There are many reasons why it’s completely okay to cuddle your friends. Form closer bonds, develop trust, enjoying the other’s space. Though, with those kinds of cuddles, the positions assumed hardly felt like there was more than what meets the eye. Certain positions communicate that ‘this bond is strictly friends’. Others, like the one that Applejack is currently experiencing, can muddy the line if not communicated clearly.

The larger mare laid there, completely at a loss on how to react. She blinked at the ceiling, the realization giving her the most unneeded burst of adrenaline and heart palpitations so far.

Okay, we’re definitely not sure how the hay this happened, or moreso, why, she thought her eyes flitting from the ceiling to the unicorn snuggled and snoring ever so comfortably on top of her. She furrowed her brows at the ceiling, But we ain’t gonna let it continue! She shifted herself to lay on her side, tucking her arm under her pillow and turning her front side to face Rarity. She gave a light smug snort.

Maybe now she’ll wanna turn to her side, then I can- her thoughts were interrupted by a small groan, followed by the sound of sheets shifting, then a tight but gentle hold across her back, ending with a content sigh and light snoring. Of course her plan would backfire. Why did she assume that would work? She sighed and draped her arm over the smaller unicorn, feeling herself dozing off again.

I’m definitely gonna bring this up t’morrow, she thought sternly before nodding off.

The sound of singing birds outside of the window woke Applejack, much to her dismay. She wasn’t sure what she was dreaming about, but she was having one of the most comfortable sleeps since she had to bunker down at Rarity’s during that downpour. Keeping her eyes closed, she sighed thinking about that night, when her feelings for her friend became clear to her.

It was a stormy Wednesday evening at Carousel Boutique. Applejack was helping Rarity with the last of her errands, reorganizing her fabric closet. The farmer was just setting down the last box when she heard her friend from across the room.

“It’s really coming down out there,” Rarity said with a concerned tone. Applejack walked over, stopping a couple paces behind Rarity, watching the rain pour outside of the window, the wind aggressively blowing against the window pane while tree branches sway against the gusts. Applejack winced, then let out a disappointed sigh.

“I was hopin’ I could beat th’ storm,” she spoke disheartedly, “I better go.” Rarity whipped around to face her, taken aback by Applejack’s words.

“I sure do hope by that you mean ‘go into the living room and get comfortable’!” the unicorn replied. Applejack gave an awkward chuckle.

“Well, it ain’t like I can stay here,” Applejack retorted. Rarity quirked a brow.

“And why not?” she shot back. Applejack sweat a little. She couldn’t really put her finger on it, but for some reason the thought of sharing a living space with Rarity for a night gave her a different kind of butterflies than the one she had when they stayed at Twilight's house for a night. The kind of butterflies that a foal got the night before Hearth’s Warming. It’s been like that lately, spending any time with Rarity made her feel giddier than a pig finding a mud puddle. Normally, she’d find a way to bail and use that space to get rid of all of that extra energy, but with the rain eating away at her options, she was stuck stewing with it.

“Well I….” She started to scramble for an excuse.

“‘Well’?” Rarity asked expectantly. Applejack’s eyes darted around.

“I gotta get back to th’ farm and do some apple buckin,” she blurted out. The fashionista looked at her with a blank expression.

“In the middle of a downpour,” Rarity replied flatly.

“Y-yeah…” Applejack mumbled, realizing how dumb of an excuse that was.

“Uh huh,” was all Rarity could say before walking past her larger friend and patting her arm, “I’ll go grab some things to make your stay comfortable. Go get freshened up.” She then walked out of the room. The workhorse waited until she could hear hoofsteps clack against the stairs before facepalming and groaning.

“Shoot!” she hissed.

Applejack walked into the kitchen, massaging her palm when she noticed Rarity sitting at the table, sipping from a teacup and looking outside of the window. She had a small smile resting on her lips as she listened to the raindrops blow against the window, before looking over at Applejack.

“Feel free to grab a seat darling,” she spoke casually, motioning to the empty chair next to her. Applejack nodded and tried to go for the seat furthest from the unicorn, as the idea of being right next to her gave her butterflies again, but a chuckle stopped her in her tracks.

“Sit with me, Applejack,” she said, another small chuckle leaving her lips as she lifted her teacup once more,” I don’t bite, darling.” The earth pony’s cheeks tinted a light pink, before she sat in the chair beside Rarity. Her body felt jittery, her heart began to thud a little in her chest. What was going on with her?

“Enjoyin’ the rain, Rare?” she asked, trying to ignore the bubbly feeling in her stomach. Rarity took another sip of her tea and lowered the cup after, giving a gentle sigh.

“It’s quite relaxing,” She replied quietly, “Watching it I mean. Being out there would be an absolute nightmare for my hair and my outfit.” It was Applejack’s turn to chuckle, which earned a smirk from Rarity. She brushed a strand of her hair behind her ear, looking back to the window,”There’s something about it that just allows me to...take a break and breathe. Have a quiet moment to myself.” Applejack raised a brow.

“Things have been a little rough for ya?” She asked. Rarity looked down at her cup, her eyes carrying just a tinge of sadness.

“ A little,” she replied, her finger tracing the rim of the cup,” I feel as though along the way, I lost a bit of the...joy that comes with creating new pieces,” Applejack’s gaze softened as Rarity continued to open up,” Some days I feel as though I’m just, throwing things together to appease the masses, and it works don’t get me wrong, but because of it,” the unicorn paused and let out a quick sigh, before continuing,”It leaves me with the thought that, I don’t actually deserve the recognition I receive. If I can just...toss anything together without even trying, or just phone in a new dress idea and get endless praise, am I truly an artist or just some overrated cheat who got lucky?” tears were welling up in the corners of her eyes. Applejack’s ears went back, her heart tugging as the tears began to fall, Rarity’s voice became quieter and shakier,”Maybe this career was just a mistake. Or maybe I stole this popularity from somepony who truly deserves it. Or... maybe I never really deserved to label myself an artist at all,” A silence fell between them, save for the wind blowing against the window pane and gentle sniffles. Rarity began wiping away at her eyes with the back of her hands , giving a sad chuckle.

“My apologies, Applejack,” She spoke, clearing her throat a bit,”wasn’t expecting to um… “ the unicorn fell silent, cupping her teacup with her hands. Applejack placed her hand on her friend’s forearm and rubbed it gently with her thumb, giving her a comforting look.

“I understand,” she replied softly, “and, thank you, fer trustin’ me enough, t’ open up like this, Sugarcube. I know it ain’t easy for ya.” Rarity gave a light snort, putting her hand on top of Applejack’s, running her thumb on the back of the earth pony’s palm. Applejack’s heart skipped a beat.

“It may not be,”she replied, looking down at both of their hands,” but I feel as though I can be...open with you,” She gazed at the farmer, her sparkling sapphire blue eyes filled with warmth,”Almost as if… I don’t have to put up a facade when I’m with you. I can just be me.” A warmth that started in her chest spread all throughout Applejack’s body at Rarity’ words. Her cheeks turned pink, and she looked down at the table, a smile dancing on her lips.

“Shucks, Rare,” She said,”didn’t think y’ trusted me that much,”She looked back at Rarity giving her a warm smile,”I’m glad y’ feel comfortable around me.” Rarity gave her a warm smile.

“Of course darling,” she replied,” it’s why I’ll always enjoy spending time with you. You’re always open and… reassuring, but never afraid to get to the root of the issue, all while never really casting much judgement.”

“Much judgement?” Applejack asked wryly, flustering her friend.

“W-well I mean-” Rarity began to sputter, before Applejack giggled. Much to her delight, Rarity giggled with her, hitting her arm playfully. Listening to her giggle, watching her open herself up, even if it was just a little, hearing her say how comfortable she is with her, and finding out she enjoys spending time with her left Applejack feeling warm and fuzzy, like a nice mug of hot cider on a cold fall night. Rarity was still talking, but Applejack couldn’t quite hear. Her thoughts wandered to how pretty her friend’s blue eyes were, and how her voice always had that elegance that can hypnotize anypony, and how cute her little giggles and snorts were. Anypony would thank their lucky stars just to be with Rarity.

Wait…

Oh no….

“Mm no… Those daisies would tarnish the look of the bouquet…” Applejack heard Rarity mutter from under her chin. The farmer finally opened her eyes, the room going from a pitch black to a dark blue, the room being illuminated by the light coming through the window. She went to lean back to grab her phone off of the nightstand, but the arm around her back tightened a bit. She leaned back into the bed and heard an annoyed groan.

“What time is it?” Applejack heard come from underneath.

“I was gonna figure that out, but you gripped tight b’fore I could grab my phone,” the workhorse replied, her voice low. She heard a swirl of magic and saw as her phone hovered gently infront of her. She grabbed it and tapped the screen to see the clock read 6:45 am.

“It’s ‘bout a quarter t’ 7,” Applejack answered. Another groan came, followed by a whiny squeal. Applejack was thankful that Rarity couldn’t see her smirk.

“Aw, is somepony comfy?” Applejack teased. She felt a shift underneath her.

“Quite,” the unicorn replied,” With those cushiony, pillow-like breasts of yours and the absolute plushness of this bed, my sleep was divine.”Applejack poked Rarity in the side, earning a squeak from the smaller mare.

“Yer little ‘obsession’ with my chest’s gotta stop,” Applejack spoke flatly, earning a scoff from Rarity.

“But they’re so plush and soft!” the unicorn whined. Applejack rolled over, earning another whine from her friend, “Applejaaack, come baaaack.”

“Nope.”

“Pleeease?” She heard Rarity whine. It shouldn’t, but hearing Rarity whine made her feel just a little too hot and bothered. She shifted herself just a bit to ignore the tingling feeling coming from her lower bits, which earned an annoyed grunt from Rarity.

“What, thought that would work?” Applejack asked snidely. She felt a chin press into her hip and jumped, Rarity gently laying her head on the workhorse’s hip.

“Well, yes,” She replied, ”and I wanted at least another ten or so minutes of sleep.” Applejack looked towards her friend, quirking a brow.

“And t’ do that, y’ need to cuddle me?” She retorted. Rarity shrugged.

“ Cuddling helps me sleep,” she replied casually, ”I have a body pillow in my room since cuddling Trenderhoof is… difficult.” Rarity scrunched up her muzzle at the mention of her coltfriend’s name. Applejack tilted her head.

“Any specific reason why y’ keep makin’ that face when you mention his name?” She asked.

“What face?” Rarity replied.

“Ya look like y’ holdin’ mud in yer hands at the mention of his name.”

“I do?”

“Ya do.” Rarity looked up to the ceiling, briefly lost in thought, before shrugging apparently and dismissing it. She sat up abruptly, Applejack turning over to look in confusion. Her confusion changed into awe as the sun’s rays began to shine into the room, one ray in particular casting its glow onto the beautiful mare, purple strands of hair shining in the glow, the silhouette of her curvy, gorgeous figure highlighted as she stretched. The earth pony couldn't help but stare.

“Well, we might as well get ready,” Rarity said, breaking Applejack from her trance.

“Huh?” Applejack replied, trying to ignore the inappropriate thoughts going through her mind. The smaller mare just climbed over her friend, giving her a nice view of her cleavage, and walked over to the bathroom. Applejack watched her walk, mouth agape, her hips swaying as she sauntered into the bathroom, standing in the doorway and giving the farmer, at least that’s what she assumes, a sly smirk.

“Hopefully you'll have your mouth off of the floor and be at least half dressed by the time I’m done freshening up in here?” She cooed. Applejack’s face went red, ashamed that she was just caught ogling her friend again.

“I-I uh..” Applejack sputtered, looking away. She was at a loss for words. Rarity simply chuckled and closed the bathroom door. Applejack sighed in annoyance.

"Just had to stare at her rear," She muttered to herself, finally sitting up to get ready.

Applejack was idly playing a game on her phone, sitting on the bed with a clean pair of blue jeans and a black bra, the words from last night playing over and over in her head.

Sparklin' eyes, she thought, blowing a puff of air out of her nose, cute freckles, even called me stunnin'! She blushed a little bit, thinking about her friend’s flattering words. She felt her face get hotter at the memory of her friend’s antics: sitting in her lap, showering with her, cuddling with her.

Just what is that mare up to?, she thought, looking at the clock on her phone and sighing, and what the hay is takin’ her so dang long?!. Almost as if on cue, the bathroom door opened, Rarity stepping out and posing in the doorway. She wore white slim fitting jeans, an elegant navy blue shoulder cut sweatshirt, with a white pearl necklace and matching earrings. Instead of her usual cyan blue eyeshadow, she went with a darker blue eyeshadow and sky-blue eyeliner. Applejack couldn’t take her eyes off of her.

“Landsakes,” Applejack spoke a little too loudly. She watched as the unicorn’s cheeks went pink, brushing a curl back and looking at the ground.

“ Do you think it’s too… plain?” She asked shyly. Applejack blinked in shock.

“‘Plain’?” Applejack replied, ” You might give these fancy ponyfolk whiplash with how you'd be turnin’ heads!” Rarity gave her a wave, cupping her cheek as it turned to a deeper shade of red.

“Oh Applejack, you charmer,” she replied. She stood up straight in the doorway, looking at her friend with a smile, “Do go hurry and wash up darling, i want you to try something on.” Applejack furrowed her brows.

“Rare..” She replied flatly.

“It’s not me ‘using you as a dummy’,” she quickly responded, “I just want to make sure it fits okay before I give it to you.” There was a long, hard stare accompanied by silence, before Applejack walked over to her suitcase to grab her toothbrush and hair brush and made her way to the bathroom. She walked past Rarity and stood behind the door, holding the door handle.

“Alright Rare,” she said, rolling her eyes, “But no tricks. I don't wanna come out here an’ you try to rope me into being a dummy.”

“I won’t, Darling,” the fashionista nodded. Applejack nodded back and closed the door, turning on the faucet so that she could start her morning routine. She cupped her hands and splashed her face with water, sighing quietly at the warmth. She grabbed a face towel and dried off her face. She then began to brush her hair and tail, grabbed her hair twists and put them both in their signature ponytail. Next she started brushing her teeth. Her mind buzzed as she stared at her own reflection, thinking about her friend’s compliments again. She gently touched her cheek, staring at her freckles, then moved her hand to her abdomen, blushing lightly. She remembered the tone of voice Rarity used when she was touching her.

What in the name of Celestia was on her mind to sound like that?

She heard a gentle knock and snapped back into focus. She finished brushing and rinsing her teeth, set her toothbrush on the sink and turned the faucet off, leaving the bathroom. Stepping out, she saw Rarity unraveling what appeared to be a black button down shirt. Rarity turned her head and excitedly beckoned the farmer. When Applejack was close enough, Rarity used her magic to put the shirt on her. Applejack stood there confused, as she struggled to process how the shirt went from being held in Rarity’s hands, to being wrapped around her body. Meanwhile, Rarity began buttoning up the shirt with a small smile. Once she reached the top button, she straightened out the collar and tugged at the hem, then took a step back to look at her handiwork. Applejack tried to read her expression, putting her hands in her pocket and tilting her head. She watched as the smaller mare’s eyes slowly looked her over.

“Uh…” the earthpony spoke finally, “ do I look okay?” Rarity blinked and looked into her friend’s eyes, pensive.

“Well, personally, I think you look wonderful, but,” Rarity rubbed her chin, looking up and down at Applejack once more before continuing, “ why don’t you go take a look and tell me your opinion?” Applejack raised a brow, then shrugged and did as she was asked. When she looked into the mirror she gasped, loud enough for Rarity to hear.

“Everything alright, dear?” She heard Rarity call out. Applejack’s eyes were glued to her reflection, the black shirt carefully hugging her form, the seams were embroidered white with a beautiful white rose perfectly stitched over her left breast. She turned around, and was blown away, five embroidered roses on her upper back, two of them on either side red, the one in the center white. She heard Rarity standing in the doorway, turning back to face the mirror.

“Rare it’s…” Applejack began, still admiring the handiwork. She looked over to her friend to see her smiling softly. Applejack ran her fingers through her hair, blushing a bit.

“I’m so glad you love it,” She replied happily. Applejack smiled warmly at her.

“Thank you, Rarity,” She said softly. Rarity looked down at her own hooves, blushing a light pink, then straightened the hem of her friend’s shirt once again clearing her throat and taking a deep breath.

“Grab your jacket darling,” She said, looking up at her, “We’re going to grab some breakfast, and i know just the place!”

Once again, Rarity surprised her with the choice of restaurant. This time, it was a diner with, as Rarity called it, “modern aesthetic”. They were seated in a booth next to a large glass window. Rarity had a coffee with french vanilla cream and a light harvest egg white omelette, while Applejack ordered a tall stack of pancakes(apparently they came with fruit) and a side of coffee (she panicked when the waitress asked her what flavor, so she sputtered and asked for the same one as Rarity, who was quietly giggling.) The two mares were waiting for their orders to arrive, Applejack watching as the fashionista stared out the window, idly fiddling with the napkin that was carefully wrapped around her utensils. The farmer noticed that her friend’s expression looked contemplative, eyebrows furrowed as whatever she was thinking about rested on her mind heavily.

“Everythin’ alright, Sugarcube?” Applejack asked gently, breaking Rarity out of thought.

“Hmm?” the unicorn said, blinking a couple of times.

“Ya just seem distracted is all,” Applejack explained. Rarity shrugged her shoulders and gave a small smile.

“It’s alright darling,” She replied before looking at the window again, her tone sounding contemplative ”just… something on my mind is all.” Applejack tilted her head a bit, tempted to reach her hand out to her friend’s.

“Y’ wanna talk about it?” She asked softly. She watched as Rarity’s eyes dropped down, before closing them, taking a deep breath, and turning her head back to Applejack as she looked down at her hands.

“Well…” she began, struggling for the right words to say,”to be honest Applejack… I-”

“Two coffees with french vanilla creamers, one garden medley egg white omelette, and our tallest stack of pancakes with fresh maple syrup!” a cheery waitress interrupted her, causing both mares to flinch as she set down their order. The waitress stood up straight after setting everything down with a smile,” Anything else I can get you ladies?”

“No, thank you darling!” Rarity replied in a cheery tone, surprising the farmer with the sudden change. The waitress nodded at the two and walked away. Applejack looked down at her plate, and her stomach gave a low rumble at the sight. Six perfectly stacked, thick pancakes, the top decorated with an arrangement of strawberries and blueberries, surrounded by a ring of whipped cream. Her stomach growled louder as she continued to stare. She picked up her utensils and unraveled them, placing the spoon down in favor of the knife and fork. She was ready to dig in until she looked at her friend, who seemed disinterested in her omelette, idly poking away at it with her fork as her attention went back to the window. Her stomach tried gaining her attention, and it worked long enough to get her to eat a decent amount out of her breakfast . The pancakes were light and fluffy, buttery and yet sweet from the whipped cream with a hint of freshness coming from the fresh fruit. Despite how wonderful her meal tasted, she couldn’t fully enjoy it, seeing Rarity so down.

"Rarity?" Applejack called out to her, but the unicorn didn't seem to hear. Whatever was on her mind seemed to weigh heavy. The farmer took her fork and gently poked her friend with it, causing the mare to jump.

"Wha?" Rarity sputtered out. Applejack pointed at the omelette with her fork.

"Ain't ya hungry, sugarcube?" she asked, concerned, "you've been pickin' away at yer omelette while gettin' lost into the window." She watched as Rarity’s ears went back, her eyes going back and forth from the table to Applejack, before looking at her plate as she poked at her omelette. Applejack’s gaze softened as she leaned closer, resting her hand on her friend’s arm. She felt Rarity twitch at her touch.

“What’s goin’ on, Rare?” She asked softly. Rarity drew in a breath and sighed.

“I suppose I just feel as if…” she paused as if searching for the right words to say, ”as if I made the wrong choice.” Applejack raised a brow, a tad confused about which of the choices she regretted.

“Wrong choice?” she asked. Rarity’s eyes shot up from her plate to Applejack as she rushed to clarify.

“Oh! Not in ‘asking you to come with me’! That was planned since I got the invitation,” she spoke quickly, Applejack admittedly feeling a small rush of relief,” But… in Trenderhoof.”

"What did he do?" Applejack asked, her tone laced with just a pinch of anger, before Rarity waved her hand at the workhorse.

"Nothing concerning, darling," she reassured her friend, " it just feels as though I'm working hard for so little." Applejack tilted her head a bit.

"He ain't givin' ya much attention?" She replied. Rarity gave a small nod.

"Don't get me wrong, he's very attentive when it's time to be ...intimate, though very selfish," the fashionista began, "but affection wise there's just… a disconnect." She put the fork down and went for her mug, taking a sip before looking back at the window. She sighed, her hand wrapped around her mug, as she continued,"in the beginning, he was sweet and affectionate and… loving! Now, you have to wait on his hand and hoof if you want him to consider giving you a hug, a kiss or anything really. Goddess help you if you do something he doesn't approve of." She paused and looked down at her mug, unaware that Applejack (at least, on the inside) was fuming mad.

'Approval'? Who in the fuck does he think he is? She chewed on her inner cheek to try and control herself, but she was struggling. She heard Rarity shift herself a bit before she continued.

"So I would tire myself out by constantly cleaning up and organizing his space, wearing outfits I know he likes, cooking for him," Rarity’s agitation slowly grew with each action she mentioned, Applejack could see her tears of frustration welling up in the corner of her eyes,"I mean, I'm pouring myself into maintaining this diet and I-" she stopped mid sentence, tears beginning to fall. Applejack’s heart ached, she hated seeing her friend feeling so low. She shifted her hand from her friend’s arm to hand, rubbing the back of the unicorn’s palm to comfort her. Rarity took the napkin from the table and gently dabbed the corners of her eyes, giving a sad chuckle,"the funny part is, when he does finally… reward me with affection, I… I don't feel anything. "The words hit the earthpony like a slap to the face.

"Y' don't feel anything?" She asked in disbelief, "N… nothin' at all?" Rarity responded with a sad smile.

"I used to. I would feel all warm and… soft and mushy. But...now," her eyes returned to the window, a somber expression resting on her face,"not a single thing." They both sat in silence, the weight of Rarity’s true feelings hanging heavily in the air. Applejack continued to rub the back of Rarity's hand, her mind conjuring up one question.

"Why don't y' leave him?"

"Hm?" The question seemed to have taken the fashionista by surprise.

"Why don't you leave? "Applejack repeated. Rarity looked down in her lap.

"The fashion industry is a bit...talkative, darling," she explained, "and despite it being shown as a 'mare dominant' industry, it is very much the opposite. " Applejack nodded in understanding.

“So if you two were t’ end things, th’ whole fashion world would go crazy, they’d interview both of ya-”

“And… yes… they’ll side with him,” Rarity interjected, “and knowing how he is behind closed doors, I have no doubt he’ll aim to ruin my character and my career”. Rarity looked so downtrodden but Applejack was livid.

“Wh… but that’s insane!” She shouted, banging a fist against the table, earning glances from all around the establishment and a flustered Rarity hiding her face. Applejack looked around and sheepishly lowered her head before looking back at her friend.

“S… Sorry sugarcube,” she spoke in a quieter voice, “But that's ridiculous! Anypony who spends at least five minute with you can see that any sour image he tries t’ put in their heads is a lie!” Rarity didn’t seem to believe her words of encouragement. She gave a quick, small smile but her eyes ever left the coffee mug.

“I… I appreciate the thought, Applejack,” she replied quietly, “but-” she was interrupted by the earthpony taking her smaller ivory hand into her larger orange ones and holding it as tight but gentle as possible.

“Rare, you’re a gorgeous, generous mare who’s been givin’ herself and her efforts t’ ponies who don’t seem t’ understand the blood, sweat n’ tears that went into yer gifts,” Applejack said sternly, “Y'all got a keen eye, an amazin’ mind, and a charm that no sane pony can resist.” Applejack’s cheeks were burning up, but she never broke her gaze away from Rarity, who was staring back, her cheeks flushed a light pink and her eyes widened in surprise.

“Do you… really feel that way?” She spoke softly. Applejack nodded.

“I ain’t gonna lie t’ one of my best friends ‘bout that,” the earthpony replied, though it took a lot of her to use the term ‘friend’. Rarity looked away shyly, blushing before looking back at her with a warm smile.

“Thank you , Applejack,” she said, looking deep into her friend's eyes. Applejack smiled back, before picking up her fork and cutting her pancakes with it.

“Now, how bout we dig in?”She said with a wink. She earned a smile from the blushing unicorn and chuckled before taking another bite.

Rarity was excited about this jewelry store that, in the unicorn’s words, had dazzling diamonds that could outdo the stars in the sky, and of course she needed Applejack’s honest opinion on it. Applejack huffed about it, but secretly wanted to check it out in case she had any ideas for gifts. She was wandering around inside the store, admiring the jeweled necklaces, earrings and rings while wincing at the prices, until she saw Rarity across the floor, eyeing a rather shiny necklace. The workhorse walked over to stand beside her. She looked at the gems and her eyes widened: it was a gorgeous dark indigo blue necklace, each blue gemstone surrounded by two rings made of smaller white diamonds. It glittered and sparkled in the sunlight, taking the farmer’s breath away.

“Gorgeous, is it no?” She heard her friend whisper. She looked at the fashionista, staring at her friend’s sparkling blue eyes, causing her to smile.

“Absolutely,” she whispered back. Rarity gave a small chuckle and sighed.

“Everytime I come up to Canterlot, I come to this store and I just look at this necklace and just… imagine myself wearing this with the perfect dress to pair with it,” she spoke gently.

“Why don’t ‘cha get it, Sugarcube?” Applejack asked. Rarity pointed at the tag beside it and, while Sweet Apple Acres’ financial state was doing pretty well this year so Applejack could afford it, the number had enough 9’s to still sting and make her wince.

“I’d have to sacrifice some of my essential budgets, work back to back commissions and even then I’d barely be able to afford it,” the unicorn said with a sad smile, “that’s why I'm hoping for Fashion Week to go well,” She took a deep breath before continuing, “Could you imagine the amount of publicity I could get if the biggest names in the fashion industry were actually impressed by my work?” Applejack gave a snort, causing Rarity to give her a confused look.

“I know the judges will be impressed by yer work,” the earthpony replied confidently, smirking at her friend while crossing her arm over her chest, “Can’t nopony make an outfit that steals the show quite like you, Rare.” Rarity looked away with a smile, blushing and twirling a strand of her hair.

“We should.. Um… get going,” She spoke sheepishly, walking past her friend, her smile never leaving her lips. Applejack started to follow after her, but stopped to stare at the necklace one last time. She made a silent promise to herself, before walking out of the store.

They were both exhausted from the day’s activities. After the jewelry store, Rarity took Applejack to two popular tourist sites: There was the Royal Falls, which Rarity bragged about being “mesmerising” and, while she was right, it couldn’t beat seeing Rainbow Falls during the golden hour. Then there was the Holy Overview, where there is a bed of clouds hovering below, below them are rivers, trees, and mountains as far as the eye can see, the sunset casting a warm glow on the scenery. Now this, Applejack can say, was breathtaking. The earthpony heard a chuckle come from beside her, Rarity looking up at her with a smile. Applejack blushed and smiled back at her, turning back to the view. She felt something holding her arm, her cheeks growing warmer as a chilly breeze blew in. They stayed until the sun had vanished behind the mountains and twilight began, before picking up dinner to eat at the hotel.

"What a day!" Rarity exclaimed, sprawling out on the bed as Applejack set their dinner on the nightstand. The farmer chuckled as she sat down on her side of the bed.

“Don’t get too comfy, sugarcube, we still gotta bathe,” she said, leaning back. She heard Rarity groan, slowly turning into a frustrated squeal. Applejack giggled as she walked over to her suitcase.

“Ya comin’?” She asked the unicorn, gathering her change of clothes. She looked at her friend to see that she had a confused look on her face.

“You want me to shower with you again?” Rarity asked. Applejack blushed and nodded.

“I could uh… use somepony to get my back again,” She replied sheepishly, hoping rarity wouldn’t be able to see through her half-truth. Sure she did enjoy the massage/ scrub she received last night, but another part of her wanted to get another eyeful of her friend. Rarity gave her a smirk as she got up and went over to her suitcase to grab a couple of things, before standing in the doorway of the bathroom.

“Don’t be too long~!”She sang as she went inside. Applejack rolled her eyes as she listened to her friend start the shower. Grabbing her change of clothes, she headed straight for the bathroom.

It was the same routine as the night before: both mares undressing themselves, Applejack awkwardly looking away as she stepped into the shower, the workhorse steals a couple of glances as Rarity steps in. She started to face the faucet, but Rarity managed to tap her arm before she could.

“Could you get my back, darling?” she asked so sweetly. Applejack blinked at her, almost not believing what she just heard.

“Y’ want me t’ what?” She asked.

“Wash my back.”

“Y...y’ sure?” Rarity rolled her eyes.

“Honestly Applejack, I promise it’s nothing new,” She lathered a loofah and handed it over to her farmer friend before turning around, “And I promise I won't bite.” That last line was a little tease, Applejack was sure of it. The farmer’s cheeks went from orange, to red instantly as she desperately tried to calm herself down.

It’s nothin’ wild, she thought, just… washin’ a friend’s back. With soap. In a hot and steamy shower. Her mind ran rampant with inappropriate scenarios as she felt her cheeks grow warmer.

“Applejack?” Rarity called out. The farmer gently pressed the loofah onto her friend’s back, rubbing in light gentle circles. She heard Rarity giggled in response, leaning back into the flustered farmer’s hand to make up for the lack of pressure. Applejack continued her circles, the repetition and rhythm helping her calm down.

See, she thought, no big deal! Just gotta do this a couple times and then-

“Mind rubbing it in with your hands? Just wanna make sure I'm completely lathered up” The farmer heard her say. She blinked as the words processed in her mind, the heat growing in her cheeks.

“Are uh… Are y’ sure?” Applejack struggled to ask. Rarity nodded, using her magic to place the workhorse’s hands on her lower back. Applejack took in a deep breath and slid her hands up her back, fingers spread wide. She heard a content sigh leave the unicorn and continued, easing in the usage of her thumbs. The steam and the heat continued to grow as Applejack went from lathering to massaging her friend’s back, trying to ignore the thoughts by focusing on the rhythm.

Don’t think about it, She thought, just keep thinkin’ about the circles. She watched as she pressed her thumbs onto her friend’s back, rubbing in circular motions. That’s it, nice, big round circles. Like kneading dough, or putty…. Or…. her eyes ventured lower to her friend’s rear, taking note of how round and plush it looked. The inappropriate thoughts came flooding in all at once, and her breathing grew a little heavier. Her hands moved a little lower, thumbs kneading slowly gently. She felt her friend leaned into her touch, hearing soft, shaky breaths from her end. The farmer fought the urge to lean into her, her hands idly sliding lower, stopping right at her friend’s hips. She stared at the unicorn’s rear, her mind in a bit of a fog. The urge grew stronger, Applejack needing to bite her lip to show some restraint. She looked at Rarity hoping she wouldn't notice, who was looking back at her from the corner of her eye. Applejack’s face went red, especially after seeing the look her friend gave her. Her eyes looked as though... she was feeling just as foggy minded as Applejack. Wait… is she?

Is she….blushing?

Author's Note

Man this one was a wild one to write haha!

Hoppe you enjoy!!!!!!!!!! We may get some ~spice~ next chapter ;)c