I was submitting a brief on revising the estate tax laws to Princess Celestia and I was still grinning from ear to ear.
Last night had been amazing! The movies turned out to be an old collection of musicals. Some were good, some were bad, all of them were definitely out of touch with modern Equestria...
But, they were background noise for the main event. I hadn't expected our first date to be quite so intimate, but we'd spent most of the viewing cuddling on top of a pile of pillows.
She was so warm... Plus she smelled amazing. Was it weird that I liked her smell?
I put down my quill and leaned back in my chair. Come to think of it, I'd expected Applejack to smell like a stallion up close, did hormones change pheromones? I'd have to ask her... If she felt comfortable talking about it.
Eh, I wasn't going to worry about that right now. I was definitely infatuated and we'd started to build up some of the personal connection needed for something more long term too.
Oooh! I couldn't wait to tell Shining and Cadence about my marefriend!
My eyes went wide.
Oh, right...
My marefriend...
#
Boy howdy was it a good day to be alive! I was pruning my trees, I was tearing out weeds, I was kicking out Rainbow Dash...
I tousled her little pegasus mane and she stared up at me groggily.
I waved from the ladder. "Howdy Rainbow! Isn't it just beautiful out! You run a fantastic weather team."
Dash stared at me from the branch. "Uh... Hi AJ... Have I mentioned how much I appreciate our meaningful friendship?"
I followed her gaze to my pruning shears and chuckled. "Aw, don't you worry none about these. You might want to get off that branch though." She leaped up as I cut out the dead wood.
I made my way back down. "You know if y'all were lookin' for napping spots the hay loft is a real nice one! It's best to lie down on the bales covered in tarps though because hay in your mane stings something awful."
She stared at me. "Wait, what? What happened to 'Rainbow get out of my trees!'"
I shrugged. "Guess you just caught me in a good mood. Now, as I was sayi-"
A very familiar flash of purple appeared in front of me and a bedraggled Princess of Friendship appeared, grabbing me by the shoulders. "APPLEJACK I JUST REALIZED WE'RE GAY!"
I blinked, I was very confused. "Uh... Yeah?"
Rainbow blinked. "Wait, you two are gay? Like, gay together gay."
I turned, blushing. "I mean... We've only been on the one date so far, but... Yeah." I turned to Twi. "Sugar cube, are you okay?"
She responded by twitching. "Oh, I'm fine! It's just that now that I'm officially infatuated with a mare that means that I need to come out and figure out my sexuality and..." She shivered. "I mean it's just a huge change in my identity and the way others see me." She curled up into a ball. "I just don't know what to do..."
I bit my lip and pulled her into a hug like I should have done the second she showed up. "Shh... It's okay Twi..."
For her part Dash was scratching her head. "Wait, why is this such a big deal? I work weather, half my team is gay."
We both stopped. Twi gave her a funny look. "What?"
Rainbow raised an eyebrow. "Seriously? Neither of you has heard the flamboyant gay weatherpony stereotype?"
I blinked. "Uh... No Dash, that's a new one."
She rolled her eyes. "Ground ponies."
Twilight had gone from distraught to confused. "Wait, so are you gay?"
She shrugged. "Not really, hetero-flexible at most. I'm cool with you girls though... So long as you don't try to talk me into a three way."
I turned crimson.
"Rainbow!" Twilight shouted. "Why in Equestria would we do that?"
Rainbow's looked insulted. "Seriously? You're honestly telling me you wouldn't want some of this?" She gestured to her figure.
I snorted. "Rainbow, I'm going to have to pass on account of half the time you sleep in my trees. Maybe if we introduced you to this thing called 'soap'..."
The pegasus groaned. "Oh screw you guys."
I chuckled. "Seriously though. Thanks for being so reasonable about this."
She grinned. "No problem. Is it okay if I tell other ponies or is this a Pinkie Pie thing?"
I would have said it was okay, but... I turned to Twilight, she still looked nervous.
I cleared my throat. "Ah... Rainbow? I'm okay if you mention to folks that I like mares, but I think Twilight needs a little time. Could y'all give her a bit?"
Dash nodded. "You got it AJ!" She blinked, eyeing the sky. "Uh... Do you know what time it is?"
"10:33 am." Twilight responded.
Dash grimaced. "Horse apples, I'm gonna be late! Catch ya later lover girls!"
That said she vanished in a flash, thankfully not destroying any of my trees in the process.
I turned to Twilight. "So, y'all hungry?"
#
I had somehow ended up in the Apples' family room sandwiched between Big Macintosh and Granny Smith. AJ was in the kitchen, making grilled cheese with banana bread.
Granny Smith smiled. "So how long have you two been together?" She asked.
My eyes went wide. "What?! I..."
The old mare rolled her eyes. "Now don't be like that. It's obvious."
Big Mac nodded. "Eyup."
I blushed. I guess I had been clinging to her pretty tight when she brought me in.
Granny Smith narrowed her eyes. "Y'all aren't ashamed of my granddaughter are ya?"
I held up my hooves. "No! Of course not! Applejack's amazing! I'd sell my left hoof to be with her... It's just..." I sighed. "I guess I'm worried about what ponies will think of us."
Granny Smith nodded. "Twilight, everyone who's been in Ponyville for a while knows AJ likes mares... Well, stallions too, but mostly mares. Heck, half the ponies chantin' her name when she goes off in one of them rodeo competitions know too. It just don't come up much 'cause she ain't been all that interested in meeting ponies 'till now."
Applejack was already out of the stable? That actually did make me feel better. Maybe I was over reacting. Maybe I could spring board this relationship as part of an outreach program to at risk LGBT youth! I felt a little smile coming back.
Granny saw my expression and raised an eyebrow. "Well someone's been hit by the love bug pretty hard. Y'all didn't answer my question though."
I blushed. "We actually just had our first date last night. She showed me a bunch of old musicals she found."
Granny grinned. "She dug up great uncle Fuji's old collection? Dang, I hadn't thought about those for ages. How'd ya like 'Anise Get Your Gun?'"
I smiled. "It wasn't bad, but I preferred 'South Marecific".
Granny put a hoof on my shoulder. "Don't you fret about this young un'. It ain't like in my day. Back then my mare friends and I had to sneak into motels through the windows to be together."
I blinked. "Wait... You had marefriends?"
Big Macintosh had suddenly developed a keen interest in the pattern of the wood on the walls.
She blushed "I suppose Applejack takes after her Granny, but really it was just the two from before I met her grandfather. There was one I was pretty serious with, but the fever took her." She sniffled. "That was way back though. My second relationship wasn't all that big a deal. Don't get me wrong, the sex was incredible, but she and I could never really see eye to eye except when we was between the sheets. But good lord did she have delicious teats! And the things she could do with that tongue of hers..."
"Soup's on everypony!" Applejack shouted, a plate of sandwiches balanced on her head.
I didn't respond.
Applejack blinked. "Twi... Are y'all alright?"
I just sat there, frozen, with horrifying images filling my skull.
Granny Smith snorted. "Ugh... Young people, they're such prudes..."