A Red and Yellow Affair

by Horsegirl123

Chapter 4

Perspective: Big Macintosh

Big Macintosh walked through the orchard with Fluttershy by his side. She was intently listening on his rambling about his apples or Applebloom or how AJ had been riding him hard about sales this quarter. Fluttershy just smiled and nodded politely. Big Mac shot her a thankful smile to show he appreciated an ear.

He really, really liked this mare. More so than any other he'd ever spent time with. He wanted to ask her to have dinner with him sometime, maybe try a relationship. But Celestia knows he is as shy as Rainbow Dash is confident. He hoped the chance would reveal itself when the time was right, but who knows when that would be.

The pegasus and crimson farm pony walked together in unfilled silence. Sometimes they would exchange glances, smile, and look to their respective sides of the dirt path. They were nearing the end of the orchard row, and Big Mac knew that Fluttershy would be leaving now. He hoped for a miracle, hoped, and hoped, and hoped….

"Oh! What the… Ah!" squeaked Fluttershy. Rain started pouring before you could say "apple pie". Now was his chance.

"Ugh, Miss Fluttershy? Your house is awfully fall from the farm. Would ya'll like to wait out the rain in mah home?" Big Mac winced from the rain spearing his skin like knives raining down from Celestia's sky.

"That sounds lovely, if you don't mind." Fluttershy turned a little red, but when she looked into Big Mac's eyes, she relaxed her tense shoulders and her frightened eyes softened.

"Eeyup." The two ponies raced toward the house, which gladly, wasn't far at all. The screen door slammed behind them as they panted in the living room, awakening Granny Smith with a snort.

"What? Who? Who's there?" Granny Smith looked around for her glasses, not realizing, again, that they were atop her head.

"Its meh Granny. And Fluttershy, one of AJ's friends. She's waitin' out the rain."

Granny Smith's eyes adjusted to the magnified image of Fluttershy and Big Mac standing in the living room before her as she pulled her glasses over her eyes. "Why, you found yur' self a mighty fine lookin' mare, there Mac." Fluttershy blushed deeply, and Big Mac's cheeks burned up. Well, that was awkward. "But she needs some meat on those bones. Here, let meh make a roast. Yur tastebuds will be dancin' all through the night when you taste mah cookin! Big Mac rubbed the back of his neck and felt little sweat droplets forming. Fluttershy was laughing about the incident, and he was so glad she could take a joke like that.

The two chowed down while Granny Smith watched proudly, seeing her cooking being gobbled down like that. Well, Big Mac was the only one doing the gobbling. He sure was hungry after a long day of work. Fluttershy gently nibbled at her roast; daintily but quickly. Her eyes lit up with every bite, and she was surely enjoying herself. The rain pattered hardily on the tin roof, making their chewing inaudible.

As Fluttershy and Big Mac helped Granny cleanup, a huge clap of thunder vibrated the room. "EE!" squealed Fluttershy as the plate she was drying crashed to the ground. "Oh my goodness. I am so sorry!" She bent down to clean up her mess, when another boom of thunder erupted. Her knees looked like they folded into themselves, as she dropped to the floor and covered her head with her hooves. Her tail wrapped around her hind legs tightly as she shivered on the tile floor of the Apple's kitchen. Granny Smith, off in her own little world, didn't even notice. Big Macintosh walked over to the frightened mare and held out a hoof so she could stand up. Once she was up, they both looked out the small, rectangular kitchen window. The rain was coming down harder then it had all spring. The thunder and lightning were going at a consistent rate. Was that a spark on an apple tree? Few! Just a unicorn shutting her door in the distance. It was unsaid yet obvious that Fluttershy would not be able to go home tonight.

"Miss Fluttershy, yur, ah, welcome to stay the night if you wish." Big Mac out on a comforting smile as to soothe the shaken mare.

"Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you! I didn't want to impose, but I really was dreading walking home in that storm. I don't know if you can tell, but I'm awfully afraid of thunder." Fluttershy hid her eyes behind a thick strand of hair, as Big Mac led her down the hall. She could sleep in is room, it's polite to give the guest the best. He would sleep on the couch in the living room.

The Apple family went to their respective rooms. Big Mac grabbed a quilt off the bureau with his teeth and pulled it over himself. He lit the fireplace up to keep him warm, because these storms bring awfully cold nights.

Big Macintosh quickly drifted off to sleep. The fire warmed his body, and his dreams of Fluttershy danced in his head as he drifted into a deep slumber.

Mac was awakened with a slight poke of the hoof on his poll (top of his head). His eyes tiredly blinked open. It was still dark out, probably around two a.m. The storm was still going very strong, maybe even stronger than it was before he went to bed. The pegasus ponies had really outdone themselves tonight. A strike of lightning lit up the room, quickly illuminating the face of Fluttershy. She stood over him, front legs crossed, and looking down at the floor. Big Macintosh looked up, and his eyes shot to attention.

"Oh, I'm so, so sorry to wake you Big Mac, it's just that, I, uh…" Fluttershy couldn't finish her sentence. Big Mac saw the fear and uncertainty in her eyes, and he instantly knew. He spread out the blanket so she could lay down. He put it so she would be about four feet away from him; he didn't want it to be to awkward. But, then, Fluttershy cuddled up right into the curve of his stomach. She nestled her head in between her front legs, and breathed out. Another strike of lightning, followed by a particularly loud boom of thunder, shook the room. Fluttershy squealed in fright, and Big Mac put a hoof over her shoulder. Her tense muscles instantly relaxed when his hood settled over her. Her fur was silky smooth, yet soft as a bunny.

Big Macintosh stayed up the rest of the night, watching over the sleeping pegasus that was nestled into his body. When she squirmed in fear in her sleep, he'd stroke her wind or her mane, not even thinking about being sexual in the slightest. He comforted her until the early hours of the morning, when his eyes as well started to heavily drift into slumber.