Thanks for Listening

by AlextheBordercollie

Old Conforts

A large red stallion sat in a corner curled in on himself with a foal in his arms. His eyes were burning from tears but he hadn't made a peep in sometime. He wouldn't, he couldn't, he was too afraid she would hear. He looked down at the little filly he clung to. She was an earth pony with a ginger mane like her father, her coat was the color of morganite. He wouldn't have even known the name of the gem had it not been for his In-laws. The Pies cultivated many precious gems on their property but they could never have grown any gem as bright as the little filly. ApplePie a cute little name he thought the day she was born. He remembered the first time he held her in his arms. He promised her he would never let go...

Suddenly he heard angry hoof steps coming up the stairs. He began to panic. He wasn't ready to face her, not yet. Without thinking he stood up, tossed on his old brown trench coat and wrapped his daughter tight in a warm quilt before cracking open the window and taking off into the stormy night.

Sliding down the roof to a hay stack propped up by the house, he considered where he would go. PinkiePie maybe? She might be able to help calm her sister. He quickly dismissed the thought however, Pinkie was very close with her sister and the plan could backfire. Fluttershy? No Discord would be there and frankly the draconeques still worried him. He was never really all that close with Twilight or Rainbow and his sister was already against him. He stood at the edge of the Apple family farm, stopping to catch his breath. ApplePie started to wail from the cold and the wet of the storm. He needed to get her safe and dry but couldn't bring himself to part with her. He was out of other options. there was only one pony he could turn to.

Rarity was just getting ready for bed when a frantic knocking came from downstairs. She rushed down to the door.

"What in the world?"

As she opened the door her breath caught in her chest for a moment. There stood BigMacintosh, soaking wet and carrying a small wailing foal.

"BigMac darling are you alright?"

"Nope"

He lifted his head to make eye contact. He looked pathetic. Rarity ushered him inside.

"Well don't just stand there get in! honestly what were you thinking dragging that poor little thing all this way, in this storm!"

BigMac didn't respond, he simply stood there in the foyer. Rarity was right. It was selfish of him to have brought ApplePie along, she didn't do anything wrong.

"Oh you poor thing, Auntie Rarity is here now" Rarity cooed as she took ApplePie from BigMac. He was reluctant initially but ultimately allowed this.

"Take off those wet clothes will you, I'll go get some towels and see if I don't have anything in your size."

BigMac nodded. He watched as Rarity carried his daughter off upstairs. He hadn't noticed before, but she was in her nightgown. THE nightgown. The red sheer one that showed off her figure. Along with a few other things not meant for the public eye. It didn't bother him though, he had seen her in it before. He remembered the soft satin texture of that little red babydoll.

He stood there for a moment soaking the doormat. Once the feeling began returning to his limbs he took off his coat and stripped down to his boxers. They were soaked too but he figured it be in poor taste to be completely naked before a lady.

ApplePie squeaked in protest as Rarity finished scrubbing the little foal dry with a towel.

"Oh, Oh, being a foal is just so hard isn't it. That's OK I'm done now sweet heart." Rarity looked at herself in the mirror.

"Oh dear, he just had to show up while was indisposed didn't he." she sighed then grabbed a few extra towels. She found a dress shirt and pants from a suit she had yet to finish and brought it all downstairs. But not without tossing on a bathrobe over her nightgown first.

She found BigMac at the stairs where she had left him. He was stripped down to his skivvies and she could see everything. Every toned mussel... every old scar. Regaining her focus she brought him the towels and fresh change of clothes.

"I'm Sorry I don't have anything more casual," she said as he took the towel from her, "It's not really my business model. Speakings of business models," Rarity spun back ground to see him pulling the dress pants up to his hips, "That is part of an ensemble for a customer. normally I would never allow for this sort of thing but since we're friends and all, I'm doing you this favor."

"Thank you." he replied.

Rarity eyed him closely as he carefully pulled the shirt on over his still damp torso. She handed ApplePie back to him.

"You two get comfortable in the parlor, I have something for the little one"

BigMac did as instructed. He sat down on the sofa in front of the fireplace. Holding ApplePie again calmed him a bit, and Rarity's home was familiar. He felt safe. A few minutes passed and he was surprised to see Rarity arrive with a bassinet.

"It used to be SweetieBell's" she explained. BigMac eyed it for a moment, not wanting to part with his daughter. "Come now little one time for bed" Rarity cooed as she took the filly from her father yet again and placed her in the bassinet. BigMac just stared numbly. Rarity took a seat next to him and absently rocked the cradle with one hoof as she addressed him.

"So you care to tell me what in Celestia's name is going on?"

BigMac was silent.

"Darling what have I said before about communication" Rarity scolded irritably.

"Marble and I had a fight." he replied like a little colt who just got caught stealing a cookie.

"Is that all?" Rarity laughed. "And here I thought something horrible had happened."

"Darn it Rarity this is horrible!" BigMac snapped.

Rarity was taken aback by this as she stared into his furious eyes. After a moment he relaxed and buried his face in his hooves. "Ahm Sorry ah didn't mean ta yell."

"That's quite alright dear." Rarity soothed as she rubbed little circles on his back. "I'm sure whatever it is it's not near as bad as you think."

"You don't understand." He insisted. "We ain't never fought once."

He looked up at Rarity a moment, "And you remember what happened last time we fought?"

Rarity grew stern with him and lifted his chin to eye level, "Now you listen here," her yes burned into him and he wanted desperately to pull away. "That was then, this is now. I'm not going to let you give up this time."

He swatted her hoof away, "Ya'll say that like Ah was the one who cut it off!" He replied with anger.

"Now is not the time for hoof pointing!"

"Well who am Ah supposed to blame!"

The room grew quiet. For a while neither spoke just sat there. After a few minutes Rarity got up to light a fire in the fireplace.

"Ah'm married Rarity, Ah got a daughter and a whole family back home..." BigMac lamented as he buried his face in his hooves again. Rarity sat back down next to him once she got a nice fire going. "So why do Ah feel so alone...?"

Rarity gave a deep sad sigh. "Just because you're in a crowd doesn't mean you'll always be happy."

BigMac looked over at the little sleeping filly in the bassinet. "What was it you two were fighting about?" Rarity asked.

"Aw nuthin' important. She's been a might worked up lately and Ah ain't got a clue as to why. She just started snappin' at Granny about spices or some such an I took er aside cause that ain't called fer ya know..." He turned to Rarity for approval.

"Of course," Rarity assured.

"An she went and told AJ ah hit er."

"You hit her!" Rarity Replied with shock.

"No! course Ah didn't!" BigMac defended. "Ah raised mah voice at er and she over reacted." BigMac sighed and hung his head. "Mare's been actin' crazy for moths and it just keeps gettin' worse."

"So Why, of all the things you could have done, did you trudge through a thunderstorm, with your daughter, to here of all places?"

"Ah didn't know what else to do Rarity Ah panicked" he admitted. "Ya'll always were a good friend ta me."

Rarity sighed and cuddled up next to him to watch the fire. "Well as soon as this storm passes we'll head right back to Sweet Apple Acres and straiten this whole mess out."

They sat in silence watching the flames. BigMac's anxiety started to fade. Rarity was right. Tomorrow they would fix all this and life would resume as normal. After sometime Rarity had migrated to resting her head in his lap. BigMac rubbed the soft texture of her night gown under his hoof absentmindedly.

"Remember when you first got me to sing for the pony tones." BigMac mused.

"Sometimes I wonder if Flutters handled it better" Rarity teased.

"Hey!"

"Oh I knew you'd just love it though, but honestly dear you really should start expressing yourself more often."

Rarity thought for a moment, "You remember our first date?"

"Eyup"

"We rode the farris wheel together and I had that gaudy perm," Rarity laughed, "and you had a hat. You lost it that day and we never did get it back." she rolled over giggling. She was looking up at him now, her bath robe had slipped open exposing that little red babydoll and everything underneath it. Her mane was wrapped up in curlers and she wasn't wearing any makeup, but she still looked just as beautiful by the firelight. Her eyes sparkled innocently as she smiled up at him. He smiled back. He lost his virginity to her all those years ago, although he had always suspected it hadn't been her first time. He asked her once about it and she simply told him. "A lady doesn't kiss and tell."

For a moment in the comfort of her home, with her beautiful body sprawled out in front of him, he wondered why they ever broke up in the first place.

"You alright dear?" Rarity asked.

BigMac shook the the thought away, "Eyup." He smiled at her and wrapped his arms around her in a sweet embrace.

"I'm glad, everything will be better in the morning I promise."

"Eyup."

Author's Note:

Tried to one shot this whole story in a night unsuccessfully. This'll probably be 3 chapters or so. I write comics for a small independent studio and I'm trying to get the hang of writing traditionally, but it's been very difficult since I'm used to visual storytelling. So in other words critiques are appreciated.