Invisible Relationship

It felt like so long. The days ticked by in a constant status quo, but from Monday it'd been such an inconsistent on-and-off of change that made the short week feel like months.

The wedding was tentatively set for August, early on, and Rarity already had invitations ready alongside explanations. It was exciting, but at the same time exhausting. She didn't want to care about what anypony had to say anymore, she just wanted them all to come see her finally settle down with somepony.

That was part two, the settling down. Both she and Fluttershy had businesses and such, and they were both important. There was no leeway - they'd have to incorporate the two in one area. So they were going to buy a house.

They were going to get married and buy a house.

Every time she thought about it, she felt an old, familiar shiver run down her back, a mixture of excitement and fulfillment and everything else a growing pony needs. She was so ready.

And so not, she thought as she felt the hooves reach slowly around to her chest.

It had grown dark in the sunroom as Rarity worked. The paper had become harder and harder to write on as only her magic provided any light. She only decided to light the thick utility candle nearby when she felt her hooves on her. With a quiet sigh, she closed her eyes and kissed Fluttershy's hooves gently. It would all work out.

"It doesn't have to be a big wedding."

Rarity rested her head back, and Fluttershy nuzzled her softly. "I know, darling. But... well, I rather thought it could be good for us - for me - to close it with this, for lack of a better word."

"I just don't want you to stress over it."

There was a silence for a moment or two. The darkness around the desk seemed comforting, its contrast with the bright candlelight creating some level of isolation. Togetherness in isolation.

"We may need to move the date," Rarity began, in an accidental whisper.

"... Okay." Fluttershy kissed her gently. "I love you."

Rarity felt a smile crawl across her face. The excitement gripped her again as she felt the weight of the change. "We should go out house-hunting tomorrow."

She felt Fluttershy smile.

~~~(A Few Minutes Earlier, At The Acres)~~~

The sun had begun to dip below the treeline, but the sky was clear and the bright violet of twilight was trembling to approach in the upper berths of the atmosphere. The grass in the west part of the Acres was soft - it was near the mountains, and the humidity reached down to the farmlands below. Even the tree she was leaning against had a nice, smooth trunk.

"You don't want to get back before it gets dark?"

She wiggled a bit as though to show she was comfortable. It was the first time they'd found themselves in a position like that - and they didn't even really try, it just sort of happened. Dash was sitting comfortably in front of Applejack, her head resting on Applejack's chest.

Applejack moved her hooves from where they were, crossed on Dash's chest, to adjust herself. Dash groaned shortly, reaching behind her and guiding Applejack's hooves back.

It felt natural. Like it was part of the package, or like it was planned. Applejack pulled her closer, shifting her upwards, tightening her grip. She'd been thinking, and wanted to ignore the thoughts for a moment.

But she couldn't. She did try, she really did, but just the gravity of what she was thinking was weighing on her hard. She had to talk about it. Even yesterday she'd decided she had to talk about it, but couldn't find a good time. And right now she was as ready as she would ever be.

"Dash."

"Mm."

"Ah..." she trailed off. Well, that didn't go very far.

"You what."

"Do you think... it'll work?"

There was silence for a moment, before Dash rolled out of her position to lie next to her. Even then, there was a second of silence as Dash chose her words. "What do you mean?"

"Ah don't mean ah wanna break up, or anythin' like that. Don't worry."

"Well, what do you mean?"

"Gimme a second and ah'll tell ya. Ah was thinkin'..." She paused, and looked over at Dash, who was looking off into the distance. It was odd how far they'd come. From that indescribable attraction to now, she'd ridden the constant high road and found herself falling so far in love with her that...

"Ah was thinkin'. How far do you want this to go?"

Dash crossed her hooves over her chest. "I don't know," she replied, in a voice almost low enough to be a whisper.

"If - if it goes far," she began, realizing that everything she was about to say was a bit overboard. But it had to be said. "If it goes far, how d'you suppose it'll work? Ah'm tied to the farm. You wanna be part of the Wonderbolts. You'll be flyin' everywhere in Equestria for shows and stuff." Her voice had dropped further that she'd intended. "Ah won't see you very much."

Dash still said nothing.

"Dash -"

"Can't we cross that bridge when we come to it?" she asked, looking over at her for the first time.

"Well, ah have to think to the future. Ah run a farm, lookin' forwards is part of life."

"Yeah, but... if we're satisfied now, do we even need to think like that?"

"Satisfied."

"That's not what I meant, AJ -"

"Ah know." Applejack crossed her forelegs over her chest as well, leaning up more against the tree. "Ah just wanna make every action count -"

"What, so it doesn't count if we don't settle down?" Dash asked, a strong note of anger - frustration, perhaps - in her voice.

"Ah was gonna say count for somethin'."

"That's worse."

"Ah need to get married, Dash."

The heavy silence was perpetuated by the growing darkness. She shouldn't have said that, even though it was true.

"... Why?"

"The farm needs the support."

"What about Big Mac?"

Applejack took off her hat for a moment, looking it over before laying it on her chest and laying her hooves next to her. "Ah... promised somepony."

The pause was interrupted by a light pressure on her hoof. She glanced down to see Dash's hoof on her own, and sighed quietly. "That's why ah needed to talk. Ah don't want to get... invested if you won't be happy."

Dash said nothing, and didn't move her hoof. She looked over at her, and she was looking back, something in her eyes that Applejack couldn't place.

Before she could say anything else, Dash leaned over and kissed her gently. Her body relaxed almost instantly. It wasn't a secret to Dash any longer that that was Applejack's favorite thing. And it wasn't a secret to Applejack any longer that Dash was a lot more personal than she came off. Maybe even emotional.

For a long time, Applejack felt as though she was less the driving half of their relationship; less forceful, more simply carried along in Rainbow Dash's gracious storm. But, without words, Dash told her that she needed her, relied on her more than she'd ever known. And as Dash pressed up against her, she felt that more and more.

Eventually, when they stopped for a moment, Dash was lying on top of her, almost weightless by Applejack's perspective. Applejack drew a hoof slowly down Dash's wings, and kissed her gently one more time.

"AJ?"

"Huh...?" she mumbled, still taken fully by the kiss.

"I love you. I... I really do." When Applejack said nothing, she continued. "Maybe once... it wasn't like that. But now I do."

She looked up into her eyes and her throat went dry. "Ah - ah love you, too, Dash," she replied, returning for another short kiss.

Dash chuckled. "Ah, clichés."

"Hey, they work for me."

They laughed together, just for a second, before returning to play out their scene, and let the night wear on.