As the Apple Blooms

by The FraudulentBrit

"Alternative Lifestyles"

As the Apple Blooms

Part 65; “Alternative Lifestyles”

Lying on the floor, Sideswipe held her head in her hands and swung her feet in the air as her girlfriend Marble did the same, only with her head buried deep in a large book of prehistoric animals. Flipping through the pages, the gray girl paused on one as she asked, “Ok Sideswipe, what does “Archaeotherium" mean?” Thinking back to her knowledge of dead languages, the pale biker answered, “I believe it means ancient beast?” Marble lit up with joy as she squealed, “You’re right!”

The night before, Chromia had told Apple Bloom and Sideswipe about how she used to help soldiers returning home. Now the teenaged biker and her girlfriend were playing a game where Marble would name an extinct animal, and Sideswipe had to use her knowledge of Latin and ancient Greek to translate it. Now both girls found themselves in a great battle of wits, waiting for the other to make the next move.

Giving her girlfriend a small smirk, Marble asked, “Alright, what does “Pachyrhinosaurus” translate to?” Sideswipe scoffed as she answered, “Thick nosed lizard.” The pale biker then quipped, “But since that’s someone’s favorite dinosaur, I figured I should look that up.” The gray geologist blushed as she fidgeted with her hair before continuing, “Ok, ok. Something harder. How about….” She then began to flip through her book until she stopped on a page and asked, “How about “Pyroraptor Olympius?”

Scratching her chin as she worked the translation in her head, Sideswipe snapped her finger as she answered, “Fire thief of Olympus.” Marble shot up as she exclaimed, “Exactly!” The gray girl then complimented, “I still can’t believe you know Greek as well.” Sideswipe rose to her feet as she quipped, “Well, when you learn the ancient world, it’s nice to know a little bit of Greek.”

Stretching her arms, Marble asked, “Ok, how about one more?” Shrugging, Sideswipe replied, “Alright, one more. I’ll even do anything you want if I get it wrong.” The gray geologist nodded as she began to recall the countless names of dinosaurs she had stored in her brain. Eventually, she found just the right one and began to ask, “Now then, what does Tyranno…..”

“Tyrant lizard king!” Sideswipe impulsively blurted out. “Seriously, the best you could come up with was a T-rex?”

However, Marble had allowed a smug smirk that could only be described as “shit eating” to form on her face as she said, “Actually, I was going to say Tyrannotitan.” Almost Immediately, Sideswipe realized that she had jumped the gun and could only let out a gentle, “Oh.” Marble then walked up to her girlfriend and playfully reminded her, “And since Tyrannotitan does not mean “tyrant lizard king,” you lose.” Sighing in “defeat,” the pale biker asked, “Well I am a girl of my word. What can I do for you?”

Holding her hands behind her back as she scuffed the floor, Marble awkwardly asked, “Well, would it be alright if you gave me a kiss?” Both girls began to blush before Sideswipe replied, “I would be honored to m’lady.” She then gently wrapped her arms around her girlfriend and pulled her into a gentle hug as they shared a passionate kiss. Once they finished their kiss, Marble rested her head on her girlfriend’s shoulder as she whispered, “I love you.” Smiling, Sideswipe rested her head against the gray geologist’s as she replied, “I love you too.”

At that moment, the door to Sideswipe’s room opened, revealing none other than Apple Bloom, who asked, “Uh, am Ah interruptin’ somethin’?” Both Sideswipe and Marble began to awkwardly scuff the floor as they both began to stammer, “Oh… of course not…..You didn’t…..” Thankfully, the former farm girl defused any tension when she admitted, “Ah gotta say, you two are just the cutest.”

As everyone took a deep breath, Apple Bloom informed, “Ah hate to be the bearer of bad news, but Mr. Beachcomber is here to pick you up.” Marble sighed as she complained, “Do I have to?” Thankfully, Sideswipe rested her arm around her girlfriend as she reassured her, “Relax. Besides, there’s something I want to ask him."

Taking Marble’s hand, the pale biker continued, “Come on.” She then led her girlfriend towards the front, with Apple Bloom in tow.

The Shop Front…

As the three teens approached Beachcomber and Ironhide, the blue geologist asked, “Ah, there you are. You two have fun?” When he gave them a knowing smirk, Marble and Sideswipe began to blush as they scratched the back of their necks. However, the pale biker regained her composure a bit quicker as she asked, “Not too bad, but, can I ask you and Marble something sir?”

When Beachcomber nodded, Sideswipe explained, “Well, I found out there’s this restaurant called Flavius’s that opened a while back and…” Now starting to scuff her feet with uncharacteristic nervousness, she asked, “Marble, would you like to go out for dinner?”

Upon hearing this, Marble lit up as she wrapped Sideswipe in a massive hug and twirled her around as she squealed, “I’D LOVE TO!” As the two teens shared a (far gentler) hug, Beachcomber replied, “Well I’m more than willing to give you my blessing.” Even Ironhide relented as he agreed, “Alright. You can go.”

However, all good things must eventually come to an end, and Beachcomber spoke up, “Come on Marble. We need to head home.” The gray girl nodded as she replied, “Ok Mr. Beachcomber.” She then turned to Sideswipe and gave her one final hug as she asked, “See you tomorrow?” The pale biker nodded as she replied, “See you then.”

And so, Marble and Beachcomber departed, leaving Sideswipe to wistfully sigh, already missing the gray girl that she loved so much. At the very least, Apple Bloom reassured her, “Come on, it’s only one day.” The pale biker shrugged as she replied, “Yeah.”

Ironhide then asked, “Now then, you two mind helping me with dinner?” Both girls nodded as Apple Bloom replied, “We’d love to.” With that, both girls followed the former soldier to the kitchen, all while Sideswipe thought about tomorrow’s dinner with her girlfriend.

Allspark Wells Geology Museum, Early the Next Night

Stepping off her bike, Sideswipe took a deep breath as she tried to calm herself, “Come on girl. You’ve done this before. Don’t get too worked up, just you and Marble going out to dinner.” Heck, she’d even called ahead to reassure the gray geologist that this wasn’t anything as fancy as when Apple Bloom and Tender Taps went to the Energon Room.

That didn’t mean she’d dressed down by any means. Sideswipe was still wearing a sleeveless shirt, albeit a buttoned one under a black casual vest, dark pants, and her black boots, which she’d freshly shined. ‘Heh, hope this is professional enough for something like this.’ The pale biker thought to herself as she closed the distance to the museum’s front door.

Once she made it to the large doors, the sound of an intercom screeched, followed by Beachcomber’s voice calling out, “The door is open. Come on in.” Taking a nervous breath, Sideswipe opened the door and made her way into the museum’s atrium. There, standing in front of the mounted triceratops skeleton, was the blue geologist, a friendly smile plastered on his face.

“Hey there.” Beachcomber greeted the young girl. Sideswipe began to scratch the back of her neck as she greeted, “Hello Mr. Beachcomber. I hope you don’t mind…. You know….” The cerulean scientist raised his hand as he reassured, “Relax. Besides, I don’t even think Apple Bloom makes her happy the way you do.” Upon hearing this, Sideswipe began to blush as she humbly admitted, “Well, I try my best.”

At that moment, Sideswipe heard Marble’s voice call out, “Sideswipe!” Turning to face her girlfriend, the pale biker found Marble making her way up to her from across the foyer. The gray geologist was dressed in a light gray over the shoulder shirt with the straps of a black tank top visible, a dark gray skirt that went down to her knees, and a pair of black riding boots. She had also clearly washed her hair so that it shone brightly, and even applied make up, including black lipstick (the only color that could really complement her monochrome style). And of course, slung over her shoulder was her beloved black leather jacket.

Making her way up to Sideswipe, Marble began to blush as she admitted, “You look really pretty.” The pale biker began to scuff the floor as she replied, “I could say the same of you.” As they found themselves awkwardly staring at each other, Beachcomber broke the silence as he said, “Now then, Since it’s Marble’s first date, I’ll be providing transportation.” As Sideswipe took this in, Marble quickly asked, “You don’t mind, do you?”

Shaking her head, Sideswipe reassured her, “I don’t mind one bit.” As Marble wrapped her girlfriend in a quick hug, Beachcomber remarked, “Now then, we better start heading off.” HE then made his way to the door, followed closely by the two lovebirds.

Flavius’s, A Few Minutes Later….

Entering the restaurant, Sideswipe was pleasantly surprise by how homely Flavius’s was. Though the name inspired visons of something resembling an ancient palace, the restaurant was actually designed to resemble a warm and inviting cottage. She was so distracted by the environment that she barely noticed Marble taking her hand and remarking, “It’s beautiful.” Smiling, the pale biker quipped, “Not as beautiful as you.”

Beachcomber then said, “I’ll leave you two to it. If anything happens, I’ll be right outside, ok?” Both teens nodded as he finished, “Then have fun.” He then departed, leaving Marble and Sideswipe alone for their date.

Making their way to the hostess, Sideswipe spoke up, “Hi, we’re Sideswipe, party of two.” The hostess looked up at them and, hesitating for a brief moment (an action Sideswipe took note of), she began, “Ah yes. If you’ll follow me.” She then began to escort the two girls to their table, but not before giving one of the waiters a concerning look, leaving the pale biker even more confused and concerned.

As they approached a table near the window, the hostess informed them, “Here you two are. Someone will be by for you in just a few minutes.” Marble gave a polite nod as she replied, “Thank you.” Sideswipe gave a similar nod, though the hostess had already begun to leave, and so the pale girl simply shrugged as she sat down.

Once both girls had sat down, Marble complimented, “I really have to say, you look beautiful tonight.” Sideswipe began to blush as she scoffed, “Oh, Psh… I just tried to find something that was a little more classy.” Just as she finished saying this, the gray girl took her hand as she continued, “I’m serious, you look absolutely beautiful.” Now turning as red as her shirt, Sideswipe could only reply, “I could say the same of you.”

Marble then began, “Hey, I was kinda curious. That style of dancing I’ve seen you do. Is that like tap dance?” Sideswipe let out a gentle chuckle as she explained, “Well, it kind of is and isn’t at the same time.” She then began to twiddle her thumbs as she continued, “Step dancing was started in Ireland, and while it’s a percussive dance, it predates tap by centuries.” As Marble took this in, Sideswipe continued, “I took lessons back when I was a little girl, and it was one of my favorite things to do that didn’t involve a motorcycle.”

Impressed, Marble continued, “Ooh. I was asking because…. Well….. I was kinda wondering if you’d teach me to dance like that?” An excited Sideswipe replied, “I’d love to!” She then realized that people were starting to stare at her as she quickly added, “I mean, I’d love to.” The pale biker then said, “And speaking of that, I was wondering if you guys needed any help at the museum.” She then began to blush as she added, “Because, you know….”

Marble interrupted with a gentle, “Well, we are planning on another volunteer day in a few weeks, and we’d love all the help we can get.” As Sideswipe began to blush again, the gray geologist added, “Of course, if Apple Bloom wants to help, we’d be more than happy for her to stop by.”

At that moment, a young man approached the two girls and introduced himself, “Good evening. I’m Dogma and I’ll be your waiter. What can I get you to drink?” Marble quietly replied, “Um, I’d like a glass of water please.” Sideswipe nodded as she added, “As would I.” The waiter nodded as he said, “Alright, I’ll be back in just a minute.”

Before he left, however, Dogma asked, “Uh, I hate to inquire, but you two wouldn’t happen to be, like, together, would you?” As Marble nervously gulped, Sideswipe replied, “IS there a problem?” The waiter raised his arms as he awkwardly replied, “Oh no, of course not. I was just curious.” Folding her arms, the pale biker scoffed, “Well I hate to disappoint, but that’s none of your business.”

Turning nearly as pale as Sideswipe, Dogma scurried off, leaving the pale biker to turn to her girlfriend and dejectedly remarked, “I think we may need another waiter.” Marble bit her lip as she asked, “You think we should leave?” Resting her hand on the gray geologist’s, Sideswipe reassured her, “I don’t think so. Once he comes back, I’ll ask for his manager or something.”

Nodding, Marble then asked, “It’s getting kinda hot. You mind if I take my jacket off?” Sideswipe shook her head as she replied, “Of course not!” As the gray girl slid off her leather jacket, the pale biker quipped, “But who are you and what have you done with Marble?” Blushing as she slid her jacket over her chair, Marble replied, “Well, my jacket helps me feel safe, but I feel plenty safe when I’m with you.”

Now blushing herself, Sideswipe playfully asked, “You’re the best, you know that?” Marble began to play with the hair covering her right eye as she replied, “I could say the same of you.” Both girls then began to reach for each other’s hand as they felt that nothing could ruin their night.

At that moment, however, the sound of approaching footsteps distracted the two girls. Turning to see who it was, Sideswipe found Dogma and several other men making their way up to their table. One of these men, a purple man with white hair, stepped forward and folded his arms as he began to speak in a voice that had the same twang as Apple Bloom, “Excuse me young ladies.”

As Marble sunk into her chair, Sideswipe put on a brave face as she asked, “Ah, you wouldn’t happen to be the manager, would you?” When the purple man didn’t respond, she continued, “I’ll take that as a yes. So, when our waiter here was taking our drink order, he began to pry into our personal lives and we would like to have another waiter.”

Rather than acknowledge her request, the manager bluntly informed, “Ah’m afraid you two are going to have to leave.”

For a few moments, both Sideswipe and Marble found themselves absolutely flabbergasted. As the other men began to space themselves out, the gray geologist asked, “Wait, did you say we have to leave? We just got here.” Sadly, the manager shook his head as he simply reiterated, “Ah said you two will have to leave.” Now the gray geologist began to panic as she inquired, “Wait, what did we do wrong? We didn’t do anything wrong, did we?”

Dogma walked up to Marble and, gently but bluntly informed her, “It’s because we here at Flavius’s have certain values, and we cannot in good faith condone your alternative lifestyle.” He then straightened himself as he further explained, “And as a private business, we reserve the right to refuse service to anyone.”

At that moment, Sideswipe stood up and bluntly exclaimed, “Oh that is bullshit!” She then folded her arms as she turned to the manager as she asked, “When you mean “alternative lifestyles,” it wouldn’t happen to involve romantic partners would it?” The manager simply glared daggers at the young biker as he defiantly ordered, “Get out of mah restaurant!”

Sideswipe found herself unknowingly walking up to the unpleasant manager, only to feel Marble holding her back as the gray girl gently asked, “What’s he talking about?” Sighing in resignation, the pale biker turned to her girlfriend and admitted, “I think these pricks have a problem with us being gay.”

Before Marble could fully process what she’d just been told, however, both girls found them pushed away from the table by Dogma, who rudely ordered, “Get moving you Queers!” Unfortunately, the unpleasant waiter had made one very important mistake; he got in between Marble Pie and her jacket.

“My Jacket!” Marble screamed as she tried to dart back to the table. Sadly, Dogma caught her and began to roughly push her away, leading her to bark, “Let go of me you jerk!” But no matter how much she struggled, she couldn’t wiggle her way out of the older man’s grasp.

Thankfully, Sideswipe had managed to evade the thugs who surrounded them and was able to snatch up Marble’s prized jacket. Of course, this left the pale biker open to be cornered by the manager and his cronies. Giving them a mischievous smirk, Sideswipe asked, “You sure you boys wanna play this game?” Sure enough, one of them charged her, only to get one of the pale biker’s boots to his “family gems.”

Sideswipe was so distracted by this man that she failed to notice Dogma set Marble down, pick up a glass cup from another table, and slam it into the back of her head.

“Gah!” Sideswipe screamed as she collapsed to the ground, dropping Marble’s jacket as she held her hands up to the glass that now stuck to her head. As Marble ran back to her girlfriend, Dogma found himself nervously asking, “Sir? Was that necessary?” The manager simply straightened himself as he calmly answered, “It’s what Ah said. We cannot in good faith condone their alternative lifestyle.” He then turned to the others as he ordered, “Throw these queers out!”

Outside….

Both Marble and Sideswipe found themselves tossed right outside and onto the ground as Dogma shouted, “And don’t come back!” Rising back to her feet, Marble picked up her jacket and angrily retorted, “You better not show yourselves at the Geology Museum!” However, she quickly found her eyes watering as she folded her arms and muttered to herself, “I bet the food sucked anyway.”

However, her attention was distracted by the sight of Sideswipe, lying on the ground as she clutched her hands over her head. Running up to her girlfriend, Marble was horrified to see that the pale biker’s hands were now covered in a red liquid that couldn’t have been ketchup. At that moment, all of Marble’s anger quickly fizzled out and was replaced by uncontrollable fear.

“Sideswipe!” Marble screamed as she knelt down next to her girlfriend. Though she was clearly in pain, the pale biker managed to allow a smile to form on her face as she replied, “At least I got your jacket.” She then winced as she added, “My head hurts.”

At that moment, the sound of Beachcomber’s voice called out, “What’s going on?” As he made it to the girls, the older geologist asked, “I saw you girls literally getting thrown out. What happened?” Rising back to her feet, Marble began to explain, “Well, the manager and a bunch of other guys cornered us and said we had to leave.”

Confused, Beachcomber asked, “Why?” Starting to tear up, Marble continued, “I don’t really know. They said that they didn’t like our “lifestyle” or something. Sideswipe said it was because we’re…..” She then gave her girlfriend a concerned look as she twiddled her fingers as she finished, “Together.”

As she tried to stand up, Sideswipe winced as she added, “They’re just a bunch of homophobes.” She then began to shake her head as she pulled out a piece of glass, grimacing as she tossed the shard of hardened sand aside.

Beachcomber’s eyes shrunk as he asked, “Sideswipe? What’s that in your hair?” The pale biker scratched her now soggy hair as she answered, “Glass. Those pricks tried to kick us out without Marble’s jacket, and when I tried to get it, one of ‘em got the jump on me.” She then tried to walk up to Marble, only to collapse down to her knees, requiring the gray geologist to help support her.

Once she regained her senses, however, Sideswipe noticed that Beachcomber’s expression had changed from concerned to something she never thought she’d see before; he was absolutely livid. Taking a deep breath, the older geologist pulled out his phone and began to dial something. Turning to Marble, the pale biker asked, “He alright?” The gray girl shook her head as she answered, “I’ve never seen him like this.”

Pulling the phone up to his ear, Beachcomber began to speak, “Ironhide? I need you and Ratchet down here right now. Something’s happened.” As both girls gave each other concerned looks, he continued, “They got thrown out of the restaurant by staff. Sideswipe took a glass to the back of the head.” From the other end, everyone could hear Ironhide’s voice growl, “Those bastards! We’ll be right over.”

Hanging up, Beachcomber took a deep breath and turned to the two girls as he explained, “Ironhide and Ratchet will be here in a bit. Ratchet will take a look at your head while Ironhide and I have a little chat with our new friends.” He then began to roll up his sleeves and crack his knuckles, something neither girl had ever seen him do before, but now that they had, both knew could only be described as terrifying.

A worried Marble asked, “Mr. Beachcomber? You’re not gonna do something stupid, right?” The older man knelt down to look his protégé in the eyes as he explained, “They’ve done something terrible, and I want to make sure they know just how much trouble they’re in.” He then continued to roll his sleeves, leading to Sideswipe making a curious discovery.

There, resting clearly on his right forearm, was a faded tattoo depicting a globe placed in front of an anchor. Something about this image was familiar to Sideswipe, but she couldn’t put her finger on whatever it was. Then again, that could have been due to the blow to the head she just took.

Shaking her head, the pale biker asked, “You mind if I sit down?” Beachcomber briefly smiled as he replied, “Of course not, but we should probably get you two out of the parking lot. With that, he began to lead the girls back to his buggy, hopeful he could get them off their feet.

Ten Minutes Later…

“Ugh….” Sideswipe groaned as she struggled to resist the urge to scratch or pick at the remaining shards of glass that were still in the back of her head. To her left, Marble sighed as she apologized, “I’m sorry things turned out like this.” The pale biker quickly reassured her, “It’s not your fault. There’s no way either of us could have known those jerks were going to… You know….”

However, the gray girl tried to counter, “But if I hadn’t agreed to this, then you wouldn’t have gotten hurt.” Smiling, Sideswipe let out a gentle (and admittedly adorable) giggle as she replied, “That was nothing. I remember this one time I right after I first got my bike, and I ended up skidding on my ass after getting thrown off.” As Marble took this in, the pale biker continued, “Let’s just say I couldn’t use that pair of pants again.”

At that moment, the two girls noticed the sound of a car approaching. Turning to see what it was, Sideswipe found it was none other than Ironhide’s van, and if her eyes weren’t deceiving her, she could make out Ironhide, Ratchet, and even Apple Bloom. “Huh. Now that’s a pleasant surprise.” The pale biker remarked to herself.

Once the van had parked, Beachcomber turned to the two girls and said, “Come on. Let’s get your head looked at while Ironhide and I have a little chat.” Nodding, Sideswipe and Marble made their way out of the buggy and began to make their way towards the others.

They hadn’t even walked a meter before Sideswipe was tackled by her sister as the latter practically squealed, “Sideswipe! Ah’m so sorry you got hurt! How’s your head?” As the former farm girl tried to take a look at her sister’s head, Ratchet called out, “Careful Apple Bloom. Let me take a look first.” Nodding, Apple Bloom backed up as the older medic approached the girls and said, “Now then, let’s take a look at the damage.”

As Ratchet inspected Sideswipe’s injuries, Marble asked, “Will she be alright?” The older medic gave her a reassuring smile as he answered, “Doesn’t look too bad. There’s been some bleeding, but doesn’t look like anything went deep.” He then let out a quick chuckle as he remarked, “Guess they were using pretty cheap glass.”

Apple Bloom then noticed the tattoo on Beachcomber’s arm and asked, “Uh, Mr. Beachcomber?” When the older man turned to answer her, the former farm girl pointed to his arm and began, “Ah didn’t know you were a marine.” The cerulean geologist reassured her, “Trust me, things have changed since your uncle’s time. We make sure to stand up for those who can’t stand for themselves.”

Turning to face the restaurant, Beachcomber continued, “Speaking of which, I need to have a little word with the bastard who did this.” As he cracked his knuckles, Ironhide warned, “I’ve already informed the cops about what you told me, so they should be on their way.” He then took a deep breath as he added, “Of course, I’d like to hear whatever excuse they have for hurting my daughter.” Both men then made their way to the restaurant, leaving everyone else to wonder what was going to happen.

Apple Bloom turned to Marble and asked, “You think they’re gonna do somethin’ stupid?” The gray girl gulped before answering, “I don’t know. I’ve never seen Mr. Beachcomber this angry before.” She then held her arm as she admitted, “Maybe this whole thing was a mistake.”

Sideswipe immediately interrupted with a gentle but firm, “I told you, nothing about what happened is your fault.” She then walked up to her girlfriend (much to Ratchet’s chagrin) and replied, “Besides, I managed to rescue your jacket, didn’t I?” Relenting, Marble wrapped her girlfriend in a tight hug as she answered, “You did. You’re the best, you know that?” The pale biker hugged her back and replied, “Only because you’re the best.” As the two shared a kiss, Apple Bloom remarked, “Ah just hope Uncle Ironhide and Mr. Beachcomber aren’t gettin’ into trouble.

Everyone was pleasantly surprised when they heard the sound of something crashing. Turning to see what was going on, they found that the manager had not only been thrown out of the restaurant, but had actually been tossed straight through the front doors. Rising up from the asphalt, the purple man growled, “No one throws me out my own restaurant!” He then dusted himself off and stormed back inside.

Only to find himself getting thrown right back out.

Both Ironhide and Beachcomber emerged from the restaurant, with both men sporting bruised knuckles but otherwise unhurt. The former sergeant informed the group, “Well I don’t think these jerks will be giving you kids any more trouble.” Nodding, Beachcomber nodded as he added, “And if they do, we’ll be having another nice long chat.”

Sideswipe and Marble ran towards the two men and hugged their respective guardian, with the latter happily squealing, “Thank you Beachcomber.” As Beachcomber hugged his protégé back, Sideswipe looked up to Ironhide and asked, “I know I may not one to talk, but won’t you get in trouble for this?” The former soldier gently reassured her, “We’ll probably have to pay for the door, but after what they did to you, I’d pay it a hundred times over.”

Overcome with joy at the thought of a grown up actually standing up for her, the pale biker hugged Ironhide tighter than she’d ever hugged him as she gently declared, “I love you.” Hugging his daughter back, Ironhide warmly replied, “I love you too.”

Once everyone had finished their embrace, Marble asked, “Can we go home?” Beachcomber nodded as he replied, “Of course.” He then turned to the others and asked, “Would anyone like to join us?” Sideswipe impulsively answered, “I would!” She then turned to Ironhide and added, “With your permission of course.”

Thankfully, Ironhide replied, “I think we all could use a bit to cool down. Of course we’ll need to wait to get everything settled down here.” Beachcomber nodded as he replied, “Of course.” After all, it was considered a bad idea to leave what could easily be considered a crime scene.

Geology Museum Cafeteria, Two Hours Later….

Sitting at one of the cafeteria seats, Marble and Sideswipe ate a far simpler dinner than either of them had expected for the night. Once the police arrived, it was decided that the staff had indeed violated anti-discrimination laws by trying to refuse service, and as such would be fined for what happened (as well as being forced to pay for Sideswipe’s head). ‘They didn’t even press Ironhide about the door.’ The pale biker thought to herself.

Swallowing the mac and cheese in her mouth, Marble sighed as she apologized, “I’m sorry tonight has been so….” She was interrupted when Sideswipe reassured her, “I told you. What happened isn’t your fault.” The gray geologist held her arm as she continued, “I just…. Why did they have a problem with us?”

Taking a deep breath, Sideswipe began to elaborate, “Well, there are people out there who are afraid of what they don’t understand, and some of them don’t understand why people like us could love each other the way Apple Bloom and Tender Taps love each other.” She then looked down at the table as she continued, “The only reason I kept my cool is because I’ve had to deal with people like them before. You don’t exactly come out as gay without ruffling someone’s feathers.”

Taking her girlfriend’s hand, Marble began, “Well I say they’re all just a bunch of jerks.” Her face began to glow a pinkish red as she continued, “And if I may, I’m lucky I have someone as tough as you.” Sideswipe began to blush as she replied, “And I’m lucky to have someone like you.”

Rising up to their feet, Sideswipe remarked, “Tonight has been a disaster, but it hasn’t been entirely unfruitful.” A curious Marble asked, “Really?” The pale biker replied, “Because I got to spend time with you.” The two girls then wrapped each other in a tight hug before sharing a passionate kiss.

Once they finished their kiss, Sideswipe reassured her girlfriend, “I promise next time won’t be as “eventful.”” Resting her head against the pale biker’s chest, Marble gently replied, “Can we go to my favorite café?” Sideswipe allowed her head to rest on her girlfriend’s as she happily answered, “You bet.”

Marble then began, “You know, from the roof, you can see the entire town.” Pausing for a moment, she asked, “You wanna go take a look?” Giving the gray geologist a kiss to the forehead, Sideswipe gently answered, “I’d love to.”

With that, Sideswipe and Marble made their way to the elevator up to the roof, all while Apple Bloom, Ironhide, and Beachcomber watched, happy that the two girls could have something resembling a date after all.

Author's Note:

Next Time; Ironhide and the others learn they may need to prepare for the "contingency plan"

Author's Note; This is probably the only chapter that's plot revolves around Homophobia because I've tried to show that all "good" characters don't care if their friends and family are LGBT+ (That and I don't want to be too cliched).

Comments

[Theresa]

Ah I was hoping for the cops to yell at them but that too much to ask here so can't expect it to be better there. Big Mac really needs to force his sister to get help before she ruins her relationship like her father did with his friend.

[WarriorofFaith18]

As I’ve said before, people like that discuss me. The homophobas. Good chapter btw