Farmhand

It was hours later when Quill woke up. A single shaft of moonlight was falling onto the bed, lightening the fur on his foreleg.

An unbidden wave of energy seemed to course through his veins, making him want to fly. Fly far, and fast. Maybe he could slip downstairs without waking anypony~

Well, that plan was a bust. He was halfway down to the door when he heard a noise from the kitchen. To be honest he misjudged that a little bit. It was a noise from the dining room.

Walking through the low door, he saw Apple Bloom rubbing her eyes blearily, in a chair. Her mane and now we're messed up, and she looked like she'd been sleeping with her head on the table.

"Sorry if I woke you..." Quill rubbed the back of his head abashedly, and Apple Bloom shook her head, yawning softly.

"It's fine Quill...I don't need much more rest than that." She laughed airily, still waking up, "-I passed out after dinner and it's the middle of the night." She glanced at a clock on the wall to confirm this. "I've been sleeping near eight hours. Ahm up for the day." Her speech was pressured, she looked like she was a bit nervous about something.

"So um...why are you up?" She asked, blushing for some reason.

"I've slept longer than you, though not by much. Plus I feel reeeeally energetic. I wanted to fly for a while." He was calming down slightly, the adrenaline seemed to have abated, but he still felt the urge to do something.

"Ya gotta tell meh, what's it like to be able to fly?" She walked a bit closer, softly pulling the ribbon out of her mane and dropping it, not really paying attention. Maybe she as still not fully awake, he thought to himself as she stopped a tail-length away.

"Well...it's definitely a sort of freedom." He said, unsure quite how to explain.

"Yes, but how? It must be amazing! Bein able to go to cloud and air cities and such, being able to rest on the clouds and so on? What's it like?"

"Well..." He thought for a moment before continuing, "—It's amazing, really. To be able to ride the air currents and flit around? And you can get the most amazing views...you haven't seen a sunset until you've watched one from a cloud. But anyway, it really is amazing. To feel the wind in your fur and on your face, it's a rush like no other I've known. But you have to be careful in storms and in strong winds, and so on. The wind can help you fly or it can just as easily pin your wings to your sides and make you fall to your...well, your death." He told her, watching her intently all the while.

"Sounds like it could be real amazin or else real scary." She shuddered softly. He realized his energy had faded, he was calmed down totally now.

"Is it really the best rush you've felt?" She asked softly, voice not betraying any emotion. The odd question caught him off-guard.

"Yes, though I haven't done many things to give a feeling like that." He told her quietly, unsure where this was going. He hated being unsure.

"Sorry for asking..." She mumbled softly. Another step closer, she didn't seem to realize she'd done it.

"Why are you sorry?" He smiled softly and watched her closely for a reaction.

"Ah...Ah don't know...ta be honest..." She looked down at the floor in embarrassment. Being gentle, he put his hoof under her chin and lifted her face so they were eye to eye.

"Don't be sorry. I'm not going to get mad at you for no reason." He told her in soft tones, slowly taking his hoof away.

"Yer right, ah know. I just get worried is all. Ah haven't had the best...social life." She chuckled softly, her tone silently telling him not to ask.

"Sorry to hear that." He pulled her close on a whim, brushing her mane back softly.

"Not your fault or your problem." She told him, relaxing in the hold he had on her.

"Doesn't mean I can't sympathize, does it?" He asked her softly.

"No, ah suppose not." She smiled, unsure what to say. Then she laughed quietly, though the reason as to why entirely eluded her.

"Well, hopefully our friendship never goes sour." He thought aloud, glancing up for a heartbeat.

"Quill, you can let go of me if you want." Apple Bloom felt obligated to say that, though she really didn't mind.

"What if I don't want?" He asked softly. She stared at him, slack jawed, and he laughed, letting go of her and glancing at the counter off-hoofedly.

"Sorry, that was a weird question." He told her as he took a half step back.

"I didn't really mind." She told him, stepping closer and nuzzling his shoulder reassuringly.

"I'm glad. Still...sorry for saying that." She laughed, pulling away to look at him, eyebrows up slightly.

"Stop being sorry. You don't always have to be sorry. Say...why are you sorry so often?" She asked him, thinking back to several times he'd apologized for nothing since he'd been there.

"Let's just say..." He swallowed slowly, eyes glazing over slightly as old memories resurfaced, "—I used to have to be sorry. To avoid getting, punished. Let's just leave it at that okay?" She frowned, confused, not entirely sure she understood. More and more she found her curiosity being aroused by him, and she didn't know if she hated it or succumbed to it.

"Alright, I'll drop it fer now." She told him slowly, trying to clear her head and bring her thoughts back to the present.

"Thanks, Apple Bloom." He said to her as she brushed her mane back. He found himself staring, if but for a moment, at her, before she looked back up at him and he looked away.

"Ah saw that, Quill. What're you thinkin about?" She asked softly, pulling his face back to hers. She was, he reflected, very comfortable touching. Then again, so was he. Had he always been like that? Somehow he felt the answer was no.

"I'm thinking about..." He thought for a moment, the old memories starting to drown out his other thoughts, his eyes very slowly but visibly clouding over.

"Quill, are ya alright?!" She asked him concernedly, looking at him uncertainly.

"Y-Yeah..." He swallowed with some difficulty, shaking his head, and dispelling the thoughts that were tainting his head at the moment.

"I'm o-okay." He blinked, forcing the burning in his eyes away.

"Quill, ya look a bit sick..."

"I said I'm fine." His voice had turned stony now as he took a step back.

"Quill, don't-"

"I said I'm fine!!" He said harshly, another step taken backwards. Worried for him, she stepped forward.

"Quill, calm down. Please." She looked at him uncertainly, and like a spell, his face softened.

"Sorry, Apple Bloom..." His whole demeanor changed, and he looked down in shame.

"Heya, don't be sorry. Ya looked like somethin was really botherin ya?" She took one last step so she was muzzle to muzzle with him.

"I'm fine."

"Quill, ah know what fine really means." She looked at him, saying that bluntly as ever. For some reason Quill rubbed a spot on one foreleg self consciously, though there were no marks, blemishes or scars there at a glance.

"Of course you do."

"Quill, ah've been there, when Scoots left." She said bluntly again. Quill almost looked...guilty? Shaking her head, she kept her gaze on him and her thoughts on that moment. Her thoughts kept wandering, though, to-

"Well, would ya mind telling meh what ya were remembering? Ah could tell, ya were thinkin about somethin past." He nodded slowly at this, watching her.

"Are you always this blunt?"

"Why beat aroun' the bush?" She shrugged aimlessly.

"Alright...no I don't really want to explain what I was thinking about...if you don't mind..." He looked up at the ceiling to avoid meeting her eyes.

"Quill, Ahm not gonna make ya tell me anythin ya don't want ta. But remember, that if ya do want ta talk at some point, Ahm here for ya." He smiled gratefully.

"Thanks, Apple Bloom. Really." He looked back at her, a mild blush staining his face.

"Welp, Ahm gonna get started on the chores. It's dawn." She smiled, backing up slowly."

"I'm gonna help this time!" He laughed, igniting a laugh from her, and they left the house together.