It was the holiday season, and Cheery and I were going home for Herths Warming. "I'm home!"

"Hey, hey! There's my boy!" Pa shouted as he greeted me in the kitchen. "Honey! Our son's home!"

"Oooh, my little Johnny's home!" Ma ran into the kitchen and brought me into a bone-crushing hug.

"Ma! Chocking, not breathing," I said as my air supply was running low.

"Oh, sorry sweetie it's just so good to see you." Ma stopped squeezing me to look at my face and could not help but shed happy tears. "Oh, you've gotten so handsome! And it's good to see you too Cherilee."

"Good to be back Mrs. Apple." Cheery smiled while hugging Ma.

The door opened again and Cheery's parents walked in. "Thanks again for the invite, Bright." Cheery's pop, Raspberry, thanked my Pa.

Blueberry, Cheery's Ma came walking in with a few presents in her arms and magic. "It'll be a nice change of pace to do Hearths Warming with friends."

As we helped bring in the presents, I was tackled by a little orange ball of cuteness. "Johnny!" Little AJ started walking and talking a few months ago, and she missed me every day I was gone in Canterlot. "You're home! You're home!"

"Hey, there's my little sister!" I took her in my arms and gave her all the hugs we missed out on, into one big hug. "You out bucking apples with Ma and Pa yet?"

AJ shook her head no. "Nuh-uh. Granny said next spring I can help carry baskets."

Before either of us could react, Cheery scooped up AJ in her arms. "Ooooh! You've gotten so big and cute!"

"Cheery!" AJ squealed before returning the hug.

The two of them cuddled and squeezed each other as tight as they could before we all went upstairs to my old bedroom to unpack. To my surprise, very little had changed in the time I was gone but Ma had kept the place nice and tidy for my return.

"Hey, Ma where's Big Mac?" I asked while unloading my suitcase.

"He's out in the west orchard. He's gotten big since you left," Ma said while helping us unpack.

"I'm gonna go see him," I told them as I left outside into the cold. After trudging through the snow, I saw my brother shoveling snow off the roots of the trees. "Hey, little brother! Need a hand?"

"John!" Big Mac dropped the shovel and raced over. We came into a big hug and that's when I realized just how much he's grown. "I missed ya, big brother!"

"Missed you too little brother." Although, little is stretching it a bit. He'd grown to where he was only a few inches shorter than me. "Ma was right. You got big."

"Ma said I'll be as big as Pa one day. It's good to have you home, John. I missed you." He tightened the hug just as we started for home.

"It's good to be home. I missed the smell of apples and Ma and Granny's cooking. All I ever smell up in Canterlot is smug rich folk with their noses up their own butts." That part got him to laugh as we came back into the house.

"There's my two grandsons," Granny greeted us with a smile and two mugs of hot chocolate.

"Thanks, Granny," Mac thanked Granny while I added marshmallows to mine.

Cheery walked over with her mug and she gestured for me to follow her into the living room. We walked over to the fireplace and she got out her Hearths Warming doll. "I think this will go great over" She went over and placed her doll beside mine, intertwining their hands together. "here." She stood by me and we admired the fire. "Happy Hearths Warming, John."

"Happy Hearths Warming, Cheery." We shared a kiss, and we heard a giggle behind us.

We looked back to see AJ holding her mouth as she kept her giggling to herself. She then ran up to us and held Cheery's hand. "When are you two gonna get married?"

That question made both mine and Cheery's eyes widen and are breath hitched. We then locked eyes and I saw her lips turn into a coy smile. "Maybe in a few years." If I had a mirror, my cheeks would be as red as Big Mac.

"You're funny. You know that?" I kissed her again before picking AJ up. "And you!" She squealed as I launched her in the air and caught her again. "Are too cute for your own good."

“Ah! Ah’m flyin’!” AJ squealed. “Higher, big bro!”

"Alright. Let's go higher!" I threw her higher and caught her again. We kept going as we neared the couch. With one last toss, both Cheery and I caught her as we fell onto the couch and started to gang up on her and tickle her.

“Hahahahaha! Stop! Stop! Ah’m gonna pee!” AJ laughed hysterically.

We both stopped before she could and AJ headed for the kitchen. Once we were alone, Cheery cuddled next to me as we watched the fire crackle. "John."

"Hmm?"

"What's something you want for Hearth's Warming?" She asked me.

I had to think about that. Did she mean what did I want most? Or what I want that she could get me. After a few seconds to think about it, I told her. "I wouldn't mind the newest Daring Do novel. I hear it's got a giant snake in it." Cheery giggled at my answer before laying her head on my chest. "What about you? What do you want most?"

"I'll tell you tomorrow," She said with another coy smile.

Since Cheery was here, our folks decided it would be best if we had a sleepover in the living room. AJ took the easy chair, and Mac took the couch, leaving Cheery and me with the floor. We made a nest of pillows and blankets and listened to the holiday music playing in the corner. As we tried to fall asleep, we watched the snow fall outside the window. "Beautiful."

"It is," Cheery said as we kept watching. "So peaceful."

"I was talking about you," I confessed as she blushed at the compliment.

"Oh, you." She scoffed playfully as the fire cracked a bit and we continued to watch the snowfall. Winter in Ponyville was more peaceful than in Canterlot, where you would find lights strung up around every street, you would see nothing but snow-covered trees as far as the eye could see but what was really amazing was how the moon made the snowflakes glimmer like they were fallen stars.

"I'm glad you came with me Cheery."

"There's no place I'd rather be than by your side," Cheery said as her eyes started to grow heavy. "I love you very much~."

"I love you too, Cheery~." We shared a kiss before settling into our makeshift bed and drifting off to sleep.

"Wake up! Wake up!" I woke up with a start as AJ was running around the room, screaming her head off and waking everyone up.

"Sweet Celestia! Go back to bed," I groaned while covering my head with one of the pillows.

“No time for sleep! It’s time for presents!” AJ cheered.

"Alright AJ, settle down. We need to eat breakfast first." Ma said as she came downstairs in her morning robe with Pa while he let out a big yawn that almost sounded like a fog horn.

"Mornin' love birds, you two get nice and cozy by the fire~?" He teased as Ma slugged him in the arm with a scolding look.

Raspberry and Blueberry walked down as well and smiled at us. "Get a good night's sleep?" Raspberry asked while tussling his daughter's hair.

"Like a couple of peas in a pod," She told him.

"Alright, youngins! Breakfast is served!" We all heard Granny say from inside the kitchen.

The moment we crossed into the kitchen, we could smell Granny's signature pancakes along with the aroma of hot chocolate. Never had I seen a finer breakfast on Hearths Warming day as it was my favorite, Ma had even taken the liberty of decorating each of our stacks with whipped cream and strawberries.

"Alright everypony, gather round so we can give thanks to this year's feast." Granny smiled as we held hands around the table.

We bowed our heads and stayed silent as Granny blessed our food. Once it was done, we sat down and ate. AJ kept shoveling her oatmeal like her life depended on it. Guess she really wants to hurry and get to the presents.

"Now sugar cube slow down, those presents aren't going anywhere," Pa smirked as he sipped his coffee while reading the newspaper.

"So son, anything interesting happen in the city?" Ma asked me and Cheery.

"Well, we ran into Shining Armor," I said surprising my folks.

"Your penpal? That's very nice. You three have the same classes?" Ma asked while passing Pa the biscuits.

"We have a couple of classes together. He's pretty cool," I told them while spreading jam on my toast.

"Don't forget what happened on Nightmare Night," Cheery reminded me.

"Oh yeah! There was this giant tower made of candy, and we got so much candy, it'll last us-" Cheery went and pinched my arm. "Ow!"

"Not that! The other thing," Cheery said.

"What other... Oh yeah! We were able to get Shining and Princess Cadance together." I told them before biting into my toast.

Our parents nearly spat out their food and drinks when they heard we played matchmaker for our friend and Princess Cadance.

"Cadence, the niece of Princess Celestia?" Ma asked to clarify while leaning an ear toward us.

"Yep. We made it our mission to help him find love." Cheery explained.

"Took us just a month or so, so I think that was a record," I explained, just as we finished eating.

"Blech! mush!" AJ said with disgust and stuck her tongue out.

"Sugarcube, mind your manners," Pa scolded AJ a little.

"Yes, Pa." She went back to her oatmeal. After we got the dishes cleaned, AJ ran into the living room and jumped around. "Present time! Present time!"

"Now settle down youngin, they ain't all for you." Granny winked as we gathered around the fireplace. "Now Applejack, since you're the youngest it's your job to pass out the gifts to each pony here."

"Yes, granny." I watched as my little sis grabbed the first present, still dressed in her cute little PJs. "To Granny from Ma," AJ read.

"Thank you, dear." Granny thanked Ma before opening it to see a pair of bedroom shoes. "Oh, how perfect!"

AJ gave a present to Pa from Ma. He opened it to reveal a photo album with pictures of them and us. "Thank you, dear."

Ma then gets a present from Pa. Pa got her a hair clip with a fake Buttercup flower on it. "Bright, you sentimental charmer." She then kisses Pa.

"Next one is for...Big Mac!" Applejack rushed over to Big Mac who seemed eager to open his gift.

When he got the wrapping paper off, he was excited to find a brand-new yolk. "Your mother and I think that you're ready for your own, son," Pa told Mac as he put it on.

"I'll never take it off!" Mac cheered.

For the next hour, we all opened presents from a variety of boxes and bags. When AJ opened a brand new sleigh, she nearly ran out the door in her PJs before Ma and Pa stopped her. "Get dressed first, then you can play in the snow."

"Yes, Ma," AJ said before running up to get dressed.

Since it looked like we were all going outside, we went to get dressed as well. After getting my coat on, I went to go downstairs, only for Cheery to stop me outside my door. "Hey, John. Did you get everything you wanted?" She asked as we went downstairs.

"I did. this was one of the best Hearths Warming's ever." I then remembered what Cheery told me the other night. "By the way. What was it you wanted most, and did you get it?"

She giggled before stopping me under the kitchen doorframe. "I did. Care to know what it was?" When I nodded yes, she had me look up to see we were under the mistletoe. "All I wanted for Hearth's Warming is you." She pulls my chin down and kisses me for at least twenty seconds. When we pulled back, we had nothing but love in our eyes for one another. "Happy Hearths Warming, John."

"Happy Hearths Warming, Cheery." We came in for another kiss as the spirit of the season warmed our hearts.

Author's Note

Whew! Was worried I wouldn't finish before Christmas passed. Thank you Valiant Charge and Wurky for helping me make my deadline.

To everyone out there. Have a happy holiday, and may the spirit of the season be with you.