Rainbow and Applejack glared at each other. Rainbow huffed uncomfortably while Applejack stood absolutely rigid.
Rainbow broke the strange silence first, “Yeah, I’m gonna pass on that AJ.”
Applejack nodded in understanding, keeping her eyes pinned to the ground, “Fair enough. About what I expected, but might I ask why?”
Rainbow raised an eyebrow, incredulously, “Me? I don’t think I need to explain myself. You, though… What the heck, AJ?”
Applejack pulled her hat over her face, trying her best to hide her shame, “Is what it is. That’s all I can say. Just thought… maybe… I guess it don’t matter what I thought.”
Rainbow rolled her eyes, “Extra hard pass on that, AJ. You can’t just say something like that and expect me to pretend to forget it. What the hay were you thinking? Why would you even think…?”
Applejack pulled her hat lower, seemingly shrinking, “I… You… We…” She stuttered, then shook slightly, her voice uncharacteristically timid, “Can’t say it.”
Rainbow sighed, her eyes still narrowed, but her breathing slowing down, “Fine. Whatever. It doesn’t matter.”
Applejack’s voice shook, “Guess it don’t.”
Rainbow let out another deep sigh, then her face relaxed, “So now what?”
Applejack didn’t say anything, she just held still.
Rainbow groaned, “Look, You don’t have to talk about it. Lets just knock back a cider or two like usual and play a game of checkers or something. Maybe we’ll both be thinking a little more clearly after I beat you again.”
Applejack looked up from under her hat, tears forming in her eyes, “I… I think I’d rather be alone tonight, Rainbow.”
Rainbow’s eyes focused on Applejack for just a moment, her face frowning in concern, “uh… You’re crying. You don’t cry.”
Applejack bit her lip and then glared angrily at Rainbow, “Yeah, well, I want to be alone. I’m going to cry tonight, and it’s going to be ugly.”
Rainbow took a step forward and grabbed Applejack’s hat off her head in a sudden motion. Applejack stared dumbly as Rainbow put it on and smirked, “You wanna be alone tonight? Well, I don’t wanna leave you alone tonight. So now we got a problem.”
Applejack’s tears started to well, “I don’t want to play one of our games tonight, RD. Just give me my hat back.”
Rainbow bit her lip awkwardly, then tried again, “You sure? I think you’re just afraid of losing. What’s the score tonight? Two hundred and seven to two hundred and eight? You just know that it’s gonna be two hundred and nine before the night’s over. You’re just being chicken.”
Applejack blinked and the tears fell down her cheeks, “Shut the heck up, Rainbow. I’m serious.”
Rainbow leaned forward and narrowed her eyes, “I’m serious, too. No checkers, we’re both too distracted. Lets do something simple. Something straight forward. Something that will prove once again that I am the most awesome.”
Applejack stared at Rainbow, the tears falling down her cheeks in a stream. Her voice was a whisper, “Please stop. I ain’t got it in me tonight. Tonight I just wanna…”
Rainbow interrupted her, “Drink until you pass out? Me too. Let’s do it together. First one to quit, or go unconscious loses. The other one gets a point.”
Applejack was silent, her cheeks still wet.
Rainbow stepped forward and smugly slapped the hat back on Applejack’s head, “I’m not leaving you. And win or lose, I wont tell a soul about tonight.”
Applejack didn’t pull the hat down, but she also didn’t say anything.
Rainbow smiled warmly, and pressed her face next to Applejack’s, “I got you filly, it’s okay. I always got you when you need it. You and me, AJ. We got this..”
Applejack’s composure slipped and a sad sob slipped out, “You can’t do this! How can you do this? To me? To you? How the buck can you do this?”
Rainbow’s wings slipped around Applejack’s back in a cozy pegasus wing hug. She smiled, “Well first off, I plan on getting so smashed I can’t tell the stable from the stairs.”
Applejack let out a sad laugh, wetly chuckling in a defeated sigh, “I guess you’re gonna get drunk off my booze, aren’t you?”
Rainbow squeezed her in confirmation, “That’s right. And my second secret is that I’m taking you with me. Drink for drink, we’re gonna be at it all night.”
Applejack let out another laugh this one slightly softer, “All night? What makes you think either of us is gonna last that long?”
Rainbow’s eyes sparkled, but her response was oddly slow, “Isn’t it obvious? We can do anything together.”
Applejack froze for a second, the mirth completely gone from her voice, “You can’t… Please… don’t say things like that.”
Rainbow squeezed her again, “I can say whatever the buck I want, AJ. You want me to say something different, then you make me.”
Applejack shivered, then pushed her away and narrowed her eyes, “Are you doing this on purpose? Is this some sick prank to you?”
Rainbow shuffled awkwardly, “I was just… I figured I’d, I dunno, try it on? For you?”
Applejack’s mouth dropped incredulously while her face screwed up in disgust, “Well, don’t. It ain’t a good look if you don’t mean it, and we both know you don’t mean it.”
Rainbow huffed, “Maybe not like you do, but I do mean it. You and me have… something. And it’s something important. It’s not, uh, that, but it’s one of the most important things to me. And I really am not going to shut up unless you make me.”
Applejack stared at Rainbow, uncomprehending.
Rainbow tried again, “It’s just that, well I’m not gay. But you’re like, uh, cool and the most awesome pony I know, and I can relax around you, and joke, and tease, and it’s not like it’s an act, and I love you, and can you please make me shut up?”
Applejack’s answer slipped out between sniffles as her mouth curved upwards, “Nope.”
Author's Note
I ship these two so hard it's not even funny. There's no joke here.
