Pillow Talk

by Captain Unstoppable

Rating: everyone
Tags: Rainbow Dash, Big Macintosh, Slice of Life, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Romance
Length: 6703

Big Mac is a wise stallion, growing up in a house full of mares he had learned that secret language that mares use. Though as good as he is, Rainbow Dash is not like any mare out there: can he figure out her issue? Hot chocolate and snuggles help

Big Mac is a wise stallion. Growing up in a house full of mares he had learned that secret language that mares use. Though as good as he is, Rainbow Dash is not like any other mare out there; can he figure out her issue? Hot chocolate and snuggles always seem to help. Join Big Mac as he tries to get to the root of his fillyfriend's problem, or die trying.

Thank you to Arbarano for all the edits!

This is for CategoricalGrant's snuggle contest. I hope I do well, but it was a good challenge to help shake off the rust that has been covering my fingers.

Art belongs to the very talented ArtistCoolPony

Featured 12/1/17

Winner of the CategoricalGrant's snuggle contest.

Published 2017-12-02 00:00:06 UTC
Last updated 2017-12-02 00:00:06 UTC

Pillow Talk

Pillow Talk
Mac sat in the living room of Rainbow Dash’s home—rather their home, as Mac had moved in with his fillyfriend a while ago—reading one of the many Daring Do books that dominated the bookshelf. A pair of glasses perched upon his large muzzle, green eyes scanning the pages, the amulet given to him by Twilight to allow him to walk on clouds resting on his chest. Being early winter, Mac had already needed to turn on a few lamps in order to continue, even though it was the late afternoon.

That drew Mac’s attention to the clock on the wall, listening to the clock ticking away as reliably as always.

Huh, it’s nearly an hour past when Dashie comes home from drills... Mac thought, looking up at the clock.

While it was not uncommon for her to go out after practice, she normally came home to get something to eat, or to throw her uniform into the wash before blasting off. Maybe somethin’ happened to her? Mac didn’t have time to entertain the thought much, as Rainbow Dash burst through the front door.

It didn't take a genius to figure out that she was angry. She was still in her Wonderbolt uniform—something she hadn't done since she first joined—with her wings flat against her sides as she stomped in, pulling down her flight goggles with such intensity that he was sure she was going to rip them off. She made barely audible grunts through gritted teeth as she stormed through the living room, her eyebrows furrowed in anger; she looked more like a wolf than a pony. Mac wasn’t even sure if she noticed that he was home. She stalked right past him without a single word and headed straight into the bedroom.

In a feat that Big Mac still didn't understand, Rainbow slammed the door shut, the sound echoed through the house. Mac had tried to slam a cloud door once, but it just softly drifted into place.

It must be a pegasus thing.

Any other pony might have run for the hills and left Rainbow Dash alone if seeing her like that, but Big Mac wasn’t any other pony; he was Rainbow Dash’s coltfriend. He pushed himself up from the chair and made his way into the kitchen. There was work to be done.

Once inside, Mac headed straight for the kitchen counter on the far wall, right next to the stove. Nudging one of the counter’s cabinets open with his muzzle, Mac pulled a pot out and set it on the counter. Without looking or taking a step, he retrieved cocoa powder, sugar, salt, and vanilla out of the spice cabinet he had installed. Mac had taken over the kitchen when he had first moved in, banning Rainbow from it shortly afterwards. She was a great deal talented in many ways, but cooking was not part of her skill set, as demonstrated when she somehow managed to burn a boiled egg.

Once he had assembled the necessary ingredients, Mac opened a drawer with his teeth and retrieved a tablespoon. Holding a spoon between his lips, Mac scooped two heaps of cocoa powder into the bowl, followed by two more of sugar; his Dashie sure did like her hot chocolate sweet. Next came the difficult part of getting just a bit of salt into the mix.

A horn or wings would make this mighty simple, Mac thought. Though he would never admit it, he had often been jealous of unicorns and pegasi when it came to work in the kitchen. They could use their magic or their wing dexterity to get the right amount into their cooking every time, while ponies such as himself had to hold everything in their mouths, praying they wouldn't sneeze.

Easy does it, he repeated to himself, guiding the spoon into the salt, his lower lip trembling as he did his best to only get the tip covered in salt. Mac had to make a few tentative plunges until he could finally trickle the grains into the bowl along with the other ingredients. Lifting a hoof to his forehead, he wiped away the sweat that had gathered there; sometimes cooking caused him to sweat more than work.

From there, the rest was easy. He walked over to the fridge and opened it wide, grabbing a jug of milk, just the right size for his hoof to wrap around. He poured about a cup and a half into the bowl before adding just a splash of vanilla. Mac whisked until the mix was rich and light brown, and he placed the pot on the stove. As he waited for the contents to simmer, Mac looked back at the bedroom.

The bedroom door was still shut, not a good sign for Mac. Depending on how mad she was, she would sometimes stick her head out the door, just to see if Mac was making her his famous hot chocolate and pulling her head back in like her turtle if he turned to her. That usually meant that whatever the problem was, she had already mostly calmed down, but still wanted her hot chocolate.

She's mad about somethin’.Mac shook his head. It didn’t take a whole lot to get on Dash’s bad side, especially when it came to matters of her pride, but it took a hell of a lot to keep her angry.

As the pot began to simmer, Mac turned down the heat and carefully poured the liquid into Rainbow’s favorite mug: a light blue one with her cutie mark on it. Next he went over to the fridge again and took out a bottle of whipped cream, holding it in his mouth. Leaning over, just left of the mug, Mac brought his hoof up and pressed down on the nozzle. Making a quick circling motion, Mac piled on the whipped cream till it was about two inches high. He always loved how when Rainbow Dash took that first sip, just a bit of cream would end up on her nose.

For the final piece of resistance, Mac put a few chocolate shavings on top the cream. He had to keep his supply hidden, otherwise Rainbow would finish it off in minutes. One of the many things he envied about his filly was the fact she could eat just about anything she wanted and not gain an ounce.

He placed the mug on the tray—the spark of unbridled joy in Dash’s eyes was worth waking before dawn on a rest day—then carried in his mouth, moving out of the kitchen and to the bedroom. He nudged the door open thankful it was unlocked. Sure it would be no issue for him to move through the cloud walls if he really wanted to, but he doubted that would make Rainbow Dash any happier. In fact, he was more than certain it would just turn her wrath upon him.

Pushing the door open, Mac glanced around, trying to find any hints that put Dash in a bad mood. One look at the room and anypony could tell you who the room belonged to first. Wonderbolt decorations adorned most of the room, posters, memorabilia, and everything and anything vaguely Wonderbolt related. Mac’s own tastes had been slowly introduced into the room: a few rodeo posters, a picture of the farm, and—what took the most convincing—a replica of his character’s helmet.

Dash might have enjoyed playing the game, but she wasn't ready to openly admit it.

Not far from the doorway lay her Wonderbolt uniform, in a crumpled heap as though she had stripped out of it in haste and discarded it without a second thought. Her flying goggles were not too far away, though from the slight dent above she had thrown them against the wall first. That was a clear sign something at work had angered her, though he couldn't think of anything that could have upset her this much from the Wonderbolts. She loved being one.

Could be they kicked her off the team. Mac quickly crucified that idea. Not only would no amount of hot chocolate help, Dash’s ego would be shattered.

Taking a few cautious steps forward, Mac found his fillyfriend in bed, or at least he assumed the lump in the bed covered in blankets to be his Dashie. Moving to Dash’s side of the bed, Mac cleared off some of her nightstand to place the tray down. Usually, Mac wouldn't have had the chance to set the mug down before the she snatched it from him. Rainbow Dash didn’t even stir beneath the covers.

Mac sighed. This was much more than her being mad, meaning he was forced to take drastic measures.

Walking over to his side of the bed, Mac took a deep breath as he prepared himself. Bending over Mac took the blankets in his teeth and flung the covers back with all the strength he could muster. Without much resistance, the covers came flying off, revealing Rainbow Dash in the fetal position, magenta eyes glaring forward in unmistakable rage.

There was no shocked startle. Instead Rainbow instantly turned on Mac, and the glare from her eyes could have set a building on fire with their intensity. However, Mac had been subjugated to the disappointed glances of his grandmother, the furious squint of Applejack, and the puppy eye treatment of Apple Bloom, inoculating Mac from such looks a long time ago.

“Mac, what the buck are you doing?” Rainbow shouted, continuing her glare at the large stallion. Mac didn’t pay her question any time, as he quickly got into bed with her, and drew the blankets back over them. Before Rainbow could protest further, Mac fell onto his side and wrapped his foreleg around Rainbow Dash, pulling her against his chest.

“Mac! I'm not in the mood for this!” Rainbow shouted into his ribs, pushing her hooves against him to get him out of bed. Mac just stayed there, Mac just stayed there with his head on top of hers, which made her shake it violently back and forth in an attempt to throw him off.

Rainbow Dash was stronger than many other mares, but Mac was much more built and heavier than most ponies, making him one heck of an immovable object to Rainbow’s unstoppable force. Besides, if Rainbow really didn't want him there, she would have locked the door on him. Also, he knew his mare: if she really wanted him gone, she'd be hitting him a lot harder and with much less mercy.

Rainbow made a few more half-hearted shoves before finally settling down with a huff. “If you're going to stay, go get another blanket or something… I'm cold,” Rainbow growled, making Mac chuckle. Kissing the top of her head—earning a huff in protest—Mac got out of bed and headed to the linen closet right outside the bedroom.

When the pair of them had decided to move in with one another, Granny Smith had made sure they would never have a cold night. She had loaded Big Mac with enough hoof-made quilts and blankets to supply a small army; each one with elaborate detail and filled with love. He was sure there was an alternative reason for her interest in making sure they had plenty of blankets, but he didn’t want to dwell on such thoughts… yet.

Looking through the closet, Mac already had a good idea of which blanket would do for this situation. His eyes locked onto a dark blue quilt at the very top of the close’s shelf, Mac cocked his head at that.

When by Celestia’s sun did Ah put it up there? Mac asked himself, trying to remember the last time they had used the quilt. Just like the kitchen, Mac had banned Rainbow Dash from the laundry room. Just like burning his boiled egg, he had no idea how she managed to flood not just the laundry room, but the living room, kitchen, and bedroom with bubbles.

How she managed to survive till he took over those duties puzzled, and concerned, Macintosh some nights.

The quilt he had chosen was one Granny Smith had given the pair for Hearts and Hooves day after they had gotten serious in their relationship, and the old mare knew they were not waiting for marriage for certain activities. Made from dark blue fabric, the quilt filled him with warmth just looking at it. The fabric itself was thick and heavily padded to help keep the winter chill off whoever was using it. Though what made the quilt even more special, and showed just how talented Granny Smith was with a pair of needles, was the fact that she had knitted Mac’s and Rainbow Dash’s cutie marks into the fabric over and over again. The whole design made Mac love his grandmother even more every time he saw it.

Holding the quilt in his mouth, Mac walked back into the bedroom, ready to toss the heavy fabric over himself and Rainbow Dash. Upon entering the room, Mac was very glad he had not decided to carry it on his back.

In his absence, Rainbow Dash—no matter how angry she was—couldn't resist the hot chocolate set so close to her. From this view he could see that half of the hot chocolate had been drained away, and though she was lying on her side, facing away from the drink, he could just make out a bit of whipped cream on the tip of her nose. While his laughter was muffled slightly, it was still loud enough for Rainbow Dash to hear him. Her ears twitched, before she turned in his direction, her glare fixating on him in an angry scowl.

Mac was a smart enough stallion to know not to tell Rainbow that her angry scowl was one of the cutest expressions she could make. There had been times he had deliberately teased her to see that scowl, from walking extra slow when they were out and about, or hiding the cider from her when she needed to be cut off. She would puff out her cheeks, causing the fur on her chest to rise up as she glared at him, making the lines on her face accentuate her bright eyes —if only to him—and outlining every feature on that face he had grown to love so much.

Not saying a word, Mac made his way to the foot of the bed, letting some of the quilt drop from his mouth. Jerking his head back in a swift motion, Mac got most of the quilt off the cloud floor and into the air, landing just below Rainbow’s head. The quilt hid her face from his sight momentarily, but when she reappeared she was still glaring at him, whip cream atop her nose testing his silence and nearly buckling his knees.

For a filly who wants to be seen as tough and in charge, she can be the cutest filly in the world without trying! Mac thought, giving Rainbow an easy grin as he pulled the covers back on the bed again and slipped in.

Before he wrapped his foreleg around her again, he dipped his head down and shamelessly licked the cream on her nose. The reaction was immediate, with Rainbow’s wings flaring up to full attention, and Mac watched her face turn bright red at his actions. Mac couldn't help but give her a wide smile, showing teeth as he caught her off guard. She was the one who normally did such brash actions in her ongoing effort to corrupt an innocent farm colt as she liked to put it. There were still times he could catch her and give her a bit of her own medicine.

“I hate you,” she growled. There wasn’t any heat behind her words. Mac just smiled at her as he rested his head on top of hers again and pulling her up against him in an embrace.

“Ah love you too,” he said simply, closing his eyes as he held her. He could feel her rustling under him as she made the effort to get her wings under control again and back under the covers. He was just happy they didn’t hit the night stand and knock over her drink; he would never hear the end of it if he had made her knock it over.

Mac just gave out a sigh as he felt her head resting against the barrel of his chest. These were the moments with her that Mac lived for, these times the world around them seemed to melt away, leaving just the two of them. Life with Rainbow Dash was a rollercoaster, to say the least, with how fast she lived her life in constant motion, with the need for excitement and new challenges to keep her sane. She came off as too tough for feelings, that she was above it all and that nothing could touch her. But it was in these moments that Mac knew the real Rainbow Dash, the one who did have feelings, the one who wasn’t always an invincible mare, and that sometimes she just liked to be held like any other pony out there.

She just didn’t show that side to many ponies, if at all, and Mac was one of those lucky few.

Giving out a contented sigh, Mac felt himself beginning to drift off to that space between sleeping and waking. That was when Rainbow shifted under him. Being her rock for months now, Mac had picked up a sixth sense about such things, just a small change in her that meant much more than other ponies would ever be able to pick up on. Opening one eye, he waited for her to make the first move, knowing she was the one who needed to start the conversation, otherwise she would go right back into her shell.

“So… got home early today?” Rainbow asked, her voiced muffle by Mac’s chest and the blankets till halfway covering her muzzle.

“Eeyup,” Mac said simply, foreleg still wrapped around her small body, holding her tight. He felt her mane brushing against his chest with the motion.

“Not much to do in the winter. Right?” She sounded so small to him, almost like a filly instead of the grown mare she was.

“Eeyup.” Rainbow leaned her head against his chest as though trying to bury herself in his fur. Mac just kept up his embrace, resting his own head on top of hers, not saying anything more. She would do things at her own speed, and, despite her reputation, when it came to matters of the heart she was no faster than him pulling the plow.

Silence dragged on between them as Big Mac held her in a familiar embrace, his foreleg wrapped around her lower back, just under her wings so he wasn’t holding them against her. He had read somewhere that some pegasi liked that, but not his winged pony; anything that constricted her movement would not be comfortable for her. She loved her freedom too much to have any kind of restraint on it; even a tiny gesture could have her running for the hills. Getting to the step of being steady with Rainbow Dash had taken a considerable amount of time and patience, which Mac had both of in ample supply.

Mac just let her take things at the speed she wanted. The only important place he had to be was here with her.

“Mac… what do you do when you cross the finish line?”

Mac blinked at that question. It wasn’t like he was unfamiliar with Rainbow using racing as an analogy for her problems, but he wasn’t sure what she meant by the finish line. Shifting slightly himself, he could only think of answering her in one way.

“Hm?” In response Rainbow gave out a low growl, followed up with a jab to Mac’s stomach. He gave out a light groan of displeasure, but never let up on his hold of Rainbow Dash. One thing Mac had accepted in his relationship with Rainbow Dash was that expressing emotions was hard for her, and when she felt as though her emotions had been rebuffed, she tended to lash out. Nothing ever serious, just a bit harder than Mac expected.

“Sorry, darlin’,” Mac said, keeping his voice low and soothing the best he could. Rainbow gave out a huff at his words, not moving away from him or rolling over to end the conversation, so at least he hadn’t messed up too badly… yet.

“I’m just kinda at a loss, Mac,” Rainbow continued, her voice still muffled. “Today there was a reporter guy interviewing us, asking the same old questions they always do: what new tricks have we prepared, where the first show is going to be, who is dating who, and so on...” Mac nodded; they had talked about reporters before, but normally it was Dash re-telling Mac about how she stole the spotlight. The only time he had heard her complain or get upset over such things was when Spitfire chewed her out afterwards.

“Then he got to interviewing us one on one, and some of the questions…” This time she wrapped a foreleg around Mac, pulling herself closer to the large stallion. That took Mac by surprise for sure; normally Rainbow let him do all the affection, the mushy gunk, as she herself wasn’t that keen on it. When she was the one to initiate, something was bothering her and she needed him, though she would never say it.

“Well… he asked what my plans for the future were. Everypony knew my goal was to become a Wonderbolt, and now that I have, what’s next?” Mac nodded lightly enough to let Rainbow know he was listening to her. “I could have said to one day be Captain, or to break some records, but I couldn't think of anything. I knew there were thousands of answers I could have given, but I blanked.” Rainbow pushed her head against Mac’s chest more, her voice becoming more muffled as she did so. “All I could say was ‘I don’t know.’ How lame is that? That’s not what Rainbow Dash should say!”

The anger was rising up in her again as she spoke, but Mac couldn't make heads or tails of it. He knew his filly to be proud and wanting to look like she knew what she was doing, but he couldn't understand why this little slip up got to her so much. This seemed more like a problem that she would be telling him about after a few bottles of cider, not in her snuggle time. Still, Mac had a duty as a coltfriend, and whatever problems were facing her were facing him as well. As the anger rose up in her, Mac just rubbed her back, kissing the top of her head as well.

“It's just… all that stuff isn’t as important now… I don’t know, I don’t get it,” Rainbow sighed, pulling herself closer to Mac as she spoke, her voice getting lower as well till Mac had to almost strain to hear her. He kept rubbing her back with one hoof as she adjusted herself till she was comfortable against his bulk.

“All these years I’ve been getting faster, improving my flying, and everything I could think of to get into the Bolts, and now here I am! I’m officially one of the best fliers in all of Equestria!” She pulled her head out of the covers and out from under Mac’s head, making him loosen his hold till she was looking him right in the eye. “I’m famous, rich, heck I even have my own line of dolls! I crossed that finish line! Now… now I don’t know what to do… what else is there?” Her head flopped back down on the pillows, letting out a huff of air as she did.

Big Mac chewed on his lip. This was one heck of a problem and Mac didn’t have any country, folksy wisdom for this kind of situation. As long as he had known Rainbow Dash, it had been her dream to be a Wonderbolt, and she was right: she had accomplished her dream and now she didn’t have any other direction to go. A Rainbow Dash without a purpose wasn’t a Rainbow Dash Big Mac knew, and one that made him a bit worried.

“Well…” Mac started, trying to find the proper words. “What do ya wanna be now?” Rainbow Dash eyed him stonily, one eyebrow raising up above the other.

“That’s the point, Mac. I don’t know!” she growled, shoving her head against Mac’s chest, a bit harder than the stallion would have liked, forcing him to expel a bit of air. “I’m a Wonderbolt, and it's not like I can start shooting for Captain of the team, Spitfire is nowhere near ready to retire and Co-Captains never get to Captain, no pony ever has!” Rainbow groaned. “I have no idea what I want to be…” She looked up at Mac. Her eyes were clear of any anger, she was no longer scowling or had any of those cute wrinkles she got when she was annoyed. Instead she was looking at him wide eyed, almost like a filly asking her dad what she should do next.

“What do I want to be, Mac?”

Sighing, Mac just leaned over and kissed her forehead, keeping his lips there, his hoof running softly down her back. He hated seeing her this way. Sure, he took a bit of pride in knowing that he was one of the few ponies who Rainbow Dash would ever confide in like this, but knowing she was in pain ripped at Mac’s heart. She was coming to him for help, and he hadn’t have the foggiest idea of where to even begin helping her.

As though sensing his shortcomings, she pulled herself to Mac, resting against his muscular chest, using him as the greatest comfort he could give her: a pillow. Within a few moments, Mac could feel her rhythmic breathing touching his chest as she settled herself there. Slow, deep and yet hitching. Any other time this would be their regular sleep routine, with Dash getting comfortable pressed up to him, settling in as Mac would pull the covers over them and Mac curling around her. This was not one of those times, with Mac’s head racing to find an answer for her, to figure out some way for Dash to be happy.

A task easier said than done.

While his mind was not turning out any answers to her question, his body had already started acting, continuing to rub the lower part of back to the point right under wings, knowing that was her favorite spot to be rubbed as she could never quite soothe it on her own. Under the covers, his left hind leg found its familiar snug around Rainbow’s right, entwining their bodies further together under the covers.

When they had first started sleeping together, it was for the mere physical aspect of their bond, but now it had grown far past that maddening desire that drives new love.

Now, they didn’t need that physical excitement to stay together. Sure, they had their rolls in the hay here and there, but not as frequent as they had been. Now the simple act of being close, to feel that special somepony was waiting for you for nothing more than that simple comfort of being held, it was almost impossible for Mac to explain. To know he was wanted for more than was on the outside made Mac believe in this relationship, being more serious than any other he had ever been in. These times when he and Rainbow could just hold one another made him want to see where it went, to see how far he and Rainbow Dash could go down this road together. For Mac, he hoped that path went on for a very long time.

A flash went through Mac’s mind at that.

That might work… or end up with her bein’ even angrier. Mac’s mind raced through the pros and cons of his reasoning, and the fact that there was a good chance of him ending up on the sofa—or, in the most extreme, having to go home to sleep—but with how cold it was going to get that night he doubted Dash wanted her personal heater to be so far away. He had woken up a few times when he was told to sleep on the couch to find Rainbow Dash on top of him, face set in such a perfectly resigned scowl that it strained his chest to not laugh.

With his options limited and no better idea making itself readily available to him, Mac put himself in the hooves of fate, giving the Sisters a quick mental prayer to see him through this ordeal.

“Maybe ya just keep doin’ what yer doin’.” Mac’s voice was just above that of a whisper, part of him keeping it low in hopes that maybe she had already fallen asleep. Luck was not on Mac’s side that night, as, before he could even finish saying the ‘aht’ in ‘what’ Rainbow Dash was already stirring, pushing herself up again to be on eye level with Mac.

“What?” Rainbow grunted, the scowl returning to her lovely features. Mac bit his bottom lip; how he wished he had a piece of straw to chew on at that moment.

“Just thinkin’, maybe ya don't gotta worry about the future just yet.” Mac did his best to keep his voice steady as he talked to her. A harder task to do with her scowl burning holes in him. At that moment he had wished he had done what he always did: keep his trap shut.

“Of course I’ve got to think about the future, Mac!” Rainbow half-shouted, Mac wincing slightly. “There has to be a goal! A finish line! Just something to aim for!” Mac nodded rapidly at his fillyfriend’s words, the anger flaring up in her.

With a huff of pure frustration, Rainbow flipped over so she was facing away from Mac, untangling herself from his hold. She pushed herself to the edge of the bed to keep out of Mac’s reach.

Big Mac knew he was playing with fire when he started on this train of thought, and didn't hesitate to scoot over towards her, wrapping his foreleg around her once again. Rainbow stiffened under him but nothing more: she had once compared Mac to a big dog that thought it was still a puppy, small enough to get into its owner’s lap and demand affection. In some ways, Mac knew this to be true; even when his Dashie was stewing a hole through the floor he would still try to nuzzle through the fire.

Still, the situation needed to be remedied before she got even more cross with him—if that was possible. With foreleg draped over her, Mac had to call upon some of that same courage he had once mustered when he asked the Wonderbolt out that first time.

“Why?”

Rainbow Dash rolled over instantly, her magenta eyes seeming to glow with the rising fury. In their close proximity—with her having no room to back up anymore—her nose was pressed up directly against Mac’s. Normally, Mac would have never complained about being this close and personal with Rainbow Dash: staring into her eyes was one of his favorite things to do. However, in this situation, he didn’t have the warm fuzzies that normally accompany such intimacy.

They were more cold and slicy.

“Because I need something to go for! I always have!” she exclaimed, not breaking eye contact with Mac. “When I was a filly it was to be the fastest! After that, it was to be a Wonderbolt! I had a goal set up, a plan to get there, and I could physically work for it!” During her rant, her voice became more strangled. “Now I am the fastest, I am a Wonderbolt and… and…” She lowered her head and beating it softly against Mac’s chest, a honest sign of a battle within.

Mac wrapped both of his forelegs around her, pulling her close as she continued to beat her head on his chest. Rainbow Dash wasn’t the most emotional mare in the world, most of the time having the same emotional spectrum that stallions did—the one that confused hunger with emotion. Then there were times like this, when that armor she wore around her heart couldn't hold up against the everyday battles of life and fell apart, times where she was merely one pony, needing somepony else to pick up the pieces.

Mac just held her, not saying a word as she kept on beating her head. He didn’t make any noise, knowing that any attention to this breakdown would only hurt her pride more than anything. So he did what he did best and held her, letting her work through the turmoil that was washing over her, being the ever faithful rock in her storming sea. One thing he had learned living with mares his entire life was to let them talk in their own time and in their own way: forcing anything out would result in harm of one kind or another. Big Mac was content being her temporary shield while her armor was down, protecting her with nothing more than his strength and the warm covers that enveloped them.

The head beating slowed down eventually, before coming to a complete stop as she rested her head against Mac’s large chest. He didn’t do anything except hold her still, having been through this before with her and his sisters. When she was ready, they would continue.

“What do you mean, ‘keep doing what I’m doing’?” she finally asked, after silence dragged on for about five minutes, by Mac’s mental clock at any rate. She had reverted into that filly-like voice again, and to that Mac had to choose his words carefully.

“Don’t think ya need ta be rushin’ nowhere,” Mac said, his voice easy.“Gotta take it easy, enjoy what ya got now.” He gave her a squeeze, nothing that would cause her discomfort, just an assurance that he was still there. “Ah certainly enjoy mah time with you.”

Rainbow snorted in a fashion that didn’t suit a mare. Well, any other mare, for Mac found it quite adorable.

“Oh Celestia, you are such a dork!”Rainbow said, another snort escaping her along with a burst of giggles that didn’t fit the coolest mare in all of Equestria, but definitely the cutest one. “You are such a helpless romantic!” Mac grinned at her laughter, enjoying that much more than her previous emotions.

“The helpless romantic dork that is your number one fan,” Mac quipped, kissing her forehead once more, earning another round of giggles.

“Please! Scoots is my number one fan, and my parents are tied for second.” She lifted her head up, and this time it was her turn to place a kiss, right on the tip of Mac’s nose. “I guess I could fit you in for the third biggest fan,” she added, shrugging.

Mac grinned at her, a warmth coming over him, nothing to do with the kiss on the nose, or how she tried to needle him, and everything to do with the simple joy of getting her to smile again. To see that smile, he would go through anything, as long as she was there at the end.

“Ah guess that will have ta do,” Mac replied, as he leaned forward and captured her lips with his. “Gotta admit, bein’ the third biggest fan has some mighty nice perks” he said, waggling an eyebrow at her. Dash laughed at that, her normal true laugh, as she pushed on Mac’s chest, inching him away from her.

“You are also a perv!” she shouted, though her voice tingled with laughter. Mac let her push him away, though his forelegs were much longer than hers and once he was just about to lose his grasp, he yanked her towards himself again so they were in the center of the bed. Together they laughed as Rainbow still tried to push herself away from Mac, but he kept on pulling her back. This went on till both could barely breathe, and finally came to a mutual surrender—for Rainbow Dash would never admit she gave into Mac’s snuggling. He was just growing too tired for it to be fun anymore.

Finally they were back in the middle of the bed, covered snugly by the warm blankets that had been made for them. Mac held Rainbow once more in a loose embrace, nothing bone crushing or possessive about it, simply a reassurance that somepony was there holding her. Rainbow for her part had her head pressed against Mac. There was no way her forelegs could wrap around his huge form, so she had to make do however possible.

“Feelin’ better?” Mac asked once he had regained most of his breath.

“A little…” Rainbow sighed, breathing hard still from the burst of excitement. “Just… try to be the best me right now?”

“Eeyup.”

“And when I get asked what my plans are for the future?” Mac pulled a hoof from around Rainbow Dash, scratching his chin in thought. He could feel Rainbow’s eyes upon him, and it took all of his might not to let his lip twitch in the merest hint of a grin.

“Could always say sleepin’ with yer number three fan.” This time a wing popped out from under the covers and smacked Mac upside the head, triggering another round of laughter. Rainbow couldn't help but laugh with him despite the tint in her cheeks, drawing her wing back in close to her while Mac fixed the cover next to her.

“Cute, Mac. Real cute,” Rainbow growled, but nowhere near the intensity she had earlier. “But seriously, Mac, any ideas of what I should say?” Mac chewed on his lip again, as he looked right into those magenta eyes. This time he didn’t even try to conceal his grin as he looked at her.

“Eeyup.”

“Eeyup?”

“Eeyup.”

“Eeyup…” Rainbow drawled out, as though it was the first time she had said the word. She moved her lips around like she was sucking on some kind of candy, trying to figure out the taste of it. “Eeyup… Eeyup… Eeyup! I like it!” Rainbow said, kissing Mac on the lips again, moving one of her wings under the blankets to hold him like he had been all day. Mac smiled, basking in the glow as he kissed back for just a second. “Who knows, it might become popular once I say it. Get it on a few coffee mugs and shirts.”

“Eeyup!” Mac chirped, as he nestled his head down on top of hers for what he hoped would be the final time. He shut his eyes and took in a deep breath, more than content to fall asleep early that night. Next to him, he could feel Rainbow Dash doing the same, getting into her nightly habits to drift off into dreamland. All in all, Mac was one happy stallion.

Sleep called to him, and he could feel his mind drifting into that darkness, ready to be encompassed by a winter time sleep.

“Hey Mac?” he heard Rainbow call. While he didn’t want to wake, he knew not to wait.

“Hmm?”

“Can you make me more hot chocolate?” Mac gave out a deep sigh as he started to push himself up.

A coltfriend’s work was never done.

Author's Note

Thank you always to Arbarano for all of his hard work editing this story. Would be no where as good as it is now.

Originally this was going to be a story about Big Mac being sick with Rainbow Dash taking care of him... then I did get sick and realized when I'm sick I want no one near me at all. So... lost motivation to write that...

Anyway this is for Grant's snuggle contest! Enjoy!