Awkward, But Worth It

by bahatumay

That Time You Find An Old Picture

“Rainbow Dash?” Applejack paused at the bottom of the stairs, one hoof upraised. “You doin’ ok?”

Rainbow Dash didn't answer.

Applejack pursed her lips and headed up the stairs. Something wasn't quite right, and she was aiming to figure out what. Rainbow was usually a little more chipper and active, even this late at night.

And usually a little more affectionate, for that matter.

She made it to the top of the stairs and poked her head into her room. Rainbow Dash sat on the edge of the bed, holding something in her forehooves.

“Rainbow?”

“Check this out,” Rainbow said, holding out a picture.

Applejack took it and looked at it. She raised an eyebrow. “It's you.” And it was. It was a picture of a younger Rainbow Dash, her mane shorter but messier and sticking up in strange places, giving the camera a confident, almost cocky smirk. It was almost enough to detract from the scratches and black eye on the left side of her face, as if she’d run into something tree-like at a very high rate of speed.

“Of course it's me,” Rainbow said. “But younger.”

“Yeah,” Applejack said with a little smile. “You were a cute one.”

“Yeah,” Rainbow murmured, taking it back and looking at it again. There was a brief moment of silence, and then she asked, “What happened?”

Applejack blinked. “To what?”

“What happened to that filly?”

Applejack blinked again. “She grew up, Rainbow,” she explained slowly. “That’s how life works. Little ponies grow up to be big ponies, and-”

“No, but, like…” She exhaled. “Remember when we first started going out?”

“Yeah…?” Applejack said, unsure where she was going with this.

“And the first time you kinda leaned on me, and I took out your hair tie so I could play with your mane?”

Applejack chuckled. “Sure do,” she said. “You got pretty nervous about doin’ that, but Ah kinda liked it.”

“I did n- Ok, yeah, I was; and yeah. I liked it too. Do you remember the last time I did that?”

Applejack chuckled again. “Where is this coming from, Rainbow?” she asked.

“You don't remember, do you?” Rainbow refused to be diverted.

Applejack paused, thinking back, and then shook her head. “Can't say that Ah do,” she admitted. She cracked a smile. “You've been touching a few different places.” She flicked her tail demonstratively.

“Yeah, but why?” Rainbow insisted.

Applejack cocked her head. “Why?” She grinned. “Because we both like it?”

“I loved touching your mane,” Rainbow said, unable or unwilling to deviate from her previous thought process. “It made me so happy, just to do that; just to be that close to you. And now whenever I want to touch you, it's somewhere else.” She reached out, sliding her hoof along Applejack’s body until crossing over her flank, continuing and then caressing her under her tail. Just like last time she'd wanted to touch Applejack.

And Applejack just smiled and rocked into it slightly, letting her touch her, enjoying the attention, just like last time.

Too soon, though, Rainbow pulled away. “What changed?”

“We got more comfortable with each other?” Applejack suggested.

“That's not it, though. I mean, I used to be happy just being in your presence. Now, I feel like I'm not happy unless my tongue is two inches deep in your-”

“Ah get it,” Applejack cut her off. “Things change. Ponies change. Life changes. Relationships change.” She chuckled. “Hay, the only thing that doesn’t change is change.”

“Yeah, but, I mean… back then, little Rainbow had no idea any of this was going to happen. She had big dreams of being a Wonderbolt, never settling down because nopony would be fast enough or awesome enough for her.” She looked up. “And now I’ve got you,” she nearly whispered.

Applejack knew better than to tease Rainbow Dash for her sappiness, no matter how badly she was tempted to do so. “And Ah’ve got you,” she said, jumping onto the bed and resting her head on Rainbow’s shoulder. “And every night Ah go to bed thankful that Ah do.”

Rainbow looked back at the picture. “Did she know?” she wondered aloud. “Did she have any idea how her life would turn out? That she would actually become a Wonderbolt, fall in love with another mare, and end up living on an apple farm? The cider? The sex?”

“Ah think you can safely assume that she didn’t,” Applejack said, cracking a smile. “She probably just cared about going fast.”

Rainbow set the picture down on the nightstand. “Wow,” she said slowly. “I have changed.”

There was a pause.

“We both have,” Applejack said softly. “Happens in relationships.”

The pause returned.

“Are you disappointed?” Applejack asked.

“No,” Rainbow said quickly. “Not at all. It's great. You're great. It's just… it made me think, that's all.”

There was another pause.

“So,” Applejack said. “If you knew back then, how it all would go—how this all would go—would you still do it?”

“Heh. I'm kinda glad I didn't know,” Rainbow chuckled. “There was a lot of awkwardness.” Her voice grew quiet, and she snorted. “A lot of awkwardness,” she added, gently rubbing the inside of her thigh where she still bore the reminders of something they only called ‘the mill yard incident’. She glanced up. “But totally worth it.”

Applejack nuzzled her cheek gently. “Gotta agree with you there, Sugarcube.” She slowly lowered herself to the bed. “Come on, it's getting late.”

Rainbow looked one last time at the picture, and then put it on the nightstand and turned out the light.

The two mares lay, their bodies lightly touching. Under the blankets. Together. Just as they had been for so many years.

And then Rainbow Dash reached up and began running a hoof through Applejack’s mane.

Applejack smiled. This was really nice, actually.

* * *

The next morning, Applejack awoke bright and early, as she usually did. She looked over at Rainbow Dash, still slumbering deeply, mouth open and snoring softly. She cracked a smile. Still as cute as ever when she slept; though she hadn't said that to Rainbow’s face in many years.

She glanced over to the picture on the nightstand. She pursed her lips, thinking. Didn't Granny Smith have a few scrapbooks around?

And thus it was that when Rainbow finally woke up with a stretch, pop, and groan, she saw Applejack, sitting on the edge of the bed, holding a book in her lap. She looked over her shoulder as she heard Rainbow rouse, and motioned with her head that Rainbow should join her.

Rainbow did so, blearily rubbing her eyes. Then she froze, taking in the sight, and then laughed. “Look at you!” she chortled. “You look adorable!”

Applejack chuckled. Apparently, the urge to take the picture was more urgent than cleaning off her little foal face; her cheeks were caked with fritter bits. Still, she had to admit, it was pretty cute. She turned the pages a few more times, and landed on a picture of young Applejack, proudly displaying a ribbon she'd won. Behind her, the large apple she had grown that had won that prize. She would have been about the same age as Rainbow Dash had been in the picture she had found. Back when she had just gotten back from Manehattan. Back when she had finally realized that this farm was her destiny. That here was where she was going to spend the rest of her life.

And that plan had not included any pegasi in her life.

Applejack nudged Rainbow Dash with her elbow. “You know, Ah bet little Applejack would be happy she found somepony as awesome as you to spend her life with.”

“Yeah,” Rainbow said, looking at the picture. “Would you have told her?”

Applejack chuckled. “Nah,” she said. “Part of the fun of it was doing it with you.”

There was a pause.

Rainbow waggled her eyebrows. “Well, I do love doing it with-”

“Not what I meant, Rainbow!”

Rainbow wrapped her forelegs over Applejack’s shoulders and draped herself on her back. “I know. I'd still totally do it with you, though. Right here, right now, before anypony else is up.”

Applejack chuckled dryly. “Funny you should say that. You missed breakfast—again—and everypony is decorating Hearth's Warming cookies downstairs.

Rainbow glanced up at the clock, and realized that this was true. She sighed. “Fine.”

And then-

Applejack gasped and leapt off the bed. “Rainbow!” she breathed out through gritted teeth. “Those are sensitive, you know that!”

Rainbow chuckled as she retracted her wing. It had been years since she figured out just how sensitive Applejack was in certain places, and it still never got old. “Love you, AJ.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Applejack grumbled. “Love you too.”

Comments

[MarvelandPonder]

So awesome to see another chapter! Thanks for the earlier holiday present, dude!

[TwilightUCrazy]

Girl got 'marked.

[Tchernobog]

[Starry eyed brony]

That was something special bahatumay. Thanks. I may have gotten to it a bit late but that was an awesome Christmas present. I may not be smart enough to know exactly why I love this story so much but I know that I do. Thank you for sharing this with us and giving me a reason to revisit this old favorite. You rock buddy. A belated merry Christmas and I hope for a good year for you in 2017.

[YoshiFawful64]

Well, looks like I got to the end (for now) of this story. It was a little cumbersome in places, and definitely a lot more… risque than I expected, but overall, I enjoyed the read. I guess you could say reading this fic was awkward, but worth it.