The First Time I Noticed Ch. 05

"Hey!" she said, not even turning around. "I said no looking at my ass!"

"What the hell?" I said, somewhat amazed. "How could you possibly know I was looking at your ass?"

"Lucky guess," she said, chuckling. "And now I know I was right. Watch the popcorn."

It was popping quickly now. I popped by sound, not time. Once the popping slowed to a trickle, I removed the bag. I made a small opening in the top, shook the bag over the trash can to let all the old maids fall out, and dumped the rest into a bowl.

"How's the search coming?" I said as I grabbed a beer from the fridge.

"All set," she said. I poked my head out to look and she was standing in front of the sofa with the remote in her hand, queuing up the movie.

"You ready?" she said. She turned to look back at me and then sat down.

"Yeah," I said. "Aren't you getting dressed?"

"What for?" she said. "Are you expecting someone to drop by?"

"Well...ah...no," I said. "I guess I was just expecting sexy jammies again."

"So you don't want me naked?" she said.

"Whoa!" I said. "I definitely didn't say that." Apparently my sister had turned into a nudist when I wasn't looking. I thought that over a moment and realized I'd be a real idiot to complain about this turn of events.

"Good. Now could you grab me one of those raspberry waters, please?" she said.

"Sure," I said, getting it from the fridge. "So, ah, naked movie night, then?"

"Yes, already," she said, patting the sofa. "Come on."

"I'm coming," I said, grabbing the beer, water, and popcorn.

"Are you now?" she said. She looked at me and raised an eyebrow.

"Who would have guessed," I said, "that my sister had such a dirty mind." I joined her on the sofa and handed her the water and popcorn.

"Lie down," she said. I stretched out on the sofa, resting my head on the arm, and she tucked herself in front of me so we were spooning. I began to wonder if we'd get far into the movie when she nestled her ass against me, but couldn't deny it felt good to snuggle together. I wrapped my arm around her, resting my hand on her belly and pulling her tightly against me.

"Comfy?" I said.

"Blanky," she said. I grabbed the blanket from the back of the sofa and covered us both.

"That's better," she said. "And probably safer."

"You're kidding, right," I said. "My cock is sandwiched between your butt cheeks. You really think covering up is going to matter?"

"I see your point," she said, and wiggled her ass a little.

"So what's the movie?" I said.

"When Harry Met Sally," she said. "Not too chick-flicky for you is it?"

"Nope," I said. "I actually like that movie. It's Meg Ryan at her most adorable."

"And it's so romantic at the end," she said. "When he says 'you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible' I just melt."

"I'll have to remember to use that line," I said.

"Oh shut up," she said.

"Just push play already," I said. She started the movie, and then pushed pause.

"Do you think ours have?" she said.

"Ah," I said. "Wait. What? Do I think our what have what?"

"Our lives," she said. "Do you think the rest of our lives have started?"

"Ah..." I stammered, then stopped, then thought about that for a minute. "I think maybe the rest of my life started yesterday, Lex."

She rolled over and kissed me, wrapping her arms around me and finally, hugging me tightly to her. "You always say the sweetest things. I love you, Ian."

"I love you, too, Lex," I said. "Now push play."

She smiled at me and said "okay" and then rolled back over. She snuggled into me for the longest time, then pushed play and restarted the movie. We sat watching quietly until after the famous restaurant scene, when she paused the movie again.

"I need a minute," she said.

"Why? That get you worked up or something," I said. "I mean, I didn't know you were into girls."

"I have to pee, stupid," she said.

"Yeah," I said. "I guessed as much. I was just teasing." She stood up to go to the bathroom.

"Wait," I said.

"What?"

"Have you ever done that?"

"Done what?" she said.

"Fake it?" I said.

"Oh. Well," she said. "No, actually. I mean, I wouldn't, I don't think. I usually just tell guys what I want if what they're doing isn't working for me. Also, I'm...I'm kind of..."

"Kind of what, Lex?" I said.

"Kind of easy to please," she said, blushing. "Even the...ah...less talented guys I've been with just need to tweak my nipples a little and I go over the top. Plus I'm kind of uninhibited."

"Yeah," I said. "I noticed. Anyway, sorry to pry. I was just...curious."

"Don't be sorry," she said. "You can ask me anything, and I'll always be as honest as I can."

"Anything?" I said.

"Anything."

"In that case," I said, "do you mind if I go with you."

"With me where?" she said.

"Remember last night?" I said. "During the bathroom break."

"Oh!" she said, grinning. "Um, okay."

Last night she had asked me to let her watch me pee. I found it strange but my mind had been quietly thinking about it all day.

"Come on, then," she said, and I got up and followed her to the bathroom where she sat down and said "ready?"

"Wait," I said. "I...ah...can't really see anything."

"Huh?" she said, "ah...oh!" She spread her legs a little, affording me a better view. I was still wondering why this appealed to me when she started to go. In less than a minute she was done and cleaned up.

"Well?" she said, getting up.

"Why is that so damn sexy?" I said. "I mean, it's pee, right?"

"I know," she said, giggling. "It's weird. If you ever figure it out, let me know because I don't understand the appeal either, even though I feel it."

"Yeah," I said. "Definitely weird. My turn now." I did my business and washed up.

"Ready for the rest of the movie?" she said as I finished.

"Yup," I said, "Let's go."

We returned the sofa, snuggled together again under the blanket, and watched the rest of the movie. At the end, just as Harry was running into the New Years Eve party to find Sally, Alexis paused the movie.

"Need another pee break?" I said. "It's almost over."

"Be right back," she said, and ran into the bathroom. A couple of seconds later she came running back with a box of tissues.

"I always cry at this part," she said. "Might as well be prepared."

I pushed play. Harry gave his speech about loving her because she was cold when it's warm, and because she took an hour and half to order a sandwich, and how he wanted to start the rest of his life as soon as possible. It really was quite charming, and how could anyone not fall in love with Meg Ryan. My adorable sister was making good use of the box of tissues.

"I just love this movie," said Alexis, sniffling.

"Has the rest of our life already started?" I asked. She rolled over to face me.

"Yes," she said, hugging me close. "The rest of my life is right here next to me."

She touched my face with her soft hands and drew me to her. Time slowed as we closed the distance between us, the desire building in the anticipation of a touch that it seemed would never come. But it did come and in that connection the world was pushed aside by the waves of warmth that flowed from the joining of our lips. I knew then, through every element of my body, my mind, and my heart that we would always be together. That we could only be together. There was more, so much more than just the luminous sensation of her soft lips on mine, because at last I understood why we say we fall in love. I felt myself falling, my soul sinking into her. In that moment, we were one.

In time our lips parted, but our hearts did not.

"Tell me, Ian," she said. "Tell me that we'll never be apart."

"We'll never be apart, Alexis," I said. "Never. Because even if we're separated by distance, our hearts will always be together."

"I don't want to be separated at all," she said.

"Neither do I," I said. "We'll find a way. Whatever happens, we'll find a way. We're halfway to figuring out this fall already."

"I can hardly bear the thought of it," she said. "I just can't. We'll be away from each other for weeks at a time. I cry just thinking about it. How will I even be able to finish school if I'm drowning in my own tears?"

"Lex," I said. "Stop. You have to...you have to think for a minute. Listen to me, okay. Can you do that?"

"Yeah, okay," she said, struggling to keep herself together.

"Do you love me?" I said.

"Of course I do, Ian," she said. "More than anything."

"And is that love...fragile?" I said.

"What do you mean?" she said.

"Are you going to stop loving me if we're apart for a few weeks?"

"Of course not," she said. "I'll never stop loving you."

"Our love is strong enough to endure that separation?" I said.

"Of course it is!" she said. "I mean, I hope it is. For me it is. Please tell me it is for you, too, Ian. Please tell me that."

"It is, Lex," I said. "It is. It's that and so much more. That's why I don't fear the future. That's why I know, even though this fall will be difficult, even painful, we'll endure. We'll be together when we can - and I know we'll still find more ways to be together that we haven't thought of yet - and when we're not together in body, we'll still be together in our hearts."

"And we'll talk on the phone?" she said.

"We'll talk on the phone." I said.

"And text?"

"Naturally." I said. "Email too."

"And you'll send me pictures, and...and...videos?"

"Of course," I said. "Wait. What kind of pictures and videos?"

She smiled at me, and when she did I felt a great weight lifting.

"All kinds," she said. "Maybe...naughty kinds?"

"I'd like that," I said.

"Hey!" she said.

"What?"

"You still stay up late most of the time, right?"

"Sure," I said, "unless someone is wearing me out. Then I sometimes get sleepy a little earlier. Like today."

"And I usually get up really early," she said.

"Yeah," I said. "What are you getting at?"

"If you're still up at 2:30," she said, "and I'm getting up at 5:30..."

"And we live three hours apart!" I said, finally catching on. "Your voice would be the last thing I hear every night!" I said.

"And your voice," she said, "would be the first thing I hear every morning."

"You know what I do before I go to be bed most nights, right?" I said.

"That's the best part of the whole thing," she said.

"And do you...ah...like to wake up to that sort of thing?" I said.

"It's my favorite time of day!" she said, then added "for that sort of thing."

She was smiling at me, her mood improved.

"Feeling better, sis," I said.

"I am," she said, "thanks to you. I love you, Ian. Whenever I'm feeling overwhelmed I can count on you to calm me. You're my rock."

"I love you too, Lex," I said. "Should we call it a night?"

"Yeah," she said. "I want to climb under the covers and snuggle with you."

"I like the sound of that," I said.

We put the movie away and moved to the bedroom where we climbed into bed and rolled to face each other.

"Good night, sis," I said. "I love you."

"I love you, too," she said. I brushed my hand on her cheek and kissed her softly goodnight. In just minutes we had both drifted off to sleep. I dreamt of being alone together with Alexis. We were hiking in the mountains, then paddling on pristine lakes, then walking hand in hand on the streets of Manhattan, and in the moonlight in Central Park.

In those dreams I saw our future, a future in which we could share our love freely, a future in which we were together. Forever.

**********

Thank you to all who have been reading along, and especially to those who have been voting and commenting. I appreciate both.

The next chapter is already written and should be posted soon. It was originally part of this one but I decided to split it when it started getting close to 40,000 words. I'll post it as soon as I'm done editing.