Two years off the farm, and Applejack remained a ‘wake at 4:30 A.M.’ kind of girl. Didn’t matter if her and the gang partied til ten or staked a vampire at midnight, soon as that clock came around her eyes opened and her body moved. Years of farm work had trained her well.
But though the instinct remained, it had small purpose these days. Canterlot College had no cows to be milked or hay to be hauled over for their breakfast. The only chickens in her dorm were dead ones in the cafeteria, with all flavor cooked and frozen out. And the only thing growing was the tomato plant Applejack managed in the corner of their living room, plus the black mold on the hallway ceilings. Neither needed much help.
Still, Applejack got up. Turned on the little desk lamp above her dated laptop and cleared out the weekend’s homework. A straight-A business major – no test the professors threw at her were half as hard as balancing books after the apple blight. All that, at age fourteen. Back when Rarity whined about Blueblood, and Sunset was bitch queen of their school.
Applejack recognized the old, lingering jealousy, and let it go. They’d all grown up. Sunset most of all.
She looked to her roommate. Sunset Shimmer was an ungraceful sleeper, with open, snoring mouth and sprawled body that shuffled every few minutes. Applejack slept like the dead, so it caused no trouble.
Homework done. Nothing else to do until the rest of the world woke up, and this was the worst time of the day. Applejack was an extrovert – she loved people, needed that special noise in her life. Didn’t like to be alone with her thoughts.
Puttering in their cramped room looking for something quiet to do, her eyes found the closet mirror. Bra and boxers for her sleepwear. She eyed the thick biceps, the six-pack abs on her wide chest. Twenty hours of hard labor a week, most of her life, fueled by an appetite to match.
Like a dang gorilla.
She was too tall. Too heavy. Crow’s feet and chapped lips she really should hide with products, but why bother? Like putting makeup on a wrestler, and not one of those hot lady wrestlers.
“Hubba, hubba.”
The words seized her bitter thoughts, pushing them down deep where they belong. Applejack turned to find Sunset gazing up from the bed. The desk lamp glinted on her green eyes as they played over Applejack’s body.
“Sorry, sugar. Did I wake you?”
“In the best possible way.”
Somehow, Sunset didn’t sound like she just woke up. She moved to a seated position, letting the light play across her grinning teeth. “Sorry if I’m being creepy, but damn, girl. I ever tell you I’m into muscles?”
Applejack let out a low chuckle. “Not in words, no.”
Sunset flinched back a little, blushing and speaking quickly. “I mean, if I am being creepy you need to let me know. Just, anytime. I’ll stop right away.”
“Naw, you’re fine and better than fine.” Applejack reached down and gave her hair a quick tussle, earning a giggle that sounded oddly disappointed. “I’m gonna hit the shower, then head off to class. Later.”
Applejack strode from the room, not quickly enough to miss the low whistle Sunset sent in her wake.
“Principles of Online Marketing” sounded like a stupid class for running a farm, and twenty years ago it would have been. But Sweet Apple Acres was one of the last small farms standing, and did so with an archipelago of specialty products from cider to wooden furniture. All of this needed vendors and brand loyalty, which took contacts and advertising. Adapt or die, even if it wasn’t her best class.
...It’d go a lot smoother if Applejack didn’t sit next to Adagio. Or more accurately, if Adagio didn’t sit next to her.
Applejack was damn proud of the ex-siren, usually. To chase stardom with her now-mundane singing was a gamble. To chase it without turning into a trendy little pop-star seemed impossible, yet Adagio stood determined to resurrect cultured music from the abyss. She was writing her own songs, practicing the violin and piano, and studying business to learn to make money now that mind control was off the table. Most days she even paid attention in class, which could not be said of other students.
Today was not ‘most days.’
Applejack didn’t look over when slow movements of Adagio’s chair brought their hips in contact. It was a common enough occurrence that she didn’t think twice. And it was only a little distracting that Adagio chewed her gum in a way that sounded… oral.
But today brought a fresh opening from the warming weather, leading Applejack to jean shorts and Adagio to sandals. A bare foot settled across her calf and began stroking, sending a deep flush up Applejack’s neck.
“Quit it,” she snapped in a whisper.
“I see you grinning,” Adagio purred. She did stop, although of course had to add, “See? Look at me, all respecting your boundaries.”
Applejack tried to physically pull down her smile. “Is that why our hips are touching?”
“I’ll stop if you tell me to.”
Applejack hunched lower over her work. Adagio kept at it as well, smirking triumphantly until the bell rang.
A slow evening, with nowhere to go. Applejack loved these kinds of days. She lounged on the sofa with controller in hand, just as she had for the past hour. She’d gotten to the point where she could almost win at Smash Pillars, and the taste of victory had her finally putting in effort to learn the game.
While Applejack sat upright, Sunset laid along the length of the couch, resting her back against Applejack’s shoulder as she read from a small booklet.
“Something for class?” Applejack asked.
She felt the shrug against her side. “No, it’s kind of a primer on assault rifles. According to Mom, handguns are fine unless something swarms us, and then I’ll really wish I knew how to use one.”
“Cool.”
Sunset shuffled in place. “This is nice, though. Just a quiet evening, with only us two. Doing things with the Rainbooms is super-cool of course, and our roommates are great. But sometimes you just want peace and quiet, you know? Just you and someone you’re really comfortable with, just sort of being independent together. And, you know, seeing where the evening goes, no real plans, just kind of whatever you and I want to do together, alone–”
“I’m here, too,” Wallflower called from her seat at a folding chair, where she controlled the character currently throwing Applejack’s from the stage.
Sunset held the booklet over her face and fell silent, suddenly warm against Applejack’s back.
The next evening was quiet too, but with Adagio around it could never last. Lounging with her legs over Applejack’s lap, she at least had the decency to wait until Applejack’s character lost its last life before interrupting.
“We’re alone. Wanna make out?”
“Not really,” Wallflower said, startling Applejack into a leap, which sent Adagio tumbling to the floor.
4:30 A.M. Applejack stayed in bed, staring upwards.
This had been her life since Christmastime. She rejected both of their advances then, but left the door open for the future. ‘Too busy,’ she had said.
A dang lie.
She was terrified. Of losing whoever she didn’t choose, and losing whoever she did. Of blowing it. Of not being good enough, or pretty enough to make it work.
She always… kind of figured they’d both get over their little crushes on her inside a week. Yet spring now turned slowly to summer, and they were still at it. Still all-but signaling her with rockets.
Sunset’s voice came from the other bed. “You alright over there?”
The words brought an instinctive smile. Applejack rolled to face her, though the darkened room hid Sunset from sight. “Kinda. How’d you know I was up?”
“You snore.”
Can’t argue with that. “Sorry.”
Shadowed motion came from Sunset’s bed. Perhaps they were looking to each others’ eyes without realizing.
“Wanna talk?”
What felt like a hard knot bulged in Applejack’s throat. “Y-yeah.”
She took a deep breath. “Just… sorry for… you know. Everything.”
“With what?” Sunset sounded worried. Of course. From her angle, Applejack could be talking about anything.
“Love, and stuff.” Like picking apples, talking came easier the more you did it. A little. “Sunset, let me be honest for once. With you and Daj, I… I thought you’d both move on real quick-like. I thought if we dated y’all would dump me like a rooster in winter. I’m not pretty like you two.”
Another motion as Sunset raised her head from the pillow. “No, you’re pretty like Applejack.”
Applejack gave a breathless chuckle. “And lordy, I actually believe it when you’re around. You’re so good, ‘n tough ‘n smart… a-and you want me. And so does Daj, and that’s the rub, ain’t it? If I choose one, I hurt the other.”
Her lips curled back from her teeth in a grimace, tears welling as the words uncorked something deep. Good ol’ Sunset – Applejack would sooner cut off her arm than hurt her. Same for Adagio – she had so little going for her these days, and faced it down with her own bitchy courage. To take either of their feelings and then shit on it by turning to the other… no. Heck, no.
“AJ,” Sunset began, then cut herself off. “Wait, give me a second. This is stupid.”
More motion in the darkness, this time as Sunset got up. She flicked on her desk lamp, giving a dim, bronze light to the room.
No makeup. Odd strands of red and yellow hair frayed out against fashion and gravity. Applejack swallowed, watching as Sunset pulled over her squeaky computer chair and sat between their beds.
She was beautiful. Inside and out.
Applejack rose and swung her heavy legs over the bed, facing Sunset. Keeping her head down to hide the tears.
Sunset spoke first. “You should be happy. You deserve to be. You’re beautiful, and if you need someone else to tell it to you then I’d love to be that person. And if you want that person to be Adagio instead, that is absolutely, one-hundred percent okay. If I can’t be your girlfriend, I still want to be your friend. Although of the two I do really want to be your girlfriend.”
Of course. Sunset was great like that.
Too good for Applejack.
Still looking down, Applejack mumbled, “But what about Adagio?”
“We could invite her.”
A jolt hit Applejack’s thoughts, scattering them and setting her to blinking.
Sunset chuckled, and Applejack finally raised her head. The girl smiled gently to her. “You, uh, look like you could use some good ideas.”
Applejack sniffed and knuckled at her eyes. It was enough to make her laugh, anyway. “That’s crazy talk.”
“For you,” Sunset said. “Adagio is… Adagio. And I was raised in Equestria – we mate for life, but never really got into the whole ‘monogamy without exception or bust’ kind of thing.”
Applejack blinked again, looking to Sunset’s calm smile and taking an extra few seconds to realize the girl wasn’t joking.
“I thought you were mostly straight?”
A lame question. Applejack’s brain was still trying to catch up.
Sunset shrugged, a faint redness coming to her cheeks. “Mostly, but it’s Adagio, you know? I could experiment, see what works.”
Applejack couldn’t hold the gaze anymore. She looked down once more, fidgeting with her sheets. “Dang it, girl, I ain’t really a friends-with-benefits kinda person. I need something that can be permanent.”
“So do I.” Sunset’s words came with gentle strength. “But AJ, no one ever knows if things will be permanent when they start out. That’s putting the cart before the horse. The only way to learn is to try, so… let’s try. And if it doesn’t work, we see what comes next. As friends.”
There it was. Nearly the last doubt dispelled. AJ didn’t much doubt Adagio would be in for this.
Both of them. It sounded like a fantasy; a dumb, creepy dream. Now within reach.
Wetness hit the floor.
Sunset only stood, and walked across to sit by her side.
Applejack pawed at her eyes. More tears came. “Sorry,” she said with gravel in her throat. “Jeez, what do you even see in this?”
Gorilla girl. Redneck. Crybaby.
Sunset dabbed a tissue at her face, hugging her tightly with the other arm. “If I tried to count all the reasons you’re great, we’d be here all day."
She gave a wet sniff of her own. “I think… waiting for you to choose between us wasn’t the right move. I thought I was giving you space, but here you were thinking we’d just move on. I’m gonna ask you out soon, so start thinking about what you want to do.”
A second hand came around, wrapping Applejack in an embrace. Sunset pushed her nose forward and nuzzled her like a horse.
Applejack reached around Sunset’s back, pressing inwards, and they remained there until dawn broke through the window.
Applejack called them “attacks.” Never knew what they really were that sent her spiraling down into a crying wreck. She bounced back – she always did. Just a part of life. Love, sadness, joy…
And Super Smash Pillars.
Adagio’s character flew from the stage. She settled back into Applejack’s side, smiling with vague bemusement. “Kind of weird for a first date.”
Applejack shrugged. “Sorry.”
“Not at all! It’s romantic in its own way.” She snuggled closer, throwing one leg over Applejack’s knee. “Spending time with each other in the comfort of home? Mexican take-out and gas-station beer? No dressing up, no spending big money, just us three and each other.”
A pause. “And Wallflower.”
Wallflower’s voice came from the recliner. “Don’t mind me.”
Adagio leered. “Hey, you wanna get in on–”
“Hard pass.”
“Lay off,” Sunset mock-scolded. She sat on the knee Adagio didn’t occupy and reached back with a mischievous smile to tickle beneath Applejack’s chin. “Look at AJ. She can barely handle two.”
Applejack tried to focus – she was the last one standing against Wallflower, and had never come this close to winning. But she giggled and squirmed under the tickle – and Adagio’s foot stroking her leg – and Adagio’s hand on her hip – and Sunset’s face, looking to her with loving cruelty – that there was no chance, after all.
She fought valiantly. Tried not to listen as they spoke.
“Look at those cheeks! Red like apples.”
“Come on, Adagio. She has to focus.”
“Her birthday’s in three weeks, you know.”
“I know. We need to start… planning things out.”
Applejack’s last life ended at half-health. Wallflower burped. “You’ve definitely improved, good job. Especially, you know. Considering.”
“Set up a rematch,” Applejack called, her flamed cheeks pulling the lips to a grin. “I got a good feeling about this next one. Reckon I’ll finally beat you, so long as a few other missies keep their hands where they belong.”
She did not, and neither did they. But that was alright.