Never Drift Away

by New Canterlot


Chapter 2: ...It's Time to Listen

Having pie before dinner was quite an experience for Rarity. The apple cobbler complimented well with the stew and fresh egg omelets, something the Apple family no doubt had practiced. It was like having breakfast and dinner all rolled into one massive meal. Granny Smith was more than happy to serve her plate after plate, although Rarity only had the stomach to finish a small portion each time. The remaining food was gratefully accepted by Applejack who also demolished her own portions. While the whole Apple family, extending to the crusaders, stuffed their faces, Rarity awkwardly resigned herself to daintily pick at her plate. When dinner finally ended, a wave of relief swept over the fashionista now that she no longer had to be presented with even more fatty filled, protein rich calories.

While the crusaders gathered up the dishes and began washing them, a task Applejack had volunteered them for, everyone else withdrew to the living room to allow their meal to digest. The furnishings and the furniture may not have been as modern or progressive as Rarity would have liked, but she couldn’t deny how comfortable and cozy everything was. Applejack had taken a seat in a very big reclining chair, and Big Mac and Granny Smith took their seats in their usual chairs that they alone used. Again, Rarity found herself in a bit of a culture shock. Having your own chair or seat in the living room seemed silly in her head, but now that she was witnessing it in person, the ideal was very appealing.

To her surprise, Rarity realized at once after she took a seat that Applejack was not pleased. The country gal immediately chuckled and shook a finger at her. “What do ya’ll think yer doin’, sugarcube?”

“I’m sorry?” Rarity tried not to sound too panicked. She was afraid she may have taken someone’s seat.

With a couple pats on the reclining chair, Applejack motioned for Rarity to take a seat between her legs. “Time for that back rub Ah promised ya.”

“O-Oh…I see.” Rarity blushed hard, unable to control her look of surprise. It was one thing for Applejack to promise her physical contact, but it was an entirely different story to have such a thing done in the presence of so many other people. With incredible hesitance, Rarity got up and took a seat between AJ’s legs facing away from her. She nervously pressed the front of her skirt with her hands right before she felt Applejack’s strong hands clamp around her shoulders. That red blush on her face only became worse.

Big Mac and Granny Smith began talking amongst themselves on the other side of the room about the family business. It wasn’t clear what exactly, but Rarity could hear them conversing apathetically about their cider reserves for an upcoming delivery. Applejack paid them no mind as she began digging her thumbs into Rarity’s lower neck, wiggling them about in search for stress induced knots.

“Wow, ya’ll must sleep on yer back er somethin’, huh?” AJ commented, not actually speaking directly. It was her turn to be surprised this time as she began to get a good feel for just how sinuous and slender Rarity’s frame really was. Although there was little if any fat on her body, there was about the same amount of muscle fiber as well. It was evidently clear that physical appearance came before physical exertion for the pale girl.

Rarity brought her knees up to her chest and leaned forward, doing her best to create some sort of distance between their two bodies without pulling away. She was afraid that their warmth might in time become shared if Applejack scooted closer to her, but Applejack kept right on with her work. “I…sometimes, I suppose. I am not particularly concerned with my sleeping position as long as I sleep...”

“Yep.” AJ responded very absentmindedly as her thumbs traveled a few inches south along her spine. She could feel the thin yet taut tender under Rarity’s shoulder blades against her palms, and when she pressed firmly, Rarity gasped softly. “Sorry, Rare. Did that hurt?”

It did hurt a bit, but the relief from the tightness across her back that followed grossly outweighed any of the pain. “Just a bit, darling…” Rarity cleared her throat and nodded. “…Although…whatever you did appears to be exactly what I needed.”

AJ chuckled softly and began rubbing her thumbs around in a slow circle along her shoulder blades. “Ah told ya Ah know what Ah’m doin’.”

A few seconds into finding her sweet spot, Rarity felt her body unwind. Her arms fell limp against her sides as she stretched her legs out, a wave of warmth enveloping her. All the stress and all the embarrassment from being in such a compromising position with her heart’s desire drifted away as she felt Applejack’s firm, strong hands expertly perform. She felt so relaxed in fact that Rarity couldn’t help but yawn. “Goodness…” Rarity put a hand over her mouth but never actually touching her perfectly glossed lips. “I apolo-…” She yawned again. “…-gize.”

Feeling very pleased, Applejack leaned back in the recliner and drew her arms around Rarity’s slender shoulders, pulling her into her lap while having Rarity’s back leaning against her chest. “Just close yer eyes fer a minute ‘er two. Ah’ll take ya upstairs ‘n a bit, alright?”

It was almost as if she was being coddled, and Rarity felt the familiar heat rush right back to her face. A part of her wanted to protest this surprise display of affection, but most of her was more than willing to go with it and dive into this new and wondrous experience. “I…I suppose...” Rarity yawned louder fought the urge to rub her eyes.

While she began squeezing out the tension up and down her neck, Applejack could feel Rarity sinking herself back into her chest with each passing second. It was only a matter minutes before Rarity would fall asleep and she would have to carry her upstairs, but the more time she held Rarity, the more she dreaded the eventual minute when it would all have to end. Rarity’s hair, only a couple inches below her nose, smelled of fresh lavender mint. The aroma was almost intoxicating, almost intrinsically captivating, along with the rest of the gorgeous girl’s features. She felt so warm and incredibly soft that Applejack gave into the urge to close her eyes and sniff her neck, all the while keeping her pace with her massage.

A few more minutes passed, and just as predicted, Rarity was out cold. Applejack lowered her hands to the armrests of the recliner and tilted her hat off her head where it lay next to her. The crusaders eagerly bounded into the living room after they had finished the dishes, all three girls immediately receiving a scolding by the big sister lest they wake their guest. Sweetie Belle was the only one who couldn’t contain her giggling, but all three did agree that Applejack’s and Rarity’s leisurely position together was down right adorable. Now that their hunger was satisfied and their high energy depleted, they piled on top of each other on the sofa.

Big Mac got up to stretch, and upon seeing the sleeping Rarity, he gathered up a blanket off the sofa and draped it over her sleeping form before kissing the top of his sister’s head and going upstairs. Granny Smith shuffled over to her and put a hand on her grandaughter’s shoulder. “Would the two of ya like some hot coco?”

“That’s alright.” Applejack smiled up at her and shook her head. “Thanks, Granny.” In reply, Granny Smith gave her a smile back and made her way to the stairs.

Using Applebloom’s feet as a pillow, Sweetie Belle asked, “So, how long is sis going to sleep like that?”

“Probably all night.” Scoots shrugged as she thumbed the face of her phone with her head resting on Applebloom’s lap. “Hey, can we stay the night?”

“On a school night?” Applejack chuckled and shook her head. “Ya’ll sure got some mighty high aspirations, sugarcube.”

“Aw, come on, sis.” Applebloom whined. “Ah promise we’ll be quiet.”

“Ah ain’t worried ‘bout ya’ll being quiet.” AJ shook her head again. “If Ah let ya’ll spend the night, Ah know ya’ll er gonna be stayin’ up til the crack a dawn anyhow. So my answer is no, ‘n that’s final.”

“Lame.” Scoots sighed.

“Watch it, ‘lil missy.”

“Sorry.” Scoots sat up and shoved her phone into her pocket. “Hey, girls. Wanna go make a fort with the empty barrels outside?”

Sweetie Belle and Applebloom both shrugged and nodded their heads. “Sure.” Applebloom got up and the rest of the troupe followed her out the door. “But Ah get to choose where it’s gonna be.”

“Oh, and I can design it!” Scoots nodded enthusiastically.

“What am I supposed to do?” Sweetie Belle asked after they exited the front door.

“Um, you can design the flag.” Scoots told her as the front door closed behind them.

Now alone to themselves, Applejack drew her arms around Rarity’s shoulders again like she was hugging a big stuffed animal. It had been a very long time since she felt the warmth of another person pressing against her so cozily, and now Applejack was beginning to feel just as lethargic. She yawned softly and laid her head back on the top of the recliner before closing her eyes with Rarity still sleeping in her arms.

While she slept, Rarity had positioned herself on her side so her head rested squarely on AJ’s bust. Her small body felt wrapped up in a heavenly warmth that she had forgotten could exist since she had been a small child in her father’s lap. Even away from her comfortable bed, Rarity would conclude later that day that she hadn’t slept that well for a very long time.

With a soft snore, her arms draped around the armrests of the chair, Applejack dozed off with a slight grin. Having put away an incredible amount of food, she was more than happy to nap the remaining hours of the late afternoon. The faint sound of giggling and cheerful innocent playtime was audible from the front yard, but neither girl paid any heed during their unconscious hours. It wasn’t until Big Mac had come back downstairs did AJ snap her head up with groggy eyes that barely opened.

Big Mac rubbed the top of her head with his powerful hand, a towel draped across his shoulders as evidence that he had taken a much needed shower. “Doin’ ok?” He asked, his voice as deep and as strong as a town crier.

Applejack nodded slowly and rubbed her eyes with the back of her wrists. She looked down at the top of Rarity’s head, and she could feel the slow breathing of the precious girl as her body rose and fell. “Thanks for the blanket…” She mumbled. “Ah guess Ah’m more tired than Ah thought.”

“Yep.” He nodded and retreated to the kitchen before returning with a glass of water.

“Oh, shucks, Big Mac.” AJ gratefully accepted it and downed the water before returning the glass to him. “Thanks.”

He simply nodded and set the glass down. “Want me to take ‘er upstairs for ya?”

“Uh…nah, it’s fine.” She shook her head. “Ah guess we can just stay down here ‘n call it a day.” He nodded again and walked out the front door to begin splitting firewood by the barn. Immediately after he exited the house, all three crusaders enthusiastically volunteered to help.

As she slept, Rarity exhaled a faint sigh, and Applejack brought a hand up to gently rub her back. “Must be sleepin’ pretty hard, huh?” She quietly mused with a smile as she gazed down at Rarity’s lovely features. Rarity’s only reply was a slight shift in her sleeping position in an effort to get the most comfortable. She turned slightly to face Applejack while her wrists curled up against her chest, and Applejack began running the palm of her hand across Rarity’s incredibly soft hair, pushing the bulk of her bangs away from her eyes. To her utter surprise, Applejack watched as Rarity nuzzled her face into her palm. A red tint spread across her cheeks and highlighted her dimples, a strangely encompassing feeling of protectiveness and care overtaking her. She truly did have precious cargo in her arms, and she never wanted to let go.

“Sugarcube?” AJ whispered softly as she moved her fingers through the sleeping girl’s long bangs. Unfortunately, she really had to retreat to the little filly’s room to tinkle. Rarity didn’t respond, but continued to slumber, snuggling herself deeper into Applejack’s arms. The blush on AJ’s face became more pronounced the more awkward she felt. She never expected Rarity to get so close to her, so deeply cuddled against her. With a bit of hesitance and regret, Applejack firmly but gently tapped her on the shoulder to rouse her from her sleep.

“Hm…?” With a very soft and slightly raspy hum, Rarity opened her eyelids just a tiny bit and tilted her chin up to face her friend. “…d-darling…?”

Applejack chuckled nervously and smiled down at her. “Gettin’ kinda late now, Rare. Sorry, but…Ah gotta take care a some personal business.”

Rarity slowly sat up and scooted half an inch away for to give Applejack some room to move. “I…am so, so incredibly sorry, darling.” She covered her face with her hands for a moment and bit back a yawn. “…I fell asleep on you, didn’t I?”

AJ chuckled louder and nodded, giving her head a pat. “Yep, but Ah don’t mind it none. Ya’ll really looked like ya needed a couple hours a Zs.”

“I can’t believe I did that…” Rarity blushed back at her and ran her fingers through her bangs. “I sincerely hope I didn’t cause you any pain while I was out.”

With an even louder chuckle, AJ gave Rarity a gently pinch on her cheek. “With yer tiny ‘lil body? Yer funny.” She slid out of the chair and stood up slowly to stretch her arms over her head. “Besides, Ah fell asleep too, so Ah guess we’re even.” She spoke as she made her way down the hall to the bathroom door.

Without a moment to spare, Rarity got up and snatched her purse up by the front door, reaching inside for her small mirror. Her reflection was somewhat promising, but her hair was a bit of a tousled mess. She frantically began brushing it with her fingers before putting her mirror and purse down when she heard the bathroom door open. Assuming the most nonchalant expression she could muster, Rarity turned to face her friend.

Applejack walked over to her and began rubbing her back. “Feel better, sugarpie? Ya’ll must a been more tired than a bear ‘n winter.”

“It would appear so…” Rarity did her best to contain her flustered appearance. “..Thank you…for indulging me.”

“Aw, shucks.” AJ gave her a warm hug. “Ain’t nothin’ to it, Rare. Ah know ya’ll would do the same fer me.”

“Indeed.” Rarity looked up at her and nodded. “Indeed I would. Darling, if there’s anything I can do to repay your hospitality, I would be more than happy to accommodate-”
Applejack placed a finger over her lips to quiet her. She watched with amusement as Rarity’s face lit up in reddish hue, and they stayed that way for a few seconds before Applejack planted a soft kiss on her cheek. “Just bein’ a good friend is enough fer me, Rare.” All Rarity could do in response was to swallow hard.

-o0o-

The start to Rarity’s next day was filled with an indescribable mix of anxiety and excitement. After returning home the previous evening, she spent all night awake in bed staring at her ceiling, a pillow clutched to her chest. Every so often, she would squeal into her pillow with joy as her mind relived the moment she had received that kiss on the cheek.

However, a part of her pondered the kiss in question until her head began to ache. There was no doubt in her mind that something more existed between her and Applejack, but what it could be was still up for interpretation. Was Applejack just teasing her, or somehow trying to get a rise out of her? Or…did Applejack actually feel the same way? Regardless of what the case may be, Rarity was beginning to feel a bit angry. She partly wished the kiss hadn’t happened because it left a lot more questions up in the air.

As she sat through her first class, she stared down at her desk with a pen in her hand, drawing tiny little apples across her notebook paper. She didn’t even bother trying to focus on the lecture while she allowed her mind the pleasure of roaming into comforting thoughts. She imagined herself on hilltop in a sundress with Applejack walking slowly up the grass towards her. It was a picture painted of a thousand words taken straight from her favorite romance novel. Before she knew it, class was over. With her conscious mind completely detached from reality, she spent all of the next class lost again in her own thoughts.

As the final minutes of her second class began to tick away, she got up along with the rest of the class to shuffle out the door. Her first stop was the bathroom, a destination popularized by a dozen other girls eagerly checking their appearances before meeting up with friends or boyfriends during their lunch break. Rarity waited patiently for a few minutes until she alone was left to herself.

Today she had gone out of her way to dress well, as usual, but with a flare of casual. Instead of a skirt, she wore tight fitting white capri pants and a button-up lavender blouse with small black roses skirted into the collar. Her hair was brushed back from her face, split across her temple in a smooth wave that flowed down her shoulders. This type of dress drew the eyes towards her face instead of the body, something she regretted doing the day before. Once she was satisfied she was at least respectable, she exited the bathrooms and made her way to the cafeteria.

To her surprise, everyone else was there already. Dash and Sunset were usually there last, but all her friends had eagerly gathered to celebrate something. Twilight was sitting at the end of the table with a little party hat on and small cake in front of her. Pinkie saw their last arriving guest and immediately ran to Rarity, pulling her by the hand to the table. “She’s here! She’s here! Now we can sing the birthday song!”

“Birthday?” Rarity cast confused eyes up and down the table.

“Well, duh!” Pinkie rolled her eyes dramatically. “It’s Twilight’s birthday today! Am I the only one who reads her friend’s profile pages???”

“No, but you’re the only one who prints them out and keeps them in a folder at school.” Dash teased. “Thanks for that, Creepy-pie. And can we not sing the birthday song right now?”

“Why?” Pinkie grin mischievously at her. “Afraid you’re gonna look silly?” Dash ignored her and crossed her arms.

Sitting to her right was little Fluttershy, a happy little smile on her face with one arm wrapped around Dash’s elbow. She and Dash had undeniably become closer and much more comfortable around each other, and Shy seemed to be much happier these past months. “Um, if it’s ok, I bought you a little something.” She reached into her pocket and held out a small gift card for Barnes and Noble.

“Aw, really?” Twilight gasped and accepted the gift with two hands. “For me? Are you sure?”

Shy nodded and smiled up at her. “Mhm.”

“Thank you!” Twilight got up and gave her a hug, much to the small girl’s delight.

“Yeah yeah, whatever.” Dash shrugged. “I got you something wayyyy better. Check this!” She reached into her backpack and took out a novelty sized green pencil with a pencil topper the size of a baseball in the shape of a compass. The pencil was inscribed with the words ‘Daring Doo’ into the wood.

“No way…” Twilight gasped and picked the bat sized pencil from her hands. “How did you know I was a fan?”

“I read your online posts sometimes too, you know.” Dash giggled and gave her shoulder a soft nudge.

“I love it! Thank you!” Twilight gave her a hug as well before taking her seat.

“Ah guess Ah’ll go next.” AJ reached into her knapsack and pulled out a plastic tray with toil foil used as a lid. “It ain’t nothin’ fancy ‘er nothin’. Just a pie my family made for ya. It’s kinda big, so don’t try eatin’ it all at once.”

Pinkie leaned down and whispered into Twilight’s ear, although she spoke loudly enough for everyone to easily hear her. “Don’t listen to her, Twilight. You eat your new pie however you want.”

Sunset scooted closer to the end of the table and put a hand over Twilight’s palm. With her other hand, she presented her two movie passes that could be used at any time. “Happy Birthday, Twilight.” Sunset spoke warmly, and Twilight gave her a hug as well.

Rarity just stood there to the side as she watched her friends converse and exchange their gifts. A gnawing pain began to etch its way down into the pit of her stomach as a deep and overwhelming guilt clouded all other pleasant feelings she once had before. Her lips began to move to form the words ‘I forgot’ as she took a step back. All eyes fell upon her as her feet began to move, and she found her voice. “I…I…forgot…” She stuttered as tears began streaming down her face. “I…forgot...” She bit her lip as hard as she could and held her breath to keep herself from crying. Unfortunately, it wasn’t working. The tears continued as she felt her lower lip quiver and her chin tremble. “I…didn’t know…I…” She choked audible and turned her back to walk away quickly, “…am so sorry!” She walked briskly out of the cafeteria to cower away in the nearby bathroom.

“The heck?” Dash looked around the table, feeling very confused.

“Is…she ok?” Shy asked no one in particular.

Pinkie felt dumfounded as she stared at the door Rarity had exited through. “Did she mean she forgot about your birthday?”

“I think so…” Sunset ran a hand through her hair. “Gosh…I feel so bad for her…”

“It’s my fault…” Twilight sighed and covered her face with her hands. “I should’ve mentioned today would be my birthday…It’s my fault.”

“No it ain’t, sugarcube.” AJ put a hand on her shoulder. “Ah’m sure ya’ll were just tryin’ to avoid somethin’ like…like this.”

Pinkie sat down next to Twilight with sad puppy dog eyes. “It’s my fault too…I wanted to surprise you with this little party, and I didn’t tell anyone about it either.”

“Crap…” Dash sighed and bumped her head against the table face first. “We probably shoulda planned this out…”

Shy began rubbing Dash’s back with her small hand. “…I feel bad for her too…”

“It’ll be alright.” Applejack stood and brushed her jeans with her hands. “Ah’ll go ‘n talk to her. Don’t any of ya’ll worry none. She’ll be ok.”

“Should…I go with you?” Twilight asked. “I really want to tell her it’s ok. I’m not mad or anything.”

“Nah, Ah got it.” AJ shook her head and smiled at her. “Ah’ll let her know…” She made her way out of the cafeteria, turning her head down one hall, then another for any sign of her. Once she picked up a soft crying coming from the bathroom door, she stepped inside. “Sugarcube?” She asked as she poked her head in deeper to get a better view of who she might be intruding on.

“Go away…” Rarity honestly didn’t mean those words, but Applejack couldn’t help but feel a bit hurt. “…I don’t want to speak to anyone right now.”

Instead of complying with her wishes, Applejack walked over to her and spin Rarity around to face her. She began using the back of her wrist to wipe away the tears from her face. “That ain’t no way fer a lady to act, cryin’ ‘n gettin’ all mopey. Besides, ain’t no one blamin’ ya fer not knowin’ ‘bout Twilight’s birthday. She didn’t wanna tell no one cause it might make us feel bad.”

Rarity scoffed and sniffled hard, pushing AJ’s hands away from her face. “Well it didn’t work, now did it?” She said in more of a statement. “I feel absolutely terrible…”

“Ah know ya do…” Applejack put her arms around Rarity’s shoulders and held her close. Rarity responded by wrapping her arms around AJ’s waist and pressing her face into her chest. “But that don’t make ya a bad friend, Rare.”

“But I am a bad friend…” Rarity felt another tear well up and threaten to roll down her cheek. “…And I don’t deserve to have a friend like you. I’m an awful person.”

“Don’t be talkin’ like that, missy.” Applejack put a finger under her chin and forced Rarity to look up at her. “Ah don’t wanna hear one more negative word out a yer mouth. Yer not a bad friend. It’s an honest mistake is all. Ain’t no one’s fault.” AJ pulled her in close for another hug, holding the sniffling girl until she calmed down.

“Why…do you care so much?” Rarity asked, her voice soft and shallow. “Why…are you always trying to make me feel better?”

“That’s…what friends do, sugarcube. Ain’t no mystery behind it.”

“Applejack…” She sighed softly and did her best to stand up straight. “…You’ve been rather sweet to me these past couple months…And I can’t help but…feel that there’s something…”

“H-Hang on there, Rare.” Applejack put a finger over her lips to quiet her. “Don’t be gettin’ no funny ideas ‘n yer pretty ‘lil head. Ah’m just tryin’ to-”

Rarity shook her head and took a step back. “Don’t get any funny ideas? I don’t believe you mean that for a second. I’ve seen the way you treat me… You dote on me! You…you…kissed me!”

“Ah…” Applejack blushed and looked away from her. “…Ah just…Ah mean, Ah thought ya wanted me…” She cleared her throat, leaving that last sentence unfinished. “It was just a ‘lil peck on the cheek, Rare! Why do ya’ll gotta make a big deal ‘bout somethin’ that ain’t mean nothin’?”

“It…didn’t...mean anything?” Rarity felt her lower lip tremble again. “I see…” She looked down at the bathroom floor for a long moment before gathering up her purse from the countertop. “I understand now, darling.” She said with a completely fake smile. “Silly me, I suppose. It appears I can be rather dense and stupid… Have a wonderful day, Applejack.”

“Wait, Rare…Ah...” Applejack didn’t have a chance to finish her thought as Rarity exited the bathroom and began walking down the hall. She pulled her hat off her head and leaned up against one of the bathroom stall’s doors, covering her face with her palm. Everything that had come out of her mouth had been a mistake. Everything she had said had been nothing but hot air during the heat of their discussion, and she regretted every last word.

Truth was, that kiss meant everything to her. All the compliments during the past few months and all the not so subtle hints she had been dropping ended up amounting to nothing thanks to her self defeating behavior. Last night, when she had held Rarity in her sleep and had stolen that peck on the cheek after she woke, all of that had been a small test. She had hoped Rarity would have responded in kind, but all Applejack had gotten out of her was an uncomfortable silence during their drive back to Rarity’s car. That kiss was what Applejack hoped to be the opportunity to become closer to the girl she had fallen in love with recently. Now, after the incredibly nearsighted things she had just said, none of that mattered anymore. Rarity now hated her…

Putting on a brave face and the most cheerful smile she could muster, Applejack returned to the cafeteria to rejoin her friend’s little birthday party. “Hey, AJ.” Dash said with a bit of frosting on her nose and a small slice of cake in front of her. “Is Rarity ok?”

“Uh…yep. She’s just…gonna need a bit to uh…ya know, gather herself…Ah’m guessin’.” Applejack nodded slowly and took a seat by Pinkie.

“Well, she better get over here soon! This cake isn’t gonna last forever.” Pinkie shoved a bite of cake in her mouth with an innocent smile. “Isth goodth too!”

Twilight gave Applejack another hug. “You sure I don’t have to go talk to her?”

“…I could go with you…” Shy tapped her index fingers together as she spoke. “Maybe she could use a hug.”

“And a slice of cake.” Sunset said, giving Pinkie a smile.

With a gasp, Pinkie nodded enthusiastically. “Good idea!”

“No.” Applejack said a bit too sternly than she realized. “Just…give her some time.” All the other girls simply cast puzzled glances amongst each other, wondering just what exactly happened.

-o0o-

After school, Rarity immediately went home. With Sweetie Belle out with her friends, she had the house to herself at least until dinner time. Her parents would still be at work for a while, giving her free reign to sit on the couch in her pajamas and eat ice cream. With a tub of rocky road in her lap, Rarity continued to try and fill the now aching pit in her heart with chocolaty filling. Although the ice cream was helping to some extent, she couldn’t help but cry every other half hour.

By the time five o’clock rolled around, she was mortified to realize that she had already eaten nearly half the entire tub. Feeling very disgusted with herself, she put the ice cream away and rinsed her spoon off in the sink. Once she sat back down on the couch, she pondered whether or not she should force herself to get dressed again and go out shopping for a small gift for Twilight. At the very least, she could make up for not remembering her birthday by buying her a belated present. That idea was quickly dismissed as her thoughts returned to Applejack. Her heart sank deeper as Applejack’s words began to sink their roots deeper into her mind, making her yearn to get more ice cream. In emotional exhaustion, she flopped back on the couch and covered her face with one of the decorative pillows. Her phone buzzed on the coffee table in front of the couch, but upon investigation, the only messages she had were from Pinkie written out in nothing but emoticons.

“Stupid romantic...” She scolded herself as she let her body go limp, her phone falling to the floor. “…Rarity…you are a hopeless, small brained love bird…” When she shifted her body, a lock of her hair fell over her face. Instead of brushing it away, she blew the lock up and down until it hit her in the eye. Although not particularly painful, it did irritate her enough to get up and march upstairs to comb her hair.

She came back down a few minutes later with her hair tied by in a loose ponytail when she noticed her phone buzzing on the floor. Feeling a bit annoyed, she picked it up to turn it off, but she stopped herself when she saw she had two missed calls and three messages from Applejack. She frantically tapped and swiped the screen to listen to read the messages. If she wasn’t feeling so dejected, Rarity might have found it amusing that Applejack’s texts didn’t read at all like she spoke.

The first message read, “I’m sorry for what I said. I think we still need to talk. Can I come by later?”

The second message wasn’t much different. “I have some stuff I need to tell you. Can you please talk to me?”

The last message made Rarity’s heart race in anticipation. “I’m coming over. I need to tell you something.”

Rarity immediately ran back upstairs to get dressed. She dug through her closet frantically, pulling outfit after outfit onto the bed. After a minute, she gave up and grabbed the closest skirt and blouse, pulling them on and quickly as she could before running to the bathroom to fix her hair and put a bit of makeup on. Her eyes were a bit puffy, and no amount of foundation could fix that. All she could fix at the moment were her eyelashes and curl her hair as quickly as possible. She had hoped to make it downstairs before Applejack would arrive, but the sound of her doorbell made that impossible.

Applejack waited patiently outside until Rarity opened the door. To her surprise, Applejack was holding a small bouquet of purple lilacs. They were undeniable beautiful, although Rarity hardly cared. “Are…those for me?” She asked.

“Uh…yeah.” Applejack nodded and held them out to her. “Ah…thought maybe ya’ll would like some flowers…”

Rarity took them in her hands as she began to appreciate the gift. “They’re lovely…Thank you.” She stepped to the side and motioned with a hand through the door. “Would…you like to come inside?” Applejack simply nodded and walked in, taking her boots off at the door. They stood by the door in silence for an agonizing minute before Rarity spoke up. “You…really didn’t have to come all this way, dear.” She tried to be as polite as possible.

“Well…ya’ll weren’t textin’ me back…so, Ah figured Ah’d stop by.”

“I didn’t have my phone on me.” Rarity put the flowers down by the door on a small decorative stand where everyone usually put their keys. “I would have called you back.”

“Really?”

Rarity sighed and shook her head. “No…I lied…I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine…” AJ took a deep breath and adjusted her hat. “Ah…Ah wanted to talk to ya…’bout earlier.”

“There’s nothing to talk about.” Rarity spoke directly. “I think we both understand how each other feels, and that’s that.”

“No, it ain’t.” Applejack shook her head and took a step forward towards her. “Rarity, Ah... Ah wasn’t completely honest with ya when Ah said those things…”

“Nonsense.” Rarity turned her head away and crossed her arms. “You were very candid, and I appreciate you being open with me.”

“But Ah wasn’t open with ya.” Applejack sighed and stuck her thumbs into the pockets of her pants. “Ah…didn’t mean what Ah said.”

“Please don’t try to spare my feelings, darling. You don’t have to take back what you said. I’m a big girl, and I can take it.”

“Yer not listenin’ to me…” Applejack groaned and shook her head. “Ah’m tryin’ to tell ya that…Ah…didn’t…Ah didn’t mean all them things Ah said. Ah didn’t think that ‘lil kiss was nothin’…”

Rarity exhaled slowly and closed her eyes, forcing back a tear. This was something she was getting tired of doing today. “Darling…please…don’t. You don’t have to lie to me.”

“Ah ain’t lyin’!” Applejack took a deep breath to calm herself and palmed her face for a moment. “Rarity…can ya’ll just listen to me fer a minute?”

“Fine...” Rarity looked up at her and uncrossed her arms as a sign for her to continue.

“Sugarcube…Ah…” Applejack took another deep breath to gather her words. “Fer a while now…Ah’ve been…havin’ these strange feelins…’n Ah ain’t been able to stop thinkin’ ‘bout…”

Rarity began to blush and her heart began to soften as she listened. She took a step forward and very gently placed her hand on Applejack’s shoulder. “D-Darling…” She nearly whispered.

“Rare…Ah didn’t mean them things Ah said at school. Ah…Ah didn’t just kiss yer cheek cause a nothin’…Ah did it…cause…”

“Because what?” Rarity asked in a soft whisper. “Darling…please…tell me.”

Applejack grabbed her hands and gave them a firm squeeze. She looked down at her with a bright red blush of her own that made her dimples stand out. “Ah…w-well…fer a while now…Ah’ve been…thinkin’ a lot ‘bout ya…”

“I…have been…” Rarity swallowed. “…thinking quite a lot about you as well…”

Applejack met her eyes and very slowly moved her head forward. Rarity responded in kind. “Ah…think…yer real pretty, Rare.”

Rarity wrapped her arms around Applejack’s neck and let a tear stream down her cheek. “You are just as beautiful, dear…”

“…Ah…like ya…”

“…I like you too…” Rarity swallowed again and fought the urge to move forward more. “…Do…you really mean it?”

“Ah…Ah do…Ah ain’t lyin’ this time...” Applejack almost sounded like she was pleading as her hands grasped Rarity’s slender waist. “Ah swear…’n Ah am…so sorry ‘bout what Ah said.”

Rarity cracked a smile up at her. “You are indeed quite rotten…” She whispered into her ear as she stood on her tip toes, using a finger to push AJ’s hat off onto the floor. “…for leading a lady on as you did.”

Applejack chuckled a bit as she wrapped her arms around her waist. “Maybe this’ll make up fer me bein’ a sour apple.” She leaned forwards and planted her lips squarely against Rarity’s for a short two seconds before pulling away.

They stared at each other blankly in silence for nearly half a minute before Rarity kissed her back furiously. Applejack responded by giving as much passion into their embrace, their lips locked together. Rarity could feel her body heating up and her heart race, no doubt Applejack feeling the exact same thing. Every so often, they broke their kiss to take a deep breath before going right back to it.
Applejack picked Rarity up with her strong arms and sat her down on the back of the couch, Rarity’s legs pressing against her waist. She began kissing up and down her neck when Rarity gently pushed her back before things become too frenzied. “Darling…” Rarity choked out through her labored breathing. “…s-slow down.”

Applejack got a hold of herself and took a step back. “Ah’m mighty sorry….Ah got carried away…Don’t know what came over me is all…”

“It’s…alright, dear.” Rarity wiped her lips with the back of her wrist, savoring the hearty flavor of Applejack’s kiss. “…I think we should…perhaps take things a bit more slowly.”

“Y-Yeah…” AJ nodded and put her hands on Rarity’s thighs. “Ah’ve…just wanted to do that fer the longest time…Ah can’t believe it’s actually happenin’ right now…”

“I can’t either…” Rarity swallowed harder than before and put her hands on Applejack’s cheeks. “…I’ve…wanted you to do that for years… I feel like I’m in a dream… Is…this actually happening?”

“Ah sure as shucks hope so.” AJ bent down a bit and pecked her softly on the cheek. “Cause Ah’ll be right angry if Ah wake up from this.”

Rarity stood up and hugged her tightly. “Applejack…I’m so sorry for being so cold to you earlier…I can’t tell you how upset I was earlier…”

“It’s ok now, sugarpie…” AJ reached up to stroke Rarity’s hair away from her face. “…Ah got ya...’n Ah ain’t mad no more. Just ferget ‘bout all that.”

“Thank you…” Rarity nuzzled her face into Applejack’s neck and sighed happily. “…Hold me…please….”

Applejack wrapped her arms around her waist again and hugged her as close to her chest as possible. They embraced each other for another few minutes before Rarity eventually pulled away. “Everythin’ alright, Rare?” AJ heard herself ask.

“Y-Yes…Quite.” Rarity ran her hand over her hair and smiled up at her. “…I am…just amazed at the recent turn of events…” She giggled softly. “I half expected to argue with you when you told me you were coming over. Never in my DREAMS did I expect this!”

With a chuckle, Applejack nodded her head. “Kinda thought ya’ll might not even let me in considerin’ how we left things…”

Rarity put a hand on her cheek and kissed her softly. “Let’s not speak of that ever again, darling.”

“Sure.” AJ kissed her back and wrapped her arms back around her. “Ah’d like that.”

-o0o-

In her room, Pinkie Pie sat on her bed wearing her favorite midnight snack outfit: balloon print panties and an oversized light blue t-shirt. The rest of her family had already gone to bed, but being a creature of high energy and not enough time on her hands, Pinkie was still up. The small TV in her room gave her a limited view of a late night talk show, and on her lap was her little pink laptop computer and a giant bag of super spicy tortilla chips. She never did pay any attention to the late night talk shows that always ran in the background during her late evenings, but she always did giggle along with the studio audience regardless of whether she paid any attention to the dialogue.

Each time she ate a chip, she always licked her fingers clean before interacting with her laptop. Her fingers probably weren’t any cleaner than usual, but she hated having stuff stuck to the keyboard. Being a very active member of the midnight snack community, this was a problem she was more than acquainted with. As she surfed the web for funny images, her pet baby alligator rested atop her poofy hair. The weather was getting colder and colder during the past few weeks, and as usual during the late fall season, he had burrowed his way into Pinkie’s hair for warmth.

Pinkie turned her computer’s attention to her social media page. Her notifications tab had an incredibly high number as usual thanks to her one thousand plus friends list. She didn’t actually know most of them, but those friends were from the days when she first discovered social media. Pinkie had been so infatuated with the idea of ‘making friends’ that she began typing in random names to send friend requests. That very first day, she had sent over three hundred requests to random users of the site, only a handful of them ever getting back to her.

With the days of internet ignorance long gone, Pinkie had included about thirty or so people she actually knew in her favorites list. There appeared to be only two notifications from that list, and in curiosity, she clicked on the tab. Maybe for once in great while she wasn’t the only one up past midnight online on a school night.

Pinkie nearly choked on her chip, almost sending the spicy morsel down the wrong pipe. Her eyes widened in shock as she read the two notifications. One was from Applejack’s account that said she was in a new committed relationship. The second notification was from Rarity’s account that said the exact same thing. Upon frantic clicking of her computer’s mouse, Pinkie grew even more surprised to find that both girl’s new relationship status posts identified each other as the significant other.

“Whuuuuuuuuuuuuut?” Pinkie cocked her head to the side with her mouth hanging open. “Nu-uh! Nuuuuuwayyyy!!!” She quickly covered her mouth and shot her eyes towards the door to her room. That outburst might have woken up the rest of her family. After waiting a minute to reassure herself that everyone else was still asleep, she reached for her phone.

Being rudely awoken from her much desired slumber, Rainbow Dash angrily snatched her phone up from the pillow beside her. Without even checking to see who it was, she answered the phone, putting the device up to her ear. “Pinkie, if this is another joke…” Dash grumbled with a hoarse throat.

“Go online!!!” Came a loud blaring holler from the other end that made Dash recoil her ear away from the source of the scream.

“I really don’t feel like it. Good night.” Dash hung up and put her phone on silent mode before going back to bed. Within less than a few seconds, the face of her phone lit up and began buzzing almost as annoyingly loud. “Oh…my…gosh…” She snatched her phone up again. “Pinkie, I swear I’m going to block your number forever if you call me again.”

“Go online, go to your friends list.”

Dash sighed very heavily. “Facebook?”

“Well, duhhhh!”

“Ughhhhhh…” Dash slowly got up from bed and shuffled towards her computer. She turned the screen on and did as she was told. “Ok, now what? And this better be good, or you’re gonna have the worst wet willy of your-” Her words stopped short as her eyes began scanning the screen. Her news feed showed two recent posts from Applejack and Rarity, the same two posts that had Pinkie had just witnessed. “What the…”