Frost Outside, Warmth Inside
Standing in ankle deep snow, Sunset can’t help but feel a little anxious with the amount of cars outside. When Applejack said her family is spending the holidays together, she did not imagine this kind of turnout. Applejack invited everyone to her house for Christmas Eve, but from what Sunset has seen, no one else showed up. She can’t really blame them. All of her friends have families of their own to go see. Some of them even have family that live in completely different cities. As for Sunset…
She doesn’t exactly have that problem. Or blessing as it may be…
Ringing the doorbell again, Sunset tries her best to ignore all the talking and music coming from inside. She is never one to back down from meeting others, but at times, she needs to recharge her social battery. Usually, that entails a session of rewatching her favorite Die Hard movies for the fourteenth time with a bowl of random candy. Sunset cringes slightly at the thought, realizing just how sad that sounds in her head.
The door to the Apple Family home opens in front of Sunset just as a basketball flies out, making Sunset duck her head. When Sunset opens her eyes again, she notices Applejack look as equally surprised as her before turning to her younger sister.
“Apple Bloom! For the love of-” Applejack stops herself before she starts yelling at her sister. From the few seconds of seeing her friend, Sunset can already tell there is a great amount of stress under the surface. “Don’t play with those things inside the house. Go help Granny, okay?” Applejack finally turns back towards Sunset, offering her a small smile. Although, her eyes tell a completely different story of exhaustion. Before the two of them can say a word to each other, a loud thud makes them jump. “And what did I say about drinking too much eggnog, Braeburn!” Applejack states with a sigh of lost optimism.
“Rough night?” Sunset asks her friend, wondering if there is anything she can do to ease her night. Applejack steps out onto the porch, closing the door behind her. In other circumstances, Sunset would be upset at this and ask Applejack if they could go inside to get warm rather than stay in the cold. However, this night seems to be a lot more trouble for Applejack than the pesky cold could ever bother her.
“You ain’t seen the half of it,” Applejack quietly responds, shaking her head at her family’s annoyances. “It’s alright though. It’s not too bad. We could go inside and meet everyone?” It’s clear from Applejack’s forced smile and worried look that she is trying to make things seem better than they actually are. Probably because she regrets inviting Sunset. However, Sunset’s last wish is to make her night even worse.
“How about we talk a little more instead?” Sunset puts her hand on Applejack’s shoulder, trying to comfort her in a way. “What’s going on in there?” Sunset’s eyes look deep into Applejack’s for any clue to help her.
“It’s a complete madhouse as usual, Sunset. Close to fifty of my family members came here to spend Christmas with each other, but… I don’t know.” Applejack shakes her head, bringing her hand to her brow. “I’m always in charge of things like this, but it feels like they never listen to me. Maybe because I’m nagging.” The normally stoic cowgirl now looks slightly defeated, but she tries to wipe the look off of her face. “Sorry for inviting ya to such a circus. If you want to go back home, I completely understand.”
“And leave you alone with them? Not a chance,” Sunset replies with a small laugh, wrapping her arms around her friend. “Although, I think you of all people deserve some alone time after all this.” A small expression of hesitation is all Sunset needs to confirm that she’s right. “Why don’t you take a couple hours away?” Despite Sunset’s suggestion, Applejack shakes her head, looking back at the front door.
“I would, but I need to manage my family. They practically lack common sense if you know what I mean.” Sunset moves her hand to Applejack’s cheek in an attempt to console her, giving the cowgirl her best smile.
“I’m sure your family can handle themselves for a few hours, Applejack~ My priority is you right now. Not them.” Applejack’s eyes widen to Sunset’s surprisingly intimate words, bringing a rare blush to her cheeks. In a way, Sunset can’t deny that it makes the cowgirl cuter when she’s vulnerable like this. For a few moments, Applejack seems thoughtful, almost as if she is trying to decide something.
“Well, it would be nice to get away for a bit…” Looking back up at Sunset, Applejack gives a small shrug. “Although, I don’t really want to be alone.” Applejack’s statement is pretty clear to Sunset. She gives her a big smile, nodding to her friend.
“We could hang out together at my place for a bit? I have a movie I’ve been wanting to watch with you anyway~” Sunset’s offer seems to entice her friend. After a moment of consideration, Applejack finally nods, opening the front door.
“Okay, but wait here. I need to get your present. Might as well bring it with us, right?” Sunset can’t help but chuckle before nodding at Applejack’s statement, reaching into her pocket to feel her own present for the cowgirl.
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The credits flow upward on the screen. Inspirational music fills the dark room as Applejack and Sunset sit together on the couch, a blanket being shared between the two of them. Even now, Sunset can tell that Applejack feels worried about leaving her family to themselves, but she also knows her friend desperately needs a break. Her friend…
“How did you like the movie?” Sunset asks Applejack while grabbing her hand, trying to reassure her. She would be lying if she said it wasn’t more fun to spend this time alone with Applejack. Even though she was fully prepared to spend the night with Applejack’s family, Sunset isn’t in the mood to fully enjoy that atmosphere. Neither is Applejack from what she can see.
“It was pretty funny,” Applejack states quietly, apparently preoccupied with some other thought. Feeling a little sad that she can’t distract her, Sunset tries to smile a little more. Resting her head on Applejack’s shoulder, a butterfly bothers her stomach. She knows it’s almost time to give each other their gifts. The idea itself makes her feel trepidation and excitement at the same time, combining to form a weird sensation. “Thank you for this, Sunset… I really enjoy the peace and quiet. And your company…” Pulling her head up, Sunset notices Applejack’s cheeks blush for a few seconds before she clears her throat. “I um… Do you want your gift now?” she asks quietly, picking up a small box to her side. The wrapping paper has apples all over it of course, but Sunset finds herself focusing on her thoughts of what could be inside.
Gently taking the box from Applejack, she examines the size of it. It’s silly of her to try and guess what is inside, but she still does it anyway. Laughing a little, Sunset finally pulls the paper off the box. Inside, a small patch the size of her palm stares back at her, designed after the cutie mark she had back in Equestria. Despite its size, the threads are expertly woven together. A pink hue overcomes Sunset’s cheeks. A part of her wants to make some excuse for her blush, but the words refuse to come out. Instead, Sunset can’t help but focus on how beautiful the gift is.
“T-thank you, Applejack,” Sunset whispers, running her finger along the patch. “It’s really pretty.” She doesn’t need confirmation from the cowgirl. She can tell from just the touch that Applejack made it herself.
Her admiration turns to an anxious feeling as she realizes it’s her turn to Applejack her gift. Worry starts to swirl in Sunset’s mind, but she tries to assure herself that Applejack will enjoy the gift. Pulling out a small picture frame from her pocket, she hesitates for a moment, looking at Applejack.
“I wanted to make this gift special, but you clearly put in a lot more work than me. I still hope you like it.” Sunset’s eyes widen when Applejack grabs her hand with a smile.
“Sunset, you’re incredibly important to me. I’m sure your gift is going to be just as special to me~” A wave of warmth and happiness washes over Sunset from the few words. Finally, Sunset hands the picture frame to Applejack. Depicting the first picture the two of them took together at band practice, Applejack’s expression turns to one of surprise. Not a single word comes from the cowgirl’s mouth, making Sunset feel a little worried. “You got this framed?” Applejack asks quietly, holding the frame as tenderly as she can.
A small smile spreads across Sunset’s lips. Above all else, she enjoys seeing Applejack’s happiness from her gift. Resting her head on Applejack’s shoulder again, Sunset’s soul feels a little brazen. The nervousness is washed away from the simple exchange, making everything feel alright for a little while.
“Out of everyone, you’ve probably supported me the most, Applejack. You mean… a lot to me.” Sunset hugs Applejack’s arms, trying to think of the right words for the occasion. “I feel sad when I see you stressed like you were tonight. I want to help you whenever I can, but you like to refuse help.” Sunset chuckles slightly at the thought, looking up into Applejack’s eyes. A shared smile exists between them… Despite how nerve wracking this should be for Sunset, she feels nothing but support from the cowgirl next to her. “I love you, Applejack…”
The same blush from before overcomes both of them. Sunset can’t be sure what is going on inside her mind, but she knows that just saying those words is embarrassing enough. Slowly, Applejack’s hand moves up to rub Sunset’s forehead, a smile accompanying her own blush.
“I love you too, Sunset. Really.” Applejack’s blush brightens from her words, but she keeps smiling. Sunset’s heart flutters from that one response, making her body feel almost weightless. Describing the exact feeling is almost impossible. All she knows is that it is a mix of happiness. “Thank you for worrying about me. I… I worry about you too.”
Throwing all doubt out to the wind, Sunset can’t help but find herself choking up on how happy she feels. In this little room, it feels ten times as comfortable here than it does anywhere else on Earth. Confident from the requited feelings of affection, Sunset smiles before bringing herself closer, kissing the one who caught her heart. Despite how cold it is outside at this time of year, the warmth of their embrace can keep them content for the rest of their lives.
