There was something about a Hearth's Warming doll carved from stone that spoke to Big Mac. It had taken him the better part of an hour to chip a rock into the right shape, but now that the fruit of his labor sat proudly on the mantelpiece, he couldn't help but let loose an impressed smile. To him, the doll represented diligence, a refusal to bow before the grueling and the impossible. It wasn't a meaning he'd normally ascribe to a Hearth's Warming doll; the hoof-knitted crochet effigies he was familiar with were a representation of how the fires of friendship brought everypony together at the holidays, a way to show that all were home and together. They'd grow warm and cozy on the hearth, and as the sun set after a wonderful day, most ponies would take them down and snuggle up to the warm fabric.

Somehow, he didn't see that happening with rocks.

Marble Pie stepped silently into the family room, her hooves as light as feathers on the normally-creaky floorboards. She had spent five more minutes in the bathroom than she normally did, making herself as pretty as possible for what promised to be a very pleasant evening. Of course, the simple rock farmer didn't have that many reasons to look pretty, so she had barely the first clue how to go about it. She had combed her mane a few more times than usual, and had taken extra-special care to pick the little bits of rubble out of her coat, but that was about the extent of it.

She hoped that Big Mac wouldn't mind.

Big Mac took a deep breath in, and gave a contented sigh. He could smell the unmistakable odor of cinnamon buns wafting through from the kitchen, and he could see everyone was getting along just fine in the meantime. Granny was trading colloquialisms with Igneous Rock and Cloudy Quartz, while Applejack was making a big show out of unwrapping her present from Pinkie. Meanwhile, Maud and Apple Bloom were seriously engrossed in some funny roleplay about Princess Luna's plot to 'topple the throne of higher consciousness and unite all minds in the shadow garden'. Or something like that, he wasn't paying that much attention. Then he looked a little to their left, and saw Marble.

It wasn't as though she hadn't been beautiful before. From the moment they first looked into each other's eyes, Big Mac had loved the dusty look that all that rubble gave her coat, had loved the way the warm sunlight shone through her mane and tail. But now, bathed in the glow of the roaring fire and sparkling with stray flecks of water, 'beautiful' seemed like such a small word. Marble Pie was radiant, a glowing vision that could outshine even the sun itself.

Big Mac smiled and scooted a little to the left. He hoped she would take the invitation.

Marble's heart fluttered as Big Mac made room by the fire. Yesterday, she might have been afraid that he was moving back out of disgust, but she had seen the blush on his cheeks. She hadn't thought his face could get any more red, but there he was, blushing such a rich crimson that it seemed to suck color away from all the rest of him. There was a spot at the fire just for her, and she had to resist every urge to throw herself across the room at it. Instead, she approached slowly, like a cat stalking a mouse. Finally, she sat down, ignoring the chill of the floor and focusing on the warmth of the fire.

Big Mac could hardly contain his excitement. She had taken it. She was sitting right next to him, barely four hooves away, right by a roaring fire on Hearth's Warming. The only way this could have been more perfect would have been if they had two mugs of hot cider and one blanket. Not because of the cold, of course. Big Mac found the fire more than warm enough. It was the closeness that he longed for...

Marble shifted a little from side to side, rubbing against the cold timbers of the floor. Her coat was still wet, and the Pie house wasn't exactly famous for being well-insulated, so she could hardly help herself if a bit of a chill rode up her spine. She cast a sidelong glance at Big Mac, and put a little bit of extra effort into her shivering. He cared, right? Surely he would say something. Maybe he would rush up to the guest bedroom to fetch a blanket, or add more wood to the fire, or maybe he'd just snuggle up real close...

Big Mac saw her shiver out of the corner of his eye. He felt the warmth of the fire on his back, and wondered how she could possibly still be cold. Or perhaps it was fear? Maybe she was scared of him. No, no, that didn't make sense. She had just gotten out of the bathroom, she would obviously still be chilly. He looked around for any blankets, then noticed the curtains hanging over the window. He was about to leap up and tear them down, then noticed that the curtains were fluttering ever-so-slightly.

So that was where the draft was coming from. Big Mac let out the tiniest of defeated sighs, then a thought occurred. Maybe if he just got a little closer to her...

Maybe she should ask him if she could...

But he'd have to make sure she was okay with it first...

She turned to ask, and her heart sped up as he...

Turned to suggest it to her, and his heart skipped a beat as their...

Eyes met across that brief space, the fire crackling like the...

Electricity between them...

Energy...

Pinkie.

As if possessed of remarkable clairvoyance, Marble and Mac looked up, and in the moment before she descended from the rafters, their hopeful smiles became the faintest of frowns. Then Pinkie was between them, her grin threatening to explode off her face and her forelegs squeezing around their throats. Marble's frown grew even more pronounced, while Big Mac tried and failed to put on a convincing smile.

"Marble Pie, you want to wish Big Mac a happy Hearth's Warming, don't you? And you too, right, Big Mac?"

Marble couldn't help but smile in relief. Pinkie wasn't trying to sabotage this moment. She was trying to coax them out of their shells. She nodded, and gave a little "Mmhm" in response.

Big Mac's strained smirk became a bashful blush when he saw Marble's smile. She wanted to wish him a happy Hearth's Warming? That was so sweet of her. And the way Pinkie was phrasing the question, with those half-lidded eyes and waggling eyebrows, only made him blush more. As he heard Marble's adorable little sound, he chuckled a little. "Eeyup."

Marble only smiled wider as Pinkie hopped away, partly from relief that she could breathe again, and partly because she and Big Mac were now perfectly lined up with each other. He was staring into her eyes, his neck tilted just so, and a charming little smile on his face that made her so glad he couldn't see her furiously blushing cheeks. She wondered if she should say something. Pinkie had already fed her a perfect line, all she had to do was open her mouth and say it...

Big Mac hardly knew where to look. Pinkie was gone, and he was staring deep into Marble's eyes. Well, one of them, anyway. Sweet Celestia, she was even more beautiful up close. That rich purple set against the soft grey of her coat, seeming to sparkle in the glow of the roaring fire. The glow was so strong that her cheeks even seemed to be...

Oh.

"Happy Hearth's Warming." It wasn't entirely a whisper, at least not on the same level as Fluttershy. He could make out every word, every meaning, but somehow it still felt small. Some part of Mac's brain told him he could barely hear her, wanted to get her to speak up. Instead, he just nodded and smiled. "Happy Hearth's Warming to you too."

"Attention, everypony!" His little sister was speaking. It was the perfect moment. As Big Mac turned to listen to Lil' Bloom or whatever her name was, Marble scooted right up close beside him. She felt the warmth of his enormous body, but still found herself shivering, though more from thrills than from the cold.

As Big Mac felt Marble lean into him, he felt a growing warmth in his chest. She had had the same idea as him, and he had a hunch that it wasn't because a full-grown farmer was logically a warmer choice than a thin blanket. He smiled, and turned his head a little so he could rest it on top of hers.

Today was a good day.