It could be said that Sunset and Sonata’s house afforded them a certain degree of privacy. It was located on what might fairly be called the outskirts of the city, hugging the mountain range that marked the city’s eastern border. Certainly it was secluded, with a sparser number of houses per square mile and a generous amount of countryside between them, the illusion of being alone together on a mountainside was one Sonata and Sunset were easily able to comprehend.

Unfortunately, this illusion had been effectively shattered by the introduction into their lives of the Capital supermodel, Fleur Dis Lis. Accompanying le grand patron, Fancy Pants, to the city for the upcoming grand arts exhibition, which Sonata was to be a part of, Fleur had managed to insinuate herself into their lives. To Sonata’s dismay and frustration, the supermodel had taken an apparent romantic interest in Sunset. To Sunset Shimmer’s dismay and frustration, Sonata was becoming increasingly temperamental at Fleur’s flirting, and Sunset’s own stock of patience was running low as she repeatedly spurned Fleur’s advances.

Fleur had the annoying habit of ‘accidentally’ meeting them in seemingly random places, and taking the opportunity to speak with Sunset as much as she could.

“Okay, this has to stop,” Sonata snapped when this had happened for a sixth time.

Fleur gave an affected look of surprise, arching her eyebrows prettily into an expression of innocent bewilderment. “Whatever do you mean?” she asked.

Sonata squared up to her. Fleur was about a head taller than her, and even on her tiptoes Sonata’s face barely reached Fleur’s chin. “All this following us around. It’s creepy, and it’s annoying. Sunset’s my girlfriend, not yours!”

The three of them were quiet for a few moments. Sunset looked around furtively, hoping not too many people had heard the outburst. Fortunately the traffic was quite energetic at the moment out in the car park where they were all standing, and only the closest people heard. A man and woman gave them all passing looks of disapproval that elicited a scowl from Sunset, and one elderly woman shuffled passed, intoning “Work it out, dears. Work it all out.”

“Okay, look,” Sunset said, stepping between them. Sonata looked as though she wanted to knock Fleur’s block off, but Fleur simply looked faintly amused, as though she’d like to see Sonata try it. “We’re not fighting about this. I’m sorry Fleur, but Sonata is right,” she said, turning to look Fleur full in the face. “I love Sonata, and I’m sorry, but I’m not going to leave her for you. I don’t know how many times you want me to say it.”

Fleur paused here, tracing her pale pink lips with a slender white finger. “Perhaps you’re right,” she said quietly.

“Right,” Sonata growled. “Glad we got that settled, now go aw—“

“I should rethink this,” Fleur said to herself, evidently not listening to Sonata. She walked away, still pressing her lips with her finger. Sonata watched her go with a huff of annoyance.

“Well, at least she finally got the message, eh?” Sunset said in a consolatory voice.

“I guess,” Sonata grumbled. “I mean, in what world is it okay to steal someone’s girlfriend? In front of them!”

Sonata’s tirade lasted until they reached their house, and well into the door. As they both stood in the kitchen putting the shopping away, Sunset felt it necessary to interrupt her rant for a moment.

“Sonata, I appreciate your jealousy of me, really, but it’s a little unbecoming.”

This had the desired effect. Sonata turned blood red and stopped talking immediately. Sunset smirked to herself a little as Sonata fumed.

“Not jealous,” Sonata muttered grumpily.

“Oh no?” Sunset asked teasingly. “The mouth says no, but the adorable pouty face says yes.”

Sonata wriggled her shoulders out of Sunset’s grasp, half smiling as Sunset renewed her attack. Sunset managed to pull her around, giggling, and giving her a playful smile, kissed her reassuringly on the lips.

“You’re mocking me,” Sonata whined, giving Sunset’s shoulder a playful shove.

“Yeah,” Sunset agreed. “But still, it’s nice of you to be jealous. If anyone started putting the moves on you, you might see a little of the old me.”

“What? The big, bad alpha-female I’ve heard legends about?” Sonata asked, smirking herself now. “I’m not quite sure if I should believe half of what I’ve heard about you.”

“Like what?” Sunset asked, putting away a few cans of beans.

“Like you made Fluttershy cry once.”

“Mmm,” Sunset hummed guiltily. “Mmyeah, once or twice. Still waiting for the karma to catch up with me for that. Making Fluttershy cry is kind of like breaking a Pinkie promise. One does not simply break a Pinkie promise,” she said seriously with a shiver.

“And did you really turn into a flaming demon-thing?”

“Is no one ever going to forget that?” Sunset groaned. “Seriously. I go demonic one time—“

“Oh, Silly Shimmy,” Sonata chuckled, bumping her with her shoulder. “Turnabout is fair play.”

“I suppose I deserved that one,” Sunset said out of the corner of her mouth.

Their merriment was interrupted by the phone going off in the hallway. Picking it up, Sunset was both surprised and somewhat irritated by the sound of Fleur’s buoyant voice on the other end.

“Hello Sunset,” she called down the line, as though they were old friends.

“Hello Fleur,” Sunset muttered, trying not to let Sonata hear.

“Oh, so Sonata’s there too?” Fleur asked, clearly picking up on the fact that Sunset was trying not to be heard. Sunset mentally kicked herself. “Oh good,” Fleur said, apparently taking Sunset’s silence for ascent. “Could you put this on speaker, please? I’d like for her to hear this too.”

Sunset hesitated, somewhat astonished by the odd request. She put the phone on speaker and walked back into the kitchen.

“Who’s on the phone?” Sonata inquired, putting away the bread.

“Hello, dear!” Fleur called.

Sunset grimaced as Sonata’s eyes widened in indignation.

“What the hell?” Sonata mouthed.

“I’ve been thinking,” Fleur said, “about our little conversation earlier. I think that on the whole you’re right about things. I shouldn’t be trying to get in between the two of you and your relationship.”

“Good, glad we sorted that out,” Sonata said hastily, reaching for the phone.

“That’s why,” Fleur continued, “I wish to make an alternate offer.”

Sonata paused, her hand frozen in reaching out for the phone.

“You... want to make an offer?” Sunset asked, confused. She hadn’t meant to say anything, but the words had been so totally unexpected.

“Yes. I’d like, if you find it agreeable, to discuss terms in private with the two of you.”

“What do you mean by that?” Sonata asked suspiciously.

“In your house, if you wouldn’t mind.”

Sunset looked at Sonata. She looked as though she were restraining herself from saying Actually, I do mind!, but she said nothing. Since Sonata didn’t seem to have any vocal objections to the idea, Sunset settled on the diplomatic response.

“Um, sure, I guess,” she said into the phone. “Do you know where—“

“I know where you live,” she trilled. For some reason that sent a chill down Sunset’s spine. They agreed on a time that afternoon, and Sunset put the phone down.

“An offer,” Sonata spat, her arms folded. “What does that even mean?”

“I don’t know,” Sunset murmured thoughtfully.

Sunset and Sonata usually got on very well, having a relatively complimentary set of natures that had little real friction. When it came to the arrangement of the house however, Sonata was the messier of the two, which sometimes drove Sunset to degrees of exasperation. As much as she didn’t particularly want Fleur in her house, she certainly didn’t want Fleur to see Sonata’s usual miscellany of paraphernalia littering the place. Her bag on the couch, a jacket left on the door, magazines tossed onto the coffee table in no particular order. Sunset straightened what she could whilst Sonata retreated to her work room upstairs until, with a ring of the bell, their visitor arrived.

“Hello,” Sunset greeted Fleur, uneasily.

“Good afternoon,” Fleur replied cheerfully. “May I come in?”

Sunset stepped aside and gestured for her to come in.

As much as she disliked Fleur’s advances towards her, Sunset had to admit that, if she hadn’t been with Sonata, she might just have tried her luck with Fleur. There was no denying that Fleur was attractive, that would simply be churlish. She didn’t have the false, almost plastic accents of some supermodels, where their gait, their personality, or even various body parts are in some way, ahem, ‘modified’. Fleur was, or appeared to be, entirely natural in her beauty, simply accentuated by a generous degree of attention to details: the well chosen coloured lipstick, the flowing and slightly curling sheet of pale pink hair, the complimentary colouring around her sparkling purple eyes. Even her way of walking had an air of sophistication that seemed to come naturally to her; or at least it never seemed to fail her.

Sonata made rapid steps down the stairs, stopping in the shadows to glare at Fleur from them like a stalking cat. Fleur waved at her daintily, apparently unaware or unconcerned about the malevolent atmosphere Sonata was directing her way.

“Well,” Fleur began in a positive tone, as soon as both girls had sat down. They both sat on the couch, Sunset feeling awkward and ill-at-ease, whilst Sonata sat back grumpily with her arms folded. “I expect the both of you are wondering what it is I’m proposing.”

“Not really,” Sonata grumbled. Sunset made a placatory gesture for her to hush.

“Yes,” she said, just to move this whole thing along.

“Well,” Fleur said again, “what I wish to propose to the two of you is something I’d personally rather not get out to the general public, you see.” She looked around their house. The ceilings were all tall, the walls of light woods, and the whole place had an air of quiet and solace. “This is a nice house you have,” she said approvingly. “Very private.”

“Thank you,” Sunset replied, wondering on Fleur’s words. “But, what was that about your, um... proposal? Not wanting it to go public?”

Fleur looked between the two of them for a few moments, as though sizing them up. “Yes,” she said eventually. “If I might be permitted to ask, you two are sleeping together, yes? In the same bed, I mean.”

Sunset thought this a very personal question. Apparently, so did Sonata.

“None of your business!” she barked, her temper rising.

“Ah, good,” Fleur said, satisfied.

“Wait,” Sunset interjected quickly, half raising an arm, since Sonata looked about ready to jump out of her seat. “We’re not... err, sleeping together, if that’s what you mean. We just sleep in the same bed. That’s all.”

This seemed to take Fleur quite by surprise. “You just sleep in the same bed?” she asked, sounding faintly disappointed. “So you don’t...?” she left the question hanging.

“Okay that’s it!” Sonata snarled. Sunset took her forearm and tried to pull her back. “Let go!”

“That’s a shame,” Fleur sighed. “My proposal, if you’d both agree to it, was for us to partake in a threesome.”

This pronouncement was followed by one of the loudest silences Sunset had ever heard. It was fortunate perhaps that Sonata seemed to have gone as limp as she had, since her grip on Sonata’s arm had slackened to nothing. Both girls stared at the woman in blank astonishment. Fleur simply sat there, smiling politely.

Sunset, her voice a little hoarse, asked Fleur to repeat herself. This Fleur did.

“Wow,” Sonata said flatly. “Just wow.”

“That’s... um...” Sunset croaked, at a loss for words.

“I take it that you’re not entirely at ease with my proposal?” Fleur asked, solicitously.

At this, Sonata actually laughed. “What gave you that idea?” she asked sarcastically. “Get out of my house.”

“Sonata!” Sunset said in a quelling tone.

“No, I’ve had enough of this,” Sonata snapped. “You come after my girlfriend, track us down to our house, follow us all over town trying to worm your way in, and now you come here and ask us something like that? Just what the fuck is wrong with you?”

Fleur looked disappointed. “Honestly, in the Capital, this sort of thing would hardly be thought twice of.”

“News flash,” Sonata snarled. “This isn’t the Capital. Now get the hell out of my damn house!” She took a menacing step forward.

Fleur showed no concern about Sonata’s aggressive behaviour, but did consent to stand and head sedately for the door. As she went, she paused, as though a thought had occurred to her. Then she turned back, and held out a small, violet card she had taken from her handbag. Sunset took it.

“If you change your minds,” she said with a mysterious smile, “believe me. I’d be very happy in getting to know the two of you better. Both of you. I can assure you that neither of you would regret the experience.” She gave both of them identical heavy-lidded looks, and then turned again. When she had gone, Sonata stomped a foot.

“Who the hell does she think she is?” she fumed. “Who does she think we are? Skank.”

Sunset sat looking at the card. It was unremarkable in many ways. A plain white and violet blended card with silver indented writing. Fleur’s name and a phone number were stamped onto it in a simple, italicised font. It was so simple, yet elegant, like Fleur herself. Then Sunset caught the smell on the card. A hint of perfume, so faint it might have simply rubbed off from inside Fleur’s bag.

“Give me that thing,” Sonata growled. Sunset held it away from her, not really knowing what she was doing. Sonata stared at her. “What are you doing?” she asked, cautiously. Sunset didn’t answer. “You’re not actually thinking about it are you?” Sonata asked, sounding dumbfounded.

“No!” Sunset said at once. “No, I’m not, I just...” she hesitated. “Well, not with her, but—“ she stopped herself.

Sonata’s face, which had gone pink with anger, now turned a more virulent shade of red. “O-Oh... you mean...” she gestured nervously around the room. Sunset turned red too. “I mean, we could,” Sonata said robustly. “Err... couldn’t we?” she asked, a little more uncertainly.

“I guess,” Sunset said quietly. “I mean, it can’t be that hard. Can it?”

Sonata didn’t seem to have an answer to this question. Sunset had been taught very little of copulation in school, except for the basics of baby making, and even that was scanty given the current laws. How two girls were supposed to do anything she didn’t quite know. She supposed that, like masturbation, it was all about experimentation. They’d just have to work their way into it, get a feel for each other... of each other? For each other’s tastes... how each other tastes.

Sunset stopped contemplating there before she had to excuse herself. Fortunately, Sonata seemed to be so engrossed in her own thoughts that she didn’t notice.

“We can do it,” Sonata said confidently. “You know. If we wanted to.”

“Sure,” Sunset said, trying to match her tone. “We could figure it out at least.”

“Why would we even need to do that?” Sonata laughed. “We’ve got the internet. We could just look it up.”

Sunset watched as Sonata’s brain linked up the necessary neurons to realise what she had just suggested. Virgins they both may be, but they were still teenagers in the digital age. They both knew full well what the first article on google would be if they put in any sorts of searches like that. Sunset certainly did, and if the noticeably not-deleted internet history on Sonata’s computer upstairs had anything to say about it, Sonata did as well. So many redtube videos...

“On the other hand,” Sunset said, as though the thought were just coming to her. “We have someone willing to just show us.”

Sonata turned brighter red still. “You did not just suggest that.”

“I’m not suggesting anything,” Sunset said quickly, raising both hands in surrender.

“You totally fancy her, don’t you!” Sonata said angrily.

Sunset scowled. “Don’t start that,” she snapped. “You know that’s not true.”

“Why would you even consider it?” Sonata asked, throwing her hands up in the air.

“I just thought that she’s obviously had a lot of experience, and she’s a lesbian too, so, you know—“

“Ugh!” Sonata bellowed, kicking the coffee table and moving to storm from the room.

Sunset knew better than to try to stop her just now. She would only make things worse. Instead, she allowed Sonata to stomp away to her work room, and sat back down into the couch, feeling utterly miserable.

In truth, she too was puzzled as to why she was mentioning it herself. It wasn’t as though she wanted to have sex with Fleur or anything, so why she should even contemplate it was quite beyond her. Yeah, that sounded convincing.

One of the many wonderful things about Sonata is that, try though she might, she just couldn’t stay angry for very long. It just wasn’t in her nature. In the meantime, Sunset had been given time to think.

She was in no way emotionally vested in Fleur. She knew that. It was decided. She couldn’t fool herself that she didn’t have something of a physical pull, but there was no emotional link. The problem however was that Fleur was no longer offering an emotional attachment. She was offering something a lot more mundane... Nnnno, mundane was not the word to use here. She was offering something more physical, would be a more apt term. Something less involved, something less attached. In some ways at least.

On the other hand, it was highly unorthodox. But then, so was Sunset and Sonata’s relationship. It wasn’t that long ago that their living together in a house of their own would have been stared at by their neighbours. Then there was the issue that Fleur would be inserting herself between them very intimately. In multiple senses of the word. She knew that whatever she said, Sonata would not think well of this idea.

Not that she intended to suggest it. Good lord, no. It wasn’t even something that she was considering.

Okay, no, lying to herself would get her nowhere. The problem there of course was that as unattached to Fleur as she was, Fleur was still very beautiful, physically appealing, and – not to put too fine a point on it - available. The card still in her hand, she gazed at the phone number, and felt faint tingles of thoughts in her brain telling her to call it.

“No,” she said aloud to herself. “I couldn’t.”

“Couldn’t?” said a voice from behind her.

Looking over her shoulder, she found Sonata staring at her. She sighed irritably. “You’re serious, aren’t you?”

“What do you mean?”

“You really want to have sex with—“

“Sonata, please don’t start that again.”

“Well, don’t you?” Sonata asked flatly.

Sunset scowled at her. “Sonata...” she hesitated. “Look, to be honest, I’ve been thinking for a little while that... you know, we should do it. Have sex. You’d be my first.”

This seemed to soften Sonata a little. “Really?” she asked, sounding a little surprised.

“Yeah,” Sunset said, feeling prickly heat run over her skin. “I never planned it or anything. Me and Flash never fooled around too seriously. It’s not like I was saving myself or anything, but since it turned out that way, I kind of wanted our first time to be... you know, special.”

Sonata looked a little guilty. She stared at the floor. “I’m sorry I said those things,” she mumbled. “You’d be my first too.”

“Really?” Sunset echoed Sonata.

Sonata’s lip curled. “Just because I’ve been around a bit longer, it doesn’t mean I’ve ever found anyone. Meeting your love interest usually doesn’t happen when you and your sisters are wreaking havoc.”

Sunset had to admit the justice of this.

“I’m not saying that we should,” Sunset began, “but looking at it dispassionately—“

“Dispassionately?” Sonata asked incredulously. “You’re suggesting we let that—“ she stopped herself. After a moment or two of forcing down her anger again, she continued. “You’re talking about having sex with that... woman, and you think the word ‘dispassionate’ can come anywhere near that situation?”

“I just mean that there’d be no emotional ties. Like you and I have.”

Sonata huffed, still obviously not liking the idea.

Several days passed, and both girls underwent their own thoughts on the matter. In complete honesty, Sunset was taken by a sense of curiosity. Some might call it lust, and to a certain degree there was some longing in Sunset for what she believed Fleur could show them, or what Fleur’s intentions might be, but in the main she was simply curious. The idea of an experienced woman intrigued her greatly. This feeling of curiosity battled with a notion of embarrassment and decorum, or social acceptability. What Sunset was considering was wrong... wasn’t it? It felt wrong, yet she couldn’t think of a particularly good reason why it should be so. She wasn’t betraying Sonata, for she would be there as well, and Sunset’s attachment was to her, not the older woman.

But what if news of this got out? What if that’s what Fleur wanted? To drive them apart using this scenario as blackmail against them?

Sunset couldn’t see it somehow. Fleur was a famous supermodel. Surely any bad news that attached to Sunset and Sonata was going to be tenfold worse for her and her reputation. Fleur herself had already indicated that she didn’t want their ‘activities’ necoming public knowledge. But what could Fleur want from all this?

Sonata’s thoughts were not quite so circumlocutious. Her anger and jealousy, combined with a certain lack of depth in her thinking that characterised her ditzy personality, meant that her primary ideas about the whole thing had to do with making sure that Fleur didn’t have a chance to worm her way into their relationship.

Initially this did comprise her thinking of ways to dissuade Sunset from the proposal, and indeed from thinking about Fleur at all. But as the days went on, Sonata began to feel a different kind of threat coming from Fleur. Jealousy can do strange things to a person. In short, the threat that Sonata perceived from the older woman began to feel more like a challenge than as something to be avoided. As the days went on, she became more and more convinced that Sunset would see any attempt to avoid the situation as cowardice, and give Fleur an opportunity to swoop in. In her defence, many examples throughout history have shown that tackling a problem head on rather than avoiding them have proven to be more effective, tactically speaking. But Sonata wasn’t thinking of that at all. She was ruled by her indignation, her jealous guard of Sunset, and her loathing. Reason simply had no place in her thoughts on the whole thing.

Within the week, through their own means, both girls had decided to take Fleur up on her offer. Sunset through a curiosity and determination to prove that she wasn’t attracted to Fleur, and Sonata out of a fervent wish to show Sunset that she was the better choice by meeting Fleur’s challenge.

They both brought up the conversation diffidently with each other, and surprised each other with their willingness to go ahead.

“Hey, if it doesn’t work out,” Sonata said with affected airiness, “there’s always porn.”

Fleur arrived that night in the early evening. Sunset had placed the call earlier that day, and Fleur promised to come by later. Sunset had been nervous and jittery on the phone, whilst Sonata covered her nerves by trying to sound tough and disinterested, although she had a suspicion that she didn’t quite come off that way.

The chiming of the doorbell sent both girls into a shiver that both tried to hide from each other. Sunset opened the door whilst Sonata sat on the couch looking determinately in another direction.

“Good evening,” Fleur sang. Sunset took half a step back. The look on Fleur’s face was... well, shocking. Her usual pleasant smile and mysterious expression was replaced with a veritable glow of cheeriness. It seemed to leak out into the darkened room and fill the place with a soft pink light. Even Sonata looked around at her, blinking in surprise.

“H-Hello,” Sunset said, not meeting her eye. “Come in.”

“Oh dear,” Fleur said solicitously, glancing between them. “Having second thoughts?”

“No!” Sonata exclaimed. She seemed to struggle for something else to say, but after a few fruitless moments, she lapsed into furious silence.

“Well,” Sunset began quietly. “This is all a bit... well...”

Fleur placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “I quite understand. It’s a bold new frontier for you two. I’m guessing it is anyway,” she added with a small smirk. “The important thing though is that you both invited me here. I can’t tell you how excited I am to be working with you both.”

Sunset stared at her. She made it sound so... businesslike. Like this were a job, or some kind of interview. To her surprise, she found that this helped her nerves just a little bit. “Um, yeah,” she said.

“So, first things first,” Fleur began, clapping her hands together, “may I?” she asked, gesturing to the chair. Sunset speedily gave her assent, and they all sat down. Sunset felt as though she had a hard ball of nerves stewing in a thick liquid of panic deep in her gut. Sonata looked like how Sunset felt, but Fleur simply sat with magisterial calm, smiling at the two of them.

“I thought we should go over a few rules first,” Fleur said pleasantly. “As you both say that you’re new to this, I thought it would allay a few of your concerns to not let things go places you’re not comfortable with.”

“Like what sort of thing?” Sunset asked, trying to speak passed her dry throat.

“Oh, you know,” Fleur said airily. “Using toys. Kissing. Levels of intimacy. Who does what with whom and to what degree the third person is permitted to interact. That sort of thing.”

Sunset’s eyes roved the room as she fiddled with her fingers. There was a lot more to consider than she had supposed.

Sonata’s nerves surfaced in a renewal of hostility. “First rule,” she said, “Sunset’s mine.”

Fleur’s smile didn’t falter. “That’s acceptable,” she said.

Sunset frowned. “Uh... I’m not the expert, but isn’t a three-way supposed to, you know, involve three people?” she asked, glancing warningly at Sonata. Sonata pointedly ignored her.

“Oh certainly,” Fleur said amiably. “But if Sonata would be more comfortable with having you mostly to herself, then I’m happy to simply be there in a...” she paused, apparently thinking. “An advisory capacity,” she decided.

Sunset thought about that for a second. “You mean like, watching us?” she said uneasily.

“See, this is why rules a good idea,” Fleur explained kindly. “Whilst we should expect some pleasant surprises in store, we should prefer to minimise the less pleasant ones. Naturally I’d be delighted if I could join in some.” She gave a knowing smile. “This is a firmly hands-on endeavour after all.”

Sunset and Sonata looked at each other. An invisible understanding passed between them that made Sonata cringe slightly.

“Fine,” Sonata grumbled. “But I’m her first.”

“Naturally!” Fleur sang happily.

Author's Notes:

Why am I writing this, some of you may be wondering? In a word: Curiosity.