Big Mac shook himself, trying to rid his fur of the cold rain, to no avail. "It's so cold!", he muttered to nopony, "ah'm freezin' mah dag nabbed tail off!"
He was out delivering apples to Fluttershy, but after he had left her cottage, it had started to rain. Not a gentle rain, but a hard, cold, driving rain.
Meanwhile...
Rarity moved ever so gracefully around her shop, making dresses for Grand Galloping Gala.
"Ok, just a few more stiches... and Pinkie Pie's dress is finished!", she exclaimed happily, stuffing a couple of mothballs into the finished garment to protect it from any hungry moths before hanging it on one of the manniquins.
She looked at her list and said, "Ok, so that's Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Twilight Sparkle, Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie. All done. Why do I feel like I'm forgetting something?"
She looked in a mirror and saw herself. She gasped and said, "Oh my goodness! How could I have forgotten myself?" She hastily set to work, setting out colors and patterns that went best with her white fur and purple mane.
With Big Mac...
"Why didn't I accept Fluttershy's invitation to stay until the rain passed? Why?", he muttered to himself, "Because you're stubborn as a mule and dumb as a post, that's why!", he answered himself.
He shook himself again as he made his way passed the Carousel Boutquie.
With Rarity...
Rarity glanced out the window and saw a large, red, soaking wet pony. "Is that...? It couldn't be... It is!", she said as she realized it was Big Mac. "Gracious!", said Rarity, "He'll catch a cold out there!" She dropped what she was doing, used her magic to grab an umbrella and ran outside. "Big Macintosh!", she yelled, "What in Equestria are you doing out in this weather?"
Big Mac looked up and said, "Oh, evenin', Miss Rarity. Some weather we're havin', huh?" Immediatly, he smelled the odor of mothballs on her. He was really allergic to mothballs (I mean, cold like symtoms allergy, not turn purple, gasp like a fish outta water and need medical attention allergy) He could already feel himself starting to sniffle.
"Forget the weather!", said Rarity, "You're getting soaked to the bone! You're going to get sick!"
"You don't need to worry", said Big Mac, "I don't get si... ah... ah... AH CHOO!", he sneezed, sending a mist of saliva and other bodily fluids flying.
"Gesundheit", said Rarity.
"Thank ya kindly, Miss Rarity", said Big Mac, slowly lifting his head back up, revealing a large, ugly glob of mucus that had gotten stuck to the end of his muzzle.
"Ewww!", said Rarity, noticing the glob. "Macintosh, you got a little something on your face."
"I'll get it", said Big Mac as he opened his mouth and started to let his tongue out.
"No no no no no!", said Rarity, "that won't be nessiscary" She took out a tissue, (hey, if you hate dirt, why wouldn't you carry tissues at all times?) and quickly wiped Big Mac's muzzle clean.
"Thanks", said Big Mac.
Rarity said, "You're welcome. Now come inside and warm up. You don't need to catch a pnuemonia."
"Catch a what-now?", asked Big Mac.
"Nevermind", said Rarity, "Just come inside."
"But", said Big Mac before Rarity cut him off.
"No buts, Mister ", said Rarity, "I want you inside right now."
Big Mac shrugged, said, "Ok. If you insist.", and followed Rarity into the Boutquie.
"Sorry it's so messy", said Rarity, "I've been so busy with the gala and all"
"It's no problem at all", said Big Mac, who could no longer breath through his nose.
"Oh no", said Rarity, "You sound even worse. I'll be right back." She darted into the next room and came back seconds later with towels and a blanket on her back and using her magic to carry a steaming pot of tea. She set the items down, toweled Big Mac off and wrapped the blanket around him.
At this moment, Big Mac was incredibly excited. What are the odds that your crush will take you out of the rain, towel you dry, wrap you up in a warm blanket, then serve you tea? Not much. Who cares if he couldn't breathe? At this moment, to hell with breathing, he might just have a shot to finally ask Rarity to go out with him. All he had to do now was get the courage.
Rarity levitated a thermometer infront of his face and said, "Ok. Now open your mouth so I can take your temperature."
"Are you serious?", asked Big Mac.
She sighed and said, "I need to take your temperature. Would you rather I take it rectally?"
They both laughed, knowing full well Rarity wouldn't do that, partly due to her obsessive-compulsive disorder.
"No thanks", said Big Mac, "You can take it orally."
Rarity fought the urge to giggle at that statement. She put the thermometer in his mouth, took it out, looked at it and was surprised to see it read 98.6. "That's odd", she said, "Your temperature is normal."
Big Mac tried to breath, but made a loud sniffling sound.
Rarity realized what the problem might be. She said, "Big Macintosh, do you have any allergies?"
He nodded and said, "Yeah. But only one. I'm allergic to mothballs."
"Oh my goodness!", said Rarity, "That's why you can't breath! I was just handling mothballs before you got here."
"That would explain it.", said Bic Mac.
"Oh, Big Macintosh, I am so sorry. I had no idea", said Rarity.
"It's ok", said Big Mac, "you couldn't have known."
"Let me make it up to you", Rarity begged, "Anything you want, anything at all."
Big Mac smiled and said, "Well, as a matter of fact, I wanted to ask you if you were busy saturday night?"
Rarity blushed and said, "My... Big Macintosh... Are you... are you asking me out... on a... on a date?"
Big Mac nodded and said, "Yes, only if you want to."
"Yes", said Rarity, "I am free saturday night. What did you have in mind?"
Big Mac shrugged and said, "Well, I was thinking we'd go out to a nice dinner somewhere and the maybe... take a walk through the farm's back 40."
Rarity parctically screamed in excitment. She finally had a chance to be alone for an evening with her childhood crush. There was no way in heaven or hell she was going to pass this up. "I'd love to", she said.
Inside his head, Big Mac was doing an end-zone dance. He had finally managed to get a date with Rarity. Spike was gonna hate him, but he didn't care. He said, "How about we meet at Sugarcube Corner and take it from there?"
Rarity nodded and said, "What time should I get there?"
Big Mac thought for a second and said, "How about six o'clock?"
Rarity nodded and said, "How bout six o'clock."
"How bout I'll be there", said Big Mac.
Rarity smiled and said, "You got yourself a date."
To be continued...