The Apple Does Fall Hard for the Tree

It was a very round and tired pegasus Applejack escorted home from McGillaCuddies, poor Fluttershy panting and groaning every few steps as her enormous sloshing stomach attempted to pin her to the ground, succumbing fully to gravity.  In contrast, Pinkie had merely belched so loudly it echoed through the nearly-silent streets, and bounced off towards Sugar Cube Corner, rounded tummy jiggling.  AJ doubted she'd show an ounce of extra pudge by morning.

~She's like some sorta fun-furnace.  Put anything in and merriment comes out.~

Fluttershy wouldn't slim down overnight like that, and Applejack felt her legs wobble a bit at the knowledge she'd just helped bloat her friend up even larger tonight.  The pegasus' wing lay folded over and around AJ, keeping her tucked in snug to 'Shy's side, pressed deep into her overfilled and well-padded tank.

“N-next time we try to binge anywhere near that much, c-can we do it at home?”  Fluttershy whimpered.  “The walk home is, mmph, hard.”

“D'yer legs hurt hon?  Should I find a cart or somesuch?  I can pull you home, I'm sure.”  Applejack stopped atop a wooden bridge spanning a brook, the running water a welcome, natural sound after all the commotion from the restaurant.  'Shy seemed to enjoy it too, closing her eyes, leaning into Applejack.

“Um, not so much, it's...”  'Shy bit her lip, and tossed her head backwards towards her rump.  “Everything...rubs together now.”

Applejack flushed, and just stood with her darling, listening to the brook and bathing in moonlight a long moment.  Fluttershy's breathing eased, and she recovered some composure.  Applejack hadn't lost much of her arousal though, not with a bloated Fluttertummy churning against her, so warm and soft molded against her side.  “Erm, feel up to the last leg, honey-bun?  I figger you must be tired.  We've had quite a day.”

Fluttershy nodded, and nuzzled AJ's cheek before taking another step across the bridge, hoof striking the wooden planks with a hollow 'clomp' sound.  The two mares walked in lock-step along lanes and paths to reach Fluttershy's cottage, within watermelon seed spitting distance of the Everfree Forest.  The door swung open and 'Shy slipped in, making a beeline for her bed with its nest of blankets.  AJ hurried after her, rearranging the mess to let Fluttershy slip in without getting tangled.

Applejack was about to tuck her in when she found herself tugged down against the butter-hued pony's underside, lips thoroughly plastered over her own.  The sweet kiss went on over a minute, richly flavored with chocolate, and AJ started to feel light-headed before 'Shy released her...a strand of saliva hi-lighted by the moonlight spilling in through the open door.

“Thank you for tonight, Applejack.  I couldn't have had a better time with anyone,” she whispered in an orange ear, before shyly plying it with her teeth.  AJ shook, her tail hiking in an ages-old reflex, baring more slickness for Luna's moon to emphasize.

“I, I'll do it as often as you let me, Fluttershy.  I'm yours,” she breathed, and felt 'Shy shudder at the words.

“My...?  My...Applejack,” she tried the pair of words in her mouth to see how it sounded, while squeezing AJ tighter to her soft warm bulk.  “And I'm yours,” she sighed beatifically, resting her chin atop the earth pony's head, sending her hat tumbling once again.  “But you shouldn't stay,” 'Shy sighed in a far less delicate fashion.  “Your family will wonder what happened.”

Applejack wanted badly to argue that point, to stay nestled in this exquisitely comfortable bed, tucked against her darling, her intoxicating meadow-scent in her lungs.  'Shy was right though.  “Tonight that's true, but not forever.  Soon hon, soon it'll be our choice alone whether we sleep alone or not.  I dunno 'bout you, but for me, I don't ever want to spend a night I don't have to out of hooves' reach.”

“Just try and keep me from trapping you in my snuggle-nest, miss Apple!”  Fluttershy giggled, a yawn interrupting the laughter.  AJ licked her chin, winning her a squeak, then gently pried her way out of the pegasus' grasp so she could tuck her in.

“I adore you.  I'll see you tomorrow, 'Shy.”

“Tomorrow,” came the drowsy agreement from just beneath the hem of the top blanket.  AJ slipped quiet as she could out the door, shutting it securely behind, and trotted off for home with an ache in her loins but a molten fire blazing in her chest.

~Business hasn't shown me a rosy future.  My adventurin' with the girls has surely done a heap of good for Equestria, and we'll surely do more, but it's too hard to grasp somethin' that big.  I can see the family growin' older and havin' good times, but...I've never felt this...hope before.  It's amazin' and it feels too good to be true, but Fluttershy's not going anywhere, and ah'm gonna do my best to make her—and us—so happy.~

Tears cooled on her cheeks as AJ neared home, and all the sappiest love songs and poems she'd heard over the years suddenly made sense.  When you felt like this, you wanted the world to know, but only those whose hearts had been as brimful as hers felt right now would really understand the message trying to break through those poor words and maudlin tunes.

It was a bit strange slipping into the house so late, everyone long abed, with another early morning waiting for them.  The Apple family normally did everything together.  They ate their meals together, did the washing up together, washed themselves around the same time anyways, and hit the hay about the same hour.  Often Applebloom tuckered out sooner of course, but that wouldn't be the case for much longer.

AJ put each hoof down carefully as she made her way up to the bedroom, but halfway up the stairs a broad rectangle of golden light pinned her to the wall.  Big Macintosh stood in the doorway to the kitchen, an apple core hanging by its stem from his teeth.  He just studied AJ for a moment, then tossed his head towards the living room couch.

~Well.  I guess I'm breaking it to the family sooner'n I expected.  At least I'm breakin' it to the one who keeps his trap shut best.~

The kitchen door swung shut after the big stallion passed through it, plunging the living room into darkness again.  The siblings settled on the couch, each into the respective dents they'd worn into the old cushions.  “Something happen today, AJ?”  He ventured, toying with the apple core.  Horse apples, his hooves were big.  If she didn't know better, Applejack would swear Big Mac was still growing.

“You could say that, Big Mac.  I, ah, had a talk with Fluttershy.  You may've noticed at lunch she's got a little more meat on her bones than she used to.”

Instead of an “Eeeyup,” Big Mac simply raised his thick brows at AJ.

Flustered, the mare soldiered on.  “She was worried what other ponies might think.  You know how 'Shy is, so sensitive.  I, um, I told her I thought she looked fine.  And...more than fine.  And I took her out on a d-d-d...”

“Date.”

“Yeah.”  AJ sighed explosively, lifting her eyes again from her lap to her brother's gaze.

“You're not to do that again.”

Ice filled Applejack's stomach and bladder.  “W...what did you say?”

“All of a sudden you chase a mare because her flank has some wobble to it?  You ought to be ashamed of yourself for using one of your closest friends like that.”  Big Mac levered himself off of the couch, each step making objects in the room quiver as he crossed to the door, opened it, and tossed his core in the bucket outside.  “Tell her it's over, tell her why, and pray to Celestia she forgives you.”

Applejack leaped off the couch and stood with her legs braced apart, back arched and head down, glaring at her brother as he turned back from the door.  “Now you listen here, Big Mac!  I love that filly, and I'm going to spend the rest of mah life makin' her life heaven!  I admit, ah'm confused about why I didn't feel so strongly for her until she'd gotten a little rounder, but now that my feelings are out, ah can't mistake them for anything else!”

Big Mac stared at her, only the whites of his eyes really visible in the dark room, the rest of his body a great looming shadow.  “It's infatuation--”

“I knoooow infatuation when I feel it, and this is more!  This took what I felt for 'Shy as a dear friend and built on it, deepened it!  She could lose all the weight tomorrow, and I'd still want to be hers, and her to be mine!”  She felt a surge of elation as the words rang true, the last shreds of her own doubt burned away.  Applejack struck the floor sharply with a hoof.  “I will fight anyone who tries to come between us, stranger, friend, royalty, or...kin.”

Silence reined in the room, apart from the old clock ticking away towards midnight.  Big Mac smiled slowly at his fierce little sister, her sides heaving, every inch of her raring to fight.  “Will you have the weddin' here on the farm?”

AJ's mouth opened to snarl out another challenge when the words registered, and she fell in a mental pothole.  “I—wait—you were testin' me?”

Big Mac's smile faded.  “If I thought for a second you weren't doing right by your friend, I'd have bucked you through walls until you got it.”

Applejack shuddered at his slow, matter-of-fact tone.  “Big Mac...”  She sagged back onto the couch, mouth dry, shaking as the unused adrenaline slowly broke down.  She sat for a minute, maybe two, waiting for her heart to stop racing.  “I don't like what you just did, but ah'm glad you're the pony you are.”

Her brother drew up beside the couch and simply touched his nose to her freckled cheek.

“Love ya, big brother.  Are you...happy for us?  I know, two mares, but--”

Big Mac snorted a firm stop to line of conversation, and erased the last worry-lines on his sibling's face.  “Eeeyup.”