The sway of the tall beams of grass before Big Macintosh’s eyes caused him to whinny. He looked down at his hoof and stared at the long, flat gray rock that he held. He turned it over and saw that it was indeed flat. He blinked his eyes slowly before closing them, taking in a deep breath as he walked slowly to the side.

“I don’t think an angle is gonna help you, Mac,” The voice of Caramel tried to insist. He sounded like he was on the verge of giggling, which only caused the workhorse to feel his cheeks grow warm. He opened his eyes again and stared out into the vast lake that rippled each time a small insect landed on it. Beyond the lake he could see trees and the setting twilight sun, though only the lake was his concern right now.

The workhorse lifted his hoof and drew it back. He had settled on a clear spot that rested on a bit of a cliff above the water. He took two small steps forward and then quickly retreated three steps back. He glanced behind his shoulder for just a moment to see the tan stallion cover his mouth with his hoof, likely concealing a smile. He grumbled softly under his breath.

Big Macintosh whipping his hoof and watched the rock fly from his grasp. It hit the water once and… sunk immediately. It splashed large and magnificent, like somepony jumping in with a cannonball. The sound of a splash caused Big Macintosh to groan loudly and fall straight down onto the earth. His body fell with enough force to vibrate the ground before he groaned again.

“Mac, you…” Caramel tried to speak.

“Quiet.” The steed stated. Caramel giggled softly and he felt his ears flatten against his head. He set his chin on the grass and stared out into the lake.

“You throw it wrong, you know,” Caramel said. Mac could see his hooves approach out of the corner of his eyes. He looked over to Caramel and saw that he was holding his own rock, one just a bit less jagged. “You used too big of a rock, too. It’s easier to use tiny ones, even if they aren’t as flat.”

Caramel lifted his hoof and tossed the rock. It seemed to fly like a frisbee, only skidding across the water with one, two, and three bounces before it finally sunk. Caramel giggled again, almost like he was enjoying his boyfriend’s annoyance.

“Sugarcube?” Mac spoke up. He looked up to the stallion with a blank expression. “Yer a show off.”

Caramel started giggling once more almost immediately. Mac looked out into the twilight setting sun once more and let a whinny past his lips. He rolled onto his back and stared at the lake upside down.

“You’re throwing it too strong!” Caramel crouched down beside Mac and bumped his body into the others. He pressed his lips down against Mac’s cheek and smirked softly. “You’re really getting annoyed about this, aren’t you?”

“Eeyup.” Big Macintosh stated. He bit on the inside of his cheek and stared out into the rippling water. He reached out his hoof and ripped up several blades of grass. He frowned and watched Caramel pick up yet another rock and toss it out. This time he managed to make it skip four times. He had this large, goofy smile on his face when he did so.

“Yer a real show off, ya know that?” Big Macintosh mumbled.

Caramel’s smile shrunk, it was subtle at first, but soon became more apparent. He looked out into the lake for a moment and then at Mac. He giggled, but when he did so his face turned a light shade of pink. “S-Sorry Mac… I shouldn’t tease you so much. Sorry…”

“Ah…” Big Macintosh sat up quickly. He opened his mouth briefly, but soon closed it before looking down at his own hooves. “Let’s stop this fer a bit. Ya don’t gotta apologize, Ah’m just bein’ grumpy.”

“Yeah, sor-” Caramel shut his mouth quickly before shaking his head and moving closer to Mac. He grasped Mac’s hoof in his own and tried to put on a smile, though Mac saw that it didn’t quite reach his eyes. His hoof was warm but not as strong as it usually was. “Let’s go back to the farm now, okay?

“Sugarcube…” Mac mumbled. Caramel looked away quickly when he pulled on the hoof. “C’mon, ya were havin’ fun. Ya still wanted ta go an’ walk at the park, didn’t ya?”

“I-I’m still having fun!” Caramel tried to argue, though Mac stared at his frown. He pushed aside his brown mane and tried to chuckle again, though it sounded more forced than before. His crystal blue eyes stared into Mac’s own, though the harder Mac stared the more frequently he glanced away. “It’s just… I’m tired, alright?”

“Ah’m sorry, Sugar,” Mac stated. Caramel’s eyes widened before he took two steps back and began shaking his head. “Ah didn’t mean ta sound upset. It’s just a dumb rock.”

“N-No, Mac that’s not what I mean!” Caramel’s raised his hoof and shook it in denial. “It’s just that… y-you’re…” He lowered his hoof slowly, but changed his mind when he brought it back to his chest. “I’m not better at stuff than you most of the time, I mean…”

“Huh?” Big Macintosh cocked his head to the side. Caramel looked down to his hooves before turning away towards the thick bracket of trees which they had emerged from earlier. There was a long silence between the two for a long time. Mac opened his mouth several times, telling himself this was the time he would say something to comfort his coltfriend, but each time he fell silent.

“Mac, c-can we just g-”

“Show me again.” The workhorse spoke up. Caramel finally looked up only to turn to Big Macintosh in mild bewilderment. Big Macintosh kept his face stone and emotionless when he reached to the ground and picked up a small rock half the size of the frog of his hoof. He held it out to the other pony.

“M-Mac, I...” Caramel tried to argue, but Big Macintosh simply shook his head. Caramel took the stone with a shaking hoof and stared out into the lake. He looked to Mac and the rock a few times before finally tossing it out. It was half hearted, but it still skipped two times. His ears instantly flattened against his head in response. “Sorry,” He mumbled.

“Don’t apologize.” Mac shook his head.

“Sor-” Caramel bit hard into his cheek.

“Yer good at workin’ on the farm.” Mac looked over to Caramel. Caramel glanced back to him with a small frown on his lips.

“It took you that long to come up with an answer?” Caramel questioned. He chuckled, but it sounded dry. “And you’re better at me than that… even fixing things up I’m bad at. I mean my cutie mark is about making stuff and fixing things and… I dunno.” He shrugged his shoulders. “You can cook better than I ever could… I probably got all chubby just because I didn’t know how to feed myself properly for so long.” He chucked but his face no longer even attempted to smile. “And you’re stronger and better with handling stress and…”

“Ah don’t handle stress well.” Mac frowned at Caramel.

“Yes you do!” Caramel argued. He took a step forward towards Mac and pointed out to the lake. “Y-You don’t get upset over something stupid like rock skipping. You just stay quiet and don’t let things bother you and… And don’t think stupid things like this…”

“Ya like talkin’ things out, though,” Mac frowned at Caramel. “Ah just try ta ignore it. Yer better at talkin’ in general… Ah can’t think of what ta say half the time and just get frustrated if Ah try… Ya really think ya aren’t good at doing things?”

“I don’t… I don’t know…” Caramel mumbled softly. He shot his eyes down and stared at his hooves. He bit hard into his lip and soon began to rub angrily at his eye. “Everypony knows who you are in town. You help ponies and fix things for ponies all the time… I’m just… some stallion who follows you around all the time.”

“Yer my boyfriend,” Big Macintosh stated. He took another step forward and watched Caramel’s crystal blue eyes widen. The tan stallion seemed to dig his teeth further into his lip. “Ya ain’t just some stallion ta me… Ah don’t love ya because ya…”

The workhorse sighed loudly. He quickly plopping himself down on the grass and swished his tail out of frustration. He could feel a burning in the center of his chest that was becoming increasingly difficult to control.

“Why do you like me?” Caramel questioned. The question was sudden and caught Big Macintosh off guard. He closed his eyes soon after asking it and held his breath. “I’m not… attractive like you are. I’m not strong or stable or anything either.”

“Ah…” Big Macintosh opened his mouth, though found it hard to speak with his chest burning like it was. He looked out onto the lake and stared at the sky, already turning dark with fading twilight. “Yer… Yer my best friend, Sugarcube. Yer the first pony who didn’t think Ah’d be quiet and cold… ya never said anythin’ when Ah stopped bein’ like that all the time. Ya don’t judge me. Ah can open up ta ya.” Mac bit into his lip and stared at Caramel. He took a hesitant step forward and reached out his hoof to touch Caramel’s face. The stallion flinched, but didn’t pull away.

“Yer loud with yer feelings,” The workhorse frowned softly before pressing his lips down to Caramel’s nose. “Ah can’t… It’s easier ta just cuddle ya and kiss ya an’ hope ya get the message.” He knew his face was redder than usual. “Ya ain’t… thick like me. Ah don’t wanna screw up what Ah say so ah just say it outright. Ya can talk ta ponies naturally even if Ah can’t… Ah know ya get uncomfortable when Ah’m so direct all the time.”

“Mac,” Caramel mumbled softly. He lifted his own hoof and pressed it against Mac’s own. He kissed Mac’s hoof softly before he closed his eyes. Mac could feel his breath while he slowly breathed in and out. “I don’t get… I mean I wish… I want to be direct like you sometimes. It feels like nothing bothers you all the time… But I still love you… a lot, actually.”

Caramel craned out his neck and pressed his lips to Mac’s own. Mac smiled softly in response, and Caramel couldn’t help but giggle. The way Caramel giggled through the kiss only made Mac press harder until Caramel had to turned his head, only to let Mac kiss his cheek.

“Ya know what else yer good at?” Mac questioned. “Bein’ on top.”

“Mac!” Caramel cried out. “I am not!”

“Yer real good with that leash, sir.” Mac smiled widely.

“Ahh, shut up!” Caramel covered his face with both hooves to hide his rapidly spreading blush. “I’m not listening!”

“Ya were wonderin’” Mac chuckled. He pressed his hooves to either of Caramel’s sides and pulled him closer. “Yer better at kissin’ too… ya were real bad at that at the start. But ya got real good at it real quick.”

“Okay, okay shut up!” Caramel looked like he was trying with simply all his might to stop smiling, though Mac’s constant prodding of the subject kept it plastered on his face.

“Yer better with Winona, animals in general actually. Sometimes yer better with Applebloom,” Mac shook his head slowly.

“W-What, no I’m not!” Caramel shook his head and backed away from Mac. “You’re crazy.”

Big Macintosh shrugged his shoulders in response and stared out onto the lake. “She’s already callin’ ya Uncle Caramel. She asked me last week when ya’d be my husband, actually.”

“S-She… She uh… y-yeah…” Caramel coughed loudly into his hoof. Mac smiled at him and trotted next to him to swish his tail across Caramel’s face while he passed.

“Yer special Caramel… not just ta me, but in general.” Mac chuckled. He bent over and picked up a stone to stare at it. “Ya don’t gotta act like some dumb rock skippin’ is all yer worth… Ah wouldn’t have ever thought ‘bout havin’ a boyfriend before ya, much less one Ah love so much. Ya taught me a lot ‘bout how ta open up.” Mac scratched behind his head and sighed loudly. “Even if it’s only ta ya.”

“Mac…” Caramel took several steps forward. Mac lifted his hoof and tossed the stone. It hit the water and… splashed. Caramel’s muscles tightened when he looked over to Mac, but the workhorse simply was chuckling.

“Ah say ya still got a thing or two ta teach me.” Mac picked up another rock and held out his free hoof in Caramel’s direction. “Wanna help me, Sugarcube? Ah ain’t gonna get grumpy again, Ah swear.”

Caramel stared at the hoof for several moments, as if unsure or hesitant if he should take it. He looked out to the twilight sky briefly and then to Mac. Mac smiled softly, and was pleased to see one hit Caramel’s face in return. Caramel planted his hoof in the grasp of Mac’s own and roped him closer with a playfully rough pull.

“O-Okay, okay I’ll show you!” Caramel laughed when he landed on Big Macintosh’s body. He wrapped one hoof around Mac’s free foreleg and pecked his shoulder. His smiled seemed genuine this time. “You’re holding your hoof wrong, actually.” He placed his hoof on Mac’s own and began to adjust it correctly until the stone was perfectly flat in his hoof. “Now, don’t move it.”

“Yes, Sugar.” Mac smirked at his lover.

“Don’t give me that look.” Caramel rolled his eyes. Something about Caramel’s smile seemed just a bit brighter than before.

Author's Note

This started as fun annoyed Mac annoyed with not being able to skip rocks and turned into me spilling all my feelings on why Mac likes Caramel and why Caramel likes Mac.