Wrong and Right

As Shining Armor closed the door behind him, his nose and ears alerted him that someone had made it home before he had. His nose picked up the scent of fresh cut garlic, no doubts simmering in butter on the stove. His ears heard the melodic humming of the young woman who, as of late, had been spending more time in his place than in hers. He smiled as he dropped his gym bag and kicked off his shoes, making his way down the hall to the apartment’s small kitchen.

Just as he’d suspected, there she was. Her back was to him as she busied herself at the counter, peeling shrimp and tossing the shells into the nearby sink. Her luxurious purple hair was tied in a simple and practical ponytail, and she was clad in what he had come to call her ‘relaxation’ attire; an oversized t-shirt and a delightfully tight pair of yoga pants.

Taking in Rarity’s perfect posterior, Shining Armor reminded himself for the millionth time in his life to one day meet the person who had designed such a wonderful piece of clothing and shake that person’s hand.

He moved behind her, making no effort at being sneaky; he knew she’d heard the door. He pressed his chest to her back and braced his palms on the counter. He nuzzled into her neck and breathed in her scent. “Need any help?”

Rarity melted into him as she always did, audibly sighing as she did so. “I think I’ve got the handle on things here. How was the work-out?”

“Same old, same old.” He kissed her collarbone. “Making dinner? What’s the occasion?”

“I had a craving for shrimp Alfredo and was terrified that if I cooked for myself, I’d end up eating my weight in it.” She tilted her head to allow more access to her neck. “You’re my caloric salvation, darling.”

He chuckled as he kissed her again. “To save the damsel, I have to stuff myself with fresh made pasta? It’ll be a challenge, but I think I’m up for it.” He moved his face into her hair and breathed deep.

The past three months still felt like a whirlwind. The morning after he and Rarity’s clandestine meeting in the hot tub, he’d mustered the courage to text Cadance that he knew about her infidelity and that they’d discuss it further when he got home. He’d asked her to not talk to Twilight yet, and she’d agreed. She didn’t deny, didn’t rationalize. She only said that she loved him and she was sorry. He told her nothing of the hot tub, the shower, or the barely legal fashionista who’d shared both with him.

He’d sent one last text assuring her they’d talk when he got home… and then he and Rarity had spent the rest of the week fucking nearly every moment they were alone together.

On the morning that the girls were supposed to go horseback riding, for example, Rarity had come down with a mysterious stomach bug. Shining had valiantly offered to stay behind to take care of her, and the others were barely five minutes out of the cabin before he had her spread eagle on the kitchen table, the remains of his breakfast fallen and forgotten as he lost himself in another meal entirely.

Shining’s reward for his efforts in taking care of Rarity apparently resulted in his catching the same bug the very next day. Rarity insisted that she stay back from the girl’s planned hike in order to care for him as he had for her. It was the only right thing to do; she was quite clear on that. And Shining really did feel much better as he watched her ass bounce while she rode him into the couch.

When Rarity complained the next day that it seemed that she’d once again caught the bug, Twilight had enough and ordered the two quarantined from one another in order to let the thing run its course. The two had worked each other into frenzy through dirty texts and pictures throughout the day, and in the early hours, once they were sure the others were asleep, they’d barely made it to Shining’s car before the pants had come off.

So it had gone all week, and to their own surprise they’d succeeded in keeping their clandestine get-togethers secret from the rest of the group.

Except for Rainbow Dash, of course. She’d caught them going at it behind a boulder while the gang was hanging out at the lake. After giving Rarity a heart-attack by suggesting that her fashion-obsessed friend share her ‘new toy,’ she’d agreed to keep their canoodling a secret… for the time being.

When the time came he’d dropped her off at home with a simple wave good-bye. They’d agreed that while it had been a fun week, the chances of Twilight finding out increased exponentially while they were home. For the safety of all involved, they both decided to just leave it as a sweet memory.

A secret, as originally intended.

He’d met up with Cadance, and she had admitted to everything. She said it had been a mistake the first time, one wrought by good feelings and substances of a questionable legality, but after that… after that it had just become a bit of fun on the side. She claimed that she really did love him, but she was having trouble resigning herself to being a one-man woman for the rest of her life.

He’d told her he’d understood… even though he hadn’t.

They hadn’t really broken up yet. Not publicly, anyway. As they’d told a distraught Twilight, they were merely taking some time apart to ‘figure things out.’ Privately, they both knew that it was over. On the plus side, they hadn’t been fully living together yet, and she’d easily taken the few effects she kept at the apartment and handed him the key he’d given her. She’d even given him the ring back, seemingly her final sign of surrender.

And then, for a whole month, Shining Armor had lived alone. No dates, no hook-ups… No female involvement whatsoever that didn’t involve the occasional late night perusal of his favorite porn site.

And then, on his birthday, he’d received a text from Rarity.

They’d started chatting, just talking about the ins and outs of each other’s days. He was considering a new position at the recruiter’s office. She was looking at possible colleges. He told her about his attempts at getting a new Ogres and Oubilletes group together. She told him about the interpersonal drama of a gathering of female friends.

They never mentioned the cabin. Never mentioned any sort of lingering feelings.

A few days after the texting began, there was a knock on Shining’s door just around midnight. He’d paused his game and answered… and found Rarity on his stoop. Her back was to him, and he was rendered speechless at the sight of her. What little pale skin he couldn’t see was covered by a tight purple open-backed sweater, the same type he’d heard called by some of the younger recruits as the ‘virgin killer.’

She’d looked back at him, a look of such intense want and longing in her eyes that it took his breath away. “I know it’s late, but may I come in?”

He hadn’t said a word, just stepped back enough for her to enter.

She’d stepped through the threshold, kicked the door shut behind her, and rushed into his welcoming arms. They’d closed around her as their lips melded together, their tongues sloppily dancing, their hands wandering and groping. She’d backed into the door, pulling him with her and fumbling to pull down his pajama pants at the same time. She’d succeeded in freeing his raging hard on and wasted no time in pulling him to her, the sweater riding up just enough to reveal her lack of panties. He’d taken her against the door, each of them losing themselves in the moment of heat and need. At some point, he’d lost his balance while trying to change positions and fell back onto the hallway floor. She’d followed him down, not to help him, but to take him into her mouth and drive him to completion.

She’d swallowed the fruit of her efforts, and then looked up into his face, her pale face flushed, her blue eyes wide. “We… we need to talk.” She panted.

“…Yup.” Was all he could muster in response.

And so they’d talked. And then they’d fucked again. First there on the floor, and then on the couch, and finally they’d made their way to the bedroom just as the sun was coming up.

When he’d awakened, she was gone. She’d left a note on his phone explaining that she had errands to run, but wondered if he was doing anything later that evening.

That’s how it began, and it had progressed quite naturally from there. They texted every day and saw each other most every night. One day, he’d forgotten a package that needed to be mailed and had let Rarity swing by work to grab his key so she could take care of it for him. She hadn’t given the key back, and he hadn’t asked her to. Soon there was a second toothbrush in the cup by the sink, joined not long after by an assortment of other beauty products. The cleared space in his closet most recently reserved for Cadance now had a new woman’s fashion occupying the area.

They were dating in everything but name… but still they kept it quiet. They went to great lengths to only eat in at each other’s apartments, to go into the movie theater separately. They didn’t talk about doing it. They just did.

Twilight hung over their burgeoning relationship like a shade. Each was terrified by what would happen if, and when, the young scientist learned that one of her best friends was dating her older brother… and taking the place of the woman she was already considering a big sister.

But for now, here they were in the kitchen. They were happy…

…but they were hidden.

“Penny for your thoughts, darling?”

Shining Armor shook his head to clear it and kissed her scalp. “Just thinking how hot you look right now.”

“Is that so? Is it the shrimp coating my hands? Or the frumpy shirt?”

“…It’s mostly the fact that you’re cooking.”

She giggled. “Oh, you absolute chauvinist. What in the world do I see in you?”

“Well, as I recall, you said I was handsome.” He kissed the back of her neck. “And kind.” His lips moved to her shoulder.

“And built like a Greek god. Don’t forget that.” She shivered pleasantly as he kissed a special spot on her shoulder blade.

“How could I?” He slid down her back until he was kneeling before her spandex-clad ass. “And let’s not forget the most important thing.” He kissed one cheek, then the other, and slid his fingers along the waistband.

“And what’s that?” She whispered, her food prep stopped for now. She shifted a little, her legs parting ever so slightly.

“I’m the only man,” he hooked his fingers and slowly drew her pants down to her knees, “to ever make you cum in less than five minutes.” He grinned when he saw her lack of panties. Each hand gripped a pale cheek and massaged, pulling them apart to give him a glimpse of her pucker and the damp pink beneath.

“Careful, darling.” She breathed. “You’ll spoil your appetite.”

“Oh, I think I can handle a little snack before dinner.” He leaned forward, stuck out his tongue…

…and there was a knock at the door.

Shining Armor paused for a moment, and then started forward again. “Just ignore it. If it was something important, they’d knock twice.”

The apartment rang with a second series of knocks.

Shining Armor sighed heavily before standing, pulling Rarity’s pants back around her waist as he did so. “Don’t move.”

Rarity giggled and winked over her shoulder. “I’m not going anywhere.”

He kissed her cheek and quickly made his way to the front door. Whoever this was, he sure hoped they didn’t look down when they saw him. He was painfully turgid. He considered that his obvious tenting could be used to his benefit. Scare off whatever schmuck though his business was pressing enough to warrant two separate knocks by pointing at him with more than his finger, then rush back to Rarity to finish his afternoon snack.

Perhaps it was because her ass was at the forefront of his mind that he was so easily attacked.

As soon as the door opened, the woman pushed her way inside and him against the wall in one easy movement. Her lips crashed against his, and in his shock he quickly followed their lead. While one dainty hand practically clawed under his shirt and dragged nails across pectorals, the other quickly slid downward and plunged into his gym shorts, grasping and tugging at what it found.

The sudden caress on his cock was just the shock needed for Shining Armor’s rational mind to break through. His eyes shot open and were filled with a field of pink he knew all too well. He grabbed her slender shoulders and forcefully pushed his former fiancée away. “What…” He panted. Her kisses had always taken his breath away. “What are you doing here, Cadance?”

“I’ll tell you what I’m not doing.” She went for another kiss as her hands sped up. “I’m not ruining the moment by talking.”

Shining Armor barely pulled away in time to avoid another lip lock. He winced as she bit his lower lip instead. Again, he tried to push her away. “Cadance, stop…”

“Oh, what’s the matter?” She pushed her face to his chest and inhaled. “You know how hot it gets me when you’re all sweaty.”

“Cadance…”

“But if you’re really that worried, then we can just go take a shower. I’ll even wash your back just the way you like.” She smirked as her hands relinquished their hold on his dick so they could reach for his waistband instead. “But right now, I just really need this cock in my mouth.” She yanked down, exposing him to the air. She started to sink to her knees…

“That’s enough, Cadance!” He pulled her back to her feet and finally managed to hold her at arm’s length.

She cocked her head at him in confusion, her chest heaving beneath the suit she was still wearing. “What’s the matter?”

“What’s the… Cadance, why are you here?”

Her eyes flicked down at his exposed erection for a moment. She looked back at him and raised an eyebrow.

“I’m serious. You haven’t called or messaged me in weeks. Now you’re borderline assaulting me in my foyer.”

The look of heated want on her face melted into one of confusion. “Assault? You used to love it when I came at you like this right after work.”

“Exactly. I used to. Before we broke up.”

The sultry look returned. “Just because we’re on a break doesn’t mean we can’t have some fun. Haven’t you ever heard of friends with benefits?” Her fingers went to the buttons of her shirt and began plucking them open, one by one. “I’ve been thinking about you so much these past few days. Missing you. Missing your hands on me.” Her cleavage became exposed, her breasts rising and falling with every breath she took. “I had to touch myself in my office today. When even that wasn’t enough, I thought I’d surprise you. I knew that if I was this worked up from missing you, then you must have it twice as bad.”

“We’re not ‘on a break.’ That’s just what we told Twilight.” He tore his eyes from her exposed flesh and grimaced. “You could have at least texted you were coming over.”

“And ruin the surprise?” She spared another glance down at his throbbing manhood and licked her lips. “Speaking of surprises… I wasn’t expecting you to be so hard already. Enjoying a little post-workout video, were we? We can go watch it together, just like old times…”

“No.” He looked away. “The old times are over.”

Cadance finally gave up on the sexy act and pulled away with a huff. “Okay, this is weird.”

“Yes, it is.”

“No, I mean this. You’ve never been this resistant.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “You’ve always been the one guy that I never had to work hard at seducing.”

He glared at her. “Sorry I’m not being as easy as some of your other playthings.”

“Oh, here we go.” She rolled her eyes. “Can you please not be so dramatic? I thought leaving you alone for a few months would help you get over this whole stupid situation.”

“It did.”

“Ha ha, very funny.” She leaned back against the opposite wall. “Shiny…”

“Don’t call me that.” He looked away. “You don’t get to call me that anymore.”

“My God, can you just stop this?!” She nearly screamed. “I fucked up! I know that! I've told you how sorry I am. What do I have to do so you'll forgive me?!”

“You can't just acknowledge that you slept with someone else and expect me to just suddenly be okay with it.” He looked back at her with narrowed eyes. “If you felt so bad about it, then why didn't you say something after the first time?”

“I was going to!” This time it was her who looked away. “I was. Right after it happened, I swear. But... but I was afraid.”

“Afraid of me?”

“Afraid that you’d throw away an almost ten year relationship over a little sex!”

“I didn’t throw shit away.” He said. “You did. Because instead of coming to me after and saying sorry then, you went and fucked him over and over and over again. C’mon, Cadance; you’re not dumb. What did you think was going to happen when I found out?”

“I… I don’t know.” Her lip quivered. “I was dumb, and now look at where it's gotten me.” She shook her head. “You’re too good, Shin… Shining Armor. I mean, you saw those texts, and you still didn’t have a little revenge sex?”

Shining Armor froze. “What?”

“It seemed like the perfect solution.” She said, looking away. “I figured that if you went off into the mountains with those girls, you’d probably end up fucking at least one of them. Then you’d come back, confess what you’d done, and I could finally tell you that there was nothing to worry about, since I'd messed up the exact same way.” She shrugged. “It might be a dumb fantasy, but I thought that if you knew we’d both cheated, we could just… move on. Together, I mean.”

Shining Armor slowly blinked. “You… you wanted me to…?”

“Of course. Why else would I send you off into the wilds with six single young women? I know a thing or two about teenage girls. I knew the odds were pretty high that at least one would make a pass at you. Guess I was wrong.”

The smell of chlorine. The warmth of the water. The taste of her beneath his tongue. “Please. Not too far. It’s so cold…”

“But you’re just too good, Shining Armor. Too pure. You saw those messages and you still didn’t do anything.” She shrugged as she wiped the gathering years from her eyes. “Maybe I don’t deserve someone like you.”

The shower’s falling water. The curve of her hip in his palm. The ringing slap of flesh on flesh. “You’re the best I’ve ever had, Shining Armor.”

Cadance shuffled awkwardly before his intense stare. “I know you think I fucked this up, but I still love you. You know that, don’t you?”

He started from his recollection and met her eyes. “...Yes. I know. But this… this can’t happen anymore. I can’t trust you right now. Maybe not ever again. You understand that, right?”

She thought for a moment, and then nodded. “Maybe you’re right. But… we can still be friends, can't we?”

He offered a small smile. “Of course. Just, y'know, the kind without benefits.”

She pouted playfully. “How about one for the road, then? For old time’s sake.”

He chuckled as he shook his head. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

She finally returned the smile and held out her arms. "Can I at least have a hug?”

At the moment, so relieved was he at the dissipation of all the momentary tension, he didn't see anything wrong with that at all. He opened his arms and she stepped into them easily. “Sorry. I’m still at half-mast.”

“It’s okay. I don’t mind.”

“I, however, do.”

The two both jumped, albeit for different reasons. They quickly pulled apart and saw Rarity standing in the kitchen arch, her arms crossed, her eyes narrowed with an unidentifiable, but probably dangerous, emotion.

Shining Armor was suddenly very aware that his pants were still around his ankles. He hurried to pull them up. “I guess you heard all of that?”

“All? No. But I believe I heard enough.”

Cadance looked back and forth between the pair in confusion. “Rarity? But why are you… here?” The wheels in Cadance’s head began to spin as she put the clues together; Rarity’s casual attire, Shining Armor’s aroused state, Rarity’s lack of shock at seeing said aroused state…

It clicked, and she slowly turned to her now-ex. “When?”

Shining Armor blinked. “When what?”

“Don’t play dumb with me. When did this,” she gestured between the two. “Happen?”

Rarity opened her mouth to respond, but Shining cut her off. “Does it really matter?”

Cadance’s mouth dropped open as the last piece slid into place. “Oh. My. God. You unbelievable bastard.”

“Cadance…”

“You did fuck one of them!” Her gaze turned to Rarity. “And you've kept fucking her this whole time!”

Rarity raised one unamused eyebrow. “I fail to see how this is any concern of yours.”

Cadance glared. “I’m surprised at you, Rarity. Of all of Twilight's friends, I was sure that it would have been Rainbow Dash or Sunset Shimmer to make a move. But you? Isn't jumping into bed with someone else’s fiancée quite unladylike?”

“Oh, please.” Rarity scoffed. “You lost any standing you might have had the first time you transgressed, let alone all the times after that. Besides, didn’t I just hear that this was your plan all along?” She smirked. “You shouldn’t be offended when someone takes your meal when you offer it up on a silver platter.”

“Can we… not compare me to food?” Shining Armor offered.

“Hush!” The two women said as one before returning their focus to the other.

“You know, I always envied you.” Rarity leaned on the doorframe. “I was crushing on Shining Armor practically since the moment I started noticing boys, but he only ever had eyes for you. Can you blame me for finally taking my chance?”

“No, I suppose I can't. But I can blame you for stealing someone else’s man.”

“He stopped being yours the instant he found out about what you’d done. You said it yourself. You don’t deserve him.” She spared him a look full of love and adoration. Her eyes quickly cut back to the dean of Crystal Prep. “You, however, are a fool.”

Cadance chewed on her cheek for a moment. “You know what? You’re right.”

Caught off guard, expecting another retort, Rarity recovered quickly. “I... I beg your pardon?”

“You’re absolutely right. I was a fool. I should go.” She made for the door quickly and opened it. Just before she stepped out, something occurred to her and she looked back. “What does Twilight think of all this? I just had brunch with her the other day and she didn't mention…”

Shining Armor and Rarity stared at her, their expressions all the answer she needed.

“Ah.” Without another word, she was gone.

Shining Armor slowly turned to Rarity. “So…”

“Dinner’s almost ready.” She turned back towards the kitchen. “You should go shower first.”

He nodded and started for the bedroom.

“And Shining Armor?” She poked her head back out, concern etched into her face. “After dinner… we need to talk.”

“…Yeah.” He found himself looking towards the front door. “Yeah, I guess we do.”