103 days until arrival

"Ryan...Ryan, it's coming."

"Come on just hold on a little longer, for me?"

"I- I can't- oh fuck here it comes."

"God damn it no! It's gonna make a mess!"

"Ryan- I- ah-ah-ah-" Vinyl exploded over my hand, "Ahhh..."

"Fuck...couldn't wait until I found a tissue." Vinyl had a trail of snot running from her nose to my hand, "God damn it...this is gross." I walked with her to find a tissue. I found a box next to my bed, "Love is: catching your girlfriends snot in your hand..." I wiped my hand down and cleaned off her nose, "It's your fault you got sick too!"

Vinyl moaned as I rubbed her nose, "Ryan keep doing that...keep...yeah...ahhh~" She wrapped a hoof around my arm as I wiped her snotty nose, "I get- ah- why Lyra likes finger now."

I finally pried my hand away, "Gross." even when it was cleaned off I still felt dirty.

"You've been in my butt...you're grossed out by this?" Vinyl walked over, nose glowing bright red.

"It's...different, I mean sure you- you know, but this is...it's different." She shot me an annoyed look, "Anyways, you sure you don't want a decongestant or anything?"

She shook her head, "I want you to have to deal with this problem as long as possible." She smiled wide and nuzzled me.

"Yeah, thanks." I held the side of her head as she rubbed my cheek, "Vinyl Scratch, paragon of civility."

"You know it." She pulled away and flopped onto the bed, "Now, serve me."

I stood at the foot of the bed and stared at her, "Serve you what?"

"...Anything, I'm sick you're not, help me."

"Help you with what!?" I threw my arms up.

"Stop yelling at me! You don't get to be the bitchy one, I get to be the bitchy one!" She pouted on the bed, "Jerk."

I glared at her, "Look are you gonna be alright on your own? I wanna go find Rainbow Dash, she was supposed to be here last week."

"But Ryan...I'm sick...stay." Vinyl rolled around my bed whining, "Ehhh- eh- eh-eh!" She kept whining even as I stepped into the hall. I ignored her baying and went out into the airlock. I stepped out into the cold air and started walking towards town.

I got directions to the Apples from some townsfolk, she was the easiest way to find the illustrious sore loser. I got the feeling that these trees would be a lot more pleasant in the spring, as it stood it was just rather depressing, all the trees bare, the ground plain white.

I tried to ignore it as I made my way to the farmhouse. A quick step onto the porch and I was met with a filly bundled up on a rocking chair next to the door, "Hey there!" The yellow filly peeked out from under her hat, "You need something?"

"I'm looking for Applejack, you know if she's in?"

The filly smiled and walked past and into the house. Some yelling later and I was face to face with a rather robust mare, "Oh, mornin!"

"Good morning, you remember me?"

She nodded once, her hat falling slighty, "Hard ta forget the pony- uh...what are ya?"

"I've been called human, but I go by Ryan."

"Well that's a fancy name, but ya I remember ya," She held the door open, "Come on in!"

"Oh...well thanks." I walked in and looked around, I waited until Applejack lead me into a small sitting room. I sat across from a rustic fire pit, the filly sitting in a large recliner, "So uh...I was wondering if you've seen Rainbow Dash, she never showed up after our bet."

Applejack frowned hard, "Yeah...that might not be all her fault. You want me to go find her so she can explain?"

"If you wouldn't mind."

She nodded and started pulling on a pair of what looked like boots, "Yall can stay here if ya want, it'll be a bit."

I walked over and helped her with her boots, "Sorry if I'm inconveniencing you."

She smiled and waved me off, "Don't worry bout it partner, I'll be back soon."

I walked back into the sitting room and waited. The whole house had a nice rustic feel to it, the fire was even better. The only sound besides the fire was the girl rustling around in her seat, "Hey kid," I called out.

She looked over at me, "What?"

"Come here."

She gave me a strange look, "Why?"

"...Hug?" She shot me another strange look before walking to me, she stood next to me on the sofa, "I lied!" I grabbed her and pulled her across my lap, running my hands along her coat and scratching. The new sensation sent the filly giggling under my touch.

"Hey!" She giggled, "Why you doing that?"

I calmed my petting and let my hand idle around her side, "Just...it feels right, petting something while sitting next to a fi-" I cut myself off at the sight of a large red stallion watching from the doorway.

He stared at me, nodding once, "Eeyup." He walked off after that, leaving me to lean back and enjoy the fire and softly scratch the filly on my lap.

I was slowly drifting to sleep with the filly on my lap and Big Mac napping in the large recliner, "What the- oh..." I was snapped awake as Applejack and Rainbow Dash walked inside, "Makin' quick friends." Applejack laughed as she walked over to me.

I held my hand out and scratched along Applejack's neck, "Fingers are a big draw." She strarted craning her neck around as I scratched, "Anyways, you! Why you back out on deal!?" I snapped at Rainbow Dash.

She lowered her head, "You said next week and then next week came and now everypony's getting ready for winter wrap up. I didn't forget but I...I'll go do it once we leave." She looked crushed.

I stopped scratching the now enthralled Applejack and let my hands fall onto Apple Bloom, "What the hell is winter wrap up?"

Applejack sat next to me on the sofa, "Ya don't know bout winter wrap up?"

"Nope...should I?"

Applejack quickly went into a long description of Equestrian weather and the yearly wrap up, "I was actually gonna ask ya to help."

"Why?" I asked, rolling Apple Blooms ear between my fingers.

"Well we can always use some help pulling a plow and ya looked pretty strong when ya raced."

I popped an eyebrow at Applejack before looking at Dash, "Hey, so when is this?" I asked with a bit of genuine interest.

"Four days!" Applejack yelled, her drawl rather endearing.

I stared at Rainbow Dash, "Okay...so I'll wait until after whatever wrap up-" She smiled wide, "But, you gotta show up in a maid outfit to make up for it." Her smile quickly deflated as Applejack started chuckling, "And yeah, I'll help. Should I just show up here in the morning?"

Rainbow Dash muttered to herself and left, "Maid outfit...maybe Rar-"

Applejack gave a final drawn out sigh as she tried to stop laughing, "Sure, the earlier the better."

I nodded and slowly picked the sleeping filly off my lap and set her down on the still warm seat, "I'll see you then, uh...then." I hurried out to avoid making another verbal hiccup.

"Vinyl, I'm back!" I let the door close behind me as I hurried through the halls towards Vinyl's baa'ing.

I walked into my room and found her sitting on her haunches, dead center in the bed, "Ryaaaaannnn...nose."

I walked over and pulled a few tissues as I sat next to her. I let my fingers dig just inside her nose as I cleaned her up, "Why do I have to do this? Can't you just use magic?"

She blew her nose into the tissue, "I thought you didn't like calling it magic."

I finished up with the tissues and chucked them in a bin, "Because...I've done gross stuff for you."

"Like what!?" Vinyl opened her mouth and rolled her tongue, "Yeah but you like it!"

She stuck her tongue out at me, "Yeah but still. How about this, because I want you to."

I took a final tissue and wiped her nose for a final time, "Well at least you're being more realistic." I finished and sat with her on the bed, "Ya know what...can you rent a room in town, I want to rent a room now."

Vinyl cocked her drowsy head, "Why? We could go to my house. But why?"

"Does it have a fire pit?" Vinyl nodded, "Okay...so I'll carry you." I threw a few pairs of clothes into a bag and hoisted it over my shoulder. Vinyl quickly followed as I threw a blanket over her and carried her out and into town, "Just trust me, at least for the rest of winter."

"My music..." Vinyl mumbled as I walked on.

I set her down on the couch, blankets covering everything but her head, "Why did we leave the climate controlled future house for a fire pit?"

"Quiet you." I mumbled as I threw some logs into the fireplace, "It'll be worth it, trust me." I finished with the logs and started a small fire that quickly grew around the extremely dry wood. I took my boots off and threw myself onto the couch. I pulled Vinyl next to me and pulled the cover over us.

I scratched lightly against her coat as I started drifting to sleep, "Okay, so this is nice." She leaned her head into my neck, "Not perfect, but I like it too."

I kissed her forehead before leaning back in the large couch and drifting off to the warm fire.