Melting Snow

Chapters

Snowfall
Meet Up
Pity
Childish
Dinner Date
Hearth's Warming Eve
Aftermath
Baby Steps
Confirmation
Horseshoes
Special Somepony
Raindrops
Unexpected

Snowfall

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"I just want it to end.”
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Melting Snow
Chapter 2: Snowfall

Big Macintosh found his eyes following a single speck of snow as it fluttered down from the gray sky above. His mind began to wander, thinking back to the past few weeks, wondering if this was truly the first snow of the year. It would be the first snow of many, considering Ponyville was plopped dead center of the seasonal changes. The blazing summers seemed to pass so quickly, returning to a dead season of bitter cold.

“Say, Mac, ah don’t think we’ll get much more outta these for a good while.” The loud voice of Applejack rang from a good twenty feet away. As Big Macintosh turned his head to glance at his sister, he found her looking up at the treetops. He turned his head back, turning his mind from the speck of snow that diverted his attention.

The trees were bare. They always looked so cold; their life lost this time of year. Some were shimmering in an odd glow, caked in an icy rim of frozen water, sunlight bouncing back in any direction it saw fit. The apples were all rotted, even then there weren’t many to spare, for most had been picked and stored already.

Big Macintosh twisted his face into an odd shape. It was a mixture of both disappointment and irritation. “No...” He agreed; turning his head from the trees and back to his sister, face reverting back to a blank poker face. “No, ah reckon we won’t.”

“Well, shoot.” Applejack said, giving off a small chuckle as she began to shake her head, moving her hooves to trot back to her brother. “Gosh darn, who would’ a thought that Cloudsdale would be so early this year with the cold weather. Think Rainbow has it out fer us, sending us all the icy breezes?” His sister chuckled once more.

Big Macintosh glanced downward to the ground. Another flake of snow fell down near his hooves. He stared at it for quite some time. He briefly wondered if this was the last time he would see the grass until spring. He blinked his large green eyes several times, eyes shifting slightly to the end of the red and black scarf tied around his neck, its end drooping down halfway towards the ground.

“Mac?” Applejack’s voice called to the red steed, who found himself jumping out of surprise. Big Macintosh gave a rather audible sigh before bringing a hoof to his temple and rubbing in circles, attempting to clear his thoughts.

“Ya okay?” Applejack inquired. “Ya didn’t lie ta me did ya?” She worriedly asked, quickly moving her hooves to her brother’s side. “The doc did say ya could work again, right?” She placed her hoof on his side of bandages rather roughly, a few weeks ago the steed would have winced and glared at her, however by now the pain had died down considerably.

Big Macintosh shrugged her off, taking two steps to the side. “Eeyup.” He answered. “Just... don’t like this time of year, that’s all.”

Applejack’s face split into a smirk. “Oh, right,” She began. “You hate the boring season, dontcha?”

Big Mac paused briefly. Boring season seemed like an oddly good way to describe it. The time of year where everything just seemed to die down, where the only thing left to do was stand around and sell apples for hours on end in the freezing weather. The red stallion’s face twisted for a brief moment. As it returned to a normal poker face, the steed shook his head. “Eeyup.” he answered.

Applejack kept smiling at her brother. She seemed to be enjoying his irritation as she began to walk around him in circles, examining his body. “Ah don’t see why ya hate this time of year so much, ya can finally go and do yer own things!” She said, her voice rising with excitement. “Go on a trip; read a few books... find a mare friend.” She said that last word with a hint of teasing mixed with sincerity, dragging it out longer than needed, raising her eyebrows as she looked directly into his eyes.

Big Macintosh rolled his eyes, turning away. “Don’t need those things.” He quickly answered before closing his mouth once more. He began to trot to a tree, placing his hoof against it and looking upward, watching more snow begin to fall.

“Come on brother, you deserve some downtime, you work the hardest out of all of us!” Applejack called, trotting up to him once more. “When in the hay was the last time you did any of those things, especially have a mare friend?”

Big Macintosh shrugged. “Four... five years ago? Maybe a little more.” He answered, raising his brow as he began to truly wonder. He hadn’t really thought about anything as silly as romance for quite some time, not since he was younger than Applejack.

“And how many mares try to get a piece of that plot every day? Heck, even some stallions give it a shot.” Applejack said, nodding towards Big Macintosh’s backside. Those words did manage to get a reaction out of the steed as he covered his backside with his tail, his blank expression changing rather quickly.

“N-No they don’t.” Big Macintosh stuttered out. He began to twirl the scarf in his hoof around, twisting and pulling at it. “B-Besides,” The red stallion struggled to regain himself. “Ah don’t even know any of them, why would ah jump at them?” He shook his head. “Look, ah don’t really want to talk about it.”

Applejack sighed, her face showing obvious concern for her brother. “Look, we obviously ain’t got anything to do around here for the rest of the day,” She said while resting a hoof on her brother’s side once more. “Just... just go into town for a while, do something other than sittin’ ‘round here bored outta yer skull.” She glanced at the sky, looking at the sun dead in the center of the sky. “And if ya really hate havin’ a life, ya can at least pick up Apple Bloom from school in a few hours.”

Big Macintosh breathed in slowly. He thought about asking what it was Applejack even expected him to do while he was out, or even why she cared so much about him, considering she was the younger sibling. However he kept his out shut for his own good.

The red steed glanced down at the scarf again, thinking briefly to that pony from a few days prior. He didn’t think long about him, or anything about him in particular. It was simply the image of the shy little stallion that popped right into his mind before popping back out. Oddly enough, his mind only snapped back to reality when yet another snowflake caught his attention, landing right on the scarf before melting into nothing put a droplet of water.

“Alright?” Applejack inquired, her voice becoming agitated with her brother’s lack of compliance.

The stallion let out a sigh. “Eeyup.” He answered.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Big Macintosh began to feel oddly grateful for the scarf tied tightly around his neck as he looked up into the sky, feeling the unforgiving icy winds flick and yank at his orange colored mane. His gaze up towards the sky began to linger, the few snowflakes from earlier were now sprinkling down to the equestrian ground in pairs. The steady increase of the fall was oddly slow considering Cloudsdale’s usual speedy weather. Perhaps it was meant for the simple changes of the season.

The large red steed averted his eyes from the gray sky above, blinking his green eyes half a dozen times to rid them of their dry nature. He began to breathe in, taking a glance at the hay covered roofs of the households surrounding him. His hooves simply kept trotting as he glanced around him, looking at the identical houses and admiring their simple yet effective work.

Big Macintosh found his hooves beginning to slow as his eyes caught a glimpse of a large clearing of houses, save for a rather large building in the center, that being the mayor’s office. It instantly rang in his mind that his hooves had taken him to the center of town.

As the earth pony came to a calm stop, he began to look around the center of the town. He spotted many places he recognized, yet never went too. Sugar Cube Corner, the local spa, and several restaurants, each seemingly lively despite the gloomy weather. What exactly did Applejack expect him to do here?

Big Mac flicked his eyes to the first mare he saw. The thing that stood out about her in his mind was her blue and pink curls of a mane and tail as she trotted by about thirty feet away. Her vanilla coat would soon blend in well with the soon to be snow piles around the town.

The steed turned his head, giving off a small shrug just for himself. Nothing compelled him to go and talk to her the way he had seen so many stallions do to similar mares in the past. Much of it could be compared to a foreign language.

The stallion let loose an audible sigh, lowering his head to the ground. A mare friend seemed like nothing more than a chore. He could remember his last one being nothing but a chore... Celestia, he couldn’t even remember her name.

Big Mac picked his head up, staring at a small fountain with a solid stone Princess Celestia spurting water out of her horn on a pedestal. He began to trot towards it with little thought, swerving out of the way for random mares and stallions walking in the opposite direction. As he approached the fountain, he was glad to find benches surrounding each side were in fact not occupied. He turned to plot his backside on the cold wood, letting his weight settle on the old wood.

Another sigh escaped his lips as he pressed his hooves together, rubbing up and down as he let his cloudy breath warm his icy hooves. While the scarf and bandages did seem to help his heat issue, he still found himself shivering the longer he sat still.

Big Macintosh closed his eyes, letting his thoughts roam free. It was still quite some time before he had to go and pick up Apple Bloom... what was he meant to do for the remaining hour?

The red steed snapped open his emerald green eyes, slowly taking his hooves apart. He looked around him once more. He looked from left to right, wondering just how lost he would seem from an outside perspective.

Big Mac paused briefly as he spotted out of the very corner of his eye a pair of green saddlebags attached to a tan stallion walk by him. His head turned, watching the stallion with three horseshoes for cutie mark trot by rather quickly. He stared for a good three seconds before it clicked into place why this specific pony caught his interest.

The stallion placed his hoof over the scarf warming his neck and chest, still keeping his eye on the stallion as he began to pass.

Big Macintosh found his legs moving themselves from the bench underneath him, pressing against the cool ground once more. He took a very precise note that the stallion walking by him didn’t have a scarf. This somehow sent a twinge of guilt directly to the steed’s belly that he wasn’t able to force out of his system.

He glanced to the scarf once more. It was only right to return something borrowed... correct?

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was only right before Big Macintosh found the tan stallion had led him directly in front of the library owned by his sister’s best friend did the red earth pony begin to wonder if his actions seemed at all creepy. Wasn’t following somebody for a certain length of time usually how horrible stories in the newspaper began?

The steed began to look around himself for the first time in a while, knowing Caramel wouldn’t lose him being inside of a building, wondering if anypony was staring at him. When he found that nopony even bothered to give him the time of day, he let a sigh of relief escape his mouth.

He began to trot his hooves forward, placing his hoof against the red door before him. For some strange reason, he found himself holding his breath. A tiny bell above rang, signaling his appearance to anypony inside the building.

“Oh, Big Macintosh!” The voice of a distinct mare hit Big Mac’s ears almost as soon as his hooves hit the inside of the tree. He turned his gaze, watching a lavender mare by the name of Twilight Sparkle quickly walk up to him. He looked down at the mare blankly, eyes unchanging.

“It’s so nice to see...” Twilight’s expression quickly changed to confusion. “Wait... I don’t think I’ve ever seen you in here,” The mare said this as she lifted her hoof, pointing to Big Mac’s chest. “Does Applejack need something?” She cocked her head to the side in question.

Big Macintosh shook his head. “Enope, saw somepony come in here.” He said.

“Oh!” Twilight replied, looking behind her. “Well... the only other pony that’s in here is a stallion, I don’t know his name, but I think he’s on the second floor.”

The steed quickly gave Twilight a nod of thanks before shuffling around her and towards the staircase. He didn’t bother to hesitate as he trotted up the remaining carvings of wood, sticking his head out of the staircase hole in the wall.

His eyes quickly caught sight of a small tan stallion in the corner. His eyes were dead set on a book in his hooves. It seemed different than the one he had previously, perhaps a different color, however he was scribbling in it all the same. His large blue eyes blinked every few moments, not seeming to catch a glance at the large stallion’s presence.

Big Macintosh moved forward, eyes glancing to the open saddle bags at Caramel’s lower hooves. They seemed to be filled with nothing but colored pencils and a few bottles of medicine.

“Caramel?” He let his voice out, fully prepared for the sudden jump that the tan stallion gave; his breathe increasing as he looked up with a puzzled expression. Big Macintosh kept his face blank, blinking a few times.

“B-B-Big... Big uh... Macintosh?” The tan stallion questioned, pulling the book that he was holding to his chest with a hug, as if afraid the steed before him would tease him. “H-How did you find me?”

“Saw ya come in.” Big Mac nodded, giving off a small smile. He wasn’t positive as to why, but the fact that Caramel had remembered his name filled him with gentle warmth. “And... erm...” He began to take his hoof to neck; pulling on the scarf until it came undone, falling into his hooves. “No better time to give this back Ah suppose.”

Caramel’s cheeks turned a light shade of pink as he glanced away. “Ya... I mean... YOU don’t have to give it back.” He replied. “I have others at home, Sage even made me bring one, and it’s in the bag...”

“But...” Big Macintosh glanced down into the saddle bags, spotting a green scarf underneath all the medicine, almost like a cushion. “Ya sure?” He asked. He waited a good thirty seconds for Caramel to respond, however he didn’t. Big Macintosh simply smiled “Thank ya kindly again, Caramel.”

Caramel continued to avoid eye contact with Big Macintosh. Almost as soon as the stallion considered turning away, he watched the tan pony’s mouth begin to move. “D-Do... do you want to sit down f-for a little?” He stuttered, holding his book tighter to his chest, near stunned at what he had suggested.

Big Macintosh felt himself be taken aback by this request. While he remained silent, pondering this thought, he gave off a shrug before plopping down next to the stallion, a small smile as he glanced over with a silent thanks. Caramel turned his sight once more, attempting to hide his embarrassment. Things were silent for a good thirty seconds before Big Mac worked up the effort to speak. “So... what are ya doin’ here?” Big Macintosh asked.

Caramel’s flush seemed to fade as he regained his voice. “I-It’s nice here,” He began. “It’s a good place to come to when Sage is out, it’s nice and quiet, but still enough noise so it isn’t creepy...” The tan stallion rambled a little. “A-And usually nopony... erm...”

“Nopony will bother ya?” Big Macintosh finished, pointing a hoof to himself in question.

“N-No, not like that...” Caramel spat out quickly. “It’s... nice to have a little company once in a while I suppose... but I just like it because it’s quiet.” He settled on. “S-So where do you live at?” The tan stallion asked, turning to Big Macintosh.

Big Macintosh nodded toward a window. “Sweet Apple Acres.” He answered. “Born and work there ma whole life.”

“I like apples!” Caramel spoke up rather loudly for the dead silent library. As soon as he realized his mistake he lowered his head and began to hold his breath, as if containing the feelings he surely wanted to audibly express as he caved into himself. “I m-mean... who doesn’t like apples, right?”

Big Macintosh gave off a light chuckle that seemed to relax the tan stallion, for he brought up his body, albeit slowly, to look into the red steed’s smile, giving off one of his own. He liked Caramel’s smile, it seemed to be held back, almost as if he were afraid to show his true enjoyment.

“So how about ya?” Big Macintosh asked, nodding towards Caramel’s cutie mark.

Caramel paused, his smile fading. “I... I used to work with metalwork’s...” The stallion twisted his face. “F-For a little while I mean.” He shifted where he was sitting, tightening his hold on the book in his hooves. “Until I...” The stallion trailed off, gazing somewhere Big Macintosh wasn’t able to see.

Big Macintosh glanced back to the cutie mark on Caramel’s flank. He didn’t push the question any further. He simply watched the tan stallion glance out the window, looking at the position of the hidden sun. The tan earth pony looked at his bags before reaching in, pulling out a small and plastic orange medicine bottle from a pouch.

“Ya sick?” Big Mac inquired.

Caramel nodded before popping the lid off the bottle with his free hoof. “Something like that...” He mumbled, plopping a small white pill into his mouth, quickly followed by a gulping noise. “It’s just another two o’clock I suppose, right?” Caramel chuckled drily.

“Two...” Big Macintosh mumbled to himself, Apple Bloom popping into his mind as if a memory smacked him right across the face. “Ah... Ah have ta go.” Big Macintosh quickly spat out, getting to his hooves rather quickly, attempting to tie the scarf around his bulky neck.

“W-Wait!” Caramel called out, grabbing the red steed’s scarf in his hoof and pulling back. When Big Macintosh looked at him with a puzzled expression, the tan stallion snapped his hoof back, holding it with his other one almost as if he were slightly ashamed at what he had done. “W-Where are you... going?”

“Ta pick up my sister.” He answered “School’s almost over.”

“Oh...” Caramel murmured, his voice suddenly growing small. His eyes darted around from one side of the library to the other rather quickly. Confusion seemed to be swarming in his head, as if he wasn’t sure what he was about to ask. “C-Can I... see you again?” He asked, his voice actively attempting not to be heard.

Big Macintosh let his smile show once more. He could distinctly remember Applejack telling him to try and make friends, as if he were some school foal. “Eeyup!” He answered.

“You mean it?” Caramel asked, nearly hopping to his hooves as his eyes began to shine.

“Eeyup.” Big Macintosh nodded. “Ya know where ah live.” He said.

Caramel was smiling a genuine smile, his eyes showing a hint of relief. “T-Thank you.” He said. “I-I’ll stop by, all right?”

Big Mac nodded once more before turning his head, beginning to trot away.

Caramel... was oddly cute excited.

Author's Note

I can not tell you how ungodly slow my computer is being. When I write it's five words behind, and I feel like this is crap because of it and my lack of telling what the hell I want to write...
But I did enjoy writing it up until it gave me issues...

Meet Up

Disclaimer: I do not own My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. It belongs to The Hub, Hasbro, Studio B, and Lauren Faust. I do not own any of these characters in any way or how, nor do I claim ownership to the pony franchise. These characters are simply my toys.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"I don't want to talk about it...”
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Melting Snow
Chapter 3: Meetings

Caramel found his hoof shaking as he nervously popped the medication into his mouth. "It changed again..." He mumbled through clenched teeth. He of course was spot on; the white pills had changed to a larger, oval one. He had to admit however, that he did indeed enjoy these ones more; they were much easier to swallow with the absence of water. He found himself hesitating briefly before swallowing it with a loud gulp, finally looking around him.

The trees around him were bare, ax expected considering the season; however he didn't even recognize his surroundings anymore, much less if he was on the path anymore with the snow crunching under his hooves. The stallion looked straight ahead, deciding he better rely on the blind faith he was putting into the gap of trees that seemed to continue endlessly before him.

Before continuing on, he reaching his hoof behind him, opening his saddle bag once more in order to throw the small orange bottle back into the pile of things he brought along with him. He adjusted his green and white scarf before taking another hoofstep further.

"So... this is Sweet Apple Acre's, huh?" He spoke aloud, his tone questioning. "I wonder what it'll look like when flowers bloom on the trees, I bet it'll be beaut..." Caramel trailed off, looking downward as he shook his head. He really needed to knock off this constant habit of talking to himself if he didn't want to embarrass himself when he finally got past this giant field of trees. He let a whinny out of his lips, eyes drooping to the ground underneath him.

Caramel twisted his face, snow continuing to make strange crunching noises underneath his hooves. It was different than what he was used to, louder without the hustle or bustle that Ponyville was famous for around. The snow simply spoke for itself way out in these parts of the woods. The breeze slowly whipping his made forced him to consider just how much he liked winter. While it was very pretty, ice hanging off of trees, a blanket of white covering the land, he didn't understand if the cold was worth such beauty. He tightened his scarf again.

The journey over the hill seemed to take longer than it needed; his body felt heavy by the time a large barn was finally in sight. Caramel couldn't hide the way his face simply lit up at the sight. His hoofsteps increased in speed, only to slowdown when he realized his excitement likely made him look like a fool. He allowed himself to blush, the reddening of cheeks looking natural in the icy air. He began scanning around him, spotting a large barn, a house not to far from it, and a small chicken coop.

It was when his eyes caught up to the chicken coop did Caramel spot exactly why he had tracked out this long distance. He caught a quick glance at a red hind heading into the coop. It was gone nearly the moment he saw it, clearly the stallion hadn't spotted him.

Caramel suddenly sensed a sense of uneasiness in the pit of his belly. His small smile turned into a frown. A small sense of worry began to grow from the back of his mind. Was two days too short of time to go to somepony's house, much less one you only knew by name and job? What if Big Macintosh was busy, or even just flat out told him he didn't want to be bothered.

The tan earth pony made a sound similar to one commonly found coming from a pony with a belly ache. He began to think wonder if it was right to continue on. Was he even acting normal, getting to excited just at the thought of seeing this certain stallion again? As he questioned himself, the pain in his belly only continued to grow. His frown worsened as he stared at the chicken coop. His body swayed back and forth, yet his hooves didn't move. He was simply rooted to the ground, unable to continue.

He had to practically beg Sage to let him outside today... maybe he should just take his brother's advice and turn back...

"Well how do ya do there, partner?" A high pitched voice that came from behind Caramel called. The tan stallion jumped, spinning around and looking directly into the eyes of an orange mare. Her green eyes reminded him of Big Macintosh's own, however her's held a gentle fire, the warmth was nearly gone from hers, and yet she still seemed rather kind. She backed away a little, giving off a small chuckle. "Hehe, sorry ta scare ya there, just a little rare to get visitors this time of year! I'm Applejack, ya the new mail pony or somethin'?"

"Wha... no..." Caramel gave a rather confused look. Big Macintosh did mention something about a sister... but this one seemed a little old to be the one he picked up from school. Did he have a large family?

"Well spit it out, what are ya here for?" A brief look of annoyance came from her gaze that managed to snap Caramel out of his daze of her energy. Were she and Big Macintosh really related?

"I... I uh... Big Mac... I came to see him..." Caramel's voice grew quieter with every word. Her energy was so... vibrant.

"Oh, him?" Applejack said, a smirk coming over her face. "Shoot, he's in the chicken coop! Poor fella so bored he's takin' on Apple Bloom's chores."

Caramel didn't manage nor really try to hold back his smile at that. "R-Really?" He stuttered out. "T-That's great!" He suddenly blushed as Applejack gave him a confused look. He realized he was likely alone in the excitement...

"Anyway..." Applejack said, shaking her head clear. "I'll go and get him, ya'll just wait right here, he should be done pretty soon!"

Caramel kept his smile, his aching belly began to die down as he felt rather silly for the way he was feeling mere seconds prior. He nodded his head, watching Applejack run off towards the chicken coop.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Why are ya smilin' at me?" Big Macintosh gave of a gravely voice, the clucking of chickens nearly drowning out his low voice, it didn't help that his words muffled from the bucket hanging by his jaw. He glanced at Applejack, who was standing at his side and smiling like she had some big secret buried in her mind that she was just dying for him to ask about. He cocked his brow up in question when she continued to smile. She looked as if she was meant to be bouncing up and down like a filly.

"Somepony's here fer ya." She said, her voice on the edge of teasing. "And he looks like a real cutie too, any reason he's come here fer ya?"

Big Macintosh shook his head, returning his gave to the chicken before him. His hoof continued to fumble underneath the animals nest. "This colt happen ta be tan with brown hair?" He mumbled in question, pulling out his hoof to reveal two brown eggs. He gave them a quick once-over before plopping them in the half-filled bucket.

"Eeyup." Applejack said, forcing her voice to downhill its pitch. Big Mac rolled his eyes, giving off a brief smile directed at the mixture of his sister and the pony waiting for him. He could hear her chuckle at managing to get a brief reaction out of him, to which he prolonged his smirk. "So who is he?" She asked, curiosity flaring in her green eyes. "A friend?"

"Name's Caramel." The red steed shook his head. "Don't know him that well to call him a friend." He moved onto the next chicken, feeling the flames of his sister bore into his side.

"So then why is he here if he ain't a friend?" Applejack inquired, walking around her brother in the narrow space of the chicken coop.

"So I can know him that well." Big Macintosh replied, smirking at the annoyance that shown clearly on his sister's face. He didn't even bother glancing at her to show what he knew was the truth.

"He seems... kind of quiet, and shy." Applejack said, nodding towards the opening of the chicken coop. "How exactly do you two plan to talk? It would be like puttin' ya and Fluttershy in the same room, ya talk just about as much as her ta outsiders."

"Dunno." Big Macintosh gave off a shrug, reaching his hoof under another chicken, who gave off a rather loud cluck. "But I think he talks a little more than Fluttershy..." He rolled his eyes yet again. He began to wonder if Caramel was beginning to grow uneasy with being forced to wait in the icy snow.

Applejack's face came to a blank. "What exactly do ya plan ta do with him?"

The earth pony shrugged yet again. "Up ta him ah suppose." He slowly reached up his hoof to his mouth, taking the bucket from his teeth and giving it to his sister. "Ah guess ah'll go find out." He said, walking past her without waiting for a response.

As the sunlight hit his body, he lifted a hoof to shield his eyes. He could see a tan stallion sitting underneath a tree in the distance, fiddling with his hooves as he waited patiently. He let out a smile, despite knowing the other hadn't seen him yet.

He couldn't explain why... but a small part of him was excited.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The ringing of the bell as they entered the cafe seemed to echo. Caramel suddenly found himself flinching at the sudden sound as it rang out in his ears. Sure, along the way there was the occasional pony walking by and talking, but their walk together had been dead silent. It wasn't the kind of silence that seemed overbearing or unreasonable awkward, it was simply there, and was in fact quite comforting.

Caramel finally craned his neck upward to look at Big Macintosh after he pushed his hoof against the door. The red steed was still giving off that small and gentle smile of his. It made Caramel smile as well, and he couldn't quite explain why. He further inside of the building, giving Big Mac room for his rather large body to fit in the doorway.

"Thank ya kindly." Big Mac said to the tan stallion in his usual hushed tone, giving him a nod as he walked out of the icy outside world into the warm and toasty inside one. Caramel released the door as soon as the other was inside, hearing it slide back into place before turning around and looking inside the building. It was rather simple, yet calming just to be in. The walls were green, the roof made of hay. Oddly enough, only a couple other ponies were in the shop, two of them reading and another mare and stallion quietly chatting.

"Thought it would be crowded..." Caramel mumbled, speaking aloud to himself once more. Maybe it was just luck.

"Ya come 'ere often?" The red steed asked, forcing Caramel to realize that he wasn't alone, and he had indeed spoken to himself. He gave off a blush before shaking his head.

"N-Not really... only when the library's closed... or something." He instantly began to feel awkward as he realized this was the place ponies came to talk when they didn't know each other very well. He lowered his head, only to lift it once a pink mare began walking his way. She began to guide them over to a table without a single word, simply a nod and a smile that seemed forced.

The short walk to the table gave the stallion just enough time to realize he had no idea how to talk to others. Caramel found himself not really thinking as he said the first kind of tea that came to mind when they were at their table. He dully registered the steed in front of him order a black coffee. What exactly were two stallions meant to talk about in the first place? You usually only came to places like this to get to know somepony when you thought of them as...

"Hot?"

Big Macintosh's deep voice broke Caramel's train of thought. The tan stallion jumped, cheeks blushing as he looked up. "W-What? A-Are you crazy, not that!" He spoke aloud his thoughts once more, shaking his head. Big Macintosh gave a confused look back to Caramel. The stallion realized that he was taking off his new scarf, letting it slide off his body as he pulled on one end. "O-Oh..." Caramel mumbled, his blush growing redder. "I-I get c-cold way too easily. My coat is a-awful at getting thick this t-time of year. T-That's why I don't like winter that much..."

The sudden urge to bail of their meet up completely quickly vanished with Big Mac gave off a chuckle. It wasn't mocking, how weird the small stallion must have seemed, simply entertained at his reaction. Caramel could feel his cheeks cool. "Ah don't like winter that much either, nothin' ta do." Big Macintosh said.

Caramel nodded, giving off a small smile of relief. "I-I think I'm nervous... I don't really know why..." Caramel gave off a nervous chuckle, glancing down at the white and blue tablecloth.

"Ah don't mind." Big Macintosh replied, his eyes looking directly into Caramel's. "So, what made ya come out so soon? Not that ah minded." He seemed to want to change the subject quickly for the sake of keeping the conversation from derailing.

Caramel's face turned from blank to a small frown as he thought. He put a hoof to his chin as he thought, glancing away from Mac's gaze. "Well..." He mumbled. "I just got tired of being in the house all day,” He nodded, as if confirming for himself this was the answer he wanted to give. "I also... wanted to see you again." He wasn't sure why he chose to add that last bit, but it was indeed the truth.

Big Macintosh nodded. "Ta tell the truth, ah was a little excited myself when ya came."

Caramel resisted the urge to do anything more than nod and smile. A warmth grew in his chest as the steed before him spoke those words. Before he was able to reply, he looked up to see a small cup placed before him. The waitress didn't give anything more than an "Enjoy" before taking Caramel's bits and trailing off to her next customer.

The tan stallion blinked a few times, raising his head more to watch Big Macintosh sip his drink. A strong smell of coffee was overpowering the tea before him. "I don't get how ponies drink coffee that's black..." He spoke, shaking his head back and forth as he shuddered at the simple thought. "I can't even think about that stuff without a pound of sugar in it."

"It's an acquired taste." Big Mac spoke softly, holding his mug in his hooves with careful delicacy, almost like it was a foal. "Pa used ta drink it around us when we were little." The red steed began to chuckle, shaking his head. "Ah used ta sneak some, it always tasted awful back then. Ah thought all big ponies drank it like that, so Ah grew ta like it over time."

Caramel gave an understanding nod. "I can see that." He spoke up, grabbing his cup to take a sip of his tea. As it touched his lips the smell told him that he had ordered green tea. "You do things like that when somepony you look up to does them. Sage used to always eat carrots when we were younger... I tried to many times just to stomach one..." Caramel made a face of disgust sticking out his tongue as if he could taste that awful food.

"Sage is... yer older brother, right?" Big Macintosh inquired, taking another slow sip of his drink.

Caramel paused “Er... no..." He began to move around in his chair, feeling uncomfortable as he bit his lower lip. "Technically... I'm the older one." He looked downward into his drink. "Only by about half an hour though... we're twins. But it isn't hard to tell us apart, he's a unicorn."

"Ya talk like he's ten years older..." Big Macintosh said, thinking aloud.

The tan stallion shrugged, taking a long sip of his tea. "Feels like that at times." He glanced straight ahead, staring at Big Mac's neck. "His whole name is Sage Leaves, but nopony calls him that. Heck, I don't think many ponies know his whole name." Caramel chuckled before continuing. "Sage has always been more mature than me... getting a job at the hospital, buying a house, standing up for himself. Ponies at the hospital say he's advanced real far for somepony as young as him." Caramel began to rub his hoof up and down his upper leg. "He's pretty much had to raise me for the past few years too... all I do is mooch off of him... but he's really all I got now I suppose."

The red steed nodded, closing his eyes as he did so. It was as if he were taking in the information he was given to heart. "Folks?" He asked, opening his eyes with a raising of a brow.

Caramel could suddenly sense Big Macintosh's large green eyes stare at him with wonder. He avoided looking up, feeling uncomfortable once more as he squirmed his bottom legs. He glanced away, tightening his grip on the cup cradled in his hooves. "They... they um..." His frown dipped, and his ears unintentionally dropped down. Big Mac's gaze began to feel like knives.

"Ah... Ah erm... Ah've mostly been raisin' my sisters by myself." Big Macintosh spoke, moving his body up and quickly changing the subject. Caramel glanced up at this, raising his brow along with his ears. "When Ah got old enough, Granny gave the farm over ta me, but all ah really do is buck them apples down all day."

"Folks?" The earth pony had curiosity in his voice as he spoke, oblivious to the fact he mirrored the question previously asked.

"Nope." Big Macintosh replied, shaking his head, a frown on his face. He drank down the rest of his coffee in a single gulp. "Ah was still a colt when they left... Apple Bloom had just been born the year before. It was some really long disease that Ah honestly can't remember how to pronounce." He shook his head. "Weird how names that seemed important slip after a while."

"I-I'm sorry..." Caramel quickly spat out. "Y-You didn't have to bring it up... Sorry I asked, it was obvious..."

Big Macintosh grinned. "We're gettin' ta know each other, had ta eventually, right?" He asked. "Besides, it ain't like it was last week. Ah got over it a while ago, the girls were enough of a handful ta not think 'bout it."

"That's good." Caramel murmured. "It's hard to get over things like that..." He paused, glancing sideways out the window before giving a sigh. "Hang on..." He grumbled. He ignored Big Macintosh's confused look before leaning down to his saddle bags beside his chair. He fumbled around inside of them a little before pulling out an orange bottle.

"Just your daily Two o'clock pill?" Big Macintosh chuckled as he asked. Caramel smiled back with little emotion as he sat up. He quietly untwisted the cap. "That one looks different from the other one. What's it for?" The stallion mumbled.

"I have more than one." Caramel quietly whispered. "And it's for... headaches..." Blood rushed to his cheeks, he began to wonder why exactly he felt embarrassed about this, it wasn't so strange to take pills, right? As he plopped the pill in his mouth, he used the rest of the tea to down it.

"I see." The red steed mumbled. He looked down into his empty mug for a good ten seconds before opening his mouth once more. "Ah'm actually glad ya came today. Think ah mighta lost my marbles if ah was cooped up any longer."

Caramel's gloomy expression lit up far more obvious than the stallion intended. "Really?" He replied. "T-That's great."

The pony across from him gave a smile of approval. "Say," He began, pushing his chair back. "It's gettin' a little too small in 'ere, wanna walk the dogs a little before we head home?" The steed said this as he gently rubbed his hoof.

Caramel nodded, his spirits remaining high. "O-Okay. Whenever you're ready." He replied.

"How 'bout now?" The red steed asked, standing up from his seat, looking down upon the other.

"E-Eeyup." Caramel replied.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"You're warm..."

Caramel's attention was undivided to his scribbling hoof going up and down the page before him in quick motions before he felt a hoof against his forehead. The tan stallion let out grumble before he attempted to shrug off his twin. However another hoof pressed against his ears, rubbing up and down. "I thought you said you were just going to go to the coffee shop..." The slightest hint of annoyance was hidden in the unicorn's voice.

The tan stallion resisted the urge to whimper, knowing it would only make Sage scold him further by an admission of guilt. "I did... and then I went for a walk..." His voice was small. "I'm sorry..." He could hear Sage's irritated sigh as hooves continued to prod around his face.

"You had to get sick right before I had to leave, didn't you?" Sage grumbled, adjusting the glasses sitting on his muzzle. He shook his head, walking around the couch Caramel was sitting on. He sighed, standing in front of his brother and giving him a click glance over. "I told you not to go out today, you just got better..."

Caramel's face turned to a frown. He hugged his book to his chest. "I just..." His frown deepened. "Sorry..." He mumbled again.

"Did you even take your medicine when you were out today?" Sage mumbled, sitting down next to Caramel, taking his book as he pressed his ear to the stallion's chest. "Do you feel alright?"

Caramel shuddered as Sage's cool and floppy ear pressed firmly to the middle of his chest. "Yeah, and... not really..." Caramel admitted, reaching down a hoof to rub his belly. "I don't think I'm gonna eat dinner tonight..." He mumbled sadly.

Sage let out a sigh, sitting up and stepping off the couch. "Hang on buddy." He said, trotting off towards the kitchen. Caramel's face began to twist into worry as he slumped over, pulling his bottom hooves closer to his chest so he could sit with his entire body on the couch. As Sage came back, the tan stallion could feel a damp cloth press against his forehead. "What did you even need?"

As the cloth pressed to his face, Caramel began to feel like a stupid colt who couldn't take care of himself. "Just... to see somepony."

"Sompony?" Sage inquired. "Who... you even have to see?" He didn't intend for it to sound mean, simply curious.

"Just some stallion I met a week or so ago..." Caramel said, now fiddling with his hooves as Sage gently brushed at his brothers neck. "We got some coffee and tea, and then walked around for a bit after talking." The tan stallion looked away from Sage, a small smile spreading across his lips. "He... he said I could come around any time I wanted to do it again..."

"A stallion?" Sage paused his motions for a moment. "Are... are you alright with being around him?" He asked, voice hushed as if there were many ponies around. "You don't... get upset or anything, do you? You know I don't really..." Sage trailed off, looking downward.

Caramel held his breath for a mere second, smile vanishing. "I-It's not... no." He grumbled, lowering his head. "I-I mean... I don't have that problem any..." He trailed off, biting his lip again. "J-Just shut up, okay?" He asked.

"Sorry... I was just asking." Sage mumbled, now being the apologetic one. He removed the cloth, looking to quickly change the subject matter. "Look, why don't you just go to your room for a while and lay down. If you get sick or something just try to hold out till I get home."

Caramel nodded, not making any sound. He gave off a sniffle, raising a hoof to his muzzle to gently rub. "I think I'll pass out before you get back..." He grumbled, suppressing a yawn.

Sage gave a forced smile as he looked at Caramel with vague worry in his eye. "Alright Cara." He said, giving his brother a one legged hug, using his other leg to rub up and down Caramel's back.

"I'll be back soon."

Pity

Disclaimer: I do not own My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. It belongs to The Hub, Hasbro, Studio B, and Lauren Faust. I do not own any of these characters in any way or how, nor do I claim ownership to the pony franchise. These characters are simply my toys.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"There's no reason to pity me.”
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Melting Snow
Chapter 4: Pity

Caramel could hear an involuntary squeak come from him followed by his body jumping as he felt a sharp sting insert into his arm. He squeezed his eyes shut, not able to hold back the whimper in his tone as a hoof began to pat his head, rustling his brown mane. While part of him wanted to knock Sage's hoof from his head, a voice was telling him the comfort was at the very least welcome at this moment. He whimpered once more, resisting the urge to tremble.

"C'mon Cara, it isn't that bad." Sage replied, rolling his eyes, removing his hoof from his brother's head. He pulled the shot from his brothers leg, watching as the earth pony quickly reached his hoof over to the spot where it had once been, slapping it down as a shield as he rubbed the small wound.

"S-Shut up..." Caramel stuttered out. "You know I hate this..." He lowered his head, his arm shaking. "H-How many more do I b-bucking need?" His voice was growing smaller with each word as he flicked his eyes to Sage, gnawing down on his lip.

"You have a filthy mouth when you're upset." The unicorn turned away, walking over to the table with a small booklet. "That was... what? The third one?" He mumbled aloud “That was the one for the flu... I think we may need to give you one for..." Caramel simply stared downward at the white tiled floor of the medical room, letting Sage's voice become background noise as he continued to rub his arm. How long had he been sitting here for?

"At least these shots aren't that late..." Sage grumbled, turning back to his brother. "You weren't cooped up for a whole month this time at the very least." The unicorn gave off a yawn, stretching his legs as he walked up to his brother, who was sitting on a small stool. "What do you say? Wanna eat out tonight to celebrate getting better? Are you strong enough yet?" Sage fired off the three questions one after another, expecting his brother to answer them all at once.

"If we did that every time I got better we'd be broke." Caramel answered, his frown deepening. "Besides, I don't know what I'll be able to keep down yet... my fever only broke yesterday..." He murmured the words along, now rubbing his hooves together, feeling the warmth burn his fur.

Sage suddenly lifted his brow. "What's up?" He asked, giving off a concerned chuckle. "You look like you're in another world."

"What?" Caramel snapped his head up, looking around as if confused for a brief moment. His face quickly retreated to the same frown as before. "O-Oh... I just...:" He wasn't quite sure how to finish his sentence, so he simply allowed himself to trail off.

The unicorn blinked, tilting his head. It was only as he opened his mouth to speak that a smile was drawn across his face. "Oh, you miss your new buddy, don't you? Hehe, it's written all over your face."

Caramel twisted his face into a mixture of embarrassment and irritation. "D-Don't call him my buddy." He grumbled, cheeks blushing. "I-I hardly know him."

"Fine," Sage began, his smile turning to a smirk "You miss your crush, don't you?" He words were just begging Caramel to return the comment with provoked anger. As Caramel opened his mouth to retort however, Sage simply chuckled as he reached out his hoof, patting Caramel's head once more with his tongue sticking out, one eye open as he winked at his brother. "I get it; you haven't had a friend in ages, have you?"

Caramel reached up his hoof to remove Sage's own from his head. "You're mean today..." He grumbled. "But I guess you're right... I don't really know how to... act around other ponies..." The earth pony suddenly lifted his head, looking into Sage's eyes. "D-Do you think he's worried about me? Not going to see him in over a week? I-I mean I promised to talk to him more!"

Sage shrugged, putting a hoof to his chin as he thought. "Can't really answer that... never met the stallion. Did you even tell him about...?” Sage paused, looking into Caramel's dodgy blue eyes. "Your... erm... condition?"

Caramel shook his head, keeping his face pointed downward. "He saw me take a few pills... that was about it." The stallion shifted in his seat. "I-It didn't seem all that important at the time. He didn't ask about it... he probably thinks I have allergies or something..."

"Well... you kind of do." Sage murmured, adding his input only to receive a humorless glare from the other. Sage watched his brother run through the hamster wheel in his mind for a few moments before shaking his head. "Look, you just got better, you're still tired, let's just call off the eating out tonight. You can walk home and after I finish up here, I'll grab us some of those daisy salads you like for tonight."

Caramel's expression didn't change as he simply nodded. "That sounds nice..." He mumbled, mostly distant from the situation. He chewed on the inside of his cheek, glancing around impatiently.

"S-So... are we almost done?" He asked.

"C'mon, don't pout all the way home." Big Mac chuckled, hearing his hooves crunch against the snow in an unusual silence considering the situation he had been put into. He looked down at the ground next to him as he continued to pace himself forward through the pathway before him. He let a sympathetic smile slide onto his face as he looked down at his sister's red mane, unable to spot her face. "Even Cutie Mark Crusaders get sick sometimes, ya can try again when yer little friend gets better."

"Tain't fair..." Apple Bloom sighed, frowning in a pout. "We've been waitin' ta try gettin' sled racin' cutie marks for weeks... and my sled just came in..." She paused a moment, grumbling under her breath. "Stupid flu, getting Scootaloo sick on us..." The small filly glanced up at her brother with her crimson eyes. "Do ya think we would have even gotten a cutie mark doin' it? Even just one of us?"

The older stallion gave off a shrug. "Sleddin' is fun either way." He replied, nodding his head. "Ah used ta do it with AJ when she was yer age." He smirked nostalgically, remembering the light feeling he used to get deep in his belly whenever he slipped down a large hill. He chuckled to himself, not caring about the strange way his sister's eyes bored into him.

The red stallion glanced downward at his hooves, watching them make indentations in the snow as he continued forward on the familiar pathway. His smile quickly faded as he returned to his normal emotionless expression. The trees around him were beginning to grow thicker, the same as always.

"Big Mac..." Apple Bloom mumbled, forcing her brother to stop dead in his tracks. Something in the tone of her voice was different than the way it was just a few minutes ago. It wasn't exactly pure terror, just a hint of worry.

"What is it Sugar Cube?" The stallion asked, holding up a brow as he looked down at his little sister.

"Somepony's here." Apple Bloom's worry contained a glimmer of curiosity now. Big Mac followed her gaze, turning his head slowly down the pathway. His eyes widened as he caught the first glimpse of a brown tail slowly flicking in the gentle, icy breeze before it hid between the owners hind legs, covering most of his backside. The tan fur of the stallion as he slowly walked down the path stood out to the white around him. Something in his body triggered as he spotted the stallion, it was only brief... but his chest clenched for a brief moment.

"Apple Bloom?" Big Mac quickly questioned his sister.

"Y-Yes?" The young filly quickly piped up, snapping her head as her brother grasped her attention.

"Can ya walk the rest of the way home by yerself?"

"W-Why?" Apple Bloom quickly spat out. "I-Is something wrong?"

Big Mac shook his head, watching Caramel walk. "He's a friend." He murmured, beginning to get lost in thought. "Ya run ahead, tell Applejack Ah'll be home in three shakes." He watched as Apple Bloom nodded, quickly running ahead as she kicked up snow in her tracks, wanting to quickly go past the stranger so not to be questioned.

Caramel's head shot up as Apple Bloom ran by. He tilted his head as if in question, glancing left and right before finally behind him. He was about forty feet away, but Big Mac could still see his crystal blue eyes light up at the sight of him. He began to walk forward, as did Big Macintosh.

In theory, the two should have met halfway, however for some odd reason Caramel seemed to be walking rather slowly, so it was much closer to three fourths of the way. As they grew closer together, the red steed could notice that Caramel's face looked clearly drained; his breath was heavy, as if he had just gotten done with running for a long distance.

"B-Big Mac." Caramel huffed out, looking up at the other. His eyes showed a mixture of joy, worry, even sadness. Big Mac began to feel a tad self-conscious, only able to keep his blank expression. "I-I'm... er... glad to see you?" It sounded like a question, as if the other wasn't sure what to say.

"What happened to ya?" Big Macintosh asked, looking up and down the stallion's body. Caramel's legs were shaking, and his breath continued to breathe clouds of smoke. He looked down at the ground, showing Big Mac only his parted brown mane.

The other paused for a long time. "I'm sorry..." He mumbled, as if he were a foal who had done something wrong. "I... I know I said I would come see you last week... but I..." He trailed off, biting his lip. He seemed upset, not quite at the point of crying, but upset nonetheless.

"No... Not that, Ah mean..." Big Macintosh found the words speaking for themselves as they spilled from his mouth. He looked down, away from the other, trying to find the right words to speak.

"O-Oh..." Caramel said, glancing at his own body. "I... I do look bad don't I...?” He paused. "I wanted to come... a-and explain why I haven't..." He trailed off again, shaking his head as if mad with himself. "Sorry, I must look like a complete featherbrain right now."

Big Macintosh shook his head. He gave off a warm smile. "Ah'm glad ya did... Ah was gettin' a little worried." The blush that blended into his fur suddenly made the steed feel silly as he brought a hoof to his own cheek to gently brush as his fur.

Caramel's smile grew. "T-That's good... I was afraid you would be mad..." He chuckled with relief. His smile quickly vanished, looking up into Big Mac's eyes as he took a few steps backward.

The red steed shook his head. "Course not..." He hopped his rose cheeks had vanished at this point. "L-Look, s-since you're here now... why not just go and get a coffee or tea now?" He mumbled the proposal.

Caramel's tired face nodded. "O-Okay..." He said. "B-Besides... I think I need to tell you something... when we're someplace warmer though... It's awfully cold out here."

"Caramel?" Big Macintosh asked, pausing his hoofsteps as he realized the crunching of the snow had become rather quiet in a matter of five seconds. He turned his head to look behind him, large green eyes staring at the pony who had fallen several feet behind him. "Are... are ya doin' alright partner? Do ya... wanna lean on me or somethin'?"

Caramel's breath was heavy as he slowly shook his head. His legs were wobbling even worse than before as he glanced upward. The two hadn't even gotten halfway to the cafe at this point, however the tan stallion looked like he was about to collapse. "I..." He began, voice shaking as he fought to catch his breath. "I-I'm sorry M-Mac... I n-need to r-rest for a minute."

The large red steed turned his head back to the pathway before them. As he scanned the area, he found his eyes lighting up as he caught a glimpse of a wooden bench not thirty feet from them. It was next to a large tree that stood alone on the road to town, blanketed in a sheet of snow. He turned back to Caramel, nodding his head for the other to follow him.

The hoofsteps of the other were slow as he attempted to catch up to Big Macintosh, eventually walking beside him at a pace that could only be compared to a tortoise. Big Macintosh simply looked down at the other as they made their way forward, his emerald eyes giving off worry. He didn't want to ask anything quite yet, knowing it would only give Caramel's body more weight at the moment.

When the two finally reached the bench, the way Caramel seated himself down was unlike him. He plopped his body down no different than if he were falling, not even bothering to clear the snow now under his rump. As he hunched his body over he began to heave up air from his lungs.

Big Macintosh turned his eyes from Caramel, unable to look at him for the moment. Instead he turned his attention to the other half of the bench, pressing his large hoof against the snow as he began to clear a seat for himself, revealing the wooden seat below. He gave off a shudder as he planted himself on the seat, the icy wood giving him a chill.

Caramel's breath was still heavy, however he didn't seem to be shaking nearly as much as a few moments prior. Big Macintosh glanced his eyesight over, looking only at Caramel's neck down. He took note that the stallion didn't have his usual green saddle bags on him, much like the day they had first met. He simply had his green and white scarf draped around his neck, nothing else. It was almost as if he weren't prepared to spend such a long time outside.

Big Mac let out a sigh, feeling time pass in bouts of quick and slow progression, and before he knew it, a good five minutes had already passed. The silence that was only accompanied with the slowing breath of the other didn't feel the same as before, it felt heavy, awkward, and desperately needed words to be spoken. The steed shook his head, for the first time in quite a while finding himself growing impatient with the situation at hoof. The irritation wasn't directed at Caramel, or himself, it was simply there.

The red steed suddenly perked up his ears, noticing just how quiet the other had become. His breathing has slowed to a reasonable speed. He started to lift his head to talk to the other. "Feelin' better..."

Big Macintosh's words were cut off as his mouth tasted nothing but hair, a sudden weight falling on his side that caused him to jump. "C-Caramel, what in t-the hay are ya...?" The red earth pony stuttered his words, his face feeling warm despite the icy breeze. It was also the first time in quite a while he found himself flustered.

The tan stallion however did not reply to the other's words. Big Macintosh's eyes widened with surprise as he saw through the parted mane of his friend that his eyes were glued shut, his chest expanding and releasing in a slow and gentle manner. The steed closed his eyes a moment, allowing his face to return to a blank expression.

"Ya were that exhausted?" He asked aloud, knowing full well an answer would not be received. The earth pony let a sigh slip from his body, placing a hoof on Caramel's side as he looked around to assure nopony was watching. He looked back to Caramel, whose body was now placed firmly against his side. He let his hoof slide up to the tan pony's scarf, gently tightening it to his own liking.

"Ya feel a little warm..." The steed murmured to himself, pressing a hoof to Caramel's neck.

Caramel's body heaved a whimper from him as he began to register he was no longer in the land of dreams. His body was no longer light as a feather, for everything around him, even the air, seemed hard. He forced his eyes to stay shut, not wanting to face the world quite yet. His body felt as if it was going through bouts of warm and freezing at the same time, it was a rather unpleasant feeling.

His body was leaning on something, something hard and soft and warm. It actually felt rather pleasant compared to the front half of his body. It took another moment of silence to realize something was brushing from the top of his head down to his cheek, and then repeating the process once more. The motions were soft yet quick.

"Sage..." Caramel mumbled, his throat dry as he spoke, causing hoarse sounding words to spill out. "What the hay are you doing?" He rubbed his face on whatever he was leaning against. It felt hard, stiff, and yet oddly comforting.

"Ya looked cold." A deep voice answered his question.

Caramel snapped open his eyes at the sound of this unexpected voice. The very first thing to register in his blurry vision was a large blob of red and white. As he shook his head, lifting his oddly heavy hoof to rub his eyes, his vision began to clear as he looked upward, seeing Big Mac's poker face look down at him.

"Wha..." It was the only thing Caramel was able to say as he attempted to piece together why he wasn't in his own house, sleeping in his bed or even on the couch. His face was beginning to feel warm once more. His body was leaning against the red steed, the other acting as a blanket from the harsh winds.

"Ah said ya looked cold." Big Macintosh said again. "Ah didn't really know what ta do... didn't have a blanket or anythin', so ah just..." He trailed off, looking downward at the cool snow underneath the bench. "S-Sorry..." He mumbled. "Wasn't much else ta do." He seemed to be embarrassed.

Caramel blinked his eyes, realizing exactly where he was. The memories began to flood back into his mind, causing him to press a hoof against his forehead. "I-I fell asleep?" He asked disbelievingly, his voice still hoarse.

"Eeyup." Big Mac answered. "Fer 'bout twenty minutes." The steed pulled back his hoof from Caramel's face and began to fiddle with it. "Y-Ya were shiverin'... it ain't smart ta fall asleep out here, specially durin' winter." The steed's voice was smaller than usual, he was mumbling instead of his usual assertive voice.

The tan stallion nodded, his face still flushed as he sat up. "I-I'm sorry..." Was the first thing to come out of his mouth. "T-That must have been uncomfortable for you..." He felt like he was still in shock and disbelief about the situation, his body refusing to act frantic no matter how much his mind screamed.

The earth pony gave off a shiver, his back suddenly feeling cold as the winds gave him a few lashes. He could hear Big Macintosh adjust his body so it was facing forward once more. As he glanced behind him, he could see faintly beneath that poker face the steed always had that his eyes looked a little... embarrassed.

"Nopony walked by." Big Mac quickly said, somehow managing to keep his voice calm.

"O-Oh..." Caramel mumbled, turning his body forward, averting his eyesight from Mac's direction. He began to rub his hoof against his upper leg. "B-But still, I must have made you uncomfortable... you could have just put me down on the bench, or woken me up."

Big Macintosh didn't answer him. He simply sat there, making no sounds other than the noises coming from his mouth and nose. Caramel even dared to look over at him, but his face was back to showing no emotion. The tan stallion looked down, holding his breath.

"What... exactly is wrong with you?" The red steed suddenly asked. He must have sensed the way Caramel's body jumped in surprise at the sound of those words, because he quickly rephrased his sentence. "Ah mean... yer fine an all, but ya look so... weak today. Ah got real worried about ya, Cara." The tone in his voice was strange.

Caramel suddenly bit his lip. "I... I um..." He paused briefly, looking down at the snow not far from his body. He blinked a few times, his stomach churning. He could sense knives from Big Macintosh's gaze dig into his side as he struggled to speak. "W-Well," He closed his eyes, opening his mouth just to get it over with. "I-It's a really long word." He said. "It's some really long word that I can't really remember how to say... I mean, what's the point of remembering it if I can't do anything about it” He lowered his head, his breath shaky as he spoke. "I think it was... Immunodeficiency or something like that."

"Immuno... what?" Big Macintosh inquired, raising his brow.

The tan stallion gave a dry, nervous chuckle. "The simple version is... I just get sick a lot." He shook his head, beginning to frown. "The long version is... well, y'know how everypony has an immune system that fights off infections?" He asked, not waiting for a reply. He began to grow quieter in his words. "B-But once in a while, some ponies are born with either really weak immune systems or no immune systems at all. The ones born without them usually die in a few years... maybe even less"

Big Macintosh nodded, his eyes wide as his poker face began to fade. He seemed generally interested in the topic at hoof, nodding after every few words as he bore holes into Caramel's side.

Caramel gave off a smile that could only be described as forced. "Sage usually tells me I'm lucky I was just born with a weak one. He also tells me I'm lucky I even survived for so long, considering we didn't even think about me getting sick all the time until I moved in with him." He paused briefly. "I can't over exert myself though, no running, no hard working chores anymore, I can't even go outside that often. If I do, you saw what happened earlier, I nearly heaved up a lung from breathing so hard."

"What did you do to start breathing like that?" Big Macintosh asked.

"I tried running here... I was just supposed to tell you I was sorry for not being around and then bail. But then you asked me out for coffee and..." He pressed a hoof to his forehead, shrugging his upper legs. "I should have just said no..." He mumbled to himself.

As a sigh escaped his lips, the earth pony glanced over to Big Macintosh, forcing himself to look the other in the eye. Even with a faded poker face, he couldn't tell the emotions going though the stallion other than curiosity. He gulped, feeling the saliva flow over his dried out throat. "Y-Y'know, for a while there I was really excited about moving in with Sage and getting my cutie mark. Since I was so sick all the time, I didn't even get mine until I was twice the age of that little filly who ran by me. People always looked at me like something was wrong with me when I went out in public... but one day it just came to me. I was finally able to do something on my own without anypony's help. I could start making carriages for the royal guards to use, or even armor and weapons to help defend the royal palace... I wondered for a while if I would have made any kind of difference when those changelings attacked."

"Why didn't ya?"

Caramel frowned again. "Too many... fumes. They keep getting me sick whenever I need to a shop and work. I passed out a few times when I was there, that was enough for them to fire me I guess. Plus Sage won't let me go back after he found out..." He let a whinny pass his lips as he hunched over. "I just have to lie in bed and let every little non life threatening disease hit me one after another. If I'm lucky, I'll get a few days where I'm strong enough to walk around. But most of the time I'm swallowing a hoof full of pills a day." He chuckled without emotion before chewing on the inside of his cheek.

"Why... why weren't ya gonna tell me?" Big Macintosh asked, hesitating on his word choice.

Caramel looked over to Big Macintosh, looking into his large, green eyes. "Because... you aren't condescending or anything like that. I don't want you to start pitying me, or being concerned for me if I breathe weird. You treat me like a friend... I don't want you to think of me as a chore to be around or anything."

"But... that's not what a good friend is." Big Macintosh replied, his voice sounding dumbfounded, causing Caramel to look at him with confusion. "Friends don't ignore when their friends are in trouble, or hurting or anything like that. We don't pity them, we try and help them." His voice started to sound irritated as he shook his head in a disapproving manner.

"But... But I..." Caramel trailed off.

"Look, Ah'm yer friend, just because I start askin' if yer okay, or worry if yer cold, or ask ya ta tell me what's wrong, it doesn't mean ah'm pittyin' ya, it means I care enough ta worry in the first place!" Big Macintosh said as if it were obvious. "Ya can be a real dummy sometimes Cara. Don't start thinkin' yer a chore, got it?"

Caramel was silent as he felt his head nod. He didn't bother protesting further, for no sounds would come out of his mouth.

Big Macintosh gave off a smile. "Okay, now let's get you home." He said. The red steed got off the bench, standing on all four hooves as he began to stretch. "Alright, get on." He said, nodding towards his back.

"W-Wait, what?" Caramel asked, his voice higher than he expected it to be when it came out. "W-W-What for?"

The red steed paused, looking at the sky. "For one... ya can hardly walk, and if ya can we won't get ya home before sundown. And two, you're the dummy who walked out here when he should have gotten home to rest, so ya need ta learn a lesson."

"B-But..." Caramel began, only to be greeted with a glare that forced him to look away from Big Macintosh. "I-I'm sure I can walk... I don't need to be carried around like a..." As he was saying this, he attempted to get off the bench. However the moment his hooves hit the surface of the snow his legs suddenly began to feel wobbly. His body began to collapse forward, and he unintentionally grabbed onto Big Macintosh's neck to catch himself.

"Told ya." Big Macintosh said "Yer gettin' sick again, need ta get ya home fast." Giving off a smirk he hopped his body, forcing Caramel's smaller, much lighter one to suddenly bounce on his back. "Now, no complainin', if Apple Bloom and Apple Jack survived this punishment, so can ya."

Caramel gave off a groan of protest. "But I'm your age..." He whimpered. "A-And you have to go through town to even get to my house." He felt his heart beat faster, near begging the other to let him down. He buried his head in the other's mane, thinking to himself about how warm Big Macintosh was, how he wouldn't very much mind this if it were any other situation.

"Too bad." Big Macintosh said, beginning to move his hooves. "If ya did the smart thing and waited till tomorrow, maybe you would be able to stand walk by yourself, and maybe ya wouldn't be sick." He began to pick up his speed, moving in a brisk trot. "Oh, and don't bury yer face in me, ya have to guide me."

"I-I don't like you very much anymore..." Caramel whined. "You know that right?"

"Eeyup." Big Macintosh replied.

"Won't you be embarrassed to be seen like this?"

Big Macintosh paused in his walking for a moment. He put a hoof to his chin and rubbed it for a good five seconds before letting it drop back down to the ground.

"Nope."

Childish

Disclaimer: I do not own My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. It belongs to The Hub, Hasbro, Studio B, and Lauren Faust. I do not own any of these characters in any way or how, nor do I claim ownership to the pony franchise. These characters are simply my toys.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"What's the point of growing old if you can't be childish?”
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Melting Snow
Chapter 5: Childish

"Ya sure ya don't want me ta keep the hall light on tonight?" Big Macintosh asked, raising his brow as he gently pushed the covers under Apple Bloom's body, tucking her in under her favorite crimson blanket.

As he leaned over to tuck in her other half, he could hear the wooden floors creak under his bare hooves. He began brushing back his sisters red hair, using his other hoof to gently untangle her pink bow from her mane. "Ya know ah sleep like a rock, ah can't turn them on after Ah'm in my room."

"Ah'm sure." Apple Bloom replied with a chuckle, rolling her eyes. "Ah ain't a baby anymore ya know, even if Ah don't have a cutie mark yet."

She quietly turned over, her cheek pushing up against her face as she lay on her side. "Besides, I only need that old light on when Ah have nightmares."

The red steed let out a silent chuckle under his breath.

"Gotcha." He replied, leaning down to press his lips against his sister’s forehead. "'Night Sugar Cube." He said, brushing back Apple Bloom's mane one last time.

"Night Mac." Apple Bloom replied through a yawn. She closed her fiery orange eyes slowly as she let her muscles relax, pushing her face further into her soft pillow.

Big Macintosh smiled softly as he started turning away from his sister. He began walking quietly towards the door as he himself began to carry out a silent yawn. When he reached the door, he turned around, softly shutting the door behind him. When he heard it click, he let himself breathe once more, his smile quickly turning back into his blank expression.

"No hall light tonight?" A voice coming from the bottom of the stairs caused Big Mac to turn his head in the direction of the sound. He began shaking his head back and forth as he saw the blond mane of Applejack bob up and down in the darkness as she came trotting up the stairway.

"That's a change, maybe now I can sleep in the dark. Ya know if I close my door Winona just comes and scratches on it till Ah get up, Granny'll chew me out again if that happens." Applejack began chuckling. "That mutt is the biggest baby I've ever seen."

Big Macintosh shrugged his upper legs, his face twisting into a small frown.

"Guess she's just growin' up." He mumbled to himself. He placed one hoof on his right leg, looking downward at the wooden floorboards underneath him.

"All little girls do." Applejack chuckled. "Apple Bloom is just tryin' to be brave and strong like her big sis is all." The orange mare displayed a smirk to her brother, nodding her head as if she had accomplished something important.

The red steed rolled his eyes. "If Ah remember right, that same big sis had nightmares every other night fer a month 'bout monsters under her bed when she was Apple Bloom's age."

He spoke this with a little more emotion than usual, staring at his sister out of the corner of his eye. Even in the darkness, Big Macintosh was able to make out the sudden tint of red on his sister's face. He smiled briefly before turning his back to her.

"Ah'm tired, ah think ah need ta hit the hay." He mumbled, thinking aloud as he began trotting his hooves forward.

"W-Wait!" Applejack stuttered out, trotting up beside her brother. "Ah came up here ta ask ya somethin'. Why were ya so late home today? AB said that ya stopped ta talk ta a pony, but he was somebody she never saw before."

"Do ya really need ta know everythin' about me?" The steed chuckled, half serious as he opened his mouth to reply. "Yer too nosy..." He added the last bit under his breath with a smile.

"Ah just..." Big Macintosh briefly halted his hoofsteps, taking a moment to think up a good way to put it. "Ah saw a friend, he needed my help with somethin' so ah decided ta give him a hoof." He nodded his head, deciding that was close enough to the truth.

"Friend...?" Applejack asked in curiosity. "Ya mean... that stallion from a few weeks ago?"

"Eeyup." Big Macintosh said.

"What was so important that ya had ta send Apple Bloom home ta help him with?" The orange mare asked. Her tone wasn't as judgmental as Big Macintosh expected, simply curious. Her eyes seemed to be boring into her brother's side with a need for answers.

"Yer awfully nosy 'bout my affairs." The steed replied, closing his eyes as he put a hoof to his doorknob.

"We talk about the same things ya and yer friends do, when we'll talk again, how the other's been..." He turned the doorknob, stepping inside his room.

"Goodnight Applejack." He said, reaching out a hoof to pat his sister on the head, a hint of teasing in his voice as he closed the door.

The steed didn't bother hiding the small smirk plastered on his face as he heard a quick sigh of irritation on the other side of his door followed by a quick trotting of hooves to the other end of the hall. Big Macintosh sighed, his smile vanishing yet again.

The red earth pony turned to his room, trotting over to his bed. He stared at the bed for several moments, eyes turning to his pillow where a small, tattered pony doll lay. He reached out his hoof to grab the doll, lifting it in front of him. He quietly slid onto the bed and squirmed under the blanket, now using both hooves to hold the old doll in front of his eyes.

The moonlight coming down through the window cast a dim light on his bed, giving him some light to see with as he fiddled with the doll for a few moments. As he put the doll by his bottom legs his mind began drifting back to Caramel. He thought about Caramel's disease, what it meant. He thought about just how worried Caramel was that he would become nothing but another chore for the red stallion.

The red steed shifted under the blanket to lie down on his back, staring up at the ceiling. He used a free hoof to bring Smarty Pants up to his side, tucking the doll in between his ribs and his leg. His mind finally drifted to Caramel having to ride on his back.

At the thought of this Big Macintosh could feel the fur stand up on his mane. He turned to his side, concealing his blush against his white pillow. He knew he couldn't tell Applejack about it... about his day away from home. Not only was it personal to one of the parties involved, but it seemed oddly embarrassing in retrospect. Big Mac frowned into his pillow, wondering why his heart was pounding so fast at the memory of earlier.

It was the first night in quite some time the steed had trouble falling asleep.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

You really can be right idiot, you know that?"

Caramel could feel his throat suddenly tighten at the sound of those words, his blue pencil digging deep into the paper on his lap. His teeth began grinding on the thermometer lodged in his mouth. He couldn't bring himself to look over to his side, knowing Sage's eyes would be stabbing him with their blades of disappointment.

The tan earth pony shifted uncomfortably under the covers blanketing his lower half. As he attempted to swallow a lump in his throat, he briefly wondered if he was able to apologize without his voice babbling out nonsensical stuttering. Instead he chose to look at the blank walls of his room, beginning to realize just how cold and bare they seemed, blending in well with the climate outside,

Caramel glanced down at the thermometer in his mouth, watching it begin to glow in a dim light of yellow before it was pulled from his mouth with a tad more force than his brother usually gave him. He dared to look over, watching Sage use his magic to lift his glasses, squinting at the tiny device that told him just how sick the earth pony was.

"A hundred and one..." Sage quietly mumbled, his face transforming into a frown. "Well... I suppose that's better than last week..." He paused, his voice struggling to find some light in this situation. "But you're usually smarter about this kind of thing, especially after last week!" Sage snapped, his voice filled with concern and borderline anger.

"I-I..." Caramel could feel his voice begin to stutter, tears forming behind his eyes that he quickly blinked away. He wasn't used to this mood Sage currently had, it was doing nothing but enforcing the fact that he was an idiot. "I-I'm s-sorry..."

An apology was the best Caramel could manage at this point in time as he sunk into his bed, now clutching the small book to his chest. He felt like a child being scolded by a parent for doing something he should have known better than to do.

Sage let out a long winded sigh of frustration. "I wake up to you coughing a lung out, and a fever hot enough to fry eggs, you’d better feel sorry...And don’t you give me those puppy eyes. If you were thinking straight, then maybe you could have seen him today. Why would you go way out there when you could barely walk?"

"Big Mac said the same thing..." Caramel muttered softly into the pillow his head was now resting against.

The unicorn gave his brother a confused look before pressing a hoof to his forehead. It took a moment, but a smile was soon put onto his face as he began shaking his head. "I think your friend has more common sense than you." A snicker of annoyance came from his lips as his smile faded faster than it appeared.

Caramel looked downward, his own frown appearing. "It wasn't supposed to last so long." He admitted, sinking his face into the pillow's comfort. "I just wanted to say I was sorry."

Sage was silent for a few moments before he reached out his hoof, brushing Caramel's mane. "You have a great friend if he wanted to go to coffee when you looked like you did." He joked, only half serious. He leaned forward to give the colt a nuzzle, then taking a sniff, leaned back, his muzzle puckered in mock disgust

"You haven't bathed in days Mel... starting to get a little ripe there kiddo."

The earth pony could feel a blush appear on his cheeks as he glanced towards the window, staring at the midday sun high in the sky. He slowly pulled the book from his chest, feeling safe to begin his mindless scribbling once more. "He didn't mention that..." He grumbled.

Sage smirked quickly, staring at Caramel's book. "Finished that one yet?" He asked, attempting to glance at the page that his brother was hiding from him. "I'll leave early, grab you a new one on the way to work." He said, chuckling as his brother shielded the page by bringing it closer to his body.

"Oh... right..." Caramel murmured. "It's Tuesday... you work night tonight." He shook his head back and forth to shake off the confusion. "Sorry, day's kind of get all mixed up when you're sick."

Sage nodded. "I can tell... and yeah, working real late. I won't be back before midnight... you okay with fixing yourself something to eat? I can make you something before I head out..."

"No, we have some fruit left, I'll just eat that. I don't really feel all that hungry anywa-"

Caramel's sentence was prematurely cut off as his ears perked up, hearing a knock on the door not far from his room. His mind quickly raced through a number of questions of who could be knocking at the door. He looked up and to his open door, staring into the living room. Sage's own confusion was clear as he glanced in the same direction.

"Who the hay is that?" Caramel mumbled. "We don't normally get visitors... right?"

"Maybe it's just a sales pony." Sage shrugged, stretching his legs. "Idiots, it's the middle of winter, why are you going door to door? I'll shoo them away, you just rest."

"O-Okay..." Caramel responded, slowly setting his book down. "I'll... hold the fort?" He questioned.

"You do that, Cara." Sage snorted at his brother as he began to trot out of the room, shaking his head with a stupid smile plastered on his face.

The unicorn could hear the floorboards creak and moan under his hooves as he heard yet another knock at the door. He quickly resisted the urge to snap at the one behind the door to be patient, however he had already reached the door before the thought crossed his mind.

He took a brief moment to take a deep breath, wiping the smile off of his face as he turned the knob, pulling the door towards his body just as the third set of knocks came crashing against the door. The one outside sure was noisy...

Sage swung the door open, feeling a breeze from the outside world slap against his face. He took the time to blink a few times, briefly confused to why he was standing in front of a solid red wall. It was only as the wall moved back did it occur to the unicorn that it couldn't possibly be a wall, but a pony.

The unicorn cocked his head upward. Standing before him was a rather big stallion... one bigger than he had ever seen. He briefly wasn't able to find words, still taking in just how large the other one was. He cocked his brow, wondering why a stallion like this was at his door?

"Car... No... Yer...?" The stallion spoke with a hint of brief confusion, the thick southern accent snapping Sage out of his dazed state.

"Y-Yes?" Sage asked, stepping back a bit, unsure if he should be wary of the other or not. He looked around the stallion, wondering if he really was just here to sell something. However on closer inspection, not a single item was with the stallion aside from his red and black scarf.

Sage could have sworn he had seen that scarf before.

"Yer Sage, right?" The red steed inquired. His face displayed no emotion... to be honest it seemed strange, even his eyes were a blank slate.

"Yes…" Sage slowly nodded. "Do... I... know you?" The unicorn's head quickly shuffled through a great deal of ponies he had met in the past. He was positive he had never met someone like this, for those blank eyes and stature would have stuck with him.

"Nope." The steed replied, shaking his head. He stared blankly for a good ten incredibly awkward seconds before speaking up once more. "Ah'm Big Macintosh... yer brother is a friend of mine."

"Big... Macintosh?" Sage asked, looking up and down the other once again. Well the big part was certainly correct... however Sage would have never pictured the other looking so... emotionless. From the way Caramel talked about a kind and older stallion, Sage would have guessed Big Macintosh to be a little more open about his feelings. "Y-Yeah... Caramel's talked about you."

"Is he here?"

Sage paused briefly before answering. "He is." The unicorn replied, beginning to move to the side. "Would you... like to come in and see him?" He quickly realized that the other wanted nothing more than to see his friend. He seemed safe at the very least, not particularly dangerous.

"Yes please." Big Macintosh nodded, accepting the invitation and stepping inside.

"His... room is that way." Sage said, pointing with his hoof to a doorway right on the wall of the living room. He watched as

Big Macintosh nodded, stepping forward after a brief glance around the room. The floorboards seemed to creak extra loud with the large stallion now walking on them.

Sage followed as Big Macintosh walked into the bedroom, staying two strides behind the much bigger pony.

"Big Mac?" Caramel's voice spoke up around the time Sage trotted in behind the other. He could see Caramel's eyes simply light up at the sight of his friend, forcing his body to sit up.

"Hey Cara." Sage looked over to Big Macintosh as he spoke, shocked to see the smile on the other's face. "Thought I'd stop by."

Sage suddenly jumped, looking outside the window at Celestia's sun. "Uh... if I'm gonna get the thing we need, I need to go to work now." He quickly spat out, adjusting his glasses.

"It's fine." Big Macintosh answered, turning back to Sage with another poker face. "Ah won't stay long, just wanted ta see if he was fine. Mind if I stay a little while longer."

"H-He's fine!" Caramel piped up. "Big Mac is alright, I promise!" With the tone of voice his brother had, Caramel really did sound like a small child asking for a friend to visit.

Sage blinked his eyes a moment, and then gave a nod of his head.

"F-Fine."

Nothing was wrong with Big Macintosh that he could see at the moment, there really was no reason to say no.

"I guess you are my age, no reason to need my permission for friends to stay for a while..." His voice sounded as if he were trying to convince himself.

Big Macintosh nodded thanks with a small smile towards Sage before walking over to beside the bed, sitting down with such height that he might as well have been standing. The tan unicorn took one last look behind him, seeing the smile on Caramel's face as he began chatting with Big Macintosh. Sage let a sigh pass his lips as he began to turn, trotting out of the room.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"So... yer brother usually leaves ya alone all day?"

Caramel briefly paused, a small log of firewood clutched in his hoof. He took a deep breath through his scarf, feeling the yarn tickle his muzzle as he bobbed his head up and down. The winter winds were whipping at his body, however he was rather grateful for his own portable wall blocking most of the damage from his side.

"Usually." The stallion answered, placing the small log on his back. "He has the kind of job that you really can't skip. It isn't like he works part time or anything."

"So ya have ta take care of yerself when ya get sick?" Big Macintosh asked, grabbing another log underneath the tarp that hid the dry firewood.

The tan stallion shrugged. Shifting uncomfortably in the snow, his face still warm with illness. "He still has to take care of me... He leaves me with food in my room and a bucket to vomit in, and when he can he'll sometimes come home during lunch and make sure I'm able to get something down. But he probably won't do that tonight, he wouldn't let you visit if I was half as sick as I usually am."

His words were slightly muffled behind the green and white scarf concealing a good portion of his face. He looked downward, kicking up a small patch of snow that happened to be under his hoof.

"Speakin' of which... ya think we can head in now? Ah don't wanna be responsible if ya get worse off fer somethin' I coulda done on my own in two trips." Big Macintosh asked, frowning as he looked up to the snowflakes still falling from the pitch black sky.

Caramel looked at the firewood both on his and Big Macintosh's back. Put together they had about four large logs and five small ones. That had to at last long enough if they only used a couple logs at a time.

"I guess that's enough." The earth pony answered, beginning to turn around as he nodded towards the house that it was alright to leave. "And no way was I letting you do my chore. What kind of guest has to do the grunt work in somebody else's house by themselves?"

Big Macintosh chuckled, quickly catching up to walk side by side with the other stallion, their hooves crunching the snow as they followed their previous pathway back to the house. The falling snow that only continued to pick up was already well on it's way of covering their tracks.

As they reached the doorway to the home, Big Macintosh reached out his hoof to turn the doorknob, moving aside so

Caramel could go in first, his lips in a smile directed at the other.

Caramel smiled back, grateful he could hide his blush behind both his scarf and his illness as he stepped inside, shaking the snow off his hooves before he had the chance to get the floorboards soaking wet.

"Just put the wood by the fireplace!" Caramel called behind him as he trotted forward.

Big Macintosh walked forward, mimicking the other's motions to get the snow off his hooves before letting the door slide shut behind him. He followed Caramel closely, coming into the living room. The steed paused briefly, taking a moment to look around the room. It was nice, similar to the one at his home. There was a couch directly in front of the fireplace no more than ten feet away, a fluffy white rug on the floor taking up most of the living room space.

"You can set it here." Caramel said, pointing his hoof to a small pile he had already set up with his own logs.

Big Macintosh nodded, trotting over and complying with the other's task as Caramel began setting up the fireplace. He set up two of the larger logs on bottom, putting two of the smaller ones on top.

The stallion briefly paused, letting out a sigh of frustration as he lowered his head. "We don't have anything to start it with..." He muttered to himself.

"Hey, Mac? I think I left a newspaper in my room from this morning, I'm done reading it, can you go get it so I can start this fire? Maybe then we can warm up a little."

"Eeyup." The red steed replied, nodding his head as he turned to trot back to Caramel's room, his hooves abandoning the soft rug.

As the steed walked into Caramel's room, he took a quick look around the barren walls. He started trotting once more as he spotted a folded up newspaper on the bedside table next to Caramel's messy bed. He was about to grab the newspaper before he felt his hoof step on something. He looked down, removing his large hoof to reveal an oddly familiar looking book on the floor. He blinked at it, thinking that it must have gotten knocked off the bed and forgotten about when Caramel had hopped out earlier.

He used his hoof to swiftly scoop up the book, which was lying wide open on the ground. As he brought it closer to his face he quickly realized why it looked familiar. He could remember Applejack, Apple Bloom, even himself at one point, having a book similar to the one in his hoof. The image looked to be something like a royal guard in his shining suit of golden armor. Big Macintosh's face formed into a look of confusion as he stared at the black imprinted lines underneath the colors already scribbled onto the coloring book.

The stallion lifted up a brow, realizing the image was only half-finished, as if he had been forced to stop mid-way through the coloring process. What coloring there was didn't look neat at all, it had several patches missing on the cartoonish stallion's grey coat, the golden armor not even half finished yet. He stared at the stallion in the image for a few moments, the guard's cartoon smile gleaming at him. He didn't bother looking through the rest of the pages. He simply folded the book shut and grabbed the newspaper, quickening his pace as he jogged out of the room.

"Find it?" Caramel asked, not even halfway though those two words before a newspaper was thrust into his hooves.
He nodded a thanks to the red steed as he began tearing the paper and balling it up, placing them in different sections of the soon to be fire. Big Macintosh stared at Caramel for a few moments, setting his hindquarters down on the carpet. He watched the other stallion slowly tear up the newspaper before grabbing a matchbox next to the fireplace.

"Caramel?"

"Hmm?" Caramel replied, fiddling with a match in his hooves for a few moments before striking it against the side of the box with no luck of lighting it.

"Why do ya..." The steed paused, wondering how he should word this. "Why do ya have a colorin' book in yer room?"

Caramel struck the side of the match box as those words left Big Macintosh's mouth. The match burst into a short-lived flame, the tan stallion not making a move to throw it into the fire as it quickly burned out. His cheeks began to clearly redden up past the point of blaming it on the weather or even his illness.

"A-A w-what?" The stallion might have intended to say it as if he had no idea about the matter; however his voice and body actions gave away his lie.

"Ah found it on yer floor, it was wide open, must have fallen off that there bed of yers."

Caramel looked like he was biting his lip, still holding the now black match in his hoof. He looked downward, the blush now spreading to his ears.

"Sorry if Ah embarrassed ya," Big Mac quickly spat out, leaning forward as he saw the clear worry on his friend's face. "Ah was just curious, ya don't have ta tell me."

The tan stallion shook his head. "N-No it's fine... you just caught me off guard." He chuckled dryly. "It's nothing b-bad though, but y-yeah it's embarrassing..."

Big Macintosh nodded, showing he understood.

Caramel sighed, throwing the burnt out match toward the fireplace. "It's mostly just something... therapeutic."

He took out another match, striking flame on the first swish, leaning forward to place it against the paper ball. As it caught flames the tan pony's blue eyes watched as it spread to another piece of paper, soon catching on the wood.

"You know… something to keep my mind off of... things." He frowned as he watched the flames.

"I used to have mild panic attacks when we first found out about my Immunodeficiency. I can't stand anything like shots, or hospitals, or even medicine... it was all a little over whelming to have it all shoved at me at once, especially all those shots the first day..."

The earth pony took a deep breath, rubbing his hoof up and down his upper leg. "I had to have a few yesterday too... I thought I was gonna cry." He admitted, smiling as if it were funny.

"That makes sense." Big Macintosh spoke up. "I hated goin' ta the hospital just ta get my bandages off a while back. Can't imagine havin' ta go so often."

Caramel used his hoof to push back his brown mane from his eyes. "Yeah... I hate being in a place like that... I like it better when Sage can just diagnose me here. It's awful when I have to go to work with him; it sometimes takes half the day before he can even look at me. I have to just sit there and watch ponies who are sick or have broken bones... sometimes they even cry, I don't usually know what for though."

The red steed nodded, turning his own gaze away from Caramel and towards the bright, fiery flames.

"What 'bout the colorin' book?"

Caramel licked his now dry lips. "It's just something I can do without thinking too hard... I like it a lot better when I get ones for little foals, there aren't many little details I have to fill in, and I can focus on one thing at a time."

The stallion scooted back from the flames, getting down on his chest, placing hooves under his chin for a pillow.

"But ponies always look at me like there's something... wrong with me. They think I'm dumb and don't know my age. But whenever I get the tiniest bit nervous it takes my mind off of things for a while... sometimes a long time if I color slowly."
Caramel closed his eyes, breathing out heavily. "I don't get nervous anymore... but I feel like I'm a stupid colt in return."

"That doesn't make any sense..." Big Macintosh mumbled, loud enough for Caramel to hear. "Everypony has at least one or two things that comfort them, childish or not." He shook his head back and forth in disappointment. "Ah don't see why they suddenly judge ya fer bein' open 'bout it."

Caramel glanced over to Big Macintosh. "I don't see everybody having something like that... Sage is like a rock sometimes... but how about you?"

"Uh..." The steed paused. He looked to his side, away from Caramel. He could feel a blush come onto his cheeks. Once again, he was grateful to be given red fur instead of white. "N-Nothin'..."

"You said everypony." Caramel near whined, now sitting up. "C'mon, I won't laugh, you didn't laugh at mine!" His voice wasn't prying by any means, simply curious and nosy. It reminded Big Mac of his sister.

Big Mac bit the inside of his lip. "I-It's just... a doll..." He mumbled.

"Doll?"

"Y-Yeah... A doll, a cute one with button eyes and long ears and knit fur..." The steed worked up enough courage to face into the fire again, Caramel looking at him out of the corner of his eye.

"Hmm... I would have never guessed you'd have something like that." Caramel said with a chuckle. "It's... a little... I don't know, cute?"

Big Macintosh only blushed deeper at that statement. He couldn't pinpoint a reason however, only that it did indeed embarrass him knowing Caramel thought he was "cute".

"L-Look, it's just nice ta sleep with somethin' now and again..." Big Mac paused, getting flustered with the situation at hoof. "A-And besides, e-every-"

"I get it." Caramel cut the other off. "Everypony has something that comforts them. I wasn't making fun of you."

Big Macintosh nodded, regaining himself and letting his face go blank once more.

"It's gettin' a little late..." Big Macintosh mumbled, trying to change the subject. "When do ya think that Ah should get goin’? Ah'm happy ta stay as long as ya want."

Caramel looked over to the stallion. "If you don't mind... can you stay a little longer? I like talking to you... it isn't as quiet around here. And besides, Sage won't be back till midnight, we have plenty of time." He chuckled.

"D-Do you mind sitting next to me?" The stallion asked, turning to hide his sudden embarrassment at what he was asking.

"The fire's a lot warmer where I'm sitting than from over there."

"Alright." Big Macintosh replied, scooting his body over as he how on his chest to lay down, a good five inches between the two as they sat in front of the warm fire.

"Yer right... this is warmer." Big Macintosh mumbled, letting his muscles relax.

"I like laying here a lot; it doesn't get as comfy here as it does on the couch..." The stallion mumbled, looking over at the other.

He blinked a few times before taking a deep breath, wondering what he had to lose as he took a chance, scooting his body over until he was pressing his body against the other very lightly. The other's side was almost like a brick wall in the sunlight, very warm and yet rock solid.

Big Macintosh jumped, turning his head to look down at Caramel, who was hiding his face under his mane. He could feel his throat tighten as his face flushed. "Y-yeah... mighty comfy here..."

Caramel hid his smile under his hooves as he strengthened the amount of pressure he was putting against Big Mac by a tiny amount, only enough so that his cheek was pressed to the other's upper leg. He was so very happy that the other didn't push him away.

"What do ya wanna talk about?"

Dinner Date

Disclaimer: I do not own My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. It belongs to The Hub, Hasbro, Studio B, and Lauren Faust. I do not own any of these characters in any way or how, nor do I claim ownership to the pony franchise. These characters are simply my toys.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Here before us lays a long road to follow.”
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Melting Snow
Chapter 6: Dinner Date

"What are ya thinkin' 'bout?" Big Macintosh's voice was noticeably above his normal tone as he began to speak to Caramel over the sound of nonsensical clucking that was currently filling his ears with Celestia knows how much chaos.

The stallion swiftly brought back his hoof to his chest as he felt something peck the area where his hoof ended and his leg began. The chicken in front of him seemed to be unusually loud as he attempted to grab her precious eggs from under her, for it constantly clucked and tried to bite him, obviously not used to the large stallion invading her personal space. It would have much preferred Apple Bloom at the moment.

"Got any idea where ya wanna head ta?" He asked whilst rubbing his hoof, beginning to wonder if Caramel was having nearly as hard a time hearing as he did at the moment. He turned his head to look at Caramel out the small door, seeing the small stallion slowly stroke his hoof up and down the paper in his hooves.

"Dunno..." Caramel mumbled, his upper legs shrugging as he slowly put down the colored pencil against the paper, looking up with a quiet sigh. "I came because I wanted to see you, didn't think far enough ahead for what to do... Sorry."

Big Macintosh could tell even from simply looking at the back of Caramel's head that his ears were blushing in mild embarrassment. He began chuckling, shifting to the next chicken with a quick shuffle of his hooves. "Don't worry, it's nice ta see ya." The stallion bit his tongue as he began to grab the eggs from under the new chicken, this one thankfully being more open to having it's eggs removed. "So ya wanna grab somethin' ta drink again? Or do ya wanna grab some grub fer a change?"

Caramel let shrugged again, slowly folding his arms across his chest, hugging his coloring book tightly. "I'm getting a little hungry, but I didn't bring that many bits. Wanna stop somewhere like Sugar Cube Corner? I hear they're real cheap."

"Ta be honest, ah ain't got that big of a sweet tooth." Big Macintosh replied, gazing at the metal bucket near overflowing with eggs before turning to the doorway. "Besides, one of the owners keeps givin' me weird looks when ah go in lately... I don't know why..." He briefly paused, putting a hoof to his chin as he tried to think. "She asked where my Hearty-Smarty was I think last time ah went in there..."

"Hearty... Smarty?" Caramel asked, bewilderment in his voice as he arched his back in a stretch. "Sound's like a candy of some kind." The stallion giggled, groaning as he got to his hooves, using his chocolate brown tail to flick the snow from his backside. "Okay, not Sugar Cube Corner... how about that Hay and Chips place? I could just buy a salad or something from there."

Big Macintosh smiled as he trotted out of the chicken coop, glad he was once again able to stand at full height. "Ya know I'll pay yer half if ya just ask me. Ah ain't got anythin' better ta spend my money on, Applejack handles most of the shoppin'."

"N-No," Caramel quickly said, his lips growing heavy as he frowned. "I don't like being in pony's debt, beside's, I'm the dummy who didn't bring any..." The stallion trailed off, head suddenly staring straight ahead. "I... think that's your sister."

"Hmm?" Big Macintosh turned his gaze to follow Caramel's line of sight. Sure enough he could see his Sister trotting towards them, at the moment about fifty feet away. She lifted her hoof to wave, picking up speed as she noticed she had been spotted. He rolled his eyes, ignoring the fact that Caramel gave him a questionable look as he did so.

As Applejack came galloping up to the two, she seemed to have a giant grin plastered on her face. "Howdy there brother!" She chuckled in her thick southern accent. "And howdy, I'm guessing Caramel."

"You already know it's him, you've met him befor-" Big Macintosh mumbled before he felt a hoof poke harshly into his side, to which he glared at his sister for, soon rubbing the spot with his own hoof.

"Uh... yeah." Caramel replied, watching the small dispute between brother and sister, traces of interest and worry running along his face. "And you're Applejack, the older sister... right?"

"Eeyup." Applejack piped up, looking at her brother as she spoke, obviously meaning for the word to tease the steed. "I'm guessin' my workaholic brother here decided ta work himself closer ta death instead of hurry up and leave with ya." The orange mare shook her head. "Shame on ya Mac, this ain't even yer chore. Shouldn't ya two be going to hit on mares or somethin'?"

"M-Mares?" Caramel whispered quietly, his voice only being background noise to the conversation at hoof. "I-Is that what... he normally does?"

Big Macintosh turned to Caramel, his head briefly swinging back and forth to reassure the other that wasn't the case. A mixture of irritation and embarrassment was painted on his face as he ignored the "picking up mare's" comment.

The steed turned back to his sister, opening his mouth before she had the chance to. "I was in the middle of the chicken coop when he came." As Big Macintosh argued, he began turning his head away from his sister and to Caramel. "I finished up quickly, no need ta lecture me." His face gave off an expression that wasn't quite readable as he placed the egg bucket on the ground, knowing he was going to be planted here a while.

"What are ya doin' out here anyway?"

"Pickin' up Apple Bloom from school." Applejack countered, her tone so quick it was almost as if she were expecting that to be asked. "But Ah saw ya and yer friend here, thought I might as well say hello. After all ya missed dinner last week ta be with him, wanted ta see what was so special." She smiled, however her voice seemed to be dying to ask questions about why exactly her brother had missed dinner. "You two have been spending quite a while together."

"Ya see yer friends at least four times a week." Big Macintosh pipped up in defense for himself.

Applejack ignored her brother's comment as she turned to look at Caramel, examining the stallion. "So yer Caramel. My brother here's been a lot happier with you around lately, he didn't used to smile before he made friends with ya." She smirked, her cheeks lightly blushing. "And ah can see why, yer so cute anypony would fall fer ya. Bet yer a real mare magnet"

At those words, Big Macintosh put a hoof between his sister and Caramel. "That's enough AJ." He bluntly stated. "Yer makin' him mighty uncomfortable." His voice was deep and gravely, showing no emotions. "Don't ya have ta be goin'? Apple Bloom'll be worried if yer late."

Caramel's instincts kicked in as he took a step closer to Big Macintosh, resting a hoof on the steed's side, his face near resting on the muscle bound wall.

"N-No... no mares... I don't really..." He muttered, leaving his words to dangle. A feeling of embarrassment soon began flushing over his face as he realized that Big Mac had to be the one to stop his sister's attempts at him.

"Apple Bloom can wait three more minutes." Applejack kicked her hoof against the snow, seemingly frustrated with her brother getting in the way. "Where the hay are you two headed anyway?"

"Just ta get a bite ta eat." Big Macintosh answered calmly, moving his hoof back to remove Caramel's grip from his fur, in so lowering his shield of a leg separating the two.

"Don't go out today!" Applejack spoke up, her voice sounding as if she had a glimmering strike of brilliance. "Do ya know how close Hearth's Warming Eve is?" The restaurant'll be flooded, yer never gonna get a table."

"What do ya reckon we do?"

The red steed's tone seemed like he was simply humoring his sister rather than taking the question seriously, for his eyes were mid-roll, his tone half interested.

"Why don't ya two just go on inside fer a while, when Ah get home I'll whip up some early dinner and we can all talk. I'm sure Apple Bloom and Granny'll wanna meet your new friend." Applejack eagerly smiled, turning her head to Caramel. "Sounds like a plan, right?"

Caramel blinked, giving a look of question to the mare. "Stay over for dinner?" He asked aloud, feeling the pressure from Applejack's gaze. He honestly wasn't able to remember any previous times he had sat down at a table and conversed with ponies. "Sage... won't be back tonight... I think..."

"Stop badgerin' him." Big Macintosh snapped before he looked back at Caramel, blinking a few times before his voice softened. "Ah suppose it'll be up ta ya Cara. She'll just bug ya all night though."

Caramel looked up into Applejack's eyes for the first time, finally able to get a word in that the other's would hear. "T-That sound's nice..." He admitted. Part of him did indeed want to meet Big Macintosh's family, it was after all a whole other side to his friend. "I mean... It's better to meet you all sooner than later I guess..."

Applejack let a grin split across her face, nodding her head happily as she near bounced up and down.

"Alright, I'll go pick up Apple Bloom and you two go in an introduce yourself to Granny." The orange mare began to turn her body, read to run through the snow to pick up her sister in time. "Be back soon!"

The two stallions watched Applejack quickly gallop off towards the general direction of Ponyville, not letting either get another word in before she vanished over the hill, kicking up a heaping of snow in her path.

"She didn't bully ya into comin'... did she?" Big Macintosh asked, turning to look at Caramel with a mildly worried expression.

"I..." Caramel began, looking down at his hooves as if he were seriously questioning the situation. "I don't know."

The red steed smiled at his, letting out a chuckle from his lungs as he placed a hoof on Caramel's head, rustling the other's mane. He could see the faintly forming blush of the other grow to show clearly over his fur. The steed responded with giving the other a quick rustle of fur before gently pushing his head away.

"C'mon Sugar Cube, why don't we go meet Granny Smith?"

Caramel shifted uncomfortably as the older green mare's chair continued to loudly squeak, her body moving back and forth with every little noise the chair made. The way she was quietly looking up and down his body with a poker face that could easily match against her grandson made the tan stallion quietly rub his upper leg as he shifted uncomfortably on the old couch. Her eyes seemed rather different from most of the older ponies he had met in his life, for they were still filled with the fire of youth despite her fragile body

"So Caramel..."

"Y-Yes ma’am?" Caramel spoke up, a little louder than he intended to. His tone quickly resulted in him blushing, looking downward as he chewed on his lip. He looked over to the direction of the kitchen, watching Big Macintosh quietly fill three cups with different beverages.

"No need ta be so nervous sonny," Granny Smith chuckled in her old and raspy tone, causing Caramel to look back in the direction of the mare. She sounded nearly amused by the other's reaction.

"Ah was just gonna ask ya where ya were from, Ah can tell ya weren't born in Ponyville."

"T-Tell? How?"

Granny Smith nodded her head up and down rather shakily. "Yer voice is a tiny bit different from ponies 'round these parts. Most folks wouldn't even notice it unless they were payin' close attention."

Caramel smiled softly as he chuckled nervously. "Y-Yeah, I guess people back in Hoofington pronounced some words a tad different... but after a year or two everything kind of blends together."

"Is that how long ya been livin' here in Ponyville?" Big Macintosh asked him, a tray of cups balanced on his back, the steaming cups giving off an aroma of grass and leaves.

The tan stallion looked up and over to Big Macintosh, who was once again holding a blank face. He nodded as he took the cup of tea from the tray, letting a quick sip travel through his lips before lowering it from his muzzle.

Caramel both watched and felt Big Macintosh sit down a good foot away from him, leaning over to hand Granny smith a cup of tea before sitting upright, picking up a cup of coffee between his hooves off the small table in front of him. "Ah was wonderin' when ya moved here."

Granny Smith spoke up once more. "Oh, Sugar Cube, Ah was wonderin' if Applejack askin' ya over fer dinner t'night would cause ya any difficulties... Ah'd hate ta keep ya from havin' dinner with yer own family." She seemed to look at Big Macintosh as she said that, the steed looking down into his cup of coffee.

"N-No..." Caramel answered, looking between Big Mac and his grandmother as he spoke. "Sage, my brother, usually works late. It's nice to be able to eat with ponies for a change."

"Just yer brother?" Granny Smith asked, tilting her head. "No other family livin' with ya?"
The tan stallion took a moment to hold his breath at that question, taking a quiet sip of his tea before he spoke up once more.

"I-I've been living with Sage for a few years now... nopony else lives with us." His voice was trying it's best to keep steady as he spoke. "We haven't lived with our parents for a while now... maybe seven years?"

"Oh my, such a young age to move out on your own." Granny Smith said softly. "How old are ya Sugar Cube?"

"T-Twenty four..." The tan earth pony murmured, his voice growing smaller. "A-And Sage is a genius... he was already studying to be a doctor by the time we left."

"A-Ah..." Big Macintosh sounded like he was about to speak up, sensing Caramel's uneasy feelings. However as he was about to get his words out, he could hear Winona's high-pitched bark act up from near the door. He turned his head back to the direction of the sound, watching as the door opened and in came an orange mare.

"Down Winona, I've been gone less than an hour, pipe down!" Applejack giggled loudly with no hints of irritation. "Yer just mangy mutt, ya know that?"

The steed looked down, watching Apple Bloom walk in, standing close to her sister as she looked at Caramel, her eyes seeming curious about the new stallion in her house. She tilted her head, her bow bobbing up and down as she did so.

"Well hey there girls, Ah missed ya!" Granny Smith spoke up, diverting her attention from the two stallions as she near hopped out of her rocking chair to trot, as best as she could, to her granddaughters.

"Good ta see ya too Granny!" The orange mare spoke in a voice far too loud for being inside. "Apple Bloom, go get some of the salad from the fridge, that's all we have enough of ta feed five ponies."

Big Macintosh turned his gaze from the small family reunion as he focused on Caramel, who was quietly looking down, fiddling with his hooves. His ears were drooping, lips locked in a frown as he seemed to be lost in his own head, the now bustling house was merely background noise to the situation at hoof.

The steed reached over a hoof, giving it little thought as he grabbed one of Caramel's hooves, feeling the tan stallion jump, his blue eyes looking at him with confusion as he was snapped out of his daze.

The steed smiled, squeezing the hoof gently with his own. It was oddly soft for a hoof, almost as soft as a high class pony living in Canterlot would have. The hoof was nothing like his own rough and dirty one, yet it still felt comfortable resting in his own.

"Family's here," he spoke, pulling the hoof closer to his chest as he began to get off the couch, pulling Caramel with him, "C'mon Cara, let's go and say hello, I'm sure Apple Bloom would like ta meet ya."

Caramel nodded, putting a smile on his own face as he did so, seeming to forget the uncomfortable situation that occurred only a few moments ago.

"A-Alright," the stallion spoke up; his voice growing stronger as he hesitantly pulled away his hoof from the red steeds, "T-Thanks... Mac."

Big Macintosh sighed as he felt the water run over his hooves, the liquid being freezing cold enough to send shivers running up and down his spine. Grimacing, he double checked that the faucet was indeed set to warm before shaking his head, then grabbed a green bar of soap from next to the sink and began to briskly scrub his hooves. The steed turned his head to look out the cracked doorway, perking up his ears the best as he could in an attempt to hear the voices from down the stairs. After he flicked his wet hooves over the sink, and as he turned off the water and grabbed a small towel next to the sink, he was able to make out faint mumbling, but wasn't able to make out any actual words.

The steed frowned, neatly folding the hoof towel into a square before pushing his hoof against the wooden door, the floorboards creaking as he began to walk out of the bathroom. He gave his hooves a few final shakes to get the water off before he set his first hoof on the staircase.

"A-About a month and a half I guess.” Caramel's said softly, forcing Big Macintosh to stop in his tracks, raising a brow before slowly continuing.

"And how did ya meet? He never told me that." Applejack asked, her voice sounding as if she were talking to a teacher about an upcoming quiz. At that point, if somepony were to ask him, he would have replied he wouldn’t have been shocked if he found out his sister was somehow taking notes of the conversation.

Big Macintosh chuckled at the thought of such a scenario, quickly trotting down the staircase as he turned the corner into the dining room to see Apple Bloom, Applejack, and Granny Smith in their usual seats. The only difference to the pattern was that his usual seat was pushed to the edge of his usual side, Caramel sitting no more than four feet from his own chair.

"I uh..." Caramel paused, nodding to Big Macintosh with a smile on his face as he entered the room. "I guess you could say we met because we go to the same hospital at the right time. I'm pretty sure I bumped into him when I was leaving the hospital."

"Ah see. Pretty strange ya two spoke to each other; my brother ain't much of a talker." Applejack chuckled, taking a sip of her drink as she spoke.

"We were forced inta it." Big Mac spoke as he slid his behind into the wooden chair, looking over at Caramel. "It started rainin', Ah just happened ta be close ta some big tree he was hidin' under."

"The hospital, eh?" Granny Smith spoke up, a few seconds behind the rest of the conversation. "What were ya in fer?"

"Uh... it was..." Caramel paused, looking down into his tray of food as he fiddled with the green leaves, using his fork to stir and mix them slowly. He looked over to Big Macintosh for a split second before shifting his eyes down to the table. "J-Just a cold I think... nothing serious."

"Ponies don't normally go into hospital's fer colds." The green mare said, confusion in her voice. "Are you sure it wasn't anything too serious, Sugar Cube?"

"His brother works in the hospital; it was just easier for him." Big Macintosh spoke up without being able to think about his words. He quickly stuffed a small pile of the salad into his mouth, watching as Caramel simply nodded in agreement with his statement.

"Y-Yeah, the same medications I need are at the hospital, but Sage can get them for a lot cheaper than at any pharmacy." The tan stallion spoke with a mildly shaky voice. He seemed to want to avoid the subject of his condition entirely.

"Really? The hospital?" Applejack asked as she took a bite of her own food. "I guess doctors workin' in places like that do tend ta get stuck with the night shift more than often, somepony's gotta be there at three in the mornin'!" The mare giggled as she spoke. "So if yer brother's a doctor, what do ya do?"

Her tone sounded rather demanding for answers.

"Well... I got my cutie mark for metal works." Caramel spoke, continuing to attempt to avoid eye contact with the two mares near him.

"That's nice, so where do you work, Caramel?" Granny Smith asked, her amber eyes staring straight at Caramel from across the table with a thirst for answers. "C'mon Sugar Cube, I'd love ta know!"

"I'm... sort of unemployed right now." Caramel began biting his lip as soon as he said those words. "Sage usually gets paid a little more than most ponies, and I try my best not to force him to spend too much money. We probably live with a little less money than a middle class family."

"Ah see, it's gotta be touch bein' in between jobs?" Granny Smith said, her tone worried. "What 'bout your folks? I hear some ponies still live with them 'round yer age when they're lookin' fer an apartment or somethin'. Why live with your brother?"

Caramel grew silent at that question, he bit his lip and dug his fork deep into the salad, hoof near trembling. He opened his mouth for a good five seconds before realizing it had grown far too dry to speak. He kept his head down, his ears drooping as his jaw attempted to move.

"Will ya'll stop badgering him?" Big Macintosh spoke up, surprised by the power his voice held when talking to his sister and grandmother. It wasn't exactly yelling, however it did come as a sudden shock to everypony at the table. When he saw Caramel look over to him, he could distinctly see the confused look on his face, as if he had been snapped out of yet another daze.

"Sugar Cube, ya've hardly eaten anythin' all night, ya sure yer fine?" Granny Smith's voice was the first to speak up. When Big Macintosh looked over to her, he couldn't tell if she was trying to change the subject quickly or was simply distracted by something as insignificant as the dinner plate.

Big Mac reached his hoof over to Caramel's own, making it seem as if he was gently shaking the stallion as he took the hoof in his own. He took a good five seconds to look into Caramel's eyes, assuring everything was going to be fine before releasing his hoof. He watched as Caramel gave him a gentle smile of thanks before turning back to the two mares close to him.

"S-Sorry Ms. Apple, I guess I'm just not as hungry as I thought... and mind if I just leave it at most of my family isn't on good terms with me?" The tan stallion asked, his voice sounding as if he were ready to beg.

The silence that filled the table was soon swiped away by his sister, who quickly spoke up once she realized the awkward situation at hoof.

"N-No need to apologize, Ah'm the one who pried." Applejack said, her tone much quieter than before, her cheeks lightly blushing. "Shucks, I'm yappin' 'bout nothin' but ya and ya don't know a lick 'bout me. Go on, ask me somethin'!"

Big Macintosh could feel a hoof gently prod his upper leg. He glanced over to his left, looking down at Apple Bloom. Now that he thought about it, the talkative filly had been rather quiet during this dinner, doing the listening instead of the talking for a change.

"What is it?" He asked, his voice quieter than usual so not to draw attention to the two of them.

"Why..." Apple Bloom looked confused as she looked over to Caramel and then back to Big Macintosh. "Why do ya two keep lookin' at each other like that?" She asked. "Are ya feelin' alright?"

"Hmm?" Macintosh asked, lifting a brow in confusion. "What are ya talkin' 'bout Sugar Cube?"

"Well... yer... ya look a little like ya did a while ago." Apple Bloom spoke quietly, forcing Big Macintosh to lean his head down to hear her. "Like... back on Hearts and Hooves Day. 'Cept without all the pink eyes and weird names... It's kind of worryin' me."

"Ah..." Big Macintosh could feel a blush creep on his cheeks as his sister spoke those words. "D-Don't be silly Apple Bloom." He whispered quickly, hoping neither Applejack nor Granny Smith would hear her words. "J-Just eat yer dinner." His voice nearly begged.

"Can I be excused?"

Big Macintosh blinked as Caramel spoke those words. He sat up, looking at the opposite side of the table once more.

"What for sweetie?" Granny Smith asked. "Ya sure yer feelin' alright?"

"Y-Yeah." Caramel quickly retorted. "I just need a little bit of fresh air; I'll be back in a jiffy."

As Caramel slid out his chair, walking around Big Macintosh's own towards the doorway, the red steed found himself following the tan steed. He swiftly looked back to the table and excused himself in the same manner as his friend did before he followed his friend’s steps out the doorway.

The sky was a mixture of orange a red, a setting sun on the horizon as Big Mac stepped outside. He could see Caramel hadn't gotten very far, for he was simply sitting next to the door fiddling through his saddle bag.

"I kind of hoped you were following me." Caramel giggled, his crystal blue eyes giving off a sense of joy at the sight of the other.

Big Macintosh smiled back, nodding his head in reply. He didn't speak as Caramel removed a small orange bottle from his bag, using his hoof to unscrew the lid. The stallion then set a capsule in his hoof, tossing it into his mouth and down his throat in one swift motion.

"It's easier to do this out here." The tan stallion spoke after gulping down the pill, answering the question he knew Big Macintosh was going to ask. "They were already asking enough questions." He paused to put his hoof around the back on his neck. "I get real scared when I'm the center of attention... I'm sorry I acted strange."

"T'aint yer fault and t'aint fair fer them ta spring this on ya all at once." The steed apologetically spoke. "Ah would have been a lot happier just gettin' a bite ta eat, just the two of us."

Caramel looked down while shaking his head, smiling with no emotion in his eyes. "It's okay, It's just a little weird to have ponies so interested in me... A lot's been different since I first met you. And it was nice to meet them... but little weird for me to sit at a table and talk about what's happened to me today."

"Ah reckon ya don't do that much with Sage." Big Macintosh spoke softly, moving closer to Caramel before he decided to sit down, his body only a few inches from the other.

Caramel shook his head back and forth. "Nope. But this was loud and talkative... and kind of nice when they settled down."

The steed smiled. "Good ta hear that, Sugar Cube."

The tan stallion looked over at Big Macintosh at those words. "You and the others have been calling me that all day... I understand your grandmother doing it, but it's... weird from you and your sister."

"Weird?" Big Macintosh frowned before shaking his head, remembering that not everypony was accustomed to his family's ways. "It's just something my family calls ponies who they care about. Best friends, lovers, family. That kind of stuff."

Caramel seemed to blush at those words; however it was difficult to tell with the setting sun before them. "Y-You care about me?" He asked aloud.

"Well course Ah do!" The steed's deep voice seemed shocked. "Ya think ah stand ta be around ya if Ah hated ya?"

"W-Well... I hoped you wouldn't hate me." Caramel murmured, looking down with a smile that finally reached the eyes. "B-But... it really makes me happy to hear from you."

Big Macintosh's smile slowly turned into a frown as he let out a sigh. "Ah really am sorry ya got dragged inta this, Cara The only good thing that might come outta this is AJ might stop pesterin' me 'bout ya."

"It was... alright." Caramel chuckled, pushing his body lightly against Big Macintosh's own, letting the steed support his weight. "I really do wish we could have done something together though."

Big Macintosh looked up at the setting sun as he nodded. He seemed to go quiet for a few moments before a small light flickered in the back of his mind. Before he knew it, his mouth was speaking aloud. "Well... Hearths Warmin' Eve is right 'round the corner... we could always do somethin' fer that. Ponyville usually has a little festival."

"I've heard of that, I didn’t go last year." Caramel looked up at the red earth pony. "But... wouldn't you rather go with your own family? And besides, I'll likely get sick... my body isn't very good with organized fun."

"Apple Bloom usually goes with Applejack, it's sort of a sister thing fer them. And even if ya get sick, we'll just have ta plan somethin' else ta do that won't push ya too much!" The stallion spoke with growing excitement in his voice that he wasn't quite aware of.

The tan stallion gave off a smile at the other's enthusiastic words. "That... sounds like fun." He admitted, rubbing his cheek against Big Macintosh's shoulder for a brief moment, letting the warmth sink into his fur.

"Eeyup." Big Macintosh replied in agreement.

Caramel gave off a slight grunt as he forced his body off of Big Macintosh's. As he stretched his back, he let out a yawn.

"What do you say we get this dinner over with and then I'll get out of your mane?"

"That sounds like a good plan” Big Macintosh admitted, reaching up his hoof to ruffle the other's mane. "And don't worry, even if ya get sick Ah'll make sure we get together."

Caramel grinned ear to ear as Big Macintosh messed up his mane.

"I-I guess... it's a d-date then, right?" Caramel stuttered with flushed cheeks.

"D-Date?" Big Macintosh removed his hoof as he said that word, for it felt strange on his tongue. He looked at Caramel's face, realizing it was waiting for a bigger reaction than the one he gave. "W-Well..."

The steed's lips lifted up again into a smile, his red fur hiding his blush rather well as he nodded his head up and down. There was a sudden fluttery feeling in his stomach that he wasn't quite used to. It seemed to throw up the words before he even had a chance to think about them.

"Eeyup, I-It's a d-date."

Hearth's Warming Eve

Disclaimer: I do not own My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. It belongs to The Hub, Hasbro, Studio B, and Lauren Faust. I do not own any of these characters in any way or how, nor do I claim ownership to the pony franchise. These characters are simply my toys.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Time flies when... well you know the rest.”
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Melting Snow
Chapter 7: Hearth's Warming Eve

"I don't understand why you're so nervous."

Caramel let a whinny loose from his lips at the words from his brother, daring to give a mild glare at the other through the mirror's reflection. However his frown was short lived, for his belly was turning with excitement at the moment, a kind of excitement he hadn't felt in quite some time. His frown flipped, turning into a small grin as he brought his hoof up to ruffle his mane.

"I-I guess I'm just... really happy." The tan stallion admitted, looking away from the mirror, avoiding the way Sage was rolling his eyes. It was a tad rare for the small pony to be so bluntly honest.

Caramel felt his damp mane, the steam from the bathroom still rolling out of the door from his quick shower. "Do you think I need to brush my mane or anything... we aren't going anywhere that nice. Oh, what about a vest, you think he'd like that?"

"How should I know?" Sage asked, lifting a brow along with tilting his head to the side. "From what I saw, Mac isn't going to do anything to doll himself up like you are." The unicorn bit the inside of his cheek, swallowing some saliva that had been building for quite some time. "Look, the only reason I'm letting you go outside right after recovering from a cold is that I know you wouldn't forgive me for a long time if I didn't... but can you at least let me go over everything again?"

"Sage..." Caramel's voice had annoyance on the surface, however underneath that face there was something that sounded almost tired as he looked at the other. "We've been through this four times today, and it's only three..."

"About that... are you sure you should be getting ready this early? Don't ponies normally eat a big dinner this time of year?" Sage asked, cocking up his brow.

Caramel nodded his head up an down, ignoring Sage who was standing in the open doorway of the bathroom as he began to adjust his mane to appear natural, yet still worked on. "Yeah, I guess other's do... but Big Mac told me that he and his family usually eat a big dinner early, and just don't eat anything the rest of the day."

Sage shook his head in the reflection of the mirror, more than likely trying to get his mind back on track to what was important, to him at least. "Never mind about that." He spoke, frowning as his lips moved without any sound. Perhaps he was thinking about what to say.

"I'll wear my scarf the entire time." Caramel said, watching in the reflection as Sage looked confused.

"Yeah, that and you need to come home straight away if you start to feel sick... at all. Have Mac carry you again or something." Sage said, watching as Caramel blushed at those words.

"I-It's not like I asked him to do that." Caramel mumbled, moving his hoof down from his mane to the sink, turning on the water and letting it soak his hoof. He splashed water on his face, hoping it would cause his blush to die down. "He forced me into that one..."

"Whatever, I'm not going to be home tonight, so you have to make sure you don't get anything more than a little cold, if you get too sick you'll have to wait until morning for me to be of any help." Sage spoke, his voice as serious as the first time he had spoken those words today. "Okay Cara?"

Caramel sighed, biting on his lip briefly out of his mild frustration. "I get it, Sage. I'm not a little colt anymore."

Sage chuckled out loud, stepping forward to lean on his brother's back, using his hoof to mess of the other's mane as he gave him a brief hug from behind. "I know, I know..." He said. "I'm not trying to make your life hell on Equestria, I just don't want you getting yourself into any trouble you can't handle."

The tan stallion tried to shrug off his brother, but Sage wasn't budging. "You're acting weird..."

"You're the one acting weird." Sage spoke, a smile on his face. "You've been really happy this past month... I don't think I've seen you smile so much as when you talk about Big Mac." The unicorn briefly rested his face on Caramel's shoulder, looking in the mirror. "I used to have to treat you like a little foal just to make you laugh..."

"What are you talking abo-" Caramel was cut off as he felt Sage's hooves dig into his belly and begin feeling around. An unexpected snort came up from somewhere deep in Caramel's throat as he giggled helplessly at his brother's command, his upper legs pinned to his sides. He was trapped in the cage that was his brother's arms, Sage's revealing his new way to torture and interrogate his brother.

"S-Sage, s-stop it!" Caramel whined through his helpless giggling. The more he tried to fight, the more his brother poked and teased his chubby belly.

"Are you going to be careful tonight?" The evil unicorn asked, smirking in the mirror so Caramel would see. "No frolicking through the snow without anything warm on? No staying out and getting drunk until you vomit your stomach out?"

"F-Frolicking, whahahat the heck?" Caramel asked. "O-Ok.... OKAY!" The tan stallion snapped, gasping at the sudden release of his brother's torturous grip. He near collapsed to the ground, only managing to catch himself by grabbing the edge of the sink, still giggling quietly.

He could see out of the corner of his eye Sage back up quickly, so not to be subjected to the same treatment, for he knew Caramel was physically stronger than him.

"Well, I'll leave you to your dolling." The unicorn teased, closing the door with his magic before trotting away.

Caramel frowned as Sage left, rubbing his now sensitive belly. He couldn't remember the last time Sage had done something as childish as tickle him...

"What was that about?"

Big Macintosh quietly rubbed his belly with one hoof, feeling the gentle roar as he gave off an expression that could only be discomfort as he placed his plate in the sink, the running water grazing his hoof. He released a long winded sigh from his throat as he shook his head, looking away from the food his two sister's were currently packaging for storage. The hay, apples, and veggies seemed to be quietly calling him the more he looked.

"What's wrong Mac?" Apple Bloom's high pitched filly voice asked, looking over to her brother with her amber eyes. "Are ya still hungry?"

"Ah told ya that servin' was way smaller than what ya normally 'ave." Applejack said, giving her brother a wink as she spoke again. "Watchin' that slim model figure of yers Ah see."

His sister began to walk over to the fridge with a a back full of packaged food, giving her brother's side an unneeded flick with her tail, sticking out her tongue as she opened the fridge with her hoof, peering inside before setting the food down neatly near the bottom.

"Ah told ya," Big Mac began, glaring at his sister as he began rubbing the spot where his sister has flicked him as if she had hit him. "Ah won't be 'ere t'night, and Ah'm sure Cara'd feel all self conscious if Ah weren't eatin' nothin'"

"Ah still don't understand why yer goin' at night, it isn't like anything opens up besides the bars..." Applejack opened her eyes, suddenly smiling slyly at her brother. "Gonna go get yerself a treat t'night?"

"'Course not." Big Macintosh spoke, maintaining his blank expression without blushing as he began to run water under his hooves, washing his own plate. It didn't make sense for him to be embarrassed, it wasn't like what Applejack was asking was true. "Less ponies are 'round at night, it just makes sense."

Apple Bloom walked over to her brother, beginning to swerve between his legs. He looked down at her, feeling her mane gently tickle his belly as she went back and forth. It wouldn't be long before she wasn't able to do this anymore. He began to wonder what she was going to do once she could no longer duck under him when her emotions were getting the better of her.

"Big Mac, you and Caramel are spending the entire day together, right?" She asked, looking up at him with curiosity.

"Eeyup." Big Macintosh spoke, looking down at his sister as he cocked up his brow at her. "Somethin' botherin' ya 'bout it Sugar Cube?"

Apple Bloom shook her head back and forth, her bow bouncing along with her head. "N-No... but Ah was just wonderin'... are ya two goin' on a date?"

Big Macintosh began to feel a blush form on his face, his mouth opening to reply, telling her he wasn't... but the words just wouldn't come out. He quickly closed his mouth, turning back to the slowly filling sink as his hooves quietly trembled for a mere moment before he got himself under control once more.

"Apple Bloom!" Applejack snapped. "Ya know it ain't like that, yer brother ain't a Coltcuddler!"

The way his sister spat out the word "coltcuddler" made the red steed uneasy. It wasn't as if she were stating a general fact that she knew to be true, her tone sounded as if she were denying her brother was some kind of criminal. The steed wondered if she had always been so strong about this word and the way she apparently thought it was meant to be used in. Had he ever thought like that? He couldn't really remember a time where he had seen two mares or two stallion walking side by side and felt anything but normal. None of those things ever seemed all that important to him on either side, so he didn't let it bother him.

"Right, Big Macintosh?"

Big Mac looked up with a confused look on his face as he looked over to Applejack. She seemed to have asked him something that he had been too deep in thought to hear.

"Land sake Mac, Ah could scream at ya sometimes and Ah swear ya wouldn't hear me." Applejack rolled her eyes in frustration. "Ah said ta tell our sister ta stop teasin' ya like that."

"Ah wasn't teasin' him!" Apple Bloom defended herself, looking up at her brother and then to her sister, her eyes showing hurt. "And ya always tease him! At dinner they kep-"

"Yer lucky Granny's upstairs and not here ta hear that, she'd of thrown a fit even at the suggestion." Applejack said, closing the door to the fridge with a tad more force than needed as she cut off her sister's words. "Look, just apologize ta yer brother and we can finish puttin' this food away."

"But Ah..."

As soon as Big Macintosh thought he could grasp his voice once more, he heard a knocking at the door that made him jump. Everybody's voices went silent for a few moments, the only noise heard was Big Macintosh ceasing the flow of water from the sink, flicking his hooves free of water.

"A-Ah'll get it..." Apple Bloom said, her voice on the verge of tears as she tried to free herself of the situation.

"Honestly, that filly..."

Big Macintosh chose to ignore his sister, his blush finally fading as he walked slowly over to the door, watching Apple Bloom open it before he had gotten to it himself.

"Oh, hello Apple..."

Caramel's voice began to trail off. As the red steed got closer to the two, he could see a confused look on the tan stallion's face. For good reason too, Apple Bloom was looking away from the stallion, giving her best to try and fight back the tears.

"Is, is something wrong?" Caramel asked, his crystal blue eyes giving off a worried look as he glanced to Big Macintosh.

The red steed shook his head. He quietly turned back to Apple Bloom, gently patting her on the head in an attempt to comfort her. She seemed to take it well, blinking away the tears as she finally looked up at the two, trying her best to give a small smile of thanks.

Big Macintosh nodded, turning back to the door and swiping his red and black scarf along with a pouch full of jingling bits off of the counter, trying the scarf around his neck quickly.

"See ya'll later!" He called back, not waiting for a reply before exiting the house, feeling a sudden weight off his chest the moment the door closed behind him, the icy wind filling his lungs.

"Did... I interrupt some family thing?" Caramel asked, his tone attempting to mask his worry.

Big Macintosh shook his head. "No, it was just a little misunder..." He trailed off, shaking his head. "No, not that, it was just a disagreement."

"A-Alright." Caramel spoke, his worried expression loosening. "S-So do you wanna go on before it get's dark?"

The red steed nodded, smiling softly as he gently pressed his body against Caramel's before he began to walk forward, snow crunching underneath his hooves as he regrettably pulled away from his friend's warm touch.

"Let's go, Sugar Cube."

Big Macintosh brought back his hoof, his eyes narrowing as he tried his best to focus on the colorful spheres before him, pinned up against the wall no more than ten feet away. His hoof felt shaky as he stuck his tongue out, focusing as best as he could as he took in a deep breath, throwing the dart in his hoof with a quick flick of his wrist, watching it fly forward.

The steed closed his eyes when he realized there was not going to be any kind of satisfying pop, only a pitiful thud as the dart managed to avoid any of the balloons on the wall, sinking itself into the wall, trying to embed itself to hide it's own shame.

"Oh, shame there sonny." The older stallion behind the counter of the darts said, giving off an amused chuckle. "What do ya say? Give it another shot fer a bit?"

"N-No thank ya." Big Macintosh spoke softly, turning away to face Caramel, who he could tell had a similar smile on his face as the stallion behind the counter despite his mouth being hidden behind his large scarf. The steed put a hoof behind his head, avoiding Caramel's eyes as his ears tinted a light pink.

"I'm guessing this is why you don't normally come here with Apple Bloom anymore?" Caramel teased as he began to walk forward, nodding his head for Big Macintosh to follow him as they continued down the snow covered square of Ponyville.

Big Macintosh didn't respond, just looked away from his friend in embarrassment, deciding to look at the colorful vendors and game around them. It seemed to have grown since the last time he was here, at least four or five more stands were set up, making the entire place seem even more crowded despite the lack of any real crowd wandering around under the twilight sky.

"C'mon, Mac," Caramel spoke, stopping to let Big Macintosh catch up to him, his scarf moving over his hidden mouth, making his words slightly muffled while still being audible. "That's only the third game you tried out. I'm sure there's one in this whole place you can get a prize at."

"Ah wish ah was just able ta buy them." Big Macintosh sighed, his face turning into a frown as he looked downward briefly, kicking his hoof lightly against the snow. "Ah just wanted ta surprise Apple Bloom with one of those stuffed animals..."

The steed could feel Caramel bump into him playfully, forcing a smile on his face as he looked over to the tan stallion, happy the other was trying to cheer him up.

"We came here to have fun, right?" Caramel asked, cocking his head to the side as he pulled away from the other, raising his hoof to lower his scarf. "This is my first time coming here, let's not get hung up on stupid dart throwing games. Why don't we go and get something to eat and then look around some, I'm sure they have more than games here."

"That sounds nice." Big Macintosh nodded his head, his chest feeling a little lighter from the previous weight it had. "What do ya want ta eat?"

"Something unhealthy." Caramel spoke with a grin wider than he normally put on, his eyes lighting up at the words. "It's just plain stupid to come to a fair and eat a salad, don't you think?"

"That's what Applejack usually says." The stallion laughed, quietly of course. "But Ah suppose nopony ain't gonna fight that reasonin'." The steed looked around as he finished speaking, eyes widening as he saw a food stand that seemed to see an assortment of junk food.

"Let's go, partner." Big Mac said, nodding his head as he began to walk once more, hooves crunching the snow beneath his body.

"Want me to pay for this? After all it was..." Caramel began rummaging through his saddle bag before he was able to finish, however Big Macintosh put a hoof on the other's.

"Ah'm the one who asked ya ta come here, ah'll pay fer it."

"O-Oh..." Caramel said, his voice shaky as he spoke, slowly removing his hoof from his saddle bag, seeming sad for a brief moment. "A-Alright then."

The transaction was rather quick as they reached the food vendor, who had an assortment of cotton candy, funnel cakes, and caramel apples, the two bought their own respected foods, Caramel a funnel cake and Big Mac a caramel apple. They quickly found a spot not far from the stand, one on a bench underneath a statue of Princess Celesta.

"I don't think Ah've ever eaten any caramel." Big Mac spoke, giving the tan stallion a smile, glad to have a giggle in return. He placed the apple to his mouth, licking the sweet brown substance with his tongue, not wanting to take a bit of something that might very well make him vomit.

"I've never been a fan of it... weird as that sounds." Caramel ripped off a piece of his funnel cake, placing it in his mouth as he watched Big Macintosh. "It's too sticky for me, it gets all over my teeth." The stallion grinned, showing his teeth with a giggle.

Big Macintosh took a bite of the apple, realizing instantly that the maker of the sweet had used a gala apple, giving it more of a sweet nature than he thought it would. He licked his lips when he swallowed it, slurping up the remains. "Taste's fine on apples."

The tan stallion was about to reply when suddenly the entire square seemed to brighten considerably, briefly blinding him as he covered his eyes with a hoof. He was quickly able to see once more, and when he did he realized that all around the block small lights had been hung up, now shining brightly to welcome anypony willing to come to the festival.

"I didn't realize it was getting this late." Caramel spoke, watching his breath turn to mist before his eyes. The twilight sky had vanished and was now slowly blinking it's stars into place. "I'm surprised there aren't many clouds tonight..."

"It probably isn't that late, maybe 6:30 at the most." The steed said, looking up with Caramel. "And 'bout the clouds, Ah'm guessin' they didn't want any accidents causin' trouble fer this thing we got goin' here." Big Mac said, looking around Ponyville Square. "That and a lot of things happen t'night 'round Equestria that ponies just don't wanna miss out on. It'll probably snow double tomorrow..."

"You know a lot about the weather." Caramel murmured, glancing away from the dark sky and to his friend. "Is that something working on a farm does to a pony? Makes them Equestria's greatest weather pony?"

Big Macintosh laughed at that remark as he shook his head, his laughter giving Caramel a small warm feeling in his chest. "Not a weather pony, just somepony who likes to work when it's warmer. The weather doesn't change much year to year, it's easy to keep track of."

The tan stallion smiled at his friend, taking another bite of his food as he turned to watch a mare and a stallion around his age walk side by side, pointing to all the different things the square had to offer. "Maybe you can tell me day's we can get together from now on, meeting during the winter isn't exactly good for my health, y'know."

Caramel watched the steed nod out of the corner of his eye, he was about to continue the conversation before his words were interrupted by a rather loud ringing from behind the statue. He let it distract him, getting off the bench to look around the stone sculpture, seeing a large weight fall down from a large poll with a bell on the top. He watched as the muscle bound pony handling the game brush off his hoof in the snow, seeming to be getting bored with nopony coming to his stand. His eyes darted to the sign in front, it simply stated. "Test your strength."

"You could win that one." Caramel pointed out to a confused looking steed. He watched as Big Mac simply had to turn around, looking under the stone Celestia's legs at the game for himself.

"Think so?"

"Yeah, your muscles look really nice on..." Caramel trailed off, suddenly blushing at the compliment he was about to give. He quickly rethought his sentence. "Y-You look strong."

Thankfully the steed chose not to bring attention to Caramel's near slip up, instead he quickly ate the last bite of his apple, throwing the core and stick into a nearby trash can. He walked by Caramel, shooting the other a quick smile before letting his face turn blank, quickly trotting up to the stand as he looked at the weight sitting on the button he had to smash. It looked to be around fifteen or twenty pounds.

"Well hey there big guy, you look like somepony ready to test his strength? Will you be the first pony tonight to hit the bell besides yours truly?" The brown stallion asked, flexing the muscles in his legs. "I'm gonna take a wild guess and say your friend there isn't the one challenging me?"

Big Macintosh glanced behind him, realizing that Caramel had followed him, staying a good five paces behind him. "Nope, just me." He said, turning back to the other with a blank expression on his face.

"C-C'mon Big Mac, I bet you can k-knock that bell right off!" Caramel seemed to cheer quietly, trying to look away from the muscle bound pony before them. The steed nodded, deciding that Caramel still wasn't used to being himself around ponies other than him.

"That'll be two bits, just walk up to the bell and smash your hoof down on the button, let's see if those muscles of yours are just for show!"

The earth pony nodded, tossing some bits in the other's hooves as he walked up to the item he had to smash. His blank expression briefly frowned, realizing he was unable to use his back hooves to slam against the object. However he simply shrugged, lifting his hoof as he stood over the device, taking a deep breath before bringing it down in a mighty smash, not having enough time to look up as he heard the ring of the bell sound around him.

"Well, you didn't exactly knock it off like you little friend here said you would, but you're the first pony today able to hit the bell!" The stallion said, grabbing a decently sized stuffed animal and tossing it to the steed, who caught it with ease.

"How 'bout you little guy, wanna see if you can hit it?" The stallion asked, directing his attention to Caramel with a chuckle.

"N-No, I-I'd just embarrass myself." Caramel nervously chuckled. "M-My leg's are like grass..."

Big Mac trotted over to Caramel, nodding for them to quickly leave. The other didn't fight, walking side by side with the other. "Told you you'd win one, what is it?" The earth pony asked when the two were out of earshot of the stallion.

"Ah think it's just a lion." The steed spoke, the stuffed animal sitting comfortably on his back, taking up about half of it.. "I thought the big ones were just fer show... don't they normally give ya a small one?"

"I think so." Caramel said, suddenly looking down. "But, you deserved it for being that strong. Y-Your legs are real bulky already, b-but I didn't know they flexed like that when you use them for strength... I-I bet it took a long time to get them like that. I-I mean they're as solid as bricks. T-They look good is what I'm trying to..." The stallion continued rambling on about the steed's muscles.

"Ah've never really thought about it." Big Macintosh looked towards the other, seeing his ears turn pink. "Applejack has muscles too... she just isn't as obvious about it..."

"I-I'm kind of jealous... you can probably afford to eat things like that apple all the time... Sage keeps telling me that if I wasn't always throwing up I'd be a real tubby." The stallion began to feel his round belly, poking at how plump it felt.

The steed watched as Caramel poked his belly, watching as his pudgy belly jiggled ever so slightly. "It suits ya." He spoke, nodding his head. "It isn't like it's noticeable... besides, it's kind of cu-" He paused a long time, knowing his blush was noticeable. Caramel was looking up at him waiting for the rest of the sentence, not seeming to hear the beginning of the word.

This night seemed to be filled of tongue slipping.

"It looks alright, d-do ya want this lion?" The steed asked, quickly changing the subject as he nodded behind him.

"I thought... that was for Apple Bloom." Caramel spoke in a confused tone, both by Big Mac changing the subject to rapidly and by the offering.

The red steed shook his head. "Ah realized that I'm actually havin' fun t'night... and havin' my little sister keep somethin' like this won't make me remember it." He said, looking over to Caramel. "When ah come over, ah can see it and remember t'night."

Caramel gave Big Mac a grin. "A-Alright... b-but you go on carryin' it, it looks heavy... and I'd just look silly trying to keep it up. Let's at least go visit a few more stands before going home, alright?"

Big Macintosh nodded his head, unable to hide how happy he felt by Caramel accepting his gift. "Alright, a few more stands then we'll high tail it home."

"Sounds like a plan."

"It's probably really late now." Caramel spoke, looking up at the sky as he let his backside slouch onto the cool bench. "Luna's moon is shining real bright now, isn't it?"

"Eeyup." Big Macintosh spoke, sitting down next to the stallion before setting down the lion in between the two as he slouched over, letting out a sigh. His legs felt as if they were throbbing, they had been out for quite some time. He began to rub his lower legs with one hoof, tightening his scarf with the other.

Big Macintosh let his mind wander back to the past few hours, all the food, games, and late night shows they had seen, watching all their lights dim out one by one as they had fun together. "It's gotta be at least nine, if not later." He spoke, letting a whinny out.

"Yeah..." Caramel spoke with mild interest, noticing how considerably darker it was with all the stands closed; only the lights around the square were shining. There were no longer any traces of amber sky that came with twilight. He looked down, tightening his scarf in a similar manor to Big Macintosh. "Tonight was... really fun." He admitted, fiddling with his hooves. "I-I always say that when we're together though..."

Caramel nodded, looking at the snow under the bench. He frowned for a moment before drawing his expression to a blank. "I could barely talk to you when we met though. I stuttered all the time."

"Ya still stutter." Mac smiled.

"Shut up!" Caramel whined with a giggle in his tone. He pushed Mac's chest but Mac simply chuckled in reply.

"I don't understand how ponies like your sister open up so easily to others."

"Neither do ah... Applejack'll tell anypony her life story if they're willin' ta listen." Big Macintosh put a hoof behind his head, slowly rubbing his mane. "It's strange trying to be around her in public... she's always shouting and talking to her friends when ah just stand in the background." He sighed loudly, slouching even further. "Ah don't talk to anypony that often... if ah can get something across in a yes or no Ah’ll do it."

"Me too." Caramel said, looking over to his friend with blue eyes filled with understanding. "The only pony I normally talk to is Sage, and even then he's hardly around. I normally don't want to trouble ponies with my issues."

"Ya don't trouble me at all." The steed spoke up. "Ah told ya, friends do this fer each other."

"I know, I know." Caramel laughed quietly, putting out his hoof to stop Big Macintosh from continuing. As he lowered it, the smile remained plastered to his face. "Thinking back... we haven't known each other for a long time."

"A lot's happened since then." Big Macintosh spoke. "Ponies can grow close in a short time."

"I think of it the opposite." Caramel said, looking at the lion to avoid Big Macintosh's eyes. "I don't think a lot has really happened... just a lot of little things. But all those little things... I can still remember every moment. I couldn't even tell you what I ate for breakfast this morning, but for some reason I can remember stupid things... l-like you like Black coffee because your dad drunk it like that... and I-I still feel embarrassed by you carrying me through the town to get me home."

Caramel gripped the lion tightly. "I think without this lion, I'd still remember how you won it and how... amazing you looked doing it... I-I know it sounds stupid but..." The tan stallion lowered his ears briefly. "You're my best friend... I've only known you for two months but I don't think of anypony else the way I do you..." The stallion moved his hoof to under his scarf, gently massaging his neck by moving his hoof in small circles.

Big Macintosh didn't know what exactly to say, the singing ponies in the background were the only noise still being heard besides the sound of their own breathing. He briefly considered putting his hoof on Caramel's own, but decided against it as he looked up at the moon. It really was shining bright tonight...

"C-C'mon, don't let me say something like that and go silent... you make me feel like I-I'm being a complete idiot."

The steed could feel Caramel's hoof lightly punch his shoulder, and out of the corner of his eye he watched the other's hoof get caught on the scarf, watching it become untangled from his neck and fall on the lion. He began to grumble, fumbling his shaky hooves to grab the scarf.

Big Macintosh reached down his own hoof, taking the green and white scarf away from Caramel's fumbling hooves. He watched the other look down in embarrassment, hiding his face as Big Macintosh placed the scarf around the other's neck, having to lean over to wrap it correctly.

"Caramel... yer one of the only friend's ah've had in a long time... yer very special ta me." He used his hoof to lift Caramel's chin, giving the scarf a tight not so it wouldn't fall off again. "My best friend..." Big Macintosh was about to let go of the scarf before he looked up, staring straight into Caramel's wide blue eyes. His face was about five or six inches from the other's, able to see the blush on his face, see the emotions running in those eyes.

His breath suddenly caught itself in his throat. Big Macintosh forgot for those few moments exactly how to breathe properly, almost jealous as Caramel's warm breath tickled his chin. Caramel wasn't showing much emotion, he didn't look away like he normally did when his cheeks looked like this. Now that Big Mac got a good look at his rosy face... it looked rather cute like this.

"Friends..." Mac mumbled. He frowned for just a second. "That don't... sound quite right."

Caramel had no reply.

After what felt like an eternity of frozen silence, Big Macintosh took a quick breath, almost as if he were about to plunge into the depths of the ocean. He pulled on the other's scarf, bringing Caramel's face closer to his own as he closed his eyes.

Big Macintosh could feel Caramel's lips soft press against his own rough ones, locking into place as if it were part of a jigsaw puzzle. Big Macintosh waited until he was positive Caramel wasn't going to pull away to be slightly more rough, tugging at the scarf to pull the other closer to him. The scent the other was giving off was indescribable; however it gave the steed a sense of both exhilaration and contentment that he hadn't felt in his entire life.

There was warmth in the kiss that he didn't expect. The spark of kissing mares that he normally felt was now a roaring fire spreading heat throughout his entire body despite the freezing weather in the air around them. He felt as though he was going to freeze into a solid block of ice when he was forced to move away. A gasp of air that he wasn't even aware he needed was thrown into his body without warning, his chest heaving as it beat like a drum.

Big Macintosh realized his body was trembling as he released Caramel's scarf, the taste of Caramel's lips in his mouth causing his heart rate to only gain force rather than die down. He was about to speak before his eyes focused, realizing Caramel seemed to be frozen in place, almost as if the air around them had frozen his body solid.

"S-Sugar Cube?" The red earth pony asked, wondering briefly if he had somehow managed to break the stallion.

Caramel suddenly blinked, looking downward as he reached up a hoof to feel his lips, brushing against them with wide eyes shining in the moonlight.

"Y-You... kissed me." He whispered.

"W-Was that... wrong?" Big Mac asked, his voice trembling in a way it had never done before. He wondered if he had done something horribly wrong.

Caramel shook his head quickly, still in shock as he took a shaky breath. However he didn't have time to get it under control before a pair of large legs wrapped themselves around him, his nose pressing against fluffy red fur as he looked over Big Macintosh's shoulder. He took note of the way the steed smelled like apples as he raised his own trembling legs. It was proving rather difficult to say a single word.

Mac hugged him without warning, his hold tight like a bears. He kissed Caramel's cheek without even thinking and chuckled until it became a laugh. He swayed back and forth a bit, but kept himself quiet after that.

Caramel smiled, one that he wasn't able to control as he looked up at Big Macintosh. "I-I'm happy too" He spoke softly; reaching out a hoof to put on his best friend's chest, feeling the heartbeat that near matched his own. Many emotions were running through him; however excitement and joy seemed to stick out far more than the others. It was still hard to express just how he was feeling... but he hoped the goofy grin across his face made up for it.

"H-Hey Mac..."

"Yeah?" Big Macintosh asked with a rather loud sense of eagerness behind it, almost as if he were afraid to upset Caramel.

Caramel looked down, holding Big Mac's hoof in his own shakily as he tried his best to put his emotions in place. He was trembling, but it wasn't out of fear or worry, for now he felt peaceful. He wasn't able to think about what would come from this, only the pure joy he felt at this very moment.

"T-Tonight has been a really fun night."

Aftermath

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"We can build it all from the ground up.”
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Melting Snow
Chapter 8: Aftermath

A long, steady yawn full of weight seemed to suddenly force itself out of Caramel's lungs as he lowered his head, closing his eyes for a brief moment as he tried to regain the energy he had felt what seemed like minutes ago. He licked his lips quickly, almost in an instant regretting doing so as the icy winds whipped his face. He grumbled audibly as he buried his muzzle into the warmth of his scarf, opening his eyes to continue down the dark street before him.

"Ya doin' alright there sugar cube?" Big Macintosh inquired, breaking a silence that had lasted for quite some time. His gravely voice began showing concern for his friend as he looked down, his emerald eyes appearing to shimmer in the darkness. "Ya ain't feelin' sick or anythin' are ya?"

Caramel felt the large red earth pony bounce off of his side rather gently, his fur covered brawn feeling like warm rock as it nuzzled against him. It quickly brought a smile to the smaller of the two, his chest briefly bursting into a candlelight sized flame.

"Just... tired is all." The tan stallion replied, having to briefly kick his back leg to make sure the stuffed lion stayed firmly on his back. Both his smile and flame quickly vanished however as he frowned, looking up to the sky at Luna's glowing moon. "Knowing my luck though I'll be sick by tomorrow... I think my chest is starting to hurt already"

"Well we're almost ta yer house." The larger replied, nodding down the snow blanketed street. He looked around briefly as he spoke, staring at the houses that were all painted shades of blue and pink, all would be unrecognizable if not for the distinct colors on every one.

The steed chose not to reply to those words, he just bumped against the other once more, this time staying for a few extra moments as they quietly walked side by side, their bodies pressing together.

It was easy to get caught up in those few moments, for they were, to put it in simple words, pleasant. The moment was neither overly enjoyable nor discomforting, just a nice change from the one a few moments prior. Caramel was tempted to stay like that for the rest of the walk, just let the crunching and falling of snow become a blur to him and let his friend guide him the rest of the way home.

Caramel opened his eyes, lips lowering into a frown as he slowly pushed his body away from the steed's own, the flattening of snow under his hooves ceasing as he slowed down before coming to a complete halt. His eyes gazed upward as he watched Big Macintosh come to a halt as well, not before walking a good five feet however.

"Sugar Cube? Yer house is still a couple down... right?"

The tan stallion felt his belly tighten as his friend called him those words; they caused him to suddenly sit up straight, as if he suddenly wanted to look presentable. He stayed silent as the other turned around, giving a confused look before beginning to open his mouth.

"Cara...?"

"I..." Caramel began, seeming briefly confused by his own words. "I know... I sound like a stupid filly right now... but it's been bugging me..." He paused for a long time after those words, long enough for Big Macintosh to approach him, the large steed walking as if he were trying to capture a scared animal.

"I-I wanna know... if I uh..." The stallion looked down, kicking the ground with his hoof, wondering if he always felt this... self conscious around Big Macintosh. "Y-You kissed me... A-And that made me feel... uh... g-good."

"Yeah..." Big Macintosh murmured, "That's... good... right?"

Caramel bit his lip, digging his hoof into the snow as his cheeks began to turn a rosy red shade. How was Big Macintosh able to hide his emotions so well? He looked up again, his belly loosening ever so slightly as he saw a small break in the other's mask of a face... it was a frown. It wasn't an angry or an upset frown, it seemed to be one of worry for his friend.

"I-Is it stupid to say I-I've been thinking of that happening for a while?" He asked, beginning to regain control of his voice as his frown slowly became a smile.

"Nope." Big Macintosh shook his head as he spoke. The way he shook his head seemed almost nervous as he reached out his hoof, gently patting Caramel's mane. "Ah can't say Ah've been thinkin' bout it much but... it just felt right ta do."

"I'm glad you did." Caramel admitted, his smile growing wider as his mane was rustled. "Y-You're the first pony to uh... do that."

"K-Kiss ya?" Big Macintosh asked. "T-The first..." He suddenly started to sound nervous, it was only briefly but the tone was till there. "I-It wasn't... bad was it?"

"C-Course not!" Caramel nearly snapped. "I-It was..." He trailed off, realizing he was about to say something along the same lines of 'amazing'. "It was... good..."

"Oh... okay..." Big Mac nodded his head up and down as if to confirm that he had done well.

"That..." Caramel began, managing to look the other in the eye as he spoke. "T-That wasn't a one time thing... r-right?" He asked nervously, breaking off eye contact the moment he could.

"Ah don't really know." The steed stated, his expression back to a blank one. "Ah haven't... really thought that much 'bout it."

"O-Oh... right... y-you wouldn't normally think about stuff like that right now." Caramel let out a long winded sigh as he got finished speaking, biting the inside of his cheek. "I-Its just... what feels like my entire life it's always been an inside world... I don't normally come outside without good reason... much less in the dead of winter. I don't go out for tea and coffee, never visit a good friend's house, and I hardly interact with ponies other than Sage." He began to chuckle, putting a hoof to his smoky lips. "R-Romance isn't really my thing..."

"That what this is?" Big Macintosh mumbled, cocking his head to the side. "Romance?"

"I-I don't know..." Caramel quickly spat out, unintentionally spitting on the ground he spoke so fast. He quickly took a moment to calm himself before continuing. "I-I mean... I don't really know what a romance would... be like..." He nodded, deciding that was the way he wanted to phrase it.

"Mare's are usually my thing,” Big Macintosh chuckled, finding the situation almost funny. "Ah've never thought of a stallion in this kind of way... I-I haven't imagined kissing or dating or any of those things with them."

Caramel shrugged as he took a step back, letting himself breathe as he looked up at the falling snow. "I've always known... I remember when we were little Sage brought home one of those dirty magazines for adults... I think he found it in the trash or something, I can't remember..." The stallion began to blush as he put a hoof behind his head, beginning to rub his neck. "W-We looked over it together... I could tell it made him feel a lot more different than it made me feel." He suddenly frowned, looking at his hooves again. "I couldn't stop thinking about that for weeks afterwards... I-I was too scared to talk to anypony about it for a long time though."

The tan stallion snapped his head up. "I-I'm sorry, you're p-probably still feeling... weird about all of this, y-you don't seem to have given it a lot of thought before this... I-I'll stop rambling now."

Big Macintosh looked at him with a blank expression as he shook his head. "No, it's fine... I like it when you talk about yourself."

"Thanks..." Caramel murmured, smiling gratefully before flipping it right back to a frown. "These weeks with you have just been different... that's all I'm trying to say." He looked at Big Macintosh, forcing a small grin. "I-I've been scared... stupid as that sounds... Every time you're with me I've been trying to decide if you liked stallions or not. When you're alone with me you're always really nice to me, nicer than other stallions are... but whenever I see you and your sister together... I second guess myself all the time..."

"Ah thought ah was just bein' a good friend..." The steed murmured to himself, the wheels in his head turning over and over. "Ah'm not one ta look out fer feelin' like that... Ah'm usually more concerned with workin'."

"I noticed." The tan earth pony flatly stated. "You're still my best friend no matter what though, I-I just... don't think I'll be sleeping well tonight thinking about it... I just wanted to talk a little about it." The stallion looked down, ears flattening against his head. "It's alright if you... ya know... wanna forget it."

The steed however only nodded. "L-Listen Caramel,” He took a step forward, looking down into Caramel's eyes. "Ah don't think ah just want to forget that ever happened... or that I just want ta accept it and move on..." He chuckled in his usual deep voice. "Ah talk way more ta ya and share more with ya than ah do anypony else..." He reached out a hoof, placing it against Caramel's cheek. "I care about ya, ah mean what Ah said when I told ya ah was glad when ya weren't mad. Ya gotta stop worryin' so much. Ya look a lot cuter when ya ain't got a frown on yer face."

Caramel was about to speak, however his words refused to be let out as the other leaned down, not kissing in the same area as before, but instead pressing his lips briefly to the younger pony's cheek. It was warm, however unlike before where the warmth spread throughout his body, this time it only warmed his face and ears.

As the larger stallion pulled away, Caramel could tell, even under moonlight, that he was blushing. It was the second time that night that Caramel was left with a fluttering belly because of the red steed.

"I-I'll see you tomorrow... right?" The earth pony asked, not even thinking as the hoof left his cheek.

"Eeyup." Big Macintosh replied with an excited grin, one that seemed more certain than the one a few minutes prior. "Bright and early, right after breakfast. We can spend the whole day together... but right now we gotta get ya home, yer freezin'."

Caramel nodded in acceptance, knowing full well he wouldn't be able to sleep that night until long after Sage returned home, what with so many emotions running through his head.

"Thank you... Big Mac."

The smoky breath that escaped his lungs felt oddly heavier as the brown haired unicorn rubbed his neck, a groan on the edge of his voice as he stretched his legs, realizing just how much he had zoned out during his night shift, as usual.

As he let his muscles stretch he began to look upward, his hay roof covered in a sheet of white, shards of ice hanging from the rooftop's edges.

He sighed quietly, his horn giving off a gentle light as he snapped off one of the shards, knocking down a good amount in front of the door, deciding it was better to be safe than sorry.

"I hate night shifts..." Sage mumbled, thinking just how unnatural and cruel it was to go against a pony's entire sleep pattern just so a few ponies wouldn't catch a cold. However he managed to quickly shrug off the thought as he reached his hoof forward, grasping the cool metal knob in his hoof before turning it, remembering to kick his hooves on the ground before walking into the house.

"Home sweet ho-"

The unicorn closed his mouth quickly as he entered the house, getting a good look around. Something was off, something that would have been entirely normal had it not been the middle of the night. The overhead light for the kitchen to his left was on, and the fireplace was giving off warmth that burned as if it had only been started recently.

"Welcome home..."

The tan unicorn blinked his crystal blue eyes before turning his head as he heard the disinterested voice, his brother quietly sitting at the breakfast counter separating the kitchen from the entrance, his body hunched over, and his head resting on his hoof as he sat quietly. As the unicorn glanced down further, he saw a half empty glass filled with milk, which he assumed was warm considering the time.

"Caramel... what in the name of Celestia are you doing up?" Sage snapped, letting his voice rise out of annoyance. "It's gotta be one in the morning!"

Caramel shrugged at his brother's question, touching the glass with his hoof, yet not pulling it to his mouth. "Couldn't sleep I guess..."

The stallion saw a strange stuffed animal next to his brother, one with a fluffy mane and red fur that enveloped its body.

"What's that?"

"A lion."

"I know what it is, I mean..." Sage let out a shaky breath as he trailed off, pulling off his scarf as he closed the door with a kick of his hoof. He closed his eyes for five seconds, adjusting his glasses quietly before opening his eyes, staring at his brother once more with an unusual glare. He noticed Caramel glance at it, but he didn't seem to care that his brother was quickly becoming fed up with him. That was a new reaction.

"Did you just get home?" Sage grumbled, locking the door with his magic as he stared daggers at his brother as he slapped down his black bag on the table.

Caramel shook his head before taking a sip of his milk, placing it down as he used his leg to wipe his mouth. "No... It’s had to have been an hour or two by now..."

Sage loosened the muscles in his face ever so slightly at those words; feeling less annoyed now that he knew his brother had at least been home at a slightly more reasonable hour. He stood up on his back two legs, using the breakfast counter to support his from half as he reached out his hoof, placing it against Caramel's forehead.

He could feel Caramel start squirming out of annoyance, trying to convince the other he was fine without using words.

"Shut up." Sage said, gently slapping the forehead with the back of his hoof to get the other to sit still, which he did with little protest. The unicorn frowned as he felt around the face, realizing that his brother's cheeks and ears were a dull pink under his tan fur.

"You feel alright?" Sage asked. "You feel warm."

"I... I uh..." Caramel trailed off, seeming to look distant again as he glanced downward into his milk. "M-My belly feels r-real funny... a-and I feel light headed..."

Sage frowned, quickly hopping his front off the counter and trotting around the table to the stool his brother was sitting on. He placed a hoof on his brother's belly, rubbing gently as he watched his brother's reactions. "What kind of funny? Does it hurt at all?"

Caramel shook his head, seeming uncomfortable as his brother touched his pudgy belly. "I-I don't know... it just feels like it's flipping whenever I try to sleep." He looked away, seeming to avoid his brother's gaze on purpose. "L-Look, it's no big deal, I-I just wanna go to bed now..."

"I know you hate me getting all hands on with you, but I gotta at least give you a brief exam, otherwise I'll be the one staying up all night." Sage murmured. "Why don't you talk to me while I do it?" He asked, his horn glowing as he opened up his bag, pulling out a stethoscope and placing them into his ears.

"A-About what?" Caramel replied, his muscles seeming to tighten nervously at the sight of the instrument.

"I don't know..." Sage mumbled, placing the cool circle against Caramel's chest, feeling his brother jump at the cold metal. His heartbeat was soft yet steady as it pumped blood through his body. "How was your night? Did you manage to have a good time with Big Macintosh?"

"I... I g-guess we uh..."

Sage blinked, raising a brow as the beating in his ears suddenly increased. Caramel fidgeted uncomfortably rather suddenly as Sage's eyes widened. As he looked up he saw his brother's face blush much deeper than before, his ears flatten against his head as he swallowed hard, beginning to fiddle nervously with his hooves.

"I... I don't feel good..." He mumbled, quickly sliding off the stool as he raced towards the direction of the bathroom. Sage did indeed reach out his hoof, but it only tapped his brother's side before he had a chance to grab the other. He watched the light coming from down the hall flip on and heard the sound of water flowing out of the faucet, yet he didn't see the door close.

His own hooves began to move, and while he didn't run off with the same urgency of his brother he was still moving quicker than normal.

As he reached the bathroom he stared in the mirror, watching as Caramel splashed cool water on his own face. He leaned on the frame of the door, staying silent for a good ten seconds before being unable to contain his words any longer.

"Did something happen buddy... with Big Mac I mean?" Sage questioned, trying to pick his words carefully.

"I-I can't stop thinking a-about him..." Caramel whined, his voice sounding seriously worried. "I-I mean, I thought about him a lot b-before tonight... but never where I haven't slept before..."

"Cara... what are you saying?" Sage asked, feeling a tad stupid only moments later because the answer seemed so painfully obvious. However his brother kept talking before he had a chance to intervene.

"Whenever I think about him now... I get... scared, excited, worried, happy, a-and I keep thinking about... it..." He paused for a long time, a smile growing on his face as he put a hoof to his lips, looking through the mirror to see if Sage got the message, to which his brother nodded quickly. "I-I don't know how I like this... it swings around a lot... I feel like I acted like a stupid lovesick filly... b-but other times I get so happy thinking about it that my heart starts pounding."

"I-I suppose it does that...when you like somepony." Sage mumbled. "He... kissed you?"

Sage began feeling both uneasy and nervous as he spoke. He wanted to hit himself for feeling this way, for being unsure on what to tell his brother. He felt like he had to say something encouraging, something to lift his spirits. However only one question seemed to stick in his mind.

Why Big Macintosh?

"It's stupid..." Caramel suddenly spoke, snapping Sage out of his daze as he looked into the mirror in question. "Y-You already know I like stallions... b-but I still feel like I'm coming out all over again..."

"You don't normally try to hook up like other ponies do; it isn't that weird that you're nervous." Sage murmured, quietly, his mind only able to half pay attention as he struggled to find the correct words.

The tan earth pony suddenly giggled, Sage briefly wondering if what he said was at all funny.

"I just r-remembered." Caramel seemed to briefly squirm with a bout of joy that he couldn't contain. "H-He called me cute..." The earth pony leaned over the sink, unable to hide his smile any longer. "A-And he meant it... I-I could tell he wasn't lying..."

"Oh boy..." Sage sighed, watching as Caramel turned with a questioning glance, his eyes seeming suddenly worried. However his brother merely chuckled, reaching out his hoof to mess up his brother's mane. "You got it really bad... You aren't gonna like love, Cara."

"L-Love?" Caramel seemed to grow uneasy once more before looking back down into the sink, the running water seeming to pound in his ears. "T-This is love?"

Funnily enough the word love seemed to have never popped into his mind when thinking about Big Macintosh; it was usually filled with words to only describe the red steed on his own. The word love brought up images in his mind of the two of them together. Part of him didn't feel right picturing that, almost like he wanted the other to have better than him... but his mind was filled with such lust at the image.

"He said he would come and visit first thing tomorrow..." Caramel grinned, reaching out a shaky hoof to turn the water off. "I-I was trying to sleep... w-when I thought w-what we would do or talk about... I-I keep worrying that he'll change his mind... b-but other times I wonder if he'll... do it again..."

He was beyond uncomfortable using the word "kiss" in front of his brother.

The tan stallion suddenly flinched as a weight fell on his shoulders that would have knocked him over if he wasn't suddenly pulled back. He could feel his brother's breath on his shoulder has he was forced into a half hug. It wasn't strange for Sage to hug him, just strange to happen without any kind of warning.

"You aren't angry?" Caramel asked, almost out of shock.

Sage remained silent when asked that question. He felt the muscles in his chest tighten for a brief moment at the fact that his brother was afraid of telling him about a crush.

"We've been through this before... except you didn't have a crush last time you asked that, now did you?" Sage chuckled. He tightened his hug on Caramel briefly before the other squirmed out of his grasp.

"I know... it's just..." Caramel looked down at his hooves, not seeming to have an answer to his fears.

"I haven't seen you so happy or scared or worried in years compared to these last few months, Big Mac is probably the best thing to ever happen to you in my opinion... and him kissing you tells me that you're pretty good for him too." Sage ruffled Caramel's mane again, chuckling quietly. "I'm still gonna be your "little" brother and I'm still going to love you... you wanna talk about it?"

"You don't have to try so hard..." Caramel mumbled, flinching at the forced words. "I'm not about to tell you my private life to somebody who doesn't even like stallions."

Sage giggled, hugging his brother in a captive hug once more, much similar to earlier, however instead of tickling he began to mess up his mane to the point where it simply looked hideous, all signs of it once being brushed were gone. Caramel simply rolled his eyes, squirming with mild annoyance in his brother's grip, unable to squirm away this time.

"Now c'mon, we both need to get to bed. And you need rest for a date with your coltfriend tomorrow."

Caramel frowned, not bothering to correct Sage that Big Macintosh was nowhere near his 'coltfriend' at this point in time. However he also wasn't ready to admit that he really liked the sound of that.

Sage released him, trying to keep his smile plastered on his face, doing his best to assure everything would be alright.

Caramel couldn't help but smile as well... feeling as if a small weight had been removed from his heavy chest. Sage knowing his feelings was a good thing in his eyes, something he no longer had to hide now that there was hope for his feelings to work out.

"Thanks for everything Sage..."

Big Macintosh could feel himself snap out of his mild daze as his eyesight was briefly blinded by the rising sun firing its deadly rays into his eyes. He grumbled audibly as he raised his right upper leg to block the light as he trotted forward, quickly snapping the shade down several inches with a flick of the hoof.

As the steed began to rub his wounded eye, questioning himself if he was relieved or worried that the sun was already as high as it was as a yawn managed to escape his throat.

Through the yawn he managed to catch a brief whiff of the pungent aroma slowly spreading itself through the air. He blinked quickly, glancing back at the coffee pot as his morning brew steadily dripped into the half filled pot of near black liquid.

The red earth pony glanced back out the window, the height of the sun telling him it was no later than eight thirty. How he had managed to sleep with so many thoughts running through his head was beyond him, but he had managed to do so without many obstacles. Perhaps it was his body simply being exhausted and refusing to listen to his near hammering thoughts.

Big Macintosh places a hoof to his lips, his blank expression breaking as his lips grew into a tiny smile that he couldn't manage to control. His chest began to tighten at the thought of Caramel's lips against his own, how amazing he felt when Caramel didn't reject his sign of affection, the warmth of the other in his arms when he hugged him tightly.

The steed closed his eyes, returning to a blank expression quickly as the bell sounded, signifying that his brew was done.

What was it Caramel said he felt like? A lovesick filly?

It was indeed a strange feeling for the large stallion to get worked up over something as simple as a kiss and a hug, indeed he did feel like a filly experiencing love for the first time. Whether or not that feeling was good was still up for debate at the moment.

The steed's head suddenly flicked its way over towards the direction of the stairway as the familiar sounds of light creaking began to grow closer as it moved down the stairway. The red steed kept his expression blank as he watched his orange furred sister walk around the corner, her mane still a mess from bed and her eyes looking droopy with exhaustion.

She wasn't much of a morning pony.

"Land sake brother, dontcha know when ta still in fer a change?" She whipped, not out of anger but out of spite that her brother could look so put together so early in the day.

Big Macintosh shrugged, watching his little sister whip up an apple from a small basket and bite it rather forcefully, looking down as she chewed. She looked like she might go to sleep right there and then.

"Couldn't sleep well if that makes ya feel better." He murmured, checking again to make sure his face remained blank.

"Oh, really?" Applejack asked, stretching her legs and back before snatching up her cowpony hat and setting it atop her head. "Do ya think ya caught somethin' last night?" She asked, a hint of worry in her voice. "Ya've never been able ta sleep when ya catch a cold."

"That ain't it..." Big Mac murmured. "Ah think ah was just too tired ta sleep... if that makes a lick of sense."

Applejack snorted at that comment, making it hard for her brother to keep from smiling gently. "Yer so weird Big Mac." She spoke, seeming to lose her grumpy attitude and regain her usual spunk. "So, tell me, how'd last night go? Were you so late last night because you got yourself a nice mare?"

The tone that his sister gave off made the steed aware that she was in fact teasing, not asking a serious question. Nonetheless, he still could feel his chest tighten at that question as he grabbed the coffee pot with his hoof, beginning to pour it into his mug.

"Er... not exactly." He spoke, not realizing his words were growing quieter as he mumbled them out. "Cara and I mostly just walked around a lot and talked... my legs are actually a little sore because of it."

"Winter does that to us all, ya usually get a little loose in the belly and a little weaker in the legs." Applejack sighed, shaking her head back and forth as she began to walk towards the direction of the living room, soon followed by her brother and his piping hot cup of black coffee.

"Ya know me an Apple Bloom had a mighty good time when we went earlier, ah even hit on a few of the stallions there." Applejack spoke up, taking another large bite out of her reddish green apple. She sat down on a chair to the side while Big Macintosh sat dead center on the couch itself.

"Ah don't need ta hear 'bout all the colts ya tried ta hit on." Big Macintosh stated, trying not to say much more.

"That ain't what Ah'm sayin'!" His sister snapped, looking briefly annoyed. "All Ah’m sayin' is at things like fairs especially during holidays ya try to have a little fun. Ah might go out with the girls but that doesn't mean we don't take turns flirting with ponies."

"Ta tell ya the truth AJ..." Big Macintosh paused briefly, looking into the remaining contents of his drink as he tried to place the words properly in his head. "Ah... ain't really interested in any mare at the moment. A-And I don't think ah wanna be..."

Keeping his words steady was proving to be more than a little difficult. He quickly set his coffee down on the small table in front of the couch before it was apparent his hooves were shaking. He briefly wondered if he was nervous or simply frustrated.

"Yer startin' ta get real nosy again." The steed grumbled.

"Ah ain't tryin' ta be!" Applejack quickly spoke up to defend herself. "Ah'm just worried about ya is all, ya never go on any real dates or see a mare. Ah don't want ya ta end up lonely and alone when we're all old." The mare paused briefly before her eyes lit up. "What about somepony ya know, not just a random mare... maybe Fluttershy would like ta go out with ya, she's nice and quiet like you."

"...Ah don't think so." Big Macintosh hesitated before answering.

"Why not? Fluttershy is the sweetest Sugar Cube Ah've ever met, ya'd love her. Ah could always ask her what she thinks about ya and get ya togeth-"

"No." Big Macintosh answered bluntly, considering how abnormal it would look for him to chug the rest of his coffee and leave the house as quickly as possible. "It's a little more complicated than that, ah can't just ask out a mare."

"How in Celestia is it complicated, ah know yer a little shy when ya meet somepony but ya at least have spoken with her a few times, haven't ya?" Applejack asked, seeming to get more and more irritated by the moment.

"It's..." The steed paused, breathing in deeply, his chest tightening. "I-I guess it's... complicated because of..." He stood silent for a long time after that, taking a good long while to look into his sister's eyes, flares of curiosity and irritation were sparking at random times in them. His belly felt as though it was about to flip as he opened his mouth once more.

"Because last night... Ah kissed Caramel..."

There was a horribly long and awkward silence between the two after Big Macintosh spoke. It wasn't the same as the two of them quietly doing their morning routine, for the steed was holding his breath as the wheels in his sisters head seemed to grind against each other.

There was a moment of confusion in her face, her green eyes not looking at her brother but directly in front of her. She seemed like she wanted to first laugh at her brothers "joke". However it flared for a single second in anger, and then cooled down into questioning before back to simple confusion.

"Oh." She managed to say, her face looking dumbfounded as she put her hooves to her mouth. "Ya... kissed that colt?"

Big Macintosh could feel his heart sink, the tone of voice his sister had meant she was still waiting for the punch line for a joke he had never started. She smiled worriedly, chuckling awkwardly as if the deep frown he was wearing was part of the joke to fool her, to get her worked up just to mess with her like when they were younger.

The steed stood his ground. Shaking his head as if in disappointment at his sister’s attitude. His belly was knotted as he felt his hooves tighten on the couch cushions underneath his hind.

"C-C'mon Mac, ya can't tell me ya kissed him and liked it!" Applejack snapped, her words filled with a hint of spite. "T-That just ain't right!"

The red earth pony nodded his head up and down. He suddenly paused, looking downward into his cup of coffee on the table as a small smile crept on his face.

"What in the name of Luna are ya grinnin' about?" The mare cried out, failing to be quiet despite the early time of day. Her voice was shrill as she spoke.

"It was... a really nice kiss... Ah felt real happy when it happened too." He placed a hoof to his neck as he gently rubbed, getting lost in the memory for a brief moment. He could only describe it as a moment of bliss. "H-He was a little scared, Ah could tell Ah took him off guard... b-but he didn't pull away, s-so I j-just kept on goin-"

"Stop talkin'!" The orange mare hissed, her face looking embarrassed to be in this conversation. She put her hooves to her ears almost like a small child would when they were told things they didn't want to hear. "Ah don't wanna think about my brother kissin' colts!"

"AJ... Ah didn't mean ta..."

"Just.... I mean... w-why did you..." The younger earth pony was having a great deal of time collecting the thoughts in her mind of what she wanted to say, for she kept starting and stopping her sentences. If she had stars in her eyes Big Macintosh might have thought she was suddenly bonked on the head by a large rock.

"Mac..." Her voice was suddenly less frantic, calmer. "Y-Ya can't live a happy life w-with a colt... t-the same way ah can't do it with a mare, it just isn't... right." The mare shook her head in disappointment with her brother. "Ya can't fall in love with a pony that's exactly like ya."

Big Macintosh remained silent, not looking at his sister but instead looking past her, pretending for a brief moment that she wasn't there and that he was gone from this horrible conversation. His heart sank as her words sunk in, his knot tightening as he held his breath.

"Ya've had marefriends before... ya like mares, not colts!" Applejack snapped. "Ah could have sworn ya liked mares when ya were goin' out with that Roseluck mare back when ya were still in school!"

The steed continued to remain silent, biting the inside of his cheek as his sister continued ranting.

"Heck, just last year ya went out with Apple Bloom's teacher for a few weeks after Hearts and Hooves Day!" Applejack rambled onward, hitting her hoof down into the chair's armrest. "Could have sworn you two kissed more than once, you liked mares plenty then!"

The steed flicked his tail rather forcefully against the couch, taking a deep breath to fill his lungs, not realizing he had been holding his breath.

"What did this... this coltcuddler do that made you change your mind about all of that?" His sister seemed to be trying to keep her voice down now.

Big Macintosh snapped his eyes open, glaring at his sister. "Ya leave Caramel outta this, he ain't done nothin' wrong." He stated, his voice near threatening towards his sister, nearly shocking himself as he finished speaking. "Ya know him; ya know he isn't a bad pony!"

Something about the way she insulted Caramel brought up a fire in his chest that he wasn't able to control, one that wouldn't have been nearly as strong had Caramel himself not been brought into this. He wasn't going to let her insult his friend without him even being there to defend himself, he was already on the verge of losing his usually in-check temper.

He had to leave.

He remained glaring at the mare before he suddenly slid off the couch, closing his eyes as he took one final sip of his coffee. Applejack stood up as well, standing in front of him as if to block the way.

"Then what? Ya can't just like colts fer no reason!"

"Ya don't know anything." Big Macintosh shook his head when he finished speaking, walking forward. His sister began quickly moving without him needing to urge her. However she was close next to him, looking worried and frightened at her brother.

The steed grabbed his scarf along with his pouch full of bits, wrapping the scarf around his neck. He could hear Applejack ask him questions; however he chose to stop responding.

"Where are ya going?" Applejack was yelling now, frustrated with her brother's lack of response. "Are you going to see him? Going to see your... your coltfriend?"

The way she spoke made it obvious she was trying to wound her brother, trying to make him rethink his actions with what she thought was an insult. She looked frantic, her mane seeming to be in an even bigger mess than before. She lifted her hoof to touch her brother before quickly pulling it back, almost afraid that if she touched him he would only grow angry with her.

"Eeyup." Big Macintosh said, opening the door with a single thrust of his hoof.

He was greeted with a burst of strangely warm air. He glanced briefly at the sky, the sun was shining brightly. He paused for a single second, the snow before him was more like slush, watery and melting.

"Wait, Big Ma-"

The steed slammed the door behind him, blocking out his sister's words before she could finish. He closed his eyes, feeling the lump in his throat slowly shrink as he took a deep breath, wondering briefly if his sister was going to follow him as well.

The door remained shut.

The steed blinked, staring forward into the land of melting snow before him.

Big Macintosh bit the inside of his lip as he took a single step forward, wanting ever so badly to see Caramel, to make sure that defending the feelings he had felt last night wasn't the wrong choice. He wanted to make sure Caramel was okay... to make sure his brother hadn't given him the same treatment as his own family had him... He wouldn't forgive himself if Sage got angry with Caramel because of him.

And with that, he picked up his pace, off to see his best friend.

Baby Steps

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Before we can walk, we have to crawl.”
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Melting Snow
Chapter 9: Baby Steps

The steamy warmth emanating from the small cup before the red steed's eyes seemed to almost create a small cloud just above the coffee cup, one that he could feel give off a heat that would eventually tickle the fur on his chin. However before the cloud had even a moment of life, it seemed to vanish into thin air. The steed thought it to be similar to the way warm breath mixed with harshly chilled winter airs.

A sigh escaped Big Macintosh's throat, one with strength to push away the steamy cloud for a brief moment before he leaned his head on his hoof, glancing out the coffee shop's window out into the world of melting snow outside.

The red earth pony quietly began to fiddle with the stringy ends of his scarf, the strands of red and black entangling themselves into his bare hooves as he tugged and pulled, staring into the direction of the orange rising sun. It was still early, early enough for Apple Bloom to still be sleeping in her bed, only now just rising on her day of freedom away from school.

The stallion's face twisted into a frown as he began to wonder if she was indeed sleeping soundly in her bed, and not woken up by their sister's screaming of his simple moment with Caramel. He tightened the muscles in his upper leg, feeling a sense of guilt he hadn't been able to express in the moment of the heated argument.

Big Macintosh began to shake his head, giving off a brief growl as he attempted to clear his mind, asking himself what on earth he had to feel guilty about.

The steed suddenly jumped as the sound of a bell cut his thoughts in half, forever losing that momentary grip on his anger. He glanced in the direction of the noise, noticing the small bell directly above the door still wobbling in vibrations, singling the call of a new visitor to the quaint little shop.

Big Macintosh could feel his belly tightened once more as he looked downward. The control he usually had over simple emotions such as anger and joy seemed to be slipping today, for he was unable to return to his usual blank expression and shut out his feelings.

The steam from his coffee, while now much weaker than before, began to fill his eyes to the point where he was forced to close them, turning his head away as he began to rub his hoof against his eyelid.

"You're... Big Macintosh, correct?"

The red steed opened one of his eyes, slowly turning his head to the direction of the voice, his eyesight only needing to go so far as right next to him, near causing him to jump once more. Had he really been so out of it that he hadn't noticed a pony standing next to him?

"Uh... Y-Yeah..." The steed began to sit up, realizing he was in fact taller than the other, even sitting down on the small chair. However his expression did turned confused for a brief moment as he stared at the pony before him, the pony himself looking rather... familiar.

"Cara... no." The steed blinked, realizing it didn't make sense for the tan furred, brown maned pony before him to be Caramel. For the pony before him not only held a horn atop his head, but also a thick pair of glasses resting on the end of his muzzle.

"Sage..." The steed breathed.

"Hehe, you made that mistake before." The unicorn spoke, a smile pasted onto his face as he chuckled. "Well, we are twins... it's easy to mix us up at a glance..." The stallion trailed off briefly, looking down. "Caramel said you wanted to come out early... but the sun's barely risen."

"Ah... ah wasn't gonna go just yet." The steed mumbled. "Gonna sit here a while and... Ah guess think fer a bit..."

Sage nodded slowly, looking downward into the coffee cup in his own hoof. The liquid was much more brown than it was black, obviously filled with creme. He looked up at Sage with mild confusion on his face.

"Oh, I come here almost every morning." Sage quickly said, almost answering the confusion the older seemed to have. "Caramel comes sometimes too... but today I wouldn't let him, he has to go to the drug store to fill up his pills, and he hates when I go with him... so I guess it's a good thing you didn't stop at our house... nobody's really home for a while."

"Ah see..." Big Macintosh murmured quietly, not really positive on what he was even supposed to do in a situation like this.

"Is... that seat taken?" Sage asked, nodding his head towards the chair opposite the red steed. In response, Big Macintosh quietly shook his head, watching Sage sit down quickly and sip on his coffee. He stared blankly at the other, watching his movements closely.

"Listen..." Big Macintosh began, "Ah don't want ya ta get the wrong idea here... but why in Equestria are ya sittin' with me?" He asked, raising his brow in question to the unicorn before him.

Sage lost his frown for a brief moment, it was only brief but it was indeed a clear sign that his disguise has slipped away from the happy carefree brother. He looked down into his drink briefly as Big Macintosh finally took the first sip of his own. It had cooled down, tasting even more bitter than normal.

"To be honest... I have my reasons." Sage sighed, blowing his steam in the older's direction. "And to be even more honest... I can't think of a single one that doesn't make me a shallow idiot."

Big Macintosh remained silent, watching as Sage's deep blue eyes briefly met with his. They were far colder than Caramel's were, much more stern and emotionless. He wasn't quite up to par with the steed's own poker face, but he indeed didn't want to betray his emotions so easily. He lifted a hoof to quickly adjust his glasses, a long winded breath escaping his throat as he slowly shook his head.

"I somehow talked myself into sitting here when I walked in..." He grumbled to himself. "Honestly, I wanted to have a conversation between just the two of us later... maybe when I had more of a chance to go over it a little more in my head... but me being an idiot saw you right when I walked in and couldn’t pass up the chance.” Sage began to quietly smooth out his mane. “Who knows when we’d get another moment to be alone... Caramel wouldn’t want to leave you alone for a second right now… did you know he could hardly sleep last night?”

“Cara ain’t… sick is he?” Big Macintosh asked, slight concern in his voice as he spoke. “Ah mean… more so than he normally gets.”

Sage slowly shook his head. “Nope, only a little tired is all… he was late to bed and early to rise today.” The tan unicorn began to sip his coffee once more, as he brought it down he looked at the other once more. “Look… Caramel told me about what happened last night.”

The other must have noticed the way Big Macintosh tightened his muscles in near defense at the other’s statement, because the unicorn quickly lifted a hoof and shook it in front of the others face. “No, No, I’m not angry with you over something like that… It’s easy to be a lot less shocked when yer brother tells you he likes stallions when you were still in high school.”

“Caramel’s… been out to ya all this time?” Big Macintosh asked, tilting his head slightly in confusion. “He… never mentioned that.”

Sage sighed once more, shaking his head. “No, he wouldn’t… Heck he wouldn’t even mention he’s a coltcuddler if somepony asked him… but for some reason he chose to open up to you of all ponies…”

Sage looked down into his coffee, which was now half empty. “He’s a lot… brighter.” The unicorn mumbled. “He used to lay in bed every single day, just coloring in those books of his… the only time he’d ever show any emotion was when he got a panic attack or something from getting his bi-yearly shots…” The unicorn pressed his hoof to his forehead, beginning to rub his temple in circles. “But when you started talking to him, just being there as a friend… he could talk for hours about you.”

Big Macintosh looked at the other in question. Caramel always seemed rather… bright to him, not exactly outgoing, but happy to be his friend at the least. He couldn’t imagine the pony Sage was describing as the pony that made him feel the way he did the previous night.

“It was… really obvious that he liked you…” Sage chuckled, laughing a little louder than necessary. “Last night he spent an hour fixing his mane and even longer in the shower… that’s something I really have to thank you for, he actually sees a reason to take showers now.”

Big Macintosh smiled gently at that, briefly happy that Caramel spent so long fussing just over him. However the grin vanished quickly when Sage’s expression changed, glancing into the eyes of the steed. “But… I also know for a fact that this is the first time Caramel’s had a crush on anypony… and now it’s even more important for me to talk to you now that you… did that to him.”

The unicorn looked down, fiddling with his hooves. “H-He’s my older brother technically… but I’ve always seen myself as three or four years older than him. He was pretty weak back in school, a lot weaker than an earth pony should be… I guess that’s linked to his Immunodeficiency and all…” Sage paused, tugging on the fur to his hoof. “But… that being said… since I’ve known he likes stallions… I’ve pretty much been able to tell which part he’s going to play in any relationship he gets tangled up in.”

“He’s… feminine.” Sage spoke in a hushed tone. “Not extreme enough to use that word strongly… but enough so that I know he isn’t the kind of pony who is able to take charge in relationships… considering he fell for a big guy like you, it doesn’t take Celestia herself to tell who’s going to do what in this relationship.”

“It ain’t…” Big Macintosh paused his words of defense, unsure if he was willing to finish that sentence or not. A relationship was a strong word to describe what the two of them had at the moment.

“Let me finish.” Sage snapped, yet somehow kept his voice cool and collected. “I can’t stop Caramel from liking you, but I sure as hell am not going to let him get hurt just because he’s weaker than most stallions, I’m not going to let him be pushed around or taken advantage of…” Sage bit the inside of his cheek. “He’s my brother… I’ve taken care of him my entire life and I’m sure as hell not going to stop now.”

“Sage…” Big Macintosh began, causing the other to glance at him, betraying a moment of worry. “Caramel… is my best friend.” He paused, looking into his cold coffee. “He’s the first real friend Ah’ve had since Ah was a foal… when Ah kissed him, it wasn’t because Ah just wanted ta sleep with him, or because Ah was forced into it… Ah just wanted ta do it more than anything.” He smiled softly, putting a hoof to his face to hide it. “He’s just… important to me.”

Sage seemed to tighten his muscles briefly. “I don’t want to be the bad guy here… I really, REALLY don’t…” He grumbled. “I know I’m getting off on the wrong hoof here, we’ve only met once after all… heck, I wasn’t even sure if it was you when I first walked in.”

The unicorn’s horn suddenly began to glow as he removed his glasses, placing his hoof to his eyes and beginning to gently rub in circles. “I want to trust in you to take care of him… and I want to trust in Caramel to be smart in all of this… I’m really being a backseat driver though.”

Big Macintosh frowned, chewing briefly on his lip. “Ah know that Ah don’t normally show how I feel... Ah must look like a big rock who yer brother likes.” He laughed dryly. “But… when it’s just me and Caramel, I feel happier… a lot more alive. Time passes a lot faster… I like it.”

The tan unicorn breathed in deeply. “Look... I’m not ever going to understand how you feel about Caramel or how he feels about you… even if it doesn't go anywhere and you just stay friends.” Sage placed his glasses back onto his face. “I… I just wanted to get that off my chest… but now I feel like the father talking to his daughter’s date while I clean my knives or something.”

Sage shook his head quickly. “Look, I have no right to act like this anymore… Why don’t you just come back home with me, it’ll take Caramel at least a half an hour to fill up those pills again, it’ll be a nice surprise for him when he gets home… I won’t feel like such a criminal then.”

The unicorn looked at the patterns on the floor, his cold exterior slowly fading to reveal his worry, both for his brother and for the fact that he might have scared his first crush.

Big Macintosh smiled softly and briefly, nodding slowly to assure he accepted the offer. Funny as it seemed his mind was actually taken off of his sister now that he had gotten a warning to actually be a good coltcuddler.

“G-Good… Then let’s go.” Sage spoke, seeming to look briefly relieved, his actions reminding him of Caramel for a brief moment.

“Sounds like a plan, partner.”

The small tan stallion couldn't help but wince as an unusually rough gust of wind began to whip at his fur and mane, forcing him to quickly and firmly squeeze his eyelids shut as he hugged his bag to his chest, waiting for it to pass.

He couldn’t help but feel silly once it passed, for he loosened his muscles and stared down as his hooves desperately gripping his saddle bag, wondering if he was the only one who had some amount of fear that he might be knocked over by the wind.

Caramel whimpered gently as he shifted his backside uncomfortably against the cold, smooth stone that the fountain behind him used as a wall. His breath felt heavy as he exhaled, tightening his grip on the saddle bag as he began to let out a rough sounding cough, one that felt his entire body was forcing him to push out.

His eyes felt watery as he angrily began to wipe them, grumbling quietly as he tightened his scarf. He began to feel angry with himself as his breath continued to come in rapid panting shakes, his body simply needing a break or else he would pass out halfway back to his home.

The earth pony sighed, drawing one of his hooves through the slushy snow that had piled up against the wall containing the fountain water. He briefly wondered if it was simply a side effect of the clear skies the night before, or if Cloudsdale was truly preparing for Winter Wrap Up to set in.

Caramel glanced towards the skies, lifting a hoof to block out the beating rays of sunshine pouring into his crystal blue eyes. It did indeed fell warm… at least in comparison to the past two months.

The tan stallion glanced downward, his hoof fiddling with the latch to his saddle bag, his mind beginning to drift. It seemed that the only thing it could drift to was the obvious, Big Macintosh.

He tightened his hold on his bag ever so slightly at the thought of the steed, unable to keep the small smile from encompassing his lips. It was similar to the feeling his body had given him when the stallion had come to see him out of the blue, happy, nervous, and a little bit of fear.

Caramel bit on the inside of his lip, the sound of running water behind him filling his mind. He suddenly began to feel glad he had stayed put; by no means did he want Big Macintosh to see him so fragile and pale again.

The tan stallion’s ears suddenly perked up on their own, as if noticing the sound of approaching hoofsteps before his brain had even registered the sound. Before he had even gotten the chance to glance upward at the incoming hoofsteps, he could hear a snap of a voice.

“Caramel!”

Caramel couldn’t help but jump at his own name as his head snapped upward, looking at a panting Applejack before his eyes. Her mane was a mess; even her hat was missing from atop her head, as if she didn’t even put herself together before running out of the house. And quite literal running at that, she seemed to look exhausted.

“A-AJ… uh… A-Are you alright?”

“Ah… Ah uh…” The orange mare seemed to look away from the tan stallion, remaining silent for a quite a few moments, scrunching her face for a moment as if she were considering on finishing that sentence.

“Ah was wonderin’… Ya didn’t happen ta spot my brother at all today… did ya?”

“He… He already…?” Caramel ceased his words, looking down at his bag as he slowly shook his head, his hoof pulling and tugging at the cold metal latch on his saddle bag. “I haven’t seen since yesterday.”

Applejack let out a sigh, one which Caramel couldn’t distinguish between one of relief or one of annoyance. However before he had the chance to decide on either, he watched as the mare plopped her hind down next to him without even asking, seeming to almost move her body a few inches away until she was sitting at least two feet from him.

“That’s a relief at least…” She murmured, beginning to gently rub her neck.

Caramel could feel his own words get caught in his throat as he glanced at her, watching her look at him every few moments in the same fashion. She quickly latched a hoof on her upper leg, looking down at the small snow piles near her lower legs.

“Caramel…” The orange mare began, her tone seeming as if she was already losing patience with the other. “I want ya ta answer me one thing… what in Sam Hill did ya do ta Big Mac?”

The stallion could feel his belly tighten without warning at those words. Her personality that he had witness not long ago seemed to have changed towards him. She was no longer easy to smile nor one to light up a room. She had grown cold and quick to the point.

“What?” Caramel asked, his mind not exactly quick to register at this point as he looked away from the mare’s eyesight. “W-What the hay are ya… talking about?”

“Ya know darn well what Ah mean!” Applejack snapped at the other, forcing Caramel to jump in worry. “B-Because of whatever ya did ta him Granny’s been yellin’ all mornin’ and Apple Bloom thinks I scared him away by yellin’ even louder! Ah can’t take another moment in there alone with both of them actin’ like that!”

Caramel hugged his saddle bag tightly, biting his lower lip as he began to look down, closing his eyes for a brief moment to regain his thoughts. As he opened them he found his words to be shaky, unrecognizable as he tried to speak.

“I… I just… B-Big… M-Mac he just…”

Applejack seemed to let out a long sigh. “He wasn’t like this before ya… he dated mares, not as often as Ah liked ta think, but he did date them… he never looked twice at a stallion before ya came alone.” The mare put a hoof to her forehead. “W-What the buck happened last night?” She snapped.

The orange mare slowly glanced in the direction of the other, watching him try to speak, looking more uncomfortable by the moment.

“I-I’m… s-sorry…” Caramel continued to stare at the ground as if it contained the meaning to life.

“Just tell me what happened!” Applejack once more hissed, trying her best to not direct her anger fully at the already upset stallion. At the very least she knew not to push his limits if she wanted a real answer.

“B-Big Mac… he just…” Caramel’s ears flattened against his head, it was as if he were being forced to recite a passage from his diary… if he had one that is. “Last night right before he walked me home… he kissed me.”

“Is that it?” Applejack asked, growing irritated. “You two didn’t… y’know… and that’s the reason he was home so late last night?”

Caramel quickly shook his head. “N-No, M-Mac and I didn’t…” He trailed off, feeling his eyes water to the point where he had to squeeze them shut. “L-Look, it was probably my fault a-anyway, I-I was trying to tell him how I felt and I couldn’t say anything, he was j-just trying to make me feel better!”

The tan stallion grew increasingly thankful for the few moments of silence he received from the interrogation he was receiving from the other; it allowed him to regain some control over his emotions, even if it was only to the point where he wouldn’t start crying like a foal.

Applejack glanced at the other, his shaking body seeming to give her a sense of some kind guilt, even if she tightened a muscle in her arm to avoid hissing once more.

“Big Mac…” She began, watching as Caramel slowly turned towards her direction. “He seemed happy about it… b-before I started snappin’ at him.” Her voice was quiet as she spoke, almost as if she didn’t want to admit it.

“R-Really?” Caramel asked, his spirits lifting for a single moment before he forced them to die down, realizing that happiness would only cause the mare to grow angry again.

The mare nodded slowly. “Ya and him have been spendin’ an awful lot of time together… if Ah paid more attention ta the way ya acted at dinner Ah might have even caught on… but Ah ignored the signs because none of them made a lick of sense.”

Applejack shook her head slowly, putting a hoof to her temple and rubbing. “None of this makes a lick of sense. Ah can’t imagine my brother bein’ with another stallion if Ah tried… He’s always been the strong one in our family.” The mare frowned at the memory, closing her eyes briefly as she spoke, “When Ma died, he stopped talking for an entire month… He didn’t cry like Ah did, all he did was make sure Apple Bloom was taken care of… Pa died less than a year later, a-and he almost stopped talking all together… it took even longer for us to get a word out of him.”

Caramel watched as the orange earth pony spoke, his worry losing grip on him for the time being as she continued speaking.

“Ah never thought of him as anything but my Big Brother… But Ah think Apple Bloom thinks of him as a father, even if she doesn’t say nothin’.” Applejack chuckled, showing no emotion whatsoever in her tone of voice. “He’s always been our rock Ah guess… imagining him with another stallion is as foreign as thinkin’ about me with a mare…” She sighed, a white cloud erupting from her throat. She shifted uneasily on the fountain wall, biting the inside of her lip. “Ah used ta think of him ending up with a mare that he would love and be her rock too… W-When I think about you taking that mare’s place… it doesn’t seem right…”

The tan stallion loosened his grip on his bag, not having enough courage to set it down just yet. He sighed as well, regaining some more composure over himself. “Big Mac is like a rock…” He murmured to himself, watching the other as he spoke. “D-Do you know that I…” His voice began growing in power when he directed her speech towards the other. “G-Get sick a lot?”

“Hmm?” Applejack asked, raising her brow. “Sick… what in the name of Celestia does getting’ sick have to do with anythin’?”

“B-Because of Big Macintosh… I don’t just lie in my room day after day waiting to die… I don’t feel worthless anymore, e-even before last night…” Caramel could feel his cheeks flushing a shade of red that he knew would have made the other angry moments prior, but she simply remained quiet. “I’m starting to want to keep myself well, and look good, and m-make sure I don’t get too fat because of him… I never thought of describing him as my rock until now though… but he really is.”

Applejack let out a long and steady breath at Caramel’s words. “My brother is good at that sort of thing… He care’s way too much about the ponies he loves… does he call you Sugar Cube?”

Caramel nodded slowly, unsure if it was smart to answer honestly.

“Figures…” Applejack mumbled. “The first pony he’s ever called Sugar Cube since Pa died isn’t a marefriend at all…” She paused for a long time, glancing behind her at the fountain’s music-like pouring into the water.

“Ah yelled a lot today.” The mare chuckled dryly. “Ah was upset with him, Ah still am… but Ah think talkin’ with ya has calmed me down a little... Can’t believe Ah left home without even grabbin’ my hat, Ah’m a gosh darn klutz today.”

The stallion remained silent at those words, gingerly flicking his tail back and forth behind him. He began to play with his scarf, twisting it gently as he stared at the mare next to him.

“Does… your family know that ya like… stallions?” Applejack inquired, stroking a hoof down her ruffled mane.

“Y-Yeah…” Caramel murmured. “I’m not used to broadcasting that I like them though… Big Mac is the first pony that I…” He trailed off, unable to complete that sentence without blushing like a fool once more.

The mare scrunched her face as the other trailed off, able to fill in the blanks on her own. However it quickly faded as she began to speak, “S-So how did they react? T-To you being a coltcuddler and all… were they as loud as Ah was?” Applejack giggled, showing real emotion in her voice this time, however faint it was.

“R-React?” Caramel asked. “W-Well they…” He bit the inside of his lip, tightening his muscles in his arms. “They kind of…” He frowned, his belly tightening once more.

“Sage… he… well he kind of…” Caramel trailed off once more before taking in a deep breath, looking in the direction of the rising sun.

“Sage got… angry with me…”

The long road ahead of them seemed oddly barren for how early it was. As Sage looked around he briefly wondered why all the mares and stallion's had not yet exited their homes and were on their way to work, for they usually came and went from both school and work.

The unicorn sighed, realizing that yesterday was in fact Hearts and Hooves day, the only reason he was working later today was simply because the hospital couldn't just shut down.

Sage slowly blinked his clear blue eyes, feeling a sense of strange foreign nature in his own steps. It was only as he looked downward did he realize that the familiar crunching of snow that he had grown so accustomed to had strangely vanished in the passing of days. He grimaced as he set his hoof down, feeling the wet snow soak his furry hooves to the bone, causing a shiver to run down his spine as he focused on that feeling for even a moment.

“Somethin’ botherin’ ya?” Big Macintosh inquired, his own hooves stopping in place. As Sage turned his head behind him he saw the other tilt his head to the side ever so slightly.

Sage shook his head, lifting his front hoof and shaking off a select few drips of water that hadn’t soaked him quite yet. “I just hate it when snow starts to melt… everything feels like I’m walking through a cold puddle.”

Big Macintosh lifted his own hoof, examining it for a brief moment before giving off a shrug. “Ah guess Ah’m too used ta workin’ in all kinds of weather.” He murmured to himself.

“You’ve worked all the fur off the ends of your hooves…” Sage spoke, nodding his head towards the stallion’s bare hooves. “At least the water doesn’t get trapped in them for you.”

The steed shrugged again, seeming to only have mild interest in what the other was rambling on about. Sage sighed, flicking his tail in frustration. “Let’s go…” He mumbled.

“Oh um…” Big Macintosh spoke, his voice snapping out of his daze as he began to follow the other, obviously walking much slower than he was accustomed to, his legs being far longer than the unicorn’s. “About… what ya said back there…” The steed paused for a moment, slinging a hoof around to the back of his neck and rubbing, looking away as he thought briefly on the subject. “’Bout all that stuff about me bein’… mean ta Cara… Ah wanna say again that Ah’d never do that, regardless of what ya think of me... A-And if Caramel made it seem like Ah was too strong last night… Ah’m sorry.”

Sage let out a sigh, his horn going as he briefly adjusted his glasses. “Must we go over this again…” He murmured, frowning as he looked down at the snow once more. “Look, Big Macintosh… none of that back there was because you did anything, or because Caramel said anything negative about you…” The unicorn seemed to bite the inside of his cheek, for his words became ever so slightly muffled. “Think of it as… insurance… I planned to invest my warnings before anything got too extreme and it was too late.”

Big Macintosh appeared as if he wanted to say something, for his mouth opened before closing quickly again. The steed chose to ruffle his orange mane once more, breathing out slowly.

“In other words… if Caramel chose to grow attached to any other pony and the result of what you two did last night began to amount to anything…” Sage spoke, turning his head to look at the other dead in the eye. “I would have given that stallion the same warning as you.”

Sage turned his head, expecting the other to make some kind of face of annoyance or even brief anger.

“Yer a good brother.” Said the steed.

The tan unicorn blinked, his brow lifting in confusion as he turned towards the other again, watching him nod with his eyes closed in contentment.

“Really now?” Sage asked, only allowing himself to show mild interest in the other’s understanding. “What makes you say that?”

Big Mac opened his eyes, putting his hoof to his chin as he thought for a brief moment. “Ah guess Ah’ve done the same thing fer Applejack once or twice… mostly when the stallion’s she dates are bigger and gruffer than most usually are.” The steed chuckled with humor.

“Applejack is… your younger sister, correct?” Sage inquired, taking a step to the side to see the other more clearly. “Caramel mentioned her, the morning after he ate dinner with your family… she’s around his age, right?”

“AJ an’ me are only five years apart… so Ah guess that’s right.” The steed quietly spoke, seeming to be in thought.

Sage smiled ever so gently, this time a genuine one. “I guess you understand that over protective feeling you get when you love your family…” His smile quickly turned to a predictable frown. “I feel like I would like you a lot more if you weren’t… involved with Caramel.”

“So yer admittin’ ya don’t like me?” Big Macintosh asked, his blank face once again refusing to betray how he felt about the words he was saying.

“Well… I could ramble on about how I’ve had two conversations with you, or even the fact that I’m just a grump…” Sage chuckled dryly, adjusting his glasses once more before slinging a hoof around his other. “But… no… not much at the moment.”

There was a long silence between the two of them, one which was both a awkward and displeasuring. Sage coughed quietly to clear his throat, breaking the brief silence with his own words once more.

“How much has Caramel told you… about his family?”

Big Macintosh looked puzzled. “Not much aside from ya… Ah just figured ya’ll either were on bad terms or just didn’t like talkin’ ‘bout it, Ah ain’t one ta pry.”

Sage looked down, smiling with no emotion. “Bad terms, huh…?” He sighed as he spoke, biting down on his lip briefly. He looked up at the other and then away in quick succession, glancing in the direction of the rising sun.

The unicorn turned, beginning to finally pick up his pace once more, the steed jumping as he quickly began to follow the other, keeping his mouth shut as he stared at the back of Sage’s head for a good twenty paces. He suddenly paused, looking around him to make sure anypony nearby was out of earshot

“Caramel’s always been… weaker then a lot of stallion’s… heck, even mares… compared to you he’s like a twig.” The stallion murmured quietly, his ears suddenly pressing against his head.

“Eeyup.” Big Macintosh nodded.

Sage was silent for a few moments, seeming to consider weather or not to keep his tongue bit and keep walking or continue. He gently began rubbing his furry leg, feeling the fur ruffle and smooth as he moved his hoof up and down.

“When we were little,” Sage began, his voice quiet with uncertainty as he spoke. “Our mother was…” The stallion paused once more, closing his eyes to collect his thoughts for a few moments. He slowly opened his eyes, turning to face the other. “When me and Caramel were little, our father ran away from us…” He spoke, softly, wary of any passerby’s.

“Ran away?” The steed asked, his tone confused at what exactly that meant.

Sage breathed out slowly. “That’s what I call it… I don’t remember him that well, but I remember him leaving from a really early age… we didn’t have much contact with him after that.”

Sage looked downward, smiling a sad smile as he spoke, “I always disliked that stallion…” He grumbled quietly, shaking his head. “We didn’t see him after that…” The unicorn trailed off, speaking quietly.

Big Macintosh remained silent as he watched the other speak, carefully examining the body language the other was giving off. It looked as if he were still defensive, as if he didn’t want to continue.

“Our mother though…” Sage murmured, pushing his hoof down in the snow, his teeth briefly clenching. “I don’t think she ever wanted a child, much less two… I’m pretty sure she’s the one who pushed for our father to go to the mental hospital in the first place, at least once he became too far gone to take care of us any longer and he was just a big chore.”

Big Macintosh stared into Sage’s blue eyes, they reminded him so much of Caramel in this moment. Before they seemed to be cold and bitter, but in this moment they seemed to be defenseless. He opened his mouth to speak, but closed it before a single second had passed, not wanting to interrupt the other.

“She was a vile mare…” Sage spat out, the muscles in his arms tightening. “I don’t remember her ever being what I would call a good mother.” Sage paused briefly, pushing back his bangs as he avoiding the other’s gaze. “I remember her yelling a lot… about small things mostly, missing a spot when we were washing dishes, not being able to fall asleep fast enough…”

Sage grinded his teeth for a second time, trying to control his anger as he looked towards the steed before him. He was still listening blindly, not interrupting as the unicorn spoke. He looked as his upper leg, pulling on it as he frowned.

“She used to call us worthless...” Sage trailed off, pushing air forcefully from his lungs as he closed his eyes. “It didn’t get to me that much… but it really effected Caramel’s self esteem… I think that’s part of the reason it took him so long to find his special talent.”

Big Macintosh slowly dug his hoof into the ground at those words, still refusing to betray emotion on his face. “Worthless… huh?” He murmured through his accent.

“Yeah,” Sage growled, “Caramel got it worse than me once she realized I could just brush it off…” The stallion tightened his grip on his leg. “I couldn’t be there to protect him every moment… he was too sick to go to school half the year, even when he forced himself…”

The unicorn looked up towards the sky. “She used to pull our hair a lot… I eventually got strong enough to fight back against that, but Caramel usually needed my help to stop her when she got really angry… But when she did it to me, she used to just throw me on the ground… I’m assuming she did the same for him.” He looked back down, staring to the side down a random row of houses. “She would never hit us though… I think she thought she would get one of us angry enough to hit her back in defense…”

Sage looked down, making a short line in the snow. “When I got my cutie mark though… all I could think about was getting out of there as fast as possible…” He laughed, closing his eyes tightly. “It was something that proved to me I wasn’t worthless, nothing she said could have been true if I could get a cutie mark, even less if I could become a doctor.”

“What about Caramel?” Big Macintosh stated, not asking but demanding to know about the unicorn’s brother.

“Well,” Sage mumbled. “Before I got my cutie mark, him and I were always together… the other kids at school used to say we could read each other’s minds. He knew when I was upset and I knew when he was hiding something.”

“Why are ya tellin’ me all of this?” Big Macintosh murmured under his breath. “If Cara wanted me ta know ‘bout that he would ‘ave told me…”

Sage shot a glare in the red earth pony’s direction, holding that gaze for a brief moment. “Caramel wouldn’t admit any of this happened if you asked, he wants to move on… but I can’t, not with somepony twice his size and three times his power so close to him all the time…” He growled. “I can’t forget the way he was back then, and I don’t want him to go back…”

Big Macintosh let out a frustrated sigh, keeping his mouth shut as he kept eye contact until the other pulled his own away, looking down at his hooves.

“I… I let my guard down when I got my cutie mark…” Sage hissed, hitting his hoof down against the ground ever so gently. “I studied every day, staying late after school and staying up late every night… it wasn’t all at once but over time me and Caramel grew further and further apart.”

Sage swallowed hard, closing his eyes again. “I was selfish, I just wanted to leave that place so badly… I wanted to prove to her I wasn’t worthless…” He took a shaky breath. “A-After five years of taking stupid notes and getting perfect scores on every test I took, m-me and Caramel hardly spoke outside of home…”

Sage trembled slightly, keeping his breath held as he grumbled to himself words that were inaudible to Big Macintosh.

“We shared a room, we could practically read each other’s minds… but I still let him slip away from me.” Sage quietly spoke. “I… I let him think his existence was meaningless because I wasn’t there for him.”

Sage looked up at the other, glaring once more, his eyes looking misty. “D-Do you know how he f-felt when he told me… h-how he felt about stallions?” Sage asked, taking a step towards Big Macintosh, the steed himself briefly considering stepping back. “H-He was terrified and alone and ready to cry…” Sage bit his lip roughly, looking down once more so the other wouldn’t see his weakness. “A-And I couldn’t help him before that, I was so shocked by it… I ended up yelling at him…”

Sage took another shaky breath. “I yelled at him because I was confused and didn’t understand what any of it meant… I sounded like our mother, I know I did.” Sage shook his head back and forth, trying to clear his thoughts. “He apologized a lot… I remember that...” Sage whispered, trying to regain control over his emotions.

“Sage… Ah don’t know what…” Big Macintosh trailed off, finding no way to finish that sentence correctly. He sighed loudly, finding his hooves had dug themselves forcibly deep into the snow.

“I… I don’t want him to feel like that again…” Sage interrupted, looking up and into the other’s eyes. “I don’t want him alone and feeling worthless, I-I’ve spent the past four years just trying to fix what I screwed up on, I got him out of that place as fast as I could and now I’m supporting the both of us… I… I don’t want him to be afraid to tell me things like that anymore… I don’t want him to think I’ll yell or get angry just because it’s something different...” Sage kicked the slushy snow soaking his hoof.

“That’s why you needed to be alone for me to warn you… I don’t want him mixed up in any of this.” Sage stated, huffing out his air.

Big Macintosh nodded his head slowly. “Ah understand…” He spoke, looking down at Sage once more, the face the other was showing to hide his fears. “Ah’d tell ya Caramel is my best friend and that Ah’d never hurt him… but ya know that.” The steed sighed, turning away from the pained look the other was trying to hard to hide.

“R-Right…” Sage shakily spoke. “I’m just warning you in advance…”

“Ya already said that…” Big Macintosh mumbled quietly. “Earlier in fact, and Ah don’t need ta hear it again.”

“O-Oh yeah… right.” Sage turned from the other, flicking his tail once more. He appeared to be rather ruffled after that conversation, still trying to catch his breath. He frowned, touching his hoof to his chest briefly.

“I want to trust you…” Sage spoke, glancing behind him. “But I also need you to know what you’re getting into, not just with Caramel, but with me.” He looked downward. “Too Caramel… you aren’t a crush who he can’t have like the ones in the past…”

“Ah…” Big Macintosh shut his mouth, grumbling to himself as the words he wanted to say wouldn’t escape from his throat.

“You’re… Caramel’s escape from being worthless, whether he knows it or not.”

Big Macintosh looked up at Sage, the stallion stretching his legs as well as his neck. He seemed to no longer want to dwell on the past, at least not after spilling his fears.

“Thank you…” Big Macintosh spoke softly, closing his eyes. “For at least giving me a chance.”

Sage remained silent at those words, lowering his head briefly to regain himself.

“Let’s keep walking… Caramel should have his prescription by now.”

Caramel avoided Applejack’s gaze as he began to desperately look downward, digging one of his hooves into the cemented stone under him. He didn’t realize it at first, but he was indeed holding his breath. It didn’t take Celestia to know that memory was painful for him.

“So uh… what’s his name…?” Applejack murmured quietly, shaking her head. She looked up, her eyes lighting briefly as she continued speaking. “Sage... Sage and ya are on good terms again?”

Caramel let out his breath quickly, blushing gently as he took several long moments to put together his thoughts. He nodded quickly during this process, breathing in slowly.

“Sage apologized for it a lot after we made up…” Caramel spoke softly, rubbing his cheek gently as he continued to grip on his bag. “It took a few days of him avoiding me and then me avoiding him to get to that point though…”

“What made ya tell him in the first place?” Applejack questioned, scooting a single inch closer to the other. “Couldn’t ya just… Ah don’t know, keep it a secret?”

Caramel shook his head, breathing out heavily. “It isn’t like that when you have a secret like that…” The stallion murmured. “If you can’t tell anypony… you feel miserable… If you have a crush or get asked on a date… you get way too scared to act on any of those things…”

“What about yer folks… how’d they take it?” Applejack asked, almost nervous to ask the question itself.

“They… they never knew…”

The small stallion glanced towards the other as he spoke; she was looking away, down at her hooves. The stallion hunched over, using his saddle bags as a pillow, his medicine rattling in their bottles. “Big Mac is…” The other trailed off, pressing his muzzle to his bag, smelling his medicine along with wax crayon scents leaking through. “He’s the first time I’ve ever felt… normal.”

“Normal?” Applejack questioned, a puzzled expression on her face as she turned towards Caramel. “What makes ya say that?”

Caramel blushed gently as he continued looking at the other. “I don’t get worked up about little things any more…” He chuckled, pushing back his bangs with his free hoof. “It doesn’t build up and up throughout the day anymore…”

Applejack remained silent for a few moments, sighing audibly as she shook her head. “Ah ain’t got a clue what ta do…” She admitted, looking downward. “Ah… Ah don’t feel any better ‘bout this coltcuddlin’ thing… If Ah try and make up with him now… Ah might just push him away further…” She spoke, beginning to gently stroke her blond mane with her hooves.

Caramel shrugged slowly, his voice unsure as he spoke, “Big Mac is a lot different than me… he’s… stronger.” Caramel whispered, his lips stretching into a frown. “He always knows what to say…”

“He’s always been way too kind fer his own good.” Applejack laughed quietly, smiling gently. “He’d deny this if he was here, but he’s nothin’ but a big baby sometimes… He has this doll that he got from a friend of mine, Ah don’t think he ever sleeps without it since then.”

“I think he told me…” Caramel smiled again. “H-He is a lot different than what he comes off as… But I… like tha-“ Caramel ceased his words, blushing as he looked down. “S-Sorry… you don’t want to hear any of that…”

Applejack briefly pressed her ears to her mane before flicking them back up. “Sorry… Ah’m probably doin’ that whole bottlin’ up fer ya right now…” She huffed out a breath of air, her lungs providing a breath of smoke.

Caramel shrugged, however it was reluctant. “I… I guess…”

The mare took a deep breath, leaning backward and staring up at the sky, using her hoof to block out the sun. “Granny’s gonna have a fit when he comes home…” She mumbled quietly to herself before looking over at Caramel. “If you… come over again she’ll have a third one.”

The tan stallion nodded. “I expected that… a lot of ponies think like that… I’m a little surprised Mac didn’t…” Caramel murmured. “I’m still a little shocked about… last night.”

“Mac ain’t one ta judge for anythin’,” The orange mare spoke, the sounds of the fountain mixing the water behind her as she glanced towards its direction. “Even if it’s… like this.”

Caramel looked away once more, swallowing hard. “I’m sorry…” He mumbled. “You and your Granny wouldn’t be so angry with him if… If I didn’t ask to see him back then…”

Applejack sighed, glancing away as she began fiddling with her hooves, not able to argue against the other, for deep down she still wasn’t able to forgive him just yet.

“Ah think that ya should go home… Mac’s probably been waitin’ fer ya.” Said the mare, stroking her mane once more as she began pulling on its messy ends. “M-Maybe ya can talk on what yer gonna do…”

“R-Really?” Caramel asked, his eyes lighting up a brief moment before he forced them to die down.

“Y-Yeah… really…” Applejack nodded, biting her lip for a single second. “Ah ain’t ready ta talk ta him again… neither is Granny…” The mare tightened her grip on her mane briefly. “M-Maybe you two should just talk for a while too… you’ve both been yelled at by me, it’s the least Ah can allow…”

Caramel felt slightly uncomfortable at the way the other said “Allow” As if he needed her permission to see Big Mac this one time out of the dozen before. However he simply nodded his head.

“Your… brother is home today, right?” She questioned.

“He works night shift… but all day today he should be home.” Caramel answered, realizing that she was still uneasy leaving the two of them alone.

“Alright.” Applejack stated, confirming her thoughts with a nod. “Why don’t ya two just get things sorted out, Mac can come home later after Ah get a chance ta calm down Granny… Maybe then we can talk about what we can do here…”

“That’s… fine.” Caramel spoke uneasily. “B-But… I don’t think Mac would want ya too…” He trailed off, realizing the other was no longer fully listening to him.

Applejack hopped off of the fountain side, seeming a little relieved now that she had a set plan. She looked the other in the eye, her usual fire of passion back in her eyes.

Caramel sighed, sliding off of the fountain side himself, taking a moment to stretch his legs as he placed his saddle bag back on his back. He chose not to look at the other, for he still felt uneasy after her near interrogation.

“Ya should get goin’” Applejack spoke, her tone seeming to force the encouragement for her brother to meet with the earth pony once more. “Ya sure you two won’t be alone at yer place, right?”

“Yeah…” The tan stallion said, jumping slightly to adjust his bag. “We just planned to talk… I don’t think he’s really sure what we want to happen anyway…”

“Alrighty then.” Applejack spoke as she began to turn away. “Ah guess Ah’ll see ya later.” She began to walk slowly. “Oh, and m-make sure he’s home before yer brother leaves…”

“O-Okay…” Caramel spoke, feeling as if he were a young foal being ordered around by a bossy adult. He slung his hoof around his knee as he sighed, looking away as she trotted off quickly.

Caramel wondered briefly just how Big Macintosh was going to say when they finally spoke. He looked down at the slushy snow, shivering as the water soaked his hoof.

His chest tightened as he bit down on his teeth, closing his eyes briefly. He thought back to Big Macintosh’s kiss, how warm it made him feel despite the freezing temperatures. It was a nice thought to think back too…

He opened his eyes once more, realizing it was pointless to avoid it any longer. As much as he wanted a nice conversation with a happy outcome he began to question how possible that was at this point.

The tan stallion took a step in the direction of his house, trying his best to cling his mind to the way Big Mac smiled at him after the kiss, how happy he seemed just for the lack of rejection on his friend's part.

Caramel let a small smile creep on his face, beginning to feel hopeful for that happy ending he had been imagining for so long.

Confirmation

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"You and I were lovers... our dreams were not soured by life.”
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Melting Snow
Chapter 10: Confirmation

Caramel couldn’t help but find himself walking slower than usual down road of houses. He closed his eyes briefly as this dawned upon him, realizing that it couldn’t even be noon by now, for the shimmering sunlight was at half peak in the sky, beating down on his furry back as he walked against it.

The morning had felt much longer than it usually was, part in fact that he had such trouble sleeping and woke up two hours than usual of course. Looking back, the reason for his lack of a normal eight hours was only about five seconds in total of excitement and shock at Big Macintosh’s actions.

The tan stallion suddenly slid his tail between his back legs, feeling a knot tighten in his belly. He gnawed on his upper lip briefly as he began to wonder just how normal this conversation would be for the two of them. It wasn’t as if they could have a normal conversation just as friends anymore.

Caramel quickly sighed, wondering if he could even be friends with Big Macintosh if things went sour…

The stallion shook his head suddenly. “S-Shut up…” He spoke to himself, trying his best to block out his negative thoughts. It was an odd feeling for him to act on those emotions and block them out so suddenly. Perhaps it was because he felt he couldn’t afford to feel down on himself in this moment.

He glanced upward, looking in the direction of his house a good thirty feet away. His eyes widened as he saw Sage in front of it, sitting on the doorstep, his tail thumping gently on the ground, a look of mild annoyance visible even from the distance Caramel was at.

The young stallion looked puzzled for a moment as he sped up his pace, realizing that there were two sets of hoofprints going the direction he was walking. He noticed that Sage lifted both his head and hoof as he approached, waving at his brother with little emotion behind his actions.

“H-Hey Cara…” He spoke softly, making it hard for Caramel to hear him at the distance they were at. It was as if the unicorn was lost in thought.

Caramel stopped right before the pathway to his home, looking at Sage briefly before shrugging to himself, walking forward at a slower pace. A worried expression found itself on his face as he realized that Sage was still looking away from him.

“Sage?” Caramel inquired, walking through the slush of snow that nopony had bothered to plow that morning. As he approached his brother he realized that the other was slowly shaking his head, it reminded him of when the other used to try and think of answers when studying late into the night to questions he was unfamiliar with.

“Oh… sorry… just thinking…” Sage mumbled quietly, slinging a hoof around his leg as he looked at the other, his blue eyes giving off worry that his face was not showing.

“Why are you… outside?” Caramel questioned, tilting his head ever so slightly in question of the other. He let his muscles briefly relax, letting himself catch his breath over his walk home.

“Oh… nothing, just enjoying the warmth.” Sage chuckled, however it seemed far more forced than usual. It was true that it was warmer than it had been for an entire month, but the other didn’t seem to be out just to enjoy the warm mid-winter sunshine.

Caramel’s brow wrinkled, making it clear he was not satisfied with that answer. However he managed to quickly brush off the annoyance he was feeling in the pit of his belly, for Sage’s eyes distracted him once more.

“Sage… is something wrong…?” Caramel questioned, his words trailing off as Sage looked directly into his eyes, he seemed to be holding his breath, for he exhaled rather loudly.

“I sort of… ran into Big Macintosh… W-When I was getting coffee.” Sage spoke, slowly standing up to meet his brother at eye level once more, silently stretching his legs one by one. “He was getting a morning cup on his way here, and we ended up walking home together… we talked a bit though…”

“B-Big Mac’s here?” Caramel piped up, his voice higher than usual as his front hooves began to get jittery. They gently stamped against the ground, slow enough to not draw Sage’s eyes to them. The stallion however couldn’t manage to hide the blush that unknowingly appeared on his cheeks. “I-Is he okay? H-He didn’t seem upset that I wasn’t here did he?” The stallion fired off both fear and excitement running through his veins. “I-I don’t think I showered this morning… O-Oh horse apples…” His ears pressed to his scalp as he quietly examined his body. "O-Oh yeah... I-I n-need to talk to him a-about Applejack too..." He mumbled to himself, his words growing less excited.

“Calm down Cara, I just asked him to light the fire up for when you got home.” Sage spoke, reaching out his hoof, setting it gently on his brother’s shoulder, which forced the other to stop his examination. However it didn’t stop his front hooves from being a tad restless, to run or to hurry in he had no idea which at the moment.

Caramel bit his lip, digging his teeth deep into his furry skin as he began sighing in audible annoyance. “O-Okay…” He mumbled, admitting to being a little too excitable at the situation. “D-Did he seem… okay?” He quickly questioned, eyes lighting up with curiosity at his own question.

“Yeah… he seemed fine.” Sage responded, looking downward to kick the snow under his hooves. “He talked a lot about you though, that’s mainly what we talked about.”

“A-About… me?” Caramel asked, knowing that his fur would no longer be able to hide his blush, so he simply looked away from Sage, not wanting to meet his gaze. He quickly looked upward however, attempting to take a step towards the door.

Caramel paused briefly, watching how Sage’s muscles seemed to tighten briefly, almost as if he were blocking the way into the house. He was about to ask why his brother would do such a thing, and why he seemed to be acting so odd… however he was cut off before he had been given the chance to take a breath.

“L-Look, Caramel… B-Big Mac…” Sage began, his words less organized than usual, more shaky than the earth pony was used to. “D-Did you get your medication like I told you?” He quickly changed the subject.

“Yeah…” Caramel spoke softly, unsure of how to answer that. “I always get a refill every other week… It’s not like I ever forget.” He tilted his head. “Are you… okay?” He asked, mild worry in his tone.

“You already asked that… a-and yeah it’s just…” Sage seemed to grow uneasy, trying his best to stall by taking deep breaths. “Big Mac… he’s sort of…” The unicorn closed his eyes briefly. “A-Are you sure that you… want to go through with this?” He questioned his brother, cracking open his eye to stare at the other in a questioning glance.

“What?” Caramel asked, mild frustration along with confusion seeping through his tone.

“Well… it’s just that…” Sage paused briefly before continuing. “If you don’t feel comfortable or anything… y-y’know you can just tell me, and I’ll make him go away.” Sage nodded his head, as if confirming this was indeed what he wanted to say. “I-I mean… if he’s mean to you or makes you upset… I could always…”

“What are you talking about?” Caramel interrupted his brother, a puzzled expression plastered on his face. “W-Where is all of this coming from? I-I already said before that…” The stallion looked down, biting his cheek. “He made me feel… h-happy…”

Sage held his breath, looking at his brother’s cheeks as they tinted a light shade of pink once more, one he knew Caramel wanted to hide behind, for the stallion buried his face in his scarf.

“Caramel… I just…”

Just as Sage was about to speak, the usual creak of his front door began to start up once more, Big Macintosh popping his head out quickly. “We needed more fire…” He trailed off, his breath becoming caught in his throat as he saw the other stallion. “Caramel…”

Caramel shot his head up, eyes lighting up at the sight of the other. It was clear he was smiling even beneath the scarf that covered his face. As he wriggled out of it his smile came into spotlight. He seemed to completely ignore his brother, talking through him as he greeted the other, his raspy voice breaking out in unexpected joy.

“Mornin’ to ya too.” Big Macintosh chuckled, smiling happily, his face towering above Sage’s, making him seem ever bigger than usual on size comparison alone. “Sorry, the fire ain’t goin’ yet, Ah gotta get some more fire wood from out back. It’s still in the same spot?”

The earth pony nodded. “Y-Yeah, I can show you.” He spoke happily, his tail briefly wagging much in the manor of an excited puppy.

Sage could hear Big Macintosh chuckle behind him. “C’mon Sugar Cube, Ah need help carryin’ it all anyway.” The steed bluntly lied, nodding towards the woodpile in the far end of the yard.

“W-Wait.” Sage suddenly found his voice, watching as the two stallions turned to look at him and away from the wood pile in unison, almost as if they had been trained to do so. Big Macintosh stared blankly while Caramel gave his usual puzzled expression.

“Somethin’ wrong?” Big Macintosh asked from behind him, his voice almost surprised that there was actually a pony standing between them.

Sage looked to Caramel before glancing at the steed behind him. He could see the red steed attempt to hide his emotion, but it was obvious from his eyes that were brimming with a happiness he hadn’t seen all that morning that he was happy to see his friend.

“N-Nothing…” Sage muttered, shaking his head slowly. “Sorry, I’m just standing in the way… aren’t I?” He asked, stepping to the side after a brief second of hesitation. He held his breath as he watched Big Macintosh walk past him, lifting his hoof to ruffle Caramel’s mane.

The blush that came across Caramel’s face as he giggled happily was obvious… it was the first time in a while the unicorn had seen the other be so open about his emotions with another pony.

“Y-Yeah… standing in the way…” Sage sighed, his tail trapping itself between his legs.

“Say something?” Caramel asked, his stupid grin still on his face.

“O-Oh…” Sage trailed off. “I-I said I’m gonna go to my room and… g-get ready for work…” The unicorn nodded, feeling a knot tighten in his chest. “Y-You two deserve some… time alone.”

“Okay!” Caramel spoke in an excited tone, as if he were a child getting permission to play with his friends.

Sage watched as both Caramel and Big Macintosh turned, not really talking, simply enjoying each other’s presence. The unicorn sighed audibly, slowly turning his own body back towards the household.

It was time for him to get out of Caramel’s way… at least for a while.

The soft warm waves of the flickering fire gently pushed against his body, causing both the red steed’s fur and skin begin to feel a tad uncomfortable in at such a close distance to the growing flames. He couldn’t help but make a face of mild annoyance as he prodded his hoof against of the larger logs near the top, causing a brief pop of crackling sparks to fly upwards, only missing his hoof by his quick reflexes.

“The fire feels nice…” The quiet voice of the stallion behind him spoke up. The steed glanced in the direction of the voice, watching Caramel’s blue eyes glance away from him, a clear tint of pink on his face. He watched as the other’s mind seemed to begin struggling to find something to talk about now that his friend was looking at him.

“I… I uh…” Caramel began, shifting uncomfortable on the fluffy rug. He looked at the floor for a mere moment before finding the courage to look in the direction of the other once more, however only as high as Big Macintosh’s chest. “Do you think so? Or do you prefer the cold...?”

“Hmm…” Big Macintosh spoke up, pressing a hoof to his chin in thought. “Feels a lot better than outside.” He decided on; scooting back several feet as he decided the fire no longer needed his attention to stay aflame.

The tan stallion nodded, dragging his hoof back and forth along the carpet as Big Macintosh scooted closer to him. He looked away from the other yet again, glad that the steed had at least left a good two feet between them.

“Sorry… I don’t really know what I’m supposed to say…” Caramel admitted, tugging on a strand of the rug. “I feel… about the same as the first couple times we talked together.”

“How’s that?” Big Macintosh inquired, giving his friend a look of questioning.

Caramel glanced towards Big Macintosh, focusing his eyes on the other’s large cutie mark. “Nervous,” He began, “Like an idiot… I keep thinking I need to talk or you’ll think I’m boring or not worth your time… and then I realize you aren’t saying anything either so I feel even stupider for trying to start a conversation…”

“We can’t exactly just go and talk like usual, huh?” Big Macintosh questioned, watching as Caramel nervously tugged on the fluffy strands of white carpet. He sighed, rubbing his ginger mane with his hoof to ruffle it a bit as he glanced around the living room.

Caramel shook his head, that action inviting a good long while of silence. That silence giving the red steed enough time to focus his hearing enough to hear Sage fiddle around in his bedroom, opening drawers and checking his bags. It wasn’t exactly easy to have a meaningful conversation with somepony who could likely hear their every word.

“When I went to go and get my medication…” Caramel began, catching the attention of the steed once more as he began to gently rub his front leg. “I had to stop for a little because I was getting really tired… a-and I ran into Applejack.”

Big Macintosh could feel a sudden knot tighten in his belly as he watched Caramel look increasingly uncomfortable. The muscles in his legs tightened as he looked down at his hooves, hanging his head.

“A-Ah’m sorry Sugar Cube…” Big Macintosh’s words grew quieter with each word. “Did she yell at ya?” He asked, looking into the eyes of the other with worry in his tone. He couldn’t help but reach out his hoof to the other, brushing it against Caramel’s own. “Are ya alright?”

Caramel nodded, looking at the hoof rubbing against his own. “She was a little angry at first… but she calmed down really quick…” He slowly brought his hoof away from Big Macintosh’s, holding it to his chest. “She… got really angry at you, right?” He questioned.

“Eeyup…” Big Macintosh quietly adjusted his seating position as he spoke, the warmth of the fire burning his back like a warm ray of sunshine. He frowned as he looked at Caramel, the stallion seeming increasingly uncomfortable. “B-But Caramel, that ain’t what Ah care ‘bout right now.”

“She… told me…” Caramel began. “She told me that she lost her temper with you… and she asked me a lot of things that I couldn’t answer… like what I did to make you like this, or why you were interested in me of all ponies…”

The tan stallion frowned, sighing loudly as he put a hoof to his temple, rubbing in circles in an attempt to think clearly. “And it’s all because we kissed.” He stated, his tone not even bothering to ask, for he already knew that was the reason. He looked to Big Macintosh, meeting his emerald green eyes at last. They were still so warm and understanding like usual. It made his chest hurt to look at them for too long. It wasn’t a painful feeling that his chest gave him… just uncomfortable.

“I’m sorry.” He managed to speak clearly, his voice a small whisper.

“Sugar Cube, ya ain’t got-“ Big Mac’s words were cut off as Caramel looked away from him, beginning to speak under his breath.

“I thought it kept thinking it might stop feeling like this if I gave it a while…” Caramel trailed off, looking away from the other, digging his hoof into the carpet and running it back and forth in mechanical fashion. “I… I can’t stop thinking about how much I liked it…”

“L-Liked it?” Big Macintosh responded, curiosity in his voice.

The tan stallion knew his face was slowly lighting up as he closed his eyes. “E-Even after Applejack told me that your whole family is mad with you… a-and even though I know that you don’t even know how you feel about stallions yet… I-I keep thinking about things like how much I liked you kissing me…” The stallion opened his eyes again; however he refused to look in Big Mac’s direction. “I keep thinking if my mane looks okay o-or if I’m acting weird when you talk to me… A-All because I want you to like me.” Caramel frowned as he looked at his hooves. “I can’t even help it… it’s just the first thing that I think about if I’m going to see you…”

“Sugar Cube… Ah…” Big Macintosh couldn’t help but frown at Caramel’s words, the tan stallion visibly becoming more and more upset. The steed scooted himself closer until he was beside Caramel. However the younger looked away, both out of embarrassment and out of annoyance.

“A-And I hate feeling like that!” The stallion snapped to himself, his legs visibly shaking. “I feel selfish.” He grumbled under his breath. “All last night and this morning I couldn’t stop thinking about wanting to see you… wanting you to kiss me again.” The earth pony wrapped his hoof around his chest.

Big Macintosh began, watching as the earth pony spoke quietly, his voice becoming frantic with itself, more upset as his body shook every few moments.

“I want to be with you.” Caramel stated, trying to keep his shaky voice calm, which proved to be quite hard. “Even though I know that everypony is g-going to treat you weirdly and your family is just going to be angry with you… All I can think about is what it would be like to be like that with you…”

It took Big Macintosh a good five seconds of dead silence between the two before he managed to reach out his hoof, plopping it directly on top of Caramel’s head. He watched as the stallion jumped, slowly turning his head to look at the steed. His eyes were wide, clearly watering up. The tears might very well have spilled over had he not been stopped in time.

“Ya shouldn’t think ‘bout that.” Big Macintosh spoke softly, gently running his hoof over Caramel’s mane, the locks of brown hair entangling themselves into his fur. “Ya should only focus on what ya want right now, not what wanting it does ta everypony.”

Caramel nodded slowly, his leg rising up to rub angrily at his eyes. He sniffled once, his body still shaking. Big Mac’s voice felt increasingly understanding as it worked its way into his ears.

“I don’t want a random stallion.” Caramel stated, his hoof once again pulling on the fluffy carpet. “I never thought about dating or having friends that I kept in contact with or even living all that much before I met you… b-but now that I have it’s all I can think about.” He frowned, tightening the muscles in his leg. “And you’re the only one I can think about like that.”

“When Ah first saw ya earlier, did Ah look upset or sad?” The steed questioned, now running his hoof down Caramel’s leg, grasping it in his own for a moment until the muscles loosened.

The tan stallion shook his head back and forth, pulling his hoof away from the others. “No… y-you kind of looked happy… So was I, but I couldn’t help it… I don’t know how you could though, your whole life seems like it’s being torn apart because of…”

“Don’t say “me”” Big Macintosh ordered, his voice stern as he looked directly into the eyes of the other. “Ah looked happy because it was ya who Ah saw… and Ah won’t forgive ya if ya keep blamin’ yerself fer everything that’s happened.” The steed sighed, rubbing his forehead with his hoof. "Look Cara... Ah kissed ya."

Caramel glanced at the other, a light blush blending in with his fur as he nodded, both in agreement and understanding at the stallion's words. "You... you did..." He agreed, his tone bitter as he said so. "B-But you..."

"Ya know when ya come ta visit?" Big Macintosh spoke up, cutting off the younger mid-sentence as he began speaking, continuing before Caramel even managed to answer.

"When ya come ta visit... yer usually so worried 'bout what yer gonna say ta me." Big Macintosh began to speak, staring at the other stallion with both stern and understanding eyes. "Ya stutter sometimes and try not ta look at me too much when ya come over so suddenly." He chuckled, shaking his head back and forth. "But the second Ah start sayin' somethin' like Ah'd be happy ta spend time with ya... yer eyes get real bright and happy..."

The stallion looked at the other with wide eyes, simply staring and listening as he watched the other smile lightly, the look he was getting showing much more emotion out of the steed than usual.

"Yer the first pony in a long time who made me wanna talk ta him." Big Macintosh spoke with certainty in his voice. "Somethin' 'bout ya gettin' so happy just cause I said what Ah was thinkin' made me... happy too." The steed's smile grew increasingly sheepish as his eyes slowly drew themselves away from the other.

"Happy..." Caramel spoke the word to himself, pressing his hoof against his belly. "Do I... really make you feel like that?" He questioned with uncertainty in his voice.

"Eeyup." Big Macintosh responded, his tone a little louder than usual. "Last night... it was special." He admitted, reaching out his hoof to rub it against the other's leg. "S-Somethin' 'bout the way ya looked or acted just made me feel... more confident in what Ah did..."

Caramel smiled as the other's hoof brushed against him. He couldn't help but scoot a few inches closer to the other, finding comfort in the fact that Big Macintosh was still so close to him and still trying to comfort him. "M-Mac... you're a lot more talkative today..." He mumbled.

“Ah’m only doin’ it because ya are actin’ like a featherbrain.” Big Macintosh teased, pulling away his hoof slowly. “Ya ain’t the only one who ain’t got a gosh darn clue how ta handle all the things he’s feelin’. It ain’t like Ah can stop bein’ happy when Ah see ya any more than ya can.”

“R-Really?” Caramel questioned, trying his best to hold back both excitement and hungry curiosity. It felt difficult to hold it back now that he knew Big Macintosh enjoyed it so much...

The steed smiled a gentle smile, nodding his head. “It ain’t a one sided crush on yer end… remember, ya ain’t the one who kissed me.” He nodded his head. “Ah wasn’t thinkin’ ‘bout what my sister would think or my Granny would say if they found out.” Big Macintosh watched Caramel look at him, knowing full well that his white freckles were slowly blending in with his fur as he spoke. “All Ah could think of was… how right it felt ta kiss Caramel..."

Caramel looked away from the direction of the stallion at those words, but it was clear from the look on his face that he was overly happy with them. “I… I felt the same…” He admitted, suddenly wishing he had kept on his scarf simply to hide his goofy smile. “Everything I do with you feels way more important than it should...”

“This whole thing ain’t just… some way of seein’ if Ah like stallions.” Big Macintosh spoke aloud, speaking directly to Caramel, not trying to convince himself. “It ain’t some tour of all Ah could be havin’… Ah’m still here and still feelin’ like this because… because Ah like ya… not fer yer body or yer looks… but because I feel this way about Caramel.”

Caramel could feel his chest tighten with a joy he hadn’t experienced in quite this amount before. He felt as though his body would burst as he feebly tried to make his mouth say a single word. However when he opened it, the only thing that managed to make itself out was a nervous laugh.

Big Mac smiled at him, a chuckle on his words as well, which in turn only made it more and more difficult for the small stallion to speak. He felt his breath get caught in his throat.

“Ah ain’t used ta being so… open…” The steed admitted, rubbing his mane once more, as if to make sure it didn’t somehow become neat. “But… that’s how I really feel. Ah guess it's better ta say it all then ta just keep it in... Ah really don’t care ‘bout what my family thinks right now… Ah love em more than anythin’ but Ah…”

The steed looked into the fire, the warmth seeming to burn his eyes. “Ah wanna be with ya enough ta not care.”

“I… I uh…” Caramel’s the other off with sudden stuttering words. He seemed to be in shock by words alone. The steed briefly wondered if those words were too extreme for their relationship at this point….

Big Macintosh could feel his breath become caught in his throat as Caramel's body suddenly leaned up against him at an amazingly bold speed, two hesitant legs tenderly brushing up against his sides. The steed couldn't help but blush as Caramel hugged him, pressing his face into his chest and nuzzling softly. It was sudden, but not unexpected.

"Rare fer ya ta do things first..." The Steed mumbled, placing his hoof on Caramel's back.

Caramel let out a gasp of built up worry free, as if he had just achieved something amazing by doing something so rash. “S-Sorry, I just… Y-You’re so… I really wanted too…” The steed looked down, pressing his forehead to the other’s chest.

“Thank you…”

Big Macintosh managed to simply smile, realizing that no more words needed to be spoken between the two of them. He simply enjoyed the other’s breath on his chest be short and nervous as the stallion slowly managed to shift his actions from nervous to content.

The steed tightened his muscle-bound legs around the other, feeling his breath pause as he grinned happily, taking in both Caramel’s warmth and scent into his body.

The steed loosened his grip as he placed his hoof gently on Caramel’s cheek, watching as the other pulled away ever so slightly to look up at him, the fur on his face being brushed back and forth by such a gentle hoof.

Big Macintosh couldn’t seem to help himself as he leaned his head down, pressing his lips firmly against Caramel’s own.

It felt even better than the first time this had happened, for there was little surprise as the steed managed to rip his newfound breath right from Caramel’s throat and somehow still give him the strength to carry onward. Only when Caramel thought he would pass out from lack of air did the other pull away, instantly pressing his lips against the stallion’s nose.

Caramel couldn’t help but giggle helplessly when he finally caught his breath, simply overjoyed for what felt like the first time since the previous night. It was a simply fantastic feeling. The worry from before had nearly vanished from his system, being replaced by an unusually joyful feeling in his system.

Big Macintosh pulled away, his hooves sadly leaving Caramel’s cheeks. He was smiling too, a smile that he might not have even been aware of if his cheeks hadn’t began to ache.

“You’re… Very special to me…” Caramel began, resting his face peacefully against the steed’s chest, not embarrassed by his reddened cheeks for one of the first times in his life. “I hope you know that.”

Author's Note

Whoops, this chapter is shorter than usual. Well, better to have short and sweet than long and drawn out.

Horseshoes

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"How exactly… are you supposed to do this?”
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Melting Snow
Chapter 11: Horseshoes

The falling of snow around his body made the large steed feel as though the hope of an early spring had been a false one. No trace of Ponyville’s melting snow had been left on the farmland of Sweet Apple Acres, as if it was all a distant memory by this point. While the snow itself hadn’t yet begun piling up quite yet, it still seemed to confirm that winter itself was going to stick around for a while longer.

The sky itself wasn’t exactly dark just yet, but it was still past the warm light of morning and was on a quick road to mid evening. It had a slight orange tint to it behind the snow clouds, a sign on a day getting ready to hang up its hat. The red steed found himself shuddering silently as he began to rub his hooves together, flicking his tail to knock out the several drops of water that had collected in it. The brief warmth of the previous week seemed to be a distant memory at this point.

Big Macintosh couldn’t help but sigh, wondering just how stressful Winter Wrap up was going to be for the small town of Ponyville this year. While he himself hadn’t experienced the effects of working under such weather, it wasn’t exactly uncommon for several ponies to become sick during the process and need to go home.

He looked down at his own hooves, which kept impatiently drawing circles in the thin sheet of snow under him. His body fidgeted every few moments as he bit his lip, a single thought coming to him mind as his eyes glazed over.

Big Macintosh really missed Caramel...

“Big Mac?”

The stallion blinked, slowly turning his head around as he looked inside the small orange chicken coop, staring blankly at the small yellow filly, her own pink scarf wrapped firmly around her neck as she stared back at him. The sight of her brought his head out of the clouds at the very least.

“Hmm?” The steed responded, focusing his attention on his younger sister and removing it from the icy world around him.

The filly sighed, looking down as she began to tap her hoof on the hardwood floor. She seemed to be mumbling something under her breath; however the steed didn’t manage to catch it over the constant noise of chicken’s around her. He paused a moment when her eyes met his again before raising a brow and tilting his head in question.

“Say that again, Sugar Cube.” The steed spoke, bringing a hoof up to his ear in an attempt to hear her more clearly.

Apple Bloom sighed, beginning to fiddle with her bow as she spoke. “C-Could ya… let me stand on yer back to get the last eggs?” She questioned, her cheeks blushing gently. “Ah forgot ta grab the ladder before we went out.”

Big Macintosh remained silent for a moment, watching his little sister avert her gaze from his own. She didn’t look at him again until he slowly stood up, taking a moment to stretch his tired legs.

The steed dropped his head as he walked into the small room. He held out his hoof to pick up his sister, plopping her on his back in one swoop. He could feel her hooves dig into his back as she attempted to steady herself… she was a lot bigger than he last remembered.

“Any reason ya didn’t wanna just go and get it?” The steed questioned the filly wobbling on his back as she struggled to reach out her hoof to collect the eggs from the chickens placed higher up in the coop. Big Macintosh tapped his hoof with mild impatience, wondering in the back of his mind why he was so antsy.

He could almost hear Apple Bloom bite her own tongue as he body froze. She reached back her hoof with no egg in it. Big Macintosh looked at her the best he could from the current angle he was positioned at, noticing that she was quietly running her hoof through her mane.

“Everypony’s actin’... weird all week.” She stated, turning to look at her brother with a mildly worried expression on her face.

“Every time yer in the room things get real quiet… A-And AJ woke me up yelling at ya a couple days ago… she never yells at us…” The filly mumbled, her body slowly sinking until she was laying on her brother’s back, much in a similar way Caramel had done weeks ago.

“Apple Bloom… Ah…” Big Macintosh trailed off, looking at the confusion in his sister’s eyes. She began to shake her head, as if trying to shake off the feeling itself. “It ain’t anythin’ ya did, ya know that, right Sugar Cube?”

“Ah know!” Apple Bloom’s voice raised a tad higher than she expected it to as she looked at her brother. “Ah just… Ah don’t get it…” She spoke softly as she pulled gently on her bright pink bow. “A-Apples never fight… never!”

“Everypony acts weird when Ah’m in the room and ya aren’t now…” The yellow filly began pressing her hooves nervously on Big Macintosh’s rough back, tugging gently on the fur as if to keep her grounded. “Granny Smith always asks me if ya walked ta get me from school with that stallion…”

“Caramel?” Big Macintosh questioned, already knowing the pony in mind. Well it was true, Granny Smith had been trying her best to make sure she kept tabs on her grandson’s love life at the currently moment… maybe she was concerned that Apple Bloom might see something she didn’t approve of.

The steed looked at the yellow filly before he held his breath, realizing Apple Bloom was suddenly struggling to keep on his back as he shifted his weight from one hoof, his hoof tapping as his mind drifted to Caramel. He could feel his cheeks flush as he realized just how antsy he was at the thought of the stallion.

Apple Bloom nodded her head, sighing loudly in a bag of frustration and annoyance at the situation before she steadied herself on the steed's spine. “Everypony keeps actin’ weird when they talk ‘bout him… he seemed nice, did he do somethin’ bad?”

Big Macintosh found his head shaking before Apple Bloom had even finished. No, Caramel hadn’t done anything wrong, even in his family’s eyes he couldn’t be responsible for starting this chaotic downward spiral.

“Ah’m sorry Sugar Cube…” The steed spoke, reaching back his hoof to gently rub his hoof over his sister’s cheek. “We ain’t tryin’ ta make ya feel so out of the loop… It ain’t fair ta ya.”

“Ya look really happy when Caramel visits…” Apple bloom stated with a curious expression on her face, looking into the emerald eyes of her brother. “Is Caramel your best friend…?” She mumbled, pressing her snout to Big Mac’s solidly built back.

Big Macintosh took a deep breath as he looked away from the yellow filly, removing his hoof from her cheek as he exhaled that breath. “Caramel is just…” He paused a moment, holding his tongue as he thought about his next words.

“Caramel’s just… special to me…” Big Macintosh settled on, biting down on his lip. “L-Look, Ah don’t want ya ta worry ‘bout me.” He stated in an attempt to quickly change the subject, letting the quiet clucking of chickens fill his mind for a few moments. “Me and Granny are just havin’ a little disagreement… AJ is just kind of caught in the middle of it… It’ll blow over eventually…” He spoke, a tad bit of hope in his tone. “Why don’t ya let me finish yer chores, didn’t ya say that yer friends wanted ta go play before dinner?”

Apple Bloom seemed a little irritated at how her brother seemed to dodge the subject of Caramel. She sighed audibly as she nodded, carefully sliding off of her brothers body, landing with a wobble as she quickly straightened out her legs, flicking her tail.

“Ah don’t get grown ups…” She mumbled quietly as she turned away from her brother, a little of her usual self in her tone as she tightened her scarf and headed out of the coop.

It wasn’t before Big Mac had collected even a single egg that he heard his name be called by that same young filly voice. It didn’t sound frantic not distressed, so he didn’t rush in grabbing the egg his hoof was headed towards and plopping it in his bucket.

The steed set the bucket down gently, making sure to calm the chicken he had just stolen from with a gentle pet before he poked his head out of the coop once more, his hooves crunching on snow instead of the creaking wood. He glanced at his sister in question as she looked to him.

Apple Bloom simply lifted her hoof, pointing out into the distance, which Mac quickly followed with his eyes, realizing she was pointing in the direction of the pathway that led back to town. His eyes took a moment to adjust beyond the few flakes of snow before his eyes before he did indeed notice a pony walking towards the farm.

Big Macintosh didn’t realize his heart was suddenly beating faster until it registered in his mind that the stallion in the distance had a distinct tan colored coat. He managed to keep his face expressionless as he realized Apple Bloom was looking at him.

“Ah uh…” The red steed began before looking at the other. “W-Wait here a jiffy..."

He didn’t bother to watch his sister’s reaction as he began walking in the direction of the other, feeling a smile creep up on his face unexpectedly as he sped up his step ever so slightly. The sight of Caramel warmed his heart, it felt as though it was the best thing to happen him all week. He could see Caramel notice him, lifting his hoof in a nervous wave before walking towards him as well. It was a near straight shot; the only thing in his way was a stray bucket that he almost felt necessary to jump over.

The closer the stallion got, the more he realized that Caramel’s lips were moving ever so slightly… as if he was speaking to himself. His eyes were also darting every few moments, closing a few moments as he shook his head, widening as he smiled gently. He squirmed in place, the rattling of plastic audible from his saddle bags.

“Erm… Sugar Cube?” The steed questioned, getting close enough so the other was in earshot before he began speaking. He watched at the other jumped, appearing to snap out of a daze before looking up at the other with a nervous smile on his face.

“M-Mac… good to see you…” Caramel spoke as his smile grew. He was constantly shifting weight from one hoof to the next, a little jitterier than his usual self. He looked down a moment, mouthing something once more that looked to be the same words over and over. His eyes glanced towards the barn, as if attempting to grasp a few more seconds to rehearse whatever he was mumbling.

“Somethin’ wrong?” The red pony spoke to the other in a soft voice. He wasn’t really sure how to talk to him at this moment… he didn’t seem distressed, just nervous… but he was still smiling.

“O-Oh… yeah…” Caramel spoke, looking at the other with a brief moment of determination as he flicked his tail. “T-There’s this… Erm… place in Ponyville…” He spoke with a nod of his head as his eyes began to brighten. “It’s a restaurant… It’s a little fancy… W-Well not too fancy… I-It just opened this week, so it’ll be a little crowded, but Sage ate there with his co-workers for a meeting and said it was really good so I just…” Caramel rambled on briefly before pausing with a shake of his head. “No, that isn’t what I wanna talk about…”

Big Macintosh continued to stare at the other with mild confusion on his face that he didn’t feel the need to hold back, because he honestly had no idea what Caramel was trying to get across at this point.

“Do you think that… we could go there… t-tonight?” The stallion questioned him, holding his breath as he finished his words. “I-I’ll pay, promise.”

“Ah… guess… Gotta tell my family Ah won’t be here t’night though.” Big Macintosh spoke to the other slowly, still trying to process in his head why Caramel was so jittery about asking something like…

The steed could feel the other suddenly press his lips against his lips. It was both unexpected and a tad heart-warming to the stallion, at least enough to make him jump. It was a little too rough for comfort, but the inexperience was a little charming to the older. He couldn’t help but feel his cheeks blush as it happened… and before he could even kiss back, the stallion pulled away with a happy giggle.

“I-It’s a date then!” He said in a joyful tone.

“O-Oh…” The steed mumbled to himself, feeling a tad silly for not actually noticing he was being asked out until this very moment. He placed a hoof to his nose to feel the spot where Caramel had kissed him, hoping that his blush didn't stand out in this snowfall. “A-Ah guess it is…”

The earth pony blinked at the other, feeling his chest tighten at the unusual boldness that his friend had in him today. He hadn’t actually been able to see Caramel since their said their farewells the previous week, for he had been far too busy dealing with both his family and giving everything enough time to settle down before he went to see Caramel.

“S-So, d-do you wanna leave now… I could come back in a little while and…” Caramel began, but before he could get any further the steed cut him off.

“Now’s fine… just gotta go and get some things from the house…” He smiled gently at the other, reaching out his hoof to ruffle his mane. “Don’t wanna go on our date unprepared…” He spoke softly.

The steed couldn't contain his smile seeing Caramel's face light up pink over that. Saying the word "date" like this felt odd on his tongue referring to a stallion, but the release his heart gave as Caramel's own features seemed to warm and flush against the cold, white snow reassured Mac that this was what he wanted.

“Be back soon.” The steed spoke before turning away from the other, letting his hoof fall from the mane.

Big Macintosh couldn't help but glimpse over to the tan stallion hiking beside him every few moments, the winter wonderland they were currently trudging through caused Caramel to stand out even more than usual to him. His hooves nearly tripped over themselves a few times simply because he couldn't help but stare longer than needed at his...

The steed actually did manage to pull his gaze away at that thought, unsure of how to complete that train of thought. He decided to shake the feeling off, gazing away from Caramel for a change as he watched the tree's become more and scarcer the further they walked. He hadn't seen an apple tree in quite some time, most trees currently being pine or oak as they trotted down the snowy pathway marked only by the small blades of grass poking up near the edges of the road.

The red earth pony looked straight ahead of him, spotting the first signs of civilization through the quickly darkening skies, sighing quietly to himself, not realizing until this very moment just how eager he was to get off of the farm. Strange, he usually felt quite the opposite when coming to town.

He picked up his pace ever so slightly; making sure Caramel could still keep up as they passed a normal home, its hay covered roof dripping with a small pile of snow. The steed looked ahead with a small smile, happy to see the large Celestia statue and fountain before them as they quickly entered the town square of Ponyville.

"Erm..." Caramel's voice was smaller than usual as he suddenly spoke, pulling Big Macintosh's gaze away from the outside world and back to the two's small little bubble. He watched Caramel look at him, try to form words before he slowed his pace down, Big Macintosh soon following him. "D-Did I come at a bad time? T-To ask you out I mean..." He questioned with a gentle frown on his face.

Big Macintosh looked questionably at the other, tilting his head slightly to the side, his lips forming a frown as he shook his head, answering Caramel with a simple "Nope.", shaking his head back and forth, feeling his mane whip around.

Caramel walked slowly, sighing audibly as he flicked his tail in mild frustration, letting a soft whinny loose from his lips. "O-Okay..." He answered, nodding to himself. Perhaps he was trying to assure himself of something, whatever it was he seemed to be keeping it to himself. "That's good..."

"Ah was actually real happy ta see ya." The steed grinned at the other, taking a step closer to him as he leaned his head down to look more directly in the other's eyes. "Took everythin' Ah had ta keep from runnin' ta ya."

The stallion's eyes shot to the steed's in a moment of brief excitement that he soon forced down, making sure he didn't seem to anxious to get such a positive answer. He forced himself to look out of those eyes, knowing he would only start blushing again if he looked into them for too long. He however couldn't help but give a pleased grin.

"That's good..." He mumbled quietly, shifting weight from hoof to hoof, altering his course slightly, taking a right turn, the other following quickly as he led the way down a row of shops and restaurants. "I was real worried about it because I know you said that we should wait for things to cool down before doing anything together, and I wasn't sure if a week was enough... I know that your family'll take some time to get used to anything..." He rambled on, speaking quickly as he did so, forcing himself to stop before he had changed topics completely.

"They ain't used to it yet." The steed answered with a forced, dry chuckle, followed by a frown. "Ah don't think anypony's mad at ya though, or me... Granny's just kinda upset by the whole thing in general..."

Caramel nodded in understanding, not able to keep a slightly disappointing expression from fading onto his face. He was actually hoping he could visit Big Macintosh a little closer to his house in the near future instead of hoping the other was outside. "What... did you end up telling them?" He questioned.

"Ah told em that it wasn't any of their business." Big Macintosh answered with little emotion in his tone. "When they complained Ah told them that if Ah was happy havin' a... special somepony it didn't matter..."

The steed blew air out of his nose in mild frustration, however it was soon ripped away as he heard Caramel giggle unexpectedly. He glanced over with a baffled expression on his face before he saw the excited expression the other was holding. He could see the other's cheeks glow rose in the light of the falling snow around them as he managed to force back how nervous he was just from being called the steed's "Special Somepony".

He noticed Caramel glance at him, his expression turning from a joyful grin to a sheepish one. He seemed to be trying his best to bottle up his emotions at the moment. He looked at Big Macintosh quickly before glancing straight ahead, waving working both himself and Big Macintosh a few stray ponies walking around "W-We're here..." He near whispered, slowing his pace down.

Big Macintosh glanced forward, spotting a sign sticking out not far in front of them saying simply "Hay and Oats". The place itself didn't look all that fancy, for it was wedged in between two other buildings with less than a foot separating them. It had a fresh coat of dark blue paint, a large "Grand Opening" sticker visible on one of the front windows.

When the steed looked down, he realized they had already trotted up to the door, and Caramel was walking quickly past him, forcing him to stop suddenly, leaving an awkward track in the snow that dragged several inches. He watched as Caramel trotted over to the door, opening it before looking at Big Macintosh with a nervous expression but excited and joyful eyes. He held the door open for the steed, nodding his head inward for him to go into.

Big Macintosh smiled gently at the other, feeling himself blush with a grin on his face as Caramel looked away from him. "M-Mac, you're blushing..." He mumbled quietly with an undeniable smile. "Y-You don't normally do that..."

The steed chuckled, walking forward slowly before stopping next to Caramel, reaching up his hoof to ruffle his mane gently. He could see Caramel glance at him with a happy smile... however that smile soon faded as he looked around them, eyes spotting a stray unicorn in the crowd pass within a few feet of them, giving them a passing glance.

Caramel looked down, then back up at Big Mac's lips, his breath getting caught in his throat before he looked down again, looking into the street as he watched the faceless ponies pass. He tried to hold his breath as long as he could, bottle up anything he was feeling at the moment. He could feel his belly tighten as he closed his eyes for a good five seconds, waiting for the feeling to pass.

"Let's go Sugar Cube..." The steed spoke with a slight stutter in his voice, trying to snap Caramel out of whatever came over him in that moment.

Caramel nodded, smiling steadily as he turned to walk forward, not wanting Big Mac to see his slightly pained expression. He began looking around the room for the first time in an attempt to take his mind off of the ponies around them. The walls were a shade of dark blue, much like the outside of the building. The tables and chairs were all polished wood, most looking to be brand new. The smell of the place gave off a scent of freshly cut grass and burnt hay, the two mixing to make a decent yet not overbearing scent for the tan stallion.

Caramel glanced over as a green stallion suddenly entered into the corner of his eye, heading straight towards them with a small smile on his face. He was wearing a solid black vest, even from a distance Caramel could tell it appeared to be a little tight one him, holding the green pony's belly firmly with little room for adjustment, giving the pony a noticeably chubby figure. A necktie was around his neck, a little hastily tied together, but it's black and grey stripes fit well with the rest of his outfit. With a few more pieces could be made into a dashing looking suit. But by no means was it overly fancy or overdressed for a place like this, so the stallion simply assumed it was something all the waiter’s had to wear.

“Just two.” The tan stallion spoke as clearly as he could manage, turning his head to nod to the steed behind him.

The waiter nodded, giving the two of them a mildly forced smile, turning around and expecting the two to follow, which they did. They were led past groups of families and couples eating their dinners, chatting and giggling and laughing as they
Were absorbed in their own lives, only some glancing at the two of them as they trotted past.

Caramel looked away from them and down to the hardwood floors that clicked whenever he set a hoof down. He could feel his forehead begin to sweat as he tried his best to keep a blank expression.

“Here we are gentlecolts!” The stallion spoke with a cheery voice, taking a set of menu’s from his back, setting them on a average sized booth next to a window that looked out into Ponyville’s shopping center, which was now only beginning to only be lit by scattered lights in the buildings around them.

Big Macintosh walked past Caramel, flicking his tail against the other to get him to life his head before trotting over to the booth. He assured himself that Caramel lifted his head before sliding into the booth, only realizing half way to sitting down that his chest rammed up against the table. He gave an awkward grunt, trying to give the table a shove forward before realizing it was bolted to the floor.

"Um..." Caramel spoke as he looked to Big Macintosh, knowing full well that there was no way Big Macintosh was going to be able to squeeze himself in and out of there. His tail began drifting itself between his legs as he glanced to the waiter, avoiding eye contact. "D-Do you think we could... G-Get a table...?" He asked. "One that... isn't bolted to the floor?"

The green unicorn nodded, his forehead giving off noticeable beads of sweat before he used his magic to grab the menu's once more, trotting along quickly as Big Macintosh managed to stand up once more, taking a moment to scratch him mane sheepishly before walking along, not bothering to look at the awkward glances they were more than likely getting from anypony looking at them.

He followed the waiter along with Caramel, this time being thankful for a table with movable chairs, which he quickly snagged the one at the end, watching Caramel slide into his own chair in front of him, setting his saddle bags down next to him as he began giving the steed a mildly embarrassed glance.

“You two gentlecolts waiting for your marefriends tonight?” The green stallion asked in a questionable tone, obviously trying to make typical light conversation that he must have been doing the entire night, judging by his almost bored tone.

That question caught the steed off guard as he instantly looked away from the waiter, looking to Caramel as that was said. He began watching the younger’s expression grow diffident as his words became plainly caught in his throat. He began to stare at the table without actually looking at it, unsure of how to answer that question as he felt his face warm up. He buried his face into his scarf in a vain attempt to hide his nervous stuttering that wouldn't make any sounds.

“Nope.” Was the first and only word emerging from the steed’s mouth as he looked to the waiter with a blank expression on his face, trying his best to hide his annoyance, which thankfully was easier than trying to hide emotions from Caramel at this point.

“Oh… Erm…” The waiter spoke, his tone near apologetic as he watched Caramel seem to shrink. “I-In that case, what can I get you two to drink?”

“Cider’s fine…” Caramel mumbled quietly, glancing away from the pony as his newfound bravery seemed to fade. He could hear Big Macintosh answer the same thing, the hoofsteps of the waiter fading quickly. He could hear Big Macintosh sigh as he was out of earshot, out of the corner of his eye he watched him remove and carefully fold his scarf, setting it next to him.

“S-Sorry…” Caramel began to speak his piece, forcing himself to look at Big Macintosh again. “I-I kind of froze up there…” He wasn’t quite ready to remove his own scarf yet, part of him wanting to still wanted to disguise most of his face behind it as he yanked on one of the ends near his hoof.

“No worry Sugar Cube.” The steed spoke with his usual understanding tone. His face was a solid stone, but his words sounded compassionate to the other. “Ain’t like Ah gave him a speech or anythin’... 'Sides, it ain't none of his business in the first place...." He paused, looking into Caramel's eyes a moment. "Are ya... alright Caramel?"

The tan coated stallion looked at the other with a perplexed look on his face. "W-Well... I-I just got over a cold today... w-well not entirely, but I argued with a Sage enough until he let me go see you s-since it's been so long and I r-really missed you..."

"That ain't what Ah'm talkin' 'bout." Big Macintosh cut off the other's ramblings.

Caramel looked at Big Mac briefly before dipping his head, peaking around the room in quick glances. “Do you think anypony is staring at us?” He questioned in a small voice, not bothering to answer the steed's question and instead chose to ask his own.

“Why would they do that?” The steed asked as he tilted his head, giving the other a strange look that Caramel couldn’t help but feel silly over as he looked away from him.

“Y-Y’know…” Caramel spoke in a small voice. “W-We’re both stallions… a-and we’re here all alone…” His belly started to turn as he tried his best to steady his voice. He tightened his grip on the end of his scarf, pulling and crumbling the end in his hooves, unable to actually call what they were doing here what it was. “Maybe we should have gone to some place more low key… M-Maybe the park or m-maybe even m-my hou-"

The steed reached out his hoof gently, grasping Caramel’s stray hoof that was left exposed on the table. The other jumped at the warmth suddenly covering his hoof, looking back to the stallion instead of away into the crowd of ponies in the restaurant. He wanted to pull that hoof away, worried the waiter might come back any moment... but blank look the steed was giving him distracted him just enough to put those thoughts in the back of his mind.

“This is our date.” The steed said, tugging gently on his hoof while keeping his face void of emotion, but forcing emphasis on that last word. “Ain’t nopony out there care ‘bout what we’re doin’, they’re all wound up in their own dates, and if they do care they ain’t gonna matter in the end.”

There was a brief moment of silence, one that allowed the public eye themselves to talk mindlessly in between their conversation, not a sentence being finished before another one started. The muscles in his leg tightened slightly in the hoof Mac was holding as an older pony passed by them, glancing at them briefly with no real opinion visible on his face.

"Ya ain't got nothin' ta worry 'bout Sugar Cube." Big Macintosh spoke to him, glancing from the passing pony to Caramel, a smile coming onto his face as he nodded to the other. "Ain't nopony who matters gonna care if one of us get's the sudden urge ta actually look like we're enjoyin' ourselves." He reached out his hoof slowly, gripping onto Caramel's scarf and pulling it down to reveal his friend's hidden face. He dragged it into the other's lap before taking a nice long look at his face.

His cheeks were still red, which Big Macintosh smiled at, dragging his hoof slowly over Caramel's smooth face, feeling the other both tense and relax at the touch of the other as he dragged it under his chin. His fur was soft, much softer than the steed's which had been through plenty of mangling throughout the years. He could feel his chest tighten as he looked down at Caramel, forcing the other to look up at him.

"Yer so cute... ya shouldn't hide yet face..." He spoke, his tone giving off a warmth and joy that he didn't normally show. He could feel the reddening glow of his own cheeks reach Caramel's eyesight, for his expression changed quickly into embarrassment.

"C-Cute?"

The steed's eyes widened as he realized what he said. He didn't betray any emotion but that, biting the inside of his cheek as his eyes focused on Caramel.

"Ah... Ah ain't never said that ta ya before out loud, 'ave Ah?" He asked the other with a forced chuckle in an attempt to hide his mild embarrassment. He took his hoof off of Caramel's cheek almost reluctantly as he placed behind his head, scratching his orange mane as he returned to a blank expression, cheeks still blushing. "Ya are though... cute Ah mean... Is it alright if Ah call ya that... Ah really don't know how two stallions talk on a date..." He mumbled as he looked down into his hooves.

Caramel quickly nodded, eyes wide as he looked into Big Macintosh's own. He looked down, squirming uncomfortably as he bit into his lip. He drug his hoof away from Big Mac's own, beginning to fiddle with his own as he stuttered something under his breath.

"Come again, Sugar Cube?" He could hear the steed ask him, causing him to wince as he bit into his lip.

"Y...Y-You're..." He began, forcing himself to look into Big Macintosh's eyes as he spoke, squirming uneasily in his seat. "You look... you look really... amazing... with your body... a-and muscles..." He shut his eyes tightly, feeling like an idiot.

"Thank ya kindly, Caramel." The steed responded with a sincere smile on his face.

There was a silence between the two of them. Caramel looked down at his scarf, wondering just how odd it would seem if he tied it around his face as he felt his cheeks warm up. At least Big Mac didn't laugh at him for saying something so odd...

Two mugs slapped down between the two stallions, causing Caramel to jump and for Big Macintosh to snap back into reality, both looking at the previous green stallion greeting them with your drinks.

"Here's your cider, are the two of you ready to place your order?"

Big Macintosh glanced to Caramel, the stallion returning the gaze with a similar questioning one. They both looked down at the menu they hadn't even cracked yet. Caramel soon began realizing he still wasn't ready to speak like a properly educated pony at this point in time.

"I... think we need a minute..." Big Macintosh answered the waiter.

"N-No!" Caramel quickly spoke up, a tad louder than needed as he began to quickly shake his head, his mane swaying side to side. "I-I'm ready, s-sorry" He spoke quickly, opening up the menu and scanning it as quickly as possible.

Big Macintosh stared as Caramel looked through the menu before he cracked open his own, eyes laying down upon the first row of items, each listed under the salad section. His eyes moved over to the waiter, noticing his mild annoyance yet forced smile he kept plastered on his face.

"Potato and hay salad." Big Macintosh spoke to the unicorn with his normal poker face, looking him directly in his golden eyes. "And no butter on the potato's, Ah never liked the taste of that stuff."

Caramel set down the menu quickly as the other began wrapping up his order. He looked directly at the waiter as well, unable to look in his eyes with the same emotionless expression the steed gave however. "Erm... S-Same... except with butter..."

The waiter nodded quickly, writing all this down on a small note sheet, quill in a magical grasp. He finished the words as he trotted off to the next table, leaving the two stallions alone again.

As Caramel looked back to Big Macintosh, he could feel his heart beating violently in his chest. He looked down into his cider, quickly taking it with shaky hooves as he brought it to his lips. He sipped it quietly, bringing it away from his lips with a small gasp, the alcohol a little stronger than he was prepared for.

"Little strong?" Big Macintosh questioned Caramel with a tilt of his head, pulling the wooden mug away from his own lips. "Ah gotta admit... yer the last pony Ah'd think of when Ah think drinkin'"

Caramel looked into his drink again, licking his lips as the flavor of the drink sunk in. He shook his head at Big Macintosh's words, his heart beat slowing down to a more normal rate as casual conversation began to return. "I've had stronger drinks a few times... Sage brings home some wines now and again, but I only really like the sweeter ones... I really like cider though, it's sweet but doesn't get you all that tipsy..."

"Ah think our cider tastes better than this..." Big Macintosh spoke quietly as he took a sip, frowning into his drink as he swung the mug back and forth a little to watch the liquid swish around. "This stuff's pretty good though, little sweet though..."

"I just like the apple flavor." Caramel answered, beginning to take another swig of the drink before he felt a tickle in his throat, one that caused him to cough suddenly. A small splash of the liquid accidentally fell out, landing directly on Caramel's chest. He managed to save move of the liquid at the very least, which he managed to sit down as he coughed again, his eyes involuntary watering.

The stallion began to feel his hooves around in mild panic as the liquid seeped into his fur, his eyes scanned for a nearby napkin quickly before he felt a hoof push up against his chest. He moved his eyes downward as he watched a small napkin soak with the liquid, a large red hoof forcing the object to move in circles around his chest.

"Ya sure yer doin' alright there Sugar Cube?" Big Macintosh asked, setting down the wet napkin and swiping up another before his eyes passed over Caramel's with little emotion as he tried to soak up most of the liquid before it could settle into the other's fur. He could feel the other's chest tighten up at his touch, feel his heart beat increase.

"Oh... I uh..." Caramel spoke, biting into his lip as he glanced down at his saddle bags with only half his attention set on them. "I-I forgot to take my medicine a little while ago... s-sorry, it's my fault..."

"Ya gotta take better care of yerself. Just cause yer enjoyin' yerself don't mean ya can put yer health ta the side." Big Macintosh glanced into Caramel's darting eyes, the tan coated face of the other growing sheepish with color as he was lectured. He must have sounded a lot like Sage in that moment, for Caramel looked away from him briefly, lifting his hooves to grab Big Mac's, pulling the napkin away slowly.

"I got it..." He mumbled quietly, rubbing his chest for another ten seconds as he looked away from Big Macintosh. There was a silence between them that neither enjoyed, for it seemed tense, cold almost. He could feel his damp fur as he finally removed the napkin, deciding it was close enough to dry as he leaned over, quickly opening his saddle bag and snatching a half filled bottle from it.

"Ah'm sorry, Sugar Cube." Big Mac spoke quietly to the other as he watched him fiddle with the cap for a moment. "Didn't mean ta lecture ya there... Ah'm just worried 'bout yer health..."

Caramel shook his head at the other's words as he quickly plopped a pill in his mouth, swallowing hard and finishing with a gasp, taking a quick sip of cider, setting it down gently as he coughed once more, sounding much less dry compared to before. "No... you're right..." He spoke between coughing fits. "I just got so caught up in what we were doing that I didn't think about it..."

Big Macintosh rested his face on his hoof, looking into the Crystal Blue eyes Caramel refused to look at him with. "Ah ain't mad at ya..." Was all he stated, a small frown on his face as he shook his head ever so slightly. "Didn't mean ta talk ta ya like Apple Bloom or something... big brother reflex."

The stallion leaned over, letting his medicine bottle fall into his saddle bag before he strapped it shut. He sat back up, managing to look at Big Macintosh with a forced smile on his lips. "I recognized it as that... Sage does the same thing if he finds out I skipped a pill because I overslept or something... He yells like that a lot when I do something stupid..."

Big Macintosh bit into his lip as he shot his eyesight away. Being seen as a comparison to Caramel's brother was honestly not the best feeling in the world for him, especially considering what they were doing at this very moment.

Caramel began to rest his face on his hoof, his forced smile soon revealing a frown as he became briefly lost in his own thoughts. He swallowed his own saliva, feeling the lump force itself down his throat as he sighed audibly. "Sorry, I'm being a downer, aren't I?" He questioned the steed as he looked down into his mug. "I don't think about things before I say them sometimes... I-I'm being a nervous wreck..."

"Eeyup." Big Macintosh spoke as he watched Caramel's face flush at his own bluntness. He could tell quickly that was a rather bad thing to say in this moment, for Caramel looked away from him with a red face, squirming in place as he took quick drink of cider, perhaps to simply grow more distant from the situation.

"A-Ah like that though!" The steed spoke, a little louder than he meant to, for several ponies glanced towards them with questionable looks. He quickly settled back down, growing antsy as he waited for things to settle down a bit. He began to rub his hooves together with mild nerves as he opened his mouth. "Y-Ya... Ah mean... Ya wouldn't be ya if... well if ya were always so calm and collected... Ah like ya when yer more... ya..." The stuttering steed pulled on his mane in annoyance with the situation. "Sorry... ain't used ta... explainin' why Ah like somepony."

"I-It's okay..." Caramel spoke quietly as he tugged on a stray clump of dry fur on his chest, his blush fading, but still remaining on his face. "I... like the way you are too..."

Big Macintosh smiled at him once more, seeming to regain face as his emotions settled down. He must have thought the date was back on whatever track it had previously if the two were complimenting each other once more. "Thank ya, Sugar Cube."

There was a brief moment of dead air between the two, and Caramel for one was thankful he didn't have to speak any further on that subject as he heard a gentle hum of magic from behind him.

He turned to the source of the sound, watching as the same waiter as before brought out two plates full of food with his magic, setting them down quickly in between the two stallions, the potato's on Caramel's plate looking a little more yellow and butter filled than the steeds.

"Here's your plate boys!" The green unicorn spoke cheerfully before nodding his head as he looked from stallion to stallion. "Anything else I can do for you two gentlecolts? Any refills?"

"No thanks." Big Macintosh spoke with a polite smile to the stallion, giving him a nod before watching him turn around and trot off to his duties. He turned back to Caramel, who was sitting quietly and patiently in place, squirming around a bit in place as he swallowed hard, eyes staring at the dinner with noticeably wide eyes.

"Don't let me stop ya from chowin' down Sugar Cube." Big Macintosh spoke to his date, to which Caramel didn't even bother glancing at him before grabbing a fork from next to him with his hoof as he began stabbing a large amount of lettuce leaves and stuffing them into his mouth.

The vegetables at least tasted fresh and crisp from what Caramel could tell as he chewed on them. He was already stabbing his fork into a large potato slice before he glanced over, watching Big Mac plot a potato slice half as big into his mouth, chewing slowly as he let the fork in his hoof relax a moment. He swallowed the slice before looking at the other with questionable green eyes. "Somethin' wrong Cara?"

The stallion looked back with wide eyes of his own. "N-N-" He would have continued if he didn't realize food was already in his mouth, to which he quickly shut and chewed quickly, feeling like a pig as he tried to cover his blush by resting his face on his hoof. He swallowed a little too much food at once, having to take a swig of his cider in order to get it all down quickly. All during this process he could feel Big Macintosh's eyes bore into him.

"Nothing..." He spoke softly when he finally managed to get a word in, fiddling with fork by stabbing it into several things on his plate, pulling them out of each . "J-Just... a-ate a little too much food in one bite..."

Big Macintosh stared at Caramel for a few minutes longer, but shrugged it off as him just not feeling his best tonight before he continued eating.

The fidgety stallion took another sip of his cider, hoping the alcohol would stop him from squirming uncomfortably ever time Big Macintosh looked at him with his mouth full of food.

It was only halfway through his meal did Caramel realize his belly was still rumbling uncomfortably loud for how much he had already eaten. He briefly considered if it was possible his belly had a portal to a food dimension in it and was stealing all the food he had eaten. He watched Big Mac glance to him at the sound of the rumbling when his mind finally ripped itself out of his fantasies.

"Ya sure ya got enough ta eat there?" The steed questioned him with a glance at the lessening food on his date's plate. He looked down at his own plate, realizing it hadn't even reached the halfway point like Caramel's had. He watched Caramel look away with an unusually forced smile and sweat on his forehead as he did so.

The steed looked down once more. "Ya... want some of my food?" He questioned the stallion in front of him, lifting his plate a little to offer it to the younger if he so wanted.

"N-No, I don't need it..." Caramel responded quickly, shaking his head as he quickly stuffed a fork full of leaves into his mouth, starting directly down into his own plate as he quickly chewed his food, not sure if he was even tasting his food anymore he chewed it so quickly. He decided to just pray that his belly would keep quiet for a little while longer.

Big Macintosh decided to eat the rest of his meal like he normally did, silently, which honestly wasn't that long because in a few bites he could feel his belly argue with him to stop eating. He frowned slightly as he licked his lips, pushing his plate away as he set down his fork, patting down on his rough stomach with a happy sigh, glancing over to the other who still seemed ta be awkwardly pacing himself.

"Y-You're done?" Caramel questioned him with both eyebrows raised at he looked at the other's plate, which was barely over half empty. He could feel his belly growl again, which he blushed at as he squirmed in his chair. He began to take another bite, chewing the leaves half heartily with a small frown.

"Farmer's gotta learn ta conserve food, we like ta eat slow so we get full quicker..." Big Macintosh spoke as he scratched his ears with a free hoof, beginning to look down at Caramel's dish that was quickly thinning. "Ya uh... ya sure ya ain't want any of mine?"

"I'm good..." Caramel mumbled quietly as he grasped his cider mug in hoof, taking a final sip quickly. "Y-You're bigger than me... are you sure you don't need more?"

"Y-Yeah... but Ah really ain't all that hungry anymore..." Big Macintosh began to look down, fiddling with his hooves a moment as he stared at his full plate, unable to come up with a good reason for why he wasn't all that hungry. He began to eye Caramel as he knew the stallion was avoiding his eye contact. He watched as Caramel covered his mouth with his upper leg, his coughs beginning to sound thick and wet. "Ya should eat more anyway, ya ain't lookin' so hot."

"It's just a cough." The stallion stated, not sure if he should be annoyed at the steed for his badgering, or happy that he was being cared for. "It'll only turn into a cold or something, it's happened before..." He began to frown as he looked down into his plate. "A-And... I don't wanna eat too much..." He spoke quietly as his hoof covered his belly, his gaze looking anywhere but Big Macintosh as he squeezed the fat, the lump feeling bigger than usual. "D-Do normal ponies eat as little as you do?" He questioned.

"Ah don't... Really pay attention come ta think of it." He murmured as he looked down, running his hoof over his own stomach, feeling very little body fat. "Apple Blooms eats a lot... but she's still growin' up, so Ah really don't mind as long as it ain't anythin' bad."

"I should have gotten one without butter..." Caramel murmured, stabbing his fork down as he avoided the remaining potato's. "Sage is always telling me I should eat healthier, since I'm already sick as it is..." He squeezed his belly once more, unable to keep his face out of a frown as he scooted closer to the table, hoping Big Mac wouldn't look where he was touching. "I only really like fruit though... I can only think of a hoof full of vegetables I like... I should probably try to look better now that Ah have a... Special Somepony..." He paused before those last two words, as if he were unsure of saying them.

"Ya... Ya don't look all that bad..." Big Macintosh spoke, unsure if he should voice his full opinions of Caramel's body at this moment, needless to say the simple thought did manage to make him a tad antsy. "Ah mean... Ah like how ya look." He realized his words were becoming quieter as he spoke. His mind became briefly distracted by a certain mental image that he couldn't even begin to put into words.

Caramel looked to him with mild interest in his eyes that he couldn't seem to openly ask about, for he bit down on his lip, whenever he did try to open his mouth nothing managed to come out. The sight of Caramel in this moment cause Big Macintosh to feel a tad flustered.

"Sugar Cube, ya look gre-" He began to try and speak, but stopped short as he watched a familiar unicorn in a vest trot up, slapping down a piece of parchment with a set of scribbles underneath it, all totaling up to a reasonable 17 bits.

"O-Oh..." Caramel spoke, eyes unhooking from Big Macintosh as he looked down at the piece of paper. "H-Hang on, I'll get the money..." He spoke quickly, fumbling around in his saddle bags as he yanked out a heavy looking bag. He pushed his plate aside briefly, dumping out a good number of bits as he began to count them up.

Big Macintosh began to stack both his and Caramel's plates as neatly as possible, making sure to put all the silverware on his own plate while sliding Caramel's near empty one under his. He glanced to his own plate, all the small sliced potato's that had lost their steam long ago looking almost sad to be uneaten. All he could think about was how annoyingly difficult it was to speak his thoughts clearly to his own date.

He heard a loud jingling of bits as the waiter snatched them up with his magic, grabbing the plates and mugs before setting them comfortably on his back before he gave them thanks, his head dipping politely before trotting off for the final time with a polite smile plastered onto his face.

When the steed looked back to Caramel, his eyes managed to catch the second half of a sigh from the other, who began to massage his neck as he looked to the steed with a small smile. "T-That was... fun." He spoke with a grin on his face. "S-Should we go? It's starting to get late..."

Big Macintosh nodded to the other, watching as he hopped out of his seat, stretching his legs as he snatched his scarf, a yawn being interrupted by a cough that actually managed to make the steed wince it sounded so loud. He quickly snatched up his own scarf, looking at the ponies around them as he began to impatiently tap his hoof against the ground, wishing they would stop staring like it was a show or something.

Caramel let his tail flick a few times as he tried to clear his throat of whatever kept causing him to cough the way he did. They trotted past many ponies, most wrapped up in their dates. It seemed to stick out in Big Macintosh's mind that most families with younger foals had already cleared out, this becoming obvious why as the steed glanced out into the darkened street, lit only by the few places still open.

Big Macintosh looked ahead, watching Caramel hold the door open for him once more. He smiled at him, however not before giving another rough sounding cough. Big Macintosh tried his best to keep his mouth shut for the time being as he walked past Caramel, giving him a nod of thanks as he passed.

When the steed stepped outside, he was greeted by a great deal of snow under his hooves, to which he lifted one in order to examine closely as he shivered without warning, feeling small specks of snow cover his spine. He trotted forward a few more steps, hearing a quiet gasp from behind him.

"I-It snowed a lot..." Caramel mumbled as the steed looked back to him. He was shivering as well at the sudden and unexpected cold air around them. He winced, making a rather feminine sounding noise as a suddenly gust of cold air whipped against his body. He used his teeth to tug against his scarf, tightening it the best he could as he stepped up next to the stallion.

The steed's eyes slowly drew themselves away from the other as he began to examine the street around them. It was near barren, and the way back to his home seemed to grow dark by lack of lit up shop windows. Not many ponies were in sight, at least not ones close enough to examine closely.

"Do we uh..." Caramel's voice brought Big Macintosh back to reality as he looked back into the other's eyes, his face blank as he examined Caramel's face, which kept darting his eyesight away. "Do we uh... go home now... s-sorry, I really don't know what I'm supposed to do..." He admitted with a chuckle that was accompanied by a forced smile. "I s-should know that, shouldn't I... sorry, I've made this whole thing really awkward, haven't I?"

"No, it's fine... Ah had fun." Big Macintosh slowly lifted his hoof as he shook his head. He watched Caramel stare questionably as his hoof before it plopped against his forehead with a quiet thud. He looked at the emotionless steed in confusion before he watched his blank face turn into a frowning one.

"Yer warm."

The stallion glanced away from the other. "I-It's only a little cold... I've had a bunch before... I can just go home and rest a little."

"Sage ain't home t'night, right?" Big Macintosh spoke, not waiting for an answer as he stared into the other's eyes and began speaking. "Ya've been like this all night, and it's only been gettin' worse..." He paused briefly, looking down as he let himself get lost in thought for a brief moment. "My house is half as close ta here... It's gonna be a blizzard before ya get home if it keeps snowin' like this."

"But... But I..." The suddenly cold gust of air forced Caramel to shiver visibly. He bit down on his teeth to keep them from chattering. "Your family is... y'know..."

"Ah don't want ya out in the cold. They'd be more upset if ah ended up sleepin' at yer place... at least at my house they'll know we won't do anythin' indecent." Big Macintosh stated, trying to make the last bit a joke, however it came off much more serious than he expected. "Granny's probably in bed by now, and if AJ's up Ah can deal with 'er."

Caramel looked down, a small frown on his face as he began to question the stallion before him, "Will they... be angry with you?"

"Ah ain't sure... but they won't be too upset if ah just give ya a cup of tea and we sit on the couch a while." Big Macintosh nodded to the other, reaching out his hoof and rubbing the other's neck gently. "Ah ain't takin' no fer an answer..." He murmured as he glanced towards the sky, able to spot heavy snow clouds despite the darkness. "We can get ya home when the snow passes if ya want."

The tan stallion tapped his hoof uncomfortably on the crunching snow. He finally sighed after a good ten seconds of waiting, nodding his head in defeat, feeling his face suddenly be pushed against Big Macintosh's warm chest as the hoof rubbing his neck pulled him in for a hug. It was brief, but the steed managed to keep his grip loose, his muscles relaxed as he buried his nose into his chocolate-covered mane.

"Ya wanna ride on my back again, Sugar Cube?" He questioned the other as he pulled away. "We can go faster... plus yer feelin' a little chilly..."

Caramel's mind instantly thought back to the first time this occurred as his heart began to race. "I... I uh... d-do you want too?"

The steed laughed at the other, a blush clearly entering his face as his white freckles began to blend in with his fur. "Well, it isn't the most awful mode of transportation... it's kinda nice if Ah gotta admit it... so is that a yes?"

Caramel found himself nodding awfully fast, he almost wanted to refuse simply because he seemed to eager, but Big Macintosh thankfully just chuckled at the enjoyment in his eyes.

"Hop on, Caramel." He spoke to the other, bending his legs as he felt Caramel climb up onto his back. His muscles were tense at first, but they soon relaxed once a muzzle was pressed into the back of his neck. The steed couldn't help but grin happily, his heart beating fast as Caramel's cool body was warmed by him.

Big Macintosh let his lips smile wide every time he glanced back to the special somepony resting on his back. He nodded his head in contentment once Caramel finally seemed settled. And with that, he was off.

Big Macintosh could feel the beginnings of a large yawn reach the back of his throat as he paused briefly in his step, lifting his large hoof to his mouth as he began to shake his head, attempting to shake off his exhaustion by jostling himself awake.

He could feel Caramel shift on his back, tightening his hold around the steed's neck as he scooted his body forward, his warm breath tickling its way down the red earth pony's spine. He couldn't help but hold his breath, keeping his face as emotionless as possible as the younger stallion scooted up his body, his body suddenly becoming warm near his face.

"We almost there?" Caramel questioned, his voice sounding groggy, perhaps he had briefly fallen asleep during the steed's brisk walk.

The earth pony simply nodded his head, squinting his eyes in the darkness as the trees around them began to thin out into a large clearing where the Apple Family laid residence. A single light was on in the window, and that was for the kitchen, perhaps somepony was getting a glass of water or a late night snack.

The steed looked upward towards the sky, watching the snowfall become steadily thicker. He let a whinny out of his lips as he trotted slowly, making sure not to jostle his date around too much now that they seemed to be out of the clearing in terms of the snowfall around them.

A brief gust of wind caused Caramel to cling to him a tad tighter, shivering against his back.

"Ya holdin' up okay there, Sugar Cube?" The steed turned his head to glance into the other's half closed blue eyes, watching him nod slowly, a frown painted onto his face as he breathed out a breath of cloudy air in a near pant. His cheeks were a tad pink, but nothing to worry about just yet.

The steed turned his head back, ears flattening as he heard Caramel cough against his back, giving out a nervous apology that simply sounded tired. He needed rest more than anything right now, that much was obvious.

Big Macintosh picked up his pace a tad bit as he trotted past both the boarded up chicken coop and empty pig pen, approaching the door to the house as quickly as he could without disturbing the steed on his back. He let his hooves sink into the slowly but steadily deepening snow as he approached the front of his house, pausing a moment as he glanced back to the stallion.

"Mind hoppin' off?" He asked in a gentle tone to the other, giving a forced smile. "Ah know Ah said Ah'd take care of AJ and Granny, but Ah don't feel like explain' why Ah got a stallion on my back..."

"Oh... uh... okay..." Caramel spoke in a shaky tone, his body sliding off of the steed's, having to lean up against him a moment as he let the feeling in his legs return. His body was still warm to the touch, but having Caramel lean up against him made it a tad harder for the large stallion to keep a straight face.

"A-Ah'll just open the door now..." The stuttering steed put bluntly, stepping forward almost the moment Caramel stood up properly. He quickly latched his hoof to the doorknob, thankful that somepony had left it unlocked until he came home as he slid it open, glancing down as his hooves clicked against the hardwood floors, Caramel soon following him in.

The steed was greeted quickly by a large fuzz ball racing down the stairs towards him, soon wrapping itself between his legs, luckily not letting out its usual yapping bark as it stared warily at the strange pony in its master's home.

"Winona, what are ya doin' out of AJ's room?" The steed questioned the nervous dog as it continued to stare at Caramel intently, taking a few steps forward as it pressed its nose up against Caramel's hoof. He could hear Caramel giggle quietly, lifting his hoof to pet the small dog, who soon began to lick at the hoof petting him.

"Some attack dog..." Caramel mumbled quietly as he sat down right where he was standing, beginning to fondle the happy mutt's face, staring into her large black eyes as she continued to try and lick the giggling stallion. Big Macintosh stared down as Caramel spoke to it quietly in a high pitched voice, his hooves running back and forth through the thick brown and white fur. He pulled gently on her collar to keep her from attacking his face with her vicious licks.

As Big Macintosh let a smile come onto his face at the thought that Caramel seemed much better around animals he didn't know compared to ponies, he could hear a gentle creaking from up the stairs. As his eyes glanced upward with a blank expression returning to his face, he could spot an orange mare standing at the top of the stairs, her mane in a ruffled mess as she rubbed one of her green eyes gently.

"What's he doin' here?" She questioned, eyes glancing over to Caramel, who soon stared straight up the stairs at Applejack, eyes wide as if he were caught with his hoof in a cookie jar. He pushed Winona back a few feet, the dog beginning to walk around in circles, looking at all the ponies around her.

Big Macintosh could watch Caramel move away from his slightly as he forced himself to his hooves, his legs bumping against him as he realized he was blocked from stepping away any further.

"A-Applejack... B-Big Mac and I were... H-He wanted me to come here and..." The tan stallion paused, eyes looking anywhere but the orange mare who had begun to trot up towards the two of them. "N-No... not like..." He trailed off, unable to finish his words as a cough came over him, causing him to need a gasp of air a moment later. He stared at the dog once more, not wanting to look at either of the ponies near him.

"Why are ya even up?" The mildly annoyed steed interrupted Caramel as he spoke to his sister. "Ya look like ya've been asleep for hours..."

"Ah was..." Applejack groaned as she trotted down the steps with a stern expression forced upon her face as she looked from her brother to his date. "Winona always gotta get so excited whenever that darn door opens... Now why in Celestia's name did ya bring Caramel here?"

The steed let out a sigh as he glanced over to the over. "Ah'll make ya some tea ta calm ya down a little, Sugar Cube..." He spoke quietly as he leaned over. "Ya can wait in the livin' room if ya want, we usually keep the window's shut in there durin' winter..."

Caramel nodded his head as Big Macintosh took a few steps backwards, letting Caramel pass him towards the direction of the living room. He glanced back behind him a moment, able to meet Applejack's gaze for a brief moment before turning back, trotting with a slight misstep in the darkness before landing on the couch. He began to cough again, but this time managed to cover his mouth to keep it quieter than usual.

Big Macintosh trotted forward, walking straight past his sister as he walked over to the kitchen and to the cupboards, opening one and grasping the tea kettle in his hooves, lowering it towards the sink as he began to fill it up with warm water, silently letting his thoughts wander to what flavor he would feed the girls when they became ill... was it green, or something sweeter? Caramel would probably like something a little sweeter...

"Mac!" Applejack's quiet snapping tone brought the steed back to reality. He glanced back at his sister, giving her a mildly confused expression as her face became annoyed at just how distant his thoughts were from what she considered to be an important matter.

He tilted his head in question towards her, watching her plop her hoof against her face with a frustrated sigh on her lips. "Why in land sakes did ya bring him here?" She asked in a demanding voice. "Granny's gonna throw a fit... She's already upset with ya as it is..."

"It got cold." The steed stated as he rolled his eyes at what he assumed was supposed to make him worried, bringing the kettle over to the stove before clinking it down against the metal, lifting his hoof to flick on the flame in order to boil the water. "Granny's been like that all week, Ah can just explain ta her what Ah told ya, she'd understand..."

"Ah ain't so sure 'bout that." Applejack spoke as she quickly trotted up to her brother, her face only a foot from his as her eyes began to look worried once more. "Apple Bloom kinda... said she saw Caramel kiss ya out in the fields..."

Big Macintosh swallowed the saliva in his mouth as his sister spoke, trying his best to keep a blank face at those words. The tone of voice that the orange mare made when she spoke made him tighten the muscles in his hooves. She spoke with disbelief, like it wasn't even possible that the steed could work up the stomach to kiss Caramel again. His eyes began to focus on the kettle, watching the red hot plate it was sitting on begin to cause it to wobble and shake in place. He rubbed his tired eyes, sighing loudly.

"She was gonna find out eventually..." The steed mumbled quietly, looking down at his hooves as he turned back to the cupboard, grabbing both a mug and a green tea bag quickly, flicking off the burner as he began to pour the tea into the cup, sighing audibly as he watched the water fill and brown. "It ain't gonna hurt Apple Bloom ta know that her brother kissed a stallion..."

"Granny seems ta think it will." Applejack looked more and more frustrated at her brother by the moment, her hooves squirming impatiently on the floor as she took a few steps in place, watching her brother do every action so calmly seemed to make her even more impatient. "She kept trying ta tell Apple Bloom that she was seein' things..."

Big Macintosh sighed with little patience in his voice. "Ah ain't gonna stop Granny from doin' what she thinks is right... long as Caramel don't get mixed up in the middle of it, Ah don't care. Ah'll talk ta Apple Bloom tomorrow mornin'..."

"Land sake..." Applejack bit her lip as she glanced way from her brother. She turned to look into the living room, unable to spot Caramel's body from this angle. She turned around a moment, pacing back in forth before pausing a moment only to drag her hoof nervously across the hardwood flooring under her hooves.

"Ah don't get why ya insist on gettin' working up 'bout this..." Big Macintosh mumbled under his breath, frowning at his sister's actions. He began to stir the tea in silence, feeling the steam reach out and grasp at his hoof.

"Ah don't want Granny ta yell at ya anymore..." Applejack finally sat down with a sigh at the kitchen table, resting her head on her hoof as she closed her weary eyes. "Ah don't see why ya gotta bring yer coltfriend here ta plow him."

"Ah ain't plowing' him!" Big Macintosh finally snapped at the mare, his expression turning from blank to annoyed as he glared at her. "Look, the only reason he's here is because he's sick, Ah don't want him ta be home all alone t'night if he's runnin' a fever... and it took a lot less time ta get here than it did ta his place." The steed raised his hoof, pointing it out the window as he looked to the heavily falling snow. "Ah ain't lettin' him walk 'round in that stuff fer longer than he needs ta."

The steed's expression quickly softened as he watched Applejack stare at him with a surprised expression on her face. He looked down, shocked at the tone of his voice, but also not prepared to take any of it back just yet. He swallowed hard, feeling the lump in his throat shrink as he nodded his head.

"Ah..." He spoke softly under his breath, letting his voice raise before he looked back to his sister. "Ah'd appreciate it if ya can trust me fer one night not ta buck my coltfriend with my whole family in the house."

Applejack continued to stare at him, a little shocked at how easily and boldly he was able to state those few sentences. She looked down at her hooves with a deep frown on her lips before she closed her eyes, brow furrowing as she slid off of the chair, her hooves slapping against the floors as she shook her head.

"Ya actually care 'bout him..."

The steed raised a brow at this statement, but chose not to question further.

"Fine... Ah'll trust ya... but don't come cryin' ta me when Granny loses it." She spoke as she trotted quickly, not wanting to look back at her brother as she trotted out of the kitchen, the sound of hoofsteps trotting up the stairs soon faded, leaving Big Macintosh in his own silence.

The steed blinked a few times, managing to snap himself out of whatever brief daze he was in as he swiped up the full mug in his hoof and grabbing a small dish from above the mugs, setting the tea on top as he picked up the dish with his teeth, trotting towards the living room quickly.

He could see Caramel glance over with a tired smile on his lips as the steed approached. The stallion carefully set the mug on the coffee table before the couch before plopping himself down close to Caramel, reaching out his hooves as lifting up the mug with a sigh, blowing away the steam as he held it out to Caramel, who quickly took it in his hooves and began sipping.

"Ya doin' alright?" The steed asked as he brushed away some of Caramel's mane from his eyes. "Need anythin' else?"

"Sage is gonna wonder where I'm at..." Caramel mumbled between sips, frowning into his drink as he stared at his own reflection, beginning to cough as he turned his head away from both Big Macintosh and the drink. "Plus Applejack is mad at us..." He managed to get out as his cough ended.

The steed groaned silently as he reached his hoof behind Caramel's neck, pulling the other closer to his own body in what felt like a half hug as a muzzle buried itself into Caramel's mane, warm breath trickling up and down his right ear. He wanted to squirm at the mildly ticklish feeling, but part of him feared the other would stop if he did, so he tried his best to keep still.

"Ya worry a lot..." The steed sighed, his warm breath causing his spine to tingle. The other's hoof began to rub his shoulder roughly, trying to keep his body warm as he took a nervous sip of tea. It was unusual for the steed to be so touchy-feely... but Caramel wasn't about to complain.

"M-Mac..." The stallion tried to speak before the red pony's other leg wrapped around his front, tightening his hold as he was embraced in a gentle yet firm hug, his warmth seeming to cover the stallion's entire body. "W-What's... this for?"

"Ah wanted ta give ya a goodnight kiss..." The steed mumbled into his ear, his hug tightening for a moment longer before loosening. "But if Ah happen ta get sick ya'd only blame yerself... A-Ah kinda like this better though... It feels nice ta hug ya."

"O-Oh..." Caramel spoke, taking another sip of his tea as he tried to calm his nerves, a little sad as the front leg removed itself from his body; however that disappointment was short lasted as he was pulled closer to the steed with the remaining hoof. "That... so?"

"Eeyup." Big Macintosh nodded as he pressed his cheek against Caramel's ear. "Ah had fun t'night... even if it was a little odd... Just wanted ya ta know that." The steed whispered in his ear before pulling back, voice rising as he continued speaking. "After ya finish yer tea, Ah'll make sure yer nice and comfy in my bed."

"Where... where are you gonna sleep?" Caramel questioned, a gentle blush on his face as he held his breath at the images that ran through his head of being on Big Macintosh's bed.

"Probably the couch... if ya get worse Ah could just sleep on the floor, take a few blankets and..."

Caramel looked to the other with worry on his face. "N-No, I shouldn't sleep in your bed... I should sleep here; it's your house and all... I'm fine really..." He near begged, guilt rushing through his belly at the thought of Big Macintosh sleeping on the floor for his expense.

"Nope." Big Macintosh put his hoof down against Caramel's chest. "Ya get my bed, Ah get the couch, settled."

"But I..."

"Settled." The steed ordered the other with a stern, emotionless look in his eyes. Those eyes bore into Caramel's body long enough for him to look down, nodding his head with a frown on his face as he sighed. The steed really wasn't good at taking no as an answer when he was worried about a pony.

“That's better." The stallion could feel his mane be ruffled as the words mumbled into his ears with a deceptively warm voice. "C'mon Sugar Cube... let's go ta bed..."

Caramel felt like he should resist further, perhaps question if it was worth it to stay up until the snowfall passed and it was safe to travel home… however he really didn’t want too. He much preferred at this moment to let himself fall into Big Macintosh’s trap of a warm bed and blankets. Despite the worry in his mind that everything would break into chaos once morning broke, he couldn’t help but put that worry in the back of his mind. His heart was still pounding, his head light both from sickness and from Big Macintosh’s affection.

Caramel looked up into Big Macintosh’s eyes, nodding his head in agreement to his offer of sleep. He could see the steed lower his head as he was earned an unexpected yet gentle kiss on his cheek, his firm lips gentle like his hug, which only caused his face to flush further to the point where he couldn’t blame it on his fever. He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath through his nose as the other pulled away.

Just for now… he wanted to pretend everything was perfect.

Author's Note

And it's finally out, you people have been wanting them to get together for months, and here is a LONG ASS DATE just for you! I hope you understood why this took so long to get out, both school starting and the length has really pushed this back much further than I expected.

Special Somepony

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Oh... that isn't the right thing to say, is it?”
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Melting Snow
Chapter 12: Special Somepony

It was only a gentle ray of light peering through the window that first began to tear Caramel from his sleep, the light drifting over his eyes, giving him a brief moment of blindness when he managed to crack them open without thinking, sunlight filling his eyes as they began to water and burn quickly.

The tan pony let out a tired whimper, turning his body over as he began to cough into his hoof, his cough still sounding wet and filled with mucus. To be honest, the stallion could feel his head pound as he flicked his tail in mild annoyance. He briefly checked to see if he had any sweat on him, hoping that his fever had broken… no such luck.

He looked briefly around the room, taking a few moments to place where exactly he was before his memories fell back into place as his eyes fell upon a large horse yoke, his mind briefly remembering seeing his friend in one before winter truly began. The sudden realization hadn’t failed to dawn on him that he was in fact in another stallions bedroom, sleeping in their bed.

The tan stallion could feel his cheeks warm up as he thought about the previous day… and the fact that he was lying in the same place where his first coltfriend slept.

The pony held his breath, still using that word to describe Big Macintosh, even in his head, made him a tad woozy.

Caramel tried to sit up, finding it rather difficult before he simply gave up, flopping back down on his back as he panted quietly. He turned over to avoid the dagger filled sunlight, pressing his face into the firm pillow.

It smelled like Big Macintosh.

Caramel could feel his heart beat in his chest as this realization dawned upon him. He took his shaky hooves to the bottoms of the pillow, pressing it against his face as the scent of apples filled his nose, mixed in with a gentle sweat that was far from unpleasant to the stallion.

“Ya awake, Sugar Cube?”

The gentle voice did indeed manage to startle the stallion, who lifted his red tinted face out of the pillow quickly, staring at the doorway as he saw the large head and neck of Big Macintosh poke itself in, a small frown on his face which quickly lifted into a gentle grin as he was greeted by the others face.

The steed popped in quickly, his weight causing the floorboards to creak as he came forward, stopping near the edge of the bed just as the door closed slowly on it’s own. This time Caramel managed to sit up on his own, staring into the steed’s eyes for a brief moment before looking down at his own fiddling hooves.

“How ya feelin’?” The steed questioned, reaching his hoof out and pressing it to the other’s belly before rubbing in small, soothing circles. It jiggled a little, causing Caramel to squirm sheepishly for a moment before he realized it only made it more obvious, so he simply shrugged, trying to contain his blush as the warm hoof rubbed his belly through the blanket.

“I’m feeling alright…” Caramel responded, half-lying to make the steed feel better. It was true he was feeling okay enough to move around, but he was by no means in the clear. He quickly covered up his half-lie with a few more words. “I mean… I’m used to having colds…”

The hoof on his belly began to drag itself up before coming off entirely, lifting itself up before resting on his forehead briefly. The steed frowned gently as he got to his hooves, sitting on the bed next to the stallion.

“Want me ta get ya anythin’?” He questioned with a tilt of his head. He had obviously done this dozens of times before, for he showed no sign in any panic at the warmth coming from Caramel. “Need yer pills?”

The steed set something down that was in his hooves next to the pillow, something Caramel hadn’t noticed him carrying before as his eyes glanced to it. It was simply a battered old doll, it looked to be a hundred years old at the least, half falling apart with many patches sewn on recently by the looks of it to attempt to keep it together a while longer. It looked like a donkey… or was it a pony?

“What is… that?” Caramel asked, ignoring Mac’s previous question in favor of his own train of thought.

“Smarty.” Mac stated blankly, his voice a tad quieter than usual, speaking in few words so not to go into great detail. He quickly made sure the doll was sitting upright as best as its stuffing would allow.

“Oh um…” Caramel trailed off, remembering something like this being mentioned before… to be honest, he thought it was a joke, or something to cheer him up about his own childish item.

Caramel couldn’t tell if he was grateful for the creaking of the door, which managed to quickly change the subject as a small brown furry dog pushed its wet nose against the door, a small yellow filly with her hoof still on the knob as it scattered itself in, looking both energetic and excited that the stallion from last night was still around.

“What is it Apple Bloom?” The steed questioned the filly, whose mane was messy and missing her usual pink bow. She jumped at the sound of her own name, eyes flickering from Caramel to her brother.

“C-Can Ah come in?” She questioned, dragging her hoof on the creaky floorboards as she looked down. “Y-Yer usually up by now, so Ah thought Ah’d wake ya…”

“It’s fine, sweetie.” Big Macintosh answered, glancing to Caramel before getting a nod of approval. “Ya can come in.”

Just as the steed said that, Winona jumped up on the bed, Big Macintosh sliding off of it before sitting on the floor once more, glancing at Caramel try to defend himself from the fearful licking he was being tortured with.

Apple Bloom walked up to her brother, pressing herself up against his leg as she stared at Caramel as he finally managed to settle down Winona with a gentle push to get her to simply lay down and demand she be pet, which the stallion complied with.

“Winona likes ya…” She murmured quietly, both ponies glancing to her as she spoke. “Winona doesn’t like bad ponies… she knows if a pony is good…”

“Caramel ain’t a bad pony” Big Macintosh stated bluntly, a mild irritation in his voice not directed at his sister, but more so in general. His eyes narrowed briefly as he looked down at the floor, letting out a heavy sigh.

“Ah know…” Apple Bloom murmured quietly under her breath with a nod. “Everypony just goes quiet whenever ya two are brought up…” She spoke in a small voice, a frown slipping onto her face. “Ah don’t get why everypony’s like this…”

Caramel could feel his heart sink as he looked down to the dog in his lap. He held his breath briefly, ears pressing to his head as he tried to act like Big Macintosh, put a blank expression on his face.

“Caramel?” Apple Bloom suddenly asked, the tan stallion jumping, as he didn’t expect to be spoken to directly by the filly of all things. She looked at him with her amber eyes burning with curiosity. “Are you… in love with my brother?”

Well that was a question the neither pony was prepared for. This wasn’t exactly the most romantic time to make a proclamation of his affection with such strong words. Caramel couldn’t answer either yes or no, in fact he remained rather silent as he squirmed. He looked to Big Macintosh, who somehow managed to hold a blank expression as he looked to Apple Bloom.

“Ya shouldn’t ask somethin’ like that… least for a while…” He added the last bit quieter than the others. He actually chuckled quietly as he ruffled her mane.

“But Ah saw Caramel kiss ya…” Apple Bloom murmured quietly. “D-Don’t ponies who love each other do that?”

“W-We’ve only known each other for a little over a month…” Caramel spoke, deciding this was the safest way to answer the question as he tugged on the blanket covering his lap. He wasn’t sure that he liked two ponies and a dog staring at him as he spoke. “But… he is my…” He glanced to Big Macintosh for some sort of sign of approval, but only got a blank stare. “C-Coltfriend…”

“Oh.” Apple Bloom spoke with a confused frown before looking to her brother with a tilted head. “Is that why Granny’s upset?” She whispered, rather loudly, to her brother, her tail drooping. “Ah don’t get it…” She groaned quietly, shaking her head. “I-Is… Caramel the reason everypony keeps fighting?”

There was a long silence where nopony spoke, however Winona did begin to pant loudly, whimpering as Caramel had stopped petting her. Big Macintosh sighed loudly, looking down at Apple Bloom.

“Listen, Sugar Cube.” He spoke to her quietly. “Granny’s old, she don’t understand that things are different than they were way back when… don’t get mad at her, and especially don’t get mad at Caramel.” He seemed to demand that last name, looking deep into her eyes as she nodded silently.

Caramel opened his mouth to say something, but found himself suddenly coughing, causing Winona to jump off of him quickly out of shock. The stallion pressed a hoof to his forehead quickly, groaning quietly as he tried to clear his head with a shake. He was beginning to feel a tad dizzy…

“Oh, right…” Big Macintosh spoke, glancing around the room before frowning, looking a tad upset with himself for a brief moment. “A-Apple Bloom, could ya go downstairs and grab Caramel’s saddle bags? Ah forgot ta bring them up case he needed them.”

Apple Bloom nodded, giving a quick “Okay.” Before scurrying off to grab the bags, Big Mac letting out a sigh as he looked to Caramel. He let his muscles relax as he looked at Caramel, his expression blank before his eyes glanced up to the ceiling.

“Snow’s cleared up…” Caramel spoke softly, attempting to break the silence. “Maybe I should go back home soon… Sage’ll worry about me if I’m not home before lunch…”

“Ah’ll take ya home soon.” Big Macintosh agreed with Caramel. “Though ya sure do sleep in long… it’s only an hour and a half till lunch.” He gave the stallion a gentle grin. “Gonna be hard not ta wake ya up when I’m ready ta get out of bed.”

It took Caramel a moment to realize what the steed was talking about. Although he didn’t blush when it finally dawned upon him, instead his belly turned and his chest tightened with nerves. Somehow the thought of something like sleeping in the same bed with Big Macintosh for… reasons… had entered the other’s mind before his own.

“Oh… um… I…” Caramel really had no idea how to continue what he had already begun. He swallowed hard, thankful that the other’s hoof grasped his own before the steed stood up.

“Ah should go see what’s takin’ Apple Bloom so long… Ah’ll grab ya an apple on my way back up.” The steed spoke before giving Caramel’s hoof one final squeeze as he looked into his eyes, watching the other’s worry slowly fade before he simply looked down sheepishly.

“Be back soon, Sugar Cube.”

The staircase still needed to be replaced at the fifth step down… it was a random thought that popped into Big Macintosh’s mind as he lowered himself down the staircase, hearing the creaking pierce his eardrum as he winced, grumbling under his breath how he would have to fix that before somepony fell through it, mainly him considering he weighed twice as much as Applejack.

The steed’s bare hooves clicked on the wooden floor before he settled them down. He took a moment of silence before his eyes glanced to the direction of the living room, a familiar yet gentle creak of his grandmother’s rocking chair in his ear. It continued for quite a while, feeling much like a lullaby to the large steed.

Big Macintosh’s eyes glanced to the window. It looked bright once more, almost warm if not for the gentle snow sprinkling down. This winter felt like it had been going on for a year.

His hooves moved in the direction of the living room when he managed to tear his eyes away from the outside world, walking into the slightly dimmed living room as he heard the gentle snoring coming from the rocking chair. From the distance, Big Macintosh could see his grandmother with her head against her shoulder as she rocked back and forth; breathing in and out. Her chest rising with each breath and then sinking with a mumble from her wrinkled lips.

There was a moment of hesitation when Big Macintosh spotted the saddle bags lying on the couch, for they were very near to Granny Smith’s resting place. He blinked, staying put for a moment before moving his hooves forward as he entered the room, quietly but swiftly moving in the direction of the saddle bags, snatching the strap with his hoof.

The steed attempted to spin around quickly, but a sudden wrong step caused the floor to cry out from under his hooves. He watched as his grandmother, only a few feet away snap out of her sleep. She let out one of her usual strange noises, speaking in gibberish for a few moments, still half inside of whatever dream had swept over her mind as she began to rub her eyes.

“Is that you, Sugar?” Granny Smith squinted her eyes as she leaned forward in her chair, rocking back and forth slowly as her eyes fell upon her grandson. She smiled gently when her eyes focused enough to make out the red figure in front of her.

Big Macintosh could feel his breath get caught in his throat for a brief period as he glanced to his grandmother. He tightened his grip on Caramel’s saddle bag for a brief moment, his front hoof suddenly tapping against the hardwood floors impatiently as his eyes glanced to the staircase.

“Mornin’ Granny.” He spoke quietly, a little surprised at how quiet his voice was, his mind easily wandering as he took a few steps forward, stopping briefly in front of her as he glanced around the room. “Er… where’s Apple Bloom?”

“Oh,” Granny spoke, eyes widening slightly as she gave her usual warm smile. “Ah told the dearie ta go and play outside with her sister, the two haven’t had much filly time in a while… not with all this hippin and hoppin goin’ on.”

Big Macintosh would have normally begun to avoid the subject at this point; however his ear began to twitch in a brief moment of annoyance before he shook his head. “G-Granny, Ah asked her ta… get somethin…” He murmured, quickly placing the saddle back on his back to keep out of his Grandmother’s sight.

“Oh, she offered ta go and get ya.” The old green mare nodded. “Such a sweetie. But Ah reminded her that ya always get yer coffee at nine o’clock durin’ the winter… though yer a little late today, ain’t like ya ta be off schedule…” She trailed off, slight worry in her tone.

“L-Look, Granny, Ah’m in a bit of a hurry.”

The red steed had a feeling he truly would have managed to say nothing more to his grandmother if he hadn’t felt her frail, wrinkled hoof reach out and grasp the strap of Caramel’s bag, which was currently resting on his own back.

The strong, muscle bound steed stopped dead in his tracks as if he was being yanked back by a mighty force by that gentle tug of the old mare’s hoof. He glanced behind him, trying his best to keep his expression his usual emotionless one. He watched as her eyes squinted to look at the pale green bag, her lips forming a frown as she let out a shaky yet audible sigh.

“Granny, look, Ah really need ta get back ta my room.” Big Macintosh tried to speak, but felt a hoof be pressed against his lips as his grandmother made an audible “Shh” sound.

“Come now dearie, why don’t you make some morning coffee for your dear old granny.” The mare spoke before releasing the bag, her hooves dragging across the floor as she walked almost painfully slow towards the direction of the kitchen. Big Macintosh trotted past her quickly. The sinking feeling in his gut forced him to move quickly, grabbing the kettle and filling it up with water, managing to flick on the flame before his grandmother had even arrived.

“Ya used ta make tea for me every time Ah visited.” Granny spoke softly as she arrived at the kitchen, sitting down at the table as she stretched one of her lets the best she could before rubbing her tired hip. “Ya were such a sweet child. Applejack and Apple Bloom used to get into trouble, but not ya…” His grandmother chuckled softly, however Big Mac let his eyes blur as he stared into the flame, only half listening as he tapped his hoof impatiently.

“Green or Pumpkin?” Big Macintosh mumbled quietly. He knew this speech by heart; she said it many times in his life.

“Green is fine.” The mare replied before laughing quietly in a raspy tone. “Ya used ta hide behind yer folks at family reunions… Braeburn tried for years ta get ya ta talk ta him, first couple times he cried when ya ignored him.”

The steed could feel his cheeks grow warm at the thought. He could remember himself as a young colt, already the size of somepony twice his age, yet hiding behind his father like a scared child whenever somepony tried to talk to him. He scratched his cheek briefly, knowing that his freckles would soon fade into the color of his fur if he thought about it any longer.

“But ya always talked ta yer folks…” Granny Smith sighed, shaking her head. “Ah know that it hit ya harder than the others when they passed… ya were still their baby when it happened.”

“G-Granny…” Big Macintosh spoke in a rough voice, finally glancing behind him. He couldn’t decide just yet if the memories were embarrassing or painful to be reminded of, all he knew was that he wanted it to stop. He glanced to the kettle, watching steam rise enough to make it cry out. He let it sit there a few moments before removing it, just enough time to zone out and recollect his blank expression.

“Why did ya let that stallion in our home?” Granny Smith questioned her grandson. Her tone wasn’t accusing nor demanding, simply curious. She tilted her head, the frown on her face showing her closer to thinking than judging.

Big Macintosh bit his lower lip for a moment before tightening the muscles in his legs for a brief moment. He didn’t answer as he prepared her tea, remaining silent for a good long while as he tried to take his mind out of the situation. As he turned around however, setting the tea on the table, he could feel something fall on his head.

He winced as his grandmother’s cane landed on him; it wasn’t hard by any means, just a gentle tap even by the frail old mare’s standards for strength. He didn’t say anything still, simply rubbing the spot with his hoof as she removed the cane.

“Don’t ignore yer grandmother.” Granny Smith spoke in a disapproving tone, seeming to get progressively more annoyed.“Ya can stay silent fer a lot of ponies, but not me.”

“C-Caramel…” Big Macintosh frowned, avoiding eye contact with his grandmother as he opened his mouth, feeling it go dry. “He got real sick at dinner last night… Ah didn’t want him walkin’ home alone and we live a lot closer… Ah didn’t wanna put anymore strain on him…” He remained silent a moment, dragging his hoof across the ground before looking his grandmother in the eye. “A-And Ah let him sleep in my bed… Ah slept on the couch, got up early like usual…”

His grandmother’s gaze softened slightly as she reached out her hoof to take a sip of her tea. She smiled gently as she placed it down. “Ya always make the best tea, sugar…” She remained silent for a few moments before returning her gaze to the stallion, squinting her eyes in an attempt to get a decent look at him. “Ya didn’t have ta hide somethin’ like that from Granny.”

The red steed glanced down, using his hoof to poke and prod the medicine bottles in the saddle bags that he wanted nothing more than to take upstairs…

“G-Granny, could Ah….”

Big Macintosh was cut short as his grandmother took a loud drink of her tea, lowering the mug before staring at her grandson with eyes that he honestly couldn’t read. She was smiling, but it seemed weak.

“When Ah was ‘round yer age…” She began with a chuckle in her tone. “Ponies started datin’ differently… stallions were datin’ stallions and mares datin’ mares…” She looked into her tea with a small frown. “It wasn’t as common as today, but it existed… lots of ponies don’t take change well, my folks always warned me ta stay away from them… Ah ain’t never been comfortable with the idea of ponies actin’ that way…”

Big Macintosh glanced to the stairs again, but didn’t dare to make a move for them… it was rare for his grandmother to stay on one topic so long without falter.

“If there’s one thing Ah hate more than anythin’, it’s a liar.” The green mare glanced to her grandson. “Ah had plenty of friends back then who lied straight ta my face almost every day, only to expect me ta forget it the moment they told ta truth…” She trailed off, taking another small sip of her tea. “Did Ah ever tell ya Ah dated a coltcuddler?” She asked as she looked to the red steed.

The earth pony shook his head, unable to hide the confused expression from leaking onto his face. “No, ma’am.”

“He told me he loved me after our first date…” Granny Smith chuckled as she held a hoof over her chest. “Ah didn’t say it for quite a while, but Ah loved him back not long after…” She began to rock back and forth in place. “Ah thought ah was gonna marry that colt… but the day Ah thought he was gonna pop the question, he told me that he spent the past month in bed with another stallion…” She breathed in deeply, licking her wrinkled lips as she took her final sip of tea, placing the mug down on the table before neatly folding her hooves. “Ah tried ta just avoid ponies like that fer a while… never even occurred ta me that my own grandson might swing the other way…”

Big Macintosh suddenly felt rather exposed as his grandmother’s gaze fell back onto him. He swallowed a lump in his throat as he quickly swept up the mug, taking it to the sink before washing it out.

“Ya never did last long with mares… always over in three months.” He could hear over the rushing water. He knew her eyes were drilling into him, even though he was turned away. “Applejack says she caught ya takin’ good care of that colt… carried him ta the house, she could spot it from her window… can’t recall ya ever doin’ that with one of those mares ya dated.”

The steed couldn’t decide if he was grateful or annoyed at his sister for slipping that out to his grandmother. Well she didn’t seem upset about that, she didn’t exactly sound happy. He could feel his hooves freeze up for a moment at the simple thought of Caramel holding tightly to him as he trotted through the blizzard.

“Tell me sugar…” Granny Smith spoke, a noise in his ear sounding like she scooted back in her chair as she shuffled her hooves over to him, placing a hoof on his shoulder before continuing. “How do ya feel about yer friend up there?”

“Ah…” The stallion began, finding it difficult to provide any thought into how his grandmother might react with how fast he was willing to respond. He had been asked this question many times this week, but each time he had been unwilling to answer.

“Ah want Caramel… ta be my special somepony… and Ah wanna be his.” He spoke softly, shutting off the water quickly as he dried his hooves, anything to take his mind off of his grandmother staring at him. He closed his eyes, breathing in a large intake of air before releasing it slowly. “Ah… want ta do things that ponies that love each other do cause… Ah care ‘bout him…”

The steed could feel the green hoof pat his shoulder, almost making him wince before he realized it was actually gentle, understanding.

“Ya always tell family how ya feel if they ask.” Granny Smith spoke in her usual understanding voice. “They’re family, and they’ll love ya…” She frowned before removing her hoof from him. “Ah’m very upset with ya, bottlin’ all that up… Even if we ain’t alright with it, ya shouldn’t hide things.” She sighed loudly, shaking her head. “Go check on him, Sugar, he’s probably worried why ya ain’t back yet.”

Big Macintosh’s mouth went dry. He suddenly felt unsure if it was alright to abandon his grandmother in this moment… however the fact that she asked him to made his hooves move without much thought.

“T-Thank ya Granny!” He spoke quickly, giving little thought as he hurried to the stairs.

Big Macintosh’s hooves banged against the floorboards much louder than he usually let allow as his heart began to beat roughly in his chest. His mind was spinning as he managed to take a deep breath, not realizing he had been holding it the entire short run.

He tightened his hoof around the saddle bag strap, swallowing hard before his hoof latched itself onto his doorknob. He briefly shuddered at how cold it was before turning it, stepping inside quickly as he glanced to the bedside to see… not Caramel, but a messy, ruffled comforter and sheet.

The steed heard a creak however, turning his head to the direction of his bookshelf, which to be honest held a lacking of books as he stepped inside, shutting the door with a swish of his tail as he spotted Caramel glancing over to him. He was holding a photo in his hooves that was placed in an expensive looking frame, one with detailed patterns.

“This is… your family… right?” Caramel murmured, his legs shaking slightly before he forced them to straighten out. He closed his eyes a brief moment before breathing in, looking to Mac with a vaguely tired expression.

The steed moved over to the other, glancing over his shoulder at the four ponies in frame. The oldest mare was smiling, her green skin like her mothers, her mane slightly streaked with grey, yet her face was beaming with youth. Next to her was a yellow stallion with an orange mane, one much less grey than the others.

“You look… smaller than I imagined…” Caramel murmured, eyes focusing on the skinny red stallion with a large green apple on his flank. He did have muscle, but it hardly looked like the large steed standing behind him.

“Ah was only nine…” Big Macintosh mumbled quickly, feeling his belly twist as Caramel held the picture. He had the strange urge to grab it, afraid Caramel might drop and damage it… but he couldn’t bring himself to do something like that based on an irrational fear.

“O-Oh… you look a lot bigger for that age then…” Caramel murmured, realizing the shy looking colt was almost as tall as his mother. His eyes glanced to a very small filly standing next to her father, an even smaller one resting on his back. “Your sisters look a lot younger than you did… AJ’s only a couple years younger than you, right?”

“R-Right…” The red steed stuttered briefly, reaching out his hoof and gently pulling the frame out of Caramel’s hooves. He couldn’t help but sigh as he quickly wiped any smudges the other had left on the frame before setting it back in place. His eyes couldn’t help but glance at the much less kept up picture frame, coated in a thin layer of dust as it held the current Apple Household. He took his eyes away from it before looking back to Caramel.

“Why are ya outta bed Sugar Cube?” The steed questioned before turning back to the stallion. He quickly walked over to him, giving him a gentle nudge before leading him back to the messy mattress, helping him into the bed as he placed a hoof on his forehead. “Yer real warm…” He spoke quickly before setting down the saddle bags, grabbing a hoof full of pills before placing them on the bed, remaining silent for a few seconds before frowning, unsure of which was the right one.

“I’m fine,” Caramel spoke as he rolled his eyes before letting out a loud cough into his arm, giving an annoyed grunt when he finished. “I know the limits of my own body… I just… got excited being in your room…” He spoke, grabbing two bottles before popping the lid of both, placing three pills between his teeth, swallowing hard a few seconds later with a gasp on the end.

The stallion looked down with a frown on his lips. “These pills always make me drowsy.”

The steed reached out his hoof, giving Caramel a gentle pat on the back. He could feel the weight on the bed shift as Mac scooted onto the bed himself, almost forcing Caramel to lean up against him as his hoof changed to ruffle his mane.

“You took a while to grab the bag…” Caramel murmured quietly as he turned and twisted one of the bottles in his hoof. “Did… everything go okay?” He asked as he looked up to Big Macintosh, staring into his emerald eyes. “Y-Your grandmother didn’t… try to stop you, did she?”

The steed looked down as he shook his head, reaching out his hoof to pick up the small worn doll, running his hoof through it’s yarn mane as he chuckled gently. “Nope, just wanted ta talk a little.”

“Oh…” Caramel looked at the doll with mild confusion once more. “She didn’t… yell at you, did she?”

The steed frowned at the worry in Caramel’s tone. His eyes suddenly looked a tad more frantic than before. He watched as he clutched his own belly, biting down on his lip as he glanced away from the steed. “M-Maybe I should go soon… I-I mean, if she’s gonna…”

Big Macintosh reached out his hoof, pressing it against Caramel’s mouth before giving the other a deadpan expression. He shook his head before speaking. “Caramel, yer over reactin’.” The steed spoke softly. “Besides, even if she didn’t want ya here Ah ain’t lettin’ ya leave till the snow blows over.” His eyes glanced to the window, watching as the snow fell, seeming to pick up speed once more. “Just… let me take care of ya fer a while… it’s fine ta relax a little, Sugar Cube.”

The hoof was removed from Caramel’s lips. He rubbed his face briefly as he looked down to Big Mac’s lower body, not wanting to glance back into his eyes. “You… shouldn’t have to take care of me…” He whispered under his breath around the time Mac was adjusting the blankets over his lap once more. “I’m sorry… I shouldn’t be this useless…”

Caramel could soon feel Big Mac’s eyes bore into him, he already knew he had said something that should very well have given Mac a reason to lecture him, because the steed soon sighed. However instead of a lecture, he was given a warm, tight embrace, a hoof soon stroking his mane.

It was very hard to get used to Mac hugging him without his heart beating exactly two times as fast as it’s normal rate. His face flushed red as he was forced to place his nose against the other’s chest, warm breath leaking down his ears as Mac hunched over slightly to hold him better.

“Ya ain’t useless… just a little sick.” Mac chuckled as he dug his hoof near playfully into his neck. “I want ta take care of ya… ya worked hard last night just fer us ta have a nice dinner, Ah wanna repay the favor. I wouldn’t be a very good special somepony if Ah didn’t.”

Mac took Caramel’s light nod, which he could feel scraping against his chest, as a sign for him to release his bulky arms. However he could feel Caramel cling to his chest when he attempted to pull away. He stayed a moment, not bothering to ask why as he gave the other’s mane another gentle stroke.

“I…” Caramel spoke softly, his body tightening slightly as he forced himself to pull away a good foot, making sure to keep his hooves pressed against Big Mac’s warm, soft chest before he looked up at the other. “I.. love you…”

A strange thing happened inside of Big Mac’s belly when those words were spoken. He could feel his mouth go dry and his heart beat a very loud and distinctive beat when those words reached his ears. His front hooves shook slightly, which he tried to quickly steady by tightening the muscles in his legs.

“I… Know this isn’t the best time in the world…” Caramel began to ramble, glad that he could now look away. “But I… r-really wanted you to know it… it just popped up and… y-you don’t have to say… I-I mean… I wanted to say it first… y-you did everything else fir-”

“I love ya too, Caramel.” Big Macintosh’s words were solid, his lips were barely in his usual soft smile, but his eyes were bright, looking quite overjoyed. There was a moment of dead silence between them.

“Okay.” It was probably a stupid thing to say, but it truly was the first thing that came to Caramel’s mind. He could see his vision blur, feeling his eyes water slightly as he tried to wipe them quickly, however they soon refilled.

“S-Sugar Cube?” Big Macintosh asked, panic in his voice. “Ah’m sorry… Ah didn’t mean ta… d-do… that…”

“N-No.” Caramel quickly shook his head, realizing his voice was becoming shaky as he could feel a couple of the tears spill over. “N-No it’s… f-f-fine…” He felt like a real over emotional filly right now, however the warmth in his chest began to feel like a balloon slowly expanding… it almost hurt him, but it felt so amazing. “I-It’s great!”

He was given another hug, this time much tighter than before as he was almost scooped up, Mac holding him tight enough to hurt. If Caramel wasn’t as small as he was, he was almost positive the steed would tighten his grip.

“Ah love ya.” The steed spoke again, his voice soft but his body strong as he bear hugged the pony in his arms. His voice almost felt relieved to say it, as if he had been holding it in for quite some time without even knowing it.

Caramel struggled to say it again, he simply nodded, the words much harder to say a second time. He was glad Mac released him within a few seconds as he gasped silently for air. He had already stopped his crying, however hearing it said again did make his heart skip. He knew his eyes were red by now, that on top of his sickness probably made him look less than spectacular… however Mac still pressed their lips together... it was warm, gentle, and still made the stallion's heart skip a beat as he pulled away for a brief moment, only to look down and chuckle.

The steed used his hoof to push back his mane, looking into Caramel's eyes with his own. He let out a silent chuckle as he lowered his head, nuzzling the other's neck gentle before giving that area a sudden lick of affection. Caramel squirmed at the contact, feeling his belly turn in what wasn't a rush, but a little bit of fear. He had to pull at the covers to keep from making any sudden movements at the steed's sudden lust. A hoof ran across his back, pulling him a tad closer as his gut pressed to Mac's belly.

Caramel felt a moan escape his lips involuntary as Mac's teeth scrapped the area he was licking, biting down hard enough to make the other squirm a tad harder. He suddenly squeezed his eyes shut, chest tightening.

"M-Mac..." He whispered quietly as he blushed, feeling Mac's heartbeat increase... he hesitated a brief moment, hooves unsure of what exactly to do in the moment. The steed's other hoof suddenly began to run down his chest... over his belly and... lower, beginning to rub very gently in the area, forcing the stallion's legs to spread a few more inches than comfort allowed. A hoof settled on his cutie mark and squeezed, pulling gently as Caramel's body became closer to him. Something pressed against the stallion's belly that made him hold his breath.

“Mac... The snow stopped…” Caramel murmured as he glanced to the window, trying to keep from making any sudden noises. His legs closed tightly without him realizing he had willed them too. It was hard to explain why he said it so suddenly, but it did cause his heart beat to slow down when Mac pulled away. He looked away from Mac, suddenly pulling the sheet up to cover himself up better. He couldn't help but blush, both from embarrassment and worry with how suddenly he stopped it all.

“Eeyup.” Big Macintosh spoke, his emotions vanishing the moment he took his eyes from Caramel, pulling away only to look at the window, even so resting his head on Caramel's shoulder. He glanced back to the stallion, frowning slightly as his eyes moved down Caramel's body. "Sorry Sugar... One step at a time."

To be honest, it was a little strange to feel Mac cling to him like he was doing, having to hunch over to do so because of his height. It wasn't unpleasant by any means however, Mac simply buried his nose into Caramel, breathing in and out deeply. He lifted his hooves a moment, but set them down before he pulled away, a gentle frown shown on his face.

"Ah'm... g-gonna go get ya some food." Mac spoke, ripping his eyes away from Caramel, as if deciding the stallion in his current state likely wasn't going to be ready for what he would put out if given the chance. He had to take his hoof away from Caramel's body with a slight frown. He paused a moment, smiling up at Caramel. "I'm... s-sorry for bein' so sudden." He spoke, finding it hard to keep himself calm. Caramel's legs were still tightly shut, covered up by the blankets as he heard the other audibly swallow a lump in his throat.

“O-Oh… alright.” Caramel spoke, feeling like a real idiot only half a second later as he realized what came out of his mouth. "Y-You too..." He attempted to salvage it. "I just... I don't think I'm..." He paused, unsure of how to finish when Mac turned away. He put his hoof to his neck on the spot Big Mac had... touched so much... it stung a little. He could feel his tail wrap itself tightly around his body before he began stroking it with the edge of his hoof.

"I love you... I really mean it." He paused, looking to Big Macintosh, who seemed to look a little less worried at what he had done with Caramel.

The steed smiled, however it didn't manage to reach his eyes and give off the warmth that the stallion loved. He ruffled his mane gently. He opened his mouth briefly, but closed it as he looked down.

Caramel wasn't sure how to feel about that, but he did force a smile as he let Mac lift his blankets up further, giving his shoulders a quick rub for warmth as he looked deep into his eyes with a kind of affection he hadn't seen before directed towards him.

It was true... he had fallen deeply in love. The fact that he received the exact same feelings in return only made his chest grow when Mac so much as smiled at him.

But... the smile Mac had made his heart sink deep into his chest.

Raindrops

Disclaimer: I do not own My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. It belongs to The Hub, Hasbro, Studio B, and Lauren Faust. I do not own any of these characters in any way or how, nor do I claim ownership to the pony franchise. These characters are simply my toys.

"The curtains close on a kiss god knows. We know the end is near.”

Melting Snow
Chapter 13: Raindrops

Caramel cast his eyes away from the glowing fire as he began to tug his hoof on the edges of his blanket, his belly beginning to feel as if it were twisting around as he felt the sweat on his forehead soak his fur. He lifted a hoof briefly to wipe the area, hearing a gentle thud as one of the brightly colored crayons fell to the carpet.

He heard himself groan, but it was more of a reflex as he struggled to reach down to grasp the crayon, quickly snatching it before returning to his tiny ball, blanket covering his body as he used his leg to cover his belly.

One of his ears perked up as he heard a rustling of papers coming from the area of the kitchen. The usual mumbling along with some quiet stuffing of papers in a bag was heard in his ears before he let them droop down to the page again.

Caramel’s body felt very warm under the blanket, the fire beating down on his body only made him more uncomfortable as he squirmed a bit in place. It did indeed briefly cross his mind to simply ditch the blanket, however the more he squirmed and felt his belly jiggle ever so slightly… that possibility suddenly left his mind, in fact he pulled the blanket even tighter, trying to use his bottom legs to cover his stomach as he curled up.

The stallion began to chew his tongue, letting the subject drop for the time being as he looked onto the page, staring at the smiling ladybug flying towards him from the stream behind it. It was a little less than halfway done, only one of the ladybug’s wings had been colored, while the stream itself had several blank patches where all the fish and frogs and lily pads were left white.

Caramel tried his best to color in the puffy leaves on the only tree in the picture, his hoof moving slowly as he drew it up and down the page. As he lifted his hoof to reach up a few inches further, he felt a gentle sting in his neck. He raised his hoof to graze it, feeling the dark tint on his neck… he could almost feel his hooves pull at the covers as Mac’s teeth grazed that spot only yesterday, biting down hard enough to make that sound come out of him…

The pony set down the crayon, covering his head with both hooves as he whimpered quietly at the thought, pressing his face down into the cushion as his head began to spin. He swallowed hard, the thought of those large gentle hooves running down his body only made him pull on the strands of hair for his mane.

“You hear me?”

Caramel lifted his head quickly, sitting up as he glanced in the direction of the kitchen to watch as Sage slipped on his white lab coat, adjusting his thick half-moon glasses as he looked toward the other. Caramel shook his head, his face turning a shade of pink as his brother sighed, beginning to trot towards him.

“I said,” The unicorn spoke. “I’m going to be leaving in about twenty minutes, I’m only now starting to gain some respect around here.” He chuckled with a gentle smile on his face, sticking out his chest slightly as he silently praised himself. “If things go well over the next couple of weeks I can start helping out on surgery instead of just getting blood and first appointments, meaning we’ll have a little more money to spend…”

Caramel’s attention slid down as he rubbed his leg, ruffling his own fur as he half listened to his brother’s ramblings about his success. He forced a nod and a smile every couple of words.

“Oh…” Sage spoke, his tone suddenly less cheery than before as he looked down at the couch to the half finished coloring book page. “You were… doing that…” He paused as he looked away from his brother’s eyesight. “Sorry, didn’t mean to interrupt too long… come to think of it, you haven’t used one of those things in a couple of weeks. At least I haven’t had to buy a new one.”

The stallion frowned as he took a quick glance into Sage’s eyes, quickly darting them away as he lifted his hoof to cover the bruise on his neck. He saw his brother’s eyes flick to the spot, thankfully keeping his mouth shut since it had formed the previous day.

“Did… something happen yesterday?” Sage questioned, forcing his eyeline away from Caramel’s hoof and back into his eyes. “Normally you won’t shut up when you go to visit Mac…” He tried to force the joke by chucking at the end, however Caramel didn’t so much as crack a smile… in fact the only change on him was the way his face became a considerably red shade as he squeezed his eyes shut.

“N-Nothing…” But the stallion trailed off, wrapping his hooves around each other. “I-It doesn’t help…” Caramel mumbled quietly, biting his tongue as Sage gave a questionable tilt of his head. The stallion forced his eyes open as he looked down at the book, slapping it shut with more force than needed. “I can’t… f-finish it…”

“The book?” Sage questioned, slowly moving to the couch and sitting next to Caramel.

Caramel nodded his head slowly. “E-Every time I get worried or nervous… I can just draw in it and I’ll be fine till I stop panicking about it…” He paused, fiddling with his hooves as he forced them out of the blanket. “I can’t this time… I just keep stopping…”

“What happened, Cara?” Sage asked, reaching out his hoof a brief moment before pulling it away, watching as the stallion balled up bits of the blanket in his hooves when asked.

“I… I told Mac…” He paused a moment, closing his eyes as his cheeks and ears continued to glow that same tinge of red. “I told Mac that I loved him… a-and he… said he loved me too…”

“Oh… Uh…” Sage didn’t expect this as he watched Caramel squirm uncomfortably. There was a good thirty seconds of silence between the two, one where Caramel’s shade of red didn’t vanish. While Caramel had been quiet since he had returned yesterday, he had simply passed it off as him being tired and slightly ill.

“I didn’t think he would actually say it back…” Caramel mumbled quietly as he smiled. “I just… really wanted him to hear it… but he said it back… T-The only thing I did was cry like an idiot because… it made me so happy…” He rubbed the fur on his chest as his smile faded, glancing to Sage.

“You don’t really… look happy…” Sage spoke the truth, wanting to get straight to the point as he knew in the back of his mind that his minutes were running short.

“M-Mac… he…” The frown of his brother deepend. He pulled up the blanket once more, covering halfway up his chest. “Mac just… he acted different…”

“Did he hurt you?” Sage asked suddenly, sitting up attentive as Caramel jumped at the mild panic in his brother’s voice. He quickly shook his head in response, to which Sage couldn’t help but sigh, glancing down at his lap.

“Mac acted… really happy…” Caramel quickly continued so not to panic his brother. “He… just started hugging me and… pulling me closer…” Caramel closed his eyes and looked away from Sage, as if one wasn’t enough. “He um… touched… me…”

“He… wha-” Sage stopped, his own cheeks gaining some of the red Caramel’s retained.

“Oh.”

Caramel nodded, biting down on his lip as he continued. “M-Mac just… acted like he really wanted to just be with me… like that… but I just… pushed him away…”

The stallion could feel his brother’s gaze bore into him. He felt a sudden urge to bury his head under the blankets and wait for winter to be over just so this moment would end. “All I could think about was… what if he doesn’t like the way I… perform… o-or if act too feminine… or if he… doesn’t like my body” He murmured, covering his belly with the blanket.

“T-To tell the truth…” Sage mumbled, adjusting his glasses several times to try and hide his uncomfortable squirming. “Imagining some stallion grope my brother isn’t exactly the most pleasant thought in the world…”

Caramel couldn’t help but let out a quick laugh at those words, even if his lips did remain in a frown. His nerves loosened a bit, however he still covered his body with the blanket. He ruffled his own mane a bit to have a reason to squirm in his seat. “He didn’t say anything… w-when he walked back with me.” The stallion mumbled under his breath. “A-And he didn’t do anything but say ‘goodbye’ when I got here…” Caramel frowned, burying his face in his hooves and shaking his head. “I think that.. I might have upset him…” His voice turned sour as he remained silent. “He really just… wanted me and I pushed him away…”

“But you didn’t want anything…” Sage tried to speak before he noticed Caramel shaking his head, still in the same position as he sniffled quietly.

“N-No…” He whispered. “No… I wanted that… But when it started I just got so scared because it was all happening so fast… I could barely even say his name before…” He held his breath at this point, shaking his head as he pulled on his bangs. “It’s so addicting being near him… When I’m near him all I want is to just be leaning up against him… if he gives me anything I usually want more… but this time I just got… scared… What if I’m not good enough for him… He could probably do a lot better for a coltfriend… or even a marefriend.” He stayed silent for a few more seconds before continuing, his voice pained. “W-What if… he doesn’t love me anymore?”

“Caramel,” Sage’s lips curved downward as Caramel spoke these words, hearing him sniffle once again made him reach out his hoof, forcing the split hair Caramel was tugging on out of his hooves. “If I’m being honest… Mac is probably one of the nicest ponies I’ve ever spoken to when you’re the subject…” He spoke quietly, watching as Caramel’s eyes gazed into his. “That oaf does nothing but worry about you and act like you’re the most important pony in the world, he’s been in love with you for weeks… he won’t stop because you got scared.”

Caramel looked down again, rubbing his watery eyes. No tears had spilled just yet as he sniffed quietly, biting down on his lip every few moments. Sage stood up, taking a few steps over to Caramel before giving him a light hug, feeling the other tremble slightly in his arms. He couldn’t help but chuckle quietly.

“Big Macintosh may be a little cold to me… but I know that he cares about you more than anything” He mumbled quietly as he stroked the other’s mane, pulling away as the other continued to rub his tearless eyes. “Listen… I have to go now…” The unicorn paused, rubbing his hoof on the carpet a moment. “I’m gonna be gone until late tonight… if you want to go see Mac to talk to him… or invite him over… I won’t care…” He took a deep breath, letting out a sigh before continuing. “I may just end up getting home around three in the morning if I really am gonna help out with this surgery… but it’s almost five, I should really be going soon…”

“O-Okay…” Caramel mumbled quietly, looking at his brother once more with a small, forced smile. “T-Thanks… I know you aren’t comfortable listening to me talk about stallions…”

Sage grinned, laughing aloud before hitting his brother’s ear with a light flick of the hoof, grinning stupidly. “Just be thankful I don’t go to you with mare trouble.”

It was with little effort that Big Macintosh heaved two full buckets of apples onto the back of his cart, breathing out a heavy sigh before allowing himself to wipe his slightly wet forehead. He closed his eyes briefly, letting himself shiver before tightening his scarf once more.

He cracked his eyes for a brief moment, glancing at the cart as he let himself try and recall the usual amount they sold over the winter… normally it was only enough to let themselves get by for another week or two… thankfully Cloudsdale always cleared the sky these days for the markets to open, so he didn’t have to take in account for the weather…

He let his thoughts trail off for a moment before glancing around the barn, feeling the cold winds trickle through the cracks and brush up against his coat. It was at the very least a warmer wind than what had been given to Ponyville for quite a few days. The dripping of snow outside gave him a brief hope that the winter was finally coming to a close.

Big Macintosh considered wondering just how Caramel liked the seasons before his chest gave an unusual tightening at the thought of the stallion. He quickly glanced down to his large hooves, scratching one with the other as he closed his eyes, giving his head a good shake.

The steed would be able to see him soon enough… he had to say something to him after yesterday, if only to stop his belly from turning over whenever he thought about the stallion.

When the steed’s emerald eyes cracked open once more, he let himself watch his breath become foggy before him before sucking it right back in. The twinge in his chest continued to ache for a good five seconds before he lifted his head at the sound of hooves crunching on the melting snow outside of the barn.

It was only a few moments before he saw the head of Applejack pop into the barn door, a slightly tired expression on her face as she rubbed her eyes with her hoof, her stride broken at the sight of her brother before she lowered her hoof, her gaze turning questioning.

“What are ya doin’ out here?” Big Macintosh asked, forcing his voice to remain calm as he pushed back whatever he was feeling moments prior to the back of his mind. He really wasn’t in the mood for Applejack to talk to him right now, lately every conversation lead back to Caramel.

“Ah think that’s my line.” Applejack mumbled, glancing to the cart full of apples before she gave a brief smirk. “Hey, lookie at that, beat me ta the punch!”

Big Macintosh didn’t speak as he watched his sister trot up beside him, grabbing an apple and letting her teeth sink into it, her smile fading as he watched beside him, grabbing an apple and letting her teeth sink into it, her smile fading as she chewed on it for a few moments. She shrugged her shoulders before taking another bite.

“Ya never did like thawed apples.” The steed found himself speaking, the thought simply coming to mind. She chuckled at his words, nodding while casting her gaze away from his, chewing on what she already bit off until it surely had to have lost what little flavor it had left after unfreezing overnight.

“What gives anyway?” She suddenly spoke after finally swallowing, glancing to her brothers eye. “Ya never liked selling apples… and yer out here awfully early, nopony goes out ta shop fer at least an hour…”

Big Macintosh looked down at these words, trying to block out the strange feeling that began rising in his chest once more as he shrugged his shoulders. “Head start…” He spoke under his breath, giving himself a nod of confidence.

Applejack looked back to her brother, a hint of suspicion in her gaze. “Hey… Mac… ya feelin’ all right there?” She questioned with a slight tilt of her head, her expression suddenly turning uncomfortable as she took a step back. “When you came… back yesterday you didn’t say much… Ah mean less than usual fer ya…”

Applejack suddenly let out a groan as she scratched the hair under her hat “Gah, Ah hate this mushy gushy stuff… always have…” She closed her eyes a moment, not noticing Mac’s gaze turn into a combination of worry and confusion. “Ya just… looked real unhappy when you came back… Ah mean… Caramel ain’t hurt or nothin’, is he?”

“Why da ya care?” The question itself wasn’t meant to be stubborn for the steed as he let it slip out, it was honestly just the first thing that popped to his mind. He didn’t bother answering her.

“Ya were… gonna leave early ta visit him, right?” Applejack questioned her brother as she forced herself to look in his eyes. “That’s what ya’ve been doin’ fer a while now, leavin’ real early ta see him every once in a while… it’s gettin’ a lot more frequent though.” She rubbed her forehead briefly. “Ah don’t get why yer so infatuated with him…”

Big Macintosh still didn’t answer at this, simply gave a shrug of his shoulders once more, suddenly finding the bits of hay under his hoof very fascinating as he rolled them back and forth. He wasn’t able to deny her accusations, but still refused to accept them.

“Ah hate this.” Applejack sighed loudly, turning around before pacing around in a quick circle. “Ah hate… whatever this is we’re havin’... Maybe it’s a fight… it’s so hard ta talk ta ya, yer bein’ so stubborn… when’s the last time ya just flat out left without tellin’ anypony?”

Big Macintosh still didn’t look at Applejack as he stretched his back, finding it harder to ignore the orange mare in the corner of his eye as time went on.

There was a silence between them for a while before Applejack looked at him once more, walking in front of his vision so he had no choice but to look at her. She finally broke that silence with a strange determination in her voice.

“Remember when Ah was sixteen?” She asked with a tilt of her head, forcing a smile upon her lips with faint nostalgia. “Ah got my first coltfriend and we… we did all kinds of things together, fer a while there I accidently let all the work pile up on ya, but ya never complained…” She trailed off for a brief moment, her voice growing stronger in its confidence when her brother’s eyes sparked with mild interest in her words.

“A-And… he was older, maybe one or two years…” Her smile faltered a moment as she looked down. “He always used ta call me stupid… and act like ah knew nothin’, but he still called himself mah coltfriend… He never looked at me like Ah looked at him.” She frowned slightly as she looked back to her brother. “The first time ya met him, Ah remember ya kept tellin’ me ta end it when he left… Ah didn’t know why… And Ah got so angry that Ah said Ah hated ya…”

There was a brief red tint of embarrassment on his sister’s cheeks, however her expression looked more frustrated with anything. “Ah was an idiot… and ya never said anythin’, but Ah knew it really hurt ya… Ah didn’t realize he didn’t love me at all until Ah took yer advice…”

“Ah almost forgot ‘bout that…” Big Macintosh spoke, once again speaking without thinking as he tugged gently on his mane, which he began quietly scratching with his hoof as he cocked his head slightly away from her gaze.

Applejack nodded, giving a brief shudder as some of the cool winds swept into the barn door. The steed quickly trotted over, shutting the door just enough so the wind angled away from them, but still gave light to the barn. He let out a whinny before turning back to his sister, watching her squirm with uncomfortable silence.

“Can Ah ask you…” She spoke quietly once he gave her a gentle nod to continue, trotting up to her side before settling down as he let his backside rest on the small pile of hay. “What does… Caramel mean to you? Ah mean… why do ya keep wantin’ ta see him…” She paused a moment before her eyes widened briefly. “A-Ah won’t say anythin’ bad ‘bout it… Ah’m just… curious is all.”

“Hmm?” He questioned with a slight tilt of his head, giving her a slightly puzzled look. His chest tightened once more at that question. He quickly looked down into his hooves before he began pulling on them with one another. “Caramel… he…” He trailed off, feeling the eyes of his sister bore into him. “Caramel is the first pony who ever made me feel like this…” He mumbled, loudly enough for Applejack to hear, but not without his cheeks tinting to the color of his fur. “All Ah want is fer him ta… Ah mean Ah...” He shook his head angrily for a brief moment, letting out an annoyed sigh. “Caramel… makes me happy… happier than anythin’ has in a long time…” He settled on those words, glancing to Applejack.

“It’s just…” The mare frowned, seeming to hardly take in her brothers words before starting up, finally seating herself down with a gentle thud as she stretched two of her legs. “Fer a while, Ah’ve been tryin’ ta tell myself that what ya two had wasn’t… Ah dunno, sincere… something mushy like that.” She put on a smile, but killed it quickly when she seemed to realize it was out of place. “A couple nights ago… Ah haven’t seen you worry like that over anypony but us… and it’s still hard fer me ta get how some stallion is already that important to ya…”

She sighed loudly, running her hooves on the ground near where she was sitting. “Ah don’t get it… But Ah don’t think Ah should…” She chuckled with slight disappointment in herself. “A stallion makin’ ya happy is just… different…”

“Caramel.” Big Macintosh stated, watching his sister glance to him with confusion. “Not just a stallion… Caramel makes me happy…” He looked into her eyes when he said this, his expression turning strict.

“Right…” Applejack spoke with a nod, her eyes lighting up briefly as if she understood at least a small bit to the puzzle. “Not just a stallion…” She murmured to herself.

“He… he said he loved me yesterday…” The steed spoke up, staring at Applejack when he said it. She looked to him with a brief moment of shock that she at least managed to keep inside her mouth for a few moments.

“O-Oh…” She spoke as she took off her hat, grabbing the ends and pulling gently. “Well… ain’t that somethin’... What did… ya say?”

“Ah… told him the same…” The steed’s tone became slightly embarrassed, but he forced himself to remain strong. “Ah… ah never felt that happy when somepony talked ta me ‘bout that before… he cried when Ah said it back cause he was happy… s-scared me, thought Ah screwed up…” He forced himself to smile a bitter grin, feeling his chest ache as he thought longer about the nerves in Caramel’s voice before his belly began turning once more. “Ah think ah… no, ah know ah got a little too excited talkin’ ta him ‘bout it… Ah made him real nervous…” He frowned at these words.

“Mac… what uh… happened?” Applejack questioned, obviously not exactly eager to hear the details on her brothers love life.

“Ah just… wanted him ta know Ah meant what ah said…” He spoke softly for such a deep voice, it almost sounded scared as he began gnawing on his lip. “Ah ain’t good with talkin’ ‘bout stuff like love… sayin’ it didn’t feel like enough… but he… pushed me away…” The steed sighed, clamping his hooves on the back of his neck as he lowered his head slightly. “Ah made him real nervous… Ah shouldn’t have tried all that without at least askin’ him… he didn’t say anythin’ when we walked home yesterday…” Mac closed his eyes again, that same pain deep in his chest emerging once more. “Ah… really need ta tell him Ah’m sorry…” He sighed loudly, some annoyance in his voice before he began tugging on his mane, his belly clenching as he envisioned Caramel’s nervous squirming in his grasp once more…

“You’ve always been like that…” Applejack spoke to her brother, seeming to have gotten up since she was now pacing back and forth. “Kind of like a big softie really, if you weren’t so big and scary looking you’d have gotten eaten alive in school.” She teased him with a grin before letting it fade, watching her brother glance up at her.

“Look… Ah ain’t gonna understand it in a day… but Ah know that at least ya care about a sta… Caramel…” She corrected herself quickly, Mac giving a certain nod. “And Granny seems to be feeling better about all of this… Ah don’t want to feel stuck in the old ways and have us not be like we used to because… yer still my brother, and the Apples are the best family in Ponyville.”

Big Macintosh chuckled, getting to his hooves as his belly kept clenching at thoughts of Caramel. “Yeah… we’re family…”

“Look, Mac,” She spoke with a demanding voice suddenly, “Will you just go and see Caramel already? You’re obviously gonna worry about him all day if you don’t so… just get it over with… I’ll take care of the apples and whatever else needs done, you just… go be with him for a while…”

Big Macintosh nodded firmly, suddenly trotting forward before nuzzling his sister’s forehead, glad that she gave no protest like she did when she was little before she lifted her hoof to push him away with a giggle. His chest loosened a bit knowing things were in fact healing...

“Alright ya dumb teddy bear, just go already.”

Big Macintosh smiled, feeling a sense of new determination in his belly before nodding firmly, quickly turning around and trotting out into the world of melting snow.

There was a long period of silence that Caramel had grown accustomed to filling his home once Sage had left. Nothing but the crackling of the fire would fill his ears in this moment as his stuffed his pills into his saddlebag, feeling his belly toss and turn as he squirmed nervously, blanket still resting on his back as it draped over his body.

Mac kept coming to his mind, nothing in particular about him, just the simple thought of having to see him today… how he was going to force himself to see him..

“O-Okay…” He spoke aloud, breaking the deafening silence that was his thoughts taking form and weighing him down, telling him to give up and go back to coloring in his book… the one he had left on the floor in front of the couch. However the stallion quickly shook his head, ignoring his pounding heart of nerves. “N-No… I have to… I gotta…”

There was a pause in his words as the stallion sighed, for he had no idea what he planned to do once he actually went out that door and into the snow. It was a hard question to answer considering when he thought about it his belly knotted up, keeping him from breathing properly.

The stallion swallowed hard, closing his eyes as he took a deep breath, breathing in and out to clear his mind of everything, including his worries.

It was the knock on the door that made Caramel yelp in surprise, bringing many of those worries back to him in a sudden rush. He dropped his saddlebag, hearing the pills rattle in their bottles before he quickly trotted out of his room and to the kitchen where the door was in mild frustration. It was only as the knocking came again as his hoof touched the door did he jump, only to angrily groan under his breath at how nervous he felt.

“H-Hello?” He questioned quickly as he pulled the door open, feeling his words become trapped in his throat as he had to glance up to see the face Big Macintosh, his face looked mildly worried before shifting back to his usual blank and cold expression.

The steed looked down at him with his usual blank look, however it faltered ever so slightly as he breathed in and out quickly, obviously trying to catch his breath… had he run all the way here?

“Evenin’ Caramel.” The steed spoke in a tone that Caramel supposed was casual tone for the steed, a smile appearing on his lips, though his eyes were still worrisome.

“H-Hi…” Caramel knew his cheeks were pink, the only thing going through his mind was how he hadn’t had time to properly groom himself for what he normally liked Mac to see him as… but still, that smile reassured him and his knotted belly.

“Can Ah…” The steed looked around the house, shivering as a sudden gust of wind hit his body.

“O-Oh… yeah… come in.” Caramel spoke quickly, stepping aside as the steed trotted in, kicking the snow off his hooves before he did so. Once the door was firmly shut, Caramel took a moment to stare as the steed pulled his scarf from his neck, his breath still quick, yet more under control.

“Do you want… some… er… water?” Caramel spoke, but before the steed answered he trotted over, making the stallion swallow his words yet again before he felt those legs wrap around him… however what usually filled him with comfort only made his insides squirm, for the steed was very tense and light to the touch, hesitant to hold the other too tightly. It was over as quickly as it began, and Caramel noticed Mac’s freckles had blended into his fur.

“Sorry… Ah just… it’s good ta see ya, Caramel.” The steed nodded, as if confirming to himself that those were indeed safe words to use. His eyes cast away, his blank expression still remaining as he glanced in the direction of the living room. “And don’t trouble yerself with it, Ah’m fine.”

Caramel didn’t answer, he only bit his lip as he began to long for the near painfully tight warmth the steed usually gave when he was held. He wasn’t ready for this, he wasn’t prepared to even speak as he nodded in response, unable to look at the other.

“We should… sit on the couch, it’s warmer.” Big Mac spoke in a very factual manner, seeming to simply trot off, giving Caramel enough time to walk behind him, the steed sinking his heavy weight into the couch as he tried to sit comfortably, tucking his short tail against his side as he looked at Caramel expectedly.

The stallion didn’t think much as he sat down next to Big Mac, simply because his mind felt as though it were on fire with trying to figure out something, anything to say.

The steed coughed into his hoof as Caramel adjusted himself, beginning to wrap himself tightly in the blanket which he still hadn’t removed. His body felt very exposed as he sat there silently, unable to look Mac in the eye, yet forcing himself to look at his body.

“Caramel… Ah just came ta…” Big Mac stopped, giving Caramel reason to actually look at his face as it twisted in annoyance with himself. “Ah wanted ta…” He stopped again, this time letting out a whinny. “This all went better in ma head…”

Caramel’s belly tightened again, taking note of how the steed hadn’t once called him “Sugar Cube”, the entire conversation lacking a sense of security with the stallion when the fact dawned upon him

“Yesterday Ah know things went a little sour… Ah’ve been thinkin’ bout it since.” He frowned as he scratched his cheek, looking into the crackling fireplace and away from Caramel. “Ah thought ‘bout it like… Like somethin’ went wrong… It's hard ta think ‘bout ya without feelin…. bad ‘bout it…”

“I’m… I’m sorry…” It was the first words Caramel had managed to say. He tightened the blanket around himself as his body shook. He suddenly began to wish her were invisible, that Mac couldn’t watch him in this moment as his own body betrayed his emotions.

“Caramel…?”

“I-I just… I didn’t…” Caramel’s words were coming quickly as he closed his eyes, wanting this moment that he had forced upon himself to lessen its weight on his chest. “I… I didn’t think you would want to be with me like that… E-Even though you said you were my coltfriend and that you l-loved me…” Caramel sniffled, knowing he was going to make a fool of himself. “I didn’t know what I was thinking, I just got scared because… because nopony ever wanted that with me before… I got scared that you wouldn’t like it or that I-I would screw up and everything happened so fast and then you looked upset and I…”

Caramel’s rambling was brought to a halt suddenly when Mac pressed a hoof over his mouth. When the stallion opened his eyes he realized they were watering, and it was only when Mac rubbed his cheek did he realize he had been crying.

He bit his lip, feeling ashamed as he trembled, trying to hold back his emotions as he sniffled. He wanted to hide, wanted more than anything for Mac to not look at him as he became more of a wreck. He tried to turn his head away, but Mac held his chin in place, a worried expression dancing behind his eyes.

“D-Do you… s-still wanna be my c-coltfriend?” Caramel managed to stutter out, the question burning in his mind as more tears spilled out. He instantly realized how stupid of a question it had been when Mac leaned in, hunching over to hug him tightly, this time with the care he liked. It was warm, and despite how rough the steed’s fur was, comforting.

“Course, Sugar Cube…” He buried his face in Caramel’s mane, breathing in deeply as he held the small pony as if he were glass, gentle so not to damage and tight so not to slip away. “Ah’m sorry… Ah probably scared ya comin’ here outta the blue… Ah just didn’t wanna beat ‘round the bush… P-Please don’t cry… A-Ah ain’t good at fixin’ ponies when they’re cryin’... this is why Ah hate talkin’ things out…”

“I-It’s f-fine…” Caramel whimpered as the lie in his chest felt like it bursting, still trying to put a tight lid over his emotions as he sniffled and trembled, the fear inside him slowly whittling down the more he realized just how comforting the tight embrace felt. Hooves began to rub his back in soothing circles.

“Ah meant what Ah said…” Mac spoke when he pulled away, keeping Caramel close by leaving his hooves on his shoulders as he looked directly in his eyes. “And Ah love ya…”

Caramel couldn’t help but feel his eyes must be burning red, his face wet and soggy… but still, Mac said it. And Mac had never lied to him.

“I… I love you too.” He spoke softly, cheeks pink once more as he buried his face in a patch of soft fluffy fur on the other’s chest once he was allowed to do so. He sat there for a few moments, listening to the heartbeat of the steed beat in his ear. It was a comforting sound, one that warmed his icy fear.

The tan stallion tightened his hoof over a patch of fur on the other’s chest. “I… I’ve thought about it a lot… y-you… o-on me… D-Doing what you wanted yesterday… h-having me.” He knew his cheeks were only growing darker in color when he spoke, but he continued on. “B-But I never… I’m scared I won’t… What if… I didn’t do any good… w-what if I made you not want it anymore…”

“Ah was just doin’ what Ah thought felt right.” Mac spoke with a sheepish grin when Caramel pulled away. He scratched his cheek and chuckled as his smile stayed even when he tried to wipe it away. “Ah liked it… b-before ya made me stop…” He smile vanished as fast as it came. “S-Sorry… Ah don’t want ya feelin’ uncomfortable… S-Shouldn’t have said that…”

“Have you… thought about it at all?” Caramel questioned the steed quickly.

Big Macintosh shrugged his shoulders as he glanced back to the fire. “Not much before… Ah just… N-Not ta say Ah thought it wouldn’t be no good, n-no, Ah thought it’d be nice and… Y-Ya doin’ bad never crossed my mind… A-Ah don’t normally think of plo-... er… doin’ that with stallions… b-but ah just wanted it with ya right then… S-Sorry… s-shouldn’t make ya feel...” His works usually skittish and face red, Mac was at least telling the truth.

“I…” Caramel trailed off as he ignored the apology, pulling the blanket off his body at last, taking a deep breath as he settled his nerves. “Do you…still want to do it?”

“No,” Mac answered quickly as he sat up straight. “Ah don’t want ya…”

“Forget about me.” Caramel interrupted with mild agitation in his voice. “Just… do you still want it like… like you did yesterday?

It wasn’t hard to notice the silence and squirming Mac did in the moment as he thought long and hard about how to answer that question. After a while, he simply looked at Caramel, the freckles on his face still missing, and simply nodded his head.

Caramel felt nerves pierce his heart, the enthusiasm in his silent answer making the guilt rise up again.

“D-Do you think we could… t-try… a-again?” He forced the question, realizing there was no way he would be able to ask it casually. He began nervously fiddling with his hooves as he bit into his lip. “I… I don’t want to be afraid of it… m-maybe if we go slow I might…”

“Sugar Cube…” The steed knew his eyes flashed with interest that he forced to die down to replace it with concern. “Ah don’t want ya panickin’... aren’t ya still not feelin’ well?” He questioned with a worried tilt of his head.

“A-Actually I feel better today…” Caramel forced a gentle smile. “B-But that isn’t the point… I just… I know you want it, a-and it isn’t fair for me to… I mean I don’t want to make you unhappy… b-but that aside… I really… I mean I kind of…” He swallowed hard, closing his eyes. “Please… I want to get over this together… and I want you to have me…”

There was a brief silence before Big Macintosh slid off the couch, glancing down to Caramel.

“Ah need ta go buy some things… it won’t be as scary if we get… er…” He trailed off with his freckles turning pink. “Supplies… If ya change yer mind before Ah get back ya tell me and Ah’ll… A-Ah ain’t havin’ ya bein’ terrified cause Ah want it.” His tone sounded much more like a parent now as he raised his hoof, pointing directly to Caramel as his eyes sunk deep into him. “C-Cause… Ah ain’t gonna plow ya if yer scared.”

“I…” Caramel trailed off, the thought Mac actually going through with “Plowing him” made his heart both leap and sink. “I’ll be fine.” He forced his voice to keep steady, forced his fears to take a back seat for one moment as he nodded firmly. “You’re gonna… p-plow me…”

His firm tone didn’t last long, soon lips pressed to his forehead, making his face soften and heart thump deep in his chest at what he had just said. He had actually said it, somehow the words had slipped out.

“Ah’ll be right back Sugar… sit tight.”

LINK TO THE CLOP PORTION

(Not here for rating purposes, if you are uncomfortable with clop, simply move on ahead and enjoy the rest of the chapter, you aren't missing too much plot wise.)

It was as Big Macintosh pulled the blanket from the bed did he sigh loudly, the running water from the nearby bathroom filled his ears as he glanced out the window. It was already late… and he knew deep down he couldn’t bring himself to leave. He took the blanket out and set it aside, glad that Caramel at least did seem to have a blanket that wasn’t in use underneath it, albeit thinner. he made a mental note to ask Caramel where he cleaned his blankets when he came out of the bathroom.

He wandered around Caramel’s room for a few minutes, taking care not to touch or look at anything too personal as he shoved the oil and lubrication he had purchased earlier into the nightstand drawer.

Eventually the steed trotted out of the room and down the hall in the direction where the water was coming from. He took a moment before knocking his hoof against the door, pressing his ear against it.

“Y-Yeah?” Caramel’s surprised voice came from over the running water.

“Ya doin’ alright?” He questioned through the door, leaning against it a moment before settling himself down. “It ain’t still.. bleedin’, is it?” He spoke in a voice that made it far too obvious he was worried. “Ya want me ta help?”

“N-No, I’m fine… just…” Caramel trailed off, and for a moment nothing but the running of water was audible. “I’m just trying to get everything off. B-Besides, I don’t really need to be started at while I shower.”

“Little late fer modesty Sugar.” Mac chuckled, glad to hear the other giggle in return as he smiled happily, standing up again before stretching his back. He trotted back to the living room, sighing as he settled down in front of the fire, yawning lazily as he laid his body down before the fire with a grin on his face. He was tired, but it was a good exhaustion, one where he felt as though he earned it.

He turned his body over so the embers left in the fire could warm his back, and it was at this moment did his eyes spot an open book partially pushed under the couch. He raised a brow in confusion before scooting his body over, grasping the book in hoof and pulling it out.

He watched as colors unfolded onto the page as it hit the light, he recognized the book as one of Caramel’s own. he slowly flipped through the pages before he found a picture that was only half finished… it looked oddly bare, some places only half colored in.

The steed brushed his hoof against the page, watching as a crayon rolled out from under his hoof. He gazed at it a moment before picking it up, dragging it across the page before he colored in a ladybug silently, his hoof sometimes pressing too roughly into the picture, causing areas to be much darker than others, the colors never quite filling the lines as neatly as Caramel’s did. He had only managed to find a few colors on the thought, so the second half of the river had to be green, a couple of leaves yellow.

He smiled to himself when he finished the messy picture, while it wasn’t exactly nice to look at, it was at least better than before.

“Mac?” Caramel’s voice came from behind him, his eyes turning in the direction to see the damp stallion drying his mane with a green towel, his face resting in a frown as he trotted forward, his steps a little awkward before he finally was standing over the steed, glancing into the book. “You… finished it?” He questioned as he laid down next to the other, pressing his body against the other’s with little hesitation.

“Eeyup.” Mac nodded with a grin on his face that he wasn’t showing to Caramel. “It looked a little… empty.” He gave a shrug when he spoke. “Just got a little bored waiting for ya.”

“Glad to know I’m your source of entertainment.” Caramel giggled when he spoke, filling Mac with warmth that he hadn’t felt in quite some time. “You smell fruity.”

“All ya got is fruity soap.” Mac ran a hoof through his unusually soft mane, it was still a tad damp from his own shower. He nuzzled the other’s ear when he felt Caramel’s tail wrap around his own, the stallion beginning to touch the page.

“You’re not that good at coloring.” Caramel jabbed as he laid his head on his front legs. “And what kind of sky is yellow?”

“It’s evenin’” Mac defended himself.

“The river is half green.”

“Eeyup.”

Caramel burst out laughing at that answer, having to bury his mouth in his legs to keep from making a fool of himself. He could feel Mac’s body shake as he laughed, albeit quieter. It was a nice moment… a quiet one.

“This is…” Caramel spoke as he dried his mane once more with the towel before tossing it aside, his cheeks growing hot as his mind glossed over the details. “This has got to be one of my favorite nights…” He squirmed in place for a moment before he glanced to Big Macintosh. “Y-You’re staying… right?” He questioned nervously, unsure if it was impolite to ask something so bluntly. “I-I mean, I don’t wanna pressure you to do it…”

“Course Ah’m stayin… though yer bed’s a little small.” Mac grinned when he spoke, nudging Caramel in the side.

“It fit us both just fine earlier.” Caramel spoke, turning away from Big Macintosh as he was given a devious grin, his face feeling hot again. “S-Shut up…”

“Ah didn’t say nothin’”

Caramel let the moment pass, knowing he would only embarrass himself if he continued to go on. He swallowed hard as he let his mind wander to going to sleep with Mac there beside him, the thought on its own brought a grin to his face.

“Ya seem happy.” Mac mentioned, brushing aside a loose strand of hair from Caramel’s face. “Lot happier than ya did earlier… are ya feelin’ okay now?”

The tan stallion nodded his head in response, his face still in a grin when he turned to look at Big Macintosh, sitting up with a stretch of his legs. “A lot actually… it’s just weird thinking back to a month ago… I didn’t think Ah’d ever lay next to a fire with another stallion…” He looked down at his hooves, pulling at the rug. “M-Maybe it’s weird… but it’s nice to worry about things like if my coltfriend is upset that I’m not moving fast enough for him… instead of when my next shot appointment is…”

“What’s all this ‘bout?” Big Macintosh questioned when he sat up as well, touching the other’s back with a gentle placement of his hoof.

“It’s…” Caramel’s face twisted as he tried to explain himself. “It’s… like this picture.” He pointed to the coloring book. “You… helped me move on when I was too worried to finish… And it isn’t like you fixed everything… but I don’t feel like I’m leading myself into a dead end anymore.” He smiled to himself as he stroked his damp mane, glancing to the steed before craneing out his neck and pecking his cheek.

There was a moment of silence when Big Macintosh pressed lips to his nose, pulling away with a nod of his head to show he understood. There were a few moments while Caramel giggled at the other.

“It’s getting late…” Caramel spoke, looking at the white smoking remains of the fire. “Sage won’t be home for a while… but he normally doesn’t like it when I stay up past him, especially when I just recovered from a cold… b-besides… that was a lot more tiring than I imagined…”

The stallion didn’t stop to be embarrassed by Big Mac’s grin before he turned around, trotting to the direction of his dark room. He flicked on the lamp before staring at one of the bags that Big Macintosh had left laying on his floor. He reached into it, pulling out one of the candles with a tiny smile on his face.

He opened his nightstand, shuffling through it’s mess for a few seconds before pulling out a small matchbook, quickly striking a flame and watching the candle come alive as he put it on the table.

“Aren’t ya the one who said that was cliche?” Big Macintosh questioned as he trotted in, staring at the small flame before a scent of cinnamon hit his nose.

“Still nice.” Caramel responded with a grin. His eyes glanced out of the window, watching through the darkness as he realized that the snow outside was not in fact falling as snow, but a light drizzle of rain.

His smile faltered for a moment, looking down at his hooves briefly, knowing Big Macintosh’s questioning eyes were boring into him. He didn’t have to wait for him to ask “What’s wrong Sugar Cube.” But he let the words come out anyway, that nickname making him feel warm.

“Nothing just…” He paused as he continued to stare at the light rainfall. “I guess the snow really is melting soon… Winter Wrap up is in a few weeks, isn’t it?”

“Eeyup” Big Macintosh responded.

“It’ll be harder to see you in Spring…” Caramel trailed off with a touch of annoyance in his tone. “I mean, you’ll be working almost every day trying to get the apples to grow and stay healthy… my body is a little better when it’s warmer though… Do you think I could help you out some…?” He turned to look at Big Macintosh. “I-I don’t really want to be paid… I just… Thing will be different.”

Big Macintosh watched as Caramel trailed off. He shrugged his own shoulders before sitting on the bed. “Ah don’t work that much. Only reason Ah don’t go out much ‘side from work is cause there ain’t nothin’ ta do…”

“We could… go on more dates.” Caramel spoke up. “I like the park in Spring… it’s always nice there when the birds come out… I didn’t like the restaurant all that much… I don’t know how you feel about the movies, but maybe we could try it…”

“Cara…?’ Big Macintosh questioned the other, waiting for those eyes to meet his own before he smiled. “Yer thinkin’ too far ahead.”

“S-Sorry.” Caramel responded, glad to know Mac was at least smiling at him. “But… things we do feel more important after tonight.” He felt his face blush when he thought about it, but shook it off once again. “I don’t want things to change too fast… but I’m glad they’re moving forward.”

“Ah’m glad too Sugar Cube.” The other responded with a light hearted laugh. “But don’t worry… cause right now it don’t matter what’s comin’ up… cause Ah love ya.”

The word love was thrown out again, and Caramel once again felt his face ache from how long his smile kept. He nodded his head, Mac’s words always able to reach him like that… Everything felt a little easier when it was the steed who turned out the light and hopped up onto the stressed mattress himself, grabbing for candlelight.

The light of the candle cast shadows on their faces when Mac turned to Caramel, his eyes staring into his own.

“Everythin’ is gonna be fine Sugar… We’re a team now…” He reached out to touch the other’s cheek with his hoof, feeling his head nod before he himself grinned.

“I… I like that…” Caramel spoke, his voice soft as mac’s warm gave stared back at him.

Big Macintosh blew out the candle, for a moment leaving the room in pitch black darkness. And in the middle of it all, Caramel found his lips.

Everything was going to be different now… but a part of Caramel couldn’t help but feel excited.

Perhaps this was where life truly began.

Author's Note

And here we have it. The final Chapter of my story "Melting Snow". It's been a hell of a ride and a great year, but I simply found out I have no way to advance the plot further without adding a new sequel entirely (Which is always in the realm of possibility mind you.)

Hope to see you soon!

Unexpected

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Life's a show, and we all play our part.”
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Melting Snow
Chapter 1: Unexpected

The small plastic bottle felt oddly smooth in the steed’s tan-colored hooves. His eyes gazed to the words, yet refused to read them, for he had already memorized them long ago. The stallion simply began to fumble with the lid, feeling the grooves in the firm plastic dig into his fur. He began to shift his backside on the leather stool he was planted on, feeling the gaze of the colt across from him sink into his body.

“Are they the same as usual, Sage?” Caramel asked. He plopped a small white dot into his hoof, his gaze appearing somewhat distant. “They look a little different,” His voice was raspy, as if he hadn’t spoken in quite some time. He looked past the unicorn and to the cabinets filled with nothing but medical supplies and needles and tools he couldn't even begin to name. Everything in the room was too white, too spotless... just too clean.

“No, they’re the same as always,” Replied the tan unicorn, letting a sigh pass his lips as he held out a glass of water to the pony before him. “Here, if you take it now you can have another before bed tonight.” Caramel looked at it for several moments before grasping the chilled glass in his hoof, downing the pill along with the cool liquid. His gaze quickly returned to the doctor before him, glancing at his similar brown bangs and blue eyes.

“Alright,” The stallion mumbled. He watched as Sage’s horn glowed a dim yellow, lifting up a stethoscope to his ears, bringing the cold and flat metal object to the stallion’s chest. Caramel could feel his body jump at just how icy the metal was as it pressed to his fur. A hoof was held on his back to keep him from falling backward as he let himself slowly breathe in and out.

“I think that cold of yours cleared up nicely,” The doctor mumbled, letting a small smile of relief flood his face for only a moment before returning to a stern look. “And your heart is still beating normally, that’s a good sign.”

Caramel began to gently chew on the inside of his cheek, somewhere in the back of his mind he realized his hind legs were beginning to feel numb from sitting for such a long time. He twisted his face into a look on discomfort as Sage continued to prod around his chest, pushing and pressing in random locations as he breathed in and out. As many times as he had been through this same interaction, he still found himself puzzled by how one could turn sick from a strange breath.

Sage began to bring down the stethoscope from his brother’s chest, at the same time he reached up a hoof to adjust his white lab coat. He looked up into Caramel’s face, giving off a small smirk that seemed rather genuine. “Alrighty then, I think we’re just about done.”

Caramel blinked a few times, looking into the doctor’s features that mirrored his own He glanced at the horn on Sage’s forehead, looking at the horn lodged into his forehead. That was the only real difference in their appearance, aside from weight. Caramel's belly stuck out more, his body much rounder than the thin doctor before him. Caramel looked down to his own cutie mark and saw three blue horseshoes before glancing to his brothers. Sage had a rather intricate heart monitor on his flank.

“Okay,” Caramel mumbled in reply, his voice flat. He glanced out toward the window of the hospital, the once blue skies seemed to begin clouding sea of gray clouds. He briefly considered the possibility of snow clouds, it was around the time of year where Cloudsdale sent out the low hanging clouds. He chewed on his cheek once more.

Sage’s eyesight followed, seeing those same clouds in the sky. “It might rain,” He mumbled to himself. His voice began to rise as he turned back toward Caramel. “Do you want to stay here ‘till I finish up?” He asked. “It’ll only be a few more hours, then we can walk home together, I’m sure I can get a spare room for you to rest in for a while.”

Caramel held his breath as those words escaped Sage’s mouth. He began to tighten a grip around his body with his own upper legs. His eyes glanced to everything in the small room. The counter filled with rubber gloves and needles and other things he couldn’t begin to understand, to the white and bare walls that seemed rather unwelcoming. He quickly shook his head. “Y-You know I hate it here,” The stallion stuttered out.

Sage’s face turned into a frown as he reached out, letting his hoof rest on Caramel’s flank before gently patting. Caramel slowly but surely unclenched his legs from around his chest, turning his face from Sage, not from anger nor discomfort, but from simple embarrassment.

“I could always walk you home and hurry back?” The tan stallion suggested.

Caramel shook his head yet again. “You have more patients, don’t you?” He asked, in truth not expecting an answer. “I’ll just get you in trouble... Besides, I’m not a little foal anymore.”

Sage gave a small chuckle. “I know, I know, Cara. Alright, just try to make it home quickly.” As his laughter faded, he began to walk to the table, grabbing a few of Caramel’s things. He handed his brother a scarf that had patches of both ruby red and charcoal black scattered across. As Caramel begin to wrap the scarf around his neck, he watched as Sage held a large book in his legs. He opened it and begin to flip from the first page to the point where Caramel had left off, flashes of colors passed both stallion’s eyes as the pages fell. “Almost done with this one?” He asked, not bothering to glance up. “Want me to try and buy you a new one on the way home?”

Caramel could feel his face flush a light shade of pink. “Y-You don’t have too,” He said in a hushed tone, not sure if he wanted his brother to hear his words. "I mean it's not like it's vital or anything... I could get one myself if you give me a few bits."

“Listen, I’m going to buy some food on the way home anyways, I’ll get one just in case,” Sage said, handing the book back to Caramel, who quickly snatched it back and held it against his chest. Sage frowned for just a moment, but it quickly returned to a smile.

Caramel slid his body off of the stool, standing on all fours once more. He placed the paper book on his back as he fiddled with his scarf once more. Sage looked at him for quite some time before letting himself speak. “If it gets too cold before I’m back, you can start a fire, alright? There's plenty of wood already inside the house. If you fall asleep on the rug again I'm gonna be mad, though. Don't think I won't take away your favorite rug."

The tan stallion nodded. “I know, I know.” Caramel brushed off the words by waving a hoof before his eyes. Sage sighed before trotting forward, putting a hoof around Caramel’s neck in a quick hug before pulling away.

“Be safe,” Sage said in a firm, solid tone.

"Geez, I'll be fine." Caramel felt his cheeks tint pink. He turned away from Sage quickly and trotted up to the door of the exam room. He gave one final glance back at Sage, but couldn't bring himself to smile. Just being in the hospital made his skin crawl. He slipped out the door as fast as he could and continued holding his breath when it closed behind him. Walking into a bustling hallway in a hospital that smelled of medicine and disease wasn't exactly pleasant. As he placed a hoof against his temple, he began to think of laying next to the warm fire in his brother’s home. That would be nice, just to sleep for awhile in that warmth. He opened his eyes once more, beginning to trot forward in a silence. Eyes on the crowd staring at him made his skin crawl.

As the tan steed trudged forward through the small crowd of ponies in the hospital, he began to cast his gaze down. His mind began to wander as he simply wanted an escape route from the building causing a deep knot in his belly. Too many eyes, too many sick ponies.

The stallion felt himself be forcefully stopped as his head rammed into a body. Caramel felt his body freeze as his face rubbed against well-built muscles. He glanced up to see bandages attached to a red body. As he glanced up further, having to tilt his head rather far back in order to see the pony before him, he saw a rather large stallion look down at him blankly, his green eyes seemingly piercing. He was so very big, big enough in fact that his overpowering muscles seemed to fit rather well on his body and not stand out.

"Howdy." The workhorse stated. His face was covered in little white speckles of freckles. He didn't open his mouth to speak again, but simply looked down at Caramel. He tilted his head slowly when Caramel took a slow, gingerly step backwards. Caramel felt a nurse in a white coat rush past him when she bumped into his side, forcing him to stumble a bit in place.

"I just ran into you," Caramel stated.

"Eeyup." The other replied. His face was stone and eyes icy... Caramel felt frozen under their gaze.

"I uh... Wait, I mean..." Caramel realized his cheeks were flushing, he quickly snapped out of his trance as he began to stutter. “I’m s-sorry!” He stopped before squeezing his eyes shut, quickly trotting past the stallion, his legs on the verge of running.

The small pony wanted to be home rather badly at this point.

"Bye," The red stallion called out.

Caramel swore for just one moment before the first icy drop of rain came hurtling down on his nose that his breath became visible in the cold air around him. His mind briefly wondered in that split second the chances of it being cold enough for snow. He always thought of the snow as pretty to look at, despite his brother constantly reminding him how miserable it made treks through the snow to and from work.

However as that single drop of rain landed on his nose, he began to realize just how much he truly dreaded the rain. Rain was cold, rain was wet, rain soaked through his fur and gave him an awful cold. Cloudsdale always had lousy rain schedules. Far too sudden and unannounced.

A truly awful sound came somewhere deep in Caramel’s throat as a second drop of rain landed on his ear. The groan he made sounded like one of true, nonequivalent annoyance. After taking a quick glance in by lifting his head, he shot his head behind him, looking down the long and barren pathway filled with twists and turns. He knew that even if he wanted to either bolt home or back to the hospital, he would end up getting soaked either way.

A third followed by a fourth drop landed on his back. Caramel began to feel a sense of desperation well up in his chest by this point as he began to whip his head around in any which direction. He realized that the pathway back to ponyville was even further away than home. He scanned his surroundings before him. As he squinted his eyes, he spotted a rather large evergreen tree no more than thirty feet from him.

The stallion felt several drops hit his body. After giving off a quick shrug, he decided it would at least shield him from most of the rain. His legs began to pick up the pace as his body began to sprint toward the tree, the downpour now picking up.

It was almost as if the moment his body was given shelter did the massive amounts of rain begin to rapidly fall from the sky, already forming small puddles in the grass around him. Caramel gave off a sigh of disappointment, realizing that by the time the rain would reduce to enough of a drizzle for him to hurry home that the pathway itself would be filled with mud.

Caramel quickly shook his head, reaching behind him to pull his belongings from his back before he let himself plop down on the dry grass below him. He blinked several times, watching the rain slam onto the hard land. A mixture of the smell of mud and morning dew filled his nose as he breathed in. For as much as he hated the rain, he had to admit the smell was rather attractive.

The tan stallion slowly moved his attention from the outside world, reaching his hoof down to pick up the large book. The laminated plastic felt rather smooth in his hooves as he slowly opened the book. He let loose a whinny from his lips at he stared at the page. He reached his hoof back down to the ground, slowly unzipping something without looking, his hoof fumbling around for a few moments. As he brought it back, he looked at the colored pencil in his hoof. His face twisted as he thought if red was a good color to continue on... he supposed orange was indeed close to red.

Caramel shrugged before placing pencil to paper, drawing broad strokes and often scribbling. He continued like this for what in his mind seemed like a rather long time. He let his mind wander once more, sticking out his tongue as his scribbling increased.

“Uh... Howdy?” The sound of a sudden voice came as such a shock to the small earth pony that he pushed his pencil against the paper with enough force to snap it against the page, leaving a red indentation in the page.

Caramel shot his head up, his breath suddenly increasing with worry as he looked upward. His eyes scanned the owner of the voice before him, seeing a large and red stallion with bandages on his side. It clicked rather quickly in his mind that he had seen this stallion somewhere rather recently... the one he bumped into earlier, wasn’t it?

The tan stallion continued to blankly stare at the red steed before him. It was yet another shock when the mouth of the other opened yet again. “Mind if Ah sit next ta ya? Name's Big Macintosh.” The words came from his mouth. “‘It's mighty wet out here.”

The thick southern accent that came from the other's mouth registered in Caramel’s mind as he spoke. Not only that, but his eyes finally noticed the water dripping from his dark red fur that he remembered being a shade or two lighter before.

"Ah don't bite," Mac stated. It was in that moment that Caramel realized he hadn't said anything for a good ten seconds.

"O-Oh, right! Of course!" Caramel spat out quickly and slapped a hoof onto his face to hide his blush.

"Thank ya kindly." Mac looked like he began to smile as he trotted forward, but Caramel lowered his head in embarrassment. He could hear a thump on the ground halfway around the tree’s cover. Caramel dared to take a quick glance at the steed next to him. He was large, so very large in comparison to him. He wasn't able to recall if he had ever seen a stallion at such great mass before. As his eyes glanced down, he spotted a large patch of green on the other’s flank. It looked like and apple cut right through the middle. As his eyes continued to move further down, Caramel spotted that the stallion’s hooves looked a tad strange. He could see the actual hoof, there was no fur around the area, it ceased growing a few inches upward.

"Ngnn," A sound of annoyance that came from the workhorse made Caramel lose his train of thought. He looked over to Big Macintosh, who was quietly rubbing his hoof on his bandaged side. His bandages were soaking wet. Caramel opened his mouth a few times and tried to find his voice, though nothing in him let him speak. He looked down to his own hooves and began to fiddle with them.

"B-Bandages aren't a good thing to get wet!" Caramel didn't mean to shout the words, but they came out loud. He forced courage deep into his gut enough to look over to Mac, who was staring at him with a blank expression. He turned his head slowly in question. "I... I mean... if it's a cut or stitches or surgery or something... I mean... s-sorry, it's none of my business."

"It's mostly healed." Mac blinked his eyes. "Just soppy feelin'." It was true, his fur was simply dripping. Caramel scooted over slowly and hesitantly held out his hoof before pressing it down against Mac's leg. It really was wet, his fur thick and course so it absorbed more water.

"You're cold..." Caramel mumbled. He took a quick glance back to the steed. He didn’t seem angry, or even that cold, despite the small frown on his face. His face was simply blank of any emotion. Caramel quickly reached his hooves up to his neck, taking off the red and black scarf in all its twists and tangles before holding it out to the stallion. “H-Here.” He managed to stutter out, turning his head away. “You look cold, and I’m all dry now,” He trailed off, feeling like a complete and utter idiot.

Much to his surprise however, he felt the scarf be pulled from his hoof. He turned his head, hoping his fur would hide hide his blush as he looked at the stallion once more. Much to his shock, his expression had significantly changed. His once emotionless eyes were now filled with a sudden warmth and affection. His frown had turned into a smile, not an overbearing one that was blatantly forced and fake, but a small and grateful one that seemed genuine. “Thank ya’ kindly... erm...”

Caramel’s blush was no longer hidden behind fur, he knew this was a positive fact. “C-Caramel.” He stuttered.

“Thank ya kindly, Caramel.” The steed nodded, as if adding the name to a list in his mind. “Name’s Big Macintosh.” He didn’t say any more, simply turned and removed the horse collar from his neck, making a rather loud thud against the earth as he began tying the scarf around himself.

Caramel turned from Big Macintosh, letting his face sizzle down. As his eyes focused, he saw the book on the ground before him, which he quickly closed in an obvious, quick motion, flipping it over to the back and letting out a rather exasperated breath.

He could sense Big Mac staring at him, and as he turned to look he could almost see a question mark above the red steed’s head. His head was cocked and eyes now locked on the book the tan stallion tried so desperately to hide.

“Drawin’ somethin’?” The words came from Big Macintosh.

The tan earth pony didn’t speak, simply shook his head, sliding the book out of Big Macintosh’s sight, behind his back and against the tree. He felt his body give off a slight tremble. He began to wonder why he was so embarrassed, for he wasn’t usually this jumpy, even around strangers. “N-No, it was only...” His voice kept stuttering, and he kept wanting to shrink into himself. He simply trailed off, hoping Big Macintosh wouldn’t bring attention to it any more.

Caramel could feel eyes on his body, he was being examined the same way he did to the workhorse, however the large steed didn’t seem to be too discreet about it. He could feel his own tail began flicking as he grew worried for no real reason, simply anxiety.

“Ya’ were at the hospital?” Big Mac asked. Caramel could feel his hair stand on end as he looked at the other. Had he really remembered being bumped into? Caramel opened his mouth to apologize, however he chose to follow the steed’s eyesight, realizing it wasn’t on him, but his things. He looked at the bottle of medicine, holding in a sigh of relief.

“Y-Yeah,” He began. “I-I go there every few weeks. My brother is one of the top doctors there, so our medical expenses are cheap. B-But I think that’s because he takes the money from his own paycheck so...” Caramel stopped, realizing he was rambling about things nopony in their right mind would care about while the other had hardly said a single word. “So... how about you?” He mumbled dumbly, nodding toward Big Macintosh’s bandages.

“Injury,” Big Macintosh answered easily. "Got hurt real bad buckin' apples. It's better now, though." Caramel began to wish he had answered that easily.

“That so?” The stallion asked.

“Eeyup.” Big Macintosh replied, still keeping those warm eyes locked onto Caramel. The tan pony couldn’t explain it, but those eyes calmed down his nerves a little every time he caught a glimpse of them. He dodged his eyes around in his skull, reddening once more. He began to feel a little funny...

Big Macintosh's face suddenly went back to a blank expression as he briefly paused, turning his head upward toward the sky. Caramel followed his gaze, realizing the background noise of splattering raindrops in puddles had finally ceased. Caramel twitched one of his ears before taking a quick glance to Big Macintosh. "I... I uh..."

He saw Big Mac's blank expression turn to him. Caramel lowered his gaze, quickly shaking his head as he swooped up both his medicine and book in hoof. "I have to go..." He spat out. He quickly got to his hooves, throwing his supplies on back before trotting off in a similar manor as the first time he ran into the steed. "Sorry for bothering you."

"Ya didn't..." Big Macintosh reached out his hoof, beginning to open his mouth before realizing Caramel may not stop even if he called out. He blinked a few times before holding the scarf in hoof, staring at it's patches for several moments.

"Caramel... huh?" He asked himself aloud.

Author's Note

So, here we go I suppose! The first chapter of a new story that I really enjoyed writing!
And it's Caramac, and I also am ungodly excited for it!