Changeling - Chapter 10

9 a.m was way too early to get up on a Saturday. But it turned out that Sandra and my mom were right. Between bathing and shaving, plucking eyebrows, and waffling about what to do with my hair, time flew by. I was glad because it helped distract me from last night and let me come to terms with my decision.

We finally decided to do side braids to the back of my head and then let my hair fall loose down my back. This made me happy because I hated most of the updo's and I still got to show off my moms earrings. And it made my mom happy because I could show off my neck. Don't ask me why because I have absolutely no idea.

There was an issue when I put on my aqua colored, spaghetti strapped, cocktail dress. I had grown some since I had bought it and now it was pretty... snug. Especially in the bust. The hem now rose a couple of inches higher than it used to, about six inches above my knees now. And since I'd gained almost another full size, going from an 'A' cup to a definite 'B' cup, I was afraid that I might bust out of it. Sandra and my mom told me not to worry, that it actually fit me better, my mom saying that I had 'grown into it'. When I put my Star of David on, it hung almost all the way down between my breasts, I was actually starting to develop cleavage.

Sandra was wearing a gorgeous collared forest green dress that went down to just below her knees, but with a slit up the side that reached mid thigh. We were ready to leave but I had forgotten the time honored torture ritual of picture taking. Mrs. Dietz showed up just before so Sandra and I were blinded by repeated flashes from both of them. We didn't even see Paul when he'd shown up because of the after images. We did hear him tell us all how beautiful we looked. When our vision cleared, we expressed how handsome he looked in his dark grey houndstooth suit with a red silk power tie.

Walking in stiletto heels is a test of balance. With my training and yoga, I had that in spades, but it didn't mean they were comfortable. We got into Paul's brand new Cadillac Escalade, it even still had that new car smell. Sandra and I were giggling almost all the way to the dance. There were teachers and volunteers guiding us to parking spots and we could hear the bass thumping from here.

I was beginning to get worried about my hearing. We walked in and turned in our tickets to receive our wrist bands showing we'd paid. My parents, I'd have to get used to saying that anyway, got in for free since they were chaperones. I'm surprised Sandra and I didn't get any last minute advice to behave. Sandra saw her date and scrambled off with a quick kiss to my cheek. I ambled around for a bit, listening to the DJ, "Sizzle D", and watched as kids danced together. Some were good, but other's just didn't seem to get it. I was actually one of the latter. Ballroom, okay. Choreography, can do. Get out and 'feel the beat', busted.

There were snacks and I tried some. Not bad. The punch tasted a little off so I stuck mostly to canned soda. At least they had root beer. I did get asked to dance and tried to make it look like I knew what I was doing, but I don't think I fooled anybody. Matt came up and asked me to dance, but I suggested that he may want to dance with Alicia, his date. I pointed to where she was standing with her arms crossed over her rather impressive chest. I could practically see the fumes coming from her ears.

I met and talked with Kurt, both of us having come 'stag'. He was wearing a rather flamboyant plum colored tux that suited him. He complimented me by saying 'at least my fashion advice didn't go to waste'. We were still talking when the DJ called a break.

"Okay my lads and lassies, it's time for DJ 'Sizzle D' to take a break, scarf some food, and guzzle some drink. But don't worry, there's a special number coming right up!"

Of course, everyone was wondering what the hell was up since the flyer didn't say anything about a special number. Sizzle D left and then I heard it; Noah's voice as he started singing Rewrite the Stars from The Greatest Showman.

"You know I want you, it's not a secret I try to hide."

"Oh god Noah, no. Don't do this, please." I said, not knowing that Kurt could hear every word I said, as I shook my head. My heart hurt, but I was trapped. I'd do the duet with him because it was an amazing song and I wanted to. And the ending would be in keeping with my plan, since it called for me to turn him down and walk away.

"I know you want me, so don't keep saying our hands are tied." Noah came out from behind the DJ booth wearing a white tux with a black bow tie. God he looked good! I so wanted to cry. He continued singing as he walked closer to me until he held out a small headset with a boom mic like the one he was wearing. When I didn't reach for it, he put it on me, singing the entire time.

I knew the choreography of the dance by heart and apparently so did he, he must have been practicing on his own. We began circling each other almost as if we'd rehearsed it. During the parts where Zac Efron and Zendaya were apart, usually from her using the ropes to move about the building, we danced away from each other.

But during the close parts we were flawless, it was breathtaking. We only had eyes for each other, the crowd a blur. If there were any hecklers, we didn't hear them. Our voices, meshing perfectly, came through the speakers loud and clear. The only time I looked away from Noah was when the dance called for it. The song was coming close to my last part, and I didn't want to do it. I wanted to dance and sing with Noah for the rest of the night, but I had to be strong. It wasn't about me; it was about what was best for Noah.

It was time for the finale with Noah and I standing almost chest to chest. I tried to let him know how I felt through my expression and my singing. "You know I want you. It's not a secret I try to hide. But I can't have you. We're bound to break and my hands are tied."

I started to follow the choreography and turned to leave, but Noah stepped up to me, wrapped one arm around my waist and the other fisted my hair. His lips were on mine faster than I could blink. Kissing Sandra was soft, gentle, an act of acceptance. Noah's kiss was hard, demanding, and when I gasped, he forced his tongue inside my mouth, running it all over inside, and I loved it.

Chaperones are at school dances to prevent this kind of thing or, if unable to prevent it, break it up. It was my parent's job to do that, and they did. They just took their sweet time about it. When we were parted, I was in a daze, breathing hard. I heard Noah tell my mom that he and I needed to talk, my mom agreeing. I snapped out of my daze at that point and said, "Damn right we need to talk! Parking lot, now!"

I grabbed his hand and pulled him outside. The cool night air helped me clear my head even further, however reluctant I was to let the feeling of Noah's lips on mine fade into memory. I stopped, unsure where we were because, until this point, I had been operating blindly on instinct.

"This way." Noah said, pulling me now.

We got to his car and I tugged on his arm, 'suggesting' he turn and face me. I was a little irritated at this point. "Just what in the hell do you think you were doing?" I demanded.

"You wouldn't go to Homecoming with me, so I did the next best thing."

"God Noah! Don't you get it? I can't be with you!"

"Why not?"

I tried calming down so I could explain it to him. "Noah, I'm a boy..."

"Yeah, I got that part." He cut in.

"You don't understand! If we were to get together, you've just made it impossible for me to come out now! Not only would you start getting bullied for being gay, but the military won't let gays in. There's a 'don't ask, don't tell' policy in place, but that's only if you're already in! If we were together and they found out, then you wouldn't be able to reach your dream! I'm trying to get you and Quinn together so that you can have your dream, prove to Quinn that you can be a good father, and the two of you can raise your baby together like a family should!"

I was crying at this point, why didn't he get it?

"But, our kiss. You seemed to like it, and I mean a lot."

Damn, honesty can be a bitch.

"Of course I did! I told you that I liked you a lot, so why wouldn't I like your kisses?" I continued, pulling myself together. "Okay, here's what we're going to do. We'll say that the number we just did was planned and we've been practicing for weeks. Just say that the kiss was from the heat of the moment. If anyone asks if you knew I was a boy, act surprised and tell them you didn't!"

"I'd like to see anyone try to bully me, or you! And if the military won't accept me, then I'll just move to another country. I looked it up, New Zealand doesn't care about whether their pilots are gay or not. And I don't love Quinn, I love you! I just want my kid to know me, I won't be my father!"

"Noah..." I choked. I couldn't get out what I wanted to say, my emotions were all mixed together and roiling around like a thunderstorm. He just said he loved me! And I loved him, I knew that. But no matter how much I wanted to be with him it would be too easy for him to end up hurt.

"Do you love me?" He asked, his heart in his eyes.

I stared into those hazel eyes of his, the ones that would change color depending on his mood. Right now they were a kind of fierce and determined green. I was lost, swimming against the tide. I regreted promising to not lie to him.

"Noah..."

"Do. You. Love. Me?" He repeated.

"Yes." I whispered. "But I shouldn't."

This time he went slow, almost excruciatingly so, giving me time to pull away. And when our lips met again, he had the same insistence, like he was trying to taste all of me. His right hand slid down my back to just above my tailbone while his other hand moved up and grasped the back of my neck. I surrendered and wrapped my arms around his neck the best I could, hating my lack of height, even with heels. I gasped into his mouth when his hand slid down further, gripping my butt cheek. I forced our mouths apart, breathing hard.

"Noah..."

He crashed his lips back onto mine and kissed me even harder, almost roughly. God it was so hard to do what felt right instead of what felt good. I had a flash of the box of condoms and lube in the bottom drawer of my dresser.

"Get a room!" Someone yelled.

Noah pulled his mouth off of mine and asked "Do you want to get a room?"

I knew what he wanted, and I couldn't say that I didn't want it too. I pulled his hand off my rear end and placed it on my hip. "Noah, it's not that I don't want to, but I'm scared. Not just about being with you in that way, but I'm also worried that while you understand that I'm actually a boy here," and I put my palm against the side of his head, "You might not truly understand it here." I place the palm of my other hand on his chest. "If we start making out my little problem would become fact and I'm worried about how you'll react to it."

"I don't think that will happen, but we won't know for sure until it does. If we got a room, we could find out, but I'm not going to push you. You're not a one time thing Kayleigh, I'm in this 100 percent."

I looked at him in wonder. How? How is he so accepting now?

Apparently he correctly interpreted my look. "I've been talking to a therapist myself. Part of my aggression was from repressing my sexuality. I like girls, and I like women. But I like guys too. Not like Kurt does, I'm more into the feminine kind. After I met you, other girls, hell, even the women, just didn't seem to measure up. And you? Getting to know you and how wonderful you are? I was already in love with you even before the slushie incident."

"The first or the second?" I interjected, smiling a little.

He smiled. "The first. Look, let's get out of here and go somewhere else to talk, okay?"

"Okay, I just have to grab my purse, I'll be right back."

"Oh no, I'm not letting you out of my sight."

It was then that I became aware that the rhythmic thump of the bass had started up again, signaling DJ 'Sizzle D' was back in the saddle. I felt strangely elated and depressed, unsure now what was going to happen. My plan had just gone up in flames and I had no fallback. I walked back in looking for my mom and Paul, trying to ignore all the looks that were aimed our way. I found them and both of them were giving us smug smiles.

I was glad that it was dark in here so that my persistent blush couldn't be seen. I got close to my mom and yelled over the music so she could hear me. "Noah and I are going to talk. I need my purse. I promise to be home before too long!"

"No rush Hun! Check your texts!" She yelled back.

I nodded, grabbing my purse then kissing her and Paul on the cheek. Back out in the cool night air I could breathe easier. I still had no idea what I was going to do, but I'd figure something out. Noah took my arm and guided me to his car. I already knew it was old and beat up, but I now could see the cracked dashboard and the seat covers hiding the threadbare seats. Noah looked embarrassed, but I took his large hand in mine and smiled. He was a gentleman, opening and closing the door for me.

The car started without any problems, so the engine was good at least, and that was what ultimately mattered, wasn't it? While Noah drove to wherever we were going, I checked my texts.

Kurt - Are you sure you're not sleeping with him? ;-D

Sandra - Damn girl! That was the most romantic thing I've ever seen! And that kiss? HAWT!

Mom - You forgot to bring protection, so I put some condoms and lube in your purse. Be safe and don't worry about being home too soon, Paul and I might be up late ourselves!

"Oh god!" I cried, putting my hands over my face.

"What is it?" Noah asked.

"Um, my texts."

"What do they say?"

"You don't want to know!"

"Yes, I do."

I growled at him, but he just chuckled. "Okay nosey. Kurt asked me if I was sure I wasn't sleeping with you. I came out to him, but he thought my secret was that I was sleeping with you before I told him. Sandra said that that was the most romantic thing she'd ever seen and that our kiss was 'hot'. She knows I'm trans also. The last one is from my mom."

"And what did she say."

Damn. I was hoping he'd drop it.

"She said I forgot protection, so she put some condoms and lube in my purse and told me to be safe."

At least I got the satisfaction of seeing Noah's eyes bug out before he smirked. I saw it and said, "Cut that out!" Not that it worked.

Noah drove for a while until he turned off the road to a small dirt driveway blocked by a big cattle gate. Noah got out and unlocked it, locking it again after we were through. If I didn't trust him so much, I'd be scared. A little further down the dirt road that wound through the woods, we came to a small cabin right on the edge of a small lake.

As he stopped the care, he said "My grandpa used to bring me here to go fishing. The guy who owns it, Old Man Carver, gave me the key so I could come fishing any time I wanted to."

Then he gave me a serious look. "This is my private place, where I come when I want to be alone. I've never brought anyone here before."

I gulped. This was him opening up to me. Noah opened his trunk and pulled out a small overnight bag and it made it hard for me to breath. It was like he had things packed to spend the night with me, intimately. "I'll be right back. The tux is rented, and I don't want to lose my deposit."

I let out my breath, trying to determine if I was more disappointed it only had clothes in it, or if I was relieved. He disappeared into the little cabin and came out a bit later wearing a pair of loose-fitting jeans, a tee shirt with a dragon on it, a pair of old tennis shoes, and carrying a blanket.

While he had been changing, I took off my heels, knowing that any walking in the grass could end up with me breaking a heel or at least spraining an ankle, and putting my mom's earrings in my purse. That's when I saw the 3 condoms and the small tube of KY. Chagrined, I hid my purse under the passenger seat.

Noah lay the blanket on the grass near the shore of the lake. He invited me to lay down next to him and I did, happily. We lay on our backs and his right hand grabbed and held on to my left as we looked up at the stars. Here in the woods, away from the city, they were all over the place. It was gorgeous. There was one thing I had to do before anything else.

"Noah, I need to confess something else."

"Please tell me you don't already have a boyfriend!"

"I don't already have a boyfriend. You're the first boy I've ever kissed."

He seemed to relax with that. It was about as good an opening I'd ever get, so I went with it. "But it's not the first kiss I've ever had."

Poor Noah looked confused.

"Sandra." I confessed. "We're kinda more than friends. She says we're girlfriends but we're in an 'open' relationship. Does that make sense?"

Noah was startled but said "So, you're like friends with benefits."

"Uh, yeah. That's pretty much fits. We haven't really done much, just kisses and some touching, but there could be more in the future. Like I told you before, I'm pretty sure I'm bi and, while I don't ever plan on using my 'thing', I'm curious about being a girl with a girl."

"Okay, I get it. So, if you don't have a boyfriend, would you want one?"

"Noah, I'm still a little uneasy about this. I don't want you to ruin your future."

"I don't want to have a future without you in it."

Wow, okay.

"Look, I'm a freshman and you're a sophomore, right now we'll have 3 years together before college, then probably 4 years apart after that if we don't go to the same one. Even if we get together now, we can only plan for the possibility of 3 years."

"Then we have 3 years. We'll figure out the rest later. But give me those 3 years."

God how I wanted this, I was fighting myself so much. I could hear Carla's voice telling me to go ahead and try, and my mom's voice telling me she put condoms and lube in my purse, giving me tacit approval to have sex. I couldn't see doing that, Noah and I haven't even been out on a real date yet.

"How about we just take it day by day? Monday may see me out whether I want to be or not. Coach Sylvester knows I'm transgender and I'm certain that Quinn knows as well. And if Quinn knows, you can be sure that Brittany and Santana know. So, I'll ask you one more time, are you sure you want to be seen with me?"

"Only if you agree to be my girlfriend."

Gah! Everything in me was pushing me to say 'yes'. I just had that niggling little worry, well, 2 actually.

"Are you sure Noah? I mean, deep down, fully aware of what might happen sure?"

"I've never been more sure of anything before in my life."

"Okay, but if we do this, and if we get to a certain point if we ever start making out, please don't be disgusted. Just tell me that being with me wasn't what you'd thought it would be. It'll break my heart, but at least it won't feel like you're stomping on it."

"Never happen. I don't ever want to hurt you, Kayleigh."

I sighed, squirmed closer to him, laying my head partially on his well-muscled bicep. "What's your favorite color?"

"Black."

"Wow. Really? That makes me think you'd be into some goth girl. I could dye my hair black, start wearing dark makeup and clothes. Y'know, the ones with chrome chains and studs."

"Don't you dare! I love you just how you are. Although, if you'd like some black leather and chains..."

"Noah!" I said sharply, smacking his arm before kissing it so he knew I wasn't really upset.

I hoped he couldn't see me blush. I seemed to be doing way too much of that when I was around him. I'm not a complete innocent, I'm a geek and familiar with the internet. So, while I didn't know much about it, I knew what he was talking about. I tried to ignore the electric thrill that zipped through me. He laughed and pulled me tighter against his side.

"Okay, what's your favorite color?" He asked, mirroring my question.

"Hmm. That's a hard one. My favorite is dark green or dark blue, depending on my mood. I kinda like the darker reds unless it's lipstick, then I like the light pinks and corals."

"So, is your lipstick flavored? I didn't taste it earlier, kinda had something else on my mind."

I wanted to respond, 'why don't you find out?' but I needed to explain something first.

"Um, Noah, look. I don't want to get you all excited and then tell you I'm not ready for something more than that right now. Remember Celibacy club? Before the boys come back, Quinn would remind everyone of the club saying, 'It's all about the teasing and not about the pleasing'. That seemed too cruel to me, so very misandric."

"Uh, it's so what?"

"Misandric, hatred of men. The opposite of misogynistic, the hatred of women."

"God, I love having a smart girlfriend." He said, kissing me on the side of my head. "That's why you quit after your first meeting."

"Yeah. I just wanted to let you know that I may tease you, but I'd never tease you just to be mean."

"That's okay, I get it. Maybe we should have a code word or something that lets me know when to stop?"

I kinda liked that. I could let Noah do what he wanted until it started to bother me. And he knew I wasn't teasing to be mean. "Okay. How about 'grandma'?"

"Wow. That's a cock block if I ever heard one. It would be like a bucket of ice water!"

"Exactly."

Noah grinned and said "I like it. Now, is your lipstick flavored?"

Free now to follow my desire I answered like I wanted to the first time. "Why don't you kiss me and find out?"

And so, he did. Once more it was like he wanted to possess me. He was rough without being hurtful, more demanding than anything else. It was like he was taking what he wanted, and it made my heart and soul fly. My arms went around his neck, pulling him closer, begging without words to kiss me harder. His hands ran gently over my cheek and shoulders, and down my arms. I could feel the calluses on his fingers lightly scratching my skin, making me moan into his mouth and my body to shudder because it felt so good. When his hands touched my sides, his touch was so light it made me laugh.

"I'm sorry." I gasped out. "I'm ticklish."

He covered my mouth with his again, but I could tell he was grinning. Then the prat tickled me on purpose, making me squirm and squeal. He was partially on top of me while we made out and he was too strong for me to just push him off without hurting him, which wouldn't happen. He stopped tickling me and took his lips away from mine, leaving me panting for breath.

I was too warm for such a cold night, and I was awash in want. 'Do what feels right, not just what feels good' I tried to say to myself, but Noah was just too good at making me feel blissful. That was the problem, this felt right. I ran my fingers over his head and his shoulders, enjoying the feel of his muscles and the joy in hearing him moan because of what I was doing.

As his hands ran down my side to my hip, he began trailing kisses down my jawline to my neck, forcing a gasp out of me. I could feel the light suction as he worked on my neck. When he hit the juncture of my neck and shoulder, I almost lost it.

"Grandma!" I managed to gasp out.

Noah instantly stopped, his hand just under the hem of my dress. I guess he had been hoping to spend the night with me. Noah was breathing hard also as he collapsed onto his back again. I moved over next to him to take up my original position when I saw the size of the bulge in his jeans.

Oh god! I thought. I was suddenly nervous as I lay down next to him, making sure I stayed away from that area.

"I'm sorry for pushing you earlier, it's just been a while for me." He finally said.

"You didn't push me any further than I wanted to go. At least you stopped when I used our code word."

"Yeah, I just had the image of my grandma walking in while we were making out on the couch. I'd say it more than worked."

I couldn't help it, when he described the image, I could just imagine my own grandmother walking in on me making out with another boy. I giggled. "Yeah, that's an image I could do without!"

"Hey, can I take you out to Breadstix Friday night? Pick you up at 6?"

I smiled and rubbed my head against his chest. "Mmmm. That sounds good."

"Our first official date."

"I can't wait."

"Hey Kayleigh?"

"Yeah?"

"I love you."

I grinned and said, "I love you too."

We may not last, but I planned on wringing every drop of happiness from this relationship that I could in case it did fail. I'm a girl, with a boyfriend, and I'm living life the way I want it to be. I rolled over onto my back again and started pointing out the different stars and constellations in the sky.

"You planning on being an astronomer when you graduate?"

"No."

"Then what do you want to do when you graduate Love?"

Oh man! I could feel the shiver of joy that ran through me when he called me by that term of endearment.

"Well, I want to be an Aerospace Engineer. Hopefully working in the space program. There are so many stars in our galaxy alone that have planets, and several of those have planets that are in the 'Goldilocks' zone' or the habitable zone, where a planet needs to be in order to support life similar to ours. I want to be part of the group of people that will help mankind get there."

We lay there a while longer with me pointing out more stars and giving the facts and theories on each one, so filled with happiness that I thought I would float away if Noah wasn't holding my hand.

It was cold and I was shivering, trying to actually climb inside of Noah to get warm. We had fallen asleep at some point and the temperature had dropped.

"N... Noah." I said, my voice shaking from the cold while I gently poked him.

I could see our breath misting in the air. He woke, shivering as well. Without a word, he got up, helping me up after he got on his feet, and placed the blanket around my shoulders. He tugged me into the cabin and shut the door. It felt so much warmer, but I was still cold. Noah went to a little cast iron heater, put some sticks in it and then used a really big match to start it. I moved over closer to the heat and Noah warned me not to get too close.

After the sticks caught, he started adding bigger pieces of wood and it quickly began to warm up. When he closed the door to the heater thing, he came over to stand next to me. I lifted part of the blanket, and he stood close, letting me put it over him, sharing our body warmth.

"I didn't mean to fall asleep." He said drowsily.

"Me either." I said, yawning, trying to be polite and cover my mouth with part of the blanket.

"Look, I'm too tired to drive home right now. Let's get some more sleep and we'll head back in the morning."

I looked at my watch, seeing that it was 1:48. We could head home, but driving tired wouldn't be a good idea. But... "I didn't bring anything to wear to bed, I wasn't expecting to leave the dance with anyone, much less spend the night with you."

Without hesitation, he took his shirt off, giving me a wonderful view of his pecs and abs.

"Like what you see?" He asked, amused at my staring. Damn this honesty thing!

"Yeah." I had to smile. Yum! He handed me his shirt and told me I could go into the bathroom and change. I hung my dress up on a hook that was on the back of the door and put Noah's shirt on. As I pulled it over my head, I could smell his scent. Happiness and comfort filled me, and I wanted to keep the shirt when I went home but I knew I couldn't. Then I looked in the mirror to see how bad my hair looked, and I stopped in shock.

"NOAH!" I cried out.

He came busting in with a fearful look on his face. "What?! Snakes? Where?"

That didn't really seem to register to me at the moment. I turned to him with a worried look, waving my hand in the direction of my neck at the three hickey's that he'd left there from our make out session earlier.

"Oh, that." He said sheepishly. "Sorry?"

I couldn't get too mad at him, not with him sporting the two that I'd given him. My face softened and I giggled. He looked confused, so I pointed to the mirror. When he saw the two I'd left, he grinned, and his chest puffed up. Oh my god, the man was actually proud that I'd marked him. I couldn't let him get away with that.

"Noah, Coach Sylvester is going to kill me Monday when she sees these!"

"Can't you cover it up with makeup?"

"Are you kidding? Coach Sylvester sees everything!"

"Well, too late to do anything about it right now. Let's get some sleep and we'll stop and get some breakfast on the way home tomorrow."

"Waffle House?" I asked hopefully. I could go for some of their loaded hash browns.

"If that's what you want." He said with that smile that always made me want to jump him.

God he was so sexy! He held the still intact door open for me and I walked through, noticing that he'd made the bed and put a sheet and pillow on the couch.

"What's with that?" I asked him as I gestured to the couch.

"I thought I'd let you have the bed."

I would barely be able to sleep on that small couch, Noah would have his feet on one armrest, or leaning against the other to make himself fit, seeing as he was like, 6 feet tall.

"No." I said firmly.

Clad in my panties and Noah's tee shirt, I climbed into bed and held a corner of the blanket open in invitation. When he hesitated, I said. "Get your pillow and get in bed. I'm not going to have you freeze your balls off trying to be chivalrous."

He got into bed, and we snuggled together, him holding me in his arms, mine around his waist.

"So," I said, "snakes huh?"

"Uh, yeah. They sometimes come in when it starts getting cold."

"Any venomous?"

"Yeah, copperheads and timber rattlesnakes, but I've only seen one inside before. I didn't see any when I got changed earlier, but I could have missed it. I was scared you saw a snake and freaked."

"Hmm. Let me introduce you to Nagini next time you come over."

"Who's Nagini?" "

My pet python."

"Oh."

Then I giggled and he looked at me questioningly.

"It looks like you'll actually get to sleep with me tonight after all." I said, laughing as I said it.

oooOOOooo

Light was hitting my eyes as I slowly rose through the levels of awareness. I was warm and comfortable as the memories from last night flowed back into my mind. I knew that the warm body behind me was Noah, and I could tell he was still asleep by the soft snores he was making. He was laying on his side, almost but not quite spooning me, since I was laying back against him at almost a 45-degree angle.

Sometime during the night, while we were asleep, Noah's left hand had snaked under the shirt he'd let me borrow and was now cupping my right breast. I briefly considered moving it to a less intimate area, but it felt both good and right, like this was supposed to be, so I left it. I sighed happily and put my arm over his, trapping it where it was. I kept my eyes closed as I lay there, drowsing, enjoying the feeling of being in Noah's arms.

The desire, the hope, that I could have more mornings like this was so strong it was scary. Noah wanted at least 3 years. I didn't know if we would last that long, given that we were both in high school. Relationships that started now were almost certainly doomed from the start, only the rare ones lasting past Senior year. Statistically speaking that is. But I would take whatever time I had with him.

I don't know how long I lay there, fantasies running through my mind of possible futures, no matter how improbable they may be, when I heard Noah stop snoring. He was quiet for a minute, and then I felt the hand cupping my boob squeeze gently, then his fingers moved a little as they explored trying to figure out if they were where they thought they were. When his finger brushed over my hardened nipple, I sucked in a sharp breath, and he snatched his hand away faster than I could hold on to it.

"Um, sorry Baby, I didn't know where my hand was." His tone let me know he was afraid he's stepped over the line.

"Mmm. It's okay Love. I was kinda awake and knew. I just wanted to see what you'd do when you noticed. Kinda like how I noticed how friendly a certain part of you is with my left butt cheek right now."

My butt was hitting right on his crotch, and I could feel how excited he was.

"Sorry, I always get that way in the morning, and it's been a while for me."

"I know Love, and I'm sorry. I'm just not ready for more yet."

"I'll wait. You're worth waiting for."

I smiled and then rolled over, so we were laying face to face. Noah's eyes were mostly a soft and loving brown right now as he looked back at me. As he lowered his face to mine, I rose to meet him. Our kiss was furious, and I swore that he was trying to stick his tongue down my throat. I opened my mouth as wide as I could, hoping that he'd actually be able to do so. We made out for a little while until his stomach let out a growl and we pulled apart, chuckling.

Noah groaned as he forced himself out of bed into the slightly cool room. I climbed out and gave him a chaste kiss before going into the bathroom and changing back into my dress. I kissed his shirt before handing it back to him with another chaste kiss on his lips. I know kissing his shirt was a little weird, but it felt like the thing to do.

We stopped at a Waffle House on the way back and Noah was astounded at the amount of food I could put away, especially when I got a triple order of hash browns with mushrooms, onions, ham, and covered in country gravy. I had orange juice and coffee with my meal. Orange Juice because I love it and can drink it at any time of the day, and coffee because I needed it.

oooOOOooo

Noah walked me to the door and gave me a steamy kiss goodbye before making sure I was inside before he left. He could be such a gentleman when he wanted to be, a long way from the bully that pushed me into my locker at the start of school. I watched him leave from the window, waving until he was out of sight. I needed to remove my makeup, it not being a good idea to sleep in it, but when you don't have anything to remove it with, you suffer.

I felt like I was floating through the house I was so happy. When I got to the living room, mom and Paul were watching TV. They paused the movie and I knew they wanted the 411 on what happened last night.

The first words out of my moms mouth was, "Were you safe?" I could tell her eyes were focused on my hickey's and my kiss-swollen lips.

I held up my hand, palm out to her, and said, "Still a virgin mom, we just made out, nothing too intimate."

Paul chuckled.

"And?" She pushed.

"Noah and I are officially boyfriend and girlfriend, for however long it lasts."

"You don't think it'll last?" Paul asked.

"I don't know. I pointed out that we only have 3 years together and then we have college, which might not be the same one, and he asked me to give him 3 years. I explained that with Coach Sylvester knowing I'm trans, that I could be outed at any time and that it would ruin his chances of getting his dream of being a fighter pilot. He said he'd go to New Zealand since they didn't care if anyone was gay."

"So, he thought about it at least."

"Yeah, but I also told him that little stunt of his has taken away the option of me coming out because of the military angle and make him a target for bullies."

"Well," Paul said, "the cameras will be going in next month, including some watching the parking lots. It's not a complete surveillance, but much better than what it was before."

"And did you find out anything about my... friends... problem."

"Well, once it's proved that your friend is the father, usually meaning a DNA sample, then he will have certain rights of visitation as long as he pays child support. As for the girl claiming someone else is the father, it's not illegal unless they try to get money from the person the girl claims to be the father or from the state. That would be fraud."

"Thanks Dad!"

"Sweetie, we got you breakfast staying warm in the oven. Are you sure that..."

"Mom! We didn't even see each other's private parts!" I didn't mention about Noah groping my boob in his sleep. "I promise! We were on a blanket under the stars and I was pointing out the stars and constellations and he asked me what I wanted to do. I told him and then started showing him the stars that could possibly have planets in the Goldilocks zone and we fell asleep. We woke up about 2 o'clock and decided to stay in the cabin and get some more sleep before heading back home. I'm sorry, I should have called."

"Since we weren't expecting you until this morning anyway, it's okay. But, yes, a call in the future would be nice please."

"Yes momma." I said as I kissed her cheek. Then I hugged Paul and kissed his cheek as well.

Opening the oven I saw the 2 sausage, egg, and cheese biscuits from McDonalds. A glass of orange juice from the fridge and I was set. Yeah, I'd just had breakfast, but I couldn't let these go to waste. Life was good.