//------------------------------// // Just a friend... // Story: A stomach full of Fluttershys // by Slick Dash //------------------------------// Fluttershy busied herself in the kitchen, taking the bread from its bin and laying out two slices, then proceeding to create a BLT (Butter, lettuce and tomatoes) sandwich for the stallion that waited inside the living room. Though she hadn’t said it, she was really very glad that Big Mac had decided to accept her invitation, she wanted to pay some of his kindness back. Although a sandwich wasn’t much, it was a start. After all, he had gone so far out of his way to help her with the groceries. Fluttershy’s mind began to wander as she sliced the tomato, she replayed how Big Mac had seemingly appeared out of nowhere in the market. How he had offered to help take the shopping without question, what a hero. She would have still been stood in the marketplace right now, trying to figure out which food wasn’t vital for her little precious creatures. But now it was all here. ALL OF IT! How heavy it must have been! Fluttershy remembered the way the stallion had piled them on and stood straight without so much as a twitch of strain on his face. So strong! Thinking about it, the trip to her house had probably not even been the equivalent of a work out for the working stallion. With the amount of work he did, this must have been a breeze for him. Fluttershy snapped out of her thoughts as she felt something scraping her hoof. Without realising she had continued to cut the tomato into more than just a single strip, but into several wafer thin slices. Fluttershy had now absent mindedly begun pushing against her own hoof with the side of the blade as she continued to try and cut what was no longer there. The scraping noise quickly made her focus again and look down at her clumsy handy work. ‘What’s the matter with me today?’ the mare thought to herself as she scraped two slices of the red fruit onto the waiting bread, already topped with the delicious green iceberg lettuce. Pleased with the result of her labour, Fluttershy smiled happily and sliced the sandwich into two triangles. She then placed it on a plate, and brought it into the other room. She froze. Macintosh was stood on his hind legs, using his forelegs to support himself on the wall as he stretched up and investigated one of the little houses set on the wall. Fluttershy could see the red stallion’s muscles tort in his hind legs as they held his weight, he really must be strong to have legs like that! Fluttershy began to look up the body of the stallion, taking in his defined shoulders, the glimmering red sheen of his coat, the greenness of his eyes. Wait... his eyes? Fluttershy realised that Mac had turned to look at her as she entered! Mac gave her a nervous smile and dropped back to the ground as he looked at the mare gazing at him. Fluttershy panniced, realising she had been caught staring. For what felt like the hundredth time today she blushed a bright pink colour as she crossed the room and placed the plate on the table. Not even daring to look the stallion in the eyes again. Mac stepped over to the table, admiring the mare’s handiwork. The scent of lettuce and tomatoes reached his nostrils and he took a small intake of breath. Then came a hint of that previous smell, was it cherries? Mac realised he was still breathing in very loudly through his nose in an attempt to steal as much of the beautiful bouquet as he could. He bolted upright, trying to hide his embarrassment, but Fluttershy gave him a shaky smile. “I guess it smells good?” she asked hopefully. Mac nodded, staring at the slices of bread intently. “Eeyup.” “W-well go ahead, eat. You deserve it!” encouraged the mare. Mac took a bite out of the sandwich. Immediately he tasted the juicy lettuce complimenting the tart tomato and let out a long satisfied “Hmmmmmm!” pleased that she had done her job well, Fluttershy set about unpacking her groceries. Mac swallowed and moved to help. “Oh, no. I’ll be fine, please eat.” The mare said quickly, disarming the stallion’s good intentions with a dazzling smile. Mac blinked stupidly, he nodded to the mare and continued eating his sandwich while the yellow Pegasus busied herself once again. Fluttershy went about taking the groceries to their respective places, carrots to Angel’s hut by the kitchen door, berries and nuts for the chipmunk hotel on the wall by the entrance, and a few seeds for the bird houses that littered the roof. As Fluttershy reached out and sprinkled a few of the little pips onto a tray to the pleasure of a small Blue Jay, she caught a glimpse out of the corner of her eye. Was Big Macintosh looking at her? When she turned to investigate however, his head was facing the table and plate, but his scruffy mane was swaying heavily, suggesting it had been moved very abruptly only seconds ago. Fluttershy frowned slightly, why would he be looking her way? The mare continued as before, though more cautious to keep the Big red stallion in her sights while she tended to her little woodland friends. If Mac had looked around before he didn’t do it again. After a reasonable span of silence in the house, Mac coughed, unsure of how to explain the situation. He was finished; the plate was bare except for the occasional crumb or drip of tomato juice, but after Fluttershy’s unwarranted kindness the stallion didn’t wish to sound pompous by pronouncing he was done. “Uhhh...” He mumbled, straightening himself up and adjusting his yoke nervously. Fluttershy turned from Angel’s hut to look at Big Mac. Her large wide teal eyes gleamed with the reflection of the moon shining through the window as it began to rise outside. Mac had to stop himself from staring. With another awkward cough, he reached up and scratched the back of his neck, ruffling his short mane as he did so. The action pulled the scent of apple’s into the air, which Fluttershy registered almost instantly. Inside her little yellow chest, her heart seemed to stutter for a moment. The sensation was odd for the mare, though she kept her thoughts from showing on her face. She knew that smell too well, it was the scent of Applejack as well, but no matter how many times she had caught the scent, it had never...excited her like this! “Well... I guess I should get goin’... ‘sgetting kinda late...” Mac said to a floorboard by his left hoof. “Oh.” said Fluttershy, glancing at the clock, only to see with alarm that it was already well into the night. “O-okay...” She said, accompanying the stallion to the door. Fluttershy opened the door, and Big Mac vacated the primacies. The work horse then turned round, to wish the mare a good night. “Thank y’ kindly for the food ma’am. You didn’t have to.” He nodded politely to the Pegasus who immediately blushed then –very quietly- protested. “Please, call me F-Fluttershy... and you didn’t have to help me today either!” Big Mac stood there for a second, waiting for the bashful mare to look up at him. When she did, he gave a soft smile. “Now that’s a matter of opinion... Fluttershy.” With one final nod, the stallion turned and began to leave, heading down the small incline and back towards the town in the distance. Fluttershy sighed, not out of relief but of ecstasy, her heart seemed to flutter and the way he had mentioned her name. That voice, that soft, deep, kind voice! As he passed over the little bridge in the garden, Macintosh turned one last time and gave a nervous wave goodbye. Realising the look on her face was something she didn’t want to be seen by the stallion, Fluttershy turned and bolted inside, latching the door behind her in total humiliation. On the bridge, Macintosh’s face fell slightly at the strange action before turning and heading off towards Sweet Apple Acres. On the other side of the door, the yellow Pegasus gasped for breath. Leaning against the pine panel, she slid down until she was slumped on the floor. She couldn’t stop thinking ‘Was he looking at me?’ ‘I hope he was looking at me!’ ‘Why do I hope he was looking at me?’ A soft thumping brought Fluttershy out of her deep thoughts. Before her stood angel, his little forelegs were crossed, and he tapped his big rabbit foot expectedly. His eyebrow was raised as he gazed at the dazed Pegasus, Fluttershy tried not to meet his eye, knowing what her little bunny friend was thinking. “Yes?” she asked. Angel answered with a single twitch of his nose, never abandoning his piercing gaze. “He’s just a friend Angel!” The mare protested feebly against her pet’s inquisitive questions. “Just a...” Fluttershy began losing herself in thoughts of the stallion, his large toned muscular legs, his kind and generous attitude, his adorable shyness so similar to her own. “...friend.”