Applejack held the drill in her hand, muttering slightly as she visualised the numbers, the distance, between the cross sketched out on the wooden board and the one she was about to make. Normally, she would advocate for the use of a ruler, or, preferably, a measuring tape, just to make sure, but she'd done this enough times. She knew what she was doing.

Using her free hand, Applejack marked out a loose cross where the next hole needed to be before glancing up, and then hesitating. Rarity lay asleep on the bed tucked into one of the walls, Opalescence, her cat, curled happily on top of her. AJ felt her heart warm at the sight, and, though she didn't noticed her gaze softened, concentration slipping.

This was the last board she needed to drill to finish the studio she'd spent all day putting together for Rarity, but now she was at the end she couldn't quite bring herself to finish it, partly because it would mean having to leave, and partly because the drill would almost certainly wake up Rarity, and she just looked so, so... peaceful. Divine. So perfect.

Part of her, no, most of her, would have been content to sit there and watch her sleep until she awoke, but Applejack brushed off her desires for the fact that it would be a little creepy, even though they were dating.

Gods, they were dating. How was she this lucky? There were so many people, girls and boys, who looked far nicer or were far richer than Applejack ever could, yet Rarity chose her.

Putting down the drill, Applejack chose to indulge her desires for a little while, at least, pulling a chair up next to the bed with a smile and a relieved sigh. If Rarity woke up, she could just pass it off as taking a break, because, well, that's what she was doing. Wasn't a lie.

Though, as AJ sat down, Rarity stirred slightly, and she froze, but, Rarity, still in her sleep, shifted onto her side, somehow without disturbing Opal, and reached out, grasping Applejack's hand. For the second time in a few minutes, AJ felt her heart warm to the point of melting, a rosy fuzz surrounding her mind, a smile and slight blush finding their way to her cheeks. She softly tightened her grip on the offered hand, stroking the back of it with her thumb before loosening the gip again. Rarity let out a happy sigh at the conclusion of the gentle squeeze, and AJ felt like she might just faint at how adorable it all was.

Smiling still, Applejack reached her free hand out to caress a cheek, thumb gliding over soft, smooth and spotless white skin, and though she didn't touch it (Lord knows Rarity would kill her if she did that without permission), she knew her hair was just as silky, just as undeniably perfect. She was perfect. The still asleep Rarity nuzzled into the hand, and Applejack felt a warm glow envelop her entirely at the way Rarity responded positively to her, even while asleep.

And though she hated to ruin the moment, Applejack found herself slowly untangling her hands from Rarity, reaching down to grab a discarded pair of fluffy-covered headphones, but they could double as ear defenders. She was careful, slipping them on over Rarity's head, making sure she didn't disturb any of the precisely styled locks.

Then, objective completed, she stood away, taking one last look at Rarity with soft eyes before walking back to her workstation, picking up the drill and holding it against the cross she'd marked out earlier. She powered it on, noise filling the room. One by one, she drilled through the crosses, and, when she was done, she pulled the sticky-backing off of the hangers, placing them firmly onto the board before finally hanging it on the wall. The last piece of the puzzle.

Her eyes drifted back to Rarity, happy that she was still asleep and that she would wake up to a completed studio in the morning. AJ took off her Stetson, hanging on the newly-installed rack, then made her way back over to the bed. She went to sit down again, but Opal woke up, gave AJ a tired look, and then hopped out of the way, onto the chair, as if to say;

No, you fool. Get in.

Applejack smiled, and followed the cats instructions, climbing in next to Rarity. She let out a breath, and her smile deepened as Rarity turned over, snuggling into AJs chest and slipping off the headphones.

"Shit, sorry, did ah wake ya?"

"Well, yes, Darling, but it's fine."

"Ya sure-?"

Rarity chuckled softly, nuzzling against AJ once more, before planting a soft kiss on her lips that AJ eagerly returned.

"Shut up and let me fall to sleep on you."

Applejack, for one, had no complaints.

Author's Note

gudyhshdjskksbfdnsmdns awwwwwwee my heartttttt
and I wrote it lmfao
they're just so AAAAAA
adorable
utterly
totally
adorable
I might ship Appledash in FIM but EQG, EQG Rarijack is just everything I swear
Love them, Love you, GOODNIGHT <3