A Taste Like Apples - Chapter 2

>You awaken with a splitting headache, the sun shining through the overhead window of your loft atop the barn of Sweet Apple Acres.
>You must've been drinking last night, and heavily. The details are a bit fuzzy... wait, who is snoring?
>Wiping your bleary eyes, you squint into the daylight, and notice the massive form of Big McIntosh pinning you down,
>snuggling you with his forehooves wrapped around your back and chest,
>and solid as a log, sleeping right through the morning even as the sun approaches its zenith.
>Remembering every detail of the surreal experience of last night, you frantically check your clothes,
>and breathe a sigh of relief - and slight disappointment - when you realize your pants were untouched.
"Big Mac, get up."
>He snores and grunts as you poke him in the shoulder.
"Big Mac, you gotta wake up..."
>He isn't budging, but perhaps it's for the best. His own hangover will surely hit like a truck.
>Instead, you extrude yourself from his grasp, worming your way out of the bed and onto shaky feet. You're too messed up to even tuck him in.
>Throwing on your T-shirt and sweatpants, you climb down the ladder of your loft,
>squarely focused on downing a giant mug of coffee as fast as you can,
>and hopefully rousing your new 'friend' before the mares get suspicious.
>As if they already weren't.
>Sneakily opening the door to the kitchen, you immediately trip over Applebloom and fall flat on your face,
>sending the poor filly into a shriek and nearly giving yourself a heart attack.
>"WHAT in tarnation's goin' o-" Applejack rushes in and finds the two of you quite out of sorts. "You okay there? What happened?"
>"I-I was about to step outside when -"
"I jusht took a little trip, t-hat's all, AJ."
>You push yourself to your knees and clutch at a cabinet beside you.
"There any coffee left"?
>She stares into your bagged and hollow eyes, and her aspect changes from worry to indignation. "Applebloom, start doin' your chores." The oblivious filly departs without a word. "Ah got some questions for YOU, mister."
>She drags you to a chair and hoists you into it, before filling a mug with old black coffee and slamming it on the table.
>"WHY were you out drinkin' last night?" You meet her smoldering eyes with the vapid look of a display mannequin.
"I washn't... out. Just the barn." You wrap a hand around the coffee mug and chug the noxious liquid, desperate to clear your head of the oppressive fog of alcoholic stupor.
>"Oh, so you were drinkin' OUR cider, is it? Care to explain yourself, or shoud Ah just fire you and get it over with?
>You slam your head down on the kitchen table. This would be hard if you weren't hungover. Now it's just cruel.
"Big McIntosh."
>"Yeah, and where is he?"
"Uuuughhh. Can't talk right now."
>"You BETTER start explainin' yourself if -" she's cut off by the door slamming open,
>revealing a bright and chipper Big Mac, freshly groomed and as lucid as ever. He must've just been tired.
>"Leave the boy alone, AJ," he trots up to the table, and you turn your resting head to look at him as he comes to your defense.
>"We were just havin' some fun in the barn last night. The week's work is over, so Ah didn't see anything wrong with it."
>You drag your head up, looking from one sibling to the other.
>"'Sides, sis," Big Mac trots up to you, and nuzzles his nose into your shoulder. "Ah don't think you need to worry yourself about findin' me a mate."
>Applejack goes from anger to confusion to shock in a matter of seconds. She doesn't say a word as Big Mac lovingly pets your hair with a hoof.
>"Ah think Ah've found just the man."
>You crane your neck up to look at your new coltfriend, and he gives you a soft kiss from high above,
>reinforcing this surreal and ludicrous turn of events in Applejack's mind.
>"Big Sis, Ah had a question abou-" Applebloom strides in from the hall,
>and sees her elder brother in a moment of intimacy she was never meant to lay eyes on.
>Unlike her sister, however, the filly's confusion quickly grows into the widest and most gleeful smile you've ever seen on a pony.
>She'll just HAVE to tell all her friends about this.
***
>"I think it's adorable, and really, it's about time he found someone."
>"Yeah... but a HUMAN? I mean, come on! Even if he's into that sorta thing, there're plenty of colts right here in Ponyville!"
>"Of course there are, Rainbow Dash. But unless you could read his mind, there's no way to know who anyone's going to fall in love with."
>"Twilight... you sayin' we should READ his MIND? Can we do that?"
>"Um, I don't think that's what she meant, Pinkie..."
>"Ugh. Ah don't have any problem with it... Ah'm just upset he didn't ever tell me before. Here Ah was, assumin' he was just too shy or too picky, but Ah kept settin' him up with the wrong gender in the first place!"
>The six best friends were sitting in Sugarcube Corner, munching on cupcakes as they discussed the town's biggest gossip in weeks.
>Of course, being Big McIntosh, the townsfolk don't see hide nor hair of him or his new human-coltfriend,
>as they both occupy themselves with a greater-than-necessary workload to excuse them from speaking to anyone;
>as shy as Big Mac always is, the attention would torture him.
>"You couldn't have known, Applejack."
>"Besides, darling, there really aren't very many of his... type here in Ponyville. The situation is different in Canterlot, but, well, he IS Bic McIntosh."
>"Yeah, Ah guess." Applejack finishes off her cupcake. "Still, Ah'm worried he's spendin' too much time at home recently.
>Sure he needs quality time with his coltfriend, but ever since the town found out, neither of 'em haven't stepped foot in Ponyville."
>"'Quality time', eh... d'you think they're -"
>"Rainbow Dash"! Rarity smacks her on the arm, and Dash sticks her tongue out in response.
>"That's none 'a mah business either way... still, we should really do somethin' for 'em. Show 'em we support them no matter what they do.
>"*Who* they d-" another smack from the designer pony.
>"W-well, how do you think we should show our support?"
>All eyes turn to Pinkie Pie.