"Wake up! Goddesses!"

You mumble and turn over, pulling the covers closer to you. The bed was just so warm, and soft, and lovely, and it was never going to stop.

"Oh no you don't!"

She attempts to rip the blankets from you, but you tug back with a strength that surprises even you and you feel her tumble onto the bed as she falls from her loss of leverage. The bed shakes up and down as she falls, but you don't notice, you have your blankets and the universe is at peace once more.

"Alright. You wanna play it that way? We'll play it that way."

You feel her shift her weight and grow irritated at her presence, and then even more so when she apparently begins jumping up and down on the bed.

"Wake up! Wake up! Wake up!"

Vinyl, I swear to Luna... You think to yourself as you endure the madding bounces and her incessant demands that you join the realm of the productive. If there is one thing you are when you're tired, it's stubborn. But not just any stubborn, but a kind of stubborn that rivaled even Vinyl Scratch, a fact that you were very proud of. After what felt like hours of her jumping and demanding (It was more like three minutes), the bounces stop and you feel Vinyl climb down.

"Fine. You win."

You hear her leave and close the door to your room and a happy sigh escapes you as you lay on your back and begin to doze off again, resuming your wonderful dream. If you thought on it, you remembered something about Princess Luna and going on a date with her. That would be nice, just you and her, under her starry sky, you would gaze over at her and she would turn her head and inch it towards yours-

"Surprise, bitch!!!"

You have only enough time to snap your eyes open in surprise and alarm before Vinyl lands on you and tickles at your sides unmercifully. You throw your hands up and try to push her off while giggles and laughs escape your mouth against your will, the tricky bastards.

"Vinyl! Ha ha ha! Fuckin'- ha ha- knock it off!" You yell at her while she straddles your chest, effectively pinning you to your bed.

"I can't hear yoooou~!" Vinyl sings out while she continues her tickle assault on your sides.

"F-f-fine! Ha, I'll- I'll get up! Just sto-hahah-p!" I swear to Celestia, I will get you back for this... You think darkly.

Vinyl finally stops and crosses her arms over her chest. "See? That wasn't so hard, now was it?" She asks with a smug grin.

You only glare up at her before a deliciously evil idea crosses your mind and you glare turns into a grin.

Vinyls confidence waivers, if only for a moment. "What are you grinnin' at?"

"Just the thought of revenge," You say innocently before your hands find her sides.

Her grin disappears. "You wouldn't."

Your grin widens as you whisper, "Surprise, bitch."

And you begin tickling her.

She starts laughing and giggling just like you were, only cute because it's Vinyl and not you. While she squirms and wiggles atop your chest, you flip her over and pin her to the bed, smiling only because Vinyl looked absolutely adorable as she vainly struggled against your tickles of vengeance. Now that you think about it, she looks really cute...

And that thought leaves when Vinyl somehow works one of her legs up to her chest and uses it as a catapult to send you flying off the bed and falling flat on you back on the carpet. You let out a small groan from your rough landing while Vinyl gets her breathing under control. After a moment, Vinyl gets up, walks over to you, and stand over you triumphantly, her grin returning. "I win!" She declares happily.

"Cheater..." You say playfully and smile up at her.

She offers her hand, "Maybe you'll win next time."

You grab her hand, "You say that every time."

She smiles innocently, "I do?"

You deadpan her. "Yeah. You do."

You grow slightly confused when her gaze drifts down to your chest and it takes a moment for it to click that she's checking you out like a library book. You grow a smug grin as you flex slightly, "Like what you see?"

Vinyl looks shocked for a moment before her faces grows slightly red. "No! I mean, yes! I mean... your nipples!"

You can't help but explode into laughter, "What?!" You ask between laughs.

Vinyl's growing redder by the minute, "Look at those things! You could poke someone's eye out with them! Why don't you sleep with a shirt on?!"

"Come on, V! You know I don't like sleeping with a shirt on!" You struggle to contain your laughter.

"Whatever! You still need to get ready," Vinyl says, the red slowly leaving her face.

"Ready? For what?" You ask in confusion. Come to think of it, why is Vinyl up so early? Well, early for her? Normally breakfast for her was lunch for you and Octavia.

She stops dead in her tracks from leaving your room and turns on her heels. "For our annual 'Breakfast before Hearths Warming'! Duh!" She says, looking at you like you had asked, 'What's two plus two?'

"Oh! Right! I kinda forgot," You say sheepishly while you rub the back of your neck.

"No shit. Now hurry up, you know how Octy gets when we keep her waiting," Vinyl says with a grimace.

"What was that?!" You hear a refined voice call from the living room.

"Nothing!" You and Vinyl call out in unison.

You let out a small sigh, "Yeah, I'll get on that."

* * *

You, Vinyl, and Octavia have been friends since you were babies. For all your life, far back as you can remember, all that crap. You had been with those two through thick and thin, and the bond you had with them was unbreakable. And you wouldn't have it any other way. You're all such great friends that there has hardly even been a moment that the three of you weren't at one another's side. Through day care, school, and now you even live together! You didn't know anyone else that had the kind of friendship you did with Vinyl and Octavia.

You were amazed when you thought on it. Truly, it's incredible. Most people can't be around their friends 24/7 like you are. People have their pet peeves, their need for space, their breaking point. Yes, you three argued at times, sometimes in viscous three-way battles that may or may not have had the police called on you once. Or twice. But even with sometimes drastic differences between the three of you, you always found a way to move past it and came out of it closer than before. But there was one reason that you knew ruined friendships most of the time you had seen it, and surprisingly, it isn't Monopoly (thought it came damn close once... never again):

Attraction.

Let's get one thing out of the way: you thought Vinyl and Octavia were hot, beyond all human understanding. Sometimes you stared at places on them for a little longer than needed, but then again, they do the same to you. But you never made a move to make your friendship with one of them, or both, become anything more. You had the unfortunate experience of finding out just how bad it can get first-hand. You could feel the fallout from that break up for months afterword, and that was someone that you hadn't know for the whole of your life; you didn't dare think what it would be like if it happened that way with them.

So, the three of you made an unofficial silent agreement to never jeopardize your friendship that way. That's not to say it hadn't been thought of, in fact, you were 90 percent sure they had seriously considered it in the past. But with the stakes so high, it just isn't worth the risk to any of you because if things went sour that way, it would be the end. Better safe than sorry, right?

Anyway, when you had all been freshmen in high school and had jobs- in your case, odd jobs here and there -and therefore disposable income, you all settled on a tradition that you've kept for the past six years: Every Hearths Warming Eve day, you would get breakfast, spend lunch doing shopping for gifts- you were teenagers when you started, you forgot a lot of stuff back then -and then have dinner together before the merriest of holidays.

Speaking of, that day was today! Better get to it.

* * *

Stepping out of the shower, you wondered, not for the first time, what if things didn't go wrong if you started a relationship with Vinyl or Octavia? What if the universe smiled upon the union of two people that loved each other? You know it would be great, wonderful, dare you say, heavenly if it did. Your life would be complete, that would be for sure. But then the same thought that shoots this idea down crawls into your mind: what about the other girl? It wouldn't be fair to date one or the other, because whoever was the 'other' would feel left out at best, at worst, abandoned and betrayed. Sure, that might be taking it a little far, but still. No matter how you cut it, you just couldn't make it work.

Unless...

No, that could never work. I mean, dating them at the same time? Come on. This isn't some crappy fan fiction we're talking about here, this is your life. Stuff like that just doesn't happen.

Still...

Finishing drying off and your mental argument against yourself put on hold for the time being, you wrap the towel around yourself and pad down the hall back to your room to get dressed and ready for your day ahead. As you near your room, you can hear voices going back and forth, at first hotly, then almost in agreement with one another. You know that Vinyl and Octavia argue like that all the time, but you feel the strange urge to listen in and see what they were arguing about. Mostly because when it came to their arguments, you played the role of judge, jury, and executioner, but you preferred the term 'arbiter', which totally isn't because of one of your favorite videogame heroes of your childhood.

Once you're just around the corner from the living room, their voices die down. Damn, guess they heard me. You think to yourself as you walk around the corner and stand just past it. "Hey girls, what were you two talking about?" You ask with a slight smile.

Both of them turn their heads and stare at you with blank expressions. You raise an eyebrow when it clicks that they're checking you out. Again.

"Hey, girls, up here!" You say, snapping your fingers a few times to grab their attention.

They both get the expression of one waking up from a nice nap, and in unison reply with, "Nothing!"

You raise your eyebrow once more and they give you the same grin that a child that just narrowly escaped getting caught in the act of sneaking a cookie from the cookie jar gives. You give them an, 'Oh, really?' look each before deciding you should get dressed. Why is it so damn cold in here?!

"Alright. I'll be out in a sec," You say and turn to head back to your room. It was oddly silent as you went.

* * *

"Right, and we kept you waiting," You say dryly as Octavia almost literally tears the house apart looking for her scarf.

"I can't find my scarf! I wear it today every year! I don't want to break tradition!" Octavia says while throwing pillows away from the couch.

"Seriously, Tavi?" Vinyl asked. "I don't even remember what I wore that day! How can you remember something like that?"

"Being able to remember last night would be a step forward," You say with a smug grin.

Octavia almost freezes in her search to look first at you, then at Vinyl.

You glance over to her position where she's giving you the death glare. "Boy, I can drink you under the table and back up again," She says in a cold voice.

"Really? How could you get back up if you can't even-"

The rest of your remark was rudely interrupted by a slap to the face.

While you lay on the ground with a dumb grin and half-red face roughly the shape of a handprint, Vinyl's face turns to one pondering something greatly. She then snaps her fingers, "Hey! I remember doing that our first year!"

"That's why I said it..." You groan from the floor. Victory, but at a cost.

"Found my scarf!" Octavia declares as she enters the room with her ash-gray scarf around her neck.

"And where was it?" You ask, rubbing your face as you get up.

Octavia blushes and looks away, "In its drawer..." She says sheepishly.

"Proud of you. Now... we go!" Vinyl says as she strikes a dramatic pose and heads out the door.

"She can be a lot like her mom sometimes..." You think out loud as you shrug on your jacket.

"I wouldn't tell her that," Octavia comments while bending over to place on her boots.

You couldn't help but notice her amazing ass at a time like this. You can almost hear a shattering sound as she stands up, hiding the view under her winter jacket. Your best guess would be the sound of your heart breaking slightly. "After you," you say with a warm smile.

Octavia smiles back, only more playfully. "Open the door to let a lady out into the cold. You're such a gentleman."

You give her a playful smile back, "I try."

Octavia laughs her adorable laugh as you close and lock the door behind you.

"Stop flirting and get a move on! I'm freezing my ass off out here!" Vinyl says, getting an odd look from a couple and their child as they walk by.

"What ass? You're thin as a twig!" You call back playfully.

"I'm not sure if I should be insulted or not," Vinyl says as you and Octavia walk down the walkway to her. Octavia giggles a little as you do. Once you get close enough, Vinyl slaps you. Again. At least it was the other cheek this time.

The three of you begin your walk while you rub your cheek. "I see you chose 'insulted'," You comment dryly.

The three of you hold small talk while you silently admire the beautiful view of the small town of Ponyville wrapped in the soft blanket of winter. 'Soft blanket of winter'... if it's a blanket, why is it so cold? You're getting off topic. You always loved winter weather, provided you were somewhere warm while doing so. It was just so peaceful; everything was wrapped like a present and waiting for the season to unwrap the new landscape for all to enjoy. Also, the snow made pelting Vinyl and/or Octavia with a non-painful projectile much easier of a prospect, if no less dangerous.

While the girls in question were talking about something while you were spacing out, today's earlier prospect of a certain possibility creeped back into your mind. You didn't think too seriously on it, it was just too difficult to think seriously about it. You could understand giving it a shot, but every time this scenario played out for you, it ended the same, saddening way: it falling apart, and the end of your friendship with them. With so much at risk, it just didn't seem like a good idea to you. That's not to say you haven't wanted to try, just that you knew better than to try.

You take a moment from spacing out to look at Vinyl and Octavia. Because you weren't paying attention, you lagged behind slightly from their walking speed and it gave you time to look at them. You loved them like sisters, and sometimes, a little more than that. You never cared about anyone as much as you cared about these two, your parents the lone exceptions. You also knew that they felt the same to you. It seemed so right to try, but knew that it would be doing something bad with the best of intentions, like opening a theme park based around genetically created dinosaurs.

Also, their bodies were just... just... you couldn't find the words to do them justice. Vinyl, while you were joking earlier, had the perfect rear any girl would kill for. And when she was in a bikini... Oh damn. It took every ounce of willpower to not stare slack-jawed and drool with a nosebleed. And, not that you would ever say it within a hundred feet of her, she didn't have too much to offer in the bust department. That, however, is where Octavia came into the picture. While she did her best to hide the fact in public, she was what some would call a 'busty monster'. And by that, you meant she was in the double D range. If there is one memory that you will never forget, it's that one time you accidentally walked in on her when she was drying off from the shower. Oh, that memory would follow you to your grave. As will the resulting broken nose. Damn, that girl can punch.

All in all, your answer remained the same: you just didn't see it working out.

"We're here!" Vinyl announced excitedly, breaking you from your thoughts.

"Uh... what?" You say dumbly.

Vinyl smiles slyly, "Sugercube Corner."

You don't know why, but you don't trust that tone. It speaks of... deception. Some sort of plan.

"Oh, yeah. After you two," You say with a smile as you hold the door.

Octavia walked in first, "Maybe you are a gentleman after all," She says with a smile.

"Thanks," Vinyl says with a smile of a child that knows their plan is going smoothly.

You stop her with a hand on her shoulder and drop your voice to a whisper, "I don't know what you're planning, but I will find out."

She holds her smile, devious as ever, "Oh, I'm counting on it."

You're left more confused than when you stopped her while she walks in giggling.

You shrug and walk in, the warm eatery calling your name in a soft siren song.

Inside the giant gingerbread house is a bustling restaurant full of happy customers laughing and talking in the warm. Some tables hold family members that haven't seen one another for too long laughing and telling stories while other tables hold a couple sitting together quietly and enjoying the sight of the Ponyville winter outside. It may only be breakfast time, but that didn't keep the residents of Ponyville apart. Especially not on a day like this.

You walk up behind Vinyl and Octavia and wait for them behind the podium that usually held a pink-haired baker. "Hey, where's-"

"Well, it's about time you guys showed up!" Pinkie says, popping up from behind the podium. People with weaker hearts would have suffered cardiac arrest, as you almost did.

"What's that supposed to mean, Pinkie?" Vinyl asked indignity.

Pinkie narrowed her eyes slightly, "It means you three are two minutes late!"

Both girls glare at one another while attracting some attention from nearby tables. Heads would look from one girl to the other, fully expecting a fight while you and Octavia merely looked on in amusement. After a long, tense moment, both girls hugged one another fiercely, drawing more than one confused, "Huh?" from many tables. "Happy Almost-Not-Quite Hearth's Warming Eve, Vinyl!" Pinkie exclaimed happily.

"Happy Almost-Not-Quite Hearth's Warming Eve to you too, Pinkie!" Vinyl said back.

Any and all tables viewing the spectacle turned back to their original conversations, deciding that whatever was going on was well beyond their understanding.

When the hug concluded, Pinkie turned around, "Follow me to your table!" and bounced away in the way only Pinkie Pie can. You follow after her, feeling the warm, inviting, happy atmosphere surround you. As you do, memories come flooding back into your mind's eye. It's really been six years already... You think fondly as you take your seat in the corner booth on autopilot. You sat in the center of the curve and Vinyl and Octavia sat at either side of you while you reminisced and looked around, somehow remembering what people sat in what tables six years ago.

In the center of the restaurant was the largest table that held the Apple family as well as three or so cousins of theirs. This year was a group of companions you didn't recognize, though the brown, spiky hair of the man in the trench coat seemed familiar for some reason. You're pretty sure he's a doctor or something. In a table to the left of the entrance and the farthest away from you was the table Lyra and Bon Bon had their first date. Today, they were there again, maybe for the same reason you were here. When looking about, you see two men arguing in a booth. Curiosity gets the better of you and you watch them as their words grow more and more heated before their but inches away from one another. You expect them to have at it right then and there, but they instead engage in a passionate make-out session and disappear under the table. And by disappear, you mean straight vanish, as though they were never there. You've seen some weird shit over the past three years in Ponyville, but that topped everything, even the borderline pornographic vines that invaded last month or so.

"Which one of us has the better ass?" Breaks you from your thoughts.

"W-what?!" You stutter out, caught off-guard by the odd question.

Both Vinyl and Octavia are starring at you with intense faces, apparently arguing over which one of them had the better ass while you weren't listening. "You heard me. Which one of us has the better ass?" Vinyl asks.

Well, I'm between the Devil and the deep, blue sea... You think to yourself as you glance from one girl to the other. "First, I want to make it clear that you both come in at a perfect ten on your bodies, but..." You trail off, fearing the beating Octavia would deal you once you said that Vinyl did.

When you're about to break under their shared gaze, Pinkie, your saving grace in more than one instance, arrives with a notepad and pencil, "Are you three ready to order?"

"YES! YES PLEASE! WE'RE READY!" You yell, much to the surprise of everyone in a ten foot radius. With the exception of Pinkie, of course.

"Great! Same as usual?" Pinkie asks, looking around while the other guests resume their conversations.

Octavia and Vinyl share a different look than the one that was drilling holes into you just a moment ago. "Actually, I am going to change it up a little this year," Octavia says, "I would like pancakes with strawberries and a hashbrown, please."

"Oooooh, changing it up? I like it! What about you, Vinyl?" Pinkie says happily while writing the order down.

"Ice cream sandwich and triple-thick milkshake for me!" Vinyl announces happily.

"Oh! Oh! I like that order even better!" Pinkie says with far more enthusiasm than she should have.

You and Octavia merely give Vinyl a look, but know better than to question her. "I'll have the same as usual, Pinkie." You say.

"Can't argue with bacon! And waffles. And a hashbrown," Pinkie says thoughtfully while writing it down. "I'll be back with your food soon!" And she bounces off.

Once she was gone, you and Vinyl both look at Octavia. See looks from your face to Vinyl's several times before asking, "What?"

In unison, you and Vinyl clear your throats and in your best 'posh' accents, "I don't want to break tradition!" And give her the 'Come on' look.

"... Right, I did say that, didn't I?" Octavia asks somewhat sheepishly.

Both you and Vinyl hold your respective 'Come on' looks.

"... I don't want to break all of the tradition?" Octavia asks rather than says.

"I can live with that answer." Vinyl says after a moment.

"I second that." You agree with her.

"Oh, good. I am so glad you both approve." Octavia states dryly.

An item on the menu catches your eye and you look closer at it before turning to Vinyl, "A five-bit milkshake?!"

"Yeah?" Vinyl says out of confusion.

"That's insane! Milkshakes don't cost five bits," You tell her.

Vinyl simply shrugs, "It's a good milkshake."

* * *

Breakfast came and went, as usual, far too fast for your liking and soon enough, it was time for the traditional present shopping time, roughly 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. where you would spend the rest of the day inside with Vinyl and Octavia. Speaking of inside, you dearly wished that you were somewhere inside right now. You loved winter, you loved snow, but you didn't love the cold. The cold could fuck off and die for all you cared. But you had presents to obtain, and that meant fearlessly braving the elements outside in your epic quest for the two most important people in your life.

Your first stop, as per usual, was the local music shop, seeing as to how both Vinyl and Octavia were both musicians. Upon opening the door and quickly shutting it to banish the cold from your person, you let out a silent sigh of gratitude for indoor heating. While looking about the mostly-empty store, you catch the gaze of the store owner, Noteworthy, and give him a curt nod, one he returns while he looks bored as ever. You first browse the CD area to see if there was anything you would like, because why not? You see a few good artists like Maretallica, Pink Fillyiod, and a secret favorite of yours, The Ink CutieSpots. You didn't know what it was about music from the 50's you liked so much, but you loved their music.

Lost in thought with songs playing in your head, a familiar voice sounds behind you, "Fancy seeing you here."

You turn around, surprised to see Octavia standing behind you with a smile. "Oh, hey Octy. What are you doing here? I thought we agreed to not go in the same shops as one another at the same time. Y'know, secrecy and all that."

"Yes, I suppose we did, didn't we? Speaking of secrets, I didn't know you liked The Ink CutieSpots!" Octavia says slyly as she points at the CD case in your hand.

Shit. "Yeah, I like to listen to them every now and again," You say with a bit of a blush.

"Now why would you keep that a secret from us, especially me? If I knew you enjoyed  music like that, I could have recommended so many artists to you!" Octavia says excitedly with a gleam in her eye.

"I don't know, I guess because of the other music I listen to... I didn't think it would make sense to say I liked dubstep and 50's music..."

"I'm not sure if I would call what Vinyl makes 'music', but I understand your dilemma," Octavia says.

You chuckle a bit before you decide to stop beating around the bush, "What's wrong, Octavia?"

Your question catches her off-guard, "I-I don't know what you are talking about," Octavia says while glancing to her left and fumbling with her hands.

You give her a soft smile, "You and I both know you're a terrible liar. You've been messing with your hands the whole time we've talked. I know that means something's on your mind. What is it?"

She opens her mouth to retort before closing it again and sighing in defeat. She closes her eyes and lowers her head, thinking about what she was going to say. You place the CD back while you wait, and when you look back, she lifts her head and opens her eyes with a glow in them that makes it clear to you she's about to lay herself bare before you.

"Do you think I'm attractive?"

That, honestly, was the last thing you were expecting.

"Uh, yeah, of course I do."

"No, that isn't what I want you to respond with, I want the truth, all of it," Octavia is looking at you intently, although with fear, "Do you think I'm attractive? Do you... think... about me?"

You have no idea where this is coming from, but this obviously means a lot to her. You can't help but wonder why this would mean so much to her. You decide to wait a bit before giving your answer, and look over her, top to bottom and back again. "Octavia," You place a hand on each shoulder and look at her, "You are beautiful. Most girls would kill to have the body you have." Your answer seems to bring some relief to her. "Now, what's this all about?"

The relief that was just in her eyes fades a little, "It's... it's the way I sometimes see you look at Vinyl. How you stare when she walks by, that tickle fight you had with her this morning..." She trails off, some tears pooling in her eyes.

You wrap your arms around her and hold her close. "Look, I know sometimes I can do that, but I'm only human. And, I can't believe I'm saying this, I... check you out, too. It isn't just Vinyl."

Upon hearing this, she pulls back. "Really?"

With a slight blush, you respond, "Yeah. Would I ever lie to you, Tavi?"

She gives you a warm smile, "No, I don't think you would."

You give her a warm smile as well, "No, I would never. Now get outta here, I have present shopping to do!" You say as you give her a small push.

She giggles and punches you in the side of the arm, "All right, all right. I'll see you at home."

You wave goodbye with the arm she didn't hit you with. She didn't have to hit me that hard... You think to yourself as you rub your sore arm. You grab the Ink CutieSpots CD you had earlier and what you thought would be a good gift for Octavia before walking to the counter and beginning to pay for it. Idly, Noteworthy asks, "Complicated relationship, huh?"

You sigh and close your eyes, "You have no idea."

* * *

The next store you found yourself in was not one for buying Vinyl her gift, but something for yourself: a nice hot chocolate because it was negative freeze-your-balls-off outside. As you are awaiting your order to be made, you watch the snow begin softly falling outside, a few snowflakes falling here and there. If it kept up as any Ponyville winter did, it would be snowing pretty good in an hour or two. You unlock your phone screen to glance at the time. 12:00. Damn, I only have an hour to find Vinyl a present... You thought idly while clicking on Clash of Herds. Damn that woman for getting me addicted to this...

Speaking of her, it was beyond really weird how Octavia was acting just an hour ago. Was she jealous about Vinyl? Did she... well, like you in that way? Did she want you in that way? Had the situation been different, you would hit that like the side of a tree on Endor, but with how it stands now... You didn't know what to think. Well, you knew of something you could think of, but that wasn't it. The addictive app now only busy work for your brain, you let your mind wonder, but kept finding yourself at the metaphorical square one: what could your relationship with Vinyl and Octavia become?

On the one hand, there was love. Love was something you yearned for so badly. Your heart was cold and alone, and had been for far too long. With one or both of those girls to warm it with their own heart, to remind you that you aren't, and never will be, truly alone, it was nice just to think about. You could only imagine what it would really feel like. You could envision it in your head, the three of you, curled up on the couch in front of the fireplace, only the air and a blanket separating your skin from one another. It was nice.

And on the other hand was how you knew it would end. It didn't need a description, because it would make you too sad to think of one.

Finished with the mundane task of gathering resources, you let out a sigh. A small ding and vibration heralding a notification startled you slightly. Chuckling slightly, you tap it to show that Vinyl posted a message in the Herd Chat.

Bass CANON: Heya! Whatchya doing?

Le Arbiter: Nm. How 'bout you?

Bass CANON: Shopping. U?

Le Arbiter: Taking a break. This weather sucks. XP

Bass CANON: Pussy. What did u get me???

"Shit." You mutter under your breath.

Le Arbiter: I'm not telling~!

Bass CANON: Uuuuggghhh. Fine.

Le Arbiter: Oh, come on. You can wait one more day.

Bass CANON: Ye, ye. Hey... Can we talk?

"Oh God, not you too..." You mutter. A server hands you your drink right after you muter that. "Thanks," You say, letting it cool slightly.

Le Arbiter: Sure. What's on your mind? You send while taking a sip.

"You are," Vinyl says from the table behind you.

PPPFFFFFFFFFFF!!! And there goes that sip.

You turn around and glare at Vinyl, who is clearly struggling to keep from rolling around laughing. Which see fails at by falling out of her chair and laughing so loud everyone in the cafe is looking at her. A server, most likely the one that gave you your drink, looks first at Vinyl, then at your table, and then at you with a dark look.

"Uh... sorry?" You say sheepishly while Vinyl's laughs lower to giggles.

They simply sigh and get back to work. Vinyl... I swear, you're like a four-year-old sometimes...

"Ha ha, anyway..." Vinyl says while regaining control over her breathing and sitting across from you.

"Anyway, what? And what the hell?! You scared the shit outta me!" You say angrily.

"I know, it was great!" Vinyl says, giggling again.

"Whatever. You were saying?" You prompt, taking another, cautious, sip.

"What? Oh, right! I have a question for you." Vinyl says.

You wave your hand in a circle to signal her to spit it out.

"Do you think I'm hot?"

"..." ... Seriously? You too?

"... What about Octy?"

"..." There's no easy way to go about this... umm...

"Hello? Anyone there?" Vinyl asks, slightly irritated while waving a hand in front of your face.

You grab her hand to stop it, "Yes, I think you're hot. I think Octavia's hot. You're both unbelievably hot. Happy?"

Vinyl seems caught off-guard at your blunt response. "Uh... yeah?"

You sigh and release her hand, "That's the best you can say? 'Yeah'?" You raise your head to meet her gaze. After a few moments, she turns away. "Today's been weird for me. Really weird. Plus, I haven't bought your gift yet. So if there's nothing else," You say, looking out the window and taking a sip of your drink.

Wordlessly, Vinyl gets up. Right as you're sure she'd left, you hear her whisper, "I'll make this up to you. I promise," You were pretty sure you weren't supposed to hear that.

Taking another sip, your hot chocolate suddenly didn't taste as sweet.

* * *

Because the front door was locked, you guessed you were the first one home from shopping. Calling out once inside and getting no response confirmed that you were, indeed, alone. Just as well. I can wrap their gifts without worrying they'll walk in. You think, reminding you of the multitude of times that happened. Compared to what they could be walking in on, you supposed you were lucky. You get to work wrapping their gifts, ash grey wrapping paper for Octavia and electric blue for Vinyl. You place Octavia's under the modest tree in the living room and Vinyl's in the fridge; wouldn't want her gift to melt, now would we?

After changing into some pajama pants and an old tee-shirt, you fall onto the couch in front of the fireplace, its heavenly warmth warming your chilled body. You let out a tired sigh as the image of you and the girls came back in your mind's eye. It's quickly banished; today had been weird enough, you didn't need to add to it. Both of them had been acting strange today. Why, though? They weren't... no, they couldn't... they wouldn't! ... Would they? Were they going to attempt what you all had labeled taboo?

You shake your head to clear these thoughts from your mind; they weren't going to do you any good. You look at the clock mounted above the mantle place and see it's 3 o' clock, surprisingly. Normally you were all home around one. Things have been strange all day, why stop now? You reasoned with yourself. Glancing at the entertainment stand, more specifically, the game console on it, you decide to pass the time by playing Fallout: New Pegasus. You pick up your controller, turn the t.v. and console on, and load up your save to explore the wastes of the Las Pegasus area.

After what feels like only an hour or so, you hear the doorbell ring. "One sec!" You call out, pausing and making your way for the door. Looking through the peep-hole, you see Octavia and Vinyl holding bags of goods and... Chinese food? It was only like, four! Why did they bring dinner? You unlock the door and open it for them, holding it so they can come in from the cold. "Welcome home," You say cheerfully.

"Hello!" Octavia says, walking in and carefully setting down her bags to take her boots and coat off.

"Holy shit, I'm starving! Let's eat!" Vinyl exclaims, carelessly kicking off her boots and not even bothering with her coat.

You and Octavia both let out a sigh. "Vinyl... would it kill you to take your coat off? Or say hi?"

"My stomach is calling for food, which means I don't have the calories needed to survive, so yes, it would. And hi." Vinyl calls from the kitchen.

"That wasn't what I meant, and you damn well know it!" You retorted playfully.

"I thought Vinyl failed biology," Octavia muttered while gathering her bags.

"A sixty percent is passing, Octy!" Vinyl called indignity.

"Barely," Octavia muttered, much more quietly this time.

You chuckle a bit. Glad things are going back to normal. You think happily.

You walk into the kitchen/dinning room to see the table fully set with white boxes containing all kinds of foods and plates set at the appropriate chairs on the small, round table. "Why did you bring food? It's only four, right?"

Vinyl looks at you with a look that showed she thought you asked the single stupidest question she could think of. "Dude, it's six twenty!"

"Oh... so, I spent the last three hours playing video games without even knowing?" You ask somewhat slowly.

"Guess so," Vinyl says while shrugging off her coat and sitting down.

You sit down as well, grabbing different boxes. "Remind me why we chose Chinese food for our Hearth's Warming feast?"

Vinyl, through a mouthful of noodles, says, "We were teenagers and didn't think about the future. Like, ever."

"I do wish that you would finish chewing before you talk, Vinyl." Octavia said as she walked in, dressed in a loose-fitting tee-shirt and you would guess short shorts- you couldn't see them because the shirt covered all the way down half her thighs. You mentally force yourself to not drop your chopsticks and stare. Now that hormones weren't clouding your thoughts, that tee-shirt looked a little too familiar...

"Tavi, are you wearing one of my tee-shirts?" You ask slowly, raising an eyebrow.

Octavia blushes slightly, "Er, yes, it is. It looked comfortable, so I thought I would wear it."

"Damn, Octy," Vinyl says, mouth now clear of foodstuff, "I know you like to relax when you get home, but you have to think about our friend here. He might get excited," Vinyl says with a shit-eating grin.

You only glare at Vinyl before you resume eating, and Octavia's blush only deepened.

The next hour or so goes by as per usual; eating, laughter, and overall small talk. It reminded you so much of when you were a teenager; it felt like your first time doing this was only yesterday. You couldn't believe how fast time had gone by since then; to be honest, it made you feel a little old. Sure, you were still young, but your childhood had come to a close and much as it was cliche to say it, you wished it had lasted a little while longer. Looking from one girl to the other, however, reminded you that these two pieces of your childhood would never go away, at least, not for a long time to come.

After dinner was concluded and the dishes washed and trash thrown away, you found the three of you in the living room, spread out on the couch and Vinyl on the floor for whatever reason, watching a Christmas special that was on t.v. before you all decided to head off to bed for the night. You were sitting roughly in the center of the couch, Octavia to your right, curled up under a blanket, and Vinyl was on her stomach on the floor, now changed into a tank top and short shorts, much to your hormones' interest. More than once you found your gaze drifting from the t.v. to the heavenly flesh that lay only just covered by the fabric.

And, much to your dismay, Vinyl caught you this time.

"Like what you see?" Vinyl asked in a sultry tone, shaking her ass a little.

Oh, dear Sisters, that was nice... You only just stopped yourself from smacking yourself in the face to snap out of it. "Uh... y-yeah." You say sheepishly, a deep blush coating your cheeks crimson. After today, no point in lying...

Vinyl gets up and sits to your left, snuggling into your side. After a moment, Octavia follows suit, snuggling into your other side, having you place your arms around both girls. "Uh... w-what's up?" You were trying to keep your cool, but with these two both acting like this and dressed like that was heating you up like butter in a microwave.

Vinyl moves her head up to look at you and you look to your left, and the very last thing you expected to happen, happened.

Vinyl kissed you.

Caught completely by surprise, you simply sit there as her unbelievably soft lips grace yours, gliding so easily over yours this way and that. Before you have time to gather your scattered thoughts and kiss her back, you feel a hand on your cheek turn your head to the right, where Octavia then kisses you in the same fashion as Vinyl.

What... how... brain, I can't.

When she pulls back, you look from one girl to the other multiple times before your thoughts return in enough capacity to make words, "What?"

Vinyl is the first to respond, "Well, we know how weird we've made today for you..."

"... So we thought that we would make it up to you," Octavia finishes. "Also..."

"We love you," They say at the same time.

Once again, you can only look from one girl to the other. Then the same saddening thought enters your mind, prompting you to speak, "But, we-we can't. We shouldn't. I don't want to lose you two..."

Vinyl speaks up, "We've talked this over. We know that it wouldn't be fair if only one of us had you..."

"...So we decided that while it is rather unorthodox, we would try to both have you." Octavia finished.

"And when was this decided?" You ask, curiosity getting the better of you.

* * *

Earlier that day...

Vinyl was contently eating breakfast while Octavia was sitting on the couch, reading a book as both girls were waiting for their friend to finish his shower. Vinyl, finished with her pop tarts, the breakfast of champions, she sat down across from Octavia on the couch. After a few moments of debating whether or not to ask Octavia what she was about to ask would be a good idea or not, Octavia took the initiative, "What is on your mind, Vinyl?" She asked without looking up from her book.

Somewhat surprised, Vinyl decided to go straight for the kill. "He is."

Octavia placed her book mark and closed her book, setting it down on the couch. "What about him?" She asked with more curiosity and attention.

"Come on, do I have to spell it out for you or something?" Vinyl asked. "He's hot. Really hot. And I care about him, just like you do. And don't even think about denying it; I've seen you check him out."

Octavia blushed slightly, "Y-yes, I suppose he is rather attractive..."

"Exactly. That's why I'm going to ask him out tonight," Vinyl said with determination.

"Oh, well that's-" Realization hit Octavia, "Wait, that isn't fair!"

Vinyl looked surprised, "Hmm? What isn't fair?"

"Oh, you should know damn well what! It's not fair for you to get him all to yourself!" Octavia said hotly, just short of yelling.

"Well, it's not like we can both have him! Besides, I just called dibs on him!" Vinyl almost-not-quite yelled back.

"I didn't hear you call 'dibs'! That is completely child-"

"Dibs! Ha!" Vinyl yelled before Octavia could finish.

"You can't possibly be serious!" Octavia said indignantly.

"Sucks to suck, Octy." Vinyl said smugly.

"I will not allow you to have him all to yourself!" Octavia said with a low growl.

"What, are we going to share him like a kid in a divorce?!" Vinyl asked hotly.

"Well... no..." Octavia said, her aggression wavering.

"Then what? What are you going to do?" Vinyl asked.

"Well... maybe we could... both have him...?"

"What was that? Speak up, Octy."

"We... could both...".Octavia didn't finish.

"Wait," Vinyl said, "Are you really about to suggest..."

Octavia simply nodded.

"Sooo... you're saying that you would be cool with that?" Vinyl asked slowly.

"I don't see any other option. And I am willing to give it a shot if you are, I suppose." Octavia said quietly.

"You know how that could end, right?" Vinyl asked, skeptical.

"Yes, I am fully aware of the possible consequences, Vinyl," Octavia said at normal volume.

"So... I guess we're going to-"

"Do you hear that?" Octavia interrupted, slightly panicked.

Vinyl listened for a few moments, "I don't hear anything."

"Exactly. Which means..." Octavia lowered her voice to a whisper.

Vinyl's eyes widened, "He's not in the shower!" She whispered.

Once she finished, their friend walked around the corner, clad in neigh but a towel, droplets of water still running down his exposed chest. He gave a small smile before asking, "Hey girls, what were you two talking about?"

Octavia simply stared, her eyes moving up and down his exposed figure. He is quite dashing... She thought to herself.

Vinyl was admiring him in the same fashion as Octavia as well. Oh Godesses, I would fuck him so hard... Vinyl thought, slightly licking her lips.

They were both snapped out of their trances by their friend snapping his fingers. "Hey, girls, up here!" He says.

Both Vinyl and Octavia look up at him and in unison reply, "Nothing!"

When he raises an eyebrow, they both put on their best innocent smile, praying to the Goddesses that he bought it. After giving them both a stern look, he says, "Alright. I'll be out in a sec," and walks back to his room. Neither girl dared to speak before they heard the *Click* of his door closing. Once it did, they both let out a breath they didn't know they were holding.

After a moment, Vinyl broke the silence, "So, we going to?"

Octavia nodded, "Yes, we are."

* * *

"And here we are," Vinyl said.

It took you a few moments to fully absorb what they had told you. "So we're going to try this?" You ask quietly.

They both nod.

"Even with everything that's on the line?"

They both nod again.

"Well, if that's the case..." You say quietly.

You turn first to Vinyl and kiss her. She's surprised, but recovers quickly to kiss you back. After giving her a satisfactory first kiss, you turn to Octavia and do the same. She sees it coming and kisses you back immediately. You separate from her before asking, "Are you sure we should do this?"

You turn to Vinyl. "Yeah, I'm sure," She says with a warm smile.

You turn to Octavia. "Yes, I think we should." Same smile as Vinyl.

"Alright. One last question," You say.

"Yeah?" Vinyl asks.

You give a sly smile, "Whose room?"

"His?" Vinyl asks.

"His," Octavia confirms.

"Right. This way," You say, rising and taking Vinyl's hand in your left and Octavia's in your right and leading them down the hallway.