A/N: Thanks for the reviews guys, keep em coming I love reading them! It inspires me to keep posting, so here you go, another chapter! Is you look up what "Balk" means at the end of the chapter, you might understand why I called it that... Anyway, as T-V(Guest), one of my reviewers, reminded me:
I should "stop blushing, it's not becoming." And I should stop reading the reviews and "get back to work!"
AND SO I SHALL!
5. Balk
The sound of water flowing freely from the faucet echoed across the cold tiles of the bathroom. I felt uneasy sitting up on the counter by the sink all exposed and shit, especially since we had barely even spoken since the game, but Applejack didn't seem to mind. It still felt odd being alone with her, but I kind of liked it anyway, I always did. She squeezed out the cloth again before letting it absorb some more warm water, which she then held against the wound on my leg. She had pulled my pants up pretty high to do it, and her touch made me wish she would drift even higher. It was a pretty nasty cut, I had to admit, and it stung like hell when she touched it but I let her continue. It had stopped bleeding by now, but Applejack was nothing if not vigilant. She wrapped some bandage around it and pulled my pants back down, moving on to the less severe wound on my elbow, which she could reach since I removed my uniform shirt and folded in into a bunch beside me, leaving just my black tank top on.
"You gonna make a habit of gettin' all scratched up like this, Rainbow?" Applejack asked, and her voice carried through the otherwise empty, echoing room.
"You going to make a habit of fixing me?" I responded with a question as I pulled my wrist behind my head, giving her a clearer view of the area. She just sort of smiled as I continued, "I'm prone to injury, A.J., you know that."
"It's that darn reckless spirit of yours, sugar cube." She reminded me as she cleaned the area, though I winced at the sensitivity of the still raw flesh.
"Pssh, that reckless spirit of mine just won us our first game, if you forgot." I flipped my hair and stared at her, begging her to return the gaze. She didn't though, she just kept cleaning the dirt out of my scrape, but opened her mouth to speak.
"I reckon I had nothin' to do with that myself, now did I?" She asked rhetorically, and I really couldn't deny it. She had been awesome, and I'm sure she knew it.
"Nah, you managed to pull your own weight out there." I played it cool, watching her laugh a bit as she finished up, washing the hand towel once more. I leaned a bit closer to her as I finally caught her attention the same as I reached up and touched the slightly parted collar of her uniform shirt. Her shirt displayed that same number one that she had clearly earned, and I did not want her to forget that, "I'd expect nothing less from our ace."
I noticed the way she looked at me, she was uncomfortable. So Rarity had been right, she did find things awkward between us after I had kissed her, and she was trying to find a way to let me down. That's also probably why she had tried to play it off as a joke during the last inning. I must have made her uneasy or anxious by touching her, because she pulled away and finished squeezing out the hand towel, turning off the tap with it.
I observed her carefully as she fumbled around with the rest of the medical supplies, packing most of them away. She took another bandage and grabbed my wounded arm somewhat forcefully, trying to finish up. I noticed her hurried and evasive behaviour, and pulled my arm away from her. She looked up at me with an weird expression, like she was kind of frustrated. She tried to grab me again but I pulled away, tilting my head as if daring her to try again. She didn't really say anything about it, but that sour-apple face she made always meant she was either lying or keeping something from me.
"You're not telling me something." I said plainly, as it had become clear that was the case. She didn't like being called on something like that, so she tried to grab me again but once more I moved. Not one to be outdone, of course, she simply climbed up onto the counter beside me and grabbed me with both hands, glaring into my eyes until I let her finish bandaging me up.
"It ain't nothin' Dash. Now let me finish up here so we can head on home." Applejack's voice was kind of quiet and repressed, but I let her finish up anyway with little protest. "There, that wasn't so bad, was it?" Her eyes only briefly moved up to mine before she pulled them away and made to climb back down. I stopped her though, putting my hand on her shoulder to get her attention.
"Sit down." I instructed, and though she hesitated she eventually and reluctantly obeyed, sitting down beside me with her back to the bathroom mirror. She looked down at her clasps hands, which she folded on her lap like they were holding some secret in them. "Is something bothering you, Applejack?"
"Well I— no not exactly," She started but cut herself off, keeping it all inside. A smile graced her face and she chuckled a bit as she went on, "I was just thinkin' is all, dangerous task right there I s'pose."
"About what?" I wouldn't let her brush it off, whatever it was. She still bit at her lip and scrunched up her face until I sighed loudly and spoke again, "Come on, A.J., talk to me here." She looked up at me when I said that, and the longing look in her eyes really freaked me out, like some mirror of my own. But they quickly switched back to thoughtful and nervous.
"Just thinkin', about you, and," Applejack smiled as she thought about whatever it was, but her face got all sullen after that, "About me." Oh God, here it comes. This was what Rarity had warned me about in full force, she was about to tell me off, embarrass me, stomp on my heart and whatever else she had in store. I closed my eyes in disappointment and leaned against the mirror, letting her speak. "I like playin' ball you with Rainbow, I like hangin' out again, just you and me. Alone." Her hand touched mine suddenly, and I could feel this great comforting warmth as her fingers slid under mine. My eyes darted back to her and my heart jumped up so high it must have gone right through the ceiling. This didn't sound like any rejection, it sounded like a damn confession!
"What are you saying?" I asked cautiously, careful not to jump the gun and come to any conclusions that were not based on fact. I swallowed hard as I waited for the answer, my hand tingling at her very touch.
"I just—" She stopped as though she had bit her tongue quiet, her eyes blinking like she had just regained her right mind and senses, "Ah, never you mind sugar cube, c'mon now, I'm sure the others wanna congratulate us on our victory and all."
She released me at once and hopped down from the counter in one motion, turning her back to me and approaching the door. I would not let her leave so quickly. I jumped down after her and cleared the distance between us in three strides. She had grabbed the handle of the door and tried to open it, but I shoved it shut with an assertive slam of my hand against it. I left my hand on the door, my arm remaining close beside her. She didn't say anything at my boldness, and even I had to take a long breath in before I could speak in a way that my voice would not quiver.
"They can wait." I murmured huskily as I moved closer, pressing my other hand on the door just passed her body. She stood there now, fenced in by my extended arms.
My whole body was shaking just having her between my arms, and for a moment I didn't care if she was afraid of me or what. I could smell her blonde hair closely now, so close I could feel it touching my lips as I leaned against her just a fraction more. It was silky smooth and scented like flowers or apples or something, I was never good with describing stuff like that. My hand found its way to the lock on the door, and I turned it without hesitation. Still, she just waited there like she didn't know what to do. Well, I knew exactly what I wanted to do, and even God above didn't seem able to stop me.
I grabbed her by the shoulder and turned her around to face me, so roughly that her back hit the door with a thud. I was right to think she would be frightened, her eyes were wide as they stared at me, her cheeks flushing and her tongue moving around in her mouth as if to bite back some protests. My hand touched her cheek and she flinched a bit, but for some reason or another she let me slip my fingers further back until they combed into her golden hair. I moved ever closer, watching her take in a breath while her chest rose steadily until our breasts grazed each other.
"D-Don't you, don't you think we... should," Applejack's voice was soft and it drifted into a heavy breath as I drew nearer, her quivering lips just too tempting to pass over.
Applejack's eyelids began to fall slowly over her clearly hypnotized gaze, and I almost screamed in anticipation. She was actually submitting to me, she was actually going to let me kiss her! I gladly obliged and drank in the heat from her lips with my own, pressing firmly into the kiss. I could hardly control myself, just thinking about how far I wanted to take it drove me mad with desire. She shivered against my touch, and she must have been uncertain whether or not to let it go on.
I barely broke away before I kissed her again, reliving the experience with as much fervency as the first time. I couldn't even explain how she tasted as I drove the kiss deeper, but it was so much better than I even anticipated. The connection was sweet and soft and perfect, but my whole being trembled and begged for more until my lips kissed her on the jawline, then the neck. She shifted a bit as her breath caught in her throat, I could feel it on my lips as I continued to trail down, kissing and licking and and nipping at her skin. Her lack of protest excited me, though I would have loved to force this on her just the same. I tasted her again, and enticed a moan from my Applejack at last, though it was quiet and stifled. I hummed in delight against her, feeling the goosebumps rising on her skin as I touched her anywhere I could.
I nearly froze as I felt her hand on the back of my head, but I was pleasantly surprised when instead of yanking me off she buried her fingers into my hair and pressed me against her again. Perhaps I was getting a bit ahead of myself as I chuckled lightly against her collar bone, leaning down a bit more to kiss the spot right above her highest holding button. She made another groan, just as repressed and earnest, just as quiet and pleading. My hands hurried up to her shirt, unbuttoning two metal restrains with one motion, letting her uniform black tank top underneath show at last. It too was in my way, and I touched her well toned stomach roughly in an attempt to un-tuck it from her pants. But like I said, perhaps I was getting ahead of myself.
I felt her fingers dig deeper and yank on my hair as she closed her fist behind my head, doing just what I hoped she wouldn't and getting enough hold to pull me back. She held me a few inches away from her in her firm and somewhat painful grasp, but her eyes told me an entirely different story. My lips were wet and beginning to swell, as maybe I had been kissing her a bit too hard. She pulled me farther back and untangled her hand from my hair, shoving me away by the shoulder with her other hand. I blinked at such a violent attack, feeling myself stumble a few paces backwards.
I was about to speak up and tell her off, but before I could her body came crashing into mine once more. Her lips pressed hard against mine this time, and I barely got the chance to gasp before she bent down abruptly and let her arms come around my backside, looping lower until they locked under my thighs. I yelped a bit as she picked me right up like it was no issue at all, but her passionate kisses silenced me once more. I felt a little vulnerable and uneasy when she teetered me back a bit with another two steps, but I didn't get the chance to come close to falling as I felt the bathroom counter under my rear. It was a low counter surely, I realized anew when she placed me down and easily reached my lips without even having to stretch out.
Her hands slipped back up from under me, tracing my ass without difficulty seeing as how she had almost put me right into a sink, and stopped only to line the small of my back. I had never seen her so vicious and forthcoming, but I would be lying if I said it didn't turn me right the hell on. I put my hands on her strong shoulders, feeling the way her body moved with each kiss. She must not have liked that very much, as her kisses suddenly halted and she reached back to grab my wrists. I stared at her in shock, her infatuating expression threatening to force me to beg for more. Her crooked smirk returned beneath her intoxicated-looking gaze, but instead of doing as I silently pleaded she shoved my hands against the bathroom mirror behind my head, pressing me against it just the same. Her honest green eyes always forced out the truth, and this time was no different. I swallowed hard as she pressed her body against mine, her thigh finding its way right between mine and pinning me still.
"Y'know, I see the way you look at me, Dash," Applejack's voice was stalwart, rugged and low, and the words alone made this uneasy twist in my stomach turn hard. I couldn't do much to defend myself, even from her lecherous gaze as she sized me up.
"I-I, I'm sorry," Was all I could muster, in this squeaky and small voice. She tilted her head at such a response, and I couldn't really explain why I had said it either. After all, I wasn't really sorry.
"Sorry?" Her tone raised in question, but before she went on she pressed herself against me again, her mouth finding my neck too easily without the bother of a shirt collar. She stopped restraining me with her hands and let them come around my waist again, teasing me with the play of her fingers on my spine. I closed my eyes as she kissed my jaw and neck so genuinely, her tongue even caressing my pale skin the way I only ever imagined it would. "For lookin'?" She voice tickled my skin as she moved down to where my neck met my shoulder and I exposed myself to her affections, "Or for lyin'?" I was greeted with something less than pleasing at that, as she bit me hard on the tenders of my flesh, bringing me to cry out. I nearly jumped with surprise and I grabbed at the cold water tap instinctively, accidentally turning it on and spraying my pants.
"For lying!" I called louder than I intended, her teeth like some lie detector. I hurriedly and clumsily turned the water back off as she chuckled. She went back to being gentle, kissing the sore skin and licking it again, "I wanted to tell you, I really, really did." I admitted as my eyes rolled into the back of my head. "I was afraid."
"Of this?" She questioned into my chest as her hands moved under my shirt and I could feel every line on her palms against my back.
"Oh God no," I whimpered in a breath as my head tipped back against the mirror and I pressed myself against her, my desires utterly captivating my rational thought. "This is, this is," My breathing grew heavier and faster as her hands moved to the front of my body, tickling me and taunting me, "Awesome."
"Glad y'think so, sugar cube," Applejack's voice was muffled, as her lips were otherwise occupied.
She pulled up my shirt and revealed my twitching midsection, which she eagerly moved down to and began ravishing with her tongue. I moaned as a smile took over my face, which only intensified as her hands slid up under my shirt and reached my breasts, which she kept from fondling directly. Her fingers traced the bottom of my sports bra, and I could feel her palms slowly moving up. I noticed her own breasts pressing against my hips, and the warmth of her body was irresistible between my legs. I pressed my lowers closer to her, almost willing to stop this divine torture if it meant repositioning to get a better angle for release.
She could feel me bucking my hips up earnestly, grinding myself against any part of her body I could get near. She pulled back a bit and looked down at my lustful reaction, seeming somehow uncertain of what to do about it. I was clear that she didn't seem so confident about that part of my body, though kissing and touching the rest of me was somehow entirely within limits. I knew very well that she was a virgin like I was, and I didn't imagine she was the kind of person who often touched herself, so it was not surprising she would be nervous about touching me somewhere so private. Besides that, if she were to acknowledge me there, it would remind her of the fact that we were both women, and from her hesitance I suddenly realized she might not have been so sure she wanted to remember that. I had to find a way to relieve the pressure I was putting on her, to dissolve the uncertainty that was creeping up.
I didn't want to spoil it with words, since everyone knew how poor I was with them anyway. Instead, I leaned down and touched her chin with my finger, raising it back up so she could look at me face to face. I tipped her head back a bit more before I placed my lips on hers, that electric chemistry striking me just the same as the very first time. She was hesitant, but sooner or later I felt her kissing me back, her hands moving against my athletic body once more. I knew she must have been intrigued or interested, and she ventured all over me like she cared not if curiosity could actually kill.
I smiled against her lips, praising myself for keeping her enthralled. I playfully bit at her bottom lip, but when I paused to huff a laugh at the way she flinched, she took the control right back and slipped her tongue into my mouth. My eyes shot open to watch her, still somehow surprised that she would make such a bold advance. For someone raised with such good morals and intentions, she really loved to play dirty. Her tongue was agile and limber, roping around mine and twirling slow circles around it. I just let myself enjoy it at last, loving the tussle and wrestle she was giving me.
One of her hands was on the counter close to me, I could feel the tips of her fingers against my thighs as she pressed against the cool surface, pushing herself hard against my body. Her other hand slid up higher under my shirt, fully groping at my breast until she summoned the much desired moan from my moist lips. Even from under my bra she must have been able to feel my nipple rise to her touch, and I felt her index finger and thumb pinch the sensitive skin. Her kisses went lower again, and I eagerly pulled my shirt up more until I revealed my chest to her advances. She wasted no time following my lead and kissing the supple rounds on my chest that just slightly peeked out above my bra. There was no way I had enough coordination to pull the shirt over my head, so I settled for leaving it pulled up to my collar bone. I couldn't help myself as I ground myself against her hips again, my breath hot and loud. She grinned against my skin and sucked it a bit, though not quite hard enough to leave little red or purple stars speckling my chest with her attention.
"A.J.," I couldn't even say her whole name with what little control I had over myself, my voice even cracked at the height of my pitch range. "A.J.," Came again and even higher and squeakier. I squeezed her between my legs again, my whimpering growing into groans until she pulled back a bit.
"I know," She hushed as she gazed intently into my eyes, her expression again filled with daring desire, and from what I could see, understanding. She complied to my unspoken request slowly, her eyes slipping first down my chest as to examine me. Her hand followed closely, leaving my breast and trailing down the toned line of my stomach. I almost screamed out loud, if my heart hadn't skipped a beat with every blink of her eyes.
Her hand slipped bit by bit lower, an inch or two at a time with longer intervals between each movement. But she did not stop, in fact her eyes were keen on observing, her fingers nervously trembling as she approached the most tender and personal part of my body. I bit my lip as I watched her explore, the moisture and tingling of my lions proving impossible to ignore. Her fingers touched the hem of my pants, and she must have even been too nervous to look up and gauge my reaction. There was no doubt that she could feel the heat radiating from me on her palm, which was hovering a mere inch away from the perfect location.
The door rattled a bit and we both jolted, damn near jumping clean out of our skins before realizing we had locked the door. Our eyes met in a clash of panic and ecstasy, the heat between us turning to a fearful chill. Neither of us said a word or moved at first, waiting to see what came next. As woefully anticipated, it was not silence and privacy.
Knock, knock, knock.
"Rainbow Dash? Applejack? Are you two in there?" A voice wormed between the door and its frame, and I cursed the familiarity we both recognized. It was Twilight's voice, concerned as ever for a friend who had been injured.
"Uh," Applejack's voice slipped out as her hand moved from my pleasure up to her face, which she nervously touched before running her hand through her bangs to fix the apparent mess, "Yeah, just finishin' up."
She took a large step away from me, her expression blank and her eyes nearly watering with either fear or regret. She shook her head back and forth as she saw me sitting there, as if for the first time. I could see the realization in her eyes, and something similar to contempt. I wanted to reach out to her and comfort her, but she tousled her hair again and quickly avoided looking at me. My eyebrows dropped onto my gaze, glaring at her as if I was the one who could bring the truth out of her.
I had never known her to lie, but she was frantically pacing around like she was having some anxiety attack before she went to the door, and didn't even look back or say a word to me at all. She scrunched up her face and covered her eyes with her hands like she was scolding herself for doing something terribly, terribly wrong. Her pause at the lock gave me time to pull my shirt back down, but she didn't even give me any indication that she wanted to see me ever again. It was terrifying, the way she just turned her back to me and went on like she wanted to forget all of this, to take it all back so she would not have to deal with the consequences, even when we were still just alone together.
I was still sitting on the bathroom counter, and though I wanted to I did not speak to ask her why she was acting this way. I was afraid to know. This was exactly why I shouldn't have brought it up, she didn't want me. She didn't. She must have just succumbed to my advances unwittingly, drunk with some lasciviousness, and now she was coming back to her senses. It killed me to watch her turn the lock back and grab at the handle of the bathroom door with those fingers she had just used to peruse my livelihood, fingers she had almost used on somewhere entirely intimate.
"How's she doing?" Twilight asked as she came into view from just beyond Applejack. I had a pretty good view of the rest of them from my place on the counter, I could see Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy and Rarity there too. None of them seemed to have any idea what we had just been about to do.
"I reckon she'll be good as new in no time," Applejack replied easily, and I could even hear some false smile on her lips as she spoke, though I couldn't see it with her back to me, "Like nothin' even happened." Those words were coarse against my ears, I knew what she intended to say, what she really meant.
"What happened to your hair, Applejack?" Pinkie Pie's high voice breached the confines of the bathroom, and I blushed a bit to imagine what she could even say that would make sense. I remembered the sleek feeling of my fingers in her golden locks, and how quickly she had responded.
"Rainbow ain't so tough when it comes to pain," Applejack huffed a laugh, and I pouted at such a shot. She was blaming it on me, well, even though it was entirely my doing anyway, "I had to hold her down while I fixed her up. Even locked the door so she couldn't run off." That was convenient reasoning.
"What can I say?" I forced a chuckle and rubbed the back of my neck nervously. Even from just the slight touch I felt the pain still present from the bite she gave me on the side of my neck, and if I felt just right I could even still trace the teeth marks. I let my hand fall a bit so that it would cover the spot in case anyone could see, still holding something of a fake snicker.
"Well, um, I'm glad you're all right, Rainbow." Fluttershy murmured as she played with her hands like the subject was sensitive. It hardly ever was, but this time whether she knew it or not she was right.
"I should go get changed and head home," Applejack spoke up again and started off, avoiding every single person's eyes as if she knew they could see through them, "I'll see y'all tomorrow."
"See you, Applejack," I heard my own voice come out just as pathetic and wounded as I intended it not to, but hurriedly shook it off and hoped no one noticed. I shrugged a bit as I leaned against the mirror and crossed my ankles lazily, "You guys don't have to hang around, you know. Game's over."
"We just wanted to stop in and make sure you were okay," Twilight reassured me with a pleasant and naïve smile, "And congratulate you on a great game. You and Applejack work really well together."
"Yeah, I know," I said with a hint of sorrow, but tried to hide it behind the arrogant sounding words. "Anyway, thanks for stopping in guys, I'm fine though."
"Oh, um, well I guess I'll see you later then, Rainbow Dash," Fluttershy discretely excused herself, "I have to, um, finish taking out the recycling and get home." Her voice dropped into a whisper and she could barely look at me. She knew me very well since we'd been friends for so long, and if I didn't know better I'd say she could hear the sexual frustration dripping off my words.
"I suppose I should get home too, we have a test tomorrow I need to study for, don't forget Rarity." Twilight reminded her as she too waved me off and turned to leave.
"Indeed." Rarity's voice was unusually low and suspicious as she continued to stare at me, waiting for the others to leave already.
"Aww... well, you heard Dash, the game is over! Let's have a study party instead, Twilight!" Pinkie Pie chirped up and chased after the poor girl, spinning around the whole time.
"You're not even in our class, Pinkie." Twilight argued as she disappeared behind the door, with the flamboyant Pinkie Pie hot on her heels.
"Since when do you need an excuse to party?! If you're busy that's okay, I'll just make everyone cupcakes for tomorrow in celebration of your inevitable passing of your tests!" Pinkie's voice began to fade beyond the door and I let my own held breath out slowly. "Maybe Fluttershy needs help gathering all the bottles, I can take a few home and decorate them like little bottle people!"
"Rainbow Dash," Rarity called me by my full name, and I already knew she was about to scold me again. I frowned and crossed my arms, just waiting for it while the others made their way down the hall and well out of earshot, "What did you do?"
"Why do you assume I did something?" I asked loudly, shrugging and looking away, "I can control myself, I'll have you know."
"Really?" She asked with both eyebrows raised sarcastically, "Then what, may I ask, is that?" She pointed her finger towards her own neck, gesturing the same area on me. I scooted forward on the counter and turned to look back into the mirror. My mouth fell open as I noticed it, this perfect line of teeth prints across my neck that had begun to swell a light pink.
"Fuck." I swore out loud, feeling the still tender skin around the temporary mark.
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