Azure Edge

by Leaf Blade

54. I Don't Mind

Rainbow took her coffee cup in her hands that she was trying to keep steady, but that wasn’t easy when she was sitting across a table from the hottest mare in probably all Equestria, maybe even the whole world.

Applejack took a sip of her coffee and sighed, her chin resting on her hand as her eyes lingered out the window toward the freshly fallen snow. Rainbow looked over her shoulder to see what Applejack was looking at, but quickly realized that while the snow was pretty, she saw that every day, and she’d much rather be looking at a hot girl.

“So hey,” Rainbow cleared her throat, tired of the loud silence between the two, and Applejack turned her gaze to Rainbow. “Twilight’s gonna be gone from the library today.”

“Yeah, she told me that yesterday,” Applejack said. “I told her I’d swing by the library after I close up the shop to make sure Spike’s doin’ alright by himself.”

“Oh yeah?” Rainbow chuckled. “Well he won’t be by himself, cuz I’m gonna be there! Promised Twilight I’d help him run the place while she’s gone, cuz this is gonna be his first time taking care of the library on his own.”

“That’s mighty decent of ya, Rainbow,” Applejack smiled, and Rainbow ran her hand through the hair behind her ear, trying not to blush.

“Thanks,” Rainbow beamed. “You should totally come over! I’m sure Spike would feel better, if like, we were both there.”

“Sorry, but I can’t,” Applejack shrugged and took another sip of coffee. “I gotta watch the shop, y’know?”

“Right, right,” Rainbow gulped down a lump of anxiety and tugged on her ear.

“But like I said,” Applejack continued after another sip of coffee and a contented sigh, “I’ll come by after I close up the shop for the night, make sure you and Spike haven’t burned the place down or nothin’.”

Rainbow wanted to make a snarky reply to that, but she couldn’t help but just sincerely laugh instead.

“We should probably get a move on though,” Applejack muttered. “I gotta open up the shop, and the library’s gotta be openin’ soon too, right?”

“Yeah,” Rainbow said wistfully, not wanting her time with Applejack to be over already.

Applejack got out her bitbag and rifled through it. “Let’s see… yeah, I think I got enough to cover us both today.”

Rainbow’s ears perked up at that. It’s not that she didn’t appreciate the gesture of Applejack offering to pay for both meals, more that she didn’t feel like she deserved that, and then when she thought of confronting the ludicrousness of that idea, a hundred other thoughts about how she was worthless and terrible took its place, like the world’s crappiest hydra.

“Uh, actually,” Rainbow said abruptly, slapping her hands on the table and making Applejack’s ears jump up, “why don’t we, um—” and now it occurred to Rainbow that she didn’t actually have anything to say, she just opened her mouth because she’s an idiot.

“Yeah?”

“I have an idea,” Rainbow grinned as the lightbulb flashed above her head, “why don’t we make this a little bit more interesting?”

“Interesting how?” Applejack arched a concerned eyebrow.

Rainbow propped her arm up on the table, waggling her fingers at Applejack. “Arm wrestle. Whoever loses has to pay for both meals.”

Applejack laughed and put her arm on the table. “Well if you insist, I ain’t gonna say no to a free breakfast.”

Applejack’s hand clasped Rainbow’s and a wave of electricity shot through her. She’d never admit it, but she got a rush from holding Applejack’s hand—how pathetic is that, right?

Rainbow took a deep breath and squeezed Applejack’s hand. She knew she couldn’t beat Applejack in a contest of brute strength—and also that she’d have to pay for their meals after this was over—but she didn’t care. The longer she could keep herself in the game, the longer she could hold onto Applejack’s hand.

Rainbow struggled against Applejack’s strength as the two wrestled, and Rainbow tried to concentrate on that electrical feeling to keep herself focused and strong. And it worked, for about two minutes.

But eventually her strength gave out, and Applejack slammed Rainbow’s hand down onto the table, Rainbow biting her lip to keep from gasping.

“Guess I win again,” Applejack said proudly, standing up and putting her hands on her hips, and Rainbow bit her lip even harder. “That’s two for two now, my favor.”

“Yeah,” Rainbow chuckled, rubbing her palm as she felt a bright heat coursing through her whole body, “guess I lost.”

“I hope yer not takin’ it too hard,” Applejack said softly reaching her hand out across the table, and when Rainbow instinctively reached her hand—the one that had just been crushed by Applejack’s a second before—back out, Applejack gently took it in hers. “I’m just real strong, y’know?”

“Yeah, don’t worry about it,” Rainbow scoffed, looking at her fingers intertwined with Applejack’s, “I don’t mind losing to you that much.”

Author's Note:

Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoyed!

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