Rainbow Dash's POV

I was losing my mind.

And the worst part?

I couldn't even explain why.

It was Applejack's fault.

Ever since last night-ever since that stupid conversation on the porch-something felt different.

It wasn't big. It wasn't obvious.

But it was there.

Like an ember that wouldn't go out, no matter how hard I tried to stomp it down.

I wasn't supposed to think about the way she looked under the stars, or how genuine she sounded when she told me I had a place here.

I wasn't supposed to notice how she smiled a little softer around her family.

Or how, for the first time in my life... I felt like I actually belonged somewhere.

But the worst part?

The absolute worst part?

I wasn't just thinking about it.

I was feeling something about it.

And that?

Yeah.

That was a problem.

I woke up way too early, still half-asleep, tangled in blankets on the couch.

The sun was just starting to rise, golden light spilling through the window.

And Applejack was in the kitchen.

Wearing nothing but pajama shorts and a tank top.

Hair messy. Freckles standing out more in the morning light.

Looking so effortlessly perfect that my brain short-circuited.

I froze.

My heart jumped into my throat.

I was too tired to stop myself from staring.

I needed to get out of there. Immediately.

But before I could fake sleep or escape, she turned around-

And caught me mid-stare.

I panicked.

"MORNING!" I yelled, way too loud.

Applejack blinked. "...You okay there, Dash?"

I threw myself off the couch. "YUP. GREAT. PERFECT. NOTHING WRONG HERE."

She raised an eyebrow.

I grabbed a glass of water and chugged it like my life depended on it.

Applejack crossed her arms. "You seem jumpy."

I choked on my drink. "PFFT-WH-WHAT?! ME?! NO WAY."

She squinted at me. "You sure?"

"YUP."

"...You're actin' weird."

I forced a laugh. "HAHA. WHAT. NO. YOU'RE WEIRD."

Silence.

Applejack just stared at me.

I needed to fix this.

So, naturally, I did the opposite of that.

"SO. UH. WHAT'S FOR BREAKFAST?" I blurted, changing the subject immediately.

Applejack gave me one last suspicious look before shaking her head. "Pancakes. You want some?"

I nodded way too fast. "YUP. YES. FOOD. GREAT."

She chuckled. "Alright, alright. You're lucky I made extra."

I sat down at the kitchen table, desperately trying to calm my stupid heartbeat.

This was fine.

Everything was fine.

I was totally not freaking out over Applejack in her pajamas.

Absolutely not.

...Right?

Later that day, we met up with the rest of the girls by the orchard, hanging out like usual.

Everything was normal.

Until Pinkie Pie, of course, ruined it.

"I HAVE AN IDEA!" she yelled.

Twilight sighed. "Oh no."

Pinkie grinned. "WRESTLING MATCH."

Applejack immediately perked up. "Oh, now that's an idea I can get behind."

Rainbow Dash, professional idiot, also perked up. "Pfft. Easy. I'll take all of you down."

Pinkie smirked. "Oooooor, how about... YOU AND APPLEJACK."

Silence.

My stomach flipped.

I glanced at Applejack.

She smirked. "You sure you wanna do this, Dash?"

I refused to back down.

I crossed my arms. "I know I wanna do this."

The girls gathered around as Applejack and I stepped into the clearing, circling each other.

Rarity sipped her lemonade. "Oh, this is going to be good."

Twilight pushed up her glasses. "Applejack has the upper hand in strength. But Rainbow has speed."

Fluttershy mumbled, "Oh dear..."

Pinkie grinned. "WRESTLEEEEEEEEEE!"

Applejack and I lunged at the same time.

I dodged left.

She grabbed my wrist.

I twisted out of her grip.

She countered immediately.

The fight was fast-her strength against my speed, our bodies tangling and twisting in an endless attempt to one-up each other.

Neither of us backed down.

Neither of us let up.

Then-

Applejack hooked her foot behind my ankle.

I tripped-

She grabbed me before I hit the ground-

And suddenly, I was pinned.

Flat on my back.

Applejack hovering over me.

Too close.

Breathing too hard.

Her hands on my wrists.

Her face inches from mine.

Silence.

I forgot how to breathe.

I forgot how to move.

I forgot everything.

Green eyes met magenta.

Something in my chest ignited.

Applejack's breathing slowed.

Her grip on my wrists loosened.

For a split second-

A single heartbeat-

I thought she was gonna-

"WOOOOOOO!!!!"

Pinkie Pie ruined everything.

Applejack immediately jumped back, face red.

I scrambled up, heart pounding.

Pinkie was cackling. "OH MY GOSH, THAT WAS SO INTENSE."

Twilight smirked. "Applejack wins."

Rarity fanned herself. "That was the most romantic thing I have ever witnessed in my life."

I pointed at her. "NO IT WASN'T."

Rarity sipped her lemonade. "Mmmhmm."

I turned to Applejack.

She was not looking at me.

She was not saying anything.

She just rubbed the back of her neck, muttering something under her breath.

My chest tightened.

Because something just happened.

Something huge.

Something dangerous.

And neither of us knew what to do about it.

Rainbow Dash's POV

I needed to get out of there.

Immediately.

Because if I spent one more second thinking about how Applejack just pinned me to the ground, I was going to explode.

Literally.

So I did what any totally normal, non-flustered person would do.

I grabbed my bag, made some dumb excuse, and BOLTED.

I sat on the porch, gripping my hair, trying to breathe normally.

"What the hell was that?!" I muttered under my breath.

It was nothing.

It was just a wrestling match.

It didn't mean anything.

...Right?

I groaned, kicking the porch railing. "This is so stupid."

"Yeah. It kinda is."

I jumped.

Applejack leaned against the doorway, arms crossed, watching me.

Crap.

I forced a laugh. "PFFT-What? No. Nothing stupid happening here."

Applejack raised an eyebrow. "Ya' ran outta there like your pants were on fire."

I scoffed. "Pfft. No. I was just-uh-"

She took a step closer.

I swallowed.

I needed to fix this. Make it normal.

So I did the worst possible thing.

I smirked.

"Admit it, AJ," I said, leaning back. "You totally hesitated back there."

Applejack's face went red.

"WHAT?!"

Oh, this was good.

I grinned. "You totally froze. What, were you distracted?"

She gawked. "I-You-EXCUSE ME?"

I stood up, stretching. "I mean, I get it. I'm pretty amazing and all."

Applejack clenched her jaw. "Dash. I will throw you into the lake."

I snickered. "I dare you."

For a second, she looked like she might actually do it.

But then-

She did something worse.

She stepped closer.

Close enough that I felt her warmth.

Close enough that I noticed the way her eyes flicked down to my lips for half a second before snapping back up.

My stomach flipped.

Then, before I could recover-

She smirked.

"You're full of it, Dash."

And then she walked away.

Leaving me standing there.

Speechless.

Heart pounding.

And completely, 100% doomed.

Applejack's POV

I had no idea what just happened.

But I knew one thing for sure.

I had never been this flustered in my entire life.

I had never been the one to leave Rainbow Dash speechless.

And I had never, ever noticed how pretty her eyes looked in the sunset.

I groaned, rubbing my temples. "This is bad."

"Oh, it's SO bad."

I nearly jumped out of my skin.

Rarity, Twilight, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie were all watching me.

Pinkie grinned. "OH MY GOSH. YOU GUYS ARE SO IN LOVE."

I choked. "WHAT?! NO. NO, WE ARE NOT."

Rarity sipped her lemonade. "Darling, you literally just flirted with her."

Twilight smirked. "And it worked. You broke Rainbow Dash."

Fluttershy giggled. "I-I think that's the first time Rainbow's ever been quiet."

I scowled. "I was not flirtin'."

Rarity raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Then what exactly were you doing?"

"...I don't know."

Pinkie screamed. "IT'S HAPPENING."

I groaned loudly. "Y'ALL NEED TO LEAVE ME ALONE."

Rarity chuckled. "We would... but watching you two dance around your feelings is far too entertaining."

I grabbed my hat and stormed off.

Because I needed to be anywhere else.

Because they were wrong.

...Right?

It was late.

The house was quiet. The stars were bright.

I couldn't sleep.

So I went outside, sitting on the front steps, just thinking.

And then-

The door creaked open.

I already knew who it was.

Rainbow sat beside me, silent for a moment.

Then she sighed. "This is weird, isn't it?"

I didn't even pretend not to know what she meant.

I nodded. "Yeah."

Silence.

The night air felt heavy.

She tapped her fingers against her knee. "We should probably talk about it."

I swallowed. "Probably."

Neither of us spoke.

Neither of us moved.

Because saying it out loud made it real.

And if it was real...

Then everything was about to change.

Rainbow shifted beside me. "AJ... do you ever think-"

CRASH.

The front door slammed open.

Pinkie stood there, holding a bowl of popcorn.

"HEY GUYS! WANNA WATCH A MOVIE?!"

I almost threw my boot at her.

Rainbow groaned, dropping her face into her hands. "Oh my gosh."

Pinkie gasped. "OH MY GOSH, WAS I INTERRUPTING A MOMENT?!"

I gritted my teeth. "Yes, Pinkie. Yes, you were."

Pinkie beamed. "WELL, NOW YOU HAVE TIME TO THINK ABOUT IT~!"

And then she skipped away, humming.

I sighed. "I hate her sometimes."

Rainbow stood up, brushing herself off. "Welp. Guess we're watching a movie."

I frowned. "We ain't finished talkin'."

She hesitated.

Then, quietly, she said:

"...Maybe that's for the best."

She turned to go inside.

And for some reason... watching her walk away hurt.

Like something huge just slipped through my fingers.

Like something that was about to happen... just didn't.

And I wasn't sure if I was relieved... or disappointed.