It was when she was nine and her breath caught, gazing up at the powerful, young woman on the bull.
She wanted to be tough, fearless, and eager to do what she could.
It had been on a vacation when she had first saw her; at nine, she learned that women can be tough.
Natalya took that in to consideration as she grew.
At fifteen, she wanted to go back back and thank the woman she couldn't.
Natalya forgot about that day after that; when she moved to America though, she caught herself watching again, thrilled with the emotion, the adrenaline.
Her eyes traced out a vaguely familiar silhouette.
"Who is she?" Natalya breathed out the question as if tasting it on her tongue.
"That's Allison Amelia Jones. She first entered the rodeo at five claiming to be Alfred F. Jones. They let her, and she ain't ever quit since." The middle aged man chuckled.
Natalya smiled slightly at that.
"Was it wrong for a girl to enter the rodeo back then?" Natalya asked him.
"No, but Allison has a way about her." He chuckled as he answered her.
She gazed back at the powerful woman on the bull.
Natalya wondered why Allison had done that or anything about the strong woman really.
Natalya still didn't feel quite used to the town, and hadn't really grown close to anyone with in the town.
She found herself wandering near the stadium set up for the rodeos, and was startled by a familiar figure by this point crouched down near a small horse.
"Hello." Natalya was nervous as she had never spoken before to the woman that was famous around town.
"Hi?" Allison stood up and stared, startled by Natalya's presence.
"Hello. What were you doing?" Natalya was curious despite herself.
"My pony has not been feeling well. I was checking up on her." Allison's eyes prickled with unshed tears.
"I hope that she gets better." Natalya spoke up as she watched the other woman.
"Me too. Who are you by the way?" Allison stared hard at Natalya as if to scan her for any memory of the Belorussian.
"I'm Natalya Arlovskaya. I'm still new to town." Natalya introduced herself.
"Allison Jones." The cowgirl admitted, and crouched down to talk to her horse again.
"Do you know what's wrong?" Natalya wondered.
"No, but I can't afford to take her to the Vet as my performance has been lacking lately, and my bills piling high." Allison sighed.
May be it was her old crush on the other woman that made Natalya speak up now, "I could help."
"Are you sure?" Allison asked her.
"Yes, I'm sure." Natalya muttered to reassure herself and Allison.
Allison Jones was surprised by the kind act of the other.
Natalya was officially broke due to Vetinary costs and exhausted from a long day watching someone diagnose a horse.
Allison smiled sympathetically, and let the other woman crash at her place for the night somce it was closer to where they were at anyway.
Natalya looked angelic when she slept, Allison noted.
The blond haired American was rather strange compared to the town that she lived at.
Allison was a lesbian which was an abnormality here where she lived, and she doubted that Natalya would ever return her feelings if she ever fell for her.
They fell in to a mutual friendship easily after that experience.
Natalya could not explain how she went from a silly crush and admiration to being friends with such a powerful woman.
It wasn't like her crush had gone away overnight for the other woman yet it was a topic that Natalya was almost scared of talking about.
She caught herself staring again, and still she wondered how the woman that was strong enough to stand alone would say about this neverending crush.
Allison picked at her clothes and wondered about them with fear of rejection.
She gulped back her fear, "Remember the day that we met, and you paid the bill for my horse to be treated?"
"I do." Natalya murmured as she thought back to that day.
"I started to fall for you then." Allison announced with little to fear or hesitation in her appearance or voice.
Natalya was surprised that her lifelong crush returned her feelings, "I fell for you when I was nine years old."
There would be time later on for Natalya to explain about how she first fell for the strong girl on the bull that day, but for now, she didn't have to.
Allison flushed scarlet and pulled the other woman closer to her.
That searing kiss was full of passion that first emerged when one was nine yet that fire had never dwindled nor was put out.
The passion also depicted a bright future lit up from years of love.
