You open the door, revealing the robust form of Applejack. As is expected, she has braved the cold out wearing nothing but her trademark hat and a good sense of humor.
“AJ! Happy Hearth’s Warming!”
“Happy Hearth’s Warming ta you, too!” she hoots, stepping through the door and throwing a hoof around you in a chummy hug. “Hope ya like yer present!” She haphazardly shoves a little box at you before shaking like a dog to remove the snow stuck on her coat.
“Oh, thanks! Let me go grab yours!” You walk over to the couch and place the box down on the couch while you fetch Applejack’s present from the kitchen. When you return with the oblong, orange-wrapped gift, she’s already lounging on your couch with her hooves up on the seat. You trot over and wait respectfully for her to remove them so you can sit next to her; when she doesn’t, you roll your eyes, lift up her hooves, and sit down. Upon releasing her hooves, they plop right back down onto your lap.
Applejack acknowledges her victory with a smug grin. “Alrighty, sugarcube, ya’ll go first now and open up what I got’cha. I reckon you’ll like it!”
You open up the little box. Inside is a small pony figurine. You examine it closely; as your muzzle approaches it, you catch the smell of pine wafting towards you. “It’s a little pony sculpture?”
“It’s you!” she hoots proudly. “I whittled it muh’self out of the stump of the family Hearth’s Warming tree.”
A grin tugs at one side of your mouth. Not the most conventional present you’ve ever received, sure, but a unique and heartfelt one nonetheless; and one intimately connected to one of the Apple family traditions. “Thanks, AJ. Alright- now you!”
Her tongue sticking out of the side of her mouth in concentration, Applejack fumbles with the wrapping paper on her present. Finally tearing a shred of it open, she gasps and rips the rest of the paper off immediately. “No! No you didn’t!”
“I did,” you tell her proudly. “It was a little pricy for a pie tin, but I guess it was worth it for one that cooks pies a whole-”
“SIX seconds faster!” she interrupts gleefully. “This is the best present I’ve gotten in years! Thank ya darlin’!”
The faintest hint of a blush comes upon your cheeks when you hear Applejack exchange her favored ‘sugarcube’ for another term of endearment. “You’re welcome! I’m glad you’re happy with it!”
Applejack, smiling broadly, places the pie tin gingerly on the floor next to the couch before looking at you casually. “So are we gon’ kiss, ‘er what?”
You furrow your brow once, not having expected that response. “I...what?”
“Well, ya put up mistletoe,” Applejack casually mentions, tossing a hoof haphazardly in the direction of the hanging plant above the couch. “That means it’s smoochin’ time, don’t it?”
“Well, normally it would, but I actually had that up for another event, a-and I meant to take it down, but I guess- I dunno, I-”
“Oh, don’t give me none of that,” she scolds, following up her rebuke with a raspberry in your direction. “Sugarcube, I’m all about tradition, and the tradition is that ponies kiss under the mistletoe. So, ya’ll can either stop talking and kiss me, or I’ll kiss you.”
“A-alright t-then,” you stammer, closing your eyes and slowly inching your muzzle towards hers. After a few seconds of painfully retarded progress, you crack open one eye to see Applejack waiting impatiently.
“Time’s up,” she comments, before closing the rest of the distance between you and pressing her lips to yours. Her hooves wrap tightly around your torso and she rocks her body side to side for the duration of the kiss. Her tongue brushes your bottom lip lightly as she pulls away.
“‘Mwah,” she spits when her lips were only an inch away, as if it were supposed to be a natural sound effect. “See, darlin’? Ain’t nothin’ to be ashamed of. Just tradition!” she declares, flipping her ponytail and flashing you a confident, teasing smile.
You collapse on the floor.