//------------------------------//
// Ch. 3 Linger 
// Story: Youthful Expression 
// by Closer-To-The-Sun 
//------------------------------//

Chapter 3: Linger

Spike and Applebloom stared at each other as their lips were connected. When the two realized what exactly was happening, both of them broke the kiss quickly and moved away from each other. Both the pony and dragon were spitting and trying to rid the evidence of the kiss from them.

"Eww! Dragon germs!" Applebloom was the first to speak.

"Dragon germs?" Spike spat to the side the taste of apple, which he hoped was from his lunch, "How do you know you're not the one with germs?" he retorted back to the pony.

"Because, ladies don't have germs," she said with her nose turned up to move to the other side of the tree to sit down, "only colts an' other boys have germs!"

Spike moved to the opposite side of the tree and leaned his back against the tree, "Well, you're starting to sound like those prissy ponies from earlier."

"Ya mean, Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon?"

"Yeah, them."

"Well, ah don't really want to be like them. So ah'm sorry for sayin' that to ya, Spike."

"Eh, no big deal. I know all girls have some sort of view on boys like that. I remember when Twilight had that view about colts her age. I don't remember much about that, but she sure like to stay in her room and read than go outside and play with them."

Applebloom giggled, "Really? Miss Twilight was like that?"

"I know, you wouldn't think that from her," Spike laughed as well, "I swear, she was just like Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon, except her muzzle was buried into a book and not mocking other ponies."

"Huh," was all Applebloom could say to that. After a pause, she spoke up again, "Hey, Spike?"

"Yeah?"

"Ah neva got t' say thanks."

"Thanks? For what?"

"Standin' up t' those two ponies back at the schoolyard for me….an' Sweetie Belle an' Scootaloo, too," she quickly added her friend's names.

"It was nothing," Spike said with a bit of pride in his voice.

"But ah'm still mad at you."

"Huh?" Applebloom's added comment surprised Spike, "Why?"

Grabbing her tail with her hooves, she fiddled with the hair fibers as she continued to speak in a hushed tone, "Because….ya took mah first kiss…."

"Oh...." Spike slummed his head a little when he heard what she said, "well, if it makes ya feel any better, it was mine too."

Applebloom's cheeks turned red and her ears perked up as she heard Spike's words, "R-Really?"

"Yeah, never really got close to any girl dragons back in Canterlot, or anypony for that matter."

"What about Rarity?"

Spike laughed, "What about her? She's out of my league, I know that. I guess you can say the chances of me and Rarity are slim to none. And I can live with it, there's always tomorrow."

Applebloom paused and spoke, "So, should we jus' pretend that the kiss neva happened?"

"Huh?"

"So we can both say that we didn't jus' have our first kiss."

Spike thought about it for a second and replied, "Sure, we can do that. I mean, what kind of first kiss was that?" He laughed a little at his own question.

Applebloom joined with the laughter, "Yeah, ah mean, if ya want a really bad first kiss, that's probably the best of the worst!"

Spike popped his head from the side of the tree so he could see Applebloom, "Totally! I mean, our faces literally bummed into each other!"

The yellow filly turned and popped her head out like Spike, moving a bit closer to him, "And on top of that, neither of us wanted it!" she giggled more.

Spike got a little closer to Applebloom, and soon the two were sitting back next to each other, looking back at the view on the hill. The two laughed a little more before they settled down and watched the sun slowly set.

"Speakin' of such, what would ya think yer first kiss would be like? Ya know, since that didn't count." Applebloom asked with a pink tint in her cheeks as she was looking forward, hoping that Spike wouldn't see.

Spike's cheeks turned a rosy red at the question, "W-Well, I really don't know….honestly I have no idea of what a real loving kiss is like. What d-do you think?"

Applebloom was surprised by his answer and his turning of the question right back to her, "A-Ah don't know either…."

"Well, what do you want it to be like?"

Applebloom took a deep breath to calm herself, "Well, ah honestly imagined mah first kiss to be something special with somepony special. Somepony that ah can honestly say that ah will love forever, no matter what happens. That way, it'll be much more magical," the filly's cheeks were red as she spoke candidly about how she wanted her first kiss. She then turned to Spike, not caring her cheeks were burning red or that her mouth was smiling from speaking, "What about you, Spike?"

Spike blushed as Applebloom returned the question, "Well, I always imagined that I would mess it up big time," the dragon admitted.

"Now why would ya say somethin' like that?"

"Cause I seem to have that kind of luck?"

Applebloom gave a small glare to Spike, "That's not really thinkin' highly of yerself there, Spike. Fer all you know, it would be simply wonderful."

"Well, I really haven't put as much thought into it."

Applebloom eased up her glare and rephrased the question, "Well, what would ya like it t' be?"

Spike took a breath of fresh air and turned to face Applebloom, "To be honest, what you said sounds quite nice…."

Applebloom turned to see that the purple dragon as looking at her. She shyly looked away, but her eyes went right back to his, "Y-Yeah, it really does…."

As if they had told each other what to do, both Spike and Applebloom both closed their eyes and slowly leaned toward each other. As their lips connected, it was just as Applebloom said it would be. To both Spike and Applebloom, it was magical. Neither of them knew the right words to describe the kiss, nor the emotions they felt inside each other. Slowly, the dragon moved his lips away from the filly and both looked to the other. Both of their faces were a deep crimson, almost the shade of Applebloom's mane.

Neither wanted to say a word, but Applebloom broke the silence, "H-How was that, Spike?"

"I-I really d-don't know the right words…."

"M-Me neither…."

The two sat in silence before Spike spoke again, "W-Would you….um….would y-you like to….uh….if you want that is…to try it….a-"

Spike was cut off by Applebloom pinning him to the ground to kiss him. The two spent the remainder of the sunset kissing. The sensation they were experiencing was new and exciting to them and they did not want the feeling to end.

Finally, the Luna's moon was beginning to rise as Celestia's sun was completely gone from the horizon. The two stood up and realized they completely lost track of time entirely.

"We really should get back to Ponyville. Everypony is probably is worried sick about us." Spike said, grabbing his bag and placing Applebloom's bag on her back.

"You're right," Applebloom shifted her saddlebags a little so it fitted more comfortably on her back, "though it was fun," she added with a shy smile to Spike.

Spike blushed back and nodded, "Come on, I'll walk you back home."

As the two started down the hill, Applebloom asked a question, "Does this mean we're coltfriend and marefriend?"

Spike thought about it before asking back, "I don't know, do you want to be?"

"Ah asked you first."

"And I asked you back."

"Well, ah would like t' be."

"And I would like to be, too."