Part Four: A Secret Discovered

Chapter Fifteen: Embers

The door the Tai's room clicked shut and he pressed his back up against it and let out a long, slow breath. Well, he had not expected that, when he decided to do the polite thing and walk home with Yolei. A small laugh of hysteria escaped from his mouth. If either of his parents had been in it would have been a complete disaster. He could just imagine their faces if they walked into the main living area to see the lavender-haired girl yelling at them to get back together. Had she known they would be out, or simply not cared? It mattered little.

When he settled down, Tai quickly got changed into blue jeans and a long-sleeved red top, before sitting down at his desk. Robotically, he removed his books from his school bag, his mind still fixed upon what had just happened. A melancholy smile formed on his lips. He and Kari both knew exactly where the other stood now. And would have to try and live with that truth, yet never act upon it. Opening a notebook and his world history textbook, he found a pen and his music player. However, his mind still lingered on his sister. When she'd reached out and taken his hand, a spark had ignited inside him where once a burning fire had existed. A fire that had been forcibly extinguished the night of the breakup. And for one blissful moment, it had felt like they were together again. Except that was all it had been and all it could be. The harsh reality of the situation had soon set back in. Kari suffered because of his actions. He was bad for her.

Tai put his earbuds into his ears, found Space Ritual on his music player and hit play. He stared at the first question in the textbook, only his brain refused to leave the events that had just transpired in the lounge. Why had Kari invited him to have pizza and play Mario kart with her later? Was she simply trying to restore the sibling dynamic between them? Or was this a thinly veiled attempt to get them back together? Why on earth had he said yes? Despite the fact he had a mountain of studying to do, how could he possibly sit on the sofa with her and keep his feelings suppressed? This was going to be torture. He should have said no. Should have told Kari that he had too much work to do and that he would eat whatever he could find in the fridge. His left hand instinctively made to scratch at his right wrist, but he managed to redirect it to the orange stress ball that sat on the desk surface. He gave it a few firm squeezes before easing off to a light fumbling. Irrespective of everything he'd just thought, he could not deny that part of him, a fairly hefty part, was thrilled at the prospect.

Tai flicked the volume on his music player up to maximum and let the pounding rhythm of Born To Go drive the thoughts from his mind. He would deal with Kari when the time came to sit with her and eat pizza. His stomach let out a low growl, something that he could not ignore. Fishing in his school bag, he withdrew a granola bar, ripped it open and bit into it. In only a few bites he had devoured it. That should keep his stomach sated for a little while. Picking up his pen, he re-read the first question and started to compose his answer.

Space Ritual had come and gone, as to had Hall Of The Mountain Grill. By the time the last notes of You shouldn't do that, the first track on In Search Of Space, transitioned into You know you're only dreaming, Tai felt a hand lightly touch his shoulder. He jumped slightly, turned his head to look at his sister and pulled one of his earbuds out.

"Sorry for disturbing you, Tai," she smiled softly at him, "but I thought you'd want to pick a pizza topping. I'm going to order soon."

He looked upon her soft features and felt a warm glow deep inside his chest. Even though she smiled, he could see the torment that hid beneath the surface. It was there in those beautiful reddish-brown eyes. Desperately, Tai wanted to reach up, take his sister in his arms and tell her that everything would be ok. Tell her that he would never leave her and…

"Tai?"

He shook his head upon hearing Kari say his name, "huh?"

"What pizza topping do you want?" Kari said, a look of endearment on her face.

"Umm," he replied dumbly. Apparently, he had become so lost in his own musings that he had completely forgotten that she'd asked him the question. "Why don't you just get pepperoni and sweetcorn on the whole thing," he said, picking the same topping that she would have in order to save his brain the trouble of actually choosing something.

"Are you sure?" his sister asked with a slight tilt of her head.

He nodded, "yeah."

"Ok, I'll go order it and come get you when it arrives." Kari gave his shoulder a light squeeze before turning to leave.

Tai watched her go, his eyes coming to rest on her backside by the time she reached the door. A compilation of their make-out sessions flashed through his mind and he could recall perfectly what it felt like to have his hands clamped firmly around her petite ass-cheeks. His brain then served up the coup de grâce, the moment when they had mutually climaxed during that night when passions had overflowed and they had almost lost all control. He shoved his other earbud back into his ear and picked up the rhythm of the track, allowing the swooping electronics to push the thoughts of his sister from his mind once more. He managed to work through the bulk of the album, however, by the final track, his focus had gone. His stomach felt empty again and thoughts of Kari had started to seep back into his brain. When the music stopped, he threw down his pen, tossed his earbuds down atop his notebook and rose from his chair.

Fetching the GameCube and Mario Kart: Double Dash from the shelf, he left his bedroom. Heading down the hall, he saw Kari at the front door. It seemed his timing couldn't have been better. Crossing the main living area towards the TV, he bent down and hooked up the games console and stood up just in time to see Kari sit the pizza box down atop the coffee table.

"Do you want a soda, Tai?" she asked.

He licked his lips and realised that he'd not drank anything since before leaving school. "Sure," he replied and watched her head towards the kitchen. He sat down and waited for her to return.

Kari joined him on the sofa and he pondered whether it would have been safer if he'd taken the armchair. Too late now. Instead, he opened the pizza box and took in the aroma of hot cheese and pepperoni. His stomach growled loudly and he felt his mouth begin to salivate like he were some sort of cartoon character.

"Go ahead," Kari said with a low chuckle, however, it sounded to Tai like the laugh of someone who had forgotten how.

His stomach needed no more encouragement than that. Picking up the first slice, the cheese almost dripping over the edges, he wasted no time in taking a bi… "AH HOT, HOT, HOT!" Tai yelled through a mouthful of what felt like molten lava in his mouth.

From beside him, Kari let a hollow laugh. "Well, you'd complain if it had arrived cold."

He couldn't reply as he was too busy tossing the hot piece of pizza around his mouth to stop it lingering long enough in one spot burn him. It took a full thirty seconds before it had cooled enough for him to start to chew. When he could finally swallow, he stared at the offending slice in his hands with a sour expression, before turning to his sister. "Why do I always feel like you use me as a gunny pig?"

"You make it sound like I forced you to eat the first slice," Kari replied, now reaching out and picking up one of her own.

An almost awkward silence descended while they ate the pizza. And by the time Tai booted up Mario Kart, it had become clear that a return to the sibling dynamic was not likely to happen. At least not anytime soon. They picked characters and started the game. However, neither managed to play anywhere near their best. So much so, that the CPU opponents actually won some of the races. Come the final race, Tai just wanted it to be over. Then he could go back to his bedroom and be miserable alone. Sitting here beside his sister, as predicted, was torture. Every time he snuck a glance at her, he saw that beautiful face and the pain it hid beneath its flawless features. Like it had become a mask that hid the real Kari underneath. He'd done that to her. If he had been able to control his own feelings, she could have remained ignorant, happy and free. It was almost cruel, what he had done to his sister. He'd liberated her from the metaphorical cage she'd locked herself in. Given her a taste of true freedom. Then shoved her back inside, locked the door and dangled the key just out of reach.

It was with zero satisfaction that Tai crossed the finish line to win the last race and the tournament as a whole; his first since discovering Kari's proficiency. A quick glance at his sister's screen showed that she had been right behind him and armed with a green shell. She'd let him win. Exactly what she would have done prior to being liberated. He tossed his control-pad onto the coffee table, let out a sigh and turned to face her.

Kari gave him a faint smile, "guess you finally beat me."

Tai just stared at his sister. He hated seeing her like this, so quiet, restrained and fake happy. It wasn't fair! He forced his eyes to look into those perfect reddish-browns. She stared back and instead of the sorrow that he expected to see, he found something else. Desire and… hunger. Like a laser beam from some sci-fi movie, Kari's gaze penetrated him and set off some kind of explosion amidst the burnt-out remains of his passion. In an instant, an inferno raged inside him and he knew but one thing, he wanted her more than anything.

Tentatively, Tai edged towards his sister, drawn in by her captivating beauty. She did the same. Their hands touched and it felt like a spark of electricity jolted him. Had he imagined it, or could it simply have been a bit of static? He didn't care, as their eyes gazed deeply into one another's. Faces hovered inches from each other's for a brief moment, while a quick non-verbal conversation took place.

"I want you more than anything in the world."

"I want you too."

In what could only be described as pure primal desire, Tai and Kari's lips met in a flurry of sharp kisses as they almost devoured each other. Arms wrapped around torsos and began furiously finding their way underneath tops. Tongues duelled in a battle for dominance and teeth dragged across lips, almost drawing blood. Then in a frenzied scramble of hands, Kari got the upper hand over her brother and tore Tai's top off over his head; tossing it aside. He felt her fingernails drag down his chest as he grabbed the bottom of her t-shirt. In one swift haul that raised her arms up into the air, he pulled it off. However, he was not done yet. Before she could resume her assault, he reached behind her back with his hands and fumbled with the clasp of her bra. It came free and as he reached for the straps, Kari wriggled herself free. Before the bra even hit the floor, the sibling's bodies had crashed together and the battle recommenced.

Shoving his sister backwards onto the sofa, Tai straddled her but quickly found himself hauled down on top of her. His lips found hers and he fought for supremacy. As his tongue slipped past her teeth and began exploring her mouth, his hands slid between their bodies and he gripped her breasts. She moaned under his touch and he felt her dig her nails into his shoulders, dragging them down his back. He winced slightly and smiled. So she wanted to play rough, did she.

Kari felt her brother hesitate for a moment and it gave her all the impetus she needed. Forcing Tai's tongue out of her mouth with her own, she broke off the kiss and planted her lips on his neck. She sucked hard and grazed her teeth against his skin. To which he retaliated by pinching both her nipples. Her body convulsed slightly and she let out a muffled cry. However, she had no intention to allow his action to derail her and so she bit him, hard.

"Ahh," Tai winced as he felt a stab of pain. Causing him to relinquish his hold on her now solid nubs.

Kari seized the initiative, wrapped her arms around him and rolled them over. There wasn't much space on the sofa, but she managed to get herself on top without sending them both tumbling to the floor. She could feel the wetness in her crotch as she pressed it against the large bulge in her brother's pants. Her fingers found Tai's nipples and she began pinching them, revelling in each and every one of his moans. The sheer intensity with which the inferno raged inside of her was enough to override any inhibition or restraint that she had tried to place upon herself since they had broken up.

Tai writhed in pleasure underneath the teasing and toying ministrations of his sister's nimble fingertips. And it took him several moments before he regained enough composure to actively engage in the dual once more. Deciding to play Kari at her own game, he reached up and seized her small breasts in his large hands. Squeezing and kneading them elicited a series of grunts and moans form her that sounded devilishly divine. However, she responded in kind by intensifying her pinching.

Soon they were both caught up in some sordid, sexually charged game of chicken. Each sibling letting out a yelp or a cry of increasing pitch as the other toyed and twisted one or both of their nipples. After Tai had twisted Kari's to the point that she let out a yelp, she knocked his arms aside and descended on his left nipple with her mouth. He let out a loud moan as she sucked, that transitioned into a strong though stifled cry of pain when she sunk her teeth in. Before the pain had even subsided, Tai retaliated. Wrapping his arms around Kari's back he rolled them over.

"Oh no you don't!" she exclaimed, her mouth having disengaged with his nipple.

Using Tai's own momentum against him, Kari forced him to continue rolling. Except there was no more sofa for him to roll onto. Bodies interlocked, the siblings slipped off the low sofa and crashed to the floor. Momentarily winded, they disengaged just long enough to gulp down some precious air, before their overflowing passions sent them crashing back together in a furious primal display of raw, carnal sexuality.

As she had been on the bottom when they were up on the sofa, Kari had landed on top and thus taken less time to recover than her brother. Resulting in her pinning him to the floor. With all the gusto of a horny dog that has caught the scent of a bitch in heat, she pressed her crotch against the throbbing lump in Tai's jeans and began to furiously hump him.

"Urgh," Tai moaned as he felt the pressure of his sister's clothed crotch rub up and down against his hidden penis. Reaching up, he pulled her down atop him and caught her mouth with a strong kiss.

Raw passion exuded from the siblings, their hot sweaty bodies interlocking. Hands danced around like bolts of lightning, exploring each and every scrap of naked skin. Tongues duelled like swashbuckling fencers. Grunts and moans filled the air as both fought with tooth and nail for dominance. Tai rolled Kari over and took control of the thrusting for a few moments, only for his sister to roll him back. They continued on like this as each tried to force the other to orgasm first.

Tai could feel the pressure building as the frequency and intensity of the pleasure waves increased. After another few thrusts, he found himself flipped. His back hit the floor and he let out a gasp as the air was knocked out of his lungs. His sister descended upon him and in a few hard humps, drew a series of short sharp grunts from him. This was it he was going to… "URGH!" Tai yelled at the top of his voice, so loud that it echoed around the apartment. Inside his jeans, he felt his penis expand as his cum exploded from it, sending pleasure coursing through him like hot jets of molten lava. His eyes glazed over and he zoned out for a second, his mind hurtling through space like he were on some sort of cosmic bullet train.

A devilish smile covered Kari's face for a split second when she heard her brother's scream of pleasure, knowing full well that she had won the dual and forced him to orgasm. However, the moment quickly passed and her thrusting resumed its intensity; she had her own orgasm to achieve now. It had been slowly building, like a boulder being pushed to the top of a hill, but every time Tai had got her close, she had found a way to suppress it. Unwilling to let her brother win. However, now she couldn't force the bastard to tip over the edge. No matter how she rubbed, humped, thrust or grinded against him, the damn thing would just not go.

Tai returned to his senses, just in time to hear a whimper escape from his sister's mouth. His eyes refocused and he could see the frustration on her face; she couldn't get herself to orgasm. While he felt almost completely spent, he could not… no, would not, leave his sister high and dry. From somewhere deep within, he found the strength to roll her over one last time. Grabbing her shoulders, he caught her right nipple with his mouth and began to furious suck. All the while thrusting at her with everything he had left in the tank. The frequency of Kari's moans shot up, urging him to continue. Inside his own jeans, he could feel his penis begin to soften. He did not have long before it became fully flaccid and thus useless. Holding onto her with only one hand as he bucked her silly, Tai groped at her left breast with his right hand until he found the stiff nipple. In one synchronised barrage, he sucked, pinched and thrust for all he was worth.

"ARGH!" Kari screamed as at long last the boulder toppled over the cliff edge. Her entire body convulsed and her legs locked around her brother's hips like vice grips as pleasure cascaded over her. Her eyes rolled and she shot through a swirling void made up of every colour imaginable. It was pure bliss.

Limply, now completely drained, Tai rolled off of his sister and lay beside her on the floor. Both were panting for breath and drenched from head to toe in warm, sticky sweat. At this moment, neither cared about the potential ramifications of what they had just done. What this meant for them as siblings or a couple. From the moment their hands had touched on the sofa, it had been sheer bliss. For Tai and Kari, right here, right now, nothing mattered except each other.