After The Sun Sets (A story by Anon)

>You are Applejack
>And you are sitting in a bar
>The bartender occasionally checks ups on you while you nurse a bottle
>Mac got himself hitched
>Bloom got her mark and moved out
>And Granny passed long ago
>Soon the Acres will be on your shoulders alone
>Sure you have your friends, but you could never ask them to help when they have their own lives
>Business has been as lively as ever, but with Mac gone and you left to manage the orchard, you've had to hire some help
>Which really cuts into the profits
>Free labor was the one thing keeping business afloat, but now it's not looking to hot
>With a heavy sigh, you take another swig
>The worst, however, is the emptiness you feel
>Your days consist of taking stock, managing finances, and overseeing employees
>The lonely nights almost crush the life out of you as you lay on your pillow
>You've spent your entire life - all your blood, sweat, and tears on this farm
>And for what?
>Pride?
>Stubbornness?
>Not wanting to disappoint your parents?
>It doesn't matter now
>All you've got to show for your efforts is a sore back and an empty bed
>Suitors weren't that common, but there was always someone asking
>Unfortunately, they always asked too much
>They never thought of you or your life and goals
>Just wanting a pretty wife to cook for them
>Naturally, they were all met with a a swift "No."
>No one was ever like him
"Anon..."
>The sweetest man you've ever met
>And one of you're greatest friends
>Anon was always looking out for others; never once putting himself first
>Any compliment given was shrugged off with a blush and a "It was nothing."
>Not a proud bone in his body
>When the single mothers talk about no more good men, he's who they're referring to
>The girl he married would be the luckiest in the world
>And that girl was almost you

>You can feel tears welling in your eyes as you recall that day again
>Anon had just finished helping you with the fall harvest
>A bitter wind whistled through the trees, sending a shiver down your spine
>You should have taken Granny's advice to wear more than just a scarf
>Your discomfort must have been noticeable, as you soon felt something drape over your shoulders
>The warmth instantly soothed your cold bones and comforted you
>Turning around, you see it was Anon who had given you his coat
"Well, thanks. But what about you? Ain't ya gonna get cold too?"
>He dismissed it with a wave of his hand
>"Nah, I'll be fine."
>The sun began to set, but the coat kept you warm
>Anon, however, was miserable
>You could see his arms coated in goosebumps
>But he never said a word
>Once the last basket of crisp apples was in the cellar, you turned to him
"Ah'd say we call it a day. Now let's get inside an' warm up."
>Anon tried to hide a shiver
>"Yeah, I'd like that."
>Mac and Bloom were already by the fireplace, drinking Granny's famous hot chocolate with cinnamon
>Granny hands you two mugs with a wink
>You blush and hand Anon the other mug, which he graciously accepts
>...
>Hours have passed and the rest of the family has gone to bed
>Only you and Anon stayed up
>Both of you moved into the kitchen to finish your drinks
>You were still wearing Anon's coat while he only had a t-shirt
>Not exactly wanting to take off the cozy coat, you grab a blanket from the closet and drape it over his shoulders
"Returnin' the favor."
>You could swear you saw his cheeks darken in the dim light
>During one of the lulls in the conversation, Anon let out a chuckle
"What? What's so funny?"
>"Nothing. I just never noticed how cute you were."
>You can feel you cheeks burn a little too
"Aw shucks, Anon. Ah'm nothin' special. But thanks fer th'compliment."
>Your reaction must have been wrong, as Anon starts sputtering
>"I-I'm sorry, I don't mean to... I think I should go."

>You could only watch as Anon hurriedly walks to the front door and leaves
>You stare at the door for a good minute before heading upstairs to bed
>Did Anon really just call you cute?
>Maybe he's... interested in you?
>No, no. He's just a friend.
>Besides, why would he want a frumpy farm girl like you?
>He'd probably laugh in your face at the very idea
>You finish brushing your hair and climb into bed
>...
>Anon continued helping on the farm
>He never made any more comments about you
>...
>Years passed and many young men had set their eyes on you
>You dated some and rejected others
>Their puppy dog eyes always hurt, but it had to be done
>Anon was also getting looks from the ladies, but he never acknowledged them
>In fact you don't even remember him ever having a girlfriend
>Eventually, your friends began drifting apart
>Not because of bitterness, but wanting to move on with their lives to bigger things
>Can't say you blame them
>You couldn't leave, as you had the farm, but you wished them all the best of luck
>Anon was one of the last of your friends to leave town
>All of you tried to remain in touch, but eventually the letters stopped
>Even Anon's letters...

>The occasional visit from a friend here and there was like gulping fresh air after almost drowning
>But even the visits stopped
>All you had left was your family and your job
>And you were determined to make the best of it

>Tears were now freely falling onto the stained counter
>Heavy sobs drowned out the conversation next to you
>You quiet down to listen
>"-please."
>"Uh, right away, sir."
>You feel warmth coming from your right and make the conclusion that someone just sat down
>Turning away, you rub your puffy eyes
>Even if this is a stranger, you still don't want to be seen like this
>"Ma'am? Are you alright?"
>Oh great, a busybody
"Yeah, yeah. Ah'm fine. Don't think y'can buy me a drink and Ah'll sleep with ya."
>"S-Sorry, I didn't mean anything like that."
"Yeah? Well, it's hard t'tell."
>The two of you sit in silence until the barkeep serves his drink
>"Here you are, sir."
>"Ah, thanks."
>Through your blurry eyes, you can see him lift the mug to his mouth and take a swig
>He lets out a satisfied sigh and you catch a whiff of his breath
>But it's not the pungent smell of alcohol
>It's sweet
"Hey mister, what's in that mug anyway?"
>"This?"
>He swivels the mug
>"Some hot chocolate."
>You scoff a little
"Y'all came to a bar fer some hot chocolate?"
>He chuckles
>"Well, the cafes are all closed now. And the only other place to get it is a couple miles away."
"There ain't any resteraunts miles away. They're all around here."
>"I wasn't talking about a resteraunt."
>Must be in town visiting his folks
>You kinda want to see what his stranger looks like, but your puffy eyes and beer goggles have other ideas
>Your mind starts wandering back to Anon and the tears flow again
>"Ma'am, are you sure I can't-"
"WHY DON'T YA MIND YER OWN DAMN BUSINESS?!"
>You didn't see much of anyone after that

>In a rage, you swing at him
>But you miss terribly and lose your balance
>You fall off the stool and hit the ground hard
>The entire bar crowds around you
>You can feel yourself being lifted off the cold floor
>Despite your now aching head, the pain sobered you up
>You can start to make out the many faces staring down at you
>All except the one closest to you, the one holding you up
>Your eyes try to focus on it
>"Ma'am! Please say something!"
>Oh great, it's the jackass
"Ah said..."
>You rear back for another swing when your eyes decide to finally work
>The eyes are the first thing you notice, follwed by the nose
>Then the jawline and finally the ears
>No...
>This must be a sick joke
>It couldn't be...
"A...Anon?"
>The man's eyes become misty and he talks through choked sobs
>"Yes, Applejack, it's me..."
>Your mind cannot function anymore and flips on autopilot
>As if by some other force, you feel your arms wrap around him
>He quickly does the same
>Even more tears begin flowing, but these don't sting your eyes like the others do
>Anon can sense your imminent outburst
>"Shh... let's get out of here."
>He scoops you up and carries you outside
>There's a small bench outside the bar
>He lowers you down onto it and takes a seat for himself
>Composing yourself briefly, you look up into his eyes
>They're wet and full of concern
>Again, your body acts on its own and you reach out to touch his face
>As if to test if he's real
>The pressure of the tears becomes too great and you start sobbing right there
>Anon gently cups the back of your head and presses it to his shoulder
>With this last act of tenderness, you cry
>You cry the hardest you have in years
>He stays firm and strokes your back through the entire ordeal
>All your frustration
>All your regrets
>All of the posion you kept bottled up was finally released
>You could literally feel yourself getting lighter as the tears were shed
>Soon your loud sobs became quiet whimpers

>All you could hear was your breathing and Anon's heartbeat
>Anon himself never made a sound
>Picking your head off his chest, you wipe your eyes and gaze into eyes
"Heh, ya don't know how good it is t'see ya, Anon."
>His lips curl in a smile
>"I think I can guess."
"So what brings ya back? Town is th'same ol' borin' place it was ten years ago."
>"I dunno, just feeling nostalgic."
>You give his arm a playful punch
"Liar."
>"So how about you? Doing okay?"
"Ye- Well, I've been better."
>"Oh. You still working at Sweet Apple Acres?"
"Where else would I be?"
>"I remember one your letters saying Mac and Applebloom had moved out. I thought you might have, too."
"The orchard's in my blood, Anon. Ah'm not gonna let mah folks down."
>"So I assume you and your husband are continuing the Apple line?"
"Er... no."
>"But you always said you wanted a big family."
"Ah do! But... Ah never married."
>Anon's body goes rigid for a split second
>"I'm sorry."
"How about you, huh? Ya can't go pryin' in someone's love life without spillin' yer own!"
>He pauses
>"To tell the truth, not so great."
"Aw, what's wrong? Handsome feller like you should have no trouble findin' a girl."
>"It's not finding a girl that's hard, it's finding the right one."
"Oh, yer lookin' fer THE ONE, huh? Never pictured you th'type t'get hitched."
>Anon chuckles and looks off into the distance
"She's out there somewhere, don't worry."
>"But she's not out there, she's right here."
>Is he...?
"Anon?"
>He turns his head back to face you
>"I didn't come back to walk down memory lane; I came back for you, Applejack."
>This must be a dream
"Wh-What makes me so special? I'm sure other girls-"
>"Other girls don't have what you have. Other girls remind me that there's some better that I let slip away."
>Anon looks you dead in the eye
>"Other girls make me realize I need y-"
"Then why did ya wait so long?!"
>Your outburst surprises you moreso than Anon
"Haven't ya though Ah might need you too?!"
>He winces

>"I'm sorry! I wanted to confess years ago. But I was afraid. Afraid I'd knock on your door and find... another man."
>He takes a breath and continues
>"I had finally mustered enough courage to visit town. When I saw the farm in the distance, I chickened out and came to the bar instead."
>You soflty stroke his arm
>"I had planned to get my ass drunk. That way I'd have enough courage to face whoever opened that door. But when I got inside and saw you, my stomach fell through the floor. I immediately remembered that fall evening when we drank the hot chocolate your grandmother made. So I ordered some and sat down next to you."
"Sorry fer bein' so rude..."
>"Nah, I deserved every bit of it."
>The two of you share a laugh
>"But now that everything's in the open... I have to know..."
>Anon takes a nervous gulp
>"Applejack, w-will you still have me?"
>This... This is it
>What your heart has yearned for
>But it's been so long...
>Is the spark still there?
>Only one way to find out
"Of course, sugarcube!!"
>You wrap your arms around his neck and bring your lips to his
>Anon is tense at first, but you feel his muscles relax
>The kiss ends as soon as it began
>You embrace each other on that bench, chest against chest
>The beating of your hearts became perfectly synched as rain began drizzling
>Anon removed his jacket and draped it around the both of you
>Once again, you were soothed and comforted by his warmth
>Then, as if possessed by a lusty demon, you whisper in his ear
"Don't worry, I'll return the favor~"
>And you didn't need to swear this time; Anon's cheeks were definitely red

END