Applejuice at its juicest.
Applejack was an hardworking pony. Since she was nothing but a little ball of furr and diapers, hard labor as been a part of her life. She just couldn’t shake the feeling of contentement everytime her hooves brushed against the grass, leaving behind every step a ticklish sensation she just couldn’t get tired of even if she tried. She loved the sweet tingle of the hard ground against the soft underside of her hooves. She loved the motherly embrace of the sun on her furry back. She loved the way her muscles would tense when she had to lift something remotely heavy. And, most of all, she loved the lingering aqua eyes on her body at every given moment.
Tenderhoof and Applejack. Applejack and Tenderhoof. Aj and Tendy. Wife and husband. Well, it wasn’t the case just yet, but she knew it would eventually be the case.
Rarity has been angry; hay, the pony didn’t even want to talk to her for a whole month. But she eventually got over it, mumbling something along the line of Tenderhoof not being coltfriend material, after all. Applejack was able to see why; since Tenderhoof turned to be a good farmer, the fashionista had, now, no interest whatsoever in dating the pretty blond pal.
Surprisingly, Tenderhoof knew how to hold his ground around the farm. The blonde maned pony wouldn’t have thought of him as an hard working gal; if anything, he looked like some kind of douche bag. With a pretty face, mind you.
But, as she discovered, Applejack had a thing for blue eyed, blonde maned stallion.
She lifted an heavy bale of hay from the ground, storing it safely on a higher self in the barn. From the corner of her granny smith colored eyes, she watched her coltfriend as he dug some hole in the ground. She had no idea what he was actually doing, maybe just finding some excuse of work to leer her over. The corner of her lips lifted at the idea of Tenderhoof not being able to work because of her. Why, she did make sure to look peculiarly beautiful today.
She shook her head from the sweat that covered her body. Her mane, freed from the hairband, tickled her side and neck. He was still watching, but did a poorly job at hiding it. She turned her head, hiding her smile from him, and trotted back to the barn, making sure to swing her tail left to right in a gentle yet flirtatious manner. As she entered the barn, she heard him fall and she chuckled, this time louder than she intended to.
‘’Ah reckon somepony should get ta work done if he wants the day to be over.’’
Tenderhoof rubbed at his ear, on which he had fallen on few seconds prior. He tried to put on a mask of curiosity, but he wasn’t a good liar. At least, they had that in common.
‘’Don’t give me that face, sugarcube. Ah know you’re just peekin’ at me. You’ve been since this mornin’.’
‘’It’s... I…’’ He tried to come up with an excuse, but found himself at loss of word. He smiled sheepishly. ‘’I guess I just can’t deny how beautiful you are today.’’
‘’Why, aren’t you the charmer. But we gotta get back ta work before BigMac comes back. If he sees we haven’t done as much work than we should have, ah’ll be more wasted than a rotten apple in a hmpf!’’
Her scolding was cut short when a pair of furry lips came crashing into her own, interrupting her like no one dared before. Applejack was the element of honesty, who dared interrupt the voice of truth?
Tenderhoof, obviously.
‘’You’re cute when you’re scolding me.’’ He said with a long smile.
‘’You little…’’
She nudged him in the ribs, which he responded by bumping his flank against her. They played along a couple of minutes, enjoying the hot evening in the field, taking in every second they got to be together.
BigMac was in town for an order of apples while Applebloom left this morning with the Cutie Mark Crusaders doing Celestia knows what. As long as she stayed out of troubles… Sometimes she felt it was too much to ask for the young filly.
‘’You big oof, get ta work before ah make you!’’
‘’Wouldn’t mind that.’’ He said playfully, helping her in moving all those bales of hay.
From afar, Winona barked at something, but they didn’t care.
‘’Of course you wouldn’t, ah know yer type.’’
‘’You know my type?’’
‘’Sure darn tootin’ ah do ! Always tryin’ to be charming and innocent. Yer just a male after all.’’
‘’Keep talking my love, I love your accent.’’ He said with an ever-growing smile.
She blushed furiously, trying to keep head in the argument, but failing miserably.
‘’You like that, dontcha?’’
‘’More that I’d like to admit.’’
Both their hooves were covered in dirt, their blond mane had taken quite a drench of sweat. The zenith hasn’t been kind to them, but they were used to it. Even Tenderhoof, who has been dating AJ for the past months. Fluttershy and Twilight had been happy for them, and Pinkie Pie had thrown them a big party.
Rainbow Dash ?
She laughed her flank off until she couldn’t breath. Applejack couldn’t put her hoof on what was so hilarious but she passed it as Rainbow just being a jerk.
Applejack muzzled him and licked his cheek, and soon enough it was his turn to turn a bright shade of red. They separated to really get back to work but something crashed right between them, making the two ponies jump out of their coat in fear as the dirt covered silhouette came into view with a big goofy smile. Applejack felt her day becoming longer all of sudden.
‘’Rainbow Dash.’’ Applejack deadpanned. For some obscure reason, the cyan colored pony has been a torn in her side for the past days.
It was way too quiet after all, uh ?’
‘’Hey Aj. Hey, Tenderhoof.’’
‘’Salutation Rainbow Dash.’’ He said politely, blinking the particles of dirt away.
‘’What in tarnation are you doin’ here Rainbow ? Ah thought it was your nap day.’’ Applejack said, clearly unhappy in having her quiet day be broken by the blue Pegasus.
She loved her friend, but sometime, she was just as much of a hooffull than Pinkie Pie.
‘’Yeah, but I just couldn’t sleep anymore and I was bored. So I decided to come and visit my good ol’ friend Applejack and her coltfriend.’’ She took them in a big hug.
The blonde maned farmer didn’t quite like how she said coltfriend, but let it slip nonetheless. She was up to no good.
‘’Well, that’s mighty nice of you Rainbow, but ah’m afraid we’re a little busy right now, so ah suggest you…’’
‘’Ohhh, is that apple cider!’’ Rainbow Dash cried out as she made a dash for a bunch of appetizing looking bottles laying in a box on the ground, ready to be shipped later today.
Applejack ran behind her.
‘’Yes it is, and don’t ya dare put a single hoof on this Rainbow! Ah’m serious!’’
‘’Ahh, geez, you’re no fun.’’ The Rainbow colored pony flapped her wings in defeat, finally sitting on her rumps.
‘’My, you look… Awfully energic today Rainbow Dash.’’ Tenderhoof’s calm voice did help in soothing her marefriend’s nerves.
‘’Yeah, I was laying on this cloud but I was sooooo bored, like the kind of borefom you only have once in a lifetime!’’
‘’What about Twilight ? A’m sure she’d be happy ta chat with you.’’
‘’Out of town.’’
‘’Okay, then what about Pinkie Pie? The girl could use a friend right now.’’ Applejack said with a convincing voice.
‘’She’s busy helping the Cakes all day.’’
‘’Maybe Fluttershy would…’’ Tried Tenderhoof hesitantly.
‘’Couldn’t find her.’’
‘’Then…’’
‘’Rarity is with her family.’’
‘’Then ah guess there’s just me.’’ Applejack sighed.
‘’You got it buddy. But, hey! How’s it’s going between you and Tenderhoof?’’
The two lovebirds exchanged looks, and smiled to each other before looking at the Pegasus.
‘’It’s going rather well. Applejack makes me happy and I make her happy. It couldn’t be better, really.’’
Applejack nodded, but a thought still lingered on her mind. Rainbow did not come over just to chat over the weather and love.
‘’Good, good.’’ Rainbow Dash glanced over the two of them with a big smirk.
It was coming. It. Was. Coming. Applejack could feel it, the air around them getting colder by the second.
‘’So, Tenderhoof…’’ Rainbow Dash started slowly.
Applejack felt her heart missing a beat. Rainbow was going to say something stupid, she just knew it.
‘’Hm, yes, Rainbow?’’
Oblivous Tenderhoof was cute. Applejack braced herself for the upcoming stupidity.
‘’Do you like applejuice?’’
Two pairs of eyes blinked in confusion. Tenderhoof didn’t expect this question, and Applejack was turning the question in every single angle possible, because she doubted it was an innocent one. Rainbow had something in mind.
‘’Hm… I guess so?’’ He replied, not really sure of his choice of words.
For some obscure reason, Rainbow brought her hoof to her mouth, trying her hardest to hide her the stifle of laughter coming from it. The farmer felt her patiente reaching a new low.
‘’For Celestia’s sake Rainbow Dash ! What in tarnation is so funny!’’ Applejack exploded, slamming both her forelegs on the ground forcefully.
‘’He… He said he likes a-applejuice.’’ Rainbow said between two giggles, swinging her hoofs in the air, trying the fly straight.
‘’Yeah so what ? Ah like applejuice too!’’
This time Rainbow couldn’t hold her laughter any longer. She exploded in hilarity, falling on the hard ground and rolling over again and again. Applejack felt herself grow red in the face. Tenderhoof couldn't help but find her marefriend very adorable when angry. But the situation, he had to admit, did start to get on his nerves as well. But he was a patient guy.
‘’Rainbow Dash…’’
‘’Okay, okay ! I’ll… Hahaha… I’ll explain!...hahahahaha…..’’
‘’This instant missy!’’
‘’Okay, okay, sheesh hold your horses.’’
Once assured her hilarity has passed, she cleared her throat.
‘’So you know what’s apple juice, right?’’ She asked, asking to both of them.
‘’Yes.’’ They answered together.
‘’And Applejack comes from the Apples family, right?’’
‘’Yes. ‘’They answered together.
‘’And I assume that you reached third base by now, uh?’’ She continued.
‘’Yes.’’ They answered togheter, with a blush this time.
‘’So… Okay… Got it ?... Applejack?... Applejuice?... You know, the juice coming from an apple? How Applejack is an Apple?’’
They blinked at her, their innocent mind not being able to comprehend the joke. Rainbow started to feel embarrassed at her own dirty mind and was about to apologize when she saw them opening their eyes wide. Tenderhoof felt his knees give up from under him. Applejack just looked at her, eyes wide and jaw agape, just not believing what Rainbow had said to them.
‘’So you know ? He likes applejuice.’’. Rainbow stated.
‘’This is the most disgusting thing ah’ve ever heard!’’ Applejack exploded, cheeks burning up at the mere idea of what Rainbow Dash was implying.
‘’But hahaha, you should have seen your face! Priceless!’’
‘’Get out Rainbow Dash!’’
‘’But Aj, wait-‘’
‘’AH SAID GET OUT BEFORE AH BUCK YA SO HARD AH’LL SPREAD THOSE COLORS OF YOURS BEFORE YOU CAN’T EVEN SAY APPLES!’’
Scared outta her wits, Rainbow Dash took fly, avoiding by doing just that a hoof heading in her direction.
‘’Seesh, AJ, you’d need more apple juice to calm those nerves of ya.’’
‘’AH SAID GO!’’
Rainbow Dash took off, mumbling something about her joke being just too funny for the likes of them. Once sure she was out of sight, Applejack looked at the ground, quite uneasy at the situation.
‘’Stupid Rainbow Dash and her stupid… perverted joke…’’ she muttered angrily.
She was soon nudged by a cold nose, Tenderhoof put a hoof around her neck.
‘’It’ll be ok, Applejack. She’s just a kid.
''This pegasus got a mind like the contents of a plain brown enveloppe'' She muttered, stomping the ground just like Applebloom when Applejack warned her not to try her hoof at dangerous alchemy.
''Comon now. Calm, honey.''
There was something in Tenderhoof's voice, something so soothing, like honey syrup or fresh water, Applejack relaxed her muscles, let go of the previous anger, and her ears flattened against her head.
''Ya, sorry, ah guess ah lost mah temper fer a minut back there.
Tenderhoof gently muzzled her, licking the corner of her lips with a smile. Then he added with a smirk :
''But I do admit relishing the taste of apple juice.''
Applejack turned the reddest shade of apples.
'TENDERHOOF!''
