Rainbow came into the room, groaning and rubbing her shoulders. Mac put aside his farming newsletter. Rainbow unceremoniously flopped in his lap.
“Spitfire never lets up,” said Rainbow. “I practically have to schedule a massage after every practice.”
Mac gently ran his hoof along the flight muscles between her wings. Rainbow leaned into him and let him work.
“That’s not the worst, though,” said Rainbow. “We’ve got to go to all these events. Even if we’re not flying, we’re supposed to make so many appearances.”
“Speakin’ of events,” said Mac.
“That’s right, the Apple Family Reunion is this weekend.” Rainbow nodded. “First one for me. I asked my parents to come. We are family, after all.”
Mac nodded. He knew Rainbow’s parents, of course, but it would be the first time they had met the rest of the Apple Family since Mac and Rainbow had been married.
“Come on, don’t look like that,” said Rainbow. “It’ll be fine. My parents are cool.”
Mac shrugged. It wasn’t that he disliked new faces, it was that they would expect him to talk about himself.
Rainbow yawned and closed her eyes as Mac worked her muscles. “That feels good. I swear, you could almost replace the spa.”
“Benefits to bein’ with an Apple. We’re good with our hooves.”
“Well, maybe you are. Applejack doesn’t do massages, she just fixes the spa.”
They both chuckled. Mac said, “AJ doesn’t really know how to relax.”
“Heh, yeah. It’s only you still working on the farm that lets her have some time off.”
Their small house adjoined the orchard, on the opposite side from the Apple Family ancestral home. Mac and his sister still farmed together.
“But you know, you should relax once in awhile, too. Get out more.”
“You do that plenty enough for both of us.” Mac gently ran his hooves across her wings, straightening a few feathers.
“Yeah, but I shouldn’t have to.” Rainbow held still for him to preen, and yawned again. If this kept up, she would fall asleep on Mac. It had happened before. The Wonderbolts were apparently working her pretty hard.
She was happy, though, and that made him happy.
He had to carry her to bed that night. She was already snoring and didn’t stir when he placed her on her side of the bed.
She was cute, lying there like that. Mac wasn’t about to tell her that, though. She seemed to delight in roughing it, especially after joining the Wonderbolts. Mac just hoped her schedule became more tolerable soon. It didn’t seem like that would happen, though.
That weekend, all the Apples gathered at the farm for a good old fashioned hoedown, and Rainbow wasn’t present. Mac ended up awkwardly entertaining Rainbow’s parents without her.
They could carry a conversation by themselves just as well as their daughter, but after the first few minutes even that ability was getting strained. They were nearly the only pegasi at the gathering. They had nothing in common with the Apples..
“I was meaning to ask, how did you two meet?” asked Rainbow’s father.
“My sister needed somepony that could beat Rainbow at hoofwrestling.”
There was a pause. Rainbow’s mother asked, “And then what?”
“Rainbow said I needed to get out more and took it on herself to make it happen.”
The conversation stalled again.
“Hey everypony, sorry I’m late,” said Rainbow, arriving just then. She greeted her parents and gave Mac a nuzzle of welcome.
Spotting Rainbow, Applejack came over to join the conversation. “Wonderbolts keepin’ you busy?”
“Yeah,” said Rainbow. “Can you believe they want me to go to fancy parties? I expected a lot of hard challenges in the Wonderbolts, but not that kind.”
“Fancy parties?” Applejack chuckled. “Kind of funny to think about, you goin’ to those. Just about as funny as Mac in drag.”
That drew raised eyebrows from Rainbow’s parents.
“Lost a bet,” he muttered. “And another time I had to enter the Sisterhooves Social.”
Applejack elbowed Mac. “He probably has more experience bein’ fancy than Rainbow.”
It actually wouldn’t surprise Mac. Rainbow was not exactly known for dressing in style.
That day, she wasn’t much for hanging out, either. “I’ve got to get ready for an event tomorrow in Canterlot,” Rainbow announced. “It’s going to be a difficult one.”
“A big flying event?” Rainbow’s father asked.
“Worse. A big charity event.” She yawned and said, “Good to see you, mom and dad. I’m glad you came. I’ll see you at home, Mac.”
When she was gone, Rainbow’s father fixed Mac with a stare and said, “So tell me about the crossdressing.”
“I’ll tell you anything you want to know,” chuckled Applejack. She gave Mac a nudge with her hip. Embarrassing it might have been, but she was giving him an out and he took it.
He walked home across the orchard, watching the sun set. Rainbow was serious about getting a jump on the next day and was already in bed when he arrived.
She’d laid out a dress, one that suggested Wonderbolts affiliation with its coloring. Mac figured she’d probably had help picking it out, though it wasn’t as elaborate as something Rarity would have made.
He glanced between the dress and Rainbow, imagining how she would look wearing it. Good enough for a business event, he reckoned. She had nothing to worry about. The problem would be convincing her of that.
Rainbow was not a mare that did things halfway. Athletics, achievement...insecurity. She had a hard time handling her shortcomings, and when she crashed, she crashed hard. Mac was there for her, a rock that didn’t judge.
He sometimes wondered what he was getting out of the relationship.
But what he thought didn’t matter. He laid down beside her and went to sleep.
The next day, Rainbow slept late. Maybe she was trying to avoid the event. Mac got up at dawn and went to work the orchard.
He had been alone with the trees more often than not for most of his life. Sure, his family was around, but the orchard was large. Mac had learned to keep to himself. The trees didn’t expect conversation.
When he returned that afternoon, Rainbow was sorting out the dress and searching through the limited selection in her jewelry box. She looked up and smiled when he came in. “There you are. I need an opinion.”
Mac nodded and Rainbow tried on the dress. “What do you think?”
“It’s good.”
“Just good?”
“You look good in anything.”
“Thanks, but this is a Wonderbolts event. I can’t just be good. I have to be the best. This is the dress they wanted me to wear so we’ll match, but next to the others I don’t know if that’ll be good enough.”
“If you’re all in the same dress, you’ll all look good.”
“Well, you know, it’s not just about the dress, it’s the whole package. I’ve got to figure out my mane and what necklace I’m wearing and makeup-and...” She sighed. “I can’t believe I joined the Wonderbolts for this.”
She looked like she needed a hug. Mac walked over and gave her one.
Rainbow laid her head on his chest and breathed for a few seconds. Mac watched her. She suddenly looked up. “Hey, you know makeup, right?”
“Uh…”
She grinned. “‘Cousin Orchard Blossom’ had to come from somewhere. You can be my stylist!”
“You want me to what?!”
“Come on! It’s not like you can do any worse than me when it comes to makeup.”
“You’re sure?”
“Yeah! Let’s do this!” She pulled him into the bathroom.
Mac wasn’t sure where the makeup supplies on the bathroom counter had come from. Maybe Rainbow had borrowed them or maybe they’d been issued along with the dress. He looked over what was available, drawing on all the lessons he’d learned from growing up with two sisters and a grandmother.
“Are you sure?” he asked again.
Rainbow nodded, still grinning.
Mac turned hesitantly to the makeup and took a deep breath.
He picked up taking a washcloth and wet it with warm water before gently washing Rainbow’s face. She twitched and tried to hide a grin as it tickled her nose. Mac gently dried her skin and picked up the blusher and its accompanying brush. He paused before delicately dusting the brush in the makeup and began smoothly stroking it over her cheeks, marking out her cheekbones. Rainbow looked at him as he worked but stayed still.
Next Mac selected some eyeshadow, going through the same delicate process of applying the makeup first to the brush, then to Rainbow’s eyelids. She obediently closed them as he worked.
Mac finished with that and picked up the mascara, remembering how fiddly the tiny brush seemed the first time he’d used it. “Open your eyes and look up.”
Rainbow blinked at him curiously before sighing and looking up as asked. “Are you done yet?”
Mac knew that if he stopped now, he wouldn’t have the nerve to finish. And this was an important step; Rainbow’s eyelashes needed all the body they could get.
Lipstick was something else to consider, as there weren’t many shades that would go well with her coloring. Mac found one that was bold enough to be seen, yet subtle enough not to dominate.
He held her chin as he applied the lipstick. “Pucker,” he said, and she obediently obeyed.
That finished, it was time for the mane. It would probably be the easiest part. A dress on the simpler side and Rainbow’s shorter mane made for a straightforward style.
There wasn’t hardly enough to braid, so Mac took a different approach. He put her mane up, getting it off her ears and neck, and then gave it a twist. Somewhere in the mess of cosmetic products was a pair of gold chopsticks that would serve as something shiny so Rainbow wouldn’t have to pick jewelry. He stuck them in her bun and backed off to give her a once-over.
“Done,” he said.
Rainbow smiled at him and turned to look in the mirror. “How does it look?”
“It looks good.”
“Just good?” she said.
“Well, how do you think it looks?”
She turned away from the mirror. “You realize we’re going to be caught in an endless loop here, right? It’s not polite for me to say that I look awesome or for you to say that you did an awesome job.”
Mac chuckled.
“I’d kiss you, but I don’t want this lipstick to go everywhere,” said Rainbow. She settled for a nuzzle instead. “Now get your suit and let’s go. We don’t want to be late.”
“We?”
“I’m allowed to bring a date. And you do need to get out more. Come on, it’ll be fun. I promise I won’t tell anypony who really did my makeup.”
Their ride was waiting and they headed to Canterlot. A private carriage was certainly a benefit to being married to a Wonderbolt.
The party was, as described, fancy. Mac looked around as they walked in. He was wearing the plainest outfit there, and knew it. Rainbow had introduced him to one or two Wonderbolts before. Mac already knew Soarin’ from the pie business.
The Wonderbolts, Rainbow included, had the duty of meeting donors for the charity event, leaving Mac by himself in the crowd. He stood in the corner with a glass of punch.
Even if she wasn’t his spouse, he could have picked out Rainbow from across the room. She may shunned parties and been uncomfortable in her outfit, but she was certainly at home being the center of attention. And she deserved it. Mac smiled to himself. She looked good.
He frowned. Except for that wisp of mane that was about to come loose. Somepony should fix that. Mac looked around. Apparently, that somepony was him.
He made his way through the crowd as well as a large yet inconspicuous stallion could, arriving at Rainbow’s shoulder. She smiled, probably thinking he had come to be social. Mac surreptitiously attempted to fix her mane, but she turned just then to address more party-goers, a mustachioed unicorn and his date.
“I say, you’re looking splendid tonight,” said the unicorn to Rainbow in his posh Canterlot accent. Mac attempted to reach her mane as discreetly as possible.
“I simply must know the name of your stylist,” said the mare, in an even posher accent.
“Um, well…” Rainbow faltered, sneaking a glance at Mac. She’d promised she wouldn’t tell. “You, uh, probably haven’t heard of him.”
“Oh, then you can be the first to tell me,” the mare pressed.
“No, really, he’s…” Rainbow swallowed hard.
Would Rainbow lie? She couldn’t exactly be rude to a guest and refuse to say anything. Mac thought he detected sweat forming on her brow. It would ruin her makeup. That would ruin her night.
“It was me,” he said.
Not just the two ponies in front of him, but several others nearby turned to look. Caught in the spotlight, Mac could only manage, “I did Rainbow’s makeup.”
There was some surprise. Mac saw the stares coming his way.
Rainbow didn’t let the moment get awkward, immediately jumping in. She hooked a forleg around his own and pulled Mac close. “He’s also my husband!”
“Well aren’t you just the luckiest,” the mare in front of them laughed.
“He’s the best,” agreed Rainbow. She looked at Mac and smiled, a moment just for him among the crowd, as if the two of them were alone together.
It didn’t matter if they weren’t alone, if Mac had to face all these ponies in the crowd. With her, he could do anything. And he knew that she felt the same.
He chuckled. Especially when it came to makeup.
Author's Note
