Being Homeless

by Hope

Chapter 3.

A week, a bunch of gifts, and settling into a routine wasn’t enough to get the thought off Dash’s mind.

Neither was Twilight’s adventure learning about an alien race, and establishing contact with them.

She found herself more and more often taking her breaks to sit on clouds over Sweet Apple Acres, watching. She’d try to spot Big Mac or AJ, and the thought kept crawling into her head, what would it be like to have a big family like that? What would it be like to have a place that was really home?

Because all she had was a cloud house back in Cloudsdale, full of memories she didn’t want, and parents she hadn’t even told about her situation yet, because she just couldn’t handle their energy.

“Whatcher doin’ up there, Dash?”

She nearly fell out of her cloud, before looking down and spotting the brown hat, tilted up just enough to show emerald eyes.

“Ah, just… Just napping, that’s all, AJ,” Rainbow lied before flying down and landing in front of her. “You know, lazy as always.”

“Mmmhm,” AJ hummed, smiling in that way that made Rainbow think she knew more than she was letting on. “Well, I got a proposition for ya. Come over for dinner tonight. Family’s got a bit more leftovers than we know what to do with.”

Rainbow couldn’t help but smile. Apple Family cooking? Hanging out with AJ? The best possible evenings.

“Of c--”

“There’s a catch,” AJ interrupted, still smiling.

Rainbow tilted her head, confused. “A catch?”

“Eeyup, ya gotta come honest. If yer comin to dinner ta court me, you bring flowers.”

Rainbow’s slack jawed and flustered blubbering must have been what AJ was looking for, because she chuckled in amusement and trotted off.

“See ya at dinner, Rainbow!”

“I didn’t… I was… Aaargh,” Rainbow groaned as AJ got out of sight. “Great, does everypony but me know this stuff? Come on!”

She took off, and flew straight to Sugarcube corner, nearly running into Pinkie as she hopped out of the door.

“Hey! What gives, did you tell AJ?”

“Nope! I’d never betray a friend’s trust, that’s the quickest way to lose a friend f--”

“Forever, yeah, I get it,” Rainbow huffed. “But she knows!”

Pinkie stopped and giggled, looking up at Rainbow. “Aww, you mean your constant staring at her and blushing finally gave it away?”

Rainbow glared, and Pinkie grinned, until finally Rainbow got to the point.

“I… I think I need to buy her flowers.”

“YES!” Pinkie cheered, jumping and spinning in midair before landing. “Ok, I’ve got the perfect bouquet lined up for you.”

“Are you really sure you didn’t plan this?” Rainbow growled as she followed Pinkie down the street to the flower stall.

“Hey, y’know that bouquet I’ve had on hold for like… five months?” Pinkie asked the Flower trio.

Rainbow’s jaw dropped.

“Oh, yes,” Lily nodded as she fetched the bundle of pink apple blossoms and dark blue Delphinium, hoofing it over to Rainbow before taking payment from Pinkie.

“Five months, Pinkie?” she asked, holding her arms out wide and actually landing. “Five months, how long have you known?!”

Pinkie paused her perfunctory pleasantries with Petunia and chuckled, putting a hoof to Rainbow’s shoulder.

“I’ve known since the running of the leaves, Dashie. There was just something about you two, and the way that you wanted to prove to her that you were worth it!”

Rainbow huffed and rolled her eyes. “I was trying to beat her, Pinks. Not prove to her that I was worth something.”

“Exactly! You haven’t gotten that competitive with me, or Twilight, or Fluttershy, or Rarity, or anyone on the weather team! You only get competitive with ponies you like!”

Rainbow stared at the flowers she was holding, then at Pinkie, then back at the flowers before sighing.

“Ok.”

“Ok?”

“Ok, you gotta be right, Pinkie, because… Only stuff that’s real scares me this bad,” Rianbow admitted.

“Just don’t trip and knock over an entire casserole dish,” Pinkie reminded her.

Rainbow just shook her head and flew off, back to Fluttershy’s place, where she slipped in through the window to find Fluttershy making her bed.

“Hey, hey, you don’t need to do that, it’s alright,” Rainbow said, cheeks red from embarrassment.

Fluttershy was a great friend, but more neat and clean that Rainbow had first given her credit for. The bed making was just the most obvious thing.

“Oh, I had the time,” Shy said softly as she spotted the flowers and chuckled. “Who gave you flowers, Rainbow?”

“Pinkie, I mean… She helped buy them, for… For AJ,” Rainbow said as she laid the flowers down on her bedside table and turned around to see Fluttershy grinning. “What?!”

“I knew that was why you wanted to live in her barn, you just wouldn’t admit it,” Fluttershy whispered urgently. “I knew it!”

Rainbow’s cheeks felt so hot they might melt off, and when Fluttershy hugged her, she just shrunk a little.

“Feels like everypony knew except me,” she admitted as she scuffed the wood floor with her hoof. “Like I’m just… I just don’t get it.”

Fluttershy sighed and took Rainbow’s chin in one hoof to get her to look up.

“Listen… Rainbow Dash, This is the first time you’ve been comfortable talking about these things, I think. At all. Last time you dated somepony, back in Flight School, I remember you didn’t even use the word Love, or Girlfriend. You just said she was ‘cool enough.’ So I think… I think this is important for you, and it’s ok that you haven’t thought about it much.”

Rainbow nodded a little, tried not to cry, and hugged Fluttershy.

Then she remembered she had to finish her work day, and zipped out of the window with a quick apology.

Her mind wasn’t on it, distracted and constantly looking towards those distant apple trees, when they finally finished up for the day and she flew home, she was exhausted but absolutely determined.

She took a shower, she brushed her mane and tail so the colors were all sorted, and then she put on the Wonderbolts costume.

It was a little large for her, clearly tailored for one of the first Wonderbolts, but it was comfortable.

Looking in the mirror though, it felt like too much. Too much for AJ. AJ didn’t need her on duty, didn’t need her looking fancy, she just said flowers.

Nervously, she took the flowers and looked in the mirror again. Just her. Just her with some flowers, that was it.

Rainbow Dash took a deep breath, nodded, and left for Sweet Apple Acres.

The house was lit up in warm golden light from the old lightbulbs inside, as the sun started to set behind it. Rainbow paused and took it all in, her heart racing.

She felt unworthy and small and scared, but AJ had invited her, and given her a simple rule to follow. So she had flowers.

Rainbow hovered up to the door, landed, and knocked.

There was some laughter from inside, and some movement, and then the door opened to reveal AppleJack, silhouetted in the doorway, smile just barely visible in the shadows.

“Hey there, Rainbow.”

“H… Hey AJ,” Rainbow said, smiling a little as she held out the Bouquet. “I… Uh… Brought you flowers.”

AJ chuckled softly, and stepped outside to take the flowers, and admire them.

“Pinkie buy ‘em for ya?”

Rainbow blushed and nodded.

“Figured. C’mere.”

Rainbow stepped forward, and AJ kissed her on the cheek.

And Rainbow felt like she was home again.

Comments

[Phaoray]

Short and cute. I was hoping for FlutterDash, but nothing wrong with AppleDash either.

[Hope]

9994810
Hehe thank you very much!

[mishun]

10081210
Well, comments sections of practically any MLP video on youtube for last ~couple of months remind me of:
thumbs.gfycat.com/AdorableVioletAbyssiniangroundhornbill-small.gif
so, nothing exceptional here

[McPoodle]

I thought this was quite good. It set out to show Rainbow's barriers being worn down so she could confront something she normally wouldn't think about, and that was done quite believably. How well the other characters were written was just icing on the cake.

[Voidwalker]

This was really good storytelling. It's hilarious how oblivious RD was. Hilarious, but quite fitting. And AJs nonchalance was just... superb! Always down to earth, always.
Considering the quality you're writing with, I'd totally be up for a fourth chapter. Until then, however, there's one thing left to say:
Thank you!

[Hope]

10840564
That's uh... Interesting, though in my opinion any experience in life can be viewed as a game/opportunity, that doesn't make it beneficial or more valuable than the alternative.
I don't follow links, so I'll Google the information to find it.