The roof was dim, but she had to squint even to look at it. The dull blue light from the terrarium scattered over the pricks and dots of the ceiling, forcing shadows to crawl between the cracks. There was a pale light from beyond the drapes that reminded her of overcast skies, which often accompanied these snowy winter days. She groggily pulled her covers up over her nose and shuddered from shoulder to shin, though it wasn't particularly cold at all.

She turned her head and stared at the clock, trying to decipher the numbers and green lines of lights as anything more than gibberish. She blinked at it as if that would help or reset the damn thing, but nothing happened. Any movement caused a stinging in her skull, but she did it anyway and defied her body's protests. However, as she did move, she noticed the odd way her torso felt, like she was actually wearing a shirt.

Now, one thing about Rainbow Dash was that she often had the habit of sleeping in the nude, especially when she got home drunk and alone. She would sometimes find her clothes in odd places the next morning, but this morning she was surprised to find them still on her. As she propped herself up on her elbow and looked down at herself, she remembered something of a similar position she had sat in when the room was darker. And some odd silence in the house, strangely enough, reminded her that she did not go home alone.

Her eyes widened and her lips tingled at the memory, and on those now very hot and jealous lips came a familiar name, “Dolly!”

Tearing the covers off her body and ignoring the sharp shock of open air, Rainbow Dash nearly fell right out of her bed. Her feet slipped on the carpet at first, it being so fine and soft as it was, but she caught herself and hurried out her bedroom door. Excited by the prospect of her friend actually being in her house, Rainbow called out with a grin before she even rounded the corner into the living room.

“Heya, Doll—?!” Rainbow stopped as she came into the room, finding it utterly vacant. She glanced around again, looking at the couch where Applejack had said she would sleep. The covers were folded up nicely, and there was no trademark Stetson on the cushions. With a disappointed sigh, Rainbow Dash murmured to herself, “Oh. She's... she's gone.”

“Th' only thing tha's gone here are your britches,” a voice said from behind her, causing her to freeze up like a window had been opened and a draft had frozen her bare legs.

Whirling around and beaming at the blonde barmaid, who stood leaning against the door-frame that led to the kitchen, Rainbow called to her again, “Dolly! You're still here?!”

“Why, should I leave?” Applejack furrowed her brow curiously and pushed off her stance. She knocked her Stetson back, as it was sitting atop her head, and frowned uneasily.

“No, no! I'm,” Rainbow paused for a light laugh, looking down at how ridiculous she looked standing there half-naked. A more pleasant and genuine smile appeared, and she went on honestly, “I'm kind of... glad. Well, I mean, I was embarrassed about last night and all, so I just wanted to, like, apologize or something.”

“No worries, y'were good company, Ah swear.” Applejack courteously nodded, avoiding letting her eyes drop below Rainbow's shirt.

“Well, I should probably put on pants, shouldn't I?” Rainbow sheepishly rubbed the back of her neck, the motion causing her shirt to lift a bit and reveal more of her undergarments.

“Ah s'pose tha's up t' you, it bein' your house an' all.” Applejack brushed it off, though the blush in her features betrayed her casual attitude. “But Ah prob'ly shouldn't be stayin' f' too long.”

“You don't have to rush out!... I mean, I'm not busy or anything.” Rainbow Dash shrugged, though her voice seemed more eager than her body let on.

“In that case,” Applejack hummed a bit as words came to her, and Rainbow was very aware of the wide, revealing windows of her condominium at that moment. “How's about Ah treat y'for a nice breakfast out, for havin' me over an' all.”

“No way.” Rainbow shook her head firmly, and Applejack was surprised at such an immediate protest, and a little hurt to hear it too. But the rainbow-haired hostess cracked a jesting grin and went on to correct her, “I'll be the one treating you. After all, you freaking carried me home.”

“Ah guess Ah can't argue with that.” Applejack bowed her head and hid her eyes under her hat shyly. “If it'll make y'put your pants on.”

“Oh, right.” Rainbow grinned a wide, unsettled grin and hurried back to her bedroom.

Applejack just chuckled as the thin girl sprinted back down the hall, and resisted the urge to lean around the corner for a better look. As she was alone again in the condominium, she found herself once again gazing out the window. She was too nervous to go up close to it, but she could not keep herself from looking. The gracefully falling snow twinkled at the window, catching the light from the sun which broke through parts of the mostly clear sky.

Though they were good friends now, Applejack hadn't really considered ever ending up in the girl's apartment. And if she did, it was usually a dream of less than respectable purpose.

“Okay! I'm good,” Rainbow's voice drifted down the hall as she emerged from the bedroom, her fingers still struggling to do up the button and fly of her jeans. Tripping and stumbling over the legs as they caught on her toes, she returned to the living room and finished pulling on the sweater she had only around her neck. “Let's go.”

“Ah'm comin',” Applejack hurried after her towards the door and began slipping on her boots from their place beside the couch. Looking at the way Rainbow stepped casually into her sneakers and zipped up her sweater, Applejack frowned. “Don't forget a jacket.”

“Who are you, my mom?” Rainbow pouted her lips, but went to the coat rack anyway.

Looking down at her feet, Applejack finished putting on her boots and stomped her feet until they fit right. She pushed her hat back, as it had slid forward a bit, and stood up straight. Due to Rainbow Dash's predictably ridiculous antics, Applejack cracked a laugh and rolled her eyes. The bright-headed girl had adorned Applejack's jacket, and was currently striking poses in it. Storming up to the girl with an amused yet serious expression, Applejack grabbed Rainbow Dash by the rear collar of the jacket and yanked her backwards until she was within inches of the barmaid.

“Give that back, y'crazy-headed loon,” Applejack demanded in an even tone. She did notice, however, the way that Rainbow Dash could not quite fill it out, in the chest area especially, but also how cute she looked all tucked into it.

Rainbow looked up at the slightly taller girl from over her shoulder before whirling around and opening the jacket widely around her, “Get in here, we can share,”

“Rainbow,” Applejack whined her name, though she smiled at the act and enjoyed it even more when the girl wrapped her jacket-holding arms around her.

Applejack could feel the warmth of Rainbow's body as she was embraced into the jacket and hugged by the girl at the same time. With a stifled delighted hum, Applejack opted to remain in her arms for a few seconds longer. Until, that is, she reached her own arms up and slid them into the sleeve holes, pushing them off of Rainbow's shoulders with ease. Rainbow took this as an invitation to move closer and press her chest against Applejack's, adding an daring gaze to the mix.

“What, first you wanted me to put more clothes on, and now you're stripping me?” Rainbow Dash toyed with her words in a seductive way, swaying between Applejack's directing arms.

“Are you complaining?” Applejack asked pleasantly, removing the jacket from her friend and swinging it around her back, slipping her own arms fully into the holes in a slick movement.

“Only that you're stopping with the jacket,” Rainbow Dash murmured with puffed lips, admiring the way Applejack pulled the buttons tight over her chest.

Still amused by most anything the girl said, Applejack just huffed a laugh and finished putting on her jacket. Reaching into the pocket an fumbling around with the gloves she had stored in the pouch, she debated actually putting them on. It seemed warm enough with the sunlight and all, and she could always settle for just sticking her hands into the pockets if they bothered her. Leaving it to decide later, she turned the handle of the front door and stepped right out, holding it open for another few seconds with her boot.

“You're still comin', ain't cha?” the barmaid asked casually, leaning back to catch the flustered expression on Rainbow's face as she scrambled for a coat.

“Of course I am! Just a sec,” Rainbow called back as she tossed on her nearest jacket, the same one Applejack had seen her in the first night they met.

Rushing out the door while twisting a scarf around her neck, Rainbow Dash came sprinting into the hallway before her front door fell back into place, as she slammed it after her and jiggled her key in the lock until it stuck. Applejack just moseyed over to the elevator and let her catch up, raising an eyebrow at the hanging side of Rainbow's coat as she left only one arm in the thing while she put her keys away. She sure wasn't particularly composed or graceful, but there was something about the lack of those things that made Applejack smile.

“What are you grinning at?” Rainbow Dash asked, blowing a lock of hair out of her eyes.

“Nothin',” Applejack passively cooed, waiting by as Rainbow Dash leaned forward and pressed the button to call the elevator.

For a few seconds, there was silence. But Rainbow Dash, she was no good at silence; so before the elevator even arrived, she exhaled some annoyed sigh. Applejack raised her eyebrow in question, and Rainbow Dash spoke, “I just remembered we actually have to go in to work today. That sucks.”

“If th' Joint opened s'early, I'd be there right now,” Applejack responded casually, shrugging her shoulder as Rainbow gave her an incredulous look. “Ah need th' money, is all. We can't all be daughters of businessmen.”

“Consider yourself lucky,” Rainbow murmured lowly. Trying to avoid discussing it directly, she went on, “You're just a workaholic, I bet.”

“Maybe a lil' o' both.” Applejack chuckled lightly as the elevator arrived, and the two stepped inside simultaneously, Rainbow clicking the button for the lobby floor. “S'pose Ah can't say Ah hate workin': been on th' farm m'whole life, an' the pub's where Ah get t'see y'all.”

“No doubt you've lived out there your whole life Dolly, you've got the dialect to prove it,” Rainbow Dash snidely remarked with a rough nudge. But she went on, “What made you want to be a bartender, anyway?”

“Lots'a things, Ah guess,” Applejack reminisced as she looked up at the numbers above the doors counting down as they descended. “Out in th' country, everybody drinks y'see, an' m'family has a reputation for makin' some mean cider. Ah dunno, guess Ah just knew best what would make me some cash, an' Ah was always mighty good at it.”

“I can vouch for that,” Rainbow added with a smirk, but let her go on.

“Yea' you're slowly drinking your way through m'whole repertoire. Boy, listen t' me, talkin' in fancy,” Applejack paused to laugh before going on. “Twi once told me somethin' 'bout th' workin' class bein' partial t' pub culture, since we ain't really as reliant on mass media an' all. Course, then she started goin' off about how farmers weren't really distinctly workin' class or middle class, since they own their means of production but do all the manual labour themselves an' all, Ah couldn't keep up.”

“So, you started doing it because it was good for making money?” Rainbow Dash gathered as the elevator neared the lowest floor, passing all the others without hesitation.

“That, an' Ah really liked it,” Applejack admitted with a fond smile. “For a while, actually, Ah moved to Manehattan, tryn'a figure out what Ah was best suited for an' all.”

“You, in Manehattan? That'd be the day.” Rainbow Dash grinned brightly, reminding the farmer that she was just pressing her buttons about it.

“Oh, it was a hoot,” Applejack agreed firmly just remembering the way she had tried to hide her accent and background. “Ah stayed with m'aunt an' uncle, got a taste o' high society. Ah even really freaked 'em out one night when they had a dinner party, Ah started showin' off to th' caterer: makin' drinks, stirin' up cocktails, Ah was a regular mixologist.”

“Why'd you come back? Not that I'm complaining, by any means,” Rainbow Dash asked as the elevator doors opened once more and the pair exited, avoiding another group as they went to get inside.

“Manehattan jus' wasn't for me, Ah guess. Ah didn't fit there very well, b'sides, Ah couldn't be that far from th' farm. It was torture.” Applejack knew that the farm was an innate part of her now, no matter how far into debt it might have fallen in her absence and with the appearance of competitors.

“Fair enough.” Rainbow Dash let it slide, shrugging her hands into her pockets before shoving her shoulder against the entrance doors and forcing them open. “I know I sure didn't fit into my family's pretentious, high-society myself.”

“Ah can only imagine,” Applejack mused as the image came to mind, and Rainbow pouted her lips and arched her eyebrows.

“Oh shut up,” Rainbow growled and rolled her eyes, tucking her chin into her scarf as the crisp nip of the day bit her.

The morning sure was beautiful: bright and vibrant, yet cool and comfortable. Some stray few snowflakes fluttered around even in the sunlight, twinkling around them like a labyrinth of stars. However, a cloud passed over the sun, and the snowflakes began to fall just a little bit harder as Rainbow Dash thought on the subject.

“To afford a crib like this, I had to have come from money. You should have seen my dad's place in Cloudsdale, it's a mansion and a half. But you know, those chrome faucets, stainless-steel appliances and granite counter-tops come at a price.” She chewed on her cheek and kicked her steps through the fluffy white that hindered her path.

“Yea', try an arm an' a leg,” Applejack concurred with a hopeless sigh.

“And everything in between,” the rainbow-headed girl muttered in addition, but cleared her throat and went on. “Anyway, the guy's a suit if I ever called it, a stone-stiff statue with nothing on his mind but money and sex. And hey, he's the kind of guy who makes it his business to get what he wants.”

“You two don't get along too well, do ya?” Applejack inferred, forcing an understanding smile and trying to meet the girl's eyes.

“You can say that again,” Rainbow groaned, tipping her head back. She let her eyes close a bit as snow lined her eyelashes and bangs. “Like I said before, having him buy my affection seems like the most logical thing to do. Can't stand the guy otherwise, but until I met you I didn't have anything else in the way of friendship or kinship or whatever.”

“Sounds mighty lonely,” the barmaid dropped her gaze and tone, reading the mood as it darkened.

“It is what it is.” Rainbow Dash shrugged, but nodded towards a direction. “There's a little brunch shack right around the corner there. But yeah, the guy stops in from time to time to check up, as if birthdays and holiday's aren't awful enough.”

“We don't hafta talk 'bout this,” Applejack made to shift the conversation, glancing around for this so-called shack.

“It's cool, I mean I'm an adult now, he can't totally run my life or anything any more,” Rainbow Dash hurriedly corrected her habit of speaking too much. “Man, I'm so in the mood for some hash-browns and pancakes, what about you?”

“Ah dunno, grits 'r eggs 'r somethin',” Applejack absently responded.

“Eww, you seriously eat grits? I thought only weird old men ate that stuff.” Rainbow scrunched up her face in a disgusted way.

“Oh hush! Ah ought'a smack you!” Applejack seemed offended by the remark, but noticed the restaurant just ahead.

“As long as you don't make me eat that gunk.” Rainbow stuck her tongue out, and Applejack just laughed at the way the girl reminded her of some little kid.

They sat by the window in the restaurant, across from each other in a booth. Applejack sipped on her apple juice as she looked through the nearby glass, noticing the slowly gathering snow. Unlike Rainbow Dash, the barmaid was not really interested in coffee in any way. However, the girl across from her was not the conventional coffee drinker either, Applejack noticed. The small, shapely glass and abundance of whipped topping did attract her, but the scent of coffee was not particularly pleasing.

Lifting the glass to her lips and tasting the dark, bitter flavour, Rainbow Dash let some of the topping stick to her lip. It was sweet in contrast to the kick of caffeine and the faint flavour of whiskey. Applejack watched the glass settle back to the wooden table between them, the click of the base against it so quiet yet noticeable amidst the otherwise dull chatter of the restaurant.

“Irish coffee, huh?” Applejack piped up simply, looking between the object and her conversation partner.

“It's all my dad ever drank with breakfast,” Rainbow Dash admitted with a warm exhale, looking at the familiar brownish hue. “It smells like morning to me.”

“For a guy y'claim not t' be too fond of, y'sure mention him a lot,” Applejack noticed in an even tone, hoping not to get on the girl's nerves.

“Either that or talk about work, and come on, you know all about that,” Rainbow debated, her voice raising defensively.

“Maybe,” Applejack spoke in a hush over the brim of her apple juice. “You likin' it? Th' job, Ah mean. Ah know y'ain't really used to it 'r nothin'.”

“I'm coming around,” Rainbow Dash passively agreed, following Applejack's gaze out the window and watching the frost and condensation gather in the corners. “I'm not too keen on the whole customer service thing, but the job's easy enough, and I like the place.”

“That's good.” Applejack nodded, adjusting her position in the booth. She paused when she felt something touch her boot, but made no mention of it.

“It's nice having someone like you around, someone I can stand.” Rainbow smirked teasingly and slid her foot against Applejack's ankle again slowly.

The farmer didn't move away, enticed by the unspoken physical contact that remained unseen as well as unaddressed. Allowing the girl across from her to continue, Applejack found herself drawn to make eye contact. Rainbow Dash took another slow sip from the Irish Coffee, licking the creamy topping off her upper lip habitually. Applejack swallowed hard, wishing she liked the taste of the stuff enough to try it off her.

“So, you've been working at the Joint for a few years now, right?” Rainbow Dash asked innocently, a contrast to the deviant slide of her foot.

“Darn near two, Ah'd reckon,” Applejack revealed with a casual few nods.

“Seems you're friendly with the servers, too,” the hostess went on, looking down at the table as if she could see through it to the now more aggressive rubbing. Applejack frowned, noticing something like jealousy or resentment in her voice and actions.

“Some'a them are m' good friends, yea'. Pinkie an' Rare have been there longer than me, Fluttershy was a friend o' Pinkie's, an' Twi only started maybe a year ago,” the barmaid explained, moving her foot with her friend's. “Still, the five of us are pretty close.”

“I see,” Rainbow revealed a saddened smile, which accompanied some forlorn expression. “That sounds nice, friends.”

“Oh, don't be s' gloomy, it don't work with that bright hair o' yours.” Applejack tipped her head back and spoke up, commanding the attention of the girl across from her. “Ah bet you'll be a hit at th' party, t' boot.”

“You think so?” the girl asked in a wondering tone, her foot playing coy just the same.

“Know so,” Applejack confirmed as she smiled and winked at her. “An' if not, we can cut outta there lickety-split an' Ah'll piggy-back y'all th' way home!”

“You totally would, too,” Rainbow Dash laughed whole-heartedly as the server came around with their breakfasts in hand.

“Thank ya,” Applejack thanked the girl as she placed the plates in front of them, while Rainbow was still settling down. “Eat up.”

Though Applejack constantly had to put up with the remarks Rainbow Dash had regarding her choice of meal, the two got through it with minimal arguing. Once she began eating, Rainbow also forgot about the little game she had been playing under the table, and let Applejack alone.

As promised, the bill was picked up by Rainbow Dash, though Applejack predictably had some issues coming to terms with that. After a few scrambles to rip the bill out of each other's hands, Applejack gave up and let her friend cover it. After all, Applejack didn't really have the kind of disposable income to spend on eating out, and with her truck in disrepair, she had bigger worries than that.

Applejack and Rainbow Dash walked together until their path's diverged, which was only perhaps a block or two. It was quieter than they often were when they were together, perhaps because they knew how little time they had left to spend, or perhaps because they were too busy thinking about the evening before. Either way, it was quiet, the only sound being the slow fall of downy flake. Their steps were shallow and short, delayed to keep their time together extended.

With a small gust of wind accompanying it, a distant cloud cleared the sun, allowing rays and runs of light to make their way unhindered to the pair below. Applejack winced at first, but forced her eyes open again to take in the marvellous scene around her. What few glistening flakes still twirled around them sparkled in the sunlight like flecks of tinsel. All around her feet, twinkling mounds of glitter that reflected each colour of the spectrum back at her in nearly unnoticeable intervals.

But truly there was no reason it would look so glorious to her now, when she had been trudging through the stuff for years on and off; that is, except for the company trudging right along beside her. Casting a quick glance to Rainbow Dash, Applejack wondered if this crazy girl was the cause of the fluttering in her gut and the mushy sentimentality. The sun sure did look good on her, too, Applejack noted. At that moment, Rainbow turned and looked at her, causing her to avoid her gaze innocently and clear her throat.

“Well,” Applejack said, though it came out raspy at first until she got control of herself. “Ah s'pose this is where we split, ain't it?”

“Yep.” Rainbow stopped on the corner beside the barmaid and stalled with a hum, teetering from her toes to her heels and looking like she was going to say something.

Applejack waited for her to speak patiently, letting out the same awkward smile she had grown accustomed to putting on to hide whatever plagued her mind, though it must have looked forced. Suddenly, without permission or warning, Rainbow Dash threw her arms around Applejack, yanking her in and squeezing her in an embrace. Though initially shocked, Applejack found her own hands touching the slimmer girl's back acceptingly, and even allowed the embrace to linger until Rainbow Dash chose to end it. Unfortunately, Rainbow had opted to give the unspoken decision to Applejack as well, so the two remained locked together for a comfortable yet uncertain few seconds.

“So, uh,” Rainbow Dash murmured as she pulled away, trying to get her thoughts straight again. “Good luck with the truck and all. And, um, I'll see you at... work, right?”

“An' on Saturday, Ah hope,” Applejack easily added, brushing off the distracting contact by contributing a nudge to what remained of it.

“Yeah, maybe I'll make an appearance.” Rainbow casually flipped her hair and acted distant.

“Ah hope so,” the barmaid's response pleased Rainbow, and she allowed the girl to start along her way before swinging her legs back herself.

Turning right around to face the girl while placing herself a few backwards steps further away, Rainbow Dash opened her mouth and nearly shouted back, “Later, Dolly!”

Applejack looked back over her shoulder and stopped in her stroll. Her body instinctively faced the girl, and she numbly raised a hand in the sunlight between the waltzing snowflakes. She had to swallow the dryness in her mouth to summon words, and it was just one, “Bye.”

Applejack stared at Rainbow as she tossed her a great big grin, before she waved back and started off again in a characteristic stride. Her chest ached to watch Rainbow leave, she realized, and perhaps it was not just the dull chill that had tinted her cheeks and lips a childish rosy hue. Well enough in-tuned with her desires, she found herself almost compelled to race back over there and kiss her goodbye instead, though her mouth might still taste of Irish Coffee.

It hit her, surprisingly late in the stages. Applejack should have noticed it much sooner, but it was right then that she understood, as the object of her affection was taking off around the corner and towing her bright head of hair and her charming smirk along with her. But the realization actually terrified her, though it enthralled her at the same time. Even if it delighted her to label it, she knew well that the feelings were taboo for her. She was not allowed to feel this way, this wonderful way, about anyone. Applejack had to take care of her family and her job first of all, but still, she couldn't help indulging herself long enough to repeat the sentiment to herself aloud.

“Ah think Ah'm fallin' in love.” Applejack sighed pleasantly, and the words were warm to her tingling ears.

Author's Notes:

So, here's a background chapter. And as always, a little flirting.
You know, I came up with the idea of Applejack being a bartender a long time ago, when I first heard her name. It seemed odd that most of the girls had names similar to their cutie marks and talents, but Applejack's name was a hard beverage, while she was a fruit farmer. So, I fixed that up a bit, to try it out. Hope you like it, anyway. Until next chapter! (Which may be a while as I'm getting back to Hail Mary...)