Making Apple Butter - Teen Version

Chapters

Chapter One: Dream Homes and Future Hopes
Chapter Two: New Stallion in Ponyville...and His New Crush
Chapter Three: The Market Incident and Aftermath
Chapter Four: The Choices Make The Pony
Chapter Five: Date The First, But Not The Last

Chapter One: Dream Homes and Future Hopes

"Aw c'mon Butterscotch! We both know you've always hated Cloudsdale! Cloudsdale is pretty much only for athletes, weather ponies, and ponies looking to join the Royal Guard...no offense," Rainbow Dash said brashly as she stood up from the cloud-sofa in Butterscotch's apartment, her most recent outburst causing Butterscotch to cringe slightly at the volume of her voice, used to his long-time friend's loudness - but less then enjoying how much it reverberated in the small room of his Cloudsdale apartment, "plus this apartment costs way too much for you on your budget. You need something cheaper, more stable. Maybe something closer to the ground, closer to all the critters down there, so you can use that special talent of yours to its fullest?"

"I...I don't know Rainbow. I know the ponies here, and plus, who would take care of all of their pets if I did go? Oh, I couldn't bear the thought of somepony's falcon or eagle getting sick and not able to get better...oh my..." Butterscotch said, frowning at the mere concept.

"C'mon Flutters, you know they have good ol' Sit-Rep to take care of them. Who do you think was doing it before you got your special talent of taking care of animals?" Rainbow countered, seeing Butterscotch pause, then nod, "Besides, we both know you prefer the ground."

"I-I know...but...but the thought of having to go someplace new, meet new ponies..." Butterscotch said, tensing up, his pupils shrinking to pinpricks at the mere concept.

"Hey," Rainbow said, smiling gently as she put a comforting hoof on Butterscotch's withers, "You know I've always got your back, right? Besides, Ponyville is pretty awesome! I've been there several times. It's small, quiet. Ponies seem friendly...and don't mind you napping in their trees...well, not too much, at least."

The two Pegasi had been friends ever since Rainbow had defended Butterscotch from a pair of bullies at Summer Flight Camp as they were teasing him about being such a weak flier, before then challenging the bullies to a race in order to defend Butterscotch's honor.

Rainbow had then accidentally knocked Butterscotch off a cloud once the race started, making him plummet to the ground, seemingly to his death given he couldn't really fly...only to be rescued by a passing kaleidoscope of butterflies before he could hit the ground. They set him down in a clearing with a group of wild animals, the deer and the other herbivores merely looking at this new creature curiously, seemingly not afraid of him at all. Soon after, he felt an urge to speak to one of the cute little creatures - which he'd learn later was called a rabbit - and quickly discovered he could actually communicate with the bunny on a level that was unheard of in Cloudsdale.

When he spoke to a few more animals and calmed them, he noticed a bright light emanating from his flank, his eyes widening as he'd found his cutie mark had appeared, a trio of pink butterflies. Apparently, his special talent and purpose in life was speaking with and caring for animals, something he felt deep within himself to be true.

"Um...Rainbow...thank you, but I—" Butterscotch started again, but was quickly cut off by the excited rainbow-maned pony.

"Ponyville would totally be the perfect place for you! Like I said, it's quiet, most of the ponies there I've talked to are really friendly," Rainbow continued to Butterscotch, her very loud voice booming through the small room and echoing several times, making the timid pegasus flinch. "It's a pretty small village unlike Cloudsdale, and I heard there's a really nice cottage on the outskirts for really cheap! I mean, like, REALLY cheap... a lot cheaper than living in this overpriced dump of an apartment..." Rainbow added, stretching a cramp in her leg...then quickly moving to close the hole she'd kicked in the wall by accident after getting a very annoyed look through it from the neighbor, who happened to be in the tub. "Oops...sorry!" Rainbow shouted once more as she quickly closed the opening she'd made, making Butterscotch wince again from the loud reverb in the tiny room.

"Ponyville is a really great town from what I've seen of it. So nice in fact that I just bought a nice little cloud house there myself, fully furnished, for really cheap! It's TOTALLY AWESOME! So, what do you think?" Rainbow finally asked excitedly, looking at the lemon-yellow pegasus laying curled up on the cloud-couch and seeing one of his wings twitch when he was addressed, watching as he passively brushed a few strands of his light-rose-pink mane off of his muzzle with a hoof. "You wanna go check that cottage out with me?"

"Um...well...what do you think, Angel Bunny?" Butterscotch asked, then looking to Angel Bunny, his constant companion and confidant, for advice. The small white rabbit was currently sitting in an enchanted pet home, the weak magical enchantment on it giving the home the ability to float on clouds - the same magic and ability that a pegasus naturally had - and preventing it from falling through as any other solid object would.

At the mention of moving to the land, Angel's ears perked up, then he soon after rose his head at the mention of his name. While his home was the most deluxe model Butterscotch could afford, Angel was still somewhat miserable, saddened at being unable to run in the green pastures of his ancestors below and meet with others of his kind, and instead trapped in a fairly small chamber instead.

As Butterscotch picked him up from the animal home and held him, Angel communicated to him his interest in moving to the ground and Butterscotch nodded. "Ok Angel Bunny, I was thinking the same thing. This apartment IS pretty small, even if it is only the two of us. Plus, it sure would be nice to be on the ground to help all those critters too, instead of having to fly down there to check on them every day. Hey, um, Rainbow? When can we go take a look at that cottage?" Butterscotch asked in his usually demure voice, then bracing for the coming onslaught of happiness from Rainbow.

As expected, Rainbow Dash's wings flared out in excitement, almost taking off in flight in her excitement before realizing that she'd be flying through many ponies' homes if she actually did take off. Her wings remaining locked open in her excitement,though, and Rainbow instead pranced in place as her smile widened. Not one to disappoint, Rainbow took a deep breath before shouting out in her happiness: "OHMIGOSH! THIS IS GONNA BE SO AWESOME! YOU AND I ARE GONNA LIVE SO CLOSE TO EACH OTHER! THE COTTAGE IS ONLY A SHORT FLIGHT AWAY FROM MY HOUSE! AAAAAAH! Rainbow finished with a squeal, then gripping Butterscotch in a tight hug.

Butterscotch only gave an uneasy smile. "Yeah...awesome...yay..." he said, knowing he had to go through with the tour now.

What had he gotten herself into by agreeing, he wondered.

~ ~ ~

"This is the backyard's storage shed, which can be used for...well...storing things!" the home-sales griffon from Griffinstone Realty Ltd., Maison Courtier, stated with such a chipper voice that Rainbow could swear she heard wood grinding. He wasn't bad looking; average size and build for a griffon tom, with a blue-black coat, black wings with grey primary feathers, and white crpwn feathers preened in a stylish way. The rest of him besides his crown, though, looked and smelled like he hadn't bathed or washed his beak out in a month, his wing's feathers slick with their natural grease and unpreened, his fur equally as gross, and even matted in places with unidentifiable clumps near his lower belly and sides.

The griffon's voice, however, was easily the worst part about him. It was a deep and gruff yet chirpy voice and, despite its light Prench accent, sounded like hooves scraping down a chalkboard to Rainbow.

Before going for a house tour, Rainbow had asked for an outside tour first, then brought up to Maision about him earlier mentioning an additional feature to her when she'd inquired about the property, with him agreeing to take them there. Butterscotch was in awe as he was shown that there was indeed a large wild meadow a short trot from his cottage, one that was surely teeming with cute little furry critters for him to meet as well.

Butterscotch was smiling softly as they headed into the house after a full tour of the surrounding area, clearly pleased by the spacious grounds around the cottage. Now, he wanted to see the home itself.

For the house itself, it was a five-room, three bathroom cottage. It was a bit dusty and quite clearly hadn't been occupied by anypony for a very long time, and as such had fallen into a state of slight disrepair. A window was broken, making dead leaves and other plant detritus coat on the floor and gather in corners, and there were cobwebs and dead insects abound. Butterscotch was sure he could easily clean it all within a week though, and if Rainbow helped, even less.

Butterscotch seemed to love the large foyer, the comfortably-sized rooms, the very large master bedroom and its equally huge bathroom, and the two other bathrooms; one for his private use, and the other two for any possible guests. He realized in awe that every single room was bigger than his entire Cloudsdale apartment, and though he knew it was a quite a large home for him now, he also knew he could use the additional rooms for storage or animal housing.

Butterscotch's small, pleased smile did not go unnoticed by Rainbow after the tour, who quickly picked it up, having noticed that the smallest things with Butterscotch usually meant the most. "So, what do you think, Butterscotch?" Rainbow asked, noticing that the sales-pony was standing uncomfortably close to them after she'd asked, apparently just as eager to hear Butterscotch's response as Rainbow was.

"Yeah, what do you think 'Battercoach'?" Maision echoed, his bad breath washing over them. Rainbow cringed again at his annoyingly fake-excited high-pitched tone and mispronunciation of Butterscotch's name, that only proving to her how little he cared about Butterscotch as a pony seeking his dream house, and was seemingly only interested in him for his future mortgage payments. Not to mention his awful body odor and breath.

"Well, it's...um...it's great! This house is exactly what I was looking for!" Butterscotch stated with uncharacteristic enthusiasm, getting both a smile from Rainbow and the sales-griffon alike. A few thumps of Angel's back paw on his forehoof, however, reminded him of the all-important question. "But...um...well...how much would it...cost...exactly? I don't have too many Bits for a down payment right now..." he asked softly, pawing a forehoof shyly against the floor as he looked down.

Rainbow could almost hear the cash-register sound as the sales-griffon's eyes lit up, making Rainbow slightly on edge at his sudden, very close interest in Butterscotch. Her unease only grew as she watched him move in closer to Butterscotch. "Well...I'm sure I could give it to you as-is for a measly twenty-thousand Bits, ten percent down. If you can't afford that down payment, I'm sure that we could come up with some sort of...non-monetary payment though. Perhaps, if you do well for me, I could maybe even make the total cheaper for a...handsome young stallion such as yourself..." the greasy griffon said suavely, increasing the strength of his accent. Rainbow could swear his hooves were starting to stick to the floor from the sickly-honeyed words he was driveling out. When Rainbow heard that massive price though, as well as the poorly-vailed attempts of this griffon soliciting Butterscotch, she knew she had to speak up.

"Wait, what do you mean by—" Butterscotch started, clearly confused, only to be swiftly interrupted by Rainbow coming between him and Maison, whose front talon was already reaching for Butterscotch's rump with a perverted look in his eyes.

Rainbow was muzzle-to beak with the sales-griffin now, glaring into his eyes as her anger was made clearly evident. "Woah, woah, woah, what was that price, 'Misour' Maison Courtier? May I speak to you over here, in the other room?" Rainbow asked sharply, a very apparent, aggressive tone in her voice as she took a step towards him and pressed her chest to his, the smaller mare even still forcing him to give up ground to her and pushing him into the next room.

Once they were there, the door closed on its creaking hinges, Rainbow spoke in an intimidating tone; clearly showing she wasn't going to take any guff from him, but at the same time keeping it down so Butterscotch wouldn't overhear. "Did I hear you tell Butterscotch that this filthy, borderline-abandoned, unkept dump that will take days of cleaning to be made decent, is the same price as my fully-furnished, immaculate cloud house, which is much nearer the village and more desirable I will add, that your company sold me earlier today, then implying that you expected him to fuck you to make up the difference?" Rainbow asked vehemently in a whispered tone, making the sales-griffin back off a few more steps from him.

"Um...well...I...uh..." Maison stammered, clearly having been caught out and scrambling for an explanation for the very-obviously, hugely inflated price he'd asked for, as well as expecting something more than money on the side.

"'Um...well...you...' what!?" Rainbow pressed on, clearly sensing Maison's nervousness and pushing the advantage. "Did you have something you wanted to say, you price-gouging pervert?! I saw what you were trying to do, making the price high and asking for a 'non-monetary payment'" Rainbow sharply whispered, though even her softest tone carried such power that it made the fairly-large tom all but cower before her. "You really think you can sell this place for that much? With it being this close to the Everfree Forest? In this bucking condition? I bet nopony's made an offer for even for half , hay, a quarter of that!"

At this point, Maison was cowering like chick being scolded by his mother,"W-well, I, uh..."

Rainbow was having none of that. "I don't care! You better give Butterscotch a fair deal, or I swear I'll make so much bad press for your company and your...your sexual extortion of clients, that you'll never sell another house in Ponyville again! What stallion or mare would wanna buy a house from a company employing a filthy, smelly perv like you, selling it to them for a bucking LUDICROUS amount, then expecting to get a piece of ass just to give them a fair price?"

"I...I think I can afford to bring the price down..." Maison stammered in a business-like tone, trying to save what little face he could, "...and any other payment types other than Bits are off the table, of course."

Rainbow clearly wasn't satisfied yet. "If I ever hear about you even looking at Butterscotch like you were in there ever again – or taking advantage of any other unsuspecting, vulnerable ponies – I may have to make a more personal assurance that you'll never rip anypony else off, or try to extort somepony like that, again by ripping your balls off personally. Ya get me? Now get your bucking flank in there and give Butterscotch the real price of the house."

Knowing what Rainbow said was true, that nopony wanted this house given its proximity to such a potentially dangerous, and rather spooky, forest – plus her very obvious threats that he was more than inclined to believe she'd actually do – Maision quickly changed his tune when they stepped back into the room with Butterscotch.

Butterscotch looked at Maison expectantly, if a bit confused, at his rattled nature. "I...uh...well, after a rather enlightening discussion with your friend here, I wanted to say that today we're having a special sale on this particular cottage, given its lack of previous offers. Only for today, It will only be a mere seventeen..." Maision started, noticing Rainbow's eyes narrowing further, "I mean...t-ten thousand Bits, ten percent down?" he finished, giving Rainbow an overly-huge, very-fake, very nervous smile.

"Oh my, that much of a discount? Will it be sold as is?" Butterscotch asked, not noticing the piercing stare Rainbow was giving the griffon, looking instead around the large foyer again and imagining the ways he would make this his forever home already.

"Ye—" Maison started, but noticed the death-stare from Rainbow becoming more intense as she took another step towards him, her wings now flared open and making her look quite intimidating as she made a yanking gesture with her forehooves while gnashing her teeth like she was biting something held between them viciously, "I...*cough* I mean n-no. It will be fully cleaned..." Rainbow's glare slightly softened, but now she waved a hoof in circles, the universal signal for '...and?', "...a-and it will be fully furnished! Y-yeah..." Maison Courtier finished. He watched in relief as Rainbow finally folded in her wings and backed down, her aggressive expression instead being replaced by a sly smirk as she hooded her eyelids cockily at the pony who dared to try and rip off, and who tried to do worse to, her closest friend.

"My! That's quite the sale you have today, almost a steal compared to your previous price! I may need to borrow money for the diwn payments, but I'll take it!" Butterscotch said promptly, finally looking up to his friend with a huge smile. Rainbow saw his eyes brimming with an excitement that she hadn't seen in them but once before in the many, many years she'd known him; when they'd found him after he'd gotten his cutie mark, surrounded with animals. This was the look of a dream come true for the butter-yellow pegusus.

"Yes, it really is 'quite the steal'..." Maison stated flatly, looking firmly over at Rainbow, who merely waved a hoof back in response. While he amended the contract for sale and Butterscotch's mortgage payments with the reduced cost, and all of the details he'd promised, Maison cleared his throat. "I'd also like to apologize for my behavior earlier. It's just...it's spring, and..." Rainbow gave him a warning glance. "...and, well I'm sorry for being so uncouth."

"Oh, it's no problem! I just am so happy you agreed to sell me this wonderful house for so cheap!" Butterscotch said, still a bit confused as to why he was apologizing, or be willing to sell for half his original price, but willing to overlook that detail as Rainbow simply being a master negotiator.

After Maison finished drawing up the papers, and Rainbow and Butterscotch looked them over, Rainbow found he had included everything he'd promised, then nodded to Butterscotch. Butterscotch then signed his name at the bottom, making the contract legally binding, and the house his upon the down payment being given, and his regular mortgage payments, of course. Butterscotch virtually glowed as he set the quill down, then looked around to the large foyer they were standing in. By the next day, it would be his. This big, beautiful cottage would be all his.

Butterscotch stayed with Rainbow in her own new house while his new cottage was being cleaned and renovated, exploring the extremely large 'Cloudominium' model and discovering it was practically a mansion. Unsurprising, as cloud homes were far cheaper to produce and purchase than ground-built homes, after all.

The next few days, outside of spending time with his best friend, were spent by Butterscotch exploring the surrounding meadows on the outskirts of Ponyville, whether with or without Rainbow Dash accompanying him. He'd met many new animal friends in that meadow just like he'd hoped, and he'd quickly invited them back to live with him at his new home once it was ready.

When Butterscorch was told his home was ready a few days later, he stood in awe in the foyer, stunned at how much different, and better, it looked cleaned up and with complete furniture and storage. His dream home, made a reality.

Chapter Two: New Stallion in Ponyville...and His New Crush

Butterscotch realized that he'd need food for all the critters he'd welcomed in within the week after moving into him new home, as well as realizing that he himself was running out of the food and other supplies he'd brought from his Cloudsdale apartment when he'd moved in there proper. He sighed as he realized the daunting task he'd been dreading was now upon him: he needed to go into Ponyville and buy more.

Hitched up to a sturdy, yet lightweight, cart to haul all the animal feed and personal groceries he'd need back home, saddlebags on his sides for the same, Butterscotch reluctantly made his way to the town from his home on its very border, avoiding everypony he could by taking the back path to town and hiding whenever somepony came into view. After a few close calls, he finally made it to the outskirts, then soon after ending up in the center of the town square a matter of moments later.

Daunted by suddenly finding himself surrounded by so many ponies he didn't know, Butterscotch took a deep breath and assumed his usual submissive posture: his ears back, head down, tail lowered, back slightly arched, and eyes averted from anypony in particular, as he quickly looked for the produce stalls.

As Butterscotch entered deeper into the mildly crowded main square of Ponyville, it being a Saturday, he was somewhat overwhelmed by the number of ponies hawking their wares. He looked from tomatoes, to brooms, to flowers, to...things he'd never even seen in Cloudsdale, but from school knew as the farm equipment that earth ponies used to till soil and remove unwanted plants, as well as seeds, tree saplings, and other agricultural or farm products.

As he finally approached the produce section of the market a few seconds later, Butterscotch's eyes were immediately drawn to the only apple cart, with apples being his favorite fruit. As he approached the cart, however, Butterscotch found his eyes being drawn to the earth pony stallion tending it more than the displayed fruit.

The stallion's coat was the deep red that one would usually find on a shiny Red Delicious apple, his mane a sandy orangish-blonde. The thing that pulled Butterscotch's attention most, though, were his eyes, which shared their brilliant green with emeralds. Another thing that he noticed about him was that, unlike those other merchants surrounding him who were screaming out their product and its price, this large stallion simply sat behind his cart, as though the products would simply sell themselves. Unknown to him, the reputation of those apples made just that happen, no yawping for attention needed.

The stallion only looked up at Butterscotch expectantly when he'd noticed him approaching moments later. When he did look at him and Butterscotch noticed, his eyes quickly shifted away from tge stallion's, his submissive nature surfacing again.

When the candy-apple red stallion rose to his hooves, he towered over both the cart and Butterscotch, easily half a head taller then any other stallions Butterscotch had ever seen, and well over a head above the smaller pegasus stallion Butterscotch was. When the stallion cocked his head at him curiously, Butterscotch gulped, quickly finding himself speechless as he then looked down to the ground again. When he looked back up at him briefly, Butterscotch noticed a small, awkward smile on the stallion's face, realizing that his hoof was nervously scratching through his short, sandy-blonde mane as his eyes shifted from him to elsewhere.

"Help ya, sir?" The stallion asked in his surprisingly deep voice, taking Butterscotch off-guard.

Butterscotch froze up, almost tempted to fall on his back after being directly addressed, and by such a powerful-sounding voice.

"Want apples?" the apple stallion finally asked again kindly, with his very deep, bass voice having quite the strong country drawl, which Butterscotch found himself rather liking. It made his inquiry sound more like 'ahy-pulls?' than 'apples?', something he found adorable in a way. In response to his question, Butterscotch meekly nodded, unable to bring himself to do much else as he felt his gaze upon him. "How many y' want?" he asked.

"A d-dozen please." Butterscotch whispered, with him barely even able to speak loud enough to be heard, and when the other stallion looked at him confused, he simply put twelve small golden Bits on the counter, the price for twelve apples. He was honestly surprised this stallion couldn't hear his heartbeat, given how hard it was pounding!

As the red-coated stallion put a number of apples into a sack, Butterscotch not counting given his attention was once again on the ground, he placed them on the counter in front of Butterscotch with a soft thump, the relatively quiet sound making Butterscotch slightly flinch. "No reason t' be shy, Ah ain't gonna bite. Hey, ain't ya that new colt 'at jus' moved here a couple'a days 'go, int'a th' ol' cottage on the outskirts? Ah think Rainbow Dash said yer name was Butter...somethin'. Butterpie? Is that right, er what is it?" the stallion asked casually, his voice both powerful but gentle.

For some reason, before he even thought about it, Butterscotch found himself laughing aloud at that misnomer. "B-Butterpie!?" Butterscotch repeated, sputtering a bit before laughing mirthfully again; for some reason, he found that mistake of his name to be the funniest thing he'd ever heard.

Moments later, he calmed down as his laughing fit diminishing to giggles, before finally ending completely, allowing Butterscotch to wipe his teary eyes with a fetlock before opening them and looking again at the apple stallion. He saw that same small smile from before still remained on his snoot, but had widened some in response to his laughter. Out of nowhere, Butterscotch couldn't help but think it looked so adorable on such a handsome stallion as he.

Butterscotch consciously caught himself having these very-unusual thoughts, finding himself more than somewhat surprised by them. Sure, he'd sometimes fantasized during his 'alone time' about having a nameless, faceless mare there to 'assist him' as he was sating his needs, but never before would he believe he'd actually be talking to a real, living, and very handsome stallion and thinking that way of him!

Remembering that this stallion had asked him a question before, Butterscotch cleared his throat and lifted his head, somehow fighting through his shyness and looking the stallion in the eyes. As he did, he felt his normally nervous energy shift to excitement as his eyes met this stallion's, a thrill of something passing through him and dancing up his spine, leaving a delightful tingle along the way.

"M-my name's Butterscotch, Butterscotch muttered, the last part so quiet as to be incomprehensible.

"Pardon?" the red stallion asked, clearly unable to hear his actual name.

"M-my name's...B-Butterscotch...." Butterscotch finally managed to say almost-properly, shifting in his position but still feeling drawn to look into the apple vendor's eyes, something almost hypnotic inviting him into staring into those beautiful green pools – like all of nature was merged into those twin spheres, and he was looking across all its beauty at once. When Butterscotch again caught himself, and determined that he'd held eye contact for way longer then what would be considered comfortable for most ponies, let alone himself, he quickly broke the gaze and looked to the ground again, his old standby.

"Ah alright, well Ah was close, yeah?" the stallion said with a chuckle,"Butterpie, Butterscotch – both sweet, right?" he asked, another hearty chuckle escaping his throat, making Butterscotch blush at the unintentional insinuation. "Well, mah name is Macintosh Apple, er 'Big Mac' among mah friends 'n' family," the stallion apparently named Big Mac finally said, at long last giving Butterscotch a name for this rather fetching stallion. Mac then pushed the apple bag slightly closer, with Butterscotch looking up and seeing a rather large sack containing at least two dozen apples, if not more, sat before him.

"B-but I ordered..." Butterscotch protested weakly, "...I...I can't afford..." He was interrupted when Big Mac then raised a hoof and halted his speech with a gentle smile alongside.

"Firs' dozen're always free to ar' new neighbors. Consider it yer 'Welcome ta Ponyville' present, from the Apple family," Big Mac said, then nudging the sack of apples ever-so-slightly closer to Butterscotch with his muzzle, along with his Bits with a hoof, "...an' the other dozen're on th' house cuz ya didn't get offended when Ah got yer name wrong, an' ya have a nice laugh!"

"Well u-um, t-thank you, M-Mister Macintosh," Butterscotch said meekly, taking the neck of the bag into his mouth and placing it in his saddlebag, feeling his weight shift to the right at the added bundle, and putting his money back in its pouch.

"Yer welcome, an' please, please, call me Mac, er better, Big Mac. Ah ain't been called 'Macintosh' since school, er when Granny lectures me," Big Mac joked, giving a friendly smile, "Y'all have a good'un, an' if y'like the apples, Ah'll be here e'ry day with new stock. Hope t'see ya 'gain real soon!"

Butterscotch gave Big Mac a soft nod and smile, acknowledging him and dismissing himself at once. As he was walking away, he found himself almost regretting it for some reason, as though he didn't actually want to leave 'Big Mac'. Why he felt like that was totally beyond him, but he thought hanging around an apple stand all day, and with a stallion that he'd only know for a few minutes at the time, would be rather awkward for all involved.

When Butterscotch had put what he felt like was an adequate distance from the apple stall, he dared a glance back to that stallion, seeing him simply sitting as he had been before Butterscotch had showed up, looking over the apples on the cart as he apparently awaited another customer. After watching him for a few moments, before looking away again with a blush glowing hotly on his cheeks, Butterscotch finished up buying a few more fruits and veggies, both for himself and his animals. When he finally took his leave from the produce section, moving on to his next stop of the livestock and pet section of the market for dry animal foods, suddenly a pink-coated mare with a deeper pink mane practically leapt in front of him.

"HI! I saw and heard you laughing earlier and I love laughing! I love making new friends and you're new here because I haven't met you before, and if I haven't met you before, and you're all by your lonesome, that you must be lonely, so I thought I'd say hi! My name's Pinkie Pie, what's yours?!"

Butterscotch promptly collapsed onto his back with a bleating sound, nearly having a heart attack.

As he was unloading the bags of feed from his cart, Butterscotch felt his mind being drawn back to that stallion at the market, 'Big Mac'. "Big Mac..." Butterscotch mumbled as he hauled another twenty kilogram bag onto his back, his legs wobbling slightly at the weight. He'd never been the strongest pony, indeed still somewhat lanky ever since his recently-passed adolescence, with him being just eighteen years old now.

Butterscotch found his thoughts being taken up more and more by the red stallion, remembering how muscular and toned he'd been, remembering his muscles flexing as he'd moved. "I wish you were here to help me Big Mac...these bags are so heavy...and your muscles are so big..." Butterscotch whimpered, surprising himself with his words. He also blushed deeply as he felt a sensation that he'd only ever felt when mares or fillies around him were going through their estrus cycle; he was quite physically *aroused*.

Thankful that nopony and none of his animal friends were around, his face feeling like it was on fire, Butterscotch tucked his tail between his legs as he hauled the heavy food bag on his back into the backyard storage shed, which he was indeed storing animal care products in. Alone in the mid-sized building, Butterscotch sat on the smooth wooden floor, freshly sanded and waxed along with the house's other renovations. Whatever Rainbow had said to that griffin must have worked wonders, Butterscotch thought, for so thorough of an overhaul.

As he sat there while he rested from the second heavy bag he'd carried on his back, Butterscotch found his thoughts drifting back to Mac again. He thought of his muscles bulging slightly under his coat as he'd moved, belying their strength. He also found his mind being drawn to when he'd looked down at Big Mac's stifle at his cutie mark - a green, vertically-cut apple half facing outward as if pressed against glass, its seeds, a leaf, and green stem all visible. His mental vision lingered on that rump, the heat in his cheeks rising again, as well as the heavy hardness between his legs.

Butterscotch then started to think about what may be between those stifles, something his mind rarely wondered to outside mating season, imagining Mac spreading his legs open. His mind formulated a package befitting of a stallion his size, his blush ever-growing as more details formed, until he was imagining him fully exposed, all for him. "O-Oh...my..." Butterscotch mumbled, a hoof now resting on his lower chest as he leaned back and pressed his back against a hay bale, his legs splaying open as he half-laid like that.

"Like what you see, handsome?" Imaginary-Mac asked him, giving him bedroom eyes, "Ah can show ya so much more, can make ya feel so much more."

"Yes please," Butterscotch replied, his whole being drawn to this daydreamed stallion as he laid before him on him back, his nethers completely exposed as he spread his own legs for him.

"Well ain't ya sexy? C'mere...lemme make you feel good."

"Mmm, yes please, please make me feel good Mac..." Butterscotch whispered as he let his hoof trail down his chest the rest of the way, then sliding lower instead.

After a few minutes of lazing against the haybale after reaching his climax, Butterscotch's eyes suddenly widened as he remembered about just whom about he'd been fantasizing about after he'd finished, it hitting him in full.

"O-oh...oh my..." Butterscotch mumbled, his cheeks bright red as everything came rushing back; that he'd just masturbated to a fantasy involving a stallion he'd only met a few hours past! Mind muddled with the remnants of his orgasm's endocrine secretions. Butterscotch realized that he'd never given these fantasies a face before, never gave them a name, let alone ever jacked off while imagining a stallion. He knew stallions, knew their appearance and their names, but never before had he ascribed their name to one of his daydream flings. This was the first time this had ever happened, and it puzzled him as to why. Why was this new farm-stallion so intriguing to him, he wondered, mulling over it, and never coming to a good reason.

Author's Note

Hope you like you some ButterMac, cuz that ship's a-comin'! Toot-toot, here it comes!

Chapter Three: The Market Incident and Aftermath

Butterscotch continued to keep his eye on Big Macintosh as he settled in to his new village and home, meeting other ponies at the market as he fulfilled various needs for himself or his animal friends, yet never did he feel so emotionally towards any of them as he did for that apple-flanked stallion. Week after week he watched from a distance, admiring how well the soft-spoken stallion seemed to fit in around town, and never usually having to do so much as speak but a few words to get his point across.

Pinkie Pie, that first mare he'd met here - and nearly had a heart attack from, as she'd greeted him so suddenly and loudly during his first visit to town - actually turned out to be a pretty nice pony, even if she was practically his polar opposite. While he was quiet, kept to himself, and was rather demure, she was loud and boisterous, and claimed everypony in town was her friend. She even remembered all of their birthdays, and gave each of them presents or even parties on it!

One day, while chatting with Pinkie and heading to the market to get his weekly requirements, they stopped short of the 'Sweet Apple Acres Apples' stall, and Butterscotch felt his heart start pounding as he saw Big Mac again. He felt nervous, as he did every time he saw the stallion, ever since he'd rubbed one out at a fantasy of him, and had realized at that moment that he just may prefer stallions over mares. Pinkie picked up on that nervousness. "Hey, what's wrong? Parasprites?!" Pinkie asked, looking around suspiciously, and slowly drawing a trombone from her mane.

"Oh...n-no...what are parasprites?" Butterscotch responded, "Nevermind. No, it's nothing..." Butterscotch said, yet he couldn't pull his gaze from that big, muscular earth pony selling a half-dozen apples at that moment, and Pinkie seemed to pick up on his lovestruck gaze.

"Aw, I know that look! Do you like Big Mac? He is a pretty cool, handsome pony! He's the brother to one of my bestest friends, Applejack, too! You two should totally meet, I'm sure she'd like—" Pinkie exclaimed like it was the most normal thing in the world to voice somepony's crush aloud, much to Butter's horror, as he clamped a hoof over her mouth and stopped her before she could make it worse.

"I...!" Butter started in a panicked yelp, looking over to see if Big Mac had heard Pinkie's outburst. He clearly hadn't, still talking to his customer, before taking a deep breath to compose himself. He'd never thought he'd be found out so early, though he supposed gawking at such an attractive stallion with a dreamy expression on his face was kind of a dead give-away, "...I don't know, OK?"

"Okie-dokie-loki!" Pinkie said in her usual, exuberant way, "I didn't know you were into stallions though! I figured you'd totally be into mares? Huh! Guess it was me who got surprised this time! Hahaha!"

"I, um, I didn't know until recently either..." Butterscotch admitted, once more glancing over at the big, handsome earth pony stallion, "...until I met...him," Butterscotch's eyes then widened a bit, somewhat surprised her friend would be so open to the idea of him, a stallion, being attracted to another stallion.

"So, when're you gonna ask him out?!"

Butterscotch froze up at that question, eyes wide as he looked at this mare incredulously. "M-me? Ask h-him?" Butterscotch stammered, rapidly shaking his head, "N-no, no, I couldn't! He...I mean, I'm sure he's got mares beating down his doors for his foals already!"

"Hmm...nah, don't think so. Every time I've heard of a mare hitting on him, he's let them down gently, saying they're 'jus' not his type', whatever he means by that." Pinkie said, miming Mac's accent poorly as she quoted him, before cocking her head slightly.

"O-oh..." Butterscotch said, "w-well surely he wouldn't think I’m his type. I mean, I'm a stallion..."

"Well, ya won't ever know until ya ask! Anyhow, where did you need to go now?" Pinkie asked, with Butterscotch realizing, with heavy saddle bags, a full cart, and disconcertation, that he had only one destination left today.

"T-there..." Butterscotch said, his cheeks already flushing red as he saw Big Mac finishing up with his latest customer, pointing at the apple cart.

"Aaaah, gotcha," Pinkie said, giving Butterscotch a wink, and confusing the butter-yellow stallion.

Approaching the apple stall, Pinkie at his flank, Butterscotch hesitantly approached the apple vendor, his usual meek posture once more assumed, face partially hidden behind his mid-length, powder-pink, swirled mane. "Oh, um, hi B-Big Mac," Butterscotch said in a demure tone, looking away submissively as always from the bigger stallion, "t-the usual dozen, please?" Presenting a dozen golden Bits from his pouch, he placed them on the counter, and waited for Big Mac to fulfill his request.

As the Apple stallion was putting his order into a small sack, Butterscotch didn't notice Pinkie trotting close to Big Mac. "So, Big Mac, my friend here said he has a crush on you! Isn't he super handsome?!" Pinkie suddenly stated, with all the subtlety of a sledgehammer smashing a gong, clearly thinking Butterscotch was here for more than just apples after his admission, and thinking he was after Big Mac's 'apples'. She thenafter stood there, looking proud of herself for helping Butterscotch break the ice and being a good new friend.

Big Mac dropped the apple whose stem he was holding in his teeth as his jaw dropped, before looking at Butterscotch, clearly quite surprised at what Pinkie had said.

Butterscotch screamed internally as he felt rooted to the spot, several pairs of eyes on him now as his secret crush was aired like so much dirty laundry. He started trembling as he wilted from the unwanted attention, eyes wide as dinner plates, his stomach feeling like it was in his hooves. And then he suddenly felt wind rushing past him, the impact of the ground under his hooves, his heart breaking, as he galloped away. He could also feel a cold wetness on his cheeks, his vision blurred with tears, and his mane sticking to his face as he spread his wings, and took flight as fast as he could away from the mortifying situation.

Pinkie meanwhile pronked away from the market with a big smile, humming merrily, leaving Big Mac with his jaw agape, and more than a little to think about. "Well, I think that went great!" Pinkie said to herself cheerily, sitting and giving herself a self-hoofbump, "Mission accomplished!" Soon, though, she felt a heavy hoof land on her shoulder.

"Pinkie, Ah gotta ask ya somethin’..."

Butterscotch sat in his living room, where he'd ended up after his panicked retreat from the market, slumped down, his wings unfurled and laying limp beside him. He vaguely remembered opening the door and entering, now stared at the floor beneath him as his thoughts ran a mile a minute, the occasional tear dripping down from his muzzle to join the small puddle already there. Butterscotch had never felt so humiliated and betrayed in his life as he had that day, with even failing and being bullied in flight camp as a colt now only a close second.

Butterscotch didn't even notice the first knock on his door, so lost in his shame - and despair of thinking he'd never be able to see Big Mac again, let alone be anything more to him, all thanks to Pinkie's outburst - that it took the next, now hinge-rattling, series of poundings on his cottage door to finally shake him from his daze enough to elicit a reaction.

Not remembering expecting a package, Butter mumbled a 'coming!' as loud as he could muster in his depressed state, dragging himself to his hooves, his unfurled wings dragging behind him as he walked.

As he opened the door, Butterscotch's view was filled with a burly, candy-apple-red-coated chest. His heart sinking at the implications, Butterscotch forced his gaze upwards, before they were found true upon meeting his eyes with the those of Big Macintosh. They both just stared at each other for a while, emerald-green meeting teal eyes, before Butterscotch felt fresh tears rolling down his cheeks as he fell back onto his rump, closing his eyes and looking away in consternation and shame.

After the silence grew uncomfortable, then unbearable, Butterscotch's eyes snapped open and widened, letting out a surprised squeak as he was suddenly hauled from his seated position and into the air. Expecting to feel the hard floor, or a hard hoof, meeting his face, wincing in anticipation of the pain, he was instead surprised to feel the exact opposite: softness. In complete surprise, Butterscotch's vision was once more taken up by vivid red, his nose buried in soft, if mildly-course, fur, and the soft flesh and firm muscles beneath it, feeling two thick forelegs wrapped around his back. His sensitive muzzle also picked up the other stallion's soft musk, with everypony having their own unique scent, his mixed with a faint hint of salty sweat, cut pinewood, and sweet apples.

In complete awe at the surrealism of the moment, Butterscotch realized he was being hugged. Big Mac was holding him, and softly squeezing him in a bear hug. "Ah never could stand seein' ponies cry," Butterscotch both heard, and felt through Big Mac's chest, "'E'specially if Ahm th' cause of it, directly er not," Big Mac sighed. "Makes me feel like Ah wronged 'em, even if Ah didn't."

Hearing Big Mac talk was soothing to Butterscotch, and his embrace was almost like being hugged by a big stuffed teddy-pony come to life. After calming down some in his embrace, Butterscotch realized he'd never told Big Mac where he lived. "H-how, um...how did you find me?"

"Pinkie," Big Mac said, and the mention of that mare’s name sent a pang of anger and betrayal through Butterscotch again. He also regretted telling the mare where he lived, but he had a feeling she'd have found out on her own, if she'd wanted to. "She also asked me to tell ya she's sorry fer shoutin' out that ya like me."

Butterscotch felt the very unusual sensation of seething anger growing inside him as he thought of that little pink traitor, that feeling quickly devolving to resentment, before he was pulled out of his hate spiral by a slightly-rough hoof on his cheek, guiding him to come face to face with Big Mac again. Seeing the rage on Butter's face, Mac's brows furrowed a bit in worry, concerned that his anger was directed at him. Deciding that since he was already angry, he may as well take the shot and hope for the best, Big Mac did just that.

"So, is it true, what she said?"

The question hit Butterscotch like a freight train. "W-what?" Butterscotch asked, still in the big stallion's tight embrace.

"What Pinkie said in the market, that's got ya all in a tussle. That ya..." Big Mac paused, his blush evident even against his naturally red cheeks, "...that ya got feelin's fer me?"

Butterscotch felt his own cheeks explode with heat, squirming a bit in Big Mac's grasp, as he felt his embarrassment arise anew. That Big Mac had just so bluntly asked him, without a hint of malice, was somewhat of a surprise to him. "I...I...um..." Butterscotch stammered, his tongue struggling to even consider making words, "...I don't kn-know...?"

Pulling back from the hug, letting Butterscotch sit on his own now, and sitting a mere half-meter from him, Mac gave a chuckle. "Lemme guess, ya think Ah got mah eye on some ten-outta-ten mare, and Ahm gonna be all mad that ya think Ahm attractive?" Mac asked, getting a surprised look from Butterscotch, before the smaller stallion nodded. "Heh, figured. Well, lemme tell ya somethin' here, Butterscotch, somethin' Ah ain't never told nopony else. All these mares comin' to me durin' estrus season, lookin' fer a foal from me, er asking me on dates then er otherwise..." Mac said, before sighing, his turn to be nervous now, "...’ell, they're barkin' up the wrong tree. Ah never really been inta fillies as a colt, or mares now."

That was quite possibly one of the last things Butterscotch had ever expected to hear from Big Mac. Here was possibly the most handsome stallion he'd ever seen, able to pick any mare he wanted, and sire beautiful foals to them, yet he wasn't attracted to them. "Y-you...um...what?" Butterscotch asked, unable to believe his ears.

"Yeah, Ah never focused on anythin' romantic or sexual, really. Mah first love's always been the farm an' orchard, an' Ah viewed everything else as a distraction for th' longest time," Mac said, apparently finding an outlet for this now, seeming to have been bothering him for some time. "Always focused on work an' family...but never mahself. Mah own wants 'n' needs. Always for somepony else. Not sayin’ it ain't family first, but..."

Butterscotch sat there, puzzled, as Big Mac beared his heart to him, all shame or embarrassment gone now, only a strange pity for their shared lack of relationships; Mac because of dedication to his job and family, and Butterscotch from sheer shyness.

Soon, Butterscotch found himself scooching closer to the other stallion, before reaching out his forelegs and embracing Macintosh. "Yes." Butterscotch all but whispered, slightly confusing the earth pony stallion.

"Pardon?" Big Mac asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"Yes, Pinkie was right. I did say you were attractive." Butterscotch replied, nodding softly against Big Mac's shoulder, "and yes, I also thought you'd have to be beating mares off with your stick..." Butterscotch's eyes widened at the unintended innuendo, "...I-I mean...!"

Big Mac chuckled at the flustered stallion, pulling back from the hug to look down at him. "Like Ah said, Ah never really thought about what er who Ah was interested in romantically. Now, here Ah got a stallion who seems into me."

"I-I'm sorry..." Butterscotch answered reflexively, before feeling a soft hoof land on his cheek.

"Ain't nothing ta apologize fer. Maybe ya helped me, in fact."

"Helped you?"

"Yeah. Maybe Ah was looking at things all wrong."

"Wh-what do you mean?"

"Ah mean, maybe it weren't a mare Ah may be interested in like Ah was thinkin' as a colt."

"O-oh?" Butterscotch asked, his wings springing up in anticipation, waiting with baited breath on Mac's words.

"Yeah," Mac said, nodding, "Ah was always under th' impression ya needed ta be with a mare as a stallion, 'specially with all them askin' t' date me, or even jus' ta have mah foals, but that jus' never felt right t' me. But, Ah realize now that...that ain't gotta be how it is. Pinkie kinda opened mah eyes to that...an' you too."

"M-me? Really?"

"Yeah, you. Never really even considered gettin' together with a stallion, let alone anypony really. Then here along you come, puttin' that in mah head like that." Mac smiled, a genuine smile, and Butterscotch couldn't help but smile himself, this stallion's happiness being quite contagious.

"Well, I..." Butterscotch said, looking bashful now, "I just thought you were really handsome that first time I saw you, and you're very generous, and..." Butterscotch said, before biting his tongue before the traitorous muscle could let 'sexy' slip. Memories of his fantasy between him and Mac flashed in his mind, with him feeling a stirring and twitch in his sheath, and he had to clamp down on those thoughts before his member slipped free.

“Hmm…” Big Mac hummed as he stepped back. He then looked over Butterscotch, actually checking out the smaller stallion. While he was a bit taller than the average mare, it wasn’t by much, with pegasi in general always being on the smaller, more lithe side. He realized he probably didn’t weigh half of what Big Mac did, what with having to be light enough to fly and all, with most earth ponies meanwhile as tall as trees, and built like boulders, in comparison.

What Big Mac did certainly enjoy about the smaller stallion, though, were his wings, and his adorable, nearly-round muzzle, much like some colts’ were. He didn’t mind that he wasn't big and hunky like some mares seemed to like in a stallion, instead rather lanky, thinking he was rather handsome just the way he was. Hay, with his mane longer like it was, he almost looked like a mare at first glance! “...Hmm...hmm...hmm…” Big Mac continued to hum as he continued to blatantly check out Butterscotch, with the stallion under his scrutiny nearly wilting under his peering eyes, his tail tucked between his legs.

“U-um…?” Butterscotch asked, Big Mac’s ears perking up as he looked away from the extended, erect wing that he’d been examining, “...I...I didn’t know this was a physical.” Butterscotch smiled, then let out a little giggle, Mac letting out a deeper guffaw of his own.

“Sorry, tend t’ get a little, uh, ‘over-observant’ on some things...or in this case, somepony,” Mac said, before giving a sheepish little smile.

“Did, um…” Butterscotch started, feeling his cheeks flare up with heat again, “...did...did you like what you saw?”

Big Mac simply smiled at the question, then scooped the pegasus stallion up entirely and hugged him again, earning another surprised squeak from him. “Mmmhm…” Big Mac answered, nodding, “...yer real handsome to me. An' since ya asked, Ah think it’s only fair ya say whatcha think’a me too.”

“I...I like how you look too,” “Butterscotch said, feeling a bit shy about being told he was handsome by somepony else, let alone an absolute stud like Big Mac was. “Your, um...muscles are nice, and...so is your...um…”

“Relax there,” Bit Mac said, seeing Butterscotch getting flustered as he clearly tried to think of more compliments, before deciding to try a joke, “ain’t nothin’ t’ get worked up over...unless it’s in the fun kinda gettin’ worked up, y'dig?”

Butterscotch collapsed onto his back on the ground with a very goat-like bleat, his legs standing stiff in the air as he apparently froze up and fainted. “OK, note ta self: don’t make sexual innuendo to Butterscotch anymore...” Big Mac whispered to himself, lifting the pegasus up and over his withers, then laying him on the couch, before smiling at the cute stallion laying there, “...not yet, at least.”

Chapter Four: The Choices Make The Pony

Butterscotch awoke a short while later on his bed. He rolled over and stood, confused as to how he’d gotten there, before remembering what had happened earlier. As he thought about Big Mac more, he got more and more embarrassed that this all had turned out this way. He was almost tempted to ask Big Mac to leave when he next saw him, politely of course, before hearing a soft knock on his bedroom door. “C-come in!” Butterscotch called out before he even consciously registered it, then watched as the door opened.

Big Mac came in, looking quite concerned at Butterscotch. “Y’alright? Ya fainted ‘bout a half-hour ago, so Ah hauled ya up onto yer bed. Mighty sorry ‘bout that.” Mac said, looking rather sheepish that a simple, relatively mild, joke would cause such a reaction.

“O-oh...Butterscotch said, feeling his cheeks warm again, “S-sorry…”

“Aw, ain’t nothin’ t’ apologize fer. Ah should apologize fer bein’ so forward, in fact.” Mac replied, making Butterscotch look away again.

The silence grew after that, becoming uncomfortable, before Big Mac finally spoke up again. “So, um…” he started, making Butterscotch look up at him, before finally deciding to take the shot, “Did’jya wanna...Ah dunno, go to th’ movies or dinner sometime?”

Butterscotch nearly fainted again, but managed to keep his composure enough not to. Taking a deep breath, and thinking the question over, fighting against his instinct of diving under his blanket in the intense situation, he instead did a complete one-eighty from what his shyness told him to do. He embraced the other stallion again, wrapping his hooves around his sides and softly squeezing Mac to him. “I’d love to!” Butterscotch exclaimed softly, for the first time in a long time not letting his shyness of other ponies prevent him from doing something he truly, in his heart of hearts, knew he really wanted.

“Well alright, great! How’s Friday sound? Got that day off, on account’a plantin’ almost bein’ done.”

“That sounds...wonderful!” Butterscotch said, his wings flaring out and flapping once in nervous excitement. Yes, he was going to get to be with his crush, on a date, but he was also a stallion, and dating another stallion! What would other ponies think? Would the mares who’d tried to court Mac before hate him for being with Big Mac when they couldn’t be? Butterscotch felt the panic rising in his chest, ready to call off the whole thing already simply because of the overwhelming number of ‘what if’s going through his head, before feeling a soft squeeze of Big Mac’s hooves around his back, pressing his muzzle once more into the sofy fluff of Mac’s chest-tuft.

“Hey, Ah really hate t’ leave now, but Ah was kinda in th’ middle’a somethin’ when Pinkie...well…” Big Mac said, before deciding to leave it there, “...but Ah will see ya on Friday! Lookin’ forward to it!”

“Oh! Well, um, ok…” Butterscotch said, hesitantly releasing his grip on the other stallion and pulling away, then just looking up at Mac, meeting his eyes and holding the gaze for a second, before his bashfulness won out in the end and he looked away. “...goodbye, Big Mac.”

“Bye Butterscotch. Ah’m real glad we got this sorted out.”

“Um...yeah, me too!”

“So, uh, yeah, ‘bye.”

“‘Bye ‘bye!”

Instead of Mac getting up, both continued to sit there, gazing into the other’s eyes. Neither really wanted him to leave, but knew he had to go. Butterscotch leaned forward, nuzzling into Big Mac’s neck, and Big Mac into Butterscotch’s mane, before the bigger stallion finally stood. “Right, ‘bye.” Big Mac said with finality, before heading to the door. As he reached the bedroom door, he was stopped as he heard the th-thump of rapidly approaching hooves, before he gave a soft grunt at the impact of a chest against his flank, Butterscotch having reared up to hug him from the side, his lips landing softly on his cheek in a kiss.

Big Mac’s cheeks flushed even redder than they naturally were at the unexpected hug and kiss, stumbling a bit from the sudden impact too, before Butterscotch dropped to all four hooves again, his cheeks tinted pink. “S-sorry…” Butterscotch started, before Big Mac held up his hoof to stop him. Big Mac then leaned down and kissed Butterscotch on the cheek, earning a soft, surprised whinny from him.

“Ain’t nothin t’ be sorry fer. Ah’ll see ya Friday, er at the market stall whenever ya need some more...anythin’ involvin’ apples!” Big Mac said, before opening the bedroom door and closing it behind him after he left. Butterscotch was left sitting there, thinking about the day. Thinking about Big Mac, how big and handsome he was. How he always knew just what to say. How much he wanted Mac to just pin him down and—

Butterscotch backtracked from those thoughts, thoughts he’d never really had about specific ponies before, let alone a stallion, as he slowly stood up. He had his own tasks, after all, just like Big Mac. He headed outside to the storage shed again to get the animals’ lunch, hauling up the half-full bag, struggling a bit even with it. “I wish you were here to help me with this, Big Mac…” Butterscotch said, before realizing he’d said the same thing just yesterday, and what that had led to, right here in the shed.

Blushing, feeling that familiar sensation of arousal rising in him again as he thought of the hunky candy-apple stallion’s muscular rump, of the stallion hauling this bag around like a beanbag, then tossing Butterscotch upon it on his back, and kissing him passionately as he leaned over him on his bed...he decided that the animals could wait for their meal just a few more minutes while he took care of himself again. Butterscotch laid on the haybale again, softly trailing a hoof down his chest, then belly...

As he gave Angel Bunny a carrot and serving of greens, Butterscotch could hear the soft thump-thump-thump of the rabbit’s foot thudding against the floor, his arms crossed and an annoyed expression on his face. “Sorry your lunch is an hour late, Angel, but some things...came up…” Butterscotch said, his cheek feeling a bit warm again as he thought about just what those things had been in the shed, and just how up they'd been.

As Angel grabbed up the carrot in both paws and started munching on it, Butterscotch sighed. “Oh Big Mac, what are you doing to me…?” he asked himself more than the rabbit, though Angel’s ear certainly perked up at him as he spoke, pausing his nomming on his carrot and grabbing a softer leaf of lettuce to eat instead in order to listen better. “Such a big, strong stallion, so kind, generous…” Butterscotch could feel himself swooning as he thought about the stallion who’d stolen his heart already, whom he lusted after, and had so totally given himself to before even their first date, wondering if that was a mistake.

“Please be good to me, Mac,” Butterscotch said, before grabbing the container of feed for the other animals, filling their bowls, his mind never drifting from the stallion who had just asked him on a date. He thought about the kiss he’d given Mac as he gave the squirrels a hoof-full of nuts, thought about the feeling of his soft fur on his lips, and felt his body heating up at the memory. “I hope you’re thinking of me too…” Butterscotch said, looking out the window towards Ponyville; towards the pony who’d stolen his heart.

Big Mac sat at his apple stall, between customers right then, his mind wandering. He found his thoughts drawn to the pegasus stallion whom he’d impetuously all but asked on a date, looking out over the throngs of ponies walking through the market as he thought. He’d been asked out on dates before, sure, by mares both interested in a relationship, and those who wanted to have just a roll in the hay with him, or a foal by him, but he’d never once accepted them. He’d also never once asked a mare out, never feeling close enough to anypony to ask them for a date, it never feeling ‘quite right’, and yet he’d asked Butterscotch out without a second thought. A stallion. He’d just asked a stallion out on a date!

As he thought about the situation more and more, Mac started to wonder what his family would think of his decision. Applejack would probably be accepting of it, given she was currently in an under-wraps relationship with Rainbow Dash, but he had to wonder what Granny Smith would think. She’d been asking about grandfoals ever since he came of age to give her them, and Mac couldn’t help but feel like this was a betrayal of sorts to her on that front. After all, two stallions couldn’t have foals together, not without some very powerful magic involved.

When Mac realized that, he tilted his head back, looking up into the red-and-white awning of the vending stall. “Granny’s gonna kill me…” Big Mac said quietly, before feeling a sudden rush of giddy excitement as his thoughts were once more drawn to the smaller, adorable, handsome pony who’d finally caught his interest. The first pony whom he’d ever felt like this towards, and whom he’d asked out. “...may jus’ be worth it, though.”

Chapter Five: Date The First, But Not The Last

The next few days passed quickly for Big Mac and Butterscotch, yet they spent most of their time thinking of the other. Whether it was caring for his animals, hanging out with Rainbow Dash, or spending another couple ‘self-care sessions’ in the feed barn, Butterscotch’s mind was almost always on the big red stallion, and considering about how their first date was only a few days away. Then two. Then the next day.

It was Friday before he’d even realized it, and Butterscotch sat there that late afternoon on his front porch, waiting for his date. After some fuss on what to wear, if anything at all, he’d chosen to wear just a plain green dress shirt, simple but fitting for most situations. It wasn’t long that he’d sat there before he heard heavy hooffalls coming down the dirt road to his cottage, and soon after saw who his mind had not been far from for long over the past few weeks.

Big Mac approached Butterscotch’s cottage at a trot, wearing a simple black suit-top, his mane combed, and looking rather nervous over something, brow furrowed in thought. As he looked up and saw Butterscotch’s cottage, that slight frown disappeared, replaced instead by a smile as he sped his gait to a canter.

Arriving on the porch, stopping to look at the smaller stallion there, Mac was surprised as Butterscotch stood and reared up, wrapping his hooves around him as he gave him a hug. “Oh my goodness, I’m so happy you’re here!” Butterscotch said, squeezing a little tighter, “I was so worried that you changed your mind, and that I’d just be sitting here waiting for you and then you’d never show up! And then…” Butterscotch’s worried tirade squeaked to a stop, rather literally, as Big Mag rose one of his own hooves and wrapped it around the other stallion’s back, giving him a firm squeeze.

“Now don’t ya worry ‘bout that. Us Apple always sticks to what they say they’re gonna do,” Big Mac stated with some pride, before gently backing off, having Butterscotch drop to all fours again, “so, like Ah said on Tuesday, Ah was thinkin’ we could get some dinner first, then pick up a show at the cinema?”

“That sounds wonderful!” Butterscotch said, giving an eager smile, ”So, uh, are you ready?”

“Eeyup, le’s go.”

Butterscotch couldn't help but sneak a few glances at Big Mac’s muscular glutes as Big Mac led on, and Butterscotch followed him during the trip back into town, before blushing and looking away every time. He nearly ran into Big Mac, so lost in his fantasies of what could come from a relationship with him, as he’d suddenly stopped, glancing around and realizing that he’d been so lost in his thoughts and checking out Mac's hindquarters, that they were in Ponyville already. “So, what do ya think about Prançais food?” Big Mac asked, taking the Butterscotch off-guard with the question.

“W-what?” Butterscotch asked, shaking his head softly, trying to get the question to register properly in his distracted mind.

“Ah said, what do ya think about Prançais food?” Big Mac repeated, before nodding towards the restaurant they stood in front of. A simple sign read ‘La Selle Dorée’, the facade of the building looking like a saddle with a gold-inlay, which Butterscotch recognized as a restaurant he’d avoided, as it looked too expensive for his meager income.

“Oh! Uh, well, it looks really...fancy…” Butterscotch said, reading the sign, “‘La Selle Dorée’. ‘The Gilded Saddle’. Sounds…really fancy.”

“Huh, didn’t know you spoke prançais,” Big Mac said, giving an impressed little smile.

“Oh, well, I...I don’t,” Butterscotch admitted, looking down, “I just know a little bit from the fashion designers I follow.”

“Oh, so yer into fashion?” Big Mac asked, getting a gentle nod from the other stallion.

“Mmhmm. Some of those dresses are really pretty, and it’s amazing the kind of stitchwork they can pull off! How creative the seamstresses and dressmakers get, and coming up with new designs every year...it’s pretty amazing.”

“Uh...yeah,” Big Mac said, considering that the only stitching he knew how to do was to crudely repair burlap sacks, work-clothes, or the like, “perdy impressive what some ponies can accomplish, fer sure.”

“Oh! Right, um...you asked a question...I’ve never really had Prançais food before.”

“Ahlright, well we’ll have it fer th’ first time together, then!” Big Mac said, before holding the door open for him.

“OK, if you’re sure…” Butterscotch said, a bit hesitant at just how fancy the inside of the room looked. The whole room was reds, greys, and royal purples, with everything having gold or silver accents to it. It looked like the kind of restaurant that belonged in upscale Canterlot, not Ponyville!

Big Mac was just as amazed as Butterscotch as he looked around at the restaurant’s decor, so amazed that he had to be asked twice to follow the host to their seats. As the menus were placed before them, Big Mac opened it...and quickly realized that he could only understand a hooffull of words. “Uuuuh…” Big Mac said as he looked over the absolute gibberish, at least to him, written on the page.

“Having trouble?” Butterscotch asked, scooting a bit closer to Big Mac to see his menu...or so was his excuse. “Let me see what I can understand of these words...”

The next few minutes were spent by Butterscotch explaining each dish that Big Mac pointed out as interesting, but even he didn’t know more than a few of them. He kept close to the other stallion, even leaning his head on Big Mac’s shoulder as he ‘got a better look at the menu’.

Big Mac wasn’t oblivious to Butterscotch’s closeness to him, occasionally, ‘accidentally’ nuzzling him to get a better look at something he was ‘blocking’, or brushing Butterscotch’s hoof with his own when pointing out a word. After they’d decided what they wanted to eat together, Butterscotch’s cheeks were once again flushed pink, and his wings at half-mast beside him, from all the physical contact.

“Je voudrais la tarte au chèvre pour l' hors-d'œuvre, puis les lasagnes aux aubergines, et, mmm, une eau au citron pour une boisson, s'il vous plaît*.” Butterscotch said in perfect Prançais to the server, to Big Mac’s amazement, “and, um, what did you want, Big Mac?”

“Uh…” Big Mac said, looking over the menu for the things Butterscotch had mentioned sounding really good, “Ah’ll take th’ spinach-cheese soufflé an’ an order of pomme frites fer starters, then th’ ratatouille fer mah main course, an’ two glasses of wine. Butterscotch, y’prefer white er red wine?”

“Oh, I don’t drink often enough to really have an opinion, but I remember liking white wine the one time I tried it.” Butterscotch said, getting a nod from Mac.

“Right, two glasses of your cabernet sauvignon, please.” Mac concluded, closing his menu.

As they sat waiting for their food, Butterscotch debated on what to talk about in the meanwhile. “So, um, what do you do for fun?” Butterscotch asked, soon after feeling Big Mac’s gaze upon him.

“Well, Ah read sometimes, an’ Ah like t’ sing. In fact, Ahm in a quartet here!” Big Mac said, “an’ while Ah ain’t as into it as my li’l sis Applejack, Ah like a good rodeo too sometimes.”

“Oh, you like to sing too?” Butterscotch asked, his wings giving an excited little flap at finding a common thread between them, “I love to sing too...but in private. I couldn’t imagine[/] performing in public! I’d...I just don’t know what I’d do!”

“Aw, Ah’m sure you’d do great,” Big Mac comforted, placing his big hoof on Butter’s shoulder, covering nearly the whole thing, “Anythin’ you put yer mind to, you can accomplish.”

“Do you like animals?” Butterscotch asked next, really hoping he’d say he did, otherwise he didn’t know if this relationship could work out for long.

“Well, of course. Ah’ve got Winnona, who we got as a puppy when Ah was still a colt, an’ we’ve fostered a few animals fer friends throughout. Plus we've got animal husbandry on th' farm, so..."

The two chatted about this and that for a while, before Butterscotch’s mind continued to dwell on one question. “So…” Butterscotch started, Mac’s ears pricking up, “...of all the ponies, of all the mares interested in you, why did you ask me out?”

Big Mac sighed at the question, rubbing the back of his head with a hoof, trying to think of how to answer it. “Well,” Mac said, “Ah never really felt, y’know, drawn to them at all. Physically, sure, they smell real nice in estrus an’ all, make mah parts feel all tingly an' such, but...well, Ah never really felt attracted to them at all, not emotionally. It was a real hollow kinda physical attraction, one based on lust, an' one Ah never really wanted to pursue.”

“So, why did you choose me then?”

“Well, besides ya sayin’ ya liked me, an’ not just seekin’ a rut or a foal from me?” Big Mac asked, before squirming against Butterscotch’s side, “Well, Ah ain’t never been really attracted to, nor courted by, a stallion before, so maybe this’ll feel right to me, unlike how Ah feel ‘bout all them mares askin’ me out. Plus, y’ sure ain’t too harsh on th’ eyes.”

Butterscotch felt a blush starting on his cheeks again at the compliment, glancing shyly to the side. “Well, I certainly think you’re really handsome, too,” Butterscotch said, “and generous, and you care about otherponies’ feelings, and you like animals! I’ve never been asked out by anypony either, but probably because, well, I’m pretty average, and below average as a flier. Lots of pegasus mares like a strong flier...”

“‘There is nothing wrong with average, for it is the standard we live by’,” Mac said, giving a little smile, “Though yer not really average, are ya?”

“W-what do you mean?” Butterscotch asked, looking confused.

“Well, th’ average stallion can’t talk t’ animals, now can he? Or be so selfless as to share his house with wild critters, an' feed them every day?” Big Mac asked, seeing a little smile growing on Butterscotch’s face.

“Well, that’s true…” Butterscotch admitted, looking up at the stallion, “...but I’m no ‘Playfilly’ magazine centerfold either, not like you.” Butterscotch’s eyes widened at the blatant flirting he’d just done, but...it felt right. It felt right to shower Big Mac with compliments like this, to tell him how handsome he thought he was.

“Aw, Ah think yer quite a looker too. Then too, Ah’ve always had a thang fer...smaller body types.” Big Mac admitted, before being interrupted as their meals arrived.

The food was quite possibly the best meal Big Mac had ever experienced, something so new and different from the common, if still delicious, fare that Granny Smith or he made, and certainly leagues beyond a common hay-burger. As they ate, Big Mac and Butterscotch continued to chat and flirt, about their everyday lives and pasts, their dreams of the future.

With their bellies full of good food and wine, then ordering a delicate assortment of prançais pastries for dessert, Big Mac paid with a hefty bag of Bits, then guided Butterscotch out, both smiling contentedly. “That was delicious, thank you,” Butterscotch said, before reaching up and giving Big Mac a little kiss on the cheek as they walked.

While it was a bit of a surprise, Big Mac just gave a little chuckle, before reaching down and giving Butterscotch a kiss on the cheek in return. Butterscotch gave a little squeak at the kiss, before hiding away in his mane, cheeks once more glowing hot and wings erect behind him.

“So, um, what now?” Butterscotch asked after composing himself again, the loud, excited squee that had been going off in his brain since he’d gotten that kiss finally dimming.

“Well, we could go to a movie, or maybe hang out at your place? Ya could introduce me all yer animals, or we could talk 'bout how ya know so much about Prance an’ prançais? Maybe ya could show me some'a yer fashion magazines, and favorite dresses in 'em?” Big Mac asked, not unaware of his insinuations of wanting to go back to his place.

“Oh...well…” Butterscotch said, “I guess we could. I have a Hooflicks subscription, so we could just...watch that instead of something at a theater? Or maybe...something else?”

That ‘something else’ certainly got Big Mac’s thoughts wondering, and his eyes wondering over Butterscotch’s lithe form. “Hmm...sounds good ta me! So, what animals ya got?” Big Mac asked as they walked, taking a leisurely walk back to Butterscotch’s cottage.

“Oh! Well, I’ve got squirrels, raccoons, mice, ferrets, chipmunks, lots of different songbirds, chickens, pigs, and of course bunnies! One of my bunnies just had a litter, so there are so many bouncing baby bunnies around now!” Butterscotch said with glee, listing off all of his animal friends, “Well, and those are only the ones who live with me, not including those that live around me and come to visit! Among those, well, there’s also Henry the Bear…”

“Wait, wait, y’all are friends with a bear? Big Mac asked, getting a confused nod from Butterscotch.

“Well, yeah, he’s really nice! He doesn’t like how so many ponies are scared of him.” Butterscotch said, looking over at Big Mac with a small frown.

“Aw, Ah’m sure he is. Jus’ never went around makin’ friends with wild animals before,” Mac admitted, seeing the frown Butterscotch had dissipate, turning instead into another soft smile.

The small talk that had followed certainly passed the time, Butterscotch telling Big Mac all the species of birds he had, and Mac telling him all the crops they had on Sweet Apple Acres in return when asked.

“So, what would you like to watch?” Butterscotch asked as they arrived back at his cottage, after settling down next to Big Mac on his couch, using the remote to turn on the magic-plasma-screen TV, and going to Hooflicks.

Instead it would seem, Big Mac had other ideas.

“Hmm...what would ya say t’ headin’ upstairs instead?” Big Mac asked, feeling incredibly bold all of a sudden, this stallion bringing out a confidence and braveness he’s never known before. Honestly, it was almost frightening to the usually quiet and to-himself stallion just how forward he was about this whole relationship. Besides, all those peeks he’d gotten at the sexy, lithe stallion, and his rump and what he had his between his legs, on the walk home had gotten him riled up.

“U-upstairs? Y-you mean...to my...my...bedroom?” Butterscotch asked, not anticipating something like this, but welcoming the surprise. The fantasies he’d been having in the shed, of cuddling up to and...doing more...with Big Mac were all rushing back to him, his cheeks flushing red as the lewd thoughts all but overwhelmed his thoughts.

“Yeah...but only if you wanna. Ah hope Ah’m not bein’ too forward, this bein’ our first date and all. It’s jus’...well...”

“I...I wouldn’t mind,” Butterscotch said, mentally chastising himself for his eagerness, but with his heart, and other parts, swelling with anticipation, ”But...I’ve...never been with anypony before, like that.”

“Well, me neither. Never been with anypony intimately before, neither. First time fer everythin', Ah suppose?”

"Ah suppose so," Butterscotch drawled back as he leaned in, before giving Big Mac a kiss. His first kiss and, little did Butterscotch know, Big Mac's too.

Both just sat there in silence for a minute after the kiss, their lips softly tingling and the other stallion's flavor and scent in their muzzles, before silently standing. Butterscotch then moved rather eagerly to his bedroom, with Big Mac close in tow.

About half an hour later, Big Mac and Butterscotch were cuddled up beneath the sheets, Big Mac chest to chest with the smaller stallion as they rode out their afterglows. The sex had been intense emotionally, like they were sharing themselves with each other, and discovering things about the other, in ways they’d never seen of them before, and connecting on a whole new level too. Like they were just themselves carnally, no internal restraints holding them back.

Now as they lay there, gazing into the other’s eyes, Butterscotch met his lips with Big Mac’s in a soft kiss, the only thing audible in the room their soft breaths. “Wow…” Butterscotch said after the kiss ended, nuzzling into the larger stallion’s chest. He had a good feeling this wouldn’t be their last time sharing this bed, nor their only date.

“Yeah, Ah think this is th’ start of a good, long relationship…” Big Mac said, placing his fetlock behind Butterscotch’s head and gently pulling him into another kiss.

As he pushed back into the kiss, and felt a tingle of anticipation up his spine for more of this, more of Big Mac, Butterscotch couldn’t agree more.

Author's Note

* - I would like the goat-cheese tart for hors-d'œuvre, then the eggplant lasagna and a nice strong coffee for a beverage, please.

Thus it concludes! Hope you liked my first try at M/M shipping!