"Oh Darling...."
"Applejack..."
"Oh wake up, you sleepyhead..."
Applejack fiddled around groggily in the bed, Her aching head violently throbbing. Rarity's barking commands only furthering the pain in her overwhelmed temple.
"Applejack, wake up this instant!"
Another protest from the woman seated next to her, made Applejack groan loudly. Snapping upwards out of the bed, she let out a sigh.
"Ugh...what?" The farmer moaned, leaning up and facing her equally disgruntled partner.
"It's a quarter till noon dear, don't you want to get up before then?"
Applejack rolled her eyes and groaned. "No. Ah'm hungover like nobody's business, Mah head feels like a sack of apples." She muttered, flopping back into the mattress grabbing the mass of blankets, yanking them over head.
Rarity chuckled and leaned down and gave her partner a small rub on the back on the neck.
"Well dear, I did warn you not to drink before bed, but you didn't listen."
Applejack gave a slight hiccup at the mention, and moaned. "Blurgh. How much did Ah drink last night?"
"You mean you don't remember?" Rarity inquired, rubbing a finger on her chin, puzzled.
"Nope, too sick ta think." Applejack creaked, rolling under the covers in distaste.
"You and Rainbow Dash decided to make gluttons of yourselves at Pinkie's gathering last night." Rarity said, slowly rising up off the bed.
At the mention Applejack groaned, thinking back to Pinkie Pie's party the previous night. Her head throbbing more at the memory.
"Chug, chug, chug!" Pinkie Pie chanted out in excitement, bouncing around Sugarcube corner, as she and many other party goers sat in amazement at the sight before them.
Applejack and Rainbow Dash sat huddled at a table in the middle of the room, the two of them engaged in an impromptu cider drinking contest. What had started off as a friendly wager, had escalated into an all out ego stroking contest between the two.
"And done! Beat that Apple-crap!" Rainbow said boisterously, slamming down what had been her seventh mug of cider, onto the table. Despite her bravado, Dash's eyes had been heavily glazed over at this point, the cider's alcohol obviously beginning to take it's effects.
A chuckle from the opposite side of the table, made Rainbow's brow furrow in annoyance.
"Well boy howdy, seven mugs! Not bad RD!" AJ began, readjusting her stetson on her head.
"But yer gonna have to do better than that if ya wanna beat me at a cider drinkin' contest." Applejack called out, leaning back in her seat. She slid her mass of empty mug's over to Rainbow's side of the table, smirking as Dash's eyes widened upon counting them.
"You drank fifteen mugs of cider!?!" Rainbow stuttered out, bewildered.
"Yup. And Ah could've drank more, but Ah figured Ah go easy on ya."
"Bullshit! You're bluffing!" Dash snapped leaning up slamming her fist onto the table, her words slightly slurred. Applejack cockily smiled repeating Dash's motions, leaning up on the table as well.
"Ya think so?"
"I know so, Crapplejack." Dash snarled, her buzzed demeanor giving way.
"Alright then, let's keep it goin' then." Applejack said, grabbing a fresh mug of cider, and taking a sip.
Time seemed to be in slow motion as the two women, reengaged their contest, and put away mug after mug of cider. Pinkie continued to cheer them on as did the rest of the party goers.
Some time later, by her tenth mug of the golden liquid, Dash's resolve had began to fade. Her mind becoming fuzzy from the alcohol's effects, her full stomach protesting at her gorging, she gave a small belch in an attempt to free up some space in her gut, to no avail.
Applejack on the other hand seemed, to be in heaven. The farmer had put away at least twenty mugs of the stuff, seemed to be no worse for wear. She finished off her mug with ease and gave a content sigh, leaning back in her seat.
"Well that's 21 mugs of cider for me! How are y'all doing over there RD?" Applejack inquired, casting an eye over to her rival/friend.
Rainbow took a tiny sip out of her mug, her hand trembling.
"I-uh..I" She stuttered, Before slumping back in her seat.
Muffling a belch with her hand, Dash sighed and admitted defeat. "I can't drink anymore. I'm done." Dash muttered, hand resting on her stomach, feeling the cider sloshing within. Applejack smiled, hopping up out of her chair and cracking another smirk and giving a thumb's up to her beaten challenger.
"Aw don't feel bad about yerself Rainbow, us Apples are just naturals when it comes to eating an' drinkin'!" AJ said, giving a comforting rub on RD's neck. Dash immediately swatted her hand away in bitterness.
"Whatever.." Dash groaned, lowering her head in immediate distaste at her defeat.
Applejack laughed and stepped away, and went over to the snack table. Despite the claims she had made earlier, She was damn full from all that cider, although she was managing to hide it pretty well.
The rest of the night went as expected, laughing, eating, and even more drinking. By the time she and Rarity had arrived back to Rarity's boutique, Applejack was absolutely hammered, and Rarity had to help the farmer upstairs to the bedroom.
"Oh yeah, now Ah remember. But it ain't mah fault though, Rainbow Dash had it comin'." Applejack uttered, her mind coming back to the present.
"Yes well, maybe so, maybe not. My point still stand's though Applejack."
"Which is?"
"You shouldn't have drank all of that garbage before going to bed. Now look at you, you can hardly move!." Rarity scolded, pointing at the slumped farmer under the mass of blankets.
Applejack sighed, and rolled over and rose up from the bed sheets, giving Rarity a glare.
"If Ah get up, will y'all stop all yer damn complainin'?" Applejack grunted, shooting Rarity a dismissive look.
"Yes dear. You have my word."
Applejack gave her throbbing head another rub, before rolling her eyes in protest.
"Ugh. Fine, Ah'm comin'."
Applejack gave a weak moan of discomfort as she shuffled into Rarity's bathroom, rubbing the excess sleep from the corner of her eyes. The pounding in her temple had managed to subside for a bit after some much needed walking. She gave a slight shiver as her bare feet made contact with the cold tile.
"Can never find my damn socks when I need 'em.." She grumbled.
Stepping forward, Applejack took a moment to splash herself with some water from the sink below her. The lukewarm liquid cleaning off any remaining grime off of her face. Projecting a lone eye towards the mirror, AJ gave a little smirk at her reflection. Her massive blonde locks of hair were frazzled and unkempt, her cider-stained tank top barely managing to cover her broad chest.
"Well, Ah've definitely seen better days..." She chuckled.
Leaning up and shaking off some excess water, Applejack grabbed her toothbrush from the cupboard above her head. The very same toothbrush, Applejack had left at the boutique during one of Twilight's "sleep over's" many moons ago. Popping the cap off the tube of toothpaste and spreading a healthy amount on her toothbrush, Applejack went to put the toothbrush in her mouth, but before she could, a familiar voice called out to her from the open door behind her.
"Ah, there you are darling. I was wondering where you had scampered off to." Rarity briskly said, leaning in the doorway shooting a content stare at the farmer.
Waving a hand dismissively behind her, Applejack chuckled and turned her head to face the smaller woman.
"Stalkin' me again, eh Rarity?" She grunted, her voice full of blatant sarcasm.
"Oh please, like I would ever need to 'stalk' you. If anything dear, you would be the one who would be doing the stalking." Rarity lazily said, stepping into the bathroom, lightly re-adjusting her orange bathrobe around herself.
Applejack sneered and scoffed. "The hell's that supposed ta mean?"
Rarity giggled, walking closer to her partner and wrapping a forced, yet loving arm around the tall broad in front of her. "Face it darling, you would be lost without me..." She continued, mumbling into AJ's ear and giving it a light succulent nibble on the lobe.
"Come on Rares.." Applejack shifted in place and groaned, mostly from annoyance, but partly from reluctant pleasure of the feeling. Rarity only seemed to ignore Applejack's protest's, leaning in placing a kiss right on the farmer's now beet-red cheek.
"Rarity..."
"Don't fight it dear..."
"Rarity-
"Applejack just relax-"
"RARITY!" AJ bellowed, wriggling her way from Rarity's surprisingly strong grip.
"Ah'm trying to brush mah teeth here Rarity. Last thing Ah need is for ya to ta go an poke me in the eye with that horn of yers." Applejack protested, gently pushing the the ever persistent Rarity from off of her.
"Aw you're no fun Applejack." Rarity pouted, sticking her bottom lip out giving a mock expression of sadness.
"Nope, Ah'm not. Especially when ya keep pesterin' me for no reason in the mornin'."
Rarity chuckled, and gave a simple nod. "Very well then dear, I'll let you finish up with your hygiene. I'll be downstairs if you need me."
And with that, she stepped out from the room and out of AJ's sight. Applejack shook her head in disbelief, before returning her focus to her still un-brushed teeth.
"That girl is as clingy as a horse tick in the summer." She though to herself, chuckling.
Shortly after finishing up in the bathroom, Applejack stepped back into Rarity's bedroom, looking for her clothes.
Noticing them scattered across the floor , AJ quickly began Sliding into her boots, jeans, and her orange button up, Applejack gave a quiet sigh of relief once she laid eyes on her most prized possession. Her hat.
"There ya are." She said, picking up the brown beaten up stetson from off the floor, dusting it off briskly. She plopped it onto her head with ease, and took a glance in Rarity's mirror in the far side of the room.
"Now Ah look like me again." The farmer smirked, feeling much better about her reflection this time around. Applejack gave one last look in the mirror, before making her towards the bedroom door.
As she made her way to and down the stairwell of the boutique, Applejack's nose was hit with a familiar Delicious scent that made her stop dead in her tracks.
"Mmm. That smells like breakfast.." She thought internally, finding herself lost in the aroma. Suddenly an abrupt fit of hunger made itself known inside of Applejack's stomach, it's loud grumbling urging the farmer to investigate the source of the smell. Making her way to the bottom of the stairs, Applejack stepped into the surprisingly empty kitchen, where her eyes lit up upon seeing the massive load of breakfast fixed on the dinner table in the center of the room.
"Sweet Celestia..."
Applejack mumbled, as her mouth watered slightly at the sight of the golden platter of scrambled eggs. She slowly inched closer to the table, her belly growling loudly in immediate protest, demanding to the woman to dive in and take a bite. Before she knew it, Applejack impulsively stuck a hand out, desperate to take a nibble of the eggs. But before she could act out her desires, that familiar voice from earlier interrupted her again.
"Feeling famished, are we?" Rarity called out from behind her, stepping into the kitchen with a giant smirk on her bright face.
Applejack quickly snapped around, cheeks a shade of rose as she faced her partner. "Uh, NOPE!"
"Ah was just takin' a small peek, that's all.." She quickly said, shuffling her hand's behind her back.
Rarity only chuckled further. "It's okay dear. I made the food for us."
Applejack quirked an eyebrow.
"Y'all made all of this?" Applejack asked puzzled, pointing towards the breakfast feast on the table.
"Why yes, I did. I learned from the best of course." Rarity said, making her way around and over to the flustered farmer.
"The 'best' huh? And who would that be?" AJ inquired, leaning into Rarity's path.
"Why you of course. You are the best cook I know." Rarity said, stepping into Applejack's side, pulling her into a warm hug.
"Aw shucks Rare. Ya know just ta make a gal blush..." Applejack mumbled, returning the passion, hugging the smaller woman with pure joy.
"Of course darling. It's what I'm here for." She said, giving Applejack a nibble on the cheek. The two of them lay in each other's embrace for what seemed like an eternity, before Applejack's stomach grumbled again, breaking the blissful silence. Applejack ruefully rubbed the back of her head, and forcefully coughed.
"Sorry about that..." She uttered bashfully.
"Well then. It sounds like your stomach is saying we should flow towards our breakfast. Shall we dig in?" Rarity chimed, extending a hand to the taller woman.
Applejack smirked, and accepted her hand.
"Now yer speakin' mah language."
And with that, Applejack and Rarity spent the rest of their peaceful, and delightful morning in bliss.
They way they had always done.
As one.
Together.
