Walking
“You know, you really didn’t have to walk all the way across town with me, Applejack. Although, I do appreciate the company.” Rarity added the last bit after glancing over at Applejack through her lashes. The lovely farm pony had looked slightly crestfallen for a moment there. Rarity was pleased to see her friend recovered and smiling again under that ridiculous hat.
“It’s really no trouble,” said Applejack. “Since I was headin’ back to the farm anyway. “
Applejack had been surprised when Rarity accepted the first invitation to stay for dinner. Home cookin’ just didn’t seem Rarity’s speed. AJ had always noticed Rarity in a particular way. Of course she had, everypony did. That’s just Rarity. She’s gorgeous. But that night, seeing Rarity relaxed and playing with her little sister while they all got dinner on the table. Then seeing the lovely white unicorn get her muzzle smeared in barbeque sauce, even if it was only for a moment…Applejack went from noticing to something that was so much more. That was more than a month ago.
There had been this fantastic tension between them for weeks. Neither pony seemed ready to acknowledge it, but they both certainly seemed to be enjoying it. They found odd excuses to be alone together. It was true that Sweet Belle hadn’t been home for dinner in almost a week, but it was also true that Rarity had been to dinner at Sweet Apple Acres twice in the past five days.
For her part, during their evenings together, Rarity had become increasingly impressed and intrigued by Applejack. AJ had always seemed like such a straightforward king of pony; simple, but not in a stupid way. One evening they’d gone on a walk through the orchard while the three younger ponies were finishing up some project. Rarity happened to notice an old plow that seemed to have been abandoned in the middle of a field quite some time ago. When she’d asked about it, Applejack had embarked on a tale of an uncle or some relation that had died, and the plow had be left in the field as a memorial. Although Rarity could remember the details now; at the time she’d been fascinated by Applejack’s story, and wonderfully touched by her devotion to her family and traditions.
The two often talked about the difficulties of raising their younger sisters. Of course, Applejack had quite a bit more support in that arena than Rarity, but they found they had a great bond the struggle of navigating the fine line between being a big sister and a surrogate mother.
Walking together now felt slightly odd. Over the past few weeks, they’d taken to walking a little closer- although not quite touching. Now, they were staying an almost unfriendly distance apart. Rarity noticed it, but couldn’t be certain she hadn’t caused it. She couldn’t help but wonder if she was subconsciously worried that they’d be seen and a rumor would get started. Rumors about her were common, little more than town pony gossip. Ever the indefatigable lady, Rarity soldiered on regardless of whatever the little birds of Ponyville were choosing to say about her.
Applejack was quite different, and felt quite different however. It meant something to be a Ponyville Apple. There was a legacy and reputation. Not to mention that the name was a brand, something Rarity understood all too well. Rarity could court a mare, and very few of her clients would find it to be anything of note. She knew this, because she’d done it and had very minimal backlash. Applejack…might not have that liberty.
Naturally, all of this assumed that Applejack was interested in Rarity in the same way Rarity was interested in Applejack. They hadn’t talked about it. It did seem obvious though. If they kept going the way they had been, at least one of them was bound to be in love within a month.
They were approaching an intersection. “Whaddya say we stick to the back roads and avoid all the traffic?” Applejack offered.
The back roads meant a longer walk. They also meant almost certainly avoiding being seen by anypony. Rarity decided that it was time to test the waters of the conversation they both knew they needed to have.
“Applejack, are you worried about being seen with me?”
“Course not. I just thought it’d be nice to keep things peacefullike. It’s a market day, so that part a town is gonna be busier than a hog trough at feedin’ time.” Applejack paused. “Why would you think I didn’t want to be seen with you, sugar cube?”
Sugar cube? That was an endearment of the friend zone, and Rarity was having none of it.
“Let us not pretend that there might not be some reason you’d prefer we not be seen, Applejack. We needn’t discuss the matter just now, but please don’t minimize either of our feelings by pretending they don’t exist.”
There. She’d said her piece. The ball was in Applejack’s court now.
Wait, where had Applejack gone?
Rarity looked back to see that AJ had stopped dead in her tracks, and was just standing there staring at Rarity. Rarity turned back. “Darling, are you quite alright?”
“Ummm,” Applejack started shifting in her shoes a bit. “Did you just….you have feelin’s? For me?”
“Oh my goodness, Applejack,” Rarity giggled. “You almost look like Fluttershy, hiding behind your hat like that.” She took a step forward, closing the gap between them. Then she leaned her muzzle up toward the earth pony’s. She heard Applejack gasp. The Rarity just gently pushed Stetson back atop its owner’s head in such a fashion as to allow her brilliant green eyes to be seen, and leaned back.
Applejack let out the breath she’d been holding. Rarity giggled again and looked around. They were quite alone from what she could see.
“Yes, Applejack,” Rarity admitted quietly. “Over the past few weeks I have developed feelings.”
She leaned in again. This time so her lips nearly touched her companion’s ear as she whispered, “For you.”
As she pulled back, Rarity could see Applejack’s delightful blush.
“As I said,” she continued. “We needn’t talk about it now. This is hardly the place or time. Twilight and Fluttershy are waiting for me after all. Perhaps we could arrange a time to talk.”
“Like a date?”
“Applejack, did you just ask me on a date?” Rarity smiled coyly at the dumbstruck face beneath the hat. “What a wonderful idea! I accept,” she said, and quickly kissed Applejack on the cheek. She was rewarded with another adorable blush on orange cheeks.
“Now, we’d best be going. I don’t want to keep the others waiting. That would be abominably rude.” Rarity turned and started walking, smiling to herself.
Applejack stood still another moment, and then said, “Hey!”
A quick canter brought her even with Rarity again. “You planned that didn’t you?”
“Planned what, darling?”
“Getting me to ask you on a date.”
“Oh no, dear Applejack. I hadn’t been planning that,” Rarity replied. “You just staged the whole thing so beautifully, and since it’s what I’ve wanted for weeks anyway, one could hardly resist.”
Applejack almost stopped walking again. Instead she just pulled her hat low over her eyes, which were focused on the ground in front of her hooves, and smiled and blushed, to herself.
I’m going on a date with Rarity, she thought. Who’da thunk that could ever happen?