I'd Do Anythingby ThunderCrackerChaptersMornin'Making ProgressCuddling with MomA Day to MyselfFixing ThingsMornin'"Red? Hey, Red." These words sounded distant as I slept. The voice sounded familiar, which caused me to pry my eyes open. I winced as the sun stung my eyes, blurring my vision. I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes and blinked a few times to see a mare standing above me. Her long gorgeous blonde mane draped over my face. She saw my eyes open and gave me a bright smile. "Mornin' there Red." She said. "Good morning to you AJ." I replied as I sat up. "Hurry up and get ready, your mom's waitin' for ya." "Yup yup." I stood up and let out a yawn as I stretched. My feet thumped on the wooden floor as I walked across the room to grab my bag. I threw off my shirt and rummaged through my bag for another shirt. As I rummaged, I heard a gasp behind me. I froze dead and whirled around to see Applebloom, sitting up in her bed staring at me with a blush on her face. A blush of my own spread across my face and I ran across the room and into the bathroom. "S-sorry!" I shouted through the door. "N-no, it's okay, really!" Applebloom shouted. A sigh escaped my mouth and I threw my shirt on before opening the door. I looked over at Applebloom and gave a smile. "Thanks for comin' over Red." She said. "Anytime Bloom." I reassured with another smile. She blushed and returned with a bright smile. I chuckled and I grabbed my bag before walking out. I sat on the bottom step of the stairs and slipped into my shoes. I waved goodbye to everyone before I walked out the front door. I looked forward and smiled brightly as I saw my mom, Rainbow Dash, standing there waiting for me. I went down the porch steps and wrapped my arms around her. My heart felt fuzzy as I felt her return the hug. "How was it Ma?" I asked. "Wasn't that bad." She replied. "So it was pretty boring." I chuckled. "Yeah pretty much." She sighed. I chuckled again and we walked home. Although I feel kind of bad, even with the nice house that we have and all, Mom already had a nice house up in the clouds. She got it for free, and it was pretty comfy from what she tells me. But then, I came along out of nowhere, and she decided to take me in. Since I wasn't a Pegasus, nor had wings for that matter, I couldn't live up in the clouds with her. So she decided, being that she didn't want to live apart from me, to buy a house on the ground. I didn't ask her to waste her money, but at the same time it made me kinda happy. Knowing that she'd do anything to be with me and raise me properly makes me feel like she really cares. And since she'd do anything to be with me, I'd do anything to make sure that if she's going to be by my side, I won't let anything happen to her. When I made this promise, it was after something happened to Mom. She had found a boyfr- well, coltfriend. Soarin. The guy was pretty cool, at least I thought so. He met my Mom when I wasn't around for it, and then we she introduced him to me, he started to have some second thoughts. He told Mom that he didn't want something like me around and started badmouthing me. Being the loving mother that she is, Dashie (as her friends like to call her) stood up for me. It was up until the point when Soarin hit her is when I stepped in. I decided to return the favor and punched him square in the jaw. Then the fists were flying from that point on. Eventually I kicked his ass literally and out of the house. After that I promised Mom that I wouldn't let anything else hurt her. She gave me a smile and wanted to tell me no, but I guess she saw the seriousness in my face. "What'cha thinkin about?" Mom asked. "Wha? Oh nothing, why?" "Dunno, you just had a thinking face." She replied. "Why're you staring at my face huh?" I asked. "No reason." She chuckled. "Oh, well how bout I stare at your face, eh?" I joked as I stuck my face in her's. "Hey, stop it you egghead!" She giggled. I let out a chuckle as I pulled away. But I didn't look away, I just kept staring. She noticed me and blushed slightly. "Why're you still staring?" She asked. "Because you look as young as when I first met you." I replied. Her blush deepened. "Wha, where did that come from?" "Because you were staring at my face." I replied as I booped her on the nose. "Ohh okay." Mom said with a 'we're gonna play that game' tone. "So how was it at Applebloom's?" She asked. "Pretty fun." I replied. "Hmm, fun how? Did you two do anything... special." "What? No. Nuh-uh. Nothin'. Nada." "Aww, you're blushing! It's okay, we've all gotta grow up some day kiddo." "We didn't even do anything!" I retorted. "Well you're trying awfully hard to make it sound like it. You're kinda making me think you two did do something." Mom grinned. "We slept in the same room, that's all." I sighed. "Same bed?" "Nope." "Shame." "I guess." Mom let out another chuckle. She knew that I had a serious crush on Applebloom. I don't know what it is about Applebloom. Maybe it's her sense of humor, her sense of honesty and respect towards me, her amazing personality, how adorable she is, or all of the above. Especially this morning. She looked so gorgeous with the morning sunlight, and so cute with her disheveled bright red hair and her blush. Along with her adorable smile. God she drives me nuts. I was so spaced out thinking about her I didn't notice me walking up to my front door without opening the door. I walked into the door face first and recoiled slightly. I heard my Mom dying of laughter behind me and I grinned before opening the door. The lights were off, so I could barely see anything with the curtains closed, only letting slight amounts of sunlight in. With a slight sigh, I tossed my bag to the side and threw the curtains open, letting the glorious morning sunlight in. "What'cha want for breakfast Mum?" I asked. "Egg salad sammiches and hay fries!" She cheered as she did a double loop in the air and landed on the couch with a sigh. "Comin' right up!" I shouted. I threw on my apron and bust out the pots and eggs before lighting the fire. As I grew up I started learning how to cook, some from Mom, some from Twilight, some from Pinkie, but she only taught me how to make pastries and stuff like that. Where I learned most of my cooking from was myself. I took what I learned from Mom, Twilight and Pinkie, then started putting them into my own recipes. To be honest, most of the stuff I make ain't that bad. Mom and I sat at the coffee table eating. I didn't eat the hay fries, but I did have some of the egg salad sandwiches. I smiled as I watched Mom eat my food happily. I know she loves my cooking, which makes me happy to know that I'm not bad at what I do. Mom let out a sigh as she set her plate down. I set my empty plate on top of hers then picked them both up and carried them into the kitchen. I turned on the water and poured soap on the sponge before scrubbing the dishes. As I scrubbed I felt Mom wrap her arms around me and nuzzled my back. "Kick ass breakfast hon." She said. "Of course, always." I replied. "Don't forget, Pinkie asked you to come down the bakery today." She said while lightly patting me on the head repeatedly. "Yeah, yeah." I sighed as I rinsed my hands and dried them off. Dashie's arms were still wrapped around me. I turned around while she still had me and wrapped my arms around her and held her tightly. I subconsciously started petting her mane. She let out a soft hum and let me go. "Get goin'." She said as she punched me in the shoulder. "Uh-huh." I gave her a smile before walking over to the door and grabbing my bag. "See you later Ma!" "See ya later Red." Mom replied. "Love ya!" I shouted before shutting the door. "I love you too Red." Mom sighed with a smile. The walk to the bakery wasn't long since we didn't live too far away, so whenever Pinkie needed something, she asks for me since I'm always open. I walked up to the bakery and opened the door to find Pinkie standing behind the counter with a large toothy smile. There was also another familiar looking mare with a yellow coat and a long, poofy, bright red mane. The mare turned and looked at me to reveal Applebloom's face. "Hey Red!" Applebloom shouted. "Hey Red! Applebloom's here to help out with the bakery!" Pinkie cheered. Wha... Making Progress The day seemed slower than the past days I've came here. Especially with Applebloom here. You see, Pinkie also knows about my crush on Applebloom. Hell, my Mom, Pinkie, Twilight, Fluttershy, Rarity, and even AJ knows about it. Not to mention Applebloom's friends, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo. But thankfully, they're leaving the confessing all up to me. Which is going to be hard, since I'm shy as hell and a bit socially awkward. But I'm managing right now. "Hey Red." Bloom said. "What's up Bloom?" I asked. "Nothin'. Just bored. Nothin's really happenin'." She replied. "Yeah, today's not as busy." I agreed. "Speaking of which, Pinkie tells me you come here often." Bloom said. "She calls me here whenever she needs a helping hand with stuff around the bakery. Which is surprising to me because she's practically everywhere at once." I sighed. "Well, you never know. All that 'being everywhere' sure does take up a lot of energy." Bloom added. "I guess. But then again, Pinkie and energy are like an infinite mix. Seeing Pinkie tired scares me." I shuddered. "I always scare you!" Pinkie shouted from behind me, making me jump out of my skin. "Pinkie please don't do that." I gripped my chest. "Why would I stop doing something when it's fun?!" She asked. "Nevermind." I muttered. Pinkie giggled and bounced into the kitchen. I let out a sigh and leaned against the counter. Applebloom was silently giggling next to me and I smiled. I love seeing her smile, no less laugh. Makes me happy knowing she is too. But whenever I'm around Applebloom, it makes me think about how and when I'm going to confess. Summer's too short to be sitting around waiting to confess, and it's making me paranoid. I know it's not right to rush things but when it comes to confessing, I get scared and paranoid. Makes me feel like when I miss my chance once I'm never going to get another one. "What'cha thinkin' about there Red?" Applebloom asked. "Huh? Oh, nothing." I lied. "Oh, well you just had a thinkin' face that's all." "Jeez, my mom said the same thing after I left your place this morning." I sighed before sitting down. "Really?" "Yeah." "Oh, my bad." Bloom apologized. "Nah, it's fine. At least I know everyone's more observant here than Earth." I sighed once more. "O-oh. Speaking of which..." Applebloom sat down next to me, "do you miss Earth?" She asked. "Well, if I'm completely honest... not as much as I should. I don't miss home, and I don't feel homesick at all." I said. Applebloom and I kept talking about Earth and our experiences with being homesick. Then we started onto other subjects. I made sure to stray away from anything that had to do with confessing. I'll save that for another time. Our conversation was cut off when Pinkie called for me from the kitchen. I stood up and walked towards the kitchen area. Before I could turn the corner, I was grabbed and tugged to the side by Pinkie. "Shh. So, how's it going with you and Applebloom?" She whispered. "Eh, small talk, making progress." I whispered back. "When are you going to confess huh?" She asked. "That, I don't know." I sighed. "Come on Red, nothing will change if you don't do anything." She said. "I know, I know I'm working on it." I replied. "Working on what? You've known each other for two years, what is there to work on?" She asked. "Uh, my self confidence and courage?" I answered. Pinkie gave a sigh and hung her head. Then looked back at me with a smile. "Come on Red. Sometimes you gotta stop worrying about the worst and shoot for the best." She reassured. My thinking face came back and I gave a small grin. I nodded my head and so did she. "Alright, thanks Red!" She shouted gleefully. I took that sign easily and went back out. I came back to Applebloom still sitting there. The outside was getting darker which surprised me. But I didn't mind it too much. I sat down and continued talking with Applebloom. Little did I know that Mom was standing on the other side of the counter, watching us with a grin on her face. I didn't know until I got a feeling that there were eyes digging into the back off my head. I turned to see Mom and jumped. "How're you two doing?" She asked with a large grin. "Oh, hey Rainbow Dash! I was just talking with Red." Applebloom replied. "Y-yeah, just talking!" I added. "Oh, well that's good to know." Mom looked me dead in the eye with an evil grin. Sweet Celestia pls no. "Hey Dashie!" Pinkie shouted. "Hey there Pinks." Mom replied as Pinkie jumped over the counter and hugged her. I stood up with the commotion going on across the counter and picked up my bag. Pinkie finally got off Mom and I went to the other side of the counter with Applebloom. Pinkie waved us goodbye as we left. Bloom and I said our goodbyes before walking away. As I walked with Mom I heard Applebloom behind me. "Red, wait!" "Huh?" I asked as I turned around. What happened next almost killed me. Applebloom caught me off guard by throwing her arms around me. This feeling was heavenly. Having her warmth wrapped around me and her face nuzzled into the crook of my neck. I wore a heavy blush and I could only assume she did as well as I returned the hug. I also knew that Mom had a large smile on her face. Bloom slid off of me. She wore a deep blush and a sheepish smile before trotting off. I stood there in awe. Can I rewind time so I can enjoy that again? Mom and I walked into our house and I tossed my bag to the side into the usual spot. I let out a sigh as I flopped onto the couch. Mom patted me on the head as she walked into her room with a yawn. I stretched and let out a yawn of my own before standing up and turning the lights off and going into the room. I crawled into my bed beside hers and pulled the blanket over me with a sigh. I still felt Applebloom's warmth around me. I think I could also smell her hair too. I couldn't help but smile and go to sleep with my heart feeling fuzzy. Cuddling with Mom My morning started off with something warm balled up against my side along with a cold fall breeze blowing up into my blankets, making the warm ball cuddle closer. Which is odd because it's summer, why does it feel so cold...? I let out a sigh as I looked down to see Mom cuddling me. We used to cuddle all the time when I was younger, now Mom's always ninja cuddling me. I don't know why I don't cuddle her as much as I used to, and I don't think it's because I'm "grown up". I guess I feel weird cuddling Mom when I'm seventeen. But right now, it doesn't feel to bad. Mom woke up with a sleepy groan and she laid her head on my stomach. "Morning." She groaned. "Mornin' sleepyhead." I replied. "If you wanted to cuddle you could've just asked." "Eh, I thought it'd be better if I waited for you to fall asleep and surprise you." Mom said. "Well you sure did a good job at it." I sighed. "Can we stay like this for a bit longer, you're really warm." Mom cuddled closer. "I think all that warmth is you Ma." I stated. "Oh well, it's still comfortable." Mom sighed. "Yep, you got that right." I muttered. We both let out a sigh as we continued cuddling. The two of us stayed this way for a couple hours before Mom sat up and stretched. She jumped off the bed, allowing me to sit up and stretch out as well. I slid out of the bed and shuffled into the kitchen while rubbing the sleep out of my eyes. I stretched my back, getting a loud popping noise as I sat on the couch. Mom stretched her wings out with a light squeal. She let out a groan and jumped onto the couch next to me. "Want a massage?" I asked sleepily. "Later, when you're awake." Mom replied. "Fair enough." I said. "Although I could use something to kill some time." Mom muttered. "It's early in the morning, why would you need to kill time now?" I asked. "I just feel like today's gonna be a boring day." She replied. "I knew I felt something too, heh." I chuckled. "Why don't we go out somewhere?" "With?" Mom asked. "Um, who else?" "Applebloom?" Mom grinned. "Don't torture me." I said. "Oh come on, bringing Applebloom along helps with the situation you're in right now." Mom stated. "I'm not ready for it. Plus I'm saving it for a later time." I replied. "Heh- whe- a later time? Red, by the time school starts I'm pretty sure there isn't going to be a later time. Because you're gonna be to busy and shy to confess to her or she'll be taken by somepony else. You gotta make a move. Your deadline is the end of summer." "Jeez, why're you giving me a deadline to confess?" I asked. "Because I care about what happens between you and Applebloom." She retorted. I gave a sigh and leaned back. She was right after all. And I've been tearing myself up with it. There have been so many times when I could've easily confessed, especially that night I spent at her place. But I just don't seem to have the courage. Two years worth of opportunities, and I've missed all of them. But I'm still trying. Uhm... somewhat... "Why don't we just go out, you and me?" I asked. "Really?" "Sure why not?" "Well, I guess I don't see why not." Mom said. "Then where do you wanna go?" I asked. "Let's just stay here. And keep cuddling." Mom replied. "I can dig it." The rest of the day we spent cuddling. This feeling of warmth reminded me of when Applebloom hugged me, but it was Mom, so it made me feel calm instead of excited. Not that kind of excited... I didn't feel this way when I was younger. I guess because I was still too young to understand emotions somewhat. Those things that say "cuddling can help with anxiety, depression" feel right at the moment. Cuddling is probably the greatest things I can do as a person next to massaging. I don't know why. Out of the ponies I've cuddled (Dash, Pinkie, Lyra, and Twilight, all of which except for Mom forced me to) have told me "gosh you're really good at cuddling". I don't know how you can be "good" at cuddling. I guess it's like, "you're really good at being warm and comfortable". "You and Applebloom need to do this soon. I'm sure she'd enjoy it." Mom said. "Hopefully." I sighed. "Well, why wouldn't she?" Mom asked. "I dunno." I replied. "Well then you don't have anything to worry about." Mom assured. "Hopefully." I muttered. "Shh." Mom pressed her hoof against my lips and nuzzled my stomach. I let out a sigh before giving a smile and leaning my head back. I let Mom's warmth lull me to sleep. My snoozing was interrupted me as I felt a tight squeezing around my waist. I opened my eyes and look at Mom to see her squeezing me. "Mom?" "It's been so long since I've cuddled you. You grew a lot from two years. You were such a little thing back then." She smiled. "What's with these sudden flashbacks?" I asked. "You've grown up a lot, and I feel proud of you. Even though I didn't raise you for all seventeen years of your life, it feels like I have." She answered. "Yeah well, for a different species, you did a great job. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise." I assured. "Thanks hon." Mom said. I grew another smile as I wrapped my arms around Mom and held her tightly. The warmth grew and I let out a comfortable sigh. I realized that I never got to give that massage that I offered to Mom earlier today, but I can't really care at the moment. The only thing on my mind as I tried to sleep was Mom and Applebloom. Applebloom... I wonder when I'm going to confess. And my deadline is the end of summer. Yeesh, what am I going to do... A Day to Myself When I woke up, I didn't feel the warmth that I did last night. I felt around and the particular pegasus mare was missing from that spot. My eyes opened and I sat up and looked around. Mom wasn't by my side, nor was she in her own bed. I threw my blankets off and shot out of bed and ran around the house calling for Mom. Frustration built and I started slipping into my shoes. As soon as I got to the door and placed my hand on the knob I saw a piece of paper on the door. Hey kiddo, I'm pretty sure the only reason why you're standing here and reading this is because you woke up and thought I was missing. So take off your shoes and relax. Unless you actually wanna go out somewhere, but that doesn't matter. I'm out with the girls right now, so you don't have to worry about that anymore. Since you're alone, you get to have the day to yourself. You can do whatever you want. You can sit around, you can go out somewhere with with the Crusaders (I don't know why they still call themselves that, they have their Cutie Marks), and I'm going to allow this, you can invite Applebloom over. You need to hurry up and confess. Welp I'll see you later today. Have fun Red, Mom Wow. I feel like she purposely didn't wake me up just so she could make this letter. Oh well. I backed away with a sigh and slipped out of my shoes. I plopped down on the couch and pondered at what I was going to do. Actually, I didn't. I was pretty much going to do everything she said I could do in the letter. But... should I invite Applebloom over? Fuck it. I'll invite her over after we hang out with the Crusaders. I stood up and went into the bedroom. I threw on a new set of clothes and slipped into my shoes again before heading out and grabbing the Crusaders. "So, where will we be going?" Sweetie asked. "Well, I was thinking about jumping on the train to Canterlot, wander around for a bit." I replied. "Are you sure we're aloud to go to Canterlot? We're not exactly, the upper-class kind of ponies." Scootaloo said. "Well we'll be considered upper-class with me around." Sweetie chimed. "That's my line." I said. We all laughed as we walked towards the station. "Being a different species as well as being friends with Twilight has its perks." I assured. "Are you fuckin' kidding me." I muttered. I guess what I said was a lie when the guards stopped us when we hopped off. The girls were stopped as well because they were with me, which I was of course pissed about. And among the guards was Flash Sentry. God I wanted to punch him in the mouth when I first met him. Same with Blueblood. It wasn't long before Celestia of all ponies came down herself to solve the problem. "Sorry for the inconvenience Tia." I sighed. "No need to worry Ca-" Celestia stopped as I shot her a dead glare before she could finish my full name. Being an Ailcorn, she knew a lot of things about me most people shouldn't. Same with her sister Luna. "Excuse me. Red." She corrected herself. "It's fine." I smiled. "Sentry, stand down." Celestia ordered. Flash nodded and the guards stepped back. "Tell me, why are you here in Canterlot Red?" Celestia asked. "Mom was out with the rest of the Elements, and I didn't know anywhere else to go apart from Canterlot. This place seemed more lively. Plus we're doing a bit of window shopping." I answered. "Oh, well feel free to stop by the palace at any time." Celestia smiled. The girls and I replied with our own smiles and Tia flew back to the palace. After she was gone my smile faded and I shot a glare at Flash. He sighed and averted his eyes as I walked by. As I passed by, I clenched my fist, making my knuckles pop audibly. I let out a sigh as we entered the actual city. The time we spent at Canterlot was pretty magical. Even though there wasn't anything I could window shop for, the girls made it all the more lively. I knew it'd make them happy bringing them here. The whole time we were there I didn't see a single moment when they weren't smiling. Scoots and Sweetie were off in another part along with Applebloom. I looked over at Applebloom and awkwardly shimmied over to her. "Uhh, h-hey Bloom." I said. "Oh, hey Red!" Bloom replied with a bright smile. Adorable. "Oh nothin'. Um, I was just wondering if... you wanted to come over to my place when we go back to Ponyville?" I offered. A blush spread across Bloom's face and she looked away. "Uh- um. Sure. I should still have some time to spare after this." She answered. Mission accomplished... part one at least. The rest of the day we spent together, instead of off and about window shopping as I sat on a bench somewhere nearby. We all sat on a bench in front of a large fountain. I sat in the middle of the bench with Scoots on the left taking up all the space on the left side by laying down and Sweetie and Bloom on my right. My legs ached from three hours of following and chasing the girls around. My head was leaned back and I caught a few Z's before Scoots woke me up with a few nudges. "Hey Red, we should probably get home now." She yawned. "Agreed." Bloom and Sweetie chimed. "Yeah, I hear ya. Come on, let's go before we miss the train." I yawned. We arrived at Ponyville, hopped off the train, said our goodbyes and parted ways. After we all left I felt the pattering of rain. As I walked home I saw Applebloom still to my side. I nearly forgot that she was coming over. Thankfully I didn't. She looked really nervous about this. I couldn't let her be this way before we got there and let out a sigh. "There's nothing to worry about Bloom, we're just hanging out." I assured. "Oh. Okay." She muttered. Welp, that came off badly. I wanted to say something, but I feel like I'd worsen it. Once again I bumped into my front door face first from not paying attention. That's... six times now? Dunno, I think I'm losing count. I opened the door and let Bloom go first before following and shutting the door behind us. I let out a sigh and plopped down on the love seat, followed by a facepalm. Mom still wasn't home, and it was just me and Bloom. Alone. At my house... Alone... My muscles tensed as Applebloom sat down next to me. Things felt awkward at the moment. Things were dark, cold, and the rain pattering against the windows was making me sleepy. My drowsiness was wiped away when Applebloom slowly scooted over and leaned against me. The warmth that I felt before was coming back, and my heart started beating faster. "Hey, Red." Bloom said softly. "Yeah?" "D-do you mind, if I do this?" "Do what?" My heart nearly stopped as I felt Bloom wrap her arms around me and nuzzle my shoulder as she did what I recognized... as cuddling. I'm cuddling. My crush. And I'm alone with her... I gotta do it.... "Hey, uh Bloom?" "Yeah." We both looked at each other. Our faces reddened as we realized how close our faces were. "U-uhm. I uh... I've wanted to say something for a while now but uh..." "Yeah... same here..." Bloom said softly. "Um... I uh..." I didn't notice it until now, but our faces were getting closer. I felt her breath on my lips. Her warmth was engulfing me entirely. It wasn't even warmth anymore, it was pure heat. My heart was jumping out of my chest and we both closed our eyes as our lips nearly touched... "Alright! Come on in! Feel free to set your stuff down-" Mom gasped and stopped as she saw me and Bloom were sitting on opposite couches, as far away from each other as possible, trying to look as nonchalant as we could while hiding our blushes. My heart was jack-hammering and my face was burning. I couldn't stop my arms from shaking and I had drummer feet. "Hey Bloom, what're you doin' here?" AJ asked. "Oh nothin'! Red got me n' the girls and we all went to Canterlot. Then it started raining, and Red offered me some cover." Bloom replied. "Oh... okay." AJ sighed. She looked over at me and saw the state I was in. I couldn't hide anything else but my erratic breathing. Applebloom was doing a surprisingly good job at hiding her nervousness. The only thing she couldn't hide was her slight blush. The rain didn't let up, and everyone spent the night. I offered my bed to Applebloom and then slept on the couch. AJ slept on the floor while Twilight and Rarity shared the love seat. And of course, Pinkie and Fluttershy decided to share the long couch with me. Pinkie's hair was all up in my face, and I was still shocked about earlier. I didn't get any sleep that night... One by one, everyone woke up, grabbed their stuff and left. Pinkie was the first to leave, thankfully. It's not that I mind her cuddling me, it's just that her hair gets annoying sometimes. Twilight left second, then Rarity, then Flutters, and finally AJ. She grabbed her stuff and Applebloom was following close by. I watched as she walked out of the house. Before she closed the door, she stopped and turned around and gave me a bright smile. I smiled back with a blush and her eyes signaled towards my bag and she closed the door. My eyes fell to my bag that was on the floor near the door. I wonder why she pointed towards that. I couldn't figure out why because I was still thinking about last night. "What's wrong hon?" Mom asked as she leaned against me. I didn't reply. I stood there, thinking. My mind couldn't get out of that moment. All of the feelings I felt in that moment and after were glued to me... "Red?" Mom said. "I almost did it..." I replied. Fixing Things I told Mom everything that happened yesterday and she felt really bad. I tried to tell her that it wasn't her fault and she didn't know what was happening, but she still felt like she was to blame. She was at least happy to hear that I got close. But what mattered the most to me was what Applebloom was hinting towards my bag for. I still haven't checked for some reason. I stood up from the couch and walked over to my bag and crouched in front of it. "What's up Red?" Mom asked. "Hmm? Oh, nothin'." I replied. "Thinking of going out somewhere?" "Probably gonna go over to Applebloom to try and make up." I said. "Alright, go get em tiger." She said, punching me in the shoulder. She gave me a bright smile before walking into the bedroom. I let out a small sigh as I slipped into my shoes and grabbed my bag before leaving. It was cold outside again. The weather was making me question what the weather ponies were doing up there. The walk to Applebloom's house seemed longer. I guess because from what people were telling me, I kept stopping and staring at the ground for long periods of time. Which confused me because I knew I was thinking, I just didn't know that I was standing still for a long time every time I decided to have a thought. It happened again while I was standing two feet away from the gate to Applebloom's house. I shook my head and opened the gate behind me. AJ walked out of the farmhouse and saw me. She waved and gave me a smile, which I happily replied. As I walked towards her, she asked me what I was doing here and I explained. "You got that far?!" She whispered loudly. "Yup." I nodded. "Jeez, no wonder she seems so weird today." AJ sighed. "You should probably go inside. I'm headin' down to the market." We said our goodbyes and I knocked on the door before Big Mac opened the door. He gave me a slight nod and I replied before walking past him. I pointed a thumb upstairs, questioning if it was okay. He gave another nod and I gave him a thumbs up and went upstairs. I knocked on the door to Applebloom's room. "Come in!" Bloom answered. I opened the door and took a step inside the room. "Hey, Bloom." I said. Her ears perked up as she saw me. "Hey Red!" She shouted. She jumped off the bed and wrapped her arms around me. My heart skipped a beat and I wrapped my arms around her. I guess this was going to be a normal thing between us now. Hopefully. God this feeling felt so amazing. Her coat felt so warm, her arms squeezed me tightly, wrapping her warmth around me, her mane smelled fragrant and everything about her was just perfect. "What's up Red?" Bloom asked. "Oh nothin'. I uh, just came to talk to you about... uhh... yeah..." I trailed off. "About what?" "Um... b-bout, yesterday." I stammered. "Oh... well don't worry about it." She replied. What? "Wait, what?" I asked. "I said don't worry too much about it." Bloom answered. "You sure?" "Yeah, I'm pretty sure." She smiled. She went back over to the bed and hopped onto it before sitting down by the edge. I sat next to her and let out a small sigh. I let out a yawp before flopping back on the bed. Bloom giggled and followed. A blush spread across my face as I realized we were laying a few inches away from each other on the same bed. "Hey Red?" "Yeah?" "Do wanna... um... cuddle?" ... FUCK YEAH I DO. "Uh, sure." I replied with a smile. Bloom let out the most adorable squee and scooted closer to me. She rolled onto her side facing me and wrapped her arms around me and rested her head on my chest. I wrapped an arm around and her and pulled her close. We both let out a sigh and closed our eyes. Bloom nuzzled my chest and let out a relieved hum and squeezed me tighter. "Hey, um, Bloom?" I asked. "Yeah?" "You know how you said not to worry about yesterday?" "Yeah." Bloom replied. "So, do you maybe wanna, try again?" I asked. I looked over at her and she wore a blush on her face. She wore a thinking face and she let out a sigh and nodded her head. She looked up at me with a soft smile. My body froze as she pushed herself on top of me. She looked down on me with a blush. We stared into each other's eyes, blushing. Applebloom slowly leaned down, our eyes closing as we braced for a kiss. The sound of the bedroom door opening stopped my heart. Bloom and I panicked for a split second before I zipped onto the floor next to my bag and Bloom sat right up on her bed. "Hey you two." AJ said. "What's up?" We both replied. "How's it goin'?" Aj asked. "It's going fine." Bloom and I replied in unison. "You sure?" "Yeah." Bloom and I replied. "Alright, well. I'ma leave you two to it." AJ said, leaving the room. The rest of the day I spent at Bloom's house. I decided to spend the night as well. I grabbed some blankets and spread them out across the floor. As I was, Bloom threw a pillow at my face. She giggled as I threw it on the floor and gave her a look. My look faded and couldn't help but smile at her adorable smile. I laid down on my makeshift bed and closed my eyes before letting out a sigh. I let out a pained wheeze as I felt something really heavy land on top of me. I opened my eyes to see Bloom on my stomach laughing her ass off. I laid back with a groan and Bloom rolled off of me. "Sorry Red, I couldn't resist." She said. "Oh yeah, I bet." I wheezed. Bloom let out a giggle and tackled me with a hug. She nuzzled my chest and I smiled. I wrapped my arms around her and she cooed. "Hey Red?" "Yeah Bloom?" "Let's wait for a good time before we try again, okay?" She asked. "Why not now?" I asked. "I dunno, I just want a more perfect place, like a dream place y'know?" She said. "I get what you're saying." I replied. "Well, alright then. Goodnight." Bloom said as she hopped into the bed and turned off the lamp. I let out a sigh and laid back before closing my eyes. "Hey Red?" Bloom asked. "Yes?" I asked as I sat up. Suddenly I felt something soft and warm press against my cheek. Bloom had planted a kiss on my cheek, which stole the life from me. "G'night Red." Bloom said. "G-g-goodnight." I stammered as I laid back down and closed my eyes.
Mornin'"Red? Hey, Red." These words sounded distant as I slept. The voice sounded familiar, which caused me to pry my eyes open. I winced as the sun stung my eyes, blurring my vision. I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes and blinked a few times to see a mare standing above me. Her long gorgeous blonde mane draped over my face. She saw my eyes open and gave me a bright smile. "Mornin' there Red." She said. "Good morning to you AJ." I replied as I sat up. "Hurry up and get ready, your mom's waitin' for ya." "Yup yup." I stood up and let out a yawn as I stretched. My feet thumped on the wooden floor as I walked across the room to grab my bag. I threw off my shirt and rummaged through my bag for another shirt. As I rummaged, I heard a gasp behind me. I froze dead and whirled around to see Applebloom, sitting up in her bed staring at me with a blush on her face. A blush of my own spread across my face and I ran across the room and into the bathroom. "S-sorry!" I shouted through the door. "N-no, it's okay, really!" Applebloom shouted. A sigh escaped my mouth and I threw my shirt on before opening the door. I looked over at Applebloom and gave a smile. "Thanks for comin' over Red." She said. "Anytime Bloom." I reassured with another smile. She blushed and returned with a bright smile. I chuckled and I grabbed my bag before walking out. I sat on the bottom step of the stairs and slipped into my shoes. I waved goodbye to everyone before I walked out the front door. I looked forward and smiled brightly as I saw my mom, Rainbow Dash, standing there waiting for me. I went down the porch steps and wrapped my arms around her. My heart felt fuzzy as I felt her return the hug. "How was it Ma?" I asked. "Wasn't that bad." She replied. "So it was pretty boring." I chuckled. "Yeah pretty much." She sighed. I chuckled again and we walked home. Although I feel kind of bad, even with the nice house that we have and all, Mom already had a nice house up in the clouds. She got it for free, and it was pretty comfy from what she tells me. But then, I came along out of nowhere, and she decided to take me in. Since I wasn't a Pegasus, nor had wings for that matter, I couldn't live up in the clouds with her. So she decided, being that she didn't want to live apart from me, to buy a house on the ground. I didn't ask her to waste her money, but at the same time it made me kinda happy. Knowing that she'd do anything to be with me and raise me properly makes me feel like she really cares. And since she'd do anything to be with me, I'd do anything to make sure that if she's going to be by my side, I won't let anything happen to her. When I made this promise, it was after something happened to Mom. She had found a boyfr- well, coltfriend. Soarin. The guy was pretty cool, at least I thought so. He met my Mom when I wasn't around for it, and then we she introduced him to me, he started to have some second thoughts. He told Mom that he didn't want something like me around and started badmouthing me. Being the loving mother that she is, Dashie (as her friends like to call her) stood up for me. It was up until the point when Soarin hit her is when I stepped in. I decided to return the favor and punched him square in the jaw. Then the fists were flying from that point on. Eventually I kicked his ass literally and out of the house. After that I promised Mom that I wouldn't let anything else hurt her. She gave me a smile and wanted to tell me no, but I guess she saw the seriousness in my face. "What'cha thinkin about?" Mom asked. "Wha? Oh nothing, why?" "Dunno, you just had a thinking face." She replied. "Why're you staring at my face huh?" I asked. "No reason." She chuckled. "Oh, well how bout I stare at your face, eh?" I joked as I stuck my face in her's. "Hey, stop it you egghead!" She giggled. I let out a chuckle as I pulled away. But I didn't look away, I just kept staring. She noticed me and blushed slightly. "Why're you still staring?" She asked. "Because you look as young as when I first met you." I replied. Her blush deepened. "Wha, where did that come from?" "Because you were staring at my face." I replied as I booped her on the nose. "Ohh okay." Mom said with a 'we're gonna play that game' tone. "So how was it at Applebloom's?" She asked. "Pretty fun." I replied. "Hmm, fun how? Did you two do anything... special." "What? No. Nuh-uh. Nothin'. Nada." "Aww, you're blushing! It's okay, we've all gotta grow up some day kiddo." "We didn't even do anything!" I retorted. "Well you're trying awfully hard to make it sound like it. You're kinda making me think you two did do something." Mom grinned. "We slept in the same room, that's all." I sighed. "Same bed?" "Nope." "Shame." "I guess." Mom let out another chuckle. She knew that I had a serious crush on Applebloom. I don't know what it is about Applebloom. Maybe it's her sense of humor, her sense of honesty and respect towards me, her amazing personality, how adorable she is, or all of the above. Especially this morning. She looked so gorgeous with the morning sunlight, and so cute with her disheveled bright red hair and her blush. Along with her adorable smile. God she drives me nuts. I was so spaced out thinking about her I didn't notice me walking up to my front door without opening the door. I walked into the door face first and recoiled slightly. I heard my Mom dying of laughter behind me and I grinned before opening the door. The lights were off, so I could barely see anything with the curtains closed, only letting slight amounts of sunlight in. With a slight sigh, I tossed my bag to the side and threw the curtains open, letting the glorious morning sunlight in. "What'cha want for breakfast Mum?" I asked. "Egg salad sammiches and hay fries!" She cheered as she did a double loop in the air and landed on the couch with a sigh. "Comin' right up!" I shouted. I threw on my apron and bust out the pots and eggs before lighting the fire. As I grew up I started learning how to cook, some from Mom, some from Twilight, some from Pinkie, but she only taught me how to make pastries and stuff like that. Where I learned most of my cooking from was myself. I took what I learned from Mom, Twilight and Pinkie, then started putting them into my own recipes. To be honest, most of the stuff I make ain't that bad. Mom and I sat at the coffee table eating. I didn't eat the hay fries, but I did have some of the egg salad sandwiches. I smiled as I watched Mom eat my food happily. I know she loves my cooking, which makes me happy to know that I'm not bad at what I do. Mom let out a sigh as she set her plate down. I set my empty plate on top of hers then picked them both up and carried them into the kitchen. I turned on the water and poured soap on the sponge before scrubbing the dishes. As I scrubbed I felt Mom wrap her arms around me and nuzzled my back. "Kick ass breakfast hon." She said. "Of course, always." I replied. "Don't forget, Pinkie asked you to come down the bakery today." She said while lightly patting me on the head repeatedly. "Yeah, yeah." I sighed as I rinsed my hands and dried them off. Dashie's arms were still wrapped around me. I turned around while she still had me and wrapped my arms around her and held her tightly. I subconsciously started petting her mane. She let out a soft hum and let me go. "Get goin'." She said as she punched me in the shoulder. "Uh-huh." I gave her a smile before walking over to the door and grabbing my bag. "See you later Ma!" "See ya later Red." Mom replied. "Love ya!" I shouted before shutting the door. "I love you too Red." Mom sighed with a smile. The walk to the bakery wasn't long since we didn't live too far away, so whenever Pinkie needed something, she asks for me since I'm always open. I walked up to the bakery and opened the door to find Pinkie standing behind the counter with a large toothy smile. There was also another familiar looking mare with a yellow coat and a long, poofy, bright red mane. The mare turned and looked at me to reveal Applebloom's face. "Hey Red!" Applebloom shouted. "Hey Red! Applebloom's here to help out with the bakery!" Pinkie cheered. Wha...
Making Progress The day seemed slower than the past days I've came here. Especially with Applebloom here. You see, Pinkie also knows about my crush on Applebloom. Hell, my Mom, Pinkie, Twilight, Fluttershy, Rarity, and even AJ knows about it. Not to mention Applebloom's friends, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo. But thankfully, they're leaving the confessing all up to me. Which is going to be hard, since I'm shy as hell and a bit socially awkward. But I'm managing right now. "Hey Red." Bloom said. "What's up Bloom?" I asked. "Nothin'. Just bored. Nothin's really happenin'." She replied. "Yeah, today's not as busy." I agreed. "Speaking of which, Pinkie tells me you come here often." Bloom said. "She calls me here whenever she needs a helping hand with stuff around the bakery. Which is surprising to me because she's practically everywhere at once." I sighed. "Well, you never know. All that 'being everywhere' sure does take up a lot of energy." Bloom added. "I guess. But then again, Pinkie and energy are like an infinite mix. Seeing Pinkie tired scares me." I shuddered. "I always scare you!" Pinkie shouted from behind me, making me jump out of my skin. "Pinkie please don't do that." I gripped my chest. "Why would I stop doing something when it's fun?!" She asked. "Nevermind." I muttered. Pinkie giggled and bounced into the kitchen. I let out a sigh and leaned against the counter. Applebloom was silently giggling next to me and I smiled. I love seeing her smile, no less laugh. Makes me happy knowing she is too. But whenever I'm around Applebloom, it makes me think about how and when I'm going to confess. Summer's too short to be sitting around waiting to confess, and it's making me paranoid. I know it's not right to rush things but when it comes to confessing, I get scared and paranoid. Makes me feel like when I miss my chance once I'm never going to get another one. "What'cha thinkin' about there Red?" Applebloom asked. "Huh? Oh, nothing." I lied. "Oh, well you just had a thinkin' face that's all." "Jeez, my mom said the same thing after I left your place this morning." I sighed before sitting down. "Really?" "Yeah." "Oh, my bad." Bloom apologized. "Nah, it's fine. At least I know everyone's more observant here than Earth." I sighed once more. "O-oh. Speaking of which..." Applebloom sat down next to me, "do you miss Earth?" She asked. "Well, if I'm completely honest... not as much as I should. I don't miss home, and I don't feel homesick at all." I said. Applebloom and I kept talking about Earth and our experiences with being homesick. Then we started onto other subjects. I made sure to stray away from anything that had to do with confessing. I'll save that for another time. Our conversation was cut off when Pinkie called for me from the kitchen. I stood up and walked towards the kitchen area. Before I could turn the corner, I was grabbed and tugged to the side by Pinkie. "Shh. So, how's it going with you and Applebloom?" She whispered. "Eh, small talk, making progress." I whispered back. "When are you going to confess huh?" She asked. "That, I don't know." I sighed. "Come on Red, nothing will change if you don't do anything." She said. "I know, I know I'm working on it." I replied. "Working on what? You've known each other for two years, what is there to work on?" She asked. "Uh, my self confidence and courage?" I answered. Pinkie gave a sigh and hung her head. Then looked back at me with a smile. "Come on Red. Sometimes you gotta stop worrying about the worst and shoot for the best." She reassured. My thinking face came back and I gave a small grin. I nodded my head and so did she. "Alright, thanks Red!" She shouted gleefully. I took that sign easily and went back out. I came back to Applebloom still sitting there. The outside was getting darker which surprised me. But I didn't mind it too much. I sat down and continued talking with Applebloom. Little did I know that Mom was standing on the other side of the counter, watching us with a grin on her face. I didn't know until I got a feeling that there were eyes digging into the back off my head. I turned to see Mom and jumped. "How're you two doing?" She asked with a large grin. "Oh, hey Rainbow Dash! I was just talking with Red." Applebloom replied. "Y-yeah, just talking!" I added. "Oh, well that's good to know." Mom looked me dead in the eye with an evil grin. Sweet Celestia pls no. "Hey Dashie!" Pinkie shouted. "Hey there Pinks." Mom replied as Pinkie jumped over the counter and hugged her. I stood up with the commotion going on across the counter and picked up my bag. Pinkie finally got off Mom and I went to the other side of the counter with Applebloom. Pinkie waved us goodbye as we left. Bloom and I said our goodbyes before walking away. As I walked with Mom I heard Applebloom behind me. "Red, wait!" "Huh?" I asked as I turned around. What happened next almost killed me. Applebloom caught me off guard by throwing her arms around me. This feeling was heavenly. Having her warmth wrapped around me and her face nuzzled into the crook of my neck. I wore a heavy blush and I could only assume she did as well as I returned the hug. I also knew that Mom had a large smile on her face. Bloom slid off of me. She wore a deep blush and a sheepish smile before trotting off. I stood there in awe. Can I rewind time so I can enjoy that again? Mom and I walked into our house and I tossed my bag to the side into the usual spot. I let out a sigh as I flopped onto the couch. Mom patted me on the head as she walked into her room with a yawn. I stretched and let out a yawn of my own before standing up and turning the lights off and going into the room. I crawled into my bed beside hers and pulled the blanket over me with a sigh. I still felt Applebloom's warmth around me. I think I could also smell her hair too. I couldn't help but smile and go to sleep with my heart feeling fuzzy.
Cuddling with Mom My morning started off with something warm balled up against my side along with a cold fall breeze blowing up into my blankets, making the warm ball cuddle closer. Which is odd because it's summer, why does it feel so cold...? I let out a sigh as I looked down to see Mom cuddling me. We used to cuddle all the time when I was younger, now Mom's always ninja cuddling me. I don't know why I don't cuddle her as much as I used to, and I don't think it's because I'm "grown up". I guess I feel weird cuddling Mom when I'm seventeen. But right now, it doesn't feel to bad. Mom woke up with a sleepy groan and she laid her head on my stomach. "Morning." She groaned. "Mornin' sleepyhead." I replied. "If you wanted to cuddle you could've just asked." "Eh, I thought it'd be better if I waited for you to fall asleep and surprise you." Mom said. "Well you sure did a good job at it." I sighed. "Can we stay like this for a bit longer, you're really warm." Mom cuddled closer. "I think all that warmth is you Ma." I stated. "Oh well, it's still comfortable." Mom sighed. "Yep, you got that right." I muttered. We both let out a sigh as we continued cuddling. The two of us stayed this way for a couple hours before Mom sat up and stretched. She jumped off the bed, allowing me to sit up and stretch out as well. I slid out of the bed and shuffled into the kitchen while rubbing the sleep out of my eyes. I stretched my back, getting a loud popping noise as I sat on the couch. Mom stretched her wings out with a light squeal. She let out a groan and jumped onto the couch next to me. "Want a massage?" I asked sleepily. "Later, when you're awake." Mom replied. "Fair enough." I said. "Although I could use something to kill some time." Mom muttered. "It's early in the morning, why would you need to kill time now?" I asked. "I just feel like today's gonna be a boring day." She replied. "I knew I felt something too, heh." I chuckled. "Why don't we go out somewhere?" "With?" Mom asked. "Um, who else?" "Applebloom?" Mom grinned. "Don't torture me." I said. "Oh come on, bringing Applebloom along helps with the situation you're in right now." Mom stated. "I'm not ready for it. Plus I'm saving it for a later time." I replied. "Heh- whe- a later time? Red, by the time school starts I'm pretty sure there isn't going to be a later time. Because you're gonna be to busy and shy to confess to her or she'll be taken by somepony else. You gotta make a move. Your deadline is the end of summer." "Jeez, why're you giving me a deadline to confess?" I asked. "Because I care about what happens between you and Applebloom." She retorted. I gave a sigh and leaned back. She was right after all. And I've been tearing myself up with it. There have been so many times when I could've easily confessed, especially that night I spent at her place. But I just don't seem to have the courage. Two years worth of opportunities, and I've missed all of them. But I'm still trying. Uhm... somewhat... "Why don't we just go out, you and me?" I asked. "Really?" "Sure why not?" "Well, I guess I don't see why not." Mom said. "Then where do you wanna go?" I asked. "Let's just stay here. And keep cuddling." Mom replied. "I can dig it." The rest of the day we spent cuddling. This feeling of warmth reminded me of when Applebloom hugged me, but it was Mom, so it made me feel calm instead of excited. Not that kind of excited... I didn't feel this way when I was younger. I guess because I was still too young to understand emotions somewhat. Those things that say "cuddling can help with anxiety, depression" feel right at the moment. Cuddling is probably the greatest things I can do as a person next to massaging. I don't know why. Out of the ponies I've cuddled (Dash, Pinkie, Lyra, and Twilight, all of which except for Mom forced me to) have told me "gosh you're really good at cuddling". I don't know how you can be "good" at cuddling. I guess it's like, "you're really good at being warm and comfortable". "You and Applebloom need to do this soon. I'm sure she'd enjoy it." Mom said. "Hopefully." I sighed. "Well, why wouldn't she?" Mom asked. "I dunno." I replied. "Well then you don't have anything to worry about." Mom assured. "Hopefully." I muttered. "Shh." Mom pressed her hoof against my lips and nuzzled my stomach. I let out a sigh before giving a smile and leaning my head back. I let Mom's warmth lull me to sleep. My snoozing was interrupted me as I felt a tight squeezing around my waist. I opened my eyes and look at Mom to see her squeezing me. "Mom?" "It's been so long since I've cuddled you. You grew a lot from two years. You were such a little thing back then." She smiled. "What's with these sudden flashbacks?" I asked. "You've grown up a lot, and I feel proud of you. Even though I didn't raise you for all seventeen years of your life, it feels like I have." She answered. "Yeah well, for a different species, you did a great job. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise." I assured. "Thanks hon." Mom said. I grew another smile as I wrapped my arms around Mom and held her tightly. The warmth grew and I let out a comfortable sigh. I realized that I never got to give that massage that I offered to Mom earlier today, but I can't really care at the moment. The only thing on my mind as I tried to sleep was Mom and Applebloom. Applebloom... I wonder when I'm going to confess. And my deadline is the end of summer. Yeesh, what am I going to do...
A Day to Myself When I woke up, I didn't feel the warmth that I did last night. I felt around and the particular pegasus mare was missing from that spot. My eyes opened and I sat up and looked around. Mom wasn't by my side, nor was she in her own bed. I threw my blankets off and shot out of bed and ran around the house calling for Mom. Frustration built and I started slipping into my shoes. As soon as I got to the door and placed my hand on the knob I saw a piece of paper on the door. Hey kiddo, I'm pretty sure the only reason why you're standing here and reading this is because you woke up and thought I was missing. So take off your shoes and relax. Unless you actually wanna go out somewhere, but that doesn't matter. I'm out with the girls right now, so you don't have to worry about that anymore. Since you're alone, you get to have the day to yourself. You can do whatever you want. You can sit around, you can go out somewhere with with the Crusaders (I don't know why they still call themselves that, they have their Cutie Marks), and I'm going to allow this, you can invite Applebloom over. You need to hurry up and confess. Welp I'll see you later today. Have fun Red, Mom Wow. I feel like she purposely didn't wake me up just so she could make this letter. Oh well. I backed away with a sigh and slipped out of my shoes. I plopped down on the couch and pondered at what I was going to do. Actually, I didn't. I was pretty much going to do everything she said I could do in the letter. But... should I invite Applebloom over? Fuck it. I'll invite her over after we hang out with the Crusaders. I stood up and went into the bedroom. I threw on a new set of clothes and slipped into my shoes again before heading out and grabbing the Crusaders. "So, where will we be going?" Sweetie asked. "Well, I was thinking about jumping on the train to Canterlot, wander around for a bit." I replied. "Are you sure we're aloud to go to Canterlot? We're not exactly, the upper-class kind of ponies." Scootaloo said. "Well we'll be considered upper-class with me around." Sweetie chimed. "That's my line." I said. We all laughed as we walked towards the station. "Being a different species as well as being friends with Twilight has its perks." I assured. "Are you fuckin' kidding me." I muttered. I guess what I said was a lie when the guards stopped us when we hopped off. The girls were stopped as well because they were with me, which I was of course pissed about. And among the guards was Flash Sentry. God I wanted to punch him in the mouth when I first met him. Same with Blueblood. It wasn't long before Celestia of all ponies came down herself to solve the problem. "Sorry for the inconvenience Tia." I sighed. "No need to worry Ca-" Celestia stopped as I shot her a dead glare before she could finish my full name. Being an Ailcorn, she knew a lot of things about me most people shouldn't. Same with her sister Luna. "Excuse me. Red." She corrected herself. "It's fine." I smiled. "Sentry, stand down." Celestia ordered. Flash nodded and the guards stepped back. "Tell me, why are you here in Canterlot Red?" Celestia asked. "Mom was out with the rest of the Elements, and I didn't know anywhere else to go apart from Canterlot. This place seemed more lively. Plus we're doing a bit of window shopping." I answered. "Oh, well feel free to stop by the palace at any time." Celestia smiled. The girls and I replied with our own smiles and Tia flew back to the palace. After she was gone my smile faded and I shot a glare at Flash. He sighed and averted his eyes as I walked by. As I passed by, I clenched my fist, making my knuckles pop audibly. I let out a sigh as we entered the actual city. The time we spent at Canterlot was pretty magical. Even though there wasn't anything I could window shop for, the girls made it all the more lively. I knew it'd make them happy bringing them here. The whole time we were there I didn't see a single moment when they weren't smiling. Scoots and Sweetie were off in another part along with Applebloom. I looked over at Applebloom and awkwardly shimmied over to her. "Uhh, h-hey Bloom." I said. "Oh, hey Red!" Bloom replied with a bright smile. Adorable. "Oh nothin'. Um, I was just wondering if... you wanted to come over to my place when we go back to Ponyville?" I offered. A blush spread across Bloom's face and she looked away. "Uh- um. Sure. I should still have some time to spare after this." She answered. Mission accomplished... part one at least. The rest of the day we spent together, instead of off and about window shopping as I sat on a bench somewhere nearby. We all sat on a bench in front of a large fountain. I sat in the middle of the bench with Scoots on the left taking up all the space on the left side by laying down and Sweetie and Bloom on my right. My legs ached from three hours of following and chasing the girls around. My head was leaned back and I caught a few Z's before Scoots woke me up with a few nudges. "Hey Red, we should probably get home now." She yawned. "Agreed." Bloom and Sweetie chimed. "Yeah, I hear ya. Come on, let's go before we miss the train." I yawned. We arrived at Ponyville, hopped off the train, said our goodbyes and parted ways. After we all left I felt the pattering of rain. As I walked home I saw Applebloom still to my side. I nearly forgot that she was coming over. Thankfully I didn't. She looked really nervous about this. I couldn't let her be this way before we got there and let out a sigh. "There's nothing to worry about Bloom, we're just hanging out." I assured. "Oh. Okay." She muttered. Welp, that came off badly. I wanted to say something, but I feel like I'd worsen it. Once again I bumped into my front door face first from not paying attention. That's... six times now? Dunno, I think I'm losing count. I opened the door and let Bloom go first before following and shutting the door behind us. I let out a sigh and plopped down on the love seat, followed by a facepalm. Mom still wasn't home, and it was just me and Bloom. Alone. At my house... Alone... My muscles tensed as Applebloom sat down next to me. Things felt awkward at the moment. Things were dark, cold, and the rain pattering against the windows was making me sleepy. My drowsiness was wiped away when Applebloom slowly scooted over and leaned against me. The warmth that I felt before was coming back, and my heart started beating faster. "Hey, Red." Bloom said softly. "Yeah?" "D-do you mind, if I do this?" "Do what?" My heart nearly stopped as I felt Bloom wrap her arms around me and nuzzle my shoulder as she did what I recognized... as cuddling. I'm cuddling. My crush. And I'm alone with her... I gotta do it.... "Hey, uh Bloom?" "Yeah." We both looked at each other. Our faces reddened as we realized how close our faces were. "U-uhm. I uh... I've wanted to say something for a while now but uh..." "Yeah... same here..." Bloom said softly. "Um... I uh..." I didn't notice it until now, but our faces were getting closer. I felt her breath on my lips. Her warmth was engulfing me entirely. It wasn't even warmth anymore, it was pure heat. My heart was jumping out of my chest and we both closed our eyes as our lips nearly touched... "Alright! Come on in! Feel free to set your stuff down-" Mom gasped and stopped as she saw me and Bloom were sitting on opposite couches, as far away from each other as possible, trying to look as nonchalant as we could while hiding our blushes. My heart was jack-hammering and my face was burning. I couldn't stop my arms from shaking and I had drummer feet. "Hey Bloom, what're you doin' here?" AJ asked. "Oh nothin'! Red got me n' the girls and we all went to Canterlot. Then it started raining, and Red offered me some cover." Bloom replied. "Oh... okay." AJ sighed. She looked over at me and saw the state I was in. I couldn't hide anything else but my erratic breathing. Applebloom was doing a surprisingly good job at hiding her nervousness. The only thing she couldn't hide was her slight blush. The rain didn't let up, and everyone spent the night. I offered my bed to Applebloom and then slept on the couch. AJ slept on the floor while Twilight and Rarity shared the love seat. And of course, Pinkie and Fluttershy decided to share the long couch with me. Pinkie's hair was all up in my face, and I was still shocked about earlier. I didn't get any sleep that night... One by one, everyone woke up, grabbed their stuff and left. Pinkie was the first to leave, thankfully. It's not that I mind her cuddling me, it's just that her hair gets annoying sometimes. Twilight left second, then Rarity, then Flutters, and finally AJ. She grabbed her stuff and Applebloom was following close by. I watched as she walked out of the house. Before she closed the door, she stopped and turned around and gave me a bright smile. I smiled back with a blush and her eyes signaled towards my bag and she closed the door. My eyes fell to my bag that was on the floor near the door. I wonder why she pointed towards that. I couldn't figure out why because I was still thinking about last night. "What's wrong hon?" Mom asked as she leaned against me. I didn't reply. I stood there, thinking. My mind couldn't get out of that moment. All of the feelings I felt in that moment and after were glued to me... "Red?" Mom said. "I almost did it..." I replied.
Fixing Things I told Mom everything that happened yesterday and she felt really bad. I tried to tell her that it wasn't her fault and she didn't know what was happening, but she still felt like she was to blame. She was at least happy to hear that I got close. But what mattered the most to me was what Applebloom was hinting towards my bag for. I still haven't checked for some reason. I stood up from the couch and walked over to my bag and crouched in front of it. "What's up Red?" Mom asked. "Hmm? Oh, nothin'." I replied. "Thinking of going out somewhere?" "Probably gonna go over to Applebloom to try and make up." I said. "Alright, go get em tiger." She said, punching me in the shoulder. She gave me a bright smile before walking into the bedroom. I let out a small sigh as I slipped into my shoes and grabbed my bag before leaving. It was cold outside again. The weather was making me question what the weather ponies were doing up there. The walk to Applebloom's house seemed longer. I guess because from what people were telling me, I kept stopping and staring at the ground for long periods of time. Which confused me because I knew I was thinking, I just didn't know that I was standing still for a long time every time I decided to have a thought. It happened again while I was standing two feet away from the gate to Applebloom's house. I shook my head and opened the gate behind me. AJ walked out of the farmhouse and saw me. She waved and gave me a smile, which I happily replied. As I walked towards her, she asked me what I was doing here and I explained. "You got that far?!" She whispered loudly. "Yup." I nodded. "Jeez, no wonder she seems so weird today." AJ sighed. "You should probably go inside. I'm headin' down to the market." We said our goodbyes and I knocked on the door before Big Mac opened the door. He gave me a slight nod and I replied before walking past him. I pointed a thumb upstairs, questioning if it was okay. He gave another nod and I gave him a thumbs up and went upstairs. I knocked on the door to Applebloom's room. "Come in!" Bloom answered. I opened the door and took a step inside the room. "Hey, Bloom." I said. Her ears perked up as she saw me. "Hey Red!" She shouted. She jumped off the bed and wrapped her arms around me. My heart skipped a beat and I wrapped my arms around her. I guess this was going to be a normal thing between us now. Hopefully. God this feeling felt so amazing. Her coat felt so warm, her arms squeezed me tightly, wrapping her warmth around me, her mane smelled fragrant and everything about her was just perfect. "What's up Red?" Bloom asked. "Oh nothin'. I uh, just came to talk to you about... uhh... yeah..." I trailed off. "About what?" "Um... b-bout, yesterday." I stammered. "Oh... well don't worry about it." She replied. What? "Wait, what?" I asked. "I said don't worry too much about it." Bloom answered. "You sure?" "Yeah, I'm pretty sure." She smiled. She went back over to the bed and hopped onto it before sitting down by the edge. I sat next to her and let out a small sigh. I let out a yawp before flopping back on the bed. Bloom giggled and followed. A blush spread across my face as I realized we were laying a few inches away from each other on the same bed. "Hey Red?" "Yeah?" "Do wanna... um... cuddle?" ... FUCK YEAH I DO. "Uh, sure." I replied with a smile. Bloom let out the most adorable squee and scooted closer to me. She rolled onto her side facing me and wrapped her arms around me and rested her head on my chest. I wrapped an arm around and her and pulled her close. We both let out a sigh and closed our eyes. Bloom nuzzled my chest and let out a relieved hum and squeezed me tighter. "Hey, um, Bloom?" I asked. "Yeah?" "You know how you said not to worry about yesterday?" "Yeah." Bloom replied. "So, do you maybe wanna, try again?" I asked. I looked over at her and she wore a blush on her face. She wore a thinking face and she let out a sigh and nodded her head. She looked up at me with a soft smile. My body froze as she pushed herself on top of me. She looked down on me with a blush. We stared into each other's eyes, blushing. Applebloom slowly leaned down, our eyes closing as we braced for a kiss. The sound of the bedroom door opening stopped my heart. Bloom and I panicked for a split second before I zipped onto the floor next to my bag and Bloom sat right up on her bed. "Hey you two." AJ said. "What's up?" We both replied. "How's it goin'?" Aj asked. "It's going fine." Bloom and I replied in unison. "You sure?" "Yeah." Bloom and I replied. "Alright, well. I'ma leave you two to it." AJ said, leaving the room. The rest of the day I spent at Bloom's house. I decided to spend the night as well. I grabbed some blankets and spread them out across the floor. As I was, Bloom threw a pillow at my face. She giggled as I threw it on the floor and gave her a look. My look faded and couldn't help but smile at her adorable smile. I laid down on my makeshift bed and closed my eyes before letting out a sigh. I let out a pained wheeze as I felt something really heavy land on top of me. I opened my eyes to see Bloom on my stomach laughing her ass off. I laid back with a groan and Bloom rolled off of me. "Sorry Red, I couldn't resist." She said. "Oh yeah, I bet." I wheezed. Bloom let out a giggle and tackled me with a hug. She nuzzled my chest and I smiled. I wrapped my arms around her and she cooed. "Hey Red?" "Yeah Bloom?" "Let's wait for a good time before we try again, okay?" She asked. "Why not now?" I asked. "I dunno, I just want a more perfect place, like a dream place y'know?" She said. "I get what you're saying." I replied. "Well, alright then. Goodnight." Bloom said as she hopped into the bed and turned off the lamp. I let out a sigh and laid back before closing my eyes. "Hey Red?" Bloom asked. "Yes?" I asked as I sat up. Suddenly I felt something soft and warm press against my cheek. Bloom had planted a kiss on my cheek, which stole the life from me. "G'night Red." Bloom said. "G-g-goodnight." I stammered as I laid back down and closed my eyes.
