1 - Ah Gotta Objection
Applejack stormed into the Town Hall, glaring at any pony that so much as glances her way. "Where's that mayor?!" She stomped with each step, tail lashing on her way to Mayor Mare's office. Applejack didn't bother to knock, simply busting through the door to shout at the mare she saw hunched over paperwork behind the desk "How could ya-"
Applejack stopped mid-sentence once her mind caught up to what she was seeing.
Mayor Mare squeaked. "Close that door." She waved frantically at the door Applejack stood in, eyes wide. "Close it!"
The farmer took half a step forward and reached for the doorknob, swinging the door shut behind her. "Yer mane's lookin', uh." Applejack licked over her lips, mouth suddenly dry.
Mayor Mare laughed tensely. "The color was wearing thin, and I didn't have time to touch it up before coming in today. It's too bright, isn't it?" Her mane looked like clouds during a sunset. Not that Applejack had thought about the mayor's mane that much. The pink streaks were very vibrant, peeking out from the grey color she had been trying to hide them behind. "Give me a moment and I can be presentable."
Applejack shook her head, even as the mayor's eyes fell back to the papers on her desk. "Naw. Suits you."
The mayor glanced back up, surprise evident on her face. "A mayor does not have pastel pink hair!"
"Maybe she should." Applejack shrugged.
Mayor Mare shuffled awkwardly in place. "You're saying that. Either way, I'm sure you didn't come here to swap mane-care tips with me." She dunked a hoof in the bucket, getting more grey to slather on her mane.
Applejack ignored how tight her throat felt to speak. "Ah came here cuz ah heard we're gonna be havin' a flood of new residents any day now. How are we supposed to house this many folks? It's only a week away!" Her glare returned to her. "Ah heard somepony say the town hall, that's this place, was thinkin' about usin' Sweet Apple Acres to put some of 'em up! Ya ain't even asked fer that!"
"I did ask," Mayor Mare corrected, sounding almost bored as she kept working on her mane. "Right before the first seed drop. You told me the harvest was coming in, and there wasn't space for anypony to stay with you."
Applejack blinked, haunches crashing down with a thump on the ground. "Wait. So—"
"We already wrote off Sweet Apple Acres as a possibility." She shook her head and examined a mirror. "Does it look right? No? This is why I do it in my bathroom; everything shows up better on white tiles."
"Well, then where else are we gonna put everypony? I just finished planting our last seed. That was our last empty plot of land." Applejack rubbed at her cheek. "Clearly someponies are still talkin' 'bout it." She felt more awkward by the moment. "Yer mane looks mighty fine. Real regal."
Mayor Mare set her hooves on the table, frowning across the room at her. "Thank you." She tucked her chin down, eyeing Applejack over. "Did you get sunstroke when you were out doing that planting?"
She frowned right back at the mayor, giving an indignant huff. "I'm fine!" Though she did feel a bit warm. "Look, since ah have ya, let me ask ya again about that one other option ah heard mentioned."
Mayor Mare went back to her paperwork, but Applejack could see a twitch of a smile at the corner of her lips. "Oh?"
"The Evergrow Fields." Applejack advanced on the desk. "Now, ain't got no complaints 'bout that place, but yer gonna need ponies that can get somethin' set up fast."
Mayor Mare gave a small, non-committal hum and squinted at the paper in front of her, tapping the tip of a pen against the desk. "It's not a bad idea."
Applejack drew herself up. "Ah happen to know sucha pony, get it lookin' good fer new ponies to make a home. Ah can handle whatever gets thrown mah way."
Mayor Mare finally met her eyes again, lowering the papers in hoof slightly. "I recall." A low flush settled over Applejack's face, one she hoped would pass as embarrassment. "You finished the seeding. The orchard is on idle for a moon, is it not?" She steepled her hooves. "You're available."
"Ah am."
"We'll draw up the paperwork and send you over with the cart to begin as soon as possible." Mayor Mare slid a stack to the side, pulling over another, taller stack. "In fact, we can have you transferred over there by tomorrow evening." She grabbed a quill in her mouth and got to scribbling a moment. "Was that all?"
Applejack started to turn, but couldn't finish the motion as she mulled over the mayor's question in her head. Instead, she pivoted back. "Ya could come 'long, if ya like. Ya must be needin' a break from this ol' desk."
Applejack had to stomp on her tongue to keep from adding anything to that offer.
Mayor Mare inclined her head. "I can't say I'm the town's most productive builder, Applejack. I'm an administrator. It runs in my blood." She pointed back at her cutie mark.
That gave Applejack a reason to look back there, at her rump, perhaps a moment longer than required, to follow the golden scales over her buttery soft cream coat and back to her eyes. She realized Mayor Mare was saying something.
"...no choice in the matter. If you have any further concerns, I can have the town hall staff draft up a contract that lays everything out."
Applejack shook her head quickly, cheeks burning. "Sorry, ma'am, got a little distracted. Um." She struggled to keep the conversation going. "Wedding!"
Mayor Mare blinked at that sudden outburst. "Wedding? Are someponies getting married?"
Applejack waved a hoof out. "You were there, when mah parents got wed. You officiated it, didn't ya? Ya did it."
Mayor Mare watched Applejack stumble over her words before smiling in recognition. "Yes. I was very young, just graduated. Your parents insisted, actually." Her gaze grew distant in thought. "Your father kept saying the harvest was upon him, and he was wasting away without your mother. And I was the first one to pick up that occupation in many years." She sighed and shrugged. "They had been betrothed to each other for some time. They really could have done it on their own."
Applejack clasped her hooves together, staring at them and thinking over how she had meant to approach the topic. "Do ya ever want to do that? For yourself, I mean." She rubbed behind her head. "Ah mean, uh, just gettin' with somepony, not even so far as weddin', less ya felt like it, 'course." Her mind helpfully replayed a few specific ideas she'd had about what marriage with the mayor might involve, and she barely managed to contain her flustered shudder at those thoughts. "Ah don't mean any offense, miss, not at all."
Mayor Mare raised a brow high. "Now, Applejack, you are asking very pointed questions." She leaned forward with a smirk. "I will let you off the hook. What stallion put you up to asking about that?"
Applejack gawked at Mayor Mare, feeling a fresh wave of heat cover her body. She didn't believe it. Mayor Mare's smile widened, her eyes glinting, as Applejack didn't manage to do or say anything. She could practically read the conclusion the mare drew on her face, and yet, she couldn't bring herself to say or do anything that might refute it. "Uh, yeah, uh."
"Go on." Mayor Mare rolled a hoof slowly. "Tell me. I'm not even mad, only upset they didn't have the bravery to come ask me themselves. Don't you worry, you won't be in trouble, you're safe to tell me."
Applejack gave a weak laugh, backing away to the door, tail tight between her legs. "Uh. It's a real secret, I'm afraid."
"Oh, they put you up to that, too? Well, you know I'm a vault when it comes to secrets, Applejack." Mayor Mare gently tapped her hooves, eyes locked on Applejack. "I'll keep it nice and safe."
Applejack swallowed dryly. "We'll just say he's uh, tall and strong, a good honest worker, a charmer and, uh, he's a uh, older, experienced, um, stallion." Applejack glanced around the room, mind racing.
"Hm." One could almost see the gears turning in Mayor Mare's mind. "Only a few stallions come to mind with that description. Now, why are you looking so scared?"
Applejack listed to the side faintly. "Ah don't like fibbin'!" She turned tail and made for the door.
"No, wait, I believe you." Mayor Mare's voice was suddenly closer than she expected.
Applejack jumped, head butting into the door. "Ouch!"
Mayor Mare's expression was odd, a mixture of amusement and contemplation, as she walked up, placing a hoof on Applejack's side. "Come out of the door, there's more room in here." She prodded her to step into the office again. "My, Applejack, I can't say I suspected that." She tugged her gently over to a chair and took her spot back behind the desk. "This is a very sudden surprise. I hope you aren't joking."
Applejack covered her eyes with a hoof. "You must think ah'm a foal! Shoot, um, ma'am. We jus' went over thin's. Ya done married my pa and ma. What am ah even doin'?!" She huffed in frustration, lowering the hoof to look at the ceiling in despair. "Ah'll take the job, ma'am, and ah'll stop botherin' ya."
Mayor Mare blinked a few times, eyes flickering down Applejack's form. "The job was already yours, but you're not getting off that easily. I prefer to work straight with my contacts, personal or business, and this may be both." She raised a hoof. "But, I should warn, before anything else, I won't have ponies saying I play favorites. No sweethear of mine gets first line for things."
Applejack jerked upright, neck stiff, staring across the table at the mayor. "Whut. Huh. Sweetheart, miss. Me."
Mayor Mare nodded. "Yes, Applejack. That is the only reasonable explanation for what is happening in this office." She pointed to the chair across from her. "Sit. Now, age." She brushed up her grey-colored mane. "While I do my best to look poised and dignified, I'm not ancient. We're both adults, so it's up to us if we want to proceed or not, romantically speaking."
Applejack lowered her rump on the chair. "What a thing to start askin' after. Why are we even discussin' that? Yer just lookin' for somethin' to tease me 'bout."
Mayor Mare cocked a brow. "It's only a tease if I misread you entirely. Applejack, tell me what you think of me and be honest about it."
Applejack cringed at the command, shoulders hunched up by her ears. She could feel her heart thumping in her chest. "Don't make me, miss. It's mighty embarrassing. I need to keep workin' the fields to support mah family."
"We just covered that the orchard is fine for now." She angled her hooves towards Applejack. "The only fruit growing today is the one you brought in here today. If I'm wrong, you have my word I'll never speak of it again."
Applejack peeked open one eye at that offer, giving a snort as she folded her arms over her chest. "Ah reckon that would be a fine deal, if ya are right." She puffed herself up tall, only to deflate. "But, um, yer not wrong. Look. Ah came here ready fer a fight, an' my blood was pumpin', and it still is, um, but not fer the same reason." She peered down at her forelegs, shuffling in place as her hips rolled faintly against the cushion. "Yer a mighty pretty mare, miss. Ah don't just mean yer coat or yer mane, but ya got it all, yer smile, yer eyes, yer curves. Um, even yer attitude, when ya ain't messin' with the orchard. Yer a mighty fine mayor. Jus' mighty fine." She chanced a look at the mayor, whose eyes had softened, though her brows remained tilted up in an almost sad expression.
"I like to hear that, Applejack." She took her first step. "I do my best, serving all the ponies of this town, this community." She reached a hoof for Applejack's shoulder. "But it sounds like you've fallen over yourself. I don't want to be a flight of fancy, and you know the life of a mayor isn't an easy one, not until I pass the reigns on."
Applejack nodded. "Ah understand." She scooted to the edge of her seat. "Miss, ah dunno what it is." She snorted gently. "Yer a link! You are one of the few ponies that saw mah folks, talked to 'em. Ya gotta mighty powerful link." She rubbed behind her head, jostling her hat. "Ah'm makin' this sound odd, ain't I?"
Mayor Mare smiled, sliding her hoof over to rub along Applejack's jawline. "No, you're not." She watched Applejack lean into her touch, their eyes locking together. "That's nice," the mayor breathed out. "You know, it's my job to protect traditions."
Applejack perked both ears at that. "Really?"
"Surely." Mayor Mare waved behind her at old books. "Most of those laws were written before I existed, and I protect them for the future generations." She pulled Applejack closer by the chin, guiding her in. "Maybe this is a tradition I should add to my list. You might enjoy it more."
"Gettin' teased by the mayor?"
"Kissing the mayor."
They set words aside a moment as Mayor Mare went in for the soft touch of their lips brushing together, eyes closed as she pressed close. Applejack didn't resist, not in the least, offering a contented sigh as she reached up to wrap a leg over her flank.
Mayor Mare's ears twitched and flattened back against her mane, cheeks starting to flush. Mayoral and farming tasks were gently set aside as the two mares shared in the touch, the smell of apples mixed with the mayor's shampoo.
Applejack's breath hitched softly when the mayor opened her mouth slightly, letting them press a bit deeper, lips working slowly together. Her thigh started to tense from its position along the mayor's belly, rubbing against the smooth, supple stomach.
It was Mayor Mare that gently backed away, gently heaving for breath. "That felt sincere."
Applejack laughed at those words. "Sincere is one of mah specialties! If ya see me actin' some other way, ya got permission to hit me one and set me right."
Mayor Mare laughed back, sitting properly on her rump once more. "I may just do that, Applejack."
Applejack adjusted her hat and licked her lips. "Um, so, thanks fer takin' care ah mah problem then." She turned to go. "Wish all visits to Town Hall were so pleasant."
"So do I, but then I'd have a lot less time on my hooves." Mayor Mare squinted at her desk. "Though, I'm still not sure I finished everything I wanted to accomplish today."
Applejack stopped, tilting her head. "You can cross off those houses. Ah'll get it done, promise." She strode off with determination in her steps and eyes.
Whether their relationship endured or not, she would meet it with all her heart.