Sharing Some Oak

“Hmmm… where, oh where, could my cousin be?~”

The golden stallion kept a sly smirk as he walked around the unfamiliar town’s streets, peering back and forth while his eyes were narrowed in focus. Even though he missed Apploosa, the stallion would’ve been lying if he said he wasn’t a fan of Ponyville’s much more pleasant climate. He may have basically been a tourist, but many of the citizens of the little town were just as kind and accommodating to him as his own family. In fact, the stallion found himself taking the train to visit Ponyville whenever he had the free time, just to pay a visit to the ponies he cared about.

And right now, one of those ponies was his gentle giant of a cousin, Big Macintosh. Since the big red brute wasn’t back at Sweet Apple Acres, nor was he at Starlight Glimmer’s old village to visit his marefriend, the golden pony was certain that he was somewhere in town. Even though Granny Smith was a little upset he wouldn’t stay around the farm to wait for him, it was clear that the stallion had plans regarding his cousin. The Apploosan may have been a talkative fellow, but he managed to keep his grinning lips tightly shut as to why he came to Ponyville that day.

He chuckled naughtily to himself as he walked down the main road towards the town market, recalling what Burnt Oak told him earlier that day. Part of him wished that he could just go back to his cabin and spend some... quality time with him by himself. However, that older stallion had quite a way with words to get him to comply with his idea. But of all the sultry, tempting things Oak promised him in that gruff and well-aged voice, the one that stuck in the younger pony’s head the best was, “Oh, come on, Braeburn… you really think your cousin wouldn’t appreciate a little… extra company?~”

Just thinking about that question made Braeburn shudder a little, almost making his grin grow too eagerly while trying to look casual. Fortunately, he still appeared innocently chipper as he trotted towards the Ponyville Marketplace in search for Mac. Heck, he even gave a polite wave to a few ponies who noticed him as he walked by, just as he would back in Apploosa. But when he finally caught sight of the red stallion himself, Brae’s eyes narrowed on him with the utmost attention while grinning wide.

“Well, hey there, Cuz!” chirped Braeburn cheerfully as he went up to the apple stand Mac was tending to. Of course, before the stallion could say anything or wave back, Brae took notice of who else was with him at the counter. His brows raised happily as he added “Oh, and you must be that Sugar Belle he’s been talkin’ so much about~”

Mac bit his lip with a shaky sigh as he looked away from his cousin bashfully. Meanwhile, the pink mare giggled with a slightly embarrassed smile of her own. As soon as Brae put out his hoof, Sugar Belle reached out and shook it kindly. “Indeed I am, ummm… Braeburn, is it? I heard quite a few stories about you from him as well.”

After that polite shake, Braw pulled his hoof back to raise it and say jokingly, “Ah deny everything!”

That made the mare laugh with a hoof over her mouth, while her coltfriend merely sighed with a shake of his head and a smirk up at Braeburn. “Oh, you!” Sugar chided playfully with a wave of her hoof. “Don’t worry, Mac is way too sweet to try bad-talking anypony~” To emphasize her point, the unicorn leaned over to nuzzle Big Mac’s neck with her poofy purple mane.

The stallion’s fur may have been as red as the apples he was selling, but his blush was still evident as he bit his lip even harder and giggled from her embrace. Mac returned the gesture with a loving nuzzle of his own before their snouts touched. “Eeeyup~” he said in his trademark deep-tone, which made Sugar smile warmly and kiss him on the cheek. Meanwhile, Braeburn had to look away from the two and their over-romantic display.

For a moment, Brae pondered whether or not to go through with his offer. Burnt Oak may have been insistent, but he could see clear as day how devoted his cousin was with that Sugar gal. However, Braeburn also knew that despite their affections, Mac and Sugar were keeping themselves celibate for some reason; although, considering how he knew she used to be part of that cutie-mark cult, Brae knew better than to pry. And as he recalled how Big Mac reacted when he learned about his cousin’s… partnership with his Father’s friend, he seemed a bit happier for them than Brae originally expected; in fact, he and Oak both agreed that there may have been a slight hint of… jealousy, perhaps?

Of course, Brae’s momentary pause in thought was unnoticed when Mac pulled away from Sugar’s nuzzling and smiled over at him. “So, wha’cha doin’ in Ponyville so soon, Braeburn?” he asked in a genuinely kind tone of voice. His brows then raised with the slightest hint of coyness in his expression. “Did Burnt Oak need ya for another roofin’ job or somethin’?~”

Brae kept his smirk subtle while looking back at his cousin with a light shrug. Mac may have known about Braeburn’s relationship, but he was pretty reliable when it came to keeping secrets. Heck, when he first learned that his cousin was gay, Mac kept it hidden for years for Braeburn’s safety; although, that may have been because of his own bisexuality, which Brae doubted even Sugar was aware of. But even though the rancher was out and proud now, Macintosh’s loyalty still shone when it came to the controversial stallion his cousin was seeing in secret.

“Well, ummm…” Braeburn blushed a bit as his eyes averted Mac’s smile for a moment. After readjusting his Stetson briefly, he sighed and said with an innocent smile. “Y-Yeah, a little bit. Apparently, a… a few more holes popped up, so… Burnt Oak needed me ta help fill ‘em~”

It took everything in Big Mac to not openly chuckle at his cousin’s suggestive wording. Of course, his smirk was still evident enough to make Brae grin briefly back at him and perk his brows. Meanwhile, Sugar Belle didn’t seem to catch the underlying meaning as judged by her sympathetic expression. “Awww, I bet that’s a pain to deal with again.”

“Eh, only until the next day or so,” replied Brae without even thinking, which made Mac cover his muzzle with a hoof as he struggled not to chortle too audibly. The rancher then added with an innocent looking shrug while maintaining his smile. “Althoughhhh… Mister Oak mentioned somethin’ ‘bout wantin’ some… extra help at his place today?”

That last part made Mac’s cheeky expression drop rather quickly. His hoof pulled down while he looked up at his cousin with both brows raised, able to see from Brae’s subtle grin what he was intending. Big Mac had to blink a couple times, his blush slowly growing more apparent across his freckled cheeks. Luckily, Sugar Belle was more focused on Braeburn as she asked, “Really? We just walked by Burnt Oak’s house on the way here, and I didn’t see anything too bad.”

“Y-Yeah!” blurted Mac as he readjusted himself in his stool to help redirect his bloodflow. Unfortunately, he still looked more than a little flustered as he tried to subtly speak against his cousin’s request. “A-Ah mean, did… does he really need my help for that sorta thing?”

Despite how uneasy Mac looked, Braeburn seemed curious whether or not his cousin wasn’t interested. After all, even though he made it clear what Burnt Oak wanted, it didn’t seem like Big Mac actually gave a clear “No” yet. In fact, he didn't even mention Mac directly, despite the stallion asking about that clarification. Plus, given how brightly the pony's blush was glowing, the reason for it could easily be interpreted for either a Yes or No answer. Braeburn didn’t want to push his luck, but he couldn’t help smirking a bit more sultrily while nodding to his cousin. “Wellll… there are a lot of holes, Mac. Mostly on the inside? Ah’m sure we can manage on our own, but… It’d really mean a lot if you were to come and help out a bit~”

Outside of Sugar’s line of vision, Brae shot Mac a split-second wink. The red stallion pursed his lips tightly shut, and groaned a little under his breath while crossing his hind-legs together. His eyes darted between Brae and his marefriend, who seemed to have her muzzle skewed in contemplation. Even with how flustered Macintosh appeared, Sugar seemed completely ignorant to the underlying truth of the situation between the two cousins.

“Hmmm… well, Mac is a pretty skilled builder,” said the mare with a carefree-looking shrug of her shoulders. As Mac’s blush grew even heavier, Sugar Belle added while looking over at him with a warm smile, “And I’m pretty sure I can look over this stand by myself if you need to go help out. You’ve seen how hectic my bakery can get sometimes, remember?”

Mac seemed to have no idea why his girlfriend was so oblivious to how he looked, but his paused reaction didn’t seem to set off any red flags before he replied with a shaky nod. “Ee… E-Eeyup, Ah… Ah suppose so…” He then tried to smile rather wide back at her, although his nervousness made it look a tad bit unnatural for Braeburn’s preference.

“Or,” began the yellow stallion with an insistent raise of his hoof. When Sugar Belle looked back at the rancher, giving Mac some extra time to appear more normal, he added with a warmer smile towards his cousin, “If you feel like it’s too much, you could easily maybe… explain it to Mister Oak yourself? Ah mean, he only lives a few minutes away, and Ah bet he’d appreciate hearin’ it from you instead of me.”

Big Mac looked certain that Braeburn was just coming up with that added incentive for his own gain. However, he still took a moment to think it over before sighing silently. Given how understanding Sugar was about that lie, it was doubtful she’d ever find out. Plus, it didn’t hurt that the farmpony could get the chance to confront Oak himself if need be, just to avoid any embarrassment later down the road.

So after a few seconds of pregnant silence, Mac exhaled through his nostrils before he got up from his stool. He avoided looking back at his cousin as he replied with a blushed and embarrassed expression, “Well, Ah… Ah suppose Ah could... t-talk with him about it, at least…”

Brae’s face lit up like a Hearth’s Warming tree, and his tail was wagging in excitement as he chirped, “G-Great! Ah mean, ummm… if you don’t wanna do it, that’s fine, Ah swear. Ah just mean, ummm… M-Mister Oak’ll really appreciate it~”

While Mac sighed with an uncomfortable look on his face, Sugar got up from her seat to nuzzle him reassuringly. “Oh, don’t worry about me, Mac. Trust me, retail is in my blood. I can handle this stand for a few hours if need be. You can just make me dinner as a payment afterwards. Deal?~”

Big Mac looked back at his mare’s confident smile and raised brow, clearly wanting to see him agree happily. Despite feeling horrible about even considering Braeburn’s “job offer,” the stallion breathed out with a more natural smile before nodding. “Oh… alright then,” he said as he leaned in nuzzled her snout lovingly. “Hopefully Ah won’t be gone for too long, Sugar~”

“You better not~” she said with a playful grin back at him. After their shared nuzzle, Mac and Sugar gave each other a cute little peck on the lips. Braeburn may have been gayer than eight stallions blowing nine stallions, but he was still touched enough by the couple’s romantic gestures to look away politely with a blush. After Mac came out from the back of the stand to follow his cousin, Sugar waved them off while saying, “Oh, and it was great meeting you, Braeburn! Maybe we can catch up tonight!”

Braeburn turned back to her with the warmest smile he could muster, and gave her a courteous bow as he replied, “Sugar Belle, it would be an honor. Any friend of Mac’s is a friend of mine, and Ah’ll be sure to help him make you some quality Apple Family cuisine!”

“I look forward to it!” she beamed happily, before sitting back down in her seat to look over the apple stand by herself. Meanwhile, the stallions made their goodbyes as they left the Marketplace in tandem. However, as soon as the two ponies were out of sight from her, Mac made sure to give his cousin a very flustered and frustrated glare as they walked.

“Brae,” he growled in a tone that bordered between angry and embarrassed. “You have got to be the ballsiest stallion in Equestria ta actually pull that kinda stunt. Especially in front of Sugar.”

Mac may have looked rather peeved, but Braeburn just shot a sly smirk back at him as he replied, “Well, that didn’t keep ya from agreein’ ta see him, did it?”

The red stallion looked away from him with a wrinkled muzzle as he groaned to himself weakly. “Th… That don’t mean nuthin’!” he blurted while avoiding his cousin’s sultry stare on him. “Ah just wanna have a word with him, that’s all!”

“Okay, that’s perfectly fine,” assured Brae with an understanding tone. He then sighed before adding, “but seriously though, Ah… Ah really am happy you didn’t refuse ta come with me. Hopefully that’ll make things less awkward ‘tween me and Oak.”

“Yeah, whatever,” Mac muttered with a shake of his head. He may have been alright with his cousin seeing somepony old enough to be either of their Dads (or maybe even their Grandfather), but his blush was still evident in regards to the couple’s proposition. He didn’t want to think anything would come of it, but the fact that he agreed to follow Brae was enough to make him look flustered during their short walk.

Not much else was said as the two reached Burnt Oak’s modest cabin, which looked rather pristine at the edge of Ponyville’s limits. A large pile of firewood was rested on the front lawn, and covered with a high-quality tarp to keep them dry for sales. All of the curtains were closed, but it was clear somepony was inside from the small glow of a lantern behind one of them. And as expected, the roof looked absolutely fine and undamaged in the slightest.

Brae was the first to trot up the front steps to the door, and paused briefly to glance back at his cousin with a smirk. “You know,” he purred with his eyes narrowing on Mac, “you ain’t wrong ‘bout wha’cha told me earlier, cuz~”

Despite how flauntingly Brae was swaying his rump back and forth in front of him, causing his yellow tail to dangle and teasingly hint at what was behind it, Mac kept his stern expression unchanged as he asked with a raised brow, “Umm… which thing are ya referrin’ to?”

Braeburn just kept his grin while rolling his eyes away from Mac. “Oh, you know… ‘bout me bein’ a ballsy stallion?~” Then without any apprehension, Braeburn just opened the front door and began to step in. But just as he was halfway inside the darkened cabin, he paused once more to add seductively, “And believe me, Big Macintosh… Ah can be very ballsy wit’ you if ya let me~”

Mac’s eyes widened as he stood before the steps in frozen shock. His legs trembled a bit as he watched his cousin disappear inside the cabin, seemingly not even looking back to see Macintosh’s reaction to that statement. After a long, hesitant moment of silence, Mac was able to overcome his stunned state enough to close his eyes and take a deep breath.

He may have been overwhelmingly unsure about what might occur, but he couldn’t let that incestuous tease keep him from what he needed to do. With Sugar Belle engrained on his mind, the stallion kept his eyes closed while muttering to himself. “Alright, just… Just go in there… T… T-Talk to Burnt Oak, and… and then leave… That’s it.”

Then with a deep and smooth exhale through his mouth, Big Mac reopened his eyes and carried a determined look on his face. Even though he shouldn’t have felt so nervous, the pony’s lips were still pursed in the slightest apprehension as he walked up those steps, and entered Burnt Oak's cabin. Nopony may have been around to see him walk inside the stallion's place, but he made sure to close the door behind him as quickly as possible, ensuring that the three ponies wouldn’t be seen from the outside.