Fears and Worries

Five

She would be coming soon. Almost like clockwork, whenever Rarity let her be here, it was a matter of minutes before Sweetie came to the barn. She would be smiling, but not too brightly. No, she couldn’t.

Four

She was afraid, and Big Mac understood that. He was her best friend’s brother. They weren’t supposed to love each other, especially not intimately. It only got worse when one thought of the accusations if they knew how long they had been together. He had waited of course, but others wouldn’t believe.

Three

Now she was eighteen, and the two had readily embraced that side of their relationship, or at least, she had. That’s why she came out to the barn after his work. To help him ‘relax’.

Two

Did it really help him relax though? When she couldn’t speak? Couldn’t sing those sweet tones that had haunted his dreams for so many nights? All because of fear. All because of hesitation.

One

It was a lot to put up with, especially when you have so much else to worry about. How your farm will do, what sort of crops to plant where, and to include a private relationship with that...Big Mac was done with it.

Clink

His ear twitched, his sore muscles, tired from the long day’s work tensing at the sound of her arrival. Just like clockwork, but… now there was a new sound. His ears flicked again, trying to ignore the lemonade she was undoubtedly holding, and instead hearing something else. A sloshing of water that was different from what he had expected. He opened one eye, and looked through his matted, orange mane to see a bucket in her hand. Looking higher, he saw his beloved.

She wore a white shirt, which was fairly redundant on top of her white fur, and was… different for her to. It still did its job to cover her large bust, which bounced with each step. It was a little less than most days, though that may be for the same reason as why her gaze was not on him, but on the bucket in her hand. It was cute to see her pink and purple mane covering her face, but it hid her best feature.

“Hello, Sweetie.”

She looked up, her glistening green eyes shining in the light as her mane bounced behind her large ears. He could lose himself in those fields, while also knowing every inch of their pastures from the hours he had stared into them. Looking down caused his chest to tighten, as her lips only twitched upwards, and, instead of turning into the beaming smile he saw with her friends, stayed tight lipped, and small. He knew she would if she thought she could, but if she got too excited, she would get loud, and if she got loud, they would be discovered.

She shuffled a bit, before placing the bucket onto the hay bale next to Big Mac’s chair. He glanced into it as she reached in and grabbed a towel, which she clung to her bosom before extending the glass to him. His hand wrapped around the glass, but his eyes stayed on the new element. Water trickled down her shirt, and his eyes widened lightly as one drop fell from her breast, and he could see the pink through the now dampened shirt. She didn’t do it on accident though, or else she wouldn’t be blushing. She also, probably would have spoken to him by now, except that she wanted to make sure her new plan worked. Just as always before, it was cute to see her trying so hard, even while she had to do nothing to keep him, or brighten his day.

Big Mac slowly lifted the glass up, and took a sip of the refreshing lemonade. A little sweeter than it needed to be, but as his honey hated sour things, he had come to accept that as a part of her gift, and he patted his leg. She shook her head though, and showed a bit of teeth as she smiled a little more. “I… I thought I would help you cool down, a-and maybe help you wash yourself, since I know how sweaty you can get after work.”

And I know how much you like that smell. Still, the gesture was beyond kind, and he could already imagine all the things she must be planning. Big Mac couldn’t dwell on them though, not while his own plans buzzed through his mind, He looked to the ground, barely seeing his blue jeans or yellow shirt as he stared at the packed dirt. With one more breath, he shook his head, and stood up. “Sit down.”

Sweetie Belle looked up, but instead of seeing into his eyes, he made sure his mane covered them. His heart was hammering in his chest as he moved around her, and put his hands on her shoulders, He leaned in close, and breathed out, his body trembling as he tried to calm himself. It was only a few words, but no matter how many reasons you had for saying them, they always seemed to be so tough. “Please.”

The white mare bit into her cheek, before taking a seat. She fidgeted where she sat, and Big Mac continued to stare at her while she straightened her short, purple skirt. It suited her well, and only added to her cuteness. It would also make this all that much harder, as he could feel a pulse of arousal flow through him. Why did she need to bring the bucket today? Why did she have to wear white? He shut his eyes tighter, and shook his head. He couldn’t have any of those things. Not when he had something more important to do. Big Mac lowered himself to one knee, and looked her dead in the eyes. “Sweetie Belle, we need to talk.”

She tilted her head, before nodding. “W-whatever you have to say, Mac. Just remember,” she paused as she blushed for a moment, “we only have so much time before everypony else comes back.”

Big Mac nodded, his body tensing more and more with each moment. He had rehearsed this so many times in the mirror, had spent hours getting ready this morning, and yet, he still wasn’t ready. If only she knew what I did. Then we could skip all of this, and move on. She didn’t though, so he needed to speak.

“Sweetie, we’ve been together for almost three years now, and we’ve been… intimate for six months of that. During all of that, I’ve tried to be okay with hiding behind walls, and small pecks, but… it hurts. It hurts to know that we can’t be true with each other, even while knowing all of your fears.”

Sweetie’s eyes widened, and he could see her hands beginning to tremble as she squeaked out, “Mac, what are you talking about?”

He looked back to the dirt, every breath now hurting to take in as he soldiered on. “I’ve been thinking about this for a long time, and this morning, I made sure to make sure I was right. That those fears wouldn’t need to exist anymore after today.”

“Big Macintosh, please do-”

He brought his hand away from his back pocket, and held up a red box that clicked open, and silenced Sweetie Belle. Within was a ring with a large emerald on it in the shape of an apple. Inside that ruby, was a musical note shaped diamond that glistened in the sunlight. Big Mac smiled, and whispered, “Sweetie Belle, so you never have to be afraid, and I will always be able to see that smile I cherish so deeply, will you marry me.”

She looked into his eyes, an errant tear slowly falling from the edge of her eyes as she tried to speak. All she could get out though was, ‘Big Mac.”

He put a hand on her knee as he smiled at her. “I got up before dawn today and talked to everyone. I had already asked your dad when I got the ring for his permission, but now, Rarity, Applebloom, they all know, and they couldn’t be happier for us. So please, don’t be afraid.”

Sweetie blinked a few more times, before leaping off of the chair, and into Big Mac’s strong, steady arms. She wept tears of joy into his neck, and he held her close. Over and over, she sang the sweetest words he had ever heard into his ear, “I do,” and with that one line, his world was whole, and happy.