A Basis of Shame

Caramel, in a rather amusing state of anxiety, found himself trotting every now and

again down the dirt path. His two friends kept a slow pace far behind, watching dust kick up every now and again with each miniature breakdown of the stallions already weak confidence.

"You think he's gonna choke?" Eiffel asked, tilting his head to the side as he watched

Caramel.

"I hope not," Big Mac answered with a sigh, "bout time he got a mare ta settle down

with."

"Yeah maybe......I need to find me a nice round one,"

Big Macintosh scoffed and made an amused face at the colt, "what?"

"Oh come on, you can't tell me you like a mare all skin and bone. Besides," Eiffel

paused to shrug his shoulders, "backseats gotta be comfortable right?"

Before Macintosh could answer the question Eiffel whirled around to face him and

confidently answered it himself.

"Right."

Macintosh reeled back from the snout he found firmly planted in his field of vision.

The stallion gave a small chuckle as Eiffel made his way back to his side of the road. He had to admit, the colt's passion for plot was to be admired.

"So be honest, which filly do you have your eye on?" Eiffel wiggled his brow, implying he

was expecting a more colorful answer.

"Mm....," Big Mac stared off in thought, working the wheat stalk in his lips. "I guess Miss

Pinkie would be nice ta take home.....

"Wha-- Pinkie Pie? The party pony? Well I mean sure she's pretty but it's like she never

runs out of energ--Oh! Ooooooohhhhh!" Eiffel laughed as he playfully slugged Macintosh in the arm. The red stallion cracked a sneaky smile of his own.

"I think I'm more into Mrs. Cake than anything," Eiffel flashed a grin that told the larger colt that he was fishing for shock. "Especially since she put on those extra pounds from the twins,"

Macintosh paused to adjust his wheat stalk so he could speak, giving Eiffel a doubting look.

"So ya mean ta tell me you'd go messin' round with a married mare?"

"Only if I'm sure I could appreciate her more than her stallion, and trust me--," Eiffel froze in place for effect and enunciated his words, " I can appreciate that mare."

"For the weight, or her cookin'?" Macintosh asked, knowing all too well how much the colt loved baked goods.

"Both of those things have a perfect place in my bedroom," Eiffel stated matter of factly, which earned him a hearty chuckle from Macintosh.

"Now that's somethin' I ain't heard since--,"

"We gotta go, NOW," Caramel cut Macintosh off as he attempted to whiz by, only to be stopped by a strong red forehoove clotheslining him off of his hooves. He grunted heavily as he landed hard in the dirt, dust settling into his eyes. His cousin, standing over him cracked his neck and exhaled a satisfied breath.

"I saw er' too Caramel, and you best be gittin' to talking to her," Macintosh stated gruffly.

Caramel turned his head up to see the bright yellow mare trotting towards them, her mane blowing in soft breeze just right....

"B-b-b-but I-I-" Caramel was cut off as Macintosh scooped his head under the colts belly and pushed him up off the ground.

"She ain't at work, an' she don't look busy. G'wan and talk to her," Big Mac said, this time sounding much more gentle. The stammering colt shook in place for a second, pleading with Macintosh for them to run away from the approaching mare. At least he'd have his dignity in not throwing up in front of the prettiest mare he had ever met.

"Jes go on and ask er' on a date, worst she can say is no," Macintosh said coaxingly, hoping for Caramel to calm down. The tan colt simply shook his head and made a gesture to leave-

"Hey miss Scoops!! Hey you got a minute?" Eiffel stood behind Big Macintosh waving down the mare. Caramel looked about ready to wet himself as Sweetcream waved back and doubled timed her trot towards them.

Eiffel walked forward to meet her, stopping for only a second to turn and give Caramel and Big Macintosh an exaggerated wink. Turning back he made a motion with his head to the side of his hoof, bringing back a slip of paper in his mouth that he laid upon the ground.

"My buddy Caramel was too shy to talk to you, so he made you a poem instead,"

Caramel's jaw dropped and he made a motion to rush forward to snatch the slip of paper away. However, he yet again became familiarized with a large red hoof as he once again ran face first into it.

"Caramel writes poetry? Oh I just knew he was the sensitive type. What kind of poem is it?" Sweetcream asked as she down on her belly to read, one hoof pushing a long pink strand of her mane from her eyes.

Caramel covered his eyes in his hooves, hoping to whatever deity that would listen that the slip of paper would suddenly shoot off with the breeze. However as he listened to the  mare's gasps he knew his luck had failed him yet again.

Macintosh adjusted his wheat stalk and chuckled as the mare's face bordered on the verge of tears.

"Oh Caramel! Y-you really think my voice sounds like a-," she stopped to sniff and look back at the paper, "- the echoing sighs of a garden in fresh morning sunlight?"

She dropped the paper and ran to clamber on top of the colt.

"Caramel you beautiful stallion! How could I ever turn you away??" The mare looped her forehooves about Caramel's shoulders and sniffled into his chest fur.

Eiffel made a gagging motion with his hoof.

"If you want....I could make you something to eat later?" The mare wiped her eyes with the edge of her hoof as she stood back up. Caramel, who had been laying back dumbfounded simply nodded his head and tried to fight the blush that was rising on his cheeks.

"8 sound good? Maybe you could....," Sweetcream stopped to look back into the colt's eyes, "write more for me?"

And with that, the mare stooped down to grab the poem in her mouth and shot off as fast as her legs would take her. Caramel propped himself up slowly, watching the mare run with the setting sun highlighting her fur in just the right way. The three sat in silence for several minutes before Eiffel broke it.

"You know I knew it would go over well, but I didn't expect her to want to marry you after the first two minutes. What did you write in that poem?"

Caramel whirled around, a look of sheer disbelief adorning his features.

"Y-you didn't even know what was written on it!?" The tan colt leapt up and charged head first at Eiffel, colliding with his rear and sending him stumbling.

"I just grabbed one from your dresser when you weren't looking. I was gonna slip it to her if you chickened out!" Eiffel shouted as he leapt out of the way of another tackle. Caramel stopped to roughly pull at his own mane.

"You idiot! There were inappropriate ones in that stack! What if she saw that?" Caramel leapt again, this time making his mark and landing on top of the blue stallion.

"Oof! Y-you can make poetry out of, what her plot? Wow.....ow!" Eiffel cried out as Caramel's hooves fished about for his throat. Luckily Macintosh settle a hoof between the two and pushed Caramel away, giving Eiffel a cheeky smile.

"Yunno cousin, ya really ought ta go get some flowers for her afore the shops close fer the night," Macintosh gestured with a hoof back towards Ponyville. Caramel cursed under his breath and nodded quickly, sprinting off to Roseluck's shop.

Macintosh helped the blue colt up and dusted off his back.

"He'll git over it, he'd a' backed out if it weren't fer you finding that poem,"

"I might have lied when I said I grabbed one at random. I've read each one--apparently her backside reminds him of banana ice cream scoops," Eiffel smiled widely at Macintosh, clearly quite pleased with himself.

"Did ya happen ta grab that un' too?" Macintosh asked hopefully. Eiffel whipped a piece of paper, this one more wrinkled, seemingly from empty space behind his back.

"Rrrriiight here!" Eiffel and Macintosh nodded to each other before both raced of back to Sweet Apple Acres, intent of reading just what Caramel thought of his new girlfriend's hindquarters.

Three weeks had passed since Caramel earned Sweetcream's heart. Three weeks of nothing but manual labor on Macintosh's end, as his only close guy friend was now a taken stallion. As he wiped sweat from his brow he briefly wondered whatever happened to Eiffel, the friend he had met through Caramel only two months ago. He had seen not hide nor hair of the pony since he and Macintosh read Caramel's little ice cream fetish poem all those nights ago.

He let his plow collar fall to the ground, shaking beads of sweat from his neck as he did so, and watered over to the fence where a towel hung waiting for him. He swung it neatly about his neck as he wandered around to the side of he barn where a small water trough had been placed for him.

Dipping the towel into the cold liquid, he set about wiping himself down. Normally the stallion would just settle for a bath but dinner would not be served at home that night. Granny and the girls had taken off to visit the Oranges (of course leaving him with work) and promised him he could visit by himself for a week at the end of summer. Meaning of course he would either have to cook or go to town for a bite to eat.

Town sounded much more preferable than dishes.

A short walk later found him in Ponyville, the dying afternoon sun ushering ponies into their houses where they shined warm welcoming lights from their windows. Insects chirped in the distance, clearly enjoying the summer warmth in the lush grasses in Ponyville. Macintosh had to admit, he enjoyed the white noise in the summer nights. It made sleep come easily to the large work horse.

A bit further down from Sugarcube Corner were the handful of restaurants that made their business in Ponyville. The thought of the Eastern noodle soup dishes made his stomach rumble happily, a pleasure he indulged in once every other week. Of course the fried rice was also on his mind, a dish he decided he'd order as a side.

As Macintosh was deciding on the drink he would order, he spotted a familiar blue pony sitting on his rump just outside his target restaurant. He appeared to be counting money in his bit bag, no doubt hesitant about walking into the shop or not.

"Evenin' Eiffel!" Macintosh called as he trotted up next to the blue colt.

"Well look who's alive! Where've you been man?" Eiffel stowed his bit bag away and lightly punched Macintosh's shoulder.

"Where else? Ya seen Caramel lately?" Macintosh asked, curious as to whether or not it was just he who had not seen his cousin in weeks.

"Pffft....no. We were supposed to hang out last Tuesday but he blew me off. Guess he'll be getting married anytime now," Eiffel stood up slowly, shaking his back legs like they had fallen asleep.

"Sure sounds like it...you goin' in ta eat?" Macintosh reached a hoof out and opened the door, holding it open for the colt.

"Nah, I'm a bit light on bits this week. I'm probably just gonna settle for some hay back home," Eiffel shrugged and gave a lazy grin.

"C'mon," Macintosh gestured with a flick of his head toward the inside of the shop. "I'll pay fer ya, I could use the company,"

"Wwwwwweeeeellllll," Eiffel gave the stallion a look before he rolled his eyes. "Aw why not, I'm bored anyway,"