Letting Go | Appledash

Chapter Fifteen: Day Off

Chapter Fifteen: Day Off

Applejack stood by the kitchen counter, pouring a glass of juice for Big Mac, whose arm was still not fully healed yet.

Her mind unwillingly replayed the previous night's events. What in the world had happened? Even after many hours of thinking, she wasn't sure. One second Rainbow Dash was avoiding her, the second they were kissing. Applejack assumed Dash had been the one to initiate it, but under the intense surge of adrenaline, she couldn't say for sure; she didn't dare to trust her senses around the other girl. Maybe AJ was the one who had unconsciously leaned in first. Or maybe it was both of them meeting somewhere halfway.

Applejack was jerked back to reality when a big hand suddenly yanked the carafe out of her hand. She turned to stare at her brother with wide eyes.

"What are you doing?" the older asked. He nodded his head at the counter drenched with apple juice.

"Oh," AJ said dumbly. She grabbed a paper towel and attempted to clean up the mess.

Big Macintosh watched as she clumsily swiped at the countertop a few times before shaking his head and snatching the towel out of her hand. "I'll fix it."

"You? No way, step aside," Applejack said, attempting to grab the towel from him. "You're still hurt, Big Mac. Let me take care of it."

"You've taken care of things for the past two weeks. It's starting to get to your head," Big Mac answered.

"I'm fine. Give me that!" the blonde insisted. She groaned when her brother raised it to a height she was physically unable to reach. "You're barkin' up the wrong tree, Big Mac," she warned.

The older was unphased by her threat. He calmly nudged her aside to allow himself more space to work. Applejack crossed her arms with a huff, but she didn't intervene. She watched her brother clean up the mess she made in silence.

"You okay, AJ?" he asked her suddenly.

Applejack cleared her throat. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"You've been acting off all day. Have you overworked yourself again?"

AJ scowled. She was about to sneer at him, but then she realized how unreasonable her behavior was. Big Mac was just showing his concern for her well-being, yet here she was, acting like a spoiled little brat.

"I'm sorry," she said lowly, followed by a deep sigh. Big Macintosh turned to peer at her as she let her shoulder drop. "Just a bit tired right now," she added.

The taller hummed softly. He grabbed the glass of juice and handed it over to his sister, who blinked at it in surprise. She glanced up, confused, but when she saw the reassuring smile her brother was wearing, she couldn't help but smile back. She accepted the drink.

"Rest up," Big Mac advised her. He nodded out the window. "I can take care of today's chores with Granny Smith and Apple Bloom."

Applejack wanted to argue – there was no way she could rest knowing her whole family was outside working – but she knew it was hopeless. Big Mac had made up his mind and she knew she couldn't do anything to change it. Not to mention that she most definitely needed to rest, considering the intense anxiety pooling in her belly.

"Thanks, Big Mac," she said eventually. She clenched the glass in her hand. "Just... Give me a holler if you need a hand."

"Yup," Big Mac replied.

AJ nudged him. "Y'all are awfully chatty today, by the way," she teased.

He grinned at her. "Yup."