As the Apple Blooms

by The FraudulentBrit

Just Kiss Already

As the Apple Blooms

Part 18; Just Kiss Already

“Ok, just a little more…” Sideswipe said to Apple Bloom as the latter turned the wrench. The two girls were removing the spark plugs from an old tractor for a “pet project” of Sideswipe’s, and Apple Bloom was more than happy to help her friend, provided the mischievous teen paid Ironhide of course.

Three days earlier, Apple Bloom had introduced Marble Pie to Rattrap, and so far it had been one of the most emotionally draining days of her life, especially since she first arrived at Allspark Wells. Luckily for her, the next few days had been spent with almost no drama, so Sideswipe asking for help was nothing short of what she needed; just some quiet time with a friend.

After a few more moments of unscrewing, Apple Bloom finally managed to remove the spark plug. “There we go.” She said as she wiped the sweat from her brow. “Ah never thought a little thing like this could be this hard to get out.” Once she was finished inspecting the spark plug, Apple Bloom tossed it to her friend.

“Thanks for the help Apple Bloom.” Sideswipe said. “I’d have gotten it myself, but Ironhide wouldn’t let me.” As she leant against the old truck, Apple Bloom asked, “Why? You break somethin’?”

“Not exactly.” Sideswipe replied. “I was pulling something out of a pile, and next thing I knew, the pile collapsed to the ground.” As Apple Bloom found herself shocked, Sideswipe quickly continued, “Obviously I survived, but all that scrap metal landed on this sports car Wheeljack was trying to fix up and…”

“Ah think Ah know where this is goin’.” Apple Bloom interrupted as she struggled to contain her laughter. Sideswipe couldn’t help but begin to chuckle as she added, “The worst part is, I couldn’t even use whatever I was trying to get anyway.” As both girls finished their laughter, Apple Bloom noticed something she hadn’t earlier.

Sideswipe’s fingernails were covered in simple nail polish. “Sideswipe! Your nails!” Apple Bloom exclaimed. Sideswipe simply held one of her hands as she began to blush nervously. Realizing she may have pushed a wrong button, Apple Bloom quickly reassured her friend, “No, Ah like it. Ah think you did a pretty good job.”

“Thanks Apple Bloom.” Sideswipe humbly replied. “Guess sometimes even someone like me wants to feel like a girl sometimes.” She then began to grow a mischievous smile as she added, “You know, I could show you a few tips to look your best for that boy you like.”

Of course, the moment she vaguely mentioned him, Apple Bloom began to blush intensely, almost turning as red as her hair. Sideswipe continued to playfully tease her, with a simple, “So, you two kissed yet or anything?”

“Well…” Apple Bloom as she continued to blush. “Not exactly. After this one time we went to the railroad station he kinda… kissed me on the cheek. Then Ah kinda kissed him on the cheek to get back at him after we had a dance session with Marble.” Now just thinking about Tender Taps was becoming the only thing her mind could process, and she almost failed to notice Sideswipe trying to get her attention.

“Apple Bloom?” Sideswipe said as she managed to get the former farm girl’s attention. When Apple Bloom was finally able to refocus her attention on her friend, the latter pointed to something behind her and continued, “I think Mr. Ironhide needs you for something.”

Apple Bloom turned to see that, indeed, Ironhide was trying to get her attention. “Uncle Ironhide!” She called out as she ran over to her uncle. Once she was standing before him, she asked, “What do you need?”

Ironhide gave his niece a cheeky smirk as he replied, “Seems there’s a certain boy who wants to see you in the store front.” From behind her, Apple Bloom heard Sideswipe reply, “Ooh. I wonder whoever it could be.”

“SIDESWIPE!” Apple Bloom almost shouted. She managed to regain enough composure as she turned to her uncle and replied, “Ah better go see what he wants.”

The Chop Shop,

As Apple Bloom (followed by Sideswipe) entered the store front, she was indeed greeted by the ever friendly form of her best friend Tender Taps. The young boy was nervously looking around, scuffing his foot as he inspected all of the blueprints and schematics pinned up to the walls. At least he was before he realized that he was being watched.

“Hey Apple Bloom!” Tender Taps said as he walked up to her and, much to her embarrassment, performed an elaborate bow. Apple Bloom could only blush as she performed a curtsy and replied, “Howdy Tender. What brings you all the way out here?”

Tender Taps began to nervously scuff the wooden floor again as he answered, “Does seeing you again count as enough of a reason?” Apple Bloom found herself blushing again as she began to unknowingly play with her braided pigtails.

Luckily, both teens were interrupted from their awkwardness when Sideswipe spoke up, “Oh for Primus’s sake. Just say what you need already!” Both Apple Bloom and Tender Taps found themselves momentarily terrified before the girl in the red jacket quickly replied, “Oh, sorry about that. I’m Sideswipe.” She then extended her hand to the orange boy, who quickly returned the gesture.

“Hello there. I’m Tender Taps.” Tender replied. As they finished the handshake, Sideswipe turned to Apple Bloom and asked, “This guy the tap dancer you told me about?”

“You bet!” Apple Bloom enthusiastically replied. “Tender Taps here is the best tap dancer Ah know!” The orange boy began to blush again as he added, “Well, maybe not as good as my mom or dad.”

Apple Bloom then turned to Sideswipe and said, “Hey, you gotta show him what you showed me!” When Tender Taps gave his friend a confused look as the former farm girl insisted, “Please?”

Letting out a “sigh of resignation,” Sideswipe stepped out into the empty space of the shop and, straightening her posture, began to perform the step dancing she had demonstrated to Apple Bloom back at Knockout and Breakdown’s garage.

“Whoa!” Tender Taps said in amazement. “That’s like, really impressive.” Sideswipe gave a surprisingly humble smile as she performed a simple bow. He then asked, “So, where’d you learn to dance like that?”

Sideswipe answered, “I used to take lessons when I was younger. Mom and dad wanted me to have a hobby that didn’t involve me lying under a car.” She then added, “I also used to tap.”

Apple Bloom then asked, “So Tender, what do you need?” Tender Taps answered, “I was kind of wondering if you wanted to have another dance lesson?”

Apple Bloom, managing to control her growing excitement, replied, “Ah’d love to. It’ll be nice to stretch and make some noise again.” She then leant towards Tender Taps as she quietly added, “That and Ah’d love to spend a little more time with you.” Tender Taps could do nothing but blush at the thought of dancing with Apple Bloom again.

Sideswipe then added, “Hey, you mind if I tag along?” Apple Bloom and Tender Taps hesitated for a few seconds before the latter replied, “Why not? The more the merrier.”

Of course, this was when Ironhide’s voice rang out, “You do realize I don’t exactly like loiterers, right?” As the three teenagers turned to see the older man, Tender Taps began to panic as he said, “So, eh, see you girls at my place tomorrow!” Before anyone could say anything else, the orange boy ran out of the store, mounted his bike, and peddled away. Ironhide could only sigh as he asked, “Am I really that scary?”

Ironhide then turned to his niece and, as the girl began to speak, he interrupted, “Yes, you can go. Just get your chores done before hand, alright?” Apple Bloom enthusiastically nodded yes. He then patted her on the shoulder and said, “Alright. Now, back to work Apple Bloom.”

As Ironhide made his way to the cash register, Apple Bloom and Sideswipe returned to the scrap yard, intent on continuing their search for the parts the latter needed. Alone, the older man could only mutter to himself, “I think I should work on how interact with kids.”

Tender Taps’s Home, the Next Day

Just like the last two times, once Apple Bloom finished her chores, she grabbed her dance bag and a change of clothes and made her way to Tender Taps’s home. Deep down, she had some concerns about how their little lesson would go, such as what happened with Marble Pie. Still, that ultimately ended on a positive note, so there was no reason to think today would as well, right?

As she peddled up to Tender Taps’s home, she was pleasantly greeted by the sound of a motorcycle running from behind her. Sure enough, a motorcycle with a young woman in a red leather jacket pulled up to the house.

Finally parking her bike next to her friend, Apple Bloom greeted her friend. “Howdy Sideswipe. Ready to make some noise?” The young girl asked.

“You bet Apple Bloom.” Sideswipe replied as she slid off her motorcycle, making sure the bag slung over her shoulder was still there. She then remarked, “Almost thought I got lost. Thanks for the directions.”

Before either girl could say anything else, Tender Taps emerged from the front door, this time wearing loose black pants and a black tee-shirt. “Hey Apple Bloom! Hey Sideswipe!” He called out. As he walked up to them, he turned to Sideswipe and began to apologize. “Hey, sorry for running yesterday. Sometimes I think Ironhide can be kind of scary.”

Sideswipe reassured him, “Don’t sweat it. Apple Bloom here gave me directions here.” As Apple Bloom walked up to Tender Taps, the young biker asked, “So, we just gonna stand around out here or are we going to dance?” With that, all three teens entered the house and began to get ready.

The Dance Studio, Ten Minutes Later

Apple Bloom and Sideswipe entered the dance studio, each dressed to dance. Apple Bloom was once again dressed in a maroon tank top and black pants, while Sideswipe was dressed in a black tank top and black shorts. Both Apple Bloom and Tender Taps began to marvel at each other as Sideswipe whispered to herself, “Oh, just kiss each other already.”

As Apple Bloom and Tender Taps slipped on their tap shoes, the former farm girl was surprised when Sideswipe pulled two odd shoes of her own from her bag. Though her shoes were also black, they had what looked like massive toes and straps around the ankle. Curious, Apple Bloom asked, “Uh, Sideswipe? What exactly are those anyway?”

“These are hard shoes.” Sideswipe said as she finished applying the straps to her shoes. “These have fiberglass taps instead of metal, so the sound is kinda different.” To demonstrate her point, she performed a brief little jig, creating a beautiful percussive melody, even if the sound wasn’t quite the same as a tap shoe.

Tender Taps then spoke up, “Whoa there.” As Sideswipe gave a confused look, the purple haired boy added, “Sorry, but we always like to stretch before dancing. It helps keep our limbs loose enough to move around more comfortably.” Sideswipe simply shrugged as she replied, “Good point.”

As Apple Bloom and Sideswipe stood on each side of Tender Taps, the young dancer spoke up, “Ok, now it’s time to stretch.” Just like the last time, Tender Taps demonstrated his warm up routine, with Apple Bloom and Sideswipe repeating the process. Rolling their feet, shuffling and flapping, and in general striking the wooden floor with precision and passion, Apple Bloom felt that everything was starting off on such a positive note.

Tender Taps then turned to Sideswipe and asked, “So Sideswipe, you said you used to tap. Exactly how good were you?” Sideswipe paused for a moment before performing several single, then double, and finally triple timesteps.

“Pretty cool.” Apple Bloom complemented her friend. Sideswipe turned to the former farm girl and asked, “What about you Apple Bloom?” Apple Bloom nervously gulped before replicating the same moves. Though not quite as technically proficient as Sideswipe, she felt that she had done an admirable enough job, especially when Tender Taps complimented her, “Nice job Apple Bloom.”

Soon Tender Taps began to teach his two “students” several tap steps. The orange boy began, “This is a move called an essence.” He then performed a flap on his right foot followed by a flap step from his left foot. He then leapt and repeated the move, only this time starting with his left foot instead of with his right foot. Wrapping it up, he began to repeat the first version, only this time following the second flap by a step from his right foot, a back flap step, and a final flap step.

“Alright, now it’s your turn.” Tender Taps said as he turned to face his “students.” First turning to Apple Bloom, he motioned to her, signaling for her to perform the essence herself. Apple Bloom began to peform the essence, doing pretty well but having just a little bit of trouble on the flap jumps. As she began to lose her balance, Tender Taps managed to catch her, reassuring her, “Whoa. Got you.” Though somewhat embarrassed at her lack of skill, Apple Bloom couldn’t help but enjoy being in his embrace.

Sideswipe then stepped forward and said, “I think it’s my turn.” She then began to perform the essence, but this time she performed it almost perfectly. Tender Taps walked up to her and said, “Pretty good. You’re a natural.” Sideswipe simply performed a simple bow and replied, “Thanks.”

Soon the three were moving on to other tap moves, ranging from buffalos and Cincinnatis to pull backs and wings. However, Apple Bloom was beginning to realize something; Sideswipe was very clearly a better tapper than her. That fact itself wasn’t what was starting to eat at her. After all, Sideswipe had clearly been dancing for a lot longer than her, so it would make sense that she was more capable. What really began to frustrate Apple Bloom was something she knew was incredibly petty, but still unavoidable.

That dubious honor to the fact that Tender Taps was paying a lot more attention to Sideswipe than her. As they continued to dance, Tender Taps was showing more and more attention to Sideswipe. Apple Bloom tried to shake the thoughts of jealousy from her mind, but found herself unable to focus on anything but her friend.

“No. Don’t think about that.” Apple Bloom whispered to herself. She wasn’t going to let herself get consumed by her jealousy. After all, that line of possessive thinking was what got her into this mess. “They’re both mah friends, and Ah’m not gonna act like Ah own him.”

“Hey Apple Bloom?” Tender Taps asked, snapping Apple Bloom out of her confusion. The former farm girl refocused on her friends and replied, “Sorry, got lost thinkin’ about somethin’,”

Sideswipe then stepped forward and said, “Well, Tender here suggested we do a cutting contest.” Apple Bloom tilted her head in confusion and asked, “What’s a cuttin’ contest?”

“You remember that game we played last time?” Tender Taps asked. “The “I go you go”?” When Apple Bloom nodded yes, he continued, “Well it’s kind of like that. Basically two dancers challenge each other to see which one is the better dancer. It’s basically a dance off.”

Apple Bloom then spoke up and replied, “That sounds like fun. So, who goes first?” Tender Taps then began to awkwardly speak, “I was hoping you and I could go?”

As Apple Bloom and Tender Taps walked to the center of the studio and turned to face each other, the former farm girl grew a mischievous smirk as she commanded, “Alright Tender, show me what ya got!”

The orange boy, smirking back, began with a simple little jig, nothing too complicated. After a few beats, he slammed his foot onto the floor, signaling he had finished and that it was now Apple Bloom’s turn. Taking a deep breath, Apple Bloom began with a triple time step before moving onto a few other steps, finishing with the essence Tender had taught her earlier that day.

Now it was Tender Taps’s turn again, and this time, he wasn’t going to hold anything back. His feet blazed across the floor, professing crisp and clean sounds that were music to Apple Bloom’s ears. However, she was so focused on the sound, as well as just how handsome he was, that she almost missed her cue to start again. She was so busy trying to prepare that she accidentally lost her balance, this time crashing onto the hard wooden floor.

“Apple Bloom!” Tender Taps called out as he ran up to his friend and helped her up. The red haired girl managed to let out an embarrassed giggle as she remarked, “Ah guess this means you win this round?” Tender Taps simply giggled as he replied, “All that matters is that we have fun.”

The purple haired boy then said, “In that case, I think you deserve a second chance.” He turned to Sideswipe and continued, “Round two: Apple Bloom versus Sideswipe.” As the young biker strutted forward, she asked, “You ready Apple Bloom?”

“Ah was born ready.” Apple Bloom confidently replied. She then began to perform a Cincinnati followed by a few drawbacks. The former farm girl then said, “Top that.”

Sideswipe stepped forward and, straightening her upper body, began to strike the floor a little bit faster than Apple Bloom, but still playing it safe. Once she finished, she performed a fancy bow, signaling for Apple Bloom to go again. Not wasting any time, the yellow girl began to tap again, this time recalling the most impressive steps Tender Taps had taught her.

Apple Bloom was starting to forget about her earlier sense of jealousy. In fact, she was more focused on was how, when Sideswipe danced, her shoes made a slightly different sound to her and Tender Taps’s tap shoes. It was still incredibly crisp and beautiful, but it had an uncanny difference, like comparing gold to fool’s gold.

After nearly five minutes, Apple Bloom was starting to lose her breath. Tender Taps noticed this and stepped forward. “Ok, I think we can say this round is a tie.” Sideswipe walked up to Apple Bloom and extended her hand as she said, “Nice job. You’re pretty good.” Apple Bloom shook her friend’s hand and simply replied, “Thanks. You too.”

Sideswipe then turned to Tender Taps and asked, “So I guess it’s you and me now?” Tender Taps nodded as he replied, “It’s only fair.” He then turned to Apple Bloom and said, “Hey Apple Bloom, why don’t you sit down? You look like you should take a breather.”

“Alright.” Apple Bloom replied as she caught her breath. As she walked over to the wall, she let herself fall down, sticking her feet out. Apple Bloom actually saw her reflection in the mirror, as well as the metal taps on her shoes. Giving in to the inner child within her, she began to wiggle her feet, moving her reflection. There wasn’t much of a reason to, but she still enjoyed seeing the taps on her shoes move.

Apple Bloom was distracted from her reflection when she heard Tender Taps call out, “Alright Sideswipe. Your move.” The young biker wasted no time, straightening her upper body as she began to strike the floor with several quick flicks of her feet. After a few moments she finished and signaled for Tender Taps to go.

A smirk growing on his face, the young tap dancer quickly replied, “Here we go.” He then began to tap the floor, his own feet moving with the expected speed Apple Bloom expected of him. He then began to perform repeated scissors, going up onto his toes and shuffling, a very impressive move.

Once Tender Taps finished, Sideswipe went again, this time starting with a leap from her left foot as she held her right leg out. Apple Bloom was certainly impressed, but Tender Taps was even more surprised by her athleticism. In fact, if her eyes weren’t lying, the former farm girl could swear Tender Taps’s jaw had dropped. When Sideswipe finished, the orange boy went again, moving his feet as fast as he could, trying to keep his steps simple so he didn’t over exert himself.

Once again, Apple Bloom felt the uncomfortable feeling of jealousy wiggle its way up from her stomach. Determined to keep it under control, she shook her head, trying to keep it out of her head. “No no no!” She said to herself. “They’re just dancin’ together. Get your act together Apple Bloom!” However, as Tender Taps and Sideswipe continued to dance, it was clear that, for lack of a better term, something was starting to form between them.

Sideswipe, starting to lose her breath, raised her right hand as she said, “Ok, I yield. You win Tender.” The orange boy stepped forward and, wiping the sweat from his brow, replied, “Thanks. Though you were certainly a worthy opponent.” He then performed the kind of dramatic bow that he normally did for Apple Bloom. As Sideswipe returned with a simple curtsey, Apple Bloom took a deep breath, still trying to suppress her growing jealousy.

At least, she tried until Sideswipe suggested, “You know, you’re alright. I haven’t had this much fun without getting under a car in a long time.” Tender Taps nodded as he replied, “Yeah. We’ve got to do this more often. Maybe I can choreograph a duet or something.”

Apple Bloom knew that it wasn’t anything serious. She knew that Tender Taps was just suggesting something fun for two friends. Unfortunately, she just couldn’t keep her feelings under control and did something she would almost immediately regret.

“Oh, sure ya could.” Apple Bloom began, her voice starting to drip sarcasm. As Sideswipe and Tender Taps turned to face her, she gave in and shouted, “Heck, why don’t you two just GET MARRIED!?”

The moment she said this, Apple Bloom came to her senses and, her eyes widening, she held her hands to her mouth. As Sideswipe stepped back, Tender Taps stepped towards her and asked, “Apple Bloom?” The yellow girl gulped and, unable to say anything, ran past her two friends and out of the dance studio.

Apple Bloom made it out of the house and onto the front porch before she sat down and, holding her knees to her face, began to shed a few tears. “Damnit Apple Bloom! You did it all over again!” She chastised herself. Despite her best efforts, she had given in to her jealousy and acted out, just like she did when Applejack began to hang out with Sunset Shimmer.

As Apple Bloom tried to regain her composure, she heard a sound she had almost forgotten; the sound of a cat meowing. She turned her head and, as she wiped her face, she was greeted by the sight of a familiar tabby cat.

“Hey there Skimbles.” Apple Bloom greeted the cat. Seeing the tabby reminded her of the time she and Tender Taps found him at the railroad station. Taking another deep breath, she asked him, “Can Ah ask you a question?” Apple Bloom knew that a mere cat couldn’t talk back, but she just needed to get all her emotions out.

Luckily for her, Skimbles walked up to her and, to her surprise and delight, he sat down next to her. Sighing with relief, Apple Bloom began, “Ya see Skimbles, Ah like Tender Taps. Like, Ah really REALLY like him.” The orange tabby began to purr as he rubbed his head against her. Taking this a sign that he was listening, Apple Bloom continued, “And, Ah guess Ah let mah jealousy out again.” When Skimbles raised his head to her, she sighed and said, “And right now, Ah’m scared Ah pushed him away.

Apple Bloom was interrupted when the door opened, revealing Tender Taps and Sideswipe. Her eyes starting to water again, she quickly began to blabber, “Tender, Sideswipe, Ah’m so sorry! Ah just a little jealous of you two and….”

She was surprised when Tender Taps wrapped her in a massive hug as he replied, “I know.” Apple Bloom returned the hug as Sideswipe joined in. Once all three had finished their embrace, Sideswipe cheekily replied, “Don’t worry. I think I know what’s going on.”

Sideswipe then bent down and began to undo her step dance shoes. Once she removed her left shoe, she said, “Apple Bloom, Tender Taps, today has been a blast. Sadly I think I should get going. I don’t want dad to think I’m plotting something behind my back.”

Tender Taps then stepped forward and asked, “And Apple Bloom? You mind coming back to the studio with me?” While Apple Bloom was somewhat hesitant, she focused on the warm and reassuring smile on his face, and replied, “Sure thing.”

As the three teens returned to the studio, Sideswipe spoke up, “So I’m gonna change. If I don’t run into you guys again, see you later.” Tender Taps shook her hand as Apple Bloom replied, “See ya Sideswipe.” With that, the young biker entered the changing room as Apple Bloom and Tender Taps entered the dance studio.

Once they were alone, Apple Bloom spoke up. “Look Tender, There’s no excuse for how Ah reacted. Ah’m so sorry.” Tender Taps nodded as he made his way over to something she hadn’t noticed before; a small CD player. As he pressed a button, the orange boy said, “I kinda heard what you said to Skimbles.”

Apple Bloom began to blush as she replied, “Heh heh. Well, It’s true. Ah….. Ah like you a lot Tender. You were the first person outside of Uncle Ironhide and his friends that, well, wanted to be mah friend.” She then began to scuff the floor as she continued, “And seein’ you dance with Sideswipe made me kinda jealous. Ah tried to tell mahself that Ah was bein’ selfish and possessive and…”

Tender Taps stopped when he pressed a finger to her mouth as he said, “I know. Trust me, I know what it’s like to get jealous. But while Sideswipe is a good tapper and a great dancer, there’s one thing she isn’t.” Apple Bloom tilted her head and asked, “What is it?”

At that moment, a slow jazz song began to play on the little CD player as Tender Taps held his hands around her; one around her waist as he held another in his hand. He then gave Apple Bloom a gentle smile as he answered, “She isn’t you.”

As Apple Bloom began to blush again, Tender Taps continued, “I’m gonna be honest, I, well…. I like you too. Like, “like you” like you.” As Apple Bloom felt her heart soar, the orange boy continued, “So, I hope you know how to dance like this.”

“Ah’m not too familiar with this kind of dancin’.” Apple Bloom replied. She then wrapped her free arm around Tender Taps’s waist as, with her face now almost entirely red, she replied, “But Ah’m a fast learner, and Ah think you might be a wonderful teacher.”

Smiling, Tender Taps took the lead, and soon, the two kids were dancing hand in hand. While Apple Bloom was internally giggling since she could clearly hear the sounds of their tap shoes gently touching the floor, she was far more focused on her partner. He was even more handsome than she remembered, and his face just gave the sense of warmth and acceptance. When Tender Taps began to lift the hand that held hers, Apple Bloom caught on to what he was implying and twirled gracefully. Once she was facing him again, the two teens began to move slightly faster, swaying to the music.

Tender Taps then began to raise their hands again. Apple Bloom, smiling like a dumb idiot, twirled again, feeling lighter than air. And when he finished her twirl, she did something she didn’t think she’d have done that day.

Apple Bloom stepped up to Tender Taps and, Closing her eyes and raising her right foot behind her, kissed him right on the lips.

When she opened her eyes, Apple Bloom noticed Tender Taps was absolutely dumbfounded. Unable to hold down her feelings anymore, she said to him, “Ah love you Tender Taps.”

As he finally processed what happened, Tender Taps grew the largest smile Apple Bloom had ever seen him wear and reply, “And I love you too Apple Bloom.” Overcome with emotion, Apple Bloom and Tender Taps kissed again, this time with both parties leaning in.

Once they finished, Apple Bloom said, “Ah promise, Ah won’t act on mah jealousy again.” Tender Taps replied, “Thanks.” He then took a deep breath before continuing, “I was thinking, maybe I could come over and help you guys at the junkyard?”

“Ah’ll ask Uncle Ironhide about it.” Apple Bloom replied. However, her eyes drifted to the clock on the wall, and found that it was getting late. Sighing, she said, “Hey, Ah gotta head home.”

Tender Taps sighed as he replied, “I understand. See you, maybe, next week? We can make this sort of a weekly thing.” Apple Bloom nodded and replied, “Ah think so.” She then wrapped him in a massive embrace, one which he enthusiastically. As she released him, Apple Bloom asked, “So, does this mean we’re boyfriend and girlfriend?”

Tender Taps simply shrugged as he replied, “I guess.” He then gave Apple Bloom a peck on the cheek as he added, “And I can’t think of anyone better.” Apple Bloom returned the favor with a small kiss of her own as she replied, “Neither can Ah.”

The Chop Shop

Apple Bloom entered to the Chop Shop, her face giving off the aura of blissful joy. Ironhide walked up to her and asked, “So Apple Bloom, how was your little dance session?”

Deciding that it wasn’t important to mention her little jealousy outburst, Apple Bloom replied, “Pretty great, and, Can Ah tell you something?” When Ironhide knelt down, she continued, “Ah think Tender Taps and Ah are now together.”

Letting out a gentle chuckle, Ironhide turned to the open door in the back as he called out, “You were right Chromia. They’re dating!” Apple Bloom could only gently grumble as Chromia entered from the back and ran up to the young girl and enthusiastically said, “Oh, I knew it! You two are just so adorable!”

“Aunt Chromia.” Apple Bloom tried to put up a tough front, but she eventually relented as she asked, “That’s not gonna be a problem, is it?”

Ironhide replied, “I don’t think so. As long as you don’t start slacking off because of him that is.” Apple Bloom let out an adorable squeal as she wrapped her uncle in a massive hug.

After the young girl released him, Ironhide said, “Alright. Now I think someone here should take a shower. You smell like Wheeljack after he pulls an all-nighter working with fuel pumps.”

Apple Bloom nodded as she replied, “Alright Uncle Ironhide.” She then proceeded to take her dance bag to her room before taking a shower.

Once Apple Bloom was gone, Chromia wrapped her arm around her husband and lovingly said, “Two little misfits who find their way to each other.” Ironhide turned to his wife and asked, “They give you a feeling of déjà vu?” Chromia simply booped him as she replied, “It’s a possibility.”

With that, both Ironhide and Chromia made their way to the kitchen, both hoping they could cook something up that would satisfy everyone. After all, tap dancing was a great way to burn a lot of calories, something Apple Bloom could attest to.

Author's Note:

Next Time; We focus more on Apple Bloom's new family

Author's note; We all knew this day was coming.

Comments

[LordOfCringe]

"Ladies and gentlemen, we got em." - Apple Bloom probably.

On another note, will we ever see the full gang together?

[The FraudulentBrit]

10503136
Why else would I introduce them to each other? 😊

[JDunk1971]

I wonder if Apple Bloom and Tender Taps could ever get as skilled a pair of dancers as the Nicholas Brothers?

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