Work Text:
Rainbow sat on the roof of the barn at Sweet Apple Acres, the place slowly becoming her favourite spot to disappear.
The sun beat down relentlessly, but Dash didn’t mind. She stretched out against the warm metal and closed her eyes.
Her mind was somewhere else entirely. More specifically, with a certain blonde.
From up here, everything seemed smaller. The orchard stretched endlessly beneath her, and for a moment, she felt like she was higher than God.
She cycled through those emotions. One minute she felt like she was on top of the world, the next she was feeling strange about the way she and AJ had left things in the back of her car.
They had gotten into an argument. It was stupid, really.
AJ had been on Dash’s ass after another late night at the bar.
“This ain’t healthy! I’m worried ‘bout you, Dash,” AJ had said, her voice full of concern. They had been parked outside the bar, the keys in the ignition, but Applejack made no effort to start the car.
“You believe that I’m in pain.” Dash scoffed, her elbow propped on her knee, her leg brought up to her chest. “I’m fine, really. I just wanted a drink.”
“Being ‘fine’ doesn’t mean going to the fuckin’ bar every night.” Applejack had retorted, taking her Stetson off and placing it on the console. “Drinking won’t distract you from your problems, it’ll only make ‘em worse.” She tsked.
“Then maybe you should help me disassociate.” Dash shrugged. She tilted her head and glanced at AJ.
Applejack’s eyebrows knitted together. God, Dash could still remember the look on her face, could picture AJ’s expression clearly in her mind when she said, “The hell is that ‘posed to mean?”
Dash had shaken her head and placed her leg down off the seat. She slouched back and leaned her head against the headrest.
“Never mind. I don’t wanna argue anymore. I just wanna be a good passenger.”
Applejack’s expression had softened, her tone had gotten gentler. “You sure you’re okay, Dash?”
“I’m feeling fantastic,” Dash said flatly, leaning her head against the window. She could still feel the cool glass pressed against her cheek.
“Fuckin’ fantastic,” she muttered.
AJ didn’t push after that. She started the car and backed out of the parking lot.
They hadn’t spoken since then. It’d been a week… well, maybe a few days. It was all the same to Dash. A week without AJ was like a month in Rainbow years.
AJ was the sun. Dash’s sun. Without her, everything felt colder, darker. Like someone had stripped the warmth from the world and taken the light with it.
When they argued, it felt like an eclipse—AJ still there, but hidden from Dash. And this one didn’t seem like it was going to end.
Dash wanted her sun back.
She missed getting drunk with Applejack and watching cheesy American classics. Missed sipping cheap champagne from plastic cups they had found buried in the back of Dash’s pantry.
She missed the drunken kisses AJ would cover her face in while she whispered, “Don’t you want someone crazy like me, babe?”
Missed getting high with AJ and their deep conversations while they were up in the clouds. AJ would say something dumb like, “How are ya feelin’?”
And Dash would reply with something equally as dumb: “I’m feeling amazing. I’m fucking amazing.”
She’d been high as a kite, sitting there picturing AJ naked.
Then they’d get into another stupid fight. Dash would fuck it up by saying, “You’ll just have to take it, if you want someone crazy like me, babe.”
The sound of footsteps beneath her made her glance down. AJ was carrying a barrel of apples. Doing farm work as usual.
It was funny. Dash was up there thinking ‘bout Applejack, while Applejack was down there being a doll.
AJ glanced up.
“Ah, fuck,” she muttered under her breath.
AJ set down the barrel. “Dash, what the fuck are you doing up there?” she yelled. “Get down here before you get hurt!”
“I would’ve called—” Dash began once she was back on the ground, standing face-to-face with Applejack for the first time since their argument.
“Wouldn’t have bothered pickin’ up.”Applejack shrugged. “It’s either a curse or a blessin’ every time that you call. Not really in the mood today to take that gamble.”
Dash scratched the back of her neck, her gaze scanning over AJ’s face. All forty-three freckles dusted across her nose and cheeks.
She had taken the time to count them one night when she couldn’t sleep.
AJ slept peacefully beside her while Dash stared at her like a fucking creep. Who needs to count sheep when you can count freckles?
“I’m sorry,” she muttered. “You were only trying to help.”
Her fingers slid up to the back of her neck, toying with a few strands of hair.
AJ crossed her arms and leaned against the barrel. “And?”
“And I’m an asshole.” Dash tried to leave it at that, but her stupid big mouth just kept talking. “But, it’s pretty fucking hard when you believe that I’m in pain all the damn time.”
AJ raised an eyebrow. “Oh, really?” She pushed off the barrel and took a step towards Dash.
“Maybe that’s because you run away from your problems and distract yourself with unhealthy coping mechanisms!”
“Yeah, yeah.” Dash rolled her eyes. “Then help me disassociate.”
“Again, what the hell is that ‘posed to mean?” Her tone was filled with irritation.
“I mean, maybe you should distract me.” Dash shrugged. Applejack stared at her.
“I just wanna be a good passenger,” Dash added.
Silence fell over them. The words hung in the air, and Dash’s confidence faltered the longer AJ looked at her. She wished she’d kept her mouth shut.
“Distract you, huh?” AJ raised an eyebrow, studying her face.
Dash swallowed. “I didn’t mean it like that…”
AJ frowned. “You always do that. Say shit and then immediately back down.”
Dash looked away, suddenly fascinated by the dirt beneath her boots. Her fingers curled against her palms.
“Tell me I’m wrong,” AJ said.
Dash looked back at AJ’s face, taking in the freckles she’d memorized years ago, the little crease between her eyebrows, the way her green eyes stayed fixed on hers.
“Pfft… I don’t back down from anything.”
AJ didn’t answer. A small smile tugged at the corner of her mouth.
Dash felt her own smile falter.
The silence stretched between them, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. If anything, it felt like the opposite. Like neither of them wanted to be the first to break it.
Applejack took a step towards her, her hand coming up to cup Dash’s jaw. Her expression softened slightly.
“Then stop backin’ down from me,” she whispered.
Dash’s breath caught, her cheeks warming as she tried desperately to compose herself.
AJ laughed. “You okay, sugar?”
“I’m feeling fantastic.” Dash let out a breath. “Fuckin’ fantastic.”
“Good.” AJ leaned in and kissed Dash.
Applejack tasted like apple and cinnamon. No surprise there. Dash tried to savour the taste, but AJ pulled away. “You know, I hate when we argue.”
“You’ll just have to take it,” Dash muttered, shaking her head. “If you want someone crazy like me, babe.”
AJ rolled her eyes and smiled. “Asshole.”
The rest of the world seemed to fall quiet around them.
The orchard stretched behind AJ, sunlight spilling through the trees, and Dash suddenly remembered why she’d come here in the first place.
She’d wanted her sun back.
Maybe she finally had it.