Sexual Siblings Ch. 04

A little tune began to play somewhere in the car. They froze.

"God damn it," she snapped, reaching down for her purse. She pulled her phone out and the light from the screen illuminated her face. "It's Lacey. I forgot about her."

She answered the call and put the phone to her ear. Oli listened to her end of the conversation while he buckled his belt, frustrated.

"Hello? No, I'm not dead. I forgot my wallet so we turned around. I'll be there soon. Okay, bye." She hung up and let her head fall back on the seat with an irritated grunt.

"Lacey was wondering where we were, I'm guessing?" Oli asked. Bit nodded and sat up.

"I forgot I said we'd pick her up. She's so impatient."

"Well it's a good thing she called when she did because if I'd gotten started she would've just had to wait," he said and they shared another of their mischievous grins.

About twenty minutes later the pickup rolled into the lot behind Baker's. It was almost packed.

"Wow, everybody beat us here," Lacey said. "Hopefully there are cute guys inside."

"You'll probably know most of them," Bit said, shrugging.

"Why don't you go scout it out while we look for a spot?"

"Sure thing," Lacey said cheerily. Oli stopped by the side entrance and she hopped out of the truck. A young man in a Carhartt jacket held the door open for her.

There were a few open spots but Oli picked the one farthest from the building, in the corner of the lot the floodlight didn't quite reach. He took the keys out of the ignition and tucked them in his jacket pocket.

"I know I shouldn't right now but I'm going to kiss you," he told her, quietly but seriously. She blushed but nodded her head. He leaned over and she did too, both of them laughing a little from nerves. Finally their lips met in a brief but tender kiss. Oli's thumb brushes Bit's cheek as he pulled away.

"I guess we'd better get inside, huh?" Bit said, lacing her fingers through her brother's on the seat between them. He sighed and nodded. She pulled her jacket tightly around her and got out of the truck.

"Hey, don't forget your underwear!" Oli sing-songed in that nagging way brothers do. He dangled them from his fingers, wearing a smug little smile.

"Give me those!" she squealed, snatching them from his hand. "Jackass."

"Hey guys. What's up?"

Bit froze, but her brother was surprisingly cool for a guy who seconds earlier was holding a pair of his sister's panties.

"Hey Billy. I didn't see your car. We're on our way in," he said, stepping forward and greeting his old friend with a hug. Bit whirled around, hastily shoving her underwear to the bottom of her purse and zipping it shut. If Billy caught a glimpse of red lace, she couldn't tell. She realized she hadn't seen Billy since their brief and ill-advised sexual encounter a year and a half earlier. Thankfully, he made no mention of it now but from the appreciative look he gave her, he was recalling it too.

"I just got here." He gave a moment's pause, looking at Oli and then Bit. He jerked his head toward the bar. "Time to greet the masses. I know Bit must be freezing."

"Too right you are," she replied, putting a little extra mirth in her voice. She'd left the door to the truck hanging open and turned to shut it before falling into step between the boys.

"What time did you get in?" Billy asked, craning around Bit to look at Oli. "How long do we have the pleasure of your company? I know you said you wanted at least a couple days here."

"I flew in this morning. Mom and Dad put me to work almost immediately. I'll be here a week. I agreed to help this one move into her new apartment," Oli explained, nudging his sister gently with his elbow.

"Ah, I see. Can't stand your parents anymore?"

"Frankly, no," Bit said. They all laughed at that. Mr. and Mrs. Faber were well-meaning people but they could be nosy and overbearing all the same.

Oli held the door and followed Bit and Billy inside. The air was warm and smelled of hops and salt. Bit wriggled out of her jacket and Oli tried to be very subtle about the fact that he was admiring his sister's stunning figure. The charcoal gray sweater dress clung to her curves and the wide cowl neck exposed her collarbones and the tops of her shoulders. He broke his gaze and scanned the room. A few yards away he saw a man's hand shoot up, waving.

"Elizabeth! Hey!" The voice and hand belonged to a young man about their age with close-cropped brown hair and a confident stance. Oli had never seen him before. He was inching through the throng toward them.

"Who is that?" Billy had to lean forward to ask over the ambient noise.

"Uh...that's Chris. He's just this guy I was seeing."

Oli knew Bit couldn't control the situation any more than he could but the mention of Chris sent a wave of tension through his body. He didn't believe in having enemies but he couldn't deny the trickle of animosity he already felt toward this stranger. This stranger who'd been fucking his sister. He felt threatened and a bit jealous. He wasn't comfortable or familiar with either emotion.

Chris pushed through the last cluster of people and approached them. He pulled Bit into a hug that was loose but intimate. He bent to kiss her but she gave him her cheek, which made Oli smile to himself. She cleared her throat.

"Chris, this is my brother Oli. Er- Oliver, actually. And this is Billy, one of Oli's oldest friends." Billy and Chris exchanged a friendly handshake but Oli's charm failed him.

"Hey, it's great to finally meet you," Chris said, extending a hand. Kissass, Oli thought. He returned the handshake very firmly, his eyes locked on the other man's. He might be more solidly built than Oli, but Oli had the height advantage. He suddenly found that he was not above intimidation.

"You too," was all he said in reply, not exactly warmly. He was raised right; while he couldn't be outright rude, he didn't have to be chummy.

"Alrighty then. We're going to get a drink," Billy said, placing a hand on his friend's shoulder and steering him away. "We'll catch up with you guys in a little while."

Bit might have said something but they were moving too quickly to hear it. They shouldered up to the bar and waited for their beers. Oli's phone vibrated in his pocket. He saw his sister's name on the screen and smiled as he read the message. 'Salty much? You have nothing to worry about :P' He looked up to where he and Billy had left them. She appeared to be listening to Chris but when he caught her eye she gave him a coy smile. His fingers skipped across the keyboard. 'Cheeky girl.' He slipped his phone back into his pocket. The bartender placed two bottles on the counter and when Oli reached for his he noticed Billy looking at him, scrutinizing.

"So that was weird," he said, after a beat. "Is there a reason you don't like her boyfriend?"

Oli took a long swig of cold beer. He objected to the term boyfriend- it was inaccurate, after all- but he thought better of bringing it up. He was going to get himself into hot water.

"I guess I'm just protective of her because she's my little sister and all. Isn't that what I'm supposed to do?" Oli feigned nonchalance and threw in a shrug for good measure. He would not look at Bit and Chris right now.

"Yes, you're quite protective," Billy laughed, obliquely referencing the incident from a year and a half ago, in which Oli had caught Bit and Billy together. Oli and Billy hadn't explicitly discussed it afterwards and he hoped they wouldn't need to analyze his reaction now. Thankfully, the moment passed. Billy turned to scan the room, presumably for available females.

"She really is beautiful, your sister," Billy observed. He jokingly raised an arm to guard his face. "And I say that with the utmost respect."

Oli had to laugh at his friend. Billy had been crushing on Bit since high school and Oli suspected he would for a long time yet. He couldn't blame him; he'd had more than a taste (all Billy would ever get) and he was hooked.

"How are things with the ladies? Have you considered settling down for a while?" Oli asked. He thought it was time to shift the focus off of him and his sister.

"Only for one night at a time. I don't know if I'll ever find someone I want to spend more than that with. My tastes are too varied." Billy fancied himself a connoisseur, which Oli could appreciate. After all, this was the first time in a long while that Oli had felt such an all-consuming attraction. It was hard to experience something like this and have to hide it so completely. Under normal circumstances, he would have divulged all the sordid details to Billy by now. But these were not normal circumstances and special measures had to be taken to preserve their secret.

-

A few hours and drinks later, a group of them sat clustered in and around a booth, laughing and boisterous. Oli sat on the inside, insulated by Lacey with Billy on her other side. Lacey was feeling bubbly and confident; more than once she has leaned playfully against Oli or touched his arm atop the table. He didn't mind it. She was still a cute girl wearing relatively little. His sister clearly didn't approve. Even perched on the outside edge of the opposite bench he could see her pursing her lips in dissatisfaction. Oli was rather tickled by that. Chris, oblivious to everything but Bit, was still trying to nuzzle her neck and hold her hand. It was all rather comedic through the warm haze of a little alcohol. Billy leaned into the middle, addressing the group. Aaron and Kim, friends of Oli and Bit respectively, scooted their chairs closer.

"I personally have had enough mingling for one night. I think we should shake things up a bit," he said, grinning. Oli noticed the looks Kim was giving Billy and thought he'd get all the excitement he needed from her later. "I propose a game of manhunt."

"That's a really dumb idea," Aaron said before knocking back the last of his beer. "Let's do it."

"Wait- what's manhunt?" Chris asked.

"It's like tag, except that whomever is 'it' converts people to their team until they're all hunting the last man- or woman- standing," Bit explained, to a chorus of nodding heads.

"You play outside? In the dark?" Chris seemed incredulous.

"That's the best part," Billy replied. "It adds to the excitement."

Oli couldn't remember the last time he'd played manhunt- not since high school, surely. There was something feral about the game and god knew he needed to cut loose.

"Shall we?" he said.

They convoyed to the Faber property, parking at the end of the drive and tromping into the woods, stifling giggles. When they made it to the designated start point- the fort- they circled up.

"It's time to pick our hunter," Oli said, shining the flashlight he'd brought from the truck on each of their faces in turn. "Bit and I have home turf advantage, which means we're least likely to retrace our steps. So one of you should start us off." They mumbled amongst themselves and finally Aaron stepped forward.

"Excellent. Aaron is our first hunter. When you're tagged, call it and then work together to tag whoever is left."

"What if we get lost?" Kim asked, by now clinging to Billy for warmth, among other things.

"You won't," Bit said. "These woods aren't as big as they seem and the boundary of our property is marked with orange flags in the trees. If you think you're lost, Oli and I will come find you."

Oli nodded, glancing at his sister and then at the fort. He'd like to crawl in there with her again. He wondered if she was thinking the same thing.

"Aaron, you stand by the fort with your back to us. We get one minute to hide and then you start hunting, ok?" When Bit finished he nodded and took his position. The remaining players grinned at one another in anticipation of the game ahead. Oli was the one to start them off.

"Ready? Go!"

They scattered, darting from the clearing in all directions. Bit didn't see where her brother had gone; she heard someone tearing through the brush a few yards to her right but she didn't stop to look. Dry leaves and twigs brushed her bare her legs as she wove between trees. It was lucky that some of the leaves had fallen and moonlight pooled in patches around her. In the warmer months, the canopy would be nearly impenetrable. She kept moving from where they'd left Aaron, stumbling occasionally over a root when she wasn't paying attention. She was glad that she'd worn closed toed booties with a modest heel. The last thing she needed was a twisted ankle.

"Manhunt!" Aaron's voice carried through the night; he'd left base. Bit's heart fluttered and she instinctively looked back. She couldn't see anybody. The outlines of leaves and branches were becoming sharper, which was good. She ran a little further and cut to the left. She didn't want to be the first one caught. If she kept changing course it might help her. She held a branch out of her way and stepped into a small open area.

She heard the echo of a squeal and stopped dead. It was farther away than the fort. Aaron had gone in the opposite direction.

"I got Lacey!" One or both of them would turn back this way, she figured. The clearing was a bad place to be. She cut again and kept running, slowly curving her trajectory back toward her point of origin.

After a few minutes, her breath was getting short. She stopped to lean against the trunk of a large tree. She heard Lacey's voice behind her, but closer than Aaron's had been, as she claimed another victim. Chris was hunting with them now and he would certainly want to be the one to find Bit.

"Fuck," she muttered, still panting softly. She slowly craned her neck to look around the tree. Chris' familiar silhouette passed her, only a few yards away. He was loud and oblivious as he pushed through the underbrush. Bit crept as quietly as she could back the way she'd come.

It was three against four but Chris and Lacey were nearby and Aaron could be anywhere. The balance could shift at any second. Bit tried to quiet her breathing as she started picking her way through the brambles toward the fort. Her eyes darted from tree to tree, waiting to see any of the hunters. She climbed over a damp log as carefully as she could. In a few feet the clearing came into view. Bit crouched low in the shadows. Like a baby deer, Kim stumbled into the original clearing, pushing her thick brunette hair away from her face. Bit heard the sound first: the snap of a twig underfoot as Aaron burst through a tight thicket of young trees. He wrapped a stunned Kim in a bear hug and yelled to the rest of them.

"I got Kim!"

She clamped her hand over her nose and mouth, bunching the other into a fist. The muscles of her legs were beginning to burn. She needed to stand and stretch them but it would have to wait until they'd moved on. There were three targets left and if they didn't find her now she might have a shot at winning.

They were strategizing now, muttering with their heads close. So maybe they were working methodically.

"I got Oliver!" That was Lacey's voice again. Shit, only two left. It sounded like Lacey had found Oli not far from where Bit had spotted Chris. Aaron and Kim darted into the woods together, toward Lacey's voice. Bit saw her opportunity and darted through the clearing. Her calves were twinging but she moved steadily deeper. If she could outlast Billy, she would win.

She could pick up the occasional murmur from the other side of the trees but it was becoming difficult to triangulate. She was coming up on some scrubby bushes; she situated herself behind them to cover herself while she caught her breath.

About a minute had passed when she heard sounds of commotion, the crack of a thicker branch far away and a grunt.

"I caught Billy!" Chris declared. "Elizabeth is the last one!"

She smiled to herself; she'd won. But they were still hunting her and the game wouldn't end until she'd been found. She heard a chorus of footfalls on leaves as her friends fanned out to troll the forest. Her nerves were shot but she wasn't going to surrender. There was a movement- slight but definite- out of the corner of her eye. She felt her heart thud painfully behind her ribs. It was time to run.

She pushed off, skidding out from behind the bushes and full out sprinting. Whoever it was that had spotted her was moving, too. A branch whipped her exposed shoulder as she ran blindly and she hissed through her teeth at the sting of it. Her pursuer was gaining on her; she could hear their ragged breaths. In the distance, more people coming.

She'd had no intention of giving up but she was tired. She knew just before it happened that her legs were going to fail her. She stumbled on a root and it was over, she was caught. The ground loomed up to meet her and just after she made contact with it she felt a weight thud on top of her. Her captor had fallen over and she knew from his smell that it was Oli.

"Gotcha" he rumbled, lips brushing her ear. She rolled onto her back and coughed a little.

"I'm glad it was you, at least." She was exhausted. She pulled in deep breaths thick with the scent of damp leaves and dirt. Oli let his forehead rest on her shoulder. He seemed pretty beat and-she wriggled a little beneath him to be sure- aroused. He was half hard against her thigh.

"Me too," he whispered. He kissed her shoulder and she shivered. She wanted nothing more than for the rest of them to vanish and leave the two of them alone.

They heard leaves crunching and looked up to see Billy running toward them. He paused to catch his breath, hands on his knees.

"You got her," he concluded, surveying them without emotion. "Good." He looked over his shoulder and the siblings began to get up. They'd recovered long enough. Elizabeth brushed herself off, carefully avoiding eye contact with Billy or her brother. It was only a few moments before the others trickled into the circle.

"We have our victor," Oli announced. "Good game, sis."

"Thank you. You've all competed valiantly and I am exhausted."

Everyone mumbled their agreements, Chris yawning behind his hand. Together they walked back to the fort and out of the woods. At their cars they said goodnight. Bit was glad that Chris hadn't asked to stay. Billy lingered after everyone had pulled away. He was the one to point out the cut on Bit's shoulder.

"Oh yeah. I got that right before you guys caught me," she replied.

"Does it hurt?" Oli asked. "Why don't you get cleaned up and ready for bed? I'll get the first aid kit for that." Bit gave him a warm, sleepy grin.

"I'll be alright. Bed does sound good, though. You coming in?" She hitched a thumb over her shoulder toward the house. He looked at Billy.

"I'll be right behind you," he said. Bit nodded and said goodnight to Billy before climbing the porch steps. She let herself in and went upstairs. She reflected on her day as she got ready for bed. She wanted to wait up and see Oli before bed but she was fading. There were many memories worth revisiting but she was so worn out that she fell asleep when her head hit the pillow.

-

When she woke, it was to a gentle shaking. It was like she'd hardly slept and she opened her eyes begrudgingly. When they focused, she noticed a gentle furrow in Oli's brow.

"Come on. We've got to go meet Billy for breakfast."

"It's thanksgiving. I'm saving my appetite," she grumbled, about to roll over. "Good morning, by the way."

"Coffee, then." He leaned down and pressed his lips to her forehead. She sat up, rubbing her eyes. She was still very sleepy and her head hurt but Oli seemed adamant that they go.

"Okay, fine." She slithered out of bed and pulled on leggings and a t-shirt. She put on an oversized cardigan and stepped into shearling boots. She wasn't too worked up about appearances. Everyone she knew was cooking or sleeping. She put on her sunglasses and followed Oli out to the truck.