best he could in the direction of the sunlight, an unpleasant reminder of the upcoming day as he found himself squirming reluctantly out of the bed, feeling the heavy legs of the other fall off his body, clinging until the last moment. The other’s hooves fell off of his body, the sound of the bed creaking as the large stallion curled up a little with the free space found.
"You’re gonna get sick, Mac.” Caramel grumbled, realizing Big Macintosh had managed to squirm out of his covers in his sleep. The stallion reached down to pull the blankets up over the large stallion, the other’s mouth falling open as he curled up further. "I'm turning into Sage aren't I?"
Caramel looked to his nightstand, eyes glancing to the partially burned candle, the room still having a vague scent of cinnamon in the air. He found himself soon looking to the ceiling, groaning a bit at the chilly air filling the room. Winter was only halfway over, although the season felt like it had lasted an eternity. He supposed it could be worse, it could have been uncomfortable snuggling up next to a large stallion in warm weather, not that he had much experience in general.
The sudden knock at the door made Caramel jump in his seat, the bed springs giving off a strange noise as his blue eyes flicked to the sound.
“Hey, Cara are you in there?” Sage called, Caramel’s heart still beating firmly in his chest. He could hear Sage slump against the door, he imagined his brother leaning up against it as if to listen for any kind of noise. “Worked real late last night, did you take all your medicine and everything?”
“Not yet!” Caramel called out, the bed making another noise as Mac shifted in his sleep. The tan stallion pressed a hoof to his forehead, the ray of light giving him a minor headache as he let a yawn out of his throat.
Big Macintosh let out a rather loud yawn, his voice deep. Caramel’s heart beat again, his belly giving a brief twisting..
“That you?” Sage called through the door, his voice seemingly half interested, his tone still tired. "Meeting went well, just dead tired over it. They're talking about letting me help out with the surgeries soon... I think it'll mean longer hours and a little more random, but the pay is better. I can still be the one to give you all your medicine and monitor you though, it isn't too bad."
"That's good." Caramel muttered, staring at Big Macintosh as the stallion's body rose and fell.
"Something wrong in there?"
“Um… M-Mac sort of…” Caramel could feel his face grow warm as he began to fiddle with his hooves, unsure of how to explain it. His voice was quiet, he knew Sage wouldn’t hear more than a mumble. He wanted to smile, he wanted to blush, he wanted to shut up and never speak. In the end he ended up struggling to find words, biting gently on his tongue as he huffed in frustration.
“Oh, something happen between you two?” Sage’s voice sounded intrigued. “Did you go and see him?”
“M-Mac is…” Caramel’s throat felt dry, unsure if happiness or nervousness would come out if he announced the stallion next to him. “Mac kind of…”
“Hey Cara, we can just talk about it out here when you’re ready. If you’re feeling alright I’ll make us some eggs,” Sage said, a yawn in his tone as if he had just awoken. “Just go take your medicine, I don’t want that cold coming back full force.”
“O-Okay,” The stallion managed to mumble out. It was strange, the events from the previous night had felt much further away than they actually were, vague memories in his mind as he ran his hoof over his mane. “just give me a seco… AH!”
Caramel would have continued if he didn’t feel himself suddenly be dragged, his world spinning before a warm body was on top of him, a yelp escaping his throat out of shock before he felt those big legs wrap around his body, a deep sounding chuckle in the other’s tone as the workhorse’s green eyes met his own.
“Mornin’ Sugarcube.”
Mac’s thick accent was deep in tone as the two became wrapped in each other, his voice still chuckling. It was strange to see just how happy Mac looked, his face looking as if it was struggling to hold back his smile before he simply buried his face in Caramel’s neck, legs tightening their grip.
“M-Mac, I thought you were still asleep.” Caramel used his upper hooves to push Mac’s muzzle from his neck, the other sitting up yet still leaning over Caramel with that simple smile as he brushed Caramel’s mane aside. “You scared me!”
“Ah woke up a few times, usually an earlier riser.” Mac stated, eyes looking down Caramel’s body before he rested his hoof in the center of the other’s chest, rubbing it in small circles. Mac's hooves were rough, large and bulky, however they felt gentle when they pressed down to Caramel's skin. “Ah didn’t wanna wake ya, thought ya might be sore or hurtin’. Ya bleed a little last night and Ah know Ah got over worried but it looked like a lot."
“I feel fine… Mac, um, I was sort of...”
“That’s… good.” Mac’s freckles began to blend in with his red fur, his eyes looking away from Caramel before he leaned down to press his lips to Caramel’s own, as if he couldn’t help himself. He put hooves on either side of Caramel’s face. It was gentle, comforting, and easy as Mac did most of the work, pulling away briefly only to let Caramel giggle, the small stallion getting briefly lost in the moment.
“Caramel?” Sage’s tone was worried, presumably at Caramel’s loud yell moments prior. “Are you alright? Did you fall or something?”
“S-Sage, wait!” Caramel yelled as the laughter left his body, Mac letting him up with no more than a gentle push. The two began watching as the door to his small room flew open rather quickly. Mac let his hooves go from Caramel’s body briefly, sliding off slowly as if he were reluctant. The tan stallion noticed that his face went back to expressionless as he leaned up just enough to see the commotion.
“Cara, are you alrig… uh…” Sage’s worry quickly turned into something silent as him and Mac met eye to eye. Mac’s smile had faded, his face stone once more as he let Caramel squirm to sit up, moving in front of Mac with his tan furred face turning a shade of pink.
“M-Mac came over last night and we talked a lot and we made up just fine.” The stallion stammered out quickly, Mac reaching out a hoof and pressing it against his back comfortingly with little hesitation, Sage glancing between the two of them.
"You bought candles?"
"Eeyup." Mac answered, Caramel wondering how he could say it so bluntly while he struggled to even respond.
“Good thing I’m a dead sleeper.” Sage mumbled, cleaning his glasses with a glow of his magic, seeming to take joy as Caramel gripped the blanket in his hooves and pulled at them as he adverted his eyes. “If you want I can go for a nice little walk while you grab his cutie mark again. Think I said last night I didn’t like imagining you being grabbed at by a big strong stallion. I don’t really need to see that or hear it.”
Caramel felt Mac’s breath on his cheek before a pair of rough lips pressed against it. The bed began to groan as Mac’s weight was lifted from it, the stallion looking at the other as he balanced himself on his large legs.
“Ah can leave. Sorry Ah didn’t ask ‘for stayin’ over.” Mac stated, his tone betraying little emotion as he got straight to the point.
Sage laughed, covering his mouth with his hoof as he did so. Mac seemed a bit confused, tilting his head as he stared at the other. He looked to Caramel, who gave a brief shrug in response.
“If Caramel kicked out half the mares I brought home that made him feel a little awkward I’d be pretty lonely.” Sage admitted, shrugging his shoulders. “I think I have enough eggs for three ponies. I don’t think Caramel will eat as many if his new coltfriend is there with him.”
“Ya should eat till yer full, Sugarcube.” Mac stated suddenly, looking to the other with a disappointed frown. “Ah don’t care if ya gain weight, Ah ya havin' a belly.”
“I-I haven’t done anything yet!” Caramel spoke defensively as he grabbed at the blankets near his lower legs, pulling them up a few inches as he gripped tightly. Mac blinking and looking to back to Sage without much thought.
"Can you two just stop flirting with each other for three minutes to go take your medicine." Sage laughed, beginning to turn in the direction of the kitchen with his hooves trotting over the carpeted floors. "I will throw your colfriend out if you aren't taking it by the time it's done!"
Mac looked to Caramel, a little more life returning to his eyes as he walked back to the bed, scratching at the back of his head with a dry confused laugh in his tone. He found himself blushing once more, giving a quiet huff of frustration as if he couldn’t wrap his mind around the situation.
“What’s wrong?” Caramel asked, frowning with a hint of worry.
“Ah don’t think AJ would joke ‘bout seeing me grabbin ya like that. Even if she did mellow out some.” Mac stated, a stumped expression on his face.
“I’m glad you’re staying.” Caramel grabbed at the other’s hoof using both of his own before he grinned at the other, giggling under his breath as he rose out of bed to give Mac a gentle kiss on his nose.
Big Macintosh looked to the other, smiling gently as he did so.
“So am Ah.”