Apple Bloom was still in shock at Gears' outburst, but Glimmer was looking on rather proudly, definitely pleased with her part in making Gears more authoritative. Apple Bloom still couldn't believe that Gears was unaware that he would be the next captain of the team. When one really thought hard about it, it seemed irrational to suspect that he wouldn't be the next captain. He was easily the most dedicated team member aside from Glimmer and Apple Bloom; in fact, especially recently, it seemed like Gears lived in the room. He was the first one outside the door every morning and the last to leave every night. The robot was practically built by him; the rest of us just helped.
"What happened? What happened is that apparently the basketball team calls the shots around here, and the coaches just let them do whatever they want!" Redwood declared, more pissed than Apple Bloom had ever seen him before.
"What? Oh hell no. That is not happening." Before anyone could say anything or make any attempt to stop him, Gears was out of the room and down the hallway. The rest of the team followed behind cautiously, unsure if attempting to talk him out of this was the best course of action to take. Mr. Volts and Rainbow Dash followed behind last, Rainbow Dash unsure why Gears seemed to have so much anger. He was acting like a spoiled child as far as she was concerned, but she had to admit she'd been wrong about people before.
"What's going on? Why is he so...pissy?" Rainbow Dash asked the nearest kid to her, Pepper Lightning. Pepper gave her a withering look and didn't say anything, clearly not in agreement with her assessment of Gears' attitude, "Okay, okay. Sorry, I guess I'm just not sure what's going on."
"Well, what's going on is that the school has long decided that because our team never brings home first place, and the other teams occasionally do, we're not as important or worth spending money on as them. Only a few administrators see our talent and worth, but even they don't do much," Pepper explained sadly, head lowered to stare at his feet.
Rainbow Dash immediately felt a little bad, remembering how her battalion had started out at the very bottom as well. She decided to let Pepper continue, "So I guess now they've just about forgotten that we exist, and let the other teams do as they please with what used to be our space."
"Oh...I'm sorry to hear that. How long has it been like this?"
"Too long, to tell you the truth. Glimmer and Gears have been trying to make things better, but..." Redwood trailed off, clearly not needing to say much else. Rainbow Dash nodded and offered the teen a smile, silently resolving to do whatever possible to better the situation.
Before too long, the small group had reached the top of the stairs just seconds behind Gears, and as such arrived just in time to hear the basketball team voicing complaints and insults, presumably because Gears had just interrupted their practice session.
When Rainbow Dash at last rounded the corner, she was a little impressed at how calm Gears was being. Surrounded by hostile boys, most taller than him, and clearly unwanted, Gears showed incredible self control by simply brushing past them, heading straight for the gymnasium where the coach was reading a magazine.
"Coach Rob?" Gears called politely. The coach looked up from his magazine and stood, beckoning Gears over as he walked forward. Gears and the coach met halfway and, with the basketball team crowding in through the doors with the robotics team, Gears politely explained the situation, telling the coach that, with all due respect, the robotics team was there first and the basketball team had merely entered the hallway just to cause a problem.
The coach nodded quietly along with Gears' words, but clearly didn't appear too concerned with them. The look on his face was one of tolerance, not of any actual interest. That being said, Gears presented his complaint in a very mature way, and as such the coach agreed to give the team one hour to practice with the bot, but no more. Gears smiled and shook the coach's hand, wading back through the crowd of tall people giving him evil eyes.
"Whoa. That was pretty cool," Rainbow Dash found herself admitting. She smiled right alongside Apple Bloom's goofy grin, and gave Gears a pat on the shoulder as he passed. The teen looked up at her with a mischievous twinkle in his eye, and offered her a lopsided smile that said all it needed to. Rainbow couldn't believe the balls this kid had. Sure, she was a tough girl in high school and would have done the same thing, but this kid was honestly not the type she'd expect that authority from. To her, Gears looked more like the kid that sat in the back of a classroom, silently fiddling with spare bits of metal or constantly tapping his fingers, staying out of the spotlight despite immense intelligence.
"Gears that was awesome!" Apple Bloom whooped, smiling a little too sweetly at him. Gears, to his credit, blushed a little and rubbed the back of his neck.
"Really?" he didn't meet her eyes, which told Rainbow Dash all she needed. Apple Bloom's next outburst confirmed her suspicions.
"Totally! Did you see his face? He never expected that!" she gave Gears another winning smile, and though his blush deepened, he stood up taller and prouder.
"Let's go get that robot working!" Glimmer declared, once more regaining authority. Gears and Glimmer, from Rainbow Dash's outsider viewpoint, seemed like an unbeatable team that operated on the exact same wavelength, despite Gears being two years Glimmer's junior. Rainbow was quickly beginning to see why Apple Bloom had a crush on him.
The rest of the meeting went on rather slowly after that. The most interesting thing to happen was when Gears was operating the robot; he "accidentally" bumped it into the back of a basketball player and sent him straight into the Gatorade jug, spilling all of the purple liquid all over the player, who happened to be the team captain. He seethed and gave Gears the evilest look Rainbow had ever seen on a high schooler before.
Of course, with a teacher (Mr. Volts) standing right there, and cameras all over the hallway, there was no retaliation to be had at the moment. Glimmer and Apple Bloom gave Gears a high-five after the player re-entered the gym.
* * *
"Well that was...interesting..." Rainbow Dash said, as she waited with Apple Bloom, Gears, and Glimmer. While Apple Bloom and Glimmer were standing close to each other, Gears was a few feet away. His hat covered his face, but the drooped shoulders gave away his true emotions. Even from this distance and having just met the teen, Rainbow Dash knew he didn't want the meeting to end. After a couple minutes, Glimmer's father arrived in a truck to take her home. She waved goodbye to the three figures and then left.
Apple Bloom walked over to Gears and started talking with him. Deciding that Gears was definitely trustworthy, Rainbow Dash yawned and started heading home.
"Gears? Can I ask you something?" Apple Bloom asked her silent companion. Gears turned his head to look at her, not saying anything. He rose his eyebrows as an indication she should continue, "So...I wanted to know why I never see your parents. And why you spend almost all of your time here at the robotics room. I've known you for awhile...I met Scootaloo's sister and Sweetie Belle's family almost immediately after meeting them. Are you...embarrassed by me?"
"No! AB, that's not it at all. I...I just don't...I don't talk about it. It's...complicated, AB. I'm sorry I made you feel like I was embarrassed by you. You know I'm not good at dealing with emotions." After a couple seconds of quiet, Gears began again, "I've never told anyone this...My parents are gone. They're not dead, though...they just left me with the babysitter one day and...never came back. Because my grandparents were in the nursing home at the time, I was dumped in the foster system." Apple Bloom sat in surprised silence at Gears' revelation. Of all the things she thought he could have been hiding, this certainly wasn't it.
"Gears...Ah'm-Ah'm so sorr-" she her voice was quiet, but was quickly cut off.
"I'll never understand why people with big hearts like you say their sorry when what they really mean, 'I share your grief,'" he announced, a smile playing across his face, "Now onto the reason I don't seem to go home. My foster parents long ago resigned themselves to the fact that I wouldn't be going anywhere anytime soon. No one wants a child that has been in the foster system as long as I have. People generally seem to view foster kids like me as 'damaged goods.' I spend most of my time at places that don't have curfews, like veteran shelters or soup kitchens. In fact, I think my time spent at the vet shelters is what allowed me to see how to approach Ms. Dash."
In spite of the heavy tone their little meeting had taken on, Apple Bloom couldn't help but to burst out giggling at that last part. Sensing Gears' reproachful stare she quickly clarified her laughter, "Ah wouldn't call Rainbow, 'Ms. Dash,' to her face."
Gears smiled back, internally grateful to Apple Bloom for her, albeit unintentional, attempt to lighten the mood, "So...Apple Bloom...if you wanted to, we could hang out longer. I mean, it's not totally dark out yet. In fact, it's only eight o'clock..." Gears trailed off, looking at her with a hopeful smile. It took Apple Bloom a moment to register what exactly he was asking.
"Um..." was her first response, an attempt to buy some time before she had to answer. Apple Bloom was currently at war with herself over what to do. The responsible side of her that Applejack and Granny Smith had instilled in her was warning her against spontaneously going out with Gears, but the rebellious side of herself that was being fed by Scootaloo told her, 'What's the harm in a little friendly outing?'
After several, long seconds, Apple Bloom came to a decision. With a nod and a smile, she declared, "Ah would love to."
She would go to her grave insisting that she'd never seen such a large smile on Gears' face. He leapt to his feet and took her hand, pulling her up with him. Almost immediately after taking her hand, however, Gears dropped it like he'd been shocked.
Apple Bloom, on the other hand, was quite alright with the contact, and was tempted to reach out and regain his hand with her own, but the look on Gears' face warned her not to. Poor Gears looked like he was about to pass out.
'Holy crap, Gears! Calm down, man! Just because she agreed to hang out with you doesn't mean you're going out!' he chided himself, though he was really too happy to let this little voice get him down, "Okay, so I know a really great place just down the road from here. They specialize in funnel cake."
Apple Bloom practically drooled at the mention of funnel cake. Ever since she was a little girl at her very first carnival, funnel cake had been her most favorite treat ever. She barely managed to keep her voice level as she responded, "That sounds awesome. Let's go!"
Gears smiled in return and headed for the main road beside the high school. Although he wouldn't say it aloud, he was glad that he didn't have a car. Walking to the restaurant would allow him more time to talk to Apple Bloom. Apple Bloom, startled by his quick pace, faltered for a few seconds before catching up to him and walking at his side.
There was a companionable silence between them for several moments, until Gears broke it with a simple question, "So, AB, I don't think I've ever really asked about your home. I mean, I know it's Sweet Apple Acres, and by now I've definitely been to it a few times, but I don't think I've ever asked what it's like to live there."
Apple Bloom was a bit surprised by this statement, and because Gears seemed so earnestly interested, she took a second to think before answering, "It's fun! Ah don't think Ah'd want ta live anywhere else! Knowin' that Ah'm a big part of why High Pointe is so prosperous is a great feeling. It's even greater knowin' that my family played an instrumental role in foundin' High Pointe. Granny Smith loves to tell stories about how she was just ten years old when High Pointe became a military base in 1925, and how the orchard went from a single plot a' land to acres n' acres of lush farmland. There's also that strange sense of belongin' ya get when yer home. And that's not even coverin'..." Apple Bloom trailed off. She'd been inconspicuously watching Gears' face, and had noticed that it hardened and darkened when she mentioned a, "sense of belonging," and feeling at, "home." She didn't start talking again.
The silence, though thick and tense, wasn't necessarily negative. It gave Apple Bloom more time to study Gears' face; the subtle twinge in his jaw whenever he was in deep thought, the wrinkles beginning to form around his lips, the scars from his troubles with acne. She focused on those dark, mysterious, beautiful gray eyes that looked like thunderclouds. She noticed the chiseled jaw and the adam's apple at his throat. Apple Bloom studied the curve of Gears' shoulders; how they were broad and strong, but not bulging or bulky.
Gears was blushing very deeply, almost feeling Apple Bloom's eyes tracing his body. Even though he was fully clothed, he'd never felt so naked and exposed before. He actually liked it. After a much longer silence than seemed necessary, Gears spoke, "That actually sounds really nice. I wish I could get that feeling from my foster home. I guess I can just sense that I won't be there for long."
"What? Why not?" Apple Bloom interrupted, panicking internally. Gears couldn't leave! Not now! She'd figure out some way to make him stay. She needed his support if she was going to get through high school.
"It's kind of inevitable. Foster kids never hang around one place for long. Eventually the foster parents get tired of seeing the same face, or we do something that somehow warrants our 'relocating.' Then again, maybe it won't…I really don't know. I've been at this foster home longer than most," Gears offered a slight shrug of his shoulders, accompanying it with a smile. Apple Bloom was silent, deep in thought. It wasn't until they rounded a corner that she was roused from her thoughts by a sharp jab to her shoulder.
Gears smiled and pointed to the small shop, "Best funnel cake in High Pointe, right there. Come on!" The impatient boy took her hand again and rushed across the vacant street to the pastry shop, banging open the door and making a bee-line for the counter. The woman behind the counter was wearing a pink apron, and smiled widely as Gears entered.
"Oh Gears! It's been so long since we've had you here!" the woman was the perfect mix of skinny and plump. A "MILF" as Spike would have called her, Apple Bloom thought.
"I know. Robotics has been keeping me busy. I worked myself up a heart-y appetite, though!" Gears smiled a winning smile, and the woman in the apron chuckled fondly. She turned around and called out an order for two funnel cakes, "On the house!"
Apple Bloom's eyes widened. Free funnel cake? YES! Apple Bloom cheered in her head, a smile breaking out on her face.
"Oh, Gears! You brought a friend to see me! What a pretty girlfriend you have! What's your name, lovely?" the woman beamed at Apple Bloom.
Speaking before she processed what was said, Apple Bloom responded, "I'm Apple Bloom, ma'am."
"Oooh, she has manners, too! Please, dear, call me Ms. Fudge," Ms. Fudge again beamed at Apple Bloom who blushed deeply.
* * *
The two ate in peace for a long time, talking softly about this, that, and the other, trading nonsensical conversation. Apple Bloom felt at ease, welcomed, and wanted in Gears' presence, unaware that he felt the same. When the time came for them to separate, Gears boldly planted a kiss on Apple Bloom's cheek.
In a moment of impulse, and a lapse in her inhibition, Apple Bloom reciprocated with a kiss on his lips. His lips were surprisingly soft, but strong. Inexperienced as they were on the matter, any other partner would have quickly become bored. But to the young couple, everything about this contact was new and exciting.
Gears' strong lips parted her's, and seemed to have every intention of continuing, but Apple Bloom pulled away and panted hard, out of breath. She cast sparkling eyes at Gears, realizing he wasn't as out of breath as she was, a question in her eyes.
Gears laughed gently, wrapping his arms around her waist, looking down into her eyes intensely, "Breathe through your nose, Bloom," he whispered, bringing their lips together again.
Her lips were smaller than his, but to him they were warm and soft. He would be able to kiss her forever. Gears brought his tongue into the fray, and realized her lips tasted like apples. He laughed giddily, and tilted his head to deepen the kiss. The two spent much longer kissing this second time.
Long after they parted, Apple Bloom lay awake in her bed, touching her lips. She could still feel where Gears' had been, still remembered being in his strong embrace. She felt warmer than she'd ever felt before, felt a strange stirring in her stomach each time she thought about Gears. It was unfamiliar, but she definitely liked it.