The Farmer and the Wonderbolt

They had fallen asleep in each other's hooves, but through the night, Rainbow Dash and Applejack had each done their share of tossing and turning, and by the rooster's crow that signaled the morning, they were anything but in each other's hooves. They were lucky to be still under the same blanket, only due to how oversized the comforter was for the bed.

"Morning, Dash. Guess neither of us are light sleepers." AJ greeted, stretching her hooves before lifting the blankets off of her and getting out of bed. Rainbow was a bit more slow to greet the morning, but the moment she heard Applejack ask how she felt about flapjacks and hash browns, she was up almost immediately. Not only that, but when they opened the door, they were already greeted by the sizzling sounds and smells of cooking down in the kitchen. They descended the stairs, and upon stepping into the kitchen, saw that they had been beaten down here, as Sugar Belle and Big Mac were already well into preparing breakfast.

"Good morning, Applejack. Oh, morning Rainbow. We didn't think you spent the night, I thought I saw the guest room empty last night." Sugar Belle greeted.

"Yeah, I was here. In another room. Hers." Rainbow replied, quickly figuring that there would be no hiding this new relationship for long, and she saw no reason to.

"Oh... Oh! Well, congratulations, you two. So, Applejack finally came around, huh?" Sugar Belle asked.

"So even you've noticed?" Applejack grumbled as she started to help get the table set.

"It's so cute when ponies think others don't notice. Even Double Diamond and Party Favor were a bit shocked when their going out with each other came to the surprise of nopony. Even Big Mac has noticed how you've been looking at Rainbow."

"Eeeyup." The stallion commented as he flipped the cooking flapjacks currently in the pan.

"Well, I'm glad that you two approve. That makes things considerably less awkward." AJ replied as she set the table with plates and glasses, getting the pitcher of orange juice out of the fridge, pouring four glasses, as Apple Bloom was at a sleepover with Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo in town. Big Mac slid the fresh flapjack onto the stack that was already on the serving platter, and brought the whole thing along with the hash to the dining table.

"I hope there's not a lot to do around here today, AJ. I've got some things to take care of around town before tonight." Rainbow said as she quickly started into her stack of flapjacks.

"Well, you've been helping out here like crazy, Dash. You of all ponies could use a day off." Applejack replied.

"It's not exactly a day off. Just... Work of a different sort. I'll be back for you tonight."

Finishing her breakfast in near-record time, the pegasus took her dishes to the sink, and pretty much galloped out of the front door, quickly taking to the sky.

"Well, sounds like somepony has plans for you, Applejack." Sugar Belle commented, getting a light blush out of the farmer in return.

"Well, whatever she's got in mind, hope she doesn't go overboard. She knows I'm a down-to-earth type of pony."

Rainbow took deep breaths as she glided down from the clouds to her house which floated a few dozen feet above the ground in the western outskirts of Ponyville. As she touched down on her front doorstep, she tried to stop her mind from racing. It was something she had done all her life, race. She was born for it. But just like a Wonderbolts show, this performance had to be approached carefully. Diving recklessly in head first would be disastrous.

Applejack was the pony she had grown to care about the most. Rainbow knew that she would have to bide her time, and last night, her patience had finally paid off. Now was not the time to be brash.

She had constructed her three-story 'Cloudominium' tower from scratch with her own hooves, using the experience she got from her two years at the Weather Factory before transferring down to be the head of the Ponyville Weather Team the first chance she had, getting away from her overbearing parents as fast as she could. The tower sat on a wide cumulus base, a stylized version of her cutie mark had been placed above the front door, Cloudsdale-style pillars supported the rounded walls as they rose up, and a few rainbow pools flowed over and around the base before falling off in waterfalls, misting away long before dripping to the ground below.

Rainbow pushed the front door open and walked into the small foyer. Wonderbolt posters, statues, and other memorabilia lined the walls as they rounded to the staircase in the middle that climbed to the second floor balcony that overlooked the first. The second floor contained a small living room, and kitchen, before the stairs climbed further to the top floor, which was entirely Rainbow's bedroom.

Going from floor to floor, the pegasus was relieved to find that there wasn't a lot of cleaning to do in order to prepare her home for visitors on short notice. Honestly, it was because it didn't see a terrible amount of use. She almost never entertained guests, and that was during her years on the Weather Team. Since becoming a full-fledged performing Wonderbolt, the cloud home saw even less living in, as she was touring Equestria for weeks at a time. In recent months when she wasn't, she wasn't here most of the time, but instead over at Sweet Apple Acres with Applejack; so often that Tank had also essentially switched addresses; the two mares had found a small pond that he had quickly made himself at home in.

When she got down to brass tacks, she knew that her small home had become little more than an expanded trophy case. If her relationship with AJ indeed sparked a fire, she wondered if she'd be better off renting it out or flying it up to Cloudsdale to sell it.

It would be a question for another time. First, she had to do her very best to fulfill her marefriend's fantasy, and give her a night in her bed.