Applejack drags herself to the porch, watching the treeline through blurry eyes. Ah know he’ll come back to me. She gulps, her breath coming in fits and spurts. Ah’ve got to stay strong. Gotta keep the Laughter in me. Gotta stay optimistic. He didn’t say he would leave. He just needed time.

The slow, ponderous clop of her Granny’s approaching hooves doesn’t get Applejack to turn, but her ear flicks in recognition before drooping back down. The front door opens, but doesn’t close.

Granny Smith stands in the doorway for several long seconds, taking in the scene. It’s difficult to tell if her voice conveys admiration or condemnation. “You’re just as stubborn as y’always was. Could give a mule a run for their bits. Ya know that, right?”

“Eeyup,” Applejack says, loud enough so her Granny doesn’t need to strain to hear her.

Granny Smith nods. “Ya made a choice not many ponies would. Still stand by that?”

“Eeyup,” Applejack immediately replies.

A hint of a smile breaks across Granny Smith’s stony face. “Then ya still think he’s comin’ back.”

“Eeyup,” Applejack says, her voice unwavering.

“Hmm,” Granny Smith ponders for a moment, resting her chin on her hoof. “Guess Ah’ll start breakfast for one more.”

Applejack absentmindedly nods, continuing to watch the orchards for any sign of movement. With each passing minute she sinks a little lower, growing a little more unsure. After five her head lowers to her hooves, lost in her worried thoughts.

Doug breaks out of the orchards, getting a clear view of the farmhouse. And the orange mare laying ponyloaf on the porch. Her red-rimmed eyes stare at the ground, occasionally blinking away the wetness threatening to get out. He can occasionally hear her loud sniffling.

“Applejack,” Doug says, though not as a greeting. She looks up at him, a hoof coming up to push at a spot just under her eye. He joins her, sitting an arm’s length away and staring out at the orchards. His hands clasp together, and he sighs before saying, “I’m sorry I put you through that.”

“Ah’m the one who should be apologizin’,” Applejack says, her voice heavy. Her hoof squeezes the tissue into a tight ball. “Ah tried to trick ya into stayin’. Ah shouldn’t’a done that.”

“It wasn’t a trick.” Doug raps his knuckles against the wood, frowning as he recalls his own actions. “I made the same choice, came to the same conclusion. Maybe I was blinded by my hormones. Maybe it was too fast. But it wasn’t solely your fault.”

Applejack shakes her head, mane flipping back and forth. “Well, if Ah never came to your room, this never would’a happened.”

“Well, if I never let you in my bed, it wouldn’t have happened either.” Doug stares at Applejack, and she meets his gaze with one no less intense. Then a slight quiver to his lip gets the briefest hint of a smile to crack across her face. Doug’s composure breaks first, a wide grin appearing as he scoots closer to Applejack. “Guess I’m only human.”

“Only equine,” Applejack repeats, rolling onto her back and resting her head in his lap. She doesn’t care that this exposes her belly, and finds her small smile growing when he rests a hand on the soft fur. “Surely you can tell we ain’t all bad apples,” Applejack says, snuggling next to Doug. “The ones that like ya would really miss ya if’n you were gone. That’s gotta count for somethin’, right?” She trembles next to him, trying to hide it by scrunching up and clinging to his leg. She looks heartbroken at just the possibility of him leaving.

Doug sighs, reclining back. The other hand casually strokes her mane, brushing it to the side to keep it from tickling him any more than it already is. I hate that look on her, especially knowing it’s something that I’m doing or might do that causes it. “It does, and I don’t want to lose that, and I want to get to know you better.” He reaches an arm around the mare, squeezing her close.

“Me, too,” Applejack says quietly.

“There’s so much out there that I want to see and do. I don’t think I could just stay here on the farm.” Doug glumly kicks at the porch. “Oh, speaking of, I told Rarity I would go with her on a, um, some sort of expedition this morning. And I wanted to bring a shovel and some sort of pack.”

“We can do that.” Applejack rubs the back of her head against his chin, trying to draw that contented moan from before. The fingers digging into her head let her know she’s succeeding. “We don’t need to tie you down. You can always go on some of Rarity’s expeditions, spend time in her store. When other things come up, maybe you can do them too.” She presses against him, eyes pleading. “Just, Ah want you comin’ home. Here.”

“Sure,” Doug concedes, but his heavy sigh returns. “I just don’t know if it’s enough. I was always happy with a small group of close friends, but with just the two of you?” He shakes his head, staring up at the sky. “I hate to say this, but I’m afraid I would, I don’t know, start to get on your nerves or something. And then I’d have no one.”

“Alright, then.” Applejack turns, looking Doug in the eyes. His gaze shifts from the sky to meet hers. “How many would it take to get ya to stay? ‘Cause ya also got Big Mac and Granny Smith.”

Doug frowns. How many would I want? “Big Mac barely tolerates me, and I think it’s something similar with Granny Smith. They’re only giving me that benefit because of you. They don’t count. Not yet.” Would I forsake this town, this mare, for the lack of five people? Maybe that’s a good number. “If there were five people, five ponies, that genuinely liked having me around? I think that would be enough.”

Applejack nods, smiling to herself as she turns to her side. “Five’s a good number of mares, too.” Her hoof makes small circles in the thin hair of Doug’s belly, though she’s careful to not dip too low. Wouldn’t want him to think Ah’m tryin’ to get him in the mood again, especially after how the last time went. Gotta give it time, let him decide when he’s ready. She smirks at his member growing regardless. Well, emotionally; Ah wouldn’t be surprised if he bent me over right now.

“Mares?” Doug asks, uncomfortably shifting. I want her so badly, but I don’t know if I should so soon after what we just went through. Even if that light massage is making it really hard to resist.

“Sure,” Applejack says. Gotta remember he ain’t used to what we do ‘round here. “Five mares in a herd. It’s a good number.”

“Five women?” Doug repeats. “That seems…” Amazing? Excessive? A nightmare, pun unintended?

“Mares,” Applejack corrects. She lightly prods him in the side before going back to making circles. “We’re in Equestria, not…”

“Earth. Or, the U. S.” Doug glances around the orchard. “I… I’m not sure. I’m still trying to wrap my head around being with one pony.” Even if they aren't really ponies.

“‘Course,” Applejack concedes. “And, just ‘cause they’re close friends, that don’t mean they gotta be together together, right?”

“Right.” Doug smiles, his body relaxing. His hand begins the caressing motions along Applejack’s mane again. The two sit in silence, enjoying the cool air and the warmth of each other.

After a few minutes he asks, “So, was your… dad? Sire? In a herd?”

“Sire. No. Because Bright Mac…” Applejack trails off slightly, sighing. “He only ever had eyes for Buttercup. But that didn’t stop him from doin’ his duty.”

“Duty?” Doug scratches the back of his head. “I’m pretty sure I know what you mean, but…”

Applejack nods. “It’s what you’re thinkin’. Ponies in Equestria, there’s about four or five fillies born for every colt, so a lead mare invites a stallion and her friends to form a herd. But if a mare just wants to get pregnant by a stallion, without joinin' the herd, it's called studdin’. Less common, sad when it happens, but everypony has their reasons."

"Sure," Doug says neutrally.

"Ah know Carrot Top’s my sister." Applejack's mouth purses as she delves into the less than certain. "Ah suspect Daisy, if not all three of the flower trio. But when Ah asked him, Pa said that sometimes he didn’t want to know. That he felt like he wasn’t stayin’ true to Ma, and it was easier in the moment to pretend it was her. Never made the invitation for the others to join, though Ah suspect they’d’a wanted it. Ms. Swirl did for sure, she was Ma’s best friend, and it hurt her that Pa didn’t invite her too. So much that she decided to wait for somepony else.”

“So, when you say sister,” Doug pauses a second. “You mean half-sister?”

“Sure, but full siblings are a bit less common than half, so we just call ‘em all sisters and brothers. And ya might not be as close, growin’ up or otherwise, if you ain’t from the same mare. The other mares in a herd, that aren’t your dam? Similar word, dähm. Sounds like it's short for 'dominant', but it's spelled with an 'a' 'h'.” Applejack shrugs, finding the topic easier and easier to talk about. “Most mares are happy with one foal, some want two.” She snickers to herself. “Ma had to cut Pa off after me.” She laughs out loud, cheerful tone ringing out among the trees. “If she didn’t, there’d probably be four of us!”

Doug chuckles along with her. “Remind me to never tell you about human families, then.”

“Oh?” Applejack says. “Now ya got me intrigued. Why’s that?”

“Well, two is the norm, but that’s because our gender ratio is one to one. So you need two kids just to keep the numbers steady.” Doug’s smile grows a little larger as Applejack nods along. “But it wasn’t uncommon, especially back in the day, to have four, six, even eight children. Or more!”

Applejack whistles appreciatively. “Well, Ah ain’t ever heard of a mare havin’ six foals, but when ya count the whole herd a stallion might have that many.” She snuggles up next to Doug, her motions going still. She whispers, “Doug?”

“Yeah?” Doug quietly returns.

“If you stay?” Applejack rubs her head against his chest, trying to hide her trepidation. “Ah’ll have as many foals with you as you want.”

“Applejack…” Doug’s hand digs into her mane as he grimaces.

“Ah’m serious.” Applejack resolutely crosses a hoof across her chest, then taps her eye. “If you want to stay with just one mare, and have…” She gulps at the prospect. “Four, six, even eight foals? Ah’ll do it.”

“You don’t need to promise me that,” Doug says, holding the mare close. Is that even a possibility? With her being a pony?

“Too late,” Applejack says with a wry smile.

Doug sighs, making it last several long seconds. “Why?”

“Why what?”

His hand returns to scratching her mane. “Why are you so intent on making this work between us?”

“‘Cause Ah’m more stubborn than a mule?” Applejack chuckles darkly. “Because bein’ with somepony ain’t somethin’ that should be taken lightly. Ah made that choice - we made that choice - and Ah still think it was a choice worth standin’ by.” She pushes her head against his chest. “Because Ah think you’re somepony worth standin’ by, and Ah want to be the same for you.”

“You can’t possibly know that,” Doug returns, but he finds his spirits lifting at the prospect nonetheless.

“True,” Applejack concedes. “But it sure is more likely to be the case if we believe it to be, and work towards that goal, right?”

“Too true,” Doug returns. He grips his mare tight, deeply inhaling her scent. God I want her.

“Woah there, loverboy. Save that energy for the fields,” Applejack says with a smile, lightly pushing his growing member away from her. She squeezes his side with one foreleg before rolling to her hooves, shaking the accumulated dust off her coat. She grins as he gets up, a playful wave of her tail beckoning him towards her. “Maybe there’ll be a bit of a reward waitin’ for ya tonight.”

She winks, her walk turning to a merry canter as he gives chase. Now, how in the hay am Ah gonna convince Rarity to give him a chance, much less three other mares?

Next Chapter: Ch. 25 - Allure Estimated time remaining: 13 Hours, 4 Minutes