Supper that night was uneventful. The little girls were too distracted by Hammy, Sunny's class pet hamster, to eat very much. It had been her turn to bring the small rodent home to take care of over the weekend. The girls had scarfed down their food quickly in order to get back to watching Hammy run endlessly in his wheel. Beatrice found this particularly hilarious.
Violet soon took the girls off to get their baths. Sunny insisted she was old enough to take a shower, but Beatrice would always cry if Sunny didn't bathe with her. When she came back into the kitchen, Klaus was elbow deep in warm soapy water, washing dishes. He still wore his jeans and the long sleeve button up, with the sleeves rolled up high, that he had worn to class that day. He noticed that Violet had already raided his drawer for she was dressed in a pair of his grey plaid boxers and tank top. He glanced at her as she jumped up to sit on the counter opposite the sink and then went back to gazing out the open window to the gathering darkness. The wind played with the new buds on the cherry trees and it rained down pink blossoms.
"So," Violet began from behind him. "Have you given any thought to what we talked about last night?"
"I have," Klaus replied, rinsing the last dish and laying it on a towel on the counter to dry.
"Well? What are your thoughts?" she asked, only a little shake to her voice, belying her nervousness.
Klaus turned and leaned back against the sink, drying his hands off, and looking at her for a moment. "Well, I agree with a lot of what you said, Violet. I think it is very important to protect our family...and you are right. I could never imagine telling someone what we've been through, trying to make them understand. I don't think anyone but us could ever fully accept what we've got here. Therein lies one of our problems. In order to make this work we'll always be living a lie. Maybe even have to lie to Sunny and Beatrice, so that they never accidentally spill the truth." He said all of this seriously. "But, I think that is something I am willing to do in order to protect our family."
"I understand. I've thought of that, too. Sometimes it feels like we've already led people astray, we just have to make sure to never let ourselves slip," she said, almost relieved that this was his concern. She was willing to lie to keep them all together. She had done worse. "It was pretty easy today, to make your friend think we were Beatrice's parents. I'm sorry if that ruined the friendship you had with her," she said apologetically. "She seemed pretty disappointed."
Klaus only shrugged and pushed himself off from the sink and seemingly stalked over to her, reeking of confidence. He couldn't help a small smirk from forming on his lips as he placed a hand on each side of her at the edge of the kitchen counter. Violet sat very still, though her heart beat fast.
"There is another issue I would like to discuss, before we make any decisions," he said, his face too close and too far away from hers at the same time. She immediately thought of the small kiss he had given her earlier.
"And…what is that?" Violet asked nervously, swallowing. Her brother had a certain charm that he used to persuade people, and though he hardly ever used this secret power on her, he was releasing it full force now. He looked at her eyes and then at her lips as he spoke.
"Sex."
"Well… what I mean, I don't …?" she stuttered lamely. "What do you mean?"
"You want us to pretend to be married?" Violet nodded. "Do you want us to have sex?" he asked curiously. "Married people have sex."
"Well…It isn't right, is it? For siblings to have sex." she said.
He scoffed, "Or pretend to be married. If we're living outside of society's norms anyway, why should it matter?" he argued.
"Klaus, that's different," knowing full well it wasn't.
"Do you want me?" he insisted, letting his hands move closer to her hips, drawing small circles there with his thumbs. She could only stare at him speechless. "Are you going to pretend that you don't know how much I want you? Did you run back to your room to put your fingers in your panties after you saw me come in the shower with your name on my lips?" Klaus's voice was low, his eyes trained on her lips. He had moved very close to her now, standing between her legs, his hips flush with the counter. She should have been offended by his crass words, but his nearness and clear intentions were making her dizzy and very aroused, besides the fact that what he said was very close to the truth. "Do you think I haven't noticed you staring at me? What have you been imagining, Violet?" His hands ran firmly up and down her sides, fingers dipping under the hem of her tank top, then sliding up her back, only skin beneath his palms.
"Do you want me, Violet?" he whispered, his breath against her lips. Violet closed her eyes and her head fell back a little. She reached up to hold his neck and rake her fingers though the soft curls at the nape of his neck. She was so ashamed. How quickly she dismissed her morals for her own happiness.
"God, Klaus. Some days it's all I can think about," she confessed breathlessly. Klaus took no time in kissing her. As soon as the words left her lips, his mouth was on hers, kissing her with desperation. His arms reached all the way up the back of her shirt to come out the top and cradle her head as he pressed their torsos tightly together. He drank deeply of her mouth, his tongue running over hers. She let him do as he pleased to her mouth. It felt amazing and all she could do under this onslaught of lips and tongues was to hold on to him for dear life.
He finally let go of her mouth to kiss her chin and down her jaw to her neck where he placed hot, open-mouthed kisses there. His hands were free to come back to her sides and he let his thumbs brush the side of her breasts. Her skin was smooth and soft. He longed to touch and taste every part of her, had wanted this for too long and every pent up desire was making him hurry, hurry. Violet was supple under his touch, lolling her head to the side to allow him better access to the sensitive skin of her neck. She kept her arms wrapped around his neck, fingers gently massaging his scalp.
He ran his hands to her hips and down her legs to wrap them around himself. He pick her up and carried her to the sofa, where he sat down, so that she straddled his lap. She seemed surprised to find herself in this position, but Klaus wasted no time continuing to kiss her. She sat taller than him now and he cradled her head in his hands, pulling her face to his to reach her lips. He let her control the kissing now, while he pulled her hips directly over his and let his hand run idly up and down her thighs, brushing his fingers under the hem of the little pair of shorts she was wearing, touching her curves there.
Soon she broke for breath, but he assaulted her neck again, and felt goosebumps rise across her skin. Pulling her tank top down with one finger as he went, he worked kisses down the middle of her chest, until he had a taut nipple in his mouth.
"Klaus," Violet sighed, holding his head there and arching into him, hips rolling. They were lost to pleasure, and to time, when they heard Sunny's call from the bathroom.
"Violet! We're all pruned. Can we get out of the bath now?" Sunny hollered from down the hall.
Violet jumped back in Klaus's lap at hearing Sunny's voice, suddenly ashamed of what they had been doing. She quickly covered herself up. "Coming!" she called back to Sunny over her shoulder. "I'll be right there, okay?"
She looked back at Klaus with an apologetic smile. "Maybe… do you think we're moving too fast?" guilt evident on her face, her cheeks red.
Klaus sat back against the couch with a groan of frustration. He ran his hands through his hair, making it stand up. "God, Violet. Do we need more time to get to know each other, first?" he asked sarcastically. "Should we meet each other's parents or ask each other what our favorite colors or... or foods are?" He closed his eyes and shook his head.
Violet stood up from his lap, already half turned toward the hall to the bathroom, trying not to cry. "Well, I'll just go check on the girls, then," she said without looking at him.
Violet finished getting the little girls ready for bed. She forced a cheerful smile and talked with them about their little heart's desires as she brushed their hair, watched them brush their teeth, and helped them get their pajamas picked out.
"What about a story?" Beatrice asked.
"Of course," answered Violet, "go get your Papa." Moments later Klaus came down the hall carrying Beatrice in one arm. Meeting her eyes briefly, he gave Violet a tight smile, but walked past her into the girl's room. She watched him settle into his usual chair, the girls tucked into his sides. She saw him visibly relax and breathed a little easier herself. She didn't understand herself, sometimes.
She stood outside the bedroom and listened to Klaus, her brother, her lover, tuck in their little girls. He was so gentle and patient with them. She knew him inside and out and he knew her just as well. She loved him so much. Violet didn't know what part exactly that she was afraid of, this change in their relationship, but she knew it wasn't him that she feared. He would never hurt her. He came out, closing the door to a crack behind him and seemed relieved to see her standing there. He caught her up into his arms and buried his face in her hair. "I'm so sorry," Klaus apologized. "I didn't mean to be such a jerk. I was frustrated, but that is no excuse to speak to you in such a way."
"I know," she answered him. "It's already all forgiven, Klaus. It's okay for you to feel frustrated."
He pulled back to look at her earnestly. "I meant what I said, Violet. I want you, all of you, but of course, I'm not going to force you into anything you're not ready for. Just, please,... come to my room. Stay with me tonight. We can talk and take as much time as you want."
She nodded, accepting. "Okay." He took her hand and led her down the hall to his room and quietly shut the door behind him.
