Apples Under the Mistletoe

  AJ P.O.V

  "Oh, I hope she's okay. I didn't mean to overwhelm her."

  "Don't worry, deary. I'm sure she's fine."

  "W-Who?" I moaned. I opened my eyes to find Flim right beside me, holding my head up with his hoof with his other hoof wrapped around my waist that kept me from hitting the ground. I blushed slightly at the sight I woke up to.

  "Why you, of course," Flim answered with a smile.

  I turned my head to look at him, and I saw real concern in his eyes. I felt butterflies begin to turn in my stomach as I remembered how special this pony was to me in my mind.

  "Thanks." I began to sit up by myself and realized my hat had fallen off and landed a few feet away from me.I reached for my hat, but before I could get any closer to my Stetson hat, Flim had it levitated in his lime green aurora, floating it over to me and gently placing it on my head.

  "I'm not dying, Flim," I said jokingly.

  "Well, I'm here to make sure of that." He held out his hoof, and I took it, standing up with ease. I looked around the room and realized that Big Mac, Applebloom, and Flam were all gone.

  "Where'd the rest of them go off to?"

  "Back to work," Flim said,"You were out for about an hour."

  "That long?"

  "Well," Granny interupted," The rest of them wanted to know when you woke up, so I'll go tell them you're okay. Flim, I want you to stay here with Applejack to make sure she stays okay."

  "I'll be fine, Granny."

  "You will be with him."

  Before I could argue with her, Granny walked out the door to find the rest of the family and the newest friend to the family.

  "Would you like to sit down on the  couch?" Flim asked.

  "Most definitely."

  I walked over to the couch and sat down with Flim right beside me. For the first time since I woke up, I realized that he wasn't wearing his usual "costume."

  "Where's your clothes?"

  "Oh, when you had past out, I got you before you fell to the floor, but my shirt wasn't so lucky. It got stuck on the corner of the table and ripped it," He gave a small chuckle before adding," It left me a little something, too."

  I turned my head to see what Flim was talking about to find a good-sized cut on Flim's side. I gasped from all the blood still pouring out of the cut.

  "Geez, Flim! Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

  Before he could stop me, I rushed to the kitchen and grabbed the closest cloth. I hurried back before Flim could loose anymore blood than he already had. I held the cloth on top of the cut and the blood began to slow down. I looked up to see Flim staring at me while I was holding the cloth.

  "Are you okay, Flim?"

  "I just didn't realize being kind to another pony could come back around and be kind to me."

  "Hey, that's how friendship works." I winked at him and slowly removed the cloth. The blood had stopped, but I had to get the bacteria that had gotten into the cut.

  "One quick second."

  I hurried along to the bathroom and grabbed some alcohol to relieve the cut. Returning to the living room, I noticed Flim was upset. Of what, I didn't know, but I wasn't about to let that go by unnoticed but first things first.

  "Applejack," Flim said looking up,"Is that alcohol?"

  "Yes. It's for your cut so it will better."

  "But doesn't it stiINg!?"

  Before he could say another word, I poured some alcohol on the cut. I guess I should have warned him, but then he would have said no. His face was contorted into agony, and I saw a few tears find their way down his face. I grabbed Flim's hoof and put it on the cut while I went to go grab another cloth from the kitchen. I came back and wiped the tears off of his face.

  The pain had finally began to subside, and Flim looked in pain but also relieved that it wouldn't hurt anymore.

  "Thank you, Applejack."

  "No need to thank me. I just did what I had to do for a good friend of mine."

  Once I finished getting rid of the messy clothes, I decided I would ask Flim why he was upset before somepony else came to the house.

  "I noticed you were upset earlier, Flim."

  Flim looked down," Was it that obvious?"

  "Yep, and I think you should talk about it."

  I could tell he was trying to find a way out of talking about his feelings, but he knew he wasn't going to get away without some explanation.

  "Well, I suppose I should start from the beginning..."