Like a family
-by Sindal
Caramel kept himself still…as still as he could possibly manage. The effort alone was still making his body quiver ever so gently. It was funny how one would notice their body always twitching when you were deliberately trying to keep still. The idea kept Caramel oddly fascinated as he peered at his front hooves, watching for the day he would find them settled in place, happy with life. He’d been starring like that for almost ten minutes. Eleven minutes ago he had quietly squatted down on a warm full sized pillow much too big for him. He kept quivering, quivering against a body dyed scarlet.
Quivering against Big Macintosh.
Mac was quiet as always as he sat. The pillow was big enough to cater to his size and was a watery shade of blue to oppose his red fire coat. It was placed near the corner of Mac’s room so if he were to glance up, he would see everything in it. His bed was on the other side, as was the door and the entire room was almost lonely the way it didn’t jump out at you. An open window was nearby, letting in the afternoon rays in the room while overlooking the barn. A small stand was opposite, holding some items while Smarty Pants sat doing her homework diligently.
Now twelve minutes ago, Caramel had timidly nudged the door open to peer inside. There Mac had been, staring at the ground where an open book lay. They exchanged soft greetings with smiles and Mac shifted a bit on the plush to make room. So began Caramel’s focus of his own twitching and wonders if Mac could feel them too, silly as the idea was.
…
By the sixteenth minute, Caramel grew too curious “Hey Mac?”
“Hmm?” was the reply, an eye turning from the pages to his coltfriend attentively.
“What cha reading?” The beige pony asked.
“To kill a mocking bird.”
“Oh…”
There was a short pause in the air…the air that smelt only of hay, earth and Mac himself. Caramel snorted a bit, then sniffed at it, wondering if Mac had been lying when he said he was starting to smell Caramel in his room. What would he know about what he smelt like at all? It might have been easier and more humorous if he smelt of his name sake, and Caramel couldn’t smell toffee apples. As the beige pony contemplated smells, his eyes feel on Macintosh again. Thoughts contemplated in his mind to disturb further. Good old curiosity was victor of that war.
“What’s it about?” Caramel piped up, feeling his mate’s eyes on him once more.
“A bunch of ponies bein’ right un-neighbourly to one another for a long spell.” He rumbled back.
The other stallion took the answer in and tried to elaborate on it. Mac tended to give short one line summaries of the books he read. ”Un-neighbourly” could be anything from not saying your ‘how do you dos’ in the morning to mass mystery murder. The title inspired the latter in Caramel’s head. Maybe someone’s bird died.
“Why mocking birds then?” Caramel inquired further.
“S’not right to harm em” Macintosh hadn’t looked back at the book just yet. He knew by now Caramel had questions.
“Why not?”
“They dun make no trouble, just sing.”
“Oh…”
Caramel watched as Mac’s eyes eventually trailed back to the printed pages. It had not been the first time for him to catch the thick burly stallion in his little reading corner. Only his family would have seen it, as he didn’t read anywhere else. It was an oddly fitting, but yet still out of place, hobby to think Big Macintosh entertained in his spare time. Many would think he toiled the fields till the sun clocked its shift out, pulling every muscle to work instead of just his eyes. Still, Caramel was fond of the easter egg he had found, for he was welcomed into it so happily. Each day he had found it, which still wasn’t too often, the day was surely spent watching Mac read from one side of a book to the other. Or, at least try to do so while Caramel interjected his questions. After a while though it always lapsed into silence, and a content cuddle was had between them. As cosy as always, today was like any other before it.
“Why would they hurt birds then?”
Mac’s eyes slowed darted up again. The attention shift was quick, but the motion itself was slowed. “Was a long while back. Ponies were mighty different.”
“Oh…” Caramel murmured for the third time that evening. Usually he’d hit about six of them by the time the evening was done, when words weren’t enough expressions of emotions anymore. But of course, that was just another reason why Caramel enjoyed reading day.
Mac’s eyes did not trail back to his book. Caramel noticed and Mac noticed Caramel noticing with a lazy grin “I’m sorry…I’ll keep quiet. Promise.”
“Anything else Mel?”
The smaller stallion blinked a bit. Mac had never asked that question in their little read sessions. He rubbed his chocolate mane as he felt a guilty pang inside him, hoping he hadn’t ruined the free time for Mac “Well…”
“Go on. I’m listenin’ Mel” Mac encouraged.
“What does birds got to do with ponies being unneighbourly anyway?”
Mac turned his gaze from the book to a contemplative stare out the open window, letting in fresh air to his opened room. It was such a vacant seeming room that openly invited you in as if calling to be filled with some life for it to engage with its modest living and southern hospitality. The rays of the sun were starting to fade ever so slightly along the floor and Caramel stared at it too, the answer maybe within the light. Then Mac spoke, clear and rumbling with resonance “Mel…you ever get blamed or judged for something you can’t help all that much?”
Caramel nodded definitely. Who hadn’t?
“Like what?”
“Everypony thinks I’m a clutz…or I’m forgetful” Caramel mumbled out begrudgingly, his face making a frown.
“Can you help that?”
“Um…” Caramel’s face turned sheepishly to look at his hooves again. He tried again to make them stop quivering, but they never did, as expected “Maybe…” he said with a little playfully shy grin.
Mac chuckled at how cute his coltfriend’s indecisiveness made him. Such small things made Caramel a handsome fella “Suppose that somepony…” the larger stallion paused to think of a scenario, tapping his chin “…forgot ta bring something ta work ‘n stole that thing from you. You’d be the one without that thing wouldn’t cha? Even though you brought your own, ponies might just say you’re just forgetful, and you end up losing a job for it. It ain’t right is it?”
Caramel shook his head.
“That’d make you a mockingbird.”
Caramel piped up insistently “But I can’t sing at all” he said, not meaning to sound dense but ending up so.
Big Macintosh broke out into another slow chuckle, each answer more amusing to him than the next. He loved it so dearly, he would tell himself, how Caramel did that. It was just too easy to smile with Caramel asking his funny questions “You don’t’ need ta sing Mel. Ponies smile at you for other reason, reasons just as good as singing.”
Caramel traced the curved line that was Mac’s smile with his eyes. Mac noticed again, making the smile shift to a pleased grin. He already sensed the denying excuse on his Caramel’s tongue and quickly cut past it “I dun smile this wide when you’re away Caramel.” His straw like mane in the dimming light gave his face, and smile, a gentle feature.
The rebuttal shrunk and hid while Caramel searched his brain for a diversion. He wasn’t going to blush yet. Not yet. Just a little bit longer at least. “So…uh…somepony was being judged?”
“Earth pony. Ain’t got one of his legs ta boot. Couple unicorns going on ‘n blaming him for something he can’t do” Mac’s lips soured a tad at that remark, reminding himself of a crueler world “Shouldn’ta gotten away with it neither, but back then blinkers were on ponies all the time.”
“That’s horrible…” Caramel said “…Did that stuff really happen back then?”
Big Macintosh nodded solemnly. The lack of wheat straw in his mouth added to the serious feature, not there to bob lazily as his head moved “Happened all the time. Before Equestria was founded, ponies didn’t really see eye to eye much. The pegasi didn’t bother tryin, Unicorns felt they were royalty…n earth ponies got the short stick.” Mac paused, Caramel staring at him rather intently as he mmmm’d in his train of thought “You ‘n me probably couldn’ta been together even.”
Caramel would admit he didn’t care much of history or any past of Ponyville. He did know, however, that it was usually filled with a lot of bad things. It sounded as awful as always, but something about it was interesting in a way. He might just ask Whooves about it. His family knew all about history for some reason.
Mac added quietly on the end “Ain’t no pony touching ma mocking bird” he said, letting a fond lick slide slowly across the smaller stallion's cheek . Caramel resisted a giggle and leaned to plant his own lick gingerly on the opposite cheek. They pressed their damp cheeks against one another to drink in the moment. Moments like these were something Caramel knew he was lucky to have now. “I don’t want to be a mocking bird if it hurts you Mac.”
“There you go making me smile again.” Came the warm affectionate rumbling.
“Shucks…” Caramel said bashfully. He’d been trying to break out of the shyness, but Mac never stopped being a sweetheart. It was like trying to fight a big bear that wanted to cuddle instead. The beige pony looked down and noticed the forgotten book of more serious times. It lay there so innocently as Caramel avoided Mac’s enduring face.
“Will you read to me?” Caramel asked gingerly, genuinely interested in the sad tale of the past.
Big Macintosh looked at the book like it had come suddenly from the ether. He nudged it closer to his coltfriend “I’m pretty far in…”
“Doesn’t matter” was Caramel’s reply.
Mac face held a grin on his lips but his face became focused again. He scanned the pages trying to find where he had stopped. Caramel noticed that Mac began with the last line of a chapter “Calpurnia was making her way down the middle aisle…”
Big Macintosh had a clear and slow reading style. Each word resounded in Caramel’s ears, giving each one meaning. Whether that was how he read all the time, or just out loud Caramel didn’t know. It wasn’t monotonous though. Caramel latched onto the story driven by the noises Mac could make. The tale of this ghoul unicorn, and snooty unicorns blaming cripples. It was not until he heard somepony at the door did he guess why Mac read like that.
Applebloom scooted into the room after asking she could. She asked what was going on, Mac nudged his head to the book. She demanded to be read to as well, and Mac told her to find a different book. She pouted almost immediately.
“Why can’t I hear the one y’all are reading?” she asked as if her rights were being compromised “I’m grown up enough for it, I swear I am.”
Mac opened his mouth to reason with his sister, but Caramel caught him off faster “The book is almost done Applebloom. You wouldn’t know head or tail on what was going on. It’s really old too, really old boring stuff that grandparents talk about at functions.”
She seemed to accept this reasoning. She hated having to hear something start with the equally time old phrase ‘back in my day’. An idea struck her “If I find a book, will you read it to me Uncle Caramel?”
Uncle Caramel…
She’d started calling him that ever since the news had broken. She seemed too happy to as well. For some reason Applebloom had become rather fond of her dear Uncle Caramel, and he did not have a cooking clue why “Sure thing.”
Mac watched his little sister triumphantly scurry out on a mission for child friendly literature. He’d watched his family grow used to Caramel’s presence in their lives. Apple jack had been friendly throughout while Granny had been a bit disappointed at first, but she came around to the idea when she saw how Caramel tried to be around the farm. “A real hard worker, just how the Apples have always liked them” she would say to her relatives in the upcoming family events. Applebloom just adored her Uncle Caramel.
“Bet you’d be right fine to handle foals about, if we could have em.”
Caramel had to blush at the tease. Any feminine quality he had always got to him when highlighted, by anypony really. It’s what everypony already thought of him anyway, compared to Mac. It wasn’t that he didn’t have them or that he was ashamed of them but was more because of how noticeable they became when he stood alongside his coltfriend “Your family has enough of them to care for as it is…”
“Eeyep” Mac cooed and leaned in, putting a leg around Caramel’s neck and nuzzling the mane on his forehead out of the way, to leave a kiss at the exposed spot. Caramel’s eyes closed in longing as the kiss accompanied itself with a few more nuzzles against his face, and he did his best to reciprocate.
A soft but long “Aww” echoed from the doorway. The couple looked to find Applebloom just as they had found her before in Mac’s doorway, just with a girlish wonder in her eyes. It must have been almost like a fairy tale to her, seeing her stoic prince of brother in love…and not the sickening kind she once witnessed.
“Where’s ya book?” Mac asked, jolting her to life.
She skipped her way timidly back in the room, explaining herself quickly “Wellllll…I ran to find Sweetie bell and Scootaloo but I can’t find em. Sweetie Bell’s got the book I wanted you to read.”
“That’s a pity” Caramel said, hoping he didn’t sound too happy.
“So I was wondering…” the young filly led on as if to take care how she asked her favors “If you’d make a story for me?”
Caramel watched both sets of eyes fall on him expectantly. He sighed a long sigh and rubbing his hoof through his mane again at the request. “I’ll try Applebloom…”
The filly sat herself down in front of them, no doubt adding another good point to Caramel’s score as a useful adult to have around, as Caramel wracked his brain to try and vaguely remember any childhood story he’d been told as a colt. He never got many of them, and if he did he’d fall asleep too fast. The two apples continued looking as he eventually announced “Alright, I think I got one.”
The beige pony launched into a tale of a fox and bear, who found friendship and comfort in one another during a rainy evening by staying closely huddled up together, even though the fox was scared of the bear at first, and learnt the important lesson of not judging those based on appearances and instead for what they really are. Apple bloom had listened to the tale with apt attention and giggled as both he and Mac gave a small visual aid along the way. Caramel’s hoof was the fox and Big Mac was the bear. They rubbed their hoofs together, to emulate cuddling while Caramel blew over the hooves, trying to make a windy evening. By the end of the tale, the young girl was quite happy indeed. So happy and innocence, she blurted out “When are ya gonna marry uncle Caramel brother?”
The question shattered the room’s cozy hum , as both stallions looked at one another with unsure glances. Caramel’s blush decided it was time to return while Macintosh rubbed the back of his head slowly as his mate had moments before. Neither was quite sure how to answer. Neither wanted to admit that ‘We’re not going to’ was not the answer either wanted to say. Mac found his voice first, ironically “Why you asking?”
“He’s practically family already Mac. Why not just make it official!”
Mac struck blank, so Caramel took over as quickly as he could formulate an answer “I don’t need to marry your brother to be your Uncle Caramel, Applebloom” he reached out and ruffled her mane till the bow became lopsided “I wouldn’t even be your uncle Caramel anymore if we got married. I’d be your brother-in-law.”
“But it’s so perfect!” She protested on. Caramel wondered what else she demanded on a daily basis. But then again she was a child; the world owed her education and explanations after all. No matter how annoying or tiring it may be to do so.
“Now Applebloom…” Caramel began as he reached up and pulled the bow from her mane, reweaving it back into it with surprising grace “If your brother decided to marry me one day, he’ll do it at his own pace and when he feels it’s the right time.” Bow fresh and poised in her mane, Applebloom chalked up another perk of having him around to her list as he listened “You know he doesn’t rush much about anything.”
“But!”
“Applebloom…” Mac raised his voice and gave his sister a stern glance. Her tongue retracted as she back stepped away from her crossed boundary best she could. Her head hung a bit, emphasizing the pout she sported.
“Don’t look down Applebloom” Caramel murmured in a voice that juxtaposed Mac’s. “If we do get married, which may or may not happen someday, you’re definitely going to be my first mare, deal?”
“Promise?” Applebloom slowly looking up, keeping up her pout in case it was a rouge.
“Promise”
The filly cheered up at the idea of being first mare. She bounced out the room no doubt to dream a fantastic scene of a wedding with candles and music and flowers and designer hay. Both stallions sighed as she disappeared out the doorway. The departure wasn’t soon enough for either of them “Whew…next thing ya know she’ll be askin where fouls come from.”
“Applejack can tell her that.” Caramel said, stifling a giggle at the thought “…Sorry for ruining your reading time.”
“It ain’t no bother Mel.” He tapped his hoof under his grin while Caramel gave him a confused glance. “You’d make a fine Miss Maudie too, helping our lil Scout that way.”
Caramel held another laughing snort down, and nudged the larger stallion “You’d have to be Atticus then.”
“I ain’t that great.”
“You’re neighborly enough, willing to protect Mocking birds and all” the beige stallion twisted his voice to try and sound more Applosian “I reckon it sounds perfect ta me.”
“Hush you” Mac chuckled at the display, rubbing his hoof along the other’s folded foreleg.
“You started it” Caramel retorted, grinning and seemingly having a little too much fun.
They lay grinning at each other like colts, side by side and partner in arms on the playground. Two colts that were up to know good and everypony knew it too well. It was in their smiles and the glint in their eyes. The way the open window now cast the early night into the open room filled it mystique. Caramel could no longer just feel the tremors of his cells, as they broadcasted through his body. A side of either of their muzzles hid coyly behind the shadow of darkness and curtains of mane. One muzzle leaned forward, thick lips sticking to Caramel’s like a toffee apple in one moment. Caramel’s quivers became anew, his body relaxing in a wave of content, his open lips opening up and becoming playful. A head tilted, a strong arm tightened around the other in single motions. Tongues came out and greeted the other graciously as they fitted together like a puzzle of passion solving itself as slow as it could.
The kiss deepened and both made soft muffled whinnies of wanting. Louder wet slaps and slurps punctuated the quiet room as it warmed up to them. Their eyes were closed, the muscles in their mouths dancing and rolling off one another to paint every inch it could wet with saliva. Hot aroused huffs met Caramel's face in steamy puffs as that thick hoof pressed down on his mane, caressing it through his neck as thrills raced down his spine to every nerve in his body.
They broke apart with a pop, wet lipped and ruffled. The sparks of amour lingered in the air, tense and waiting for more but dispersed soon enough with the satisfied smiles of two stallions. The sparks knew they would return. They always returned later, so they laid in wait for the next flint at their fire.
Looking aside, Mac noticed the darkness pouring through the window and gingerly asked “Need me to walk you home or you stayin over?”
“Stayin.” No question about it.
“Glad to have you then.” Said Mac, obviously brightened by the decision as he stood up on his hooves. Scents of supper wafted faintly through the house and drew the pair towards family.
Caramel’s seat at the Apple family table was now established between Applebloom and Mac. His manners were as polite as they always were and Granny Smith liked that. It was a genuine politeness. Not the politeness some floozy spun on young stallions with dreams of the stars and money. Caramel meant the niceness his smiles conveyed. As Applebloom told her stories of the day to her favorite uncle he would smile good naturedly. He’d nod his head at attention and eat the mashed potatoes with gravy in a way she could see her grandson found cute.
…
They were still a family, differences and all. You could have sworn Caramel had been part of the table all along for years, came to every get together and wrote letters telling how their cousins were getting up to mischief and the biggest pie they ever did bake. The stallion already worked on their farm too; whenever a post was needed Mac always seemed to be able to call in beige worker pony without any trouble, long before anything had apparently been going on. Still…
The Apple family would be getting another pair of colt cuddlers. There had been a few here and there but most of them had left the farm and on to greater things. Things that gave them passion and flared up their cutie marks with what they truly wanted to do. This pair was the first pair that seemed to want to stay on the farm, or at least in the farming trade. Of course she could be wrong about that. She could be wrong about a lot of things, but she knew there was nothing wrong with Caramel. What two stallions could bring to a farm was better than what one could after all. She found herself wanting to see what honey could do to the branches of Mac’s leaves as they grew old together. She wanted to be alive to see it all. She counted the smiles around her, all four of them. The elder pony added herself promptly. Five smiles were a lot better than four. Each smile was a blessing and a brick in the family history, Granny Smith mused to herself.
So she closed her eyes and kept her grin as she ate her peas, almost excited to hear Applebloom announce that Caramel would be cooking for them soon.
Author's Note
(I separated the story because i don't really know how many more of these caramac's I'm gonna write, and some of them might turn a different edge in writing. Apologies if this is breaking a rule of upload but i didn't want to leave a gaping "Set of drable fics' story online when it may or may not be continued. Future stories might be longer too so yeah)
Otherwise than that, enjoys people
