Work Text:
Bow was wandering through the mansion. It was quiet, and the feeling left behind was eerie. Not that Bow usually minded, but she had just gotten used to the new rhythm of mansion living with Marshmallow and Apple that it felt unusual and a bit discomforting. A shiver worked up her spine, making her tail snap in the air wildly, and she grumbled, darting through the house faster. There was a dull thunking echoing in through the thin mansion walls- Apple outside chopping firewood for the encroaching fall and winter months- and Bow couldn’t go outside far enough to be with her, but maybe if she found Marshmallow she could shake the awful dead loneliness making her head spin. Dough didn’t count, the air was so still all Bow really wanted was the comfort of someone breathing beside her. She phased in and out of walls, passing all of Marshmallow’s typical haunts: TV Room- nope- Bedroom- no- Kitchen- nuh-uh- Library- no!- Attic? It was too cold up there for Marsh, but Bow was starting to get desperate. She was about to tug her ribbons out of her head when she flew through a hallway and breezed straight past Marsh. She caught the sight of white in her peripheral and stopped in the air, skidding clear through the wall before backtracking, floating behind Marsh.
Bow released a sigh, relief and annoyance. What was Marsh doing here? She had pulled up a chair and was staring out the window. It was a big bluish-green armchair (they had all debated about what color it actually was, but Marsh didn’t budge until everyone eventually got bored and they had to find a compromise) that Marsh had typically reserved for reading. Steam rose from behind it, from a cup of something Marsh was drinking. Bow missed her senses. She shook her head and moved on. Marsh didn’t seem to have a book, and Bow couldn’t hear pages turning or paper fluttering from Marsh fidgeting with the corner, so she clearly wasn’t reading. Then what? Bow cleared her throat, but Marsh didn’t look away. Bow sighed, and curiously drifted closer. Another thunk of Apple chopping sounded, and at her new proximity Bow could hear Marsh inhale softly. Now thoroughly confused, she draped herself languidly across the back of the chair. Her tail waved lazily and she glanced up to look out the window. Marsh had a perfect view of Apple chopping wood. The sun shined against her smooth red skin, and she glistened in the light, sweating softly. Bow watched as she wrestled the axe out of a stump easily, tossing aside a piece of wood and replacing it with a smaller log. Apple took a deep inhale, stepped back a bit, and rose the axe high above her head. Marshmallow and Bow watched as her arms flexed and as the axe cut through the air, slicing the log in half easily. Apple huffed a breath as Marsh exhaled softly and Bow smirked. So that’s what she had been doing. She reached down, swirling her finger on, and slightly through, the top of Marshmallow’s head. Marshmallow jumped, shivering at the sudden cold and turned on Bow. She was blushing, embarrassed at having been caught, and Bow fought back against a laugh when Marshmallow fumbled her mug in surprise. She placed it on the window sill, then turned back to her girlfriend.
“Bow!” Marsh exclaimed in surprise.
“Hey, Marsh. Whatcha doing?” She replied, resting her head in her hands, elbows propped against, and again slightly phasing through, the couch cushions. “Nice view?” she added. Marsh blushed again, then turned away from Bow.
“That’s none of your business!” She crossed her arms.
“She’s waving,” Bow said. Marsh squeaked in surprise, then ducked behind the window curtain. Bow laughed, falling off the back of the chair and out of Marshmallow’s view. She flew back through, head sticking out the front and tail through the back, and wiped her eyes. “Aw, I got you good! You’re so cute and gullible, did you know that?”
Marsh blushed again, huffing angrily and waving her hand through Bow’s face. Bow stuck her tongue out and flew backwards out of the chair, popping up to rest her head on the armrest and Marshmallow got comfortable again.
“Sooo… you’ve just been watching her the whole time?” Bow asked, rolling her eyes innocently.
Marsh huffed, shoving Bow though her hand went straight through. “Leave me alone!” She said. Bow laughed again, then waved her arms.
“I’m not makin’ fun, I swear!” She said. Marshmallow side-eyed her suspiciously, then turned back to the window. Bow turned back too and they both watched as Apple sliced a log in half then threw it into a small pile she had been making. She wiped sweat off her forehead, and exhaled roughly. Something in Bow twitched, her tail kicking up behind her. Huh. She had never noticed how… mature Apple looked. When she spoke, Bow mostly still tuned it out as nonsense, but now, watching as she worked, she looked… well, she looked like her age, in a way Bow had never noticed. Determined and focused… Bow’s mouth opened slightly and she licked her lip. That shade of red really was- Marshmallow sighed softly and Bow blinked, broken out of her spiraling thoughts. She swallowed, and nestled in to the armrest’s cushion further, focused now entirely on the way Apple’s biceps twitched as she lifted the axe again, brows tight and focused, puffing her cheeks out with effort as she swung the tool down. It landed with a hard thunk that had Bow flinch slightly. Marsh was so right… she thought distantly. Apple wrenched it back out of the log, turning it over and leaning heavily on the handle. She wiped her brow again and Bow and Marshmallow swooned in unison.
Bow decided that maybe having Apple around wasn’t as bad as she thought.