"Quote-Unquote"

Caught red-hoofed and red-faced in Rainbow Dash's hotel bed with another mare, Quibble's considerable mind came to an abrupt halt. His warring senses gave conflicting information. His mind told him that nopony would find this acceptable, least of all his friend of only one weekend. Yet, it also told him that Rainbow seemed to be making light of the situation. As he glanced from mare to mare, he saw matching smirks on their faces, albeit Daring Do's had more of a glow thanks to their recent activity.

He was the third wheel; Quibble wasn't sure where he fit into this puzzle. Dash and Do obviously had some sort of history from everything he'd observed of the two. Certainly, he was the expendable one. He was the one who couldn't control his horny impulses. He inhaled sharply, worried intensely by the idea that he might have crossed a major line and cost himself his friendship with the rainbow-maned mare for a second time.

Pulling himself away from Daring Do, Quibble sat on the edge of the bed with a sheet over his lap. "Dash, I am so asham--" A tan hoof covered his mouth.

Daring Do shook her head as she covered herself with the rest of the sheet. "No, Quibble, if anypony should apologize, it would be me. I've been so charged with the excitement of getting another artifact to the museum, I got swept away. The first opportunity that popped up, I took advantage of it. Of you, Quibble."

Quibble turned to Daring Do with wide eyes. "Why are you apologizing to me? I'm trying to apologize to Rainbow--"

Rainbow Dash's laugh caught him off-guard. Lifting an eyebrow in her direction, Quibble shrugged. "Why are you laughing about this? Aren't you angry I had sex with another mare on your bed? And it was your friend!"

Rainbow laughed harder, wiping at her eyes with a hoof.

Daring rolled her eyes. "As you can see, Rainbow Dash is fine. Like I told you she would be. I've known Dash for a while now and we've both...enjoyed each other's company. And we've enjoyed other pony's company. Isn't that right, Dashie?"

"Eeyup! No worries, Quibs." Dash said, finally done with her fit of laughter. "I was a little disappointed that you didn't join me in the shower. You should see it, DD, it's big enough for three! Then I realized when neither of you joined me that somepony had decided to hog you all to herself!" She said the last part with an accusatory glance at Daring Do.

Daring looked distinctly unapologetic as she sat back against the headboard. "Fair is fair, you had him first. It was my turn. But we are going to be late for my surprise for you guys. So, shower?" She asked, looking at Dash and Quibble.

"Together?" Quibble asked, still unsure of how he fit in with the two.

"It'll save time." Rainbow shrugged. "And it's what I wanted in the first place."

Quibble looked at his lap and then back up at Dash. "Um, I don't know what you're expecting, but...seeing as I just...I mean--"

"As I recall, you have some extraordinary hooves. And an equally awesome tongue." Dash pointed out, standing up to lead the way. "I think we can find a way for us all to get clean and have some fun at the same time. Right, D?"

Daring Do nodded. "Hey, throw me a towel, Dash?"

"Hmm? Oh yeah. Here." Dash tossed a towel from the bathroom to Daring on the bed. "You really should use protection more often, DD. Less clean up and you won't have to worry about exploring a lost temple with a bun in the oven."

Daring laughed as she cleaned herself up. "Hey, some sensations are worth a little risk."

"Um, I don't suppose there's another towel?" Quibble asked.

"Doesn't look like it. We still need enough for all three of us to dry off. Come on, Quibble, we're wasting time!" Rainbow chided as she let her robe fall and pranced into the bathroom, tail high.

Quibble found himself halfway across the room before he realized he'd moved. Daring Do was right behind him, pushing on his rump with both forehooves. "C'mon big guy, time to get clean."

"Why does that make me feel so much dirtier?" Quibble asked idly as they walked though the bathroom door.

Rainbow Dash stood in the flow of water. Trickles ran through her mane and down her neck. As they watched, she leaned into the spray, sending water over her back and down her flanks. The humidity in the room lead to a slight sensation of light-headedness for Quibble. At least, he thought it was the humidity.

She gave him another light push and he entered the shower area. Daring was literally on his flanks. "Okay, now grab some soap and show me how well you can clean a mare." Daring ordered.

Quibble picked up the bar in one hoof and looked at Rainbow. At her nod, he lathered up and let his hooves roam over her body. Even with the alcohol-tinged memories of last night, he remembered the feel of her body. Her natural warmth was augmented by the water's heat. Her firm, richly soft chest, the well-developed flight muscles around her wings, the supple silky smoothness of her flanks, all of it registered in his head as not just familiar, but right. In many ways, Rainbow could be his ideal, his fantasy. He counted himself lucky that for now, this was reality. Unbelievable as it had become, it was real.

At the touch of Daring's hooves on his flanks, he could feel a shiver run down his spine. "Huh, ready to go again after all, eh?" Daring Do asked as he felt himself stirring. "Well, if the flesh is willing..."

He turned around to look at her, but her head disappeared below hip level. A shiver ran down Quibble's legs as he realized the object of Daring Do's exploration was...himself. His breathing hitched as her lips made contact; his hooves slowed on Dash's chest from the distraction.

"Hey bub, don't forget about me." Rainbow prompted. Quibble felt a bit flustered as his attention returned to his hooves on Rainbow Dash's chest. The lather he'd worked up slid down her coat and to the drain. Leaning in, she gave him an almost too-cute-to-be-Rainbow-Dash kiss before working his mouth open and delving into something decidedly passionate.

Quibble moaned as Daring disengaged from his stallionhood, leaving him feeling bereft and incredibly hard. Through parted lips, he let out a low moan. "Don't leave me hanging."

Daring Do chuckled in his ear. "Our host is most gracious, sharing her shower with us. I think it's only fair that she be rewarded. Wouldn't you agree?"

Before he could ask her, Rainbow turned her back to him and slapped her tail across his face playfully. "Get over here, stallion."

***

The trio, freshly showered and rosie-cheeked from their clean fun, stood in front of A.K.'s home. The trip was a pleasant flight, with Quibble only slightly ill from being carried between his pegasus friends. For some reason, Rainbow still hadn't landed, preferring to hover above the front porch.

"Why are you flying?" Quibble asked.

Rainbow rolled her eyes and blew her mane out of her face. "Nope. Because I don't feel like walking. Besides, Ms. Yearling over there has a very dirty mouth in public. As much as she tries to hide it under that proper mare get up."

"You can't tell me you're stiff?" Quibble asked.

"That's what she said." A.K. chimed in from beside him.

"Ugh, don't get her started.'" Rainbow cautioned, giving her mare friend a glare. "Once she starts, she just won't leave it alone. And I'm not stiff."

"Heh, that's what he said." A.K. said proudly, to Rainbow and Quibble's mutual chagrin. "Oh, come on! That was funny."

In spite of her insistence, neither pony laughed. Rainbow rolled her eyes and landed, setting her back hooves down gingerly. "Okay, we're here. What's the big surprise, A.K. Smugling?"

A.K. pouted first. "You know, Quibble. Next time you should ram it up her plot. Maybe she'd quiet down then." As Quibble spluttered and turned bright red, Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes, once again immune to the antics of her writer friend.

"A.K." Rainbow said, warningly.

"Fine. Ruin all my fun, why don't you? I thought it might be nice to share the cover art for my next story with both of you. Come on in. I set it up right inside for you." Opening the door, A.K. gestured her guests inside.

As they stepped in, they were surprised to see nothing. Without the lights on, the interior was completely dark. With a click of the switch, A.K. flipped the lights on. Instantly, both Quibble and Rainbow Dash wished the lights were off. The painting was of Dash and Quibbler tied together and looking at each other passionately. Daring Do soared above, fighting off flighted henchponies.

"How did you get this done so quickly?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"How did you even think we'd be together?" Quibble added.

"Never underestimate the power of shipping. Also, I paid a friend quite a few bits to have this done by the time we got back. It was supposed to be a little joke between Rainbow Dash and myself, but since you were there too, Quibble, well. It was too perfect an opportunity."