Vinyl was on her way toward the Apple's gym next the Southern Orchard. She was very apprehensive of what she would find there. She knew how Applejack might react to a threat. She was ready to find six men lying on the ground, whimpering from the pain her sister would have inflicted on them. When she passed her head through the gym's open door, she was happily surprised.
Instead of the remains of a traditional beating by the rule book, she caught on her sister passionately kissing a rather pleased purple haired seamstress. AJ's hands were on Rarity's lower back, trying to pull her closer than it would be physically possible. Rarity had passed her arms around the farmer's neck, completely abandoning herself in AJ's powerful grip. Vinyl observed the scene with a small grin. She pondered about letting them enjoy their moment and ask questions later, or interrupting them to see what happened with the representative of Barnyard Bargain. She chose the latter.
"Hum AJ?" Vinyl asked softly. "Can I talk to you for a bit?"
Earning nothing more than pleased moans from both other women, Vinyl conjured a large string of her magic before grabbing it with one hand.
"YO. AJ. FOCUS." She shouted as she used the magic blue string as a whip on Applejack's butt, causing her sister to broke the kiss.
"AOW!" Applejack yelped as she jumped with surprise. She rubbed her butt as she faced Vinyl with a death glare. "What in tarnation was that all about Vinyl?" She asked in anger, while Rarity looked extremely disappointed the kiss had stopped.
"Sorry, you didn't seem to have heard me." Vinyl casually shrugged as her magic whip dissipated itself. "What happened here?"
"Well, Ah was kissing Rarity, in case ya haven't noticed." AJ snapped, not without a hint of pink on her tanned face.
"Yes AJ, I saw that. I had a little hearing problem in the past, not a sight problem." Vinyl chuckled. "I meant with the feller from Mrs Rich."
"Oh. Right him." AJ said as she sheepishly scratched the back of her. Applejack explained how her discussion went and how Rarity had chased him away using 'her personal sexy version of the Royal Cantelot Voice'. Causing Rarity to chuckle awkwardly trying to hide her blush and Vinyl to look at AJ's with a raised eyebrow.
"OK..." Vinyl slowly said. "While I appreciate that Rarity special's voice is making you happy and what not and that it saved you from prison. You better not used that expression ever again in front of me, or anyone else for that matter."
"Ah can live with that." Applejack shrugged. "Hold on, ya ain't surprised about me and Rarity?"
"Considering I was the one to advise her on how to bond with you, not really." Vinyl explained with a shrug." What surprised me though, was how quick it went for you to go to the main prize."
"It was just a kiss, Vi'. It ain't such a big prize in a relationship." Applejack said in confusion.
"Hmm! Not from what Rainbow told me. " Vinyl replied, confused as well.
"That Rainbow Dash." Rarity groaned before explaining. "Nothing like that had transpired here, Dear. Rainbow didn't see anything and just assumed the worst."
"And how did she assumed the worst?" Vinyl asked in curiosity. "With what could she confound that?" At that question, both Rarity and Applejack looked at each other with small embarrassed smiles.
"Hum. Rarity was just...givin' me a massage." Applejack stammered. "And ... it felt....Well, Ah just couldn't be quiet...while ah was receiving it..."
Vinyl's eyes widen in realization before she started laughing heartily. "Oh Sweet Epona! That's so rich." The others quickly joined Vinyl's laugh. After they calmed themselves, Vinyl spoke. "Rarity. Would you mind that I speak with AJ for a bit? We have to talk about the farm's business."
"I see no reason to object your demand Vinyl." Rarity said before heading out of the gym. But not without pecking AJ's lips first. "See you later, Sugarcube." She softly said to AJ.
"See ya later, Darling."
"Well ain't that sweet." Vinyl chuckled. "Might want to restrain yourselves with the PDA though. I have no intention of talking of the way of love with Applebloom before she's eighteen."
"May Faust hear ya with that Sis." AJ nodded.
"Eighteen?" Rarity looked surprised. "You can't possibly thinking she'll wait until then to have a boyfriend or a girlfriend."
"She'd better wait until then." The both Apples shouted in unison.
"Fine, Fine." Rarity sighed. "Well, I'm off. See you later, Darlings." She went outside to go back to the house.
"So, you and Rarity hun?" Vinyl asked with a small smile.
"Yeah.....Ya really don't mind me with another woman?" AJ asked with worry.
"I would be a damn hypocrite if I did." Vinyl answered sincerely. "I can't guarantee for Granny and Big Mac though, but I'll support you no matter what." Vinyl reassured with a wink.
"Thanks Vi'." AJ smiled with relief. "Hold on, ya mean that ya..."
"Let's save that talk for later, will you." Vinyl interrupted her. "We have a serious business to attend."
"Right, Barnyard Bargain." AJ coldly said. "What do we do about that? We wait for Filthy Rich to return?"
"I'm not so sure about that." Vinyl started. "The first thing we could do is getting that Caesar fella for extortion attempt. Then we wait for Filthy Rich to come back. Are you sure Affluent has nothing to do with Caesar's attempt?"
"Vinyl, she may be inconsiderate, rude and what not, but ya know her like Ah do." Applejack explained. "She would die before associate herself with somethin' that's a yard close from touchin' the limit of the law."
"I must admit you're right." Vinyl conceded. "I'll go in town tomorrow about Caesar Laurel."
"We'll go together, Sugarcube." Applejack firmly said. "He tried to threaten us in our home, who knows what he could try if ya're on yer own."
"I guess you're right." Vinyl slowly said. "Now that that's out of the way, why don't we go prepare lunch?"
"Ah reckon it's nearly time." AJ replied as she rubbed her belly. "Ah'm feeling hungrier than usual."
"That's all that romance stuff." Vinyl explained with a chuckle. "Hormones and what not, must overdrive your system."
"Maybe ya're right." They closed the gym and went toward the house. "So which one of the gals is she?" She asked rather bluntly.
"Heing. What?" Vinyl stuttered in surprise.
"She's Octavia, ain't she?" AJ chuckled.
Vinyl sighed. "Yeah."
"Ah always thought ya had a thing for her." AJ laughed. "Considerin' how ya collected all her albums, poster and what not.."
"You're exasperating. You know that?"
"Yeah Ah know. Anyway, what are ya gonna do about her?"
"I still have no idea."
The lunch went without a hitch. Thankfully no one had said anything to Applebloom about Rarity and Applejack. Something AJ and Vinyl had greatly appreciated. It turned out that all the others were happy about the new couple. Even if Rainbow was still mad at AJ for threatening her in the gym. After having eaten, Vinyl and Applejack had decided to let the girls do their things while they were working on their own. Vinyl had noticed that Octavia seemed to be a little distant to her compared to the previous days.
Vinyl wanted to talked to her in private about what had almost happened earlier. Was it the exhilaration from freely playing music that made the cellist act on instinct? Had she real feelings for Vinyl? Was she even into other women or was it just to experiment? All those questions trotted in Vinyl's mind. She needed some time to think about what to say and how to say it. And for that nothing better than a exhausting applebucking session.
"So when will ya talk to her?" Applejack asked as she bucked a tree, earning a rain of apples.
"I think I'll try after dinner tonight. I was thinking of asking her for a walk in the Orchard to get some privacy." Vinyl answered. "I can count on you to make sure no one follows us?"
"Ya can always count on me, Vinyl." Applejack assured.
"Thanks AJ. Sorry if it perturbs the plan you might have with Rarity."
"Don't ya fret about that. My date with Rarity is Saturday, tonight nothing special planned."
"Good, but I better not find her in bed with you once I'm coming to sleep." Vinyl playfully warned.
"Ah'll not make such a promise." AJ Shrugged.
"You better make it, otherwise I'll tell Granny you were the one that crashed the cart in a race with Braeburn and that you and him both blamed Big Mac for it."
"....Ya'll are just evil."
"I know, right?"
After a simple, yet delicious, dinner, Applejack put Applebloom to bed early, since the little girl was to spend the next day with her teacher and a few friends on a hiking trip. Once AJ came down, she nodded Vinyl who rose from her spot and went next to Octavia, who had remained a bit apart of every body this evening.
"Octavia, can you come with me for a walk?" Vinyl asked in a whipser.
Octavia didn't look up to Vinyl and answered with a small voice. "Sure thing Vinyl."
Octavia rose from her chair and followed Vinyl outside and soon after they were out of sight for anyone in the house. Their absence didn't go unnoticed for long despite AJ's effort to keep everyone's attention on her.
"Hey. Where did Tavi and Vinnie go?" Asked Pinkie Pie.
"Now that you mention it, I haven't realized they were gone." Fluttershy said in her quiet voice.
"I wonder where they are?" Twilight asked to no one in particular.
"Octavia did seem rather off since this morning, didn't she?" Rarity asked in concern.
"You think her and Vinyl had a fight or something?" Rainbow asked. "They seemed off when I found them earlier."
"Well, it wouldn't be the first time ya had something wrong today, RD." Applejack intervened.
"Hey. What gives?" RD snapped. "In the end, I was not so far from the truth. Beside I'm concerned about my friend, and if your sister hurt her in any way..." She stressed her point by joining her fist and her palm together.
"Rainbow, there's no need to be violent about it." Rarity softly said. "Pinkie dear, where are you going?" She asked when she noticed Pinkie opening the living room's door.
"Well duh, Tavi's all frowney downey. I got to cheer her up." She said with her usual cheerful voice, even if it was evident she was concerned about Octavia's well being.
Applejack intercepted Pinkie and closed the door before the inventor took a step outside. "Sorry Pinkie, but ah can't let ya'll do that. That's somethin' they must solve by themselves. No party cannon, no confetti, no streamers."
"So something did happen between them." Rainbow said in anger.
"It ain't somethin' like that Rainbow." Applejack softly said.
"Why can't I go cheer Tavi up? That's what I do the best." Pinkie asked.
"Ah'll make you cupcakes if ya promise to stay there."
"Ha. You think you can buy me with pastries?" Pinkie retorded, but her eyes seemed to have lit up at the mention of the baked good.
'She's hooked' "But Ah ain't talkin' about boring ordinary cupcakes." AJ explained with a small growing smile. "Ah'm talkin' about cupcakes with a chocolate layer cake filled with Honeycrisp jam, with crunchy bits of apples inside." Pinkie's eyes widen a bit. "Ah'm talkin' about a milk chocolate cream with little drops of dark chocolate and small dice of Red Delicious." Pinkie started to droll.
"Rarity. Your girlfriend's good." Whispered Twilight as she was busy taking notes on how to submit Pinkie Pie.
"Isn't she?" Rarity whispered back with a soft smile.
Pinkie Pie asked with a small childish voice and eyes the size of saucers. "With pink sprinkles on top?"
"Of course, Sugarcube." Applejack softly said. 'Hook, Line and Sinker. YEEHAWW'
Vinyl had lead Octavia quite far from the house. She trusted AJ about not letting anyone follow them, but she knew her sister couldn't really stop Pinkie from going at a window with binoculars or others things like that. Knowing how Pinkie was capable of almost anything, it wouldn't have surprised Vinyl she could also read on someone's lips. After being certain that no one would disturb them, she stopped near Applebloom's clubhouse.
"So that's where Applebloom's clubhouse is." Octavia said. She had been silent during their trip. "You and AJ build it for her?"
"Something like that. It was our clubhouse when we were young. Applebloom refreshed it a bit." Vinyl explained casually before facing Octavia with a serious expression. "Listen Octavia..."
"I'm sorry about earlier." Octavia quickly said as she looked at her feet.
"What?" Vinyl blinked in surprise.
"I..I..Kinda lost control for a minute." Octavia stammered still looking anywhere except at Vinyl. "I almost kissed you, and I couldn't explain it myself."
"Hey, it's ok...In fact.." Vinyl started.
"No, it's not okay. I was about to act without any consideration for you." Octavia explained with teary eyes. "I thought at first that it would be ok, because you've always been nice to me. That you wouldn't get mad at me, if you weren't like that."
"Well..." Vinyl said before being interrupted again.
"But then Rainbow came in and then Pinkie and Applebloom too. Then you went to see Applejack. It gave me time to think. I don't want to ruin what we have. I consider you my equal in term of music.. No scratch that. You're a way better musician than me. You've changed a lot of my points of view on the matter. You've made me a better artist. I don't want to lose you as a friend over a stupid kis.."
Vinyl pinched Octavia's lips to keep them shut. "Can I have a word please?" She asked softly. When Octavia silently nodded, she released her lips and continued. "First, thank you for your compliment on my music skill, even if you idolize me a bit too much." She said with a soft chuckle. "Second, I enjoy passing time with you Octavia. You'd have to do a lot worse than kissing me to make me want to stop being your friend." She added with a soft determined voice, Octavia looked up at Vinyl with a small smile. "And third. You're not the only one who lost control earlier. If you haven't noticed, I made a move toward you as well."
Octavia covered her mouth with trembling hands. Vinyl noticed Octavia was shivering, she was only wearing a black silk shirt. Very stylish but not very adapted to protect oneself from the fresh wind of the night. Vinyl took her own shirt off, leaving her with the white T-shirt she wore underneath, and extended it to Octavia.
"You're cold. Here, put this on." Vinyl gently said.
"Thanks." Octavia quietly replied before putting on Vinyl's red shirt on top of her's.
"You're welcome."
"So.." Octavia said whispered with a growing blush. "You wanted to..You know."
"Kinda.." Vinyl said sheepishly. "Still want to ...But if you're not ok with it, it's not a problem."
"No, it's not that I don't want it.. It's just that it's my first time."
"Really?" Vinyl asked in surprise. "A beautiful cultured woman like you hasn't had her first kiss yet?"
"No... I waited for the right person...I think...it might be you.." Octavia softly answered with a mad blush.
Vinyl came closer to Octavia, she grabbed the cellist by her hips and pulled her to herself. Their faces were only a few inches apart. Vinyl felt Octavia's respiration going quicker. Her breaths tickled Vinyl's mouth. Vinyl leaned in softly. The kiss was simple, It wasn't like AJ's passionate make out session with Rarity. It was soft and a lot shorter. Vinyl pulled her lips away from the cellist's. Octavia's eyes slowly met with Vinyl's.
"So......How was it?" Vinyl awkwardly asked.
"Well...'' Octavia softly said in a tone that was much more close to her usual. " Your lips were rather rough and, no offense but, your breath still smells like the bacon you ate earlier."
Vinyl flinched at those comments, slowly backing away from Octavia in embarrassment. "Oh crap, so much for..."
"But..."Octavia interrupted her, her voice reaching the level of Fluttershy's. "It felt ....warm, incredibly warm!" She focused her gaze on Vinyl whose face now showed nothing more than tenderness. Octavia shivered at a none existent breeze. "It's still rather cold...you think we could do it one more ti..."
Vinyl softly grabbed Octavia's face with her hands, and pulled her in a deeper, and longer kiss. When Vinyl drew her lips away, Octavia's mouth kept moving, as if it was trying to grab Vinyl's lips again, to keep them close. Octavia and Vinyl locked their gaze together. Octavia's amethyst eyes were full of passion and longing.
"...one more...." She said in small whisper as she leaned in toward Vinyl.
Vinyl met her halfway. They both closed their eyes, nothing around them mattered for the moment. They just needed to feel each other's presence. Octavia passed her arms around Vinyl's neck. They withdrew their lips, just long enough to catch their breath.
"...one m..." Their lips met again but this time, none of them were withdrawn for a long time.
"Where in tarnation are they?" Applejack slowly asked to no one in particular as she was sitting in the living room by herself.
Vinyl had taken Octavia for a 'walk' about four hours ago. Everyone got extremely worried about them when they showed no sign of returning. The others wanted to go and look for them but AJ managed to convince them to go to sleep and that she would wait for Vinyl and Octavia to come back. But right now, she was half convinced of going out there and search them herself. Suddenly, the door started to glow in a light blue aura before opening itself. Vinyl walked through the door, carrying a peacefully sleeping Octavia in her arms.
"Dang nabbit, Vinyl. Where in hell..." Applejack started.
"ssshhuuushhh, you'll wake her up." Vinyl chastised in a whisper. "I'll go put her in bed, wait for me here." She slowly said before climbing the staircase.
When she arrived in front of Octavia's room. Vinyl magically opened the door and entered, she also lifted Octavia's cover before carefully putting her on the bed. As she covered her with her blanket, Vinyl felt her hand being grabbed by a soft hand. She took notice Octavia had her eyes slightly open and that she was looking directly at her.
"It wasn't a dream, was it?" She asked in a sleepy voice. "You'll be there when I wake up?"
Vinyl could perceive the small fear hidden in the cellist's voice. She gently stroke Octavia's hand with her thumb, confirming her that she was really there with her. "It was very real. And I promise I'll be there to wake you up for breakfast." Vinyl said gently.
As Octavia drifted back to sleep with a happy smile on her face, Vinyl felt the grip on her hand becoming loose. She gave a small kiss on Octavia's forehead before exiting her room. She silently went back in the living room where AJ was sitting on the couch. They were two cups of a hot beverage on the coffee table. Vinyl let herself fall on a chair across AJ.
"Ah made some coffee." AJ quietly said as she extended a cup to Vinyl.
"Thanks." Vinyl said before taking a sip of coffee.
"Ah guess it went well." AJ grinned softly at her sister.
"You guessed right." Vinyl replied, smiling in return.
"How was it?" AJ asked as she clinked her cup with Vinyl's.
"Absolutely fabulous."