Hey everyone! Sorry, this took longer than I wanted BUT this is hella looong so I hope you are up for that. Should have split this into two chapters, but honestly the first of the pair would have been dreadfully boring by comparison.
Thanks for the reviews! Morrowsong
Idcam: Mark was referring to the fact that he and Sara were very young when the kids were born. And I hope I handled Miah's coming out correctly. I've never had to do that. LOL
Banannasammich: (cute name) Thank you for that most humbling review. This is a rather long slow burn, but I'm glad you're enjoying it. I do try my best to keep everyone in character, or at least how I would perceive them in real life to work for the story. Like Mark, everyone says he is super sweet and nice in real life, but I based him more on his Big Evil gimmick from around this time.
These next few chapters were partially inspired by Lana Del Rey's National Anthem. XD
It was just after ten o'clock on the morning of July 4th, when Reves had burst into Heather's bedroom via the adjoining bathroom nestled between their respective rooms. The abrupt intrusion startled Heather and she gawked at her sister none too pleased.
"Alright. Our first party in like ten years. Whoo-hoo! It's about fucking time," Reves gushed with excitement.
"It has not been approximately a decade since there had been an event here. Two years is a more accurate assessment," Heather corrected the exaggeration.
Reves continued as if she hadn't heard her sister, disregarding the short attitude she brought on by her uninvited intrusion. "Are you wearing the new bathing suit you got?" she questioned eagerly.
"Well, this gathering has certainly placed you in a jovial mood," Heather observed as she circumvented the inquiry.
"Duh," Reves said plopping onto Heather's bed, nearly sitting on her sister's feet. "We never do this type of shit anymore. Dad's turned into such a crab-ass, old miser. You know he's only doing this because Mom is making him," she stated, rolling her eyes.
"Dad works a lot," It was the only objective statement Heather could make, neither agreeing nor disagreeing with her sister.
"I can't believe he's letting me have the slip-n-slide though!" Reves clucked as she bounded towards Heather's bay window.
Heather joined her sister at the window to gaze down at the display in the back. Below, at the back of the property just off the large terrace-like deck was a long vinyl strip, rolled out like a red carpet. They could see their father and Glenn, who had come early to help him, driving a pair of long metal poles into the ground attached to a gigantic tarp that would act as a sort of net to stop them.
"Looks dangerous," Heather commented.
"Maybe for someone as accident prone as you," Reves quipped.
Heather gave a look of disdain. "That wasn't at all pleasurable. Thank you," the younger girl sniped.
"It was a joke," the blonde groused, annoyed that her sister couldn't take a little ribbing.
"I don't find it even minutely comical. It was utterly humiliating, as I've told you for the umpteenth time."
"God. Take a chill pill. You're becoming worse than Dad." Heather was going to state that she didn't know how that could ever be possible, but Reves added, "Just lighten up and have a good time for once. You know they are few and far between."
Heather knew her sister was correct in that sentiment, but she merely nodded.
Turning around, Reves spied the shopping bags hanging on the post of Heather's bed. They had been there since the trip her mother had dragged her on two days prior. Heather had yet to put them away, which was uncharacteristic of her. Heather was a stickler for keeping things neat and orderly, not strewn about or kept in inappropriate places for days.
Taking it upon herself, Reves rummaged through the bags until she came across the swimsuit in question.
Groaning at the sight of it, Heather lamented in mortification. Why on Earth had her mother forced such a debasing ensemble upon her was incomprehensible.
Reves held up the two-piece bikini. "Clutch my pearls! I've never seen anythin' so skimpy," Reves goaded in an atrocious Texan accent.
Her face exploding in a burst of scarlet, Heather snatched the bathing suit from her sister's grasp. "It doesn't matter. I am not going down there at any rate," Heather vowed.
Heather had liked the swimsuit -the pattern on it, at least, but now she was second-guessing her decision. It was one of the more modest suits in the store aside from the one-pieces, which her mother refused to buy. She even went as far as to tell Heather that they looked like they belonged on a sixty-year-old woman and not a seventeen-year-old girl.
"The hell you won't. Girl, I'll drag you down there myself, if I have to."
Heather wasn't certain whether she should be amused or miffed by her sister's threat. "Now who is sounding like our father?"
"That'll be the day," Reves huffed rolling her eyes. "You should put this on. You know Dad will be calling us down soon to help."
Heather's face became dour. The last few instances their family had hosted a gathering like this, Heather had stayed hidden up in her room, watching the festivities from the large bay window. She almost longed to do so now. Large gatherings didn't suit her, but she knew it would be unacceptable. The De Sanchez family was coming and Heather certainly couldn't snub them by failing to appear.
She had dared to contemplate if a certain blonde goliath may be in attendance. Heather's heart pounded and she could feel herself flush at the thought. She endeavored not to have her hopes too high, considering the terms he and her father were on the last she had seen of him, but nearly the entire roster was attending as well as many personal friends and family members.
Once she had thought better of it, she came to her senses. There was no possibility he was going to see her in that thing...that scrap of a garment. Nor would anyone else. Her figure was too boyish and thin. All of the Divas and other females would be parading around in scantily clad suits with their curvy figures and large bosoms. Even her own mother and sister looked like supermodels by comparison.
Reves stared at her as if she could read the other girl's mind and was seemingly already out of patience for her nonsense. "No one is going to be looking at you or care what you look like," Reves huffed.
Heather's brow knitted together. She knew she shouldn't take offense to her sister's statement but she did.
Reves read her expression. "I only mean everyone is going to be half-naked. Nobody cares. It's nothing they haven't seen before. Geez, stop stressing, will you?"
That's easy for you to say, Heather was going to start but thought better of it. It was futile to attempt to persuade Reves otherwise.
Next, there was a knock on Heather's door. Opening up, it was their father. "Yer Ma needs help in the kitchen," he barked orders.
"Certainly. We'll be right down," the raven-haired girl nodded dutifully and shut the door again as he quickly turned to walk away.
"Man, I don't wanna do all that shit," Reves complained.
"There will be dozens of guests. There is much to be done to accommodate everyone," Heather reasoned.
"Cinderella always has to work like a bitch before she goes to the ball."
"That is typically how the tale unfolds," Heather responded, perplexed by the analogy.
"Bitch needs a backbone, not a fairy godmother or a damn pumpkin coach," Reves stated as they made their way downstairs.
It was approximately one o'clock when the guest began arriving. Everyone was gathering outside behind the house, either out on the deck or in the expansive backyard. It had been quite some time since the Calaway's had hosted a huge party like this. It had also been a stroke of luck that there was no event scheduled for this holiday. Not only could everyone use this as a time to unwind and relax, but this Independence Day was also particularly significant and poignant as it was the first since the September 11th attacks on the United States not even one year ago. It was a reflective time as well as a commemorative one.
Heather was still helping Sara with some preparations when Jazzy's excited voice rang through the house challenging her brother, "I'll race you to the pool!"
"Hold your horses, kid. Let's find Heather, okay?" Heather's head shot up and an elated grin spread across her face when she heard Jeremiah playfully chide his sister.
"Hey, I'm not a kid," Jazzy protested.
Noting the anxious expression on her daughter's face, Sara pushed her aside from her task and took over. "Go have fun," she encouraged with a smile. Heather stared at her momentarily. "Go on now," Sara shooed her away.
Exiting the kitchen to meet the De Sanchez's, Heather surprised even herself when she flung her arms around Jeremiah's neck. "Miah! Happy Independence Day," she chirped in her soft voice as a light blush dusted her cheeks.
Jeremiah chuckled at his friend's enthusiasm as his arms came to embrace her. "Happy 4th to you too, Snow," he replied.
Releasing her friend, Heather composed herself in a more respectful manner as she greeted Mr. and Mrs. De Sanchez and thanked them on behalf of her family for attending.
"Where's your suit, Heather? Aren't you going swimming?" Jazzy interrupted.
Heather blanched at the thought while Mrs. De Sanchez addressed Jazzy over her interjection. "I…I just haven't changed yet. I was assisting my mother in the kitchen," Heather explained, praying her aversion wasn't evident. "If you please, you can join the others in the backyard. As you make your way through the dining area here, the kitchen is the doorway to the right. It leads directly to the deck. I will be present shortly, once I change."
The family thanked Heather and proceeded to the back as she ascended to her room to grudgingly dawn her bathing suit.
There were already close to a couple dozen people in the backyard when Heather made her way down wearing a loose mesh covering over her suit. She had been sure to apply a generous coating of SPF 70 sunscreen after reading online that the UV index was particularly high that day. Naturally, the balmy mid-day summer heat of Texas was scorching as the sun blazed high in the cloudless sky.
Arms folded over her chest, Heather surveyed the guest apprehensively as she looked at some of them standing around chatting, while others were surrounding the pool. She grasped the mesh fabric of her covering, poised to pull it over her head when she caught a glimpse of a few of the Divas, lounging poolside. They were giggling as they talked to some of the male wrestlers and just the sight of it caused her nerve to leave her. As greatly as she dreaded being forced to interact with most of these individuals, the very notion of her half exposed flesh being on display made her feel faint with mortification.
Suddenly Reves was beside her. "Don't tell me you're being a chicken shit," she clucked ironically. As Heather was turning to look at her, Reves grab the covering, wrestling the younger girl out of it and yanking it over her head as though they were in a ridiculous gimmick match where one must strip their opponent of their clothing in order to be victorious. Heather cried out as she was jerked about and struggled against the onslaught. "Oooh, la la!" Reves teased once her sister's suit had been exposed.
Heather wrapped her arms around her figure, attempting to shield her near nakedness. "Why must you…" Heather started but her voice trailed off as she tried not to entertain the memories of the girl's locker room at school. Yet, before she could even contemplate shedding a tear, Reves shoved her towards the edge of the pool and flung her right into the deep end with a resounding splash.
Heather plunged beneath the surface, sinking further until her brain could register what had happened. Twisting in the water, she began to kick her legs as she was fighting her way back to the surface. Heather was a rather proficient swimmer and if she were any sort of athlete, competitive swimming may have been the sport for her.
Nevertheless, being unceremoniously hurled into the water left her nothing short of indignant. Resurfacing, with a desperate gasp for air, Heather glared up at her sister, as water ran into her eyes. Wiping it away, she nearly shouted at her. "Reves! What on Earth would possess you to do such a thing?" she demanded as Reves stuck out her lush bottom lip, mocking her with an exaggerated pouting expression.
Unfortunately for Reves, Jeremiah was in close proximity. Unbeknownst to the blonde, the dark-skinned boy was approaching her from behind. "I got you, Snow," he said. Coming to extract retribution for his friend, he seized Reves by the back of her bathing suit and chucked her into the pool in much the same manner that her sister had entered.
Reves broke through the water with no better disposition than her sister. "You got a damn death wish, De – " Her threatening words were broken as a rush of water hit her face, leaving her sputtering and coughing. Caught off guard, her head whipped to the side as her glower fell upon her sister's guilty and regretfully frightened expression. "Alright, you're gonna get it now!" Reves exclaimed as she tackled the younger girl. As she did so, Jeremiah cannonballed into the pool right beside them, creating a huge splatter of water.
Jazzy wasn't far behind. "Hey, wait for me!" she called as she sprinted across the deck and lobbed headlong into the water with the teenagers.
Over the course of the next hour or two, more guests trickled in until the get-together was in full swing. Kids, teens, and even some adults were running around the pool deck or zipping down the long slip-n-slide. There were games of horseshoes and cornhole out on the lawn. Laughter and shouting rang through the air, mingling with the music that was blaring out of the gigantic speakers connected to the stereo. Others who weren't playing games or soaking in the sun, stood together catching up or shooting the shit.
As Mark came out of the house carrying a set of dominos, an alarming display caught his eye and he made a B-line for Sara who was busy arranging food on a table. "What the hell is that?" Mark practically growled as his gravelly voice attempted a harsh whisper.
Sara's head canted up towards her husband. "What's what?" she asked, entirely confused. Her eyes followed Mark's displeased stare to the pool where their daughters were surprisingly engaged in a game of chicken. Heather was seated high on Jeremiah's shoulders as Reves was atop her boyfriend, Erik Nickson with the girls interlocked in a battle of attempting to dethrone the other. Sara's mouth stretched into a smile at seeing her daughters having fun together. Her joy was short-lived as Mark broke her attention.
"What the hell is that little bit of nothing Heather is wearing? You can't call it a damn bathing suit. Might as well be a set of fig leaves!" Mark rumbled.
Sara's gaze darted towards her husband. "Mark, are you serious?" she questioned in utter irritation. "There is nothing wrong with her suit. She looks like a girl her age. I bought her a new suit when we went shopping the other day because it was high time, she got something more flattering and age-appropriate. She'd been wearing that same one-piece since she was thirteen. And, in case you haven't noticed, there've been a few developments in recent years," she informed him. "Look at her. She's smiling and laughing and actually having fun," she added. "Do not embarrass her, Mark," Sara commanded in a hushed tone before leaving him there to stew as Lisa Moretti and Jackie Moore waved her over.
Disgruntled, Mark continued to watch the revelries taking place in front of him as he glowered at the skimpy bikini worn by his youngest daughter. He wasn't blind, damn it! Of course, he had noticed. And now thanks to his wife, everyone else would too.
"Hey, Mark. You bringin' those bones over here or what?" his old friend, Charles Wright called to him, pulling him from his menacing thoughts.
Kevin had actually been floored when Mark had invited him to this shindig. They had let bygones be bygones he supposed. They had happened to visit the same bar and somehow ended up making amends of sorts – after they had somehow ended up getting shitfaced hammered together. Kevin was sure that Glenn Jacobs had a lot to do with it for whatever reason. Still, he couldn't fathom that Mark wished him to be anywhere near his family or his home. So, he had come somewhat prepared to be kicked to the curb.
To his further astonishment, Mark greeted him in a somewhat amicable nature once he had arrived. It made him rightfully leery, but he deduced that perhaps Mark's outrage boiled down to stress or burnout. This business could eat even the toughest son of a bitch alive and Mark was certainly no exception, despite being known as The Deadman. Hopefully, a couple of days off and a good party would help him unwind and maybe pull the stick out of his ass.
A huge grin spread across Kevin's face when he spotted his Kliq buddies standing together, already cutting up and laughing their asses off. His heart soared when he recognized Scotty, beaming with a huge smile and looking fucking great.
Heather was giggling uncontrollably as she struggled back and forth against her sister's force. Reves was certainly strong and Heather didn't think of herself as exceptionally formidable, but she was determined to not let her sister go over after the stunt she pulled earlier. Others around them were cheering and spurring them on. Enthusiasm coursed through Heather as it seemed she had taken the upper hand. Then, turning her head, her gaze shifted towards the doorway leading to the kitchen at a group of late arrivals.
Ever the opportunist, Reves took advantage of her sister's distraction to send her reeling backward with a forceful shove. Heather let out a short yelp as she tumbled into the water. "Yeah!" Reves shouted, throwing her hands up in victory. "You should have known better than to think you could outmatch me, little sister," she gloated as Jeremiah hauled Heather to her feet.
"Good job, Babe," Erik praised Reves as she slid off his shoulders, sinking into the water.
"You're such a bully, Rev," Matt teased her as he sat with Jeff and Amy watching from the edge of the pool, feet dangling into the water.
"You're one to talk!" Jeff retorted, playfully elbowing his big brother in the ribs.
"You wanna go, baby brother?" Matt challenged, pulling him into a headlock.
"Oh, geez, you two," Amy dismissed them with a roll of her eyes.
"Hey, we haven't even tried the slip-n-slide. Let's see who's the last loser to make it over there," Reves interjected as she was exiting the pool.
"Man, that just burns my ass," Scott groused as he was watching Reves with the guy who must be her boyfriend. The two had been hanging all over each other, teasing and play fighting the entire time. Scott was convinced she was doing it to spite him. He couldn't believe she would choose that fucking pencil neck little shit over him.
Kevin glanced furtively at the pair. There was no doubt she was flaunting herself in front of Scott, but he didn't think it was good for his friend to be hung up on the little wench. He shook his head. "Just forget about her, man. For fucks sake, you're ten times better off without her anyway," Kevin watched Reves running around looking unusually patriotic in her Americana-themed bikini as her little punk boyfriend chased after her like a lovesick puppy. "Nothing but a damn headache right there," Kevin said, looking at his buddy.
An elated shriek rang through the air, pulling their attention back towards where the Calaway sisters were playing with their friends on a makeshift slip-n-slide. Kevin's chest swelled and a smirk pulled at his mouth when he realized the noise was emitted from the little one as she careened into Jeremiah at the end of the slide. She bowled him over and they became a tangled mass of limbs as they were halted by the gigantic tarp.
Since arriving, Kevin had been discreetly stealing glimpses at her as she romped around the yard. She seemed only vaguely aware of his presence if she was even aware at all. Just to look at her on this day, one would never suspect she was anything other than your average, happy-go-lucky kid having fun with her friends. Where he had been outright jealous before, it contented him to see her so carefree when she was usually so stoic and reserved. Perhaps due to the way she gazed up at Kevin with stars in her eyes each time he had kissed her, he could confidently distinguish the way she was beaming at Jeremiah. She loved him unconditionally, like a brother. It was the same way he would look at Scotty or Shawn.
Kevin had been striving to focus on the jubilant smile and dazzling shine that she emanated and not the smooth alabaster flesh of her exposed figure. He was baffled as to why she was concealing herself inside those baggy oversized clothes. His jaw had nearly fallen to the floor when he got his first glimpse of her gorgeous, petite figure in that bikini. His jaw could have literally fallen off, but it still wouldn't have mitigated the fact that, even at that moment, his cock was threatening to pitch an obscenely evident tent inside his shorts. His first time seeing her in weeks and there she was parading around in her little swimsuit, black with a pattern of little white stars and purple trim. Half. Fucking. Naked.
Kevin felt like a pathetic horny teenager who was always going to his buddy's house just to watch their older sister or spy on the hot neighbor. He wasn't sure if it was that taboo factor or his curiosity as to what was exactly under all those frumpy clothes. He had seen more naked women than he could ever attempt to count, but there was just something so alluring about her. She simply was stunning. Her pale complexion wasn't a sickly pasty white but radiated with a pearly glow over her petite and slender form. Her chest was rather tiny, which seemed typical for a girl her age, but that didn't really bother him. He'd take them in just about any size and shape. What she may have lacked up top, was compensated by her lower half, as she had a backside that would bring Sir Mix-a-Lot to tears.
If he had any cause to be jealous of Jeremiah, it was that her enticing little body was pressed against his, wet and slippery as they struggled against one another to stand. She would feel amazing gently crushed beneath him, her diminutive mounds pressing against his chest. His cock throbbed and strained uncomfortably against his pants. Well fuck. This was certainly not the position he wanted to find himself in in front of however many dozens of people. He willed away the lewd images and his highly inconvenient erection.
Jeremiah had finally made it to his feet and was helping up Heather. She was still laughing wildly as she grasped her long tresses of hair, twisting it to wring out the excess water weighing her down. Watching her from behind, she slowly turned, their eyes meeting for the first time in weeks from across the yard. Her wide grin evaporated to a bashful smile as that lovely blush tinted her cheeks. She dropped her hair and pulled her arms close to her body. One came around her torso as if trying to shield her naked flesh from his penetrating gaze. With the other, she offered a subtle wave of her hand. A gratified smirk tugged at the corners of Kevin's mouth and he returned her gesture with a wink that caused her to break eye contact as her crimson hue deepened.
It was a silent exchange, but not one that went unnoticed by Scott as he narrowed his eyes in a sideways glare up at the taller man. "What's your M.O.?" he questioned.
Kevin glanced down at Scott, almost forgetting he was even standing there. "M.O.? What are you even talking about?" he replied. He was genuinely puzzled at first, but slowly coming to recognize, he shrugged his broad shoulders in a seemingly nonchalant manner.
Face twisting in further indignation, Scott couldn't believe this motherfucker was standing there with a straight face, telling him to get over Reves. All the while, he was practically nutting himself over the little sister as he ogled her like a fucking idiot.
Kevin hadn't realized that Scott's fist had connected with his left eye until his head snapped back with a force that was almost akin to being hit by a train. Scott was fucking strong and had one hell of a jab, although that didn't excuse the fury that became unleashed once Kevin grasped that his friend had punched him like a bitch. "Bro, are you fucking serious right now? What the fuck?" he roared over the music and everyone's babbling.
Scott's response was to tackle the larger man as they both crashed to the ground with a thud. If anyone hadn't turned their attention to the men at the sound of Nash's outrage, they certainly did now as the two were in a full-on brawl. Hall pounced on top of Nash as they proceeded to exchange blows. Animalistic growls were released from both men as they rolled around in the grass, both trying to gain the upper hand. Hall was on top again, but Nash had grabbed his braid wrenching his head back as he delivered one precise punch, smashing him in the mouth, a direct payback for the first shot.
After the initial shock of seeing the friends battling it out, several men jumped into action to break it up. Paul Levesque, Kid, and Shawn yanked Scott off of Kevin as they tried to separate them. Kevin was on his feet rapid as lightning, a testament to his rage. He lunged towards Scott, but Paul Wight and Glenn restrained him, yet not before Scott snatched up a fist full of his hair coming away with a clump of blonde strands tangled around his fingers as they were pulled apart again.
"You're such an arrogant prick!" Scott shouted at him.
"I am, but you're the biggest fucking one around!" Kevin yelled back.
Everyone in the vicinity looked on in utter bewilderment as no one knew the cause of their scrap or their hostilities.
"That's enough, assholes!" Mark boomed.
However, it was Sara who pushed past her husband, with an indignant scowl on her face, to scold the men as though they were a pair of unruly children. "Listen up, you two morons! I don't know what the problem is or what the hell's going on. But whatever it is, cut your shit. Right now. We've got families here and people are trying to enjoy their holiday and relax. If you want to fight like a couple of juveniles, take it somewhere else because nobody here has time for your tantrums." She finished reprimanding them and then turned away in a huff.
With that the men dispersed in opposite directions, both still seething with rage, breath coming out in shallow pants. Everyone stood by, keeping on guard for a few moments just in case they decided to have a run at each other again. Not only were they on their toes, but they were also left flabbergasted by the clash that had just taken place. Hall and Nash were as close as two men could be. What could possibly cause them to want to rip one another's throats out? The way they were fuming even after things had deescalated, no one dared ask.
"Fucking jackass," Kevin muttered as he stalked away. He removed his long blonde hair from its disheveled ponytail, pulling blades of grass and a twig out of it as well.
As everyone else was moving past the incident and getting back to the festivities, Heather remained in place, shocked and bemused by what she had witnessed. What could ignite such a dreadful quarrel between Kevin and Scott? Heather was greatly concerned for their wellbeing, chiefly that of Kevin. That first strike from Scott seemed horrific. She longed to assure that Kevin was alright. She considered it a shame that she could not dart to his aid, as he had done for her.
"Snow! Come on, don't just stand there looking all pensive and forlorn," Jeremiah chided lightheartedly as he came up behind her and seized her by the waist, lifting her small body off the ground, spinning her round and round.
"Miah, please!...I'm becoming lightheaded…please," Heather pleaded between her giggles.
After a few more whirls, Jeremiah released her to the ground and they both tittered gleefully while staggering across the grass as if intoxicated.
Kevin grabbed another beer and cracked it open, chugging down two-thirds of it in a matter of seconds. He looked across the deck to see Paul and Shawn seemingly attempting to dissuade Scott from relapsing. He saw Shawn snatch the beer can from Scott's grasp as Paul was talking him down, trying to defuse the situation. Fucking idiot, Kevin huffed. He was going to flush it all down the toilet again over some selfish little cunt who was probably using him to begin with.
After some time, Heather was beginning to feel fatigued by all the activity and elected to have a rest. "I am going to take a respite," she informed everyone breathlessly as she proceeded to make her way towards the deck. She was heading into the house to dawn another article of clothing as she knew her father wouldn't be pleased with her gallivanting around in her suit if she were not partaking in water activities.
She climbed the stairs and crossed the deck, heading towards the back door. Mark was standing at the gigantic built-in grill made of stone. "Girl, you going inside?" he asked her as she passed.
Heather halted, staring up at him. "O-only for a few minutes. To put on some cl-clothes," she replied as she feared being scolded.
Mark nodded approvingly. About damn time she covered up. "Bring the tongs out when you come back. I'm fixin' to put these steaks on the grill," he commanded, then turned away, dismissing her, and she scuttled off.
Standing off sulking to himself, Kevin discreetly eyed the little one as she entered the house. He stood there for a minute or so wrestling with himself as he mulled over the decision to follow her. He let out a rumbling sigh. Fuck it. How was this for M.O.?
He sauntered over to Mark in a move that was both ballsy and stupid. "Hey Mark, can I use your pisser?" he asked in his usual flippant manner.
Mark turned, observing him suspiciously with his steely green eyes. After another moment he spoke. "Downstairs guest one's on the fritz. Got a guy comin' Monday to look at it. Heather just went inside," he paused, then continued cautiously, "She can show you where the upstairs one is." His tone was menacing, laced with a clear warning that he better only be about his business.
"Thanks," Kevin said, pretending to be oblivious to Mark's blatant accusatory air, and wandered inside.
Kevin made his way out of the kitchen and through the formal dining room into the vast living room with its thirty-foot vaulted ceiling. Mark's house was huge. Ridiculously huge. The house, with its rustic style, was a strange mixture of homey and stark. There were rooms that probably weren't even used. For example that dining room he just passed through. He'd bet money that it only got used at Thanksgiving, maybe Christmas too.
Kevin found the staircase, in the shape of an L, complete with a landing. He proceeded to climb the stairs when he noticed there was a surfeit of framed photographs lining the wall the entire way up. The first to catch his eye was of a tiny toddler, sitting in a highchair. She was slathered in white and pink icing that was even smeared into her coal dark hair, a demolished cake on the tray in front of her. She was flanked on either side by two little boys, barely a year older, with fair skin and red flaming hair that stuck up every which way. Standing front and center, unmistakably trying to steal the show, was a curly, towheaded blonde with piercing blue eyes mean-mugging the camera. The entire image gave Kevin a good chuckle, then he shook his head. Four kids before age twenty? He didn't envy Mark there.
The next had him grinning like a giant dope. It looked like a trip to Disney with the castle comprising the background. The little girl was grinning wider than the Cheshire Cat, wearing a humungous pair of Mickey Mouse ears that dwarfed her already small body. She was clutching a giant balloon in the shape of the mouse's head that looked like it could carry her away had she a few more. She was probably about eight but could have been younger or even a little older due to how tiny she was anyway.
Moving up to the landing, his smile faded a bit when he noticed that as she aged the shimmer in her eyes progressively dulled until she virtually wore a deadpan stare and a frown in every photo. He felt his chest tighten a little. Every teen went through their rebellious, too cool for school/everything is lame phase, but she just looked genuinely sad and unhappy.
He shrugged the thoughts away. She was having a wonderful time today. She was laughing and having fun. He had never seen her so joyful. The images of her running around, splashing in the water, and playing with her friends chased away the solemn cloud that had briefly settled over him.
Reaching the top of the stairs, he realized that he hadn't seen a single sign of the little one. Meandering down the long hallway, he came to a pair of identical-looking doors about fifteen feet apart. One was labeled: Reves while the other farther down, read: Heather in a fancy script. Both doors were graffitied with pictures of bands, stills from movies, as well as lyrics from songs or quotes from movies or books or just interesting artwork. On Heather's door, there was a sticker that read WARNING: Otaku Inside. Kevin's brow knitted together. Whatever the fuck an otaku was. He supposed he'd ask her about it sometime as his knuckles rapped lightly on the door. He waited a few minutes. He was patient as she knew he was usually hesitant when it came to answering the door. Time passed, and he tried a second and a third time. Nothing.
Was she even in there? He was sure he hadn't seen her leave, but where else would she be? He reprimanded himself for being an uncouth and intrusive asshole, but that didn't prevent him from slowly turning the doorknob and peering inside. Peeking his head around the door, he quickly deduced that the room was vacant. Then the sound of music drifting through the air hit his ear and he was perplexed for a moment. He dismissed it as coming from outside, but it somehow sounded closer than that. It was then that he noticed the door on the other side of the room. He questioned whether the door led to a closet. Or a bathroom, perchance? Emboldened, he silently moved into the room and shut the door behind him.
For some inexplicable reason, he half expected the room to look like some sort of dark alter, complete with velvet drapes and glowing candles. However, he was undeniably sure that that is exactly what Reves's room looked like.
On the contrary, the room was quite normal. Perhaps normal was a bit of a stretch here. The room was immaculate, hardly like a typical teen's at all really. The lilac bedspread was made perfectly without a wrinkle to be seen. The head of the bed was host to a collective of Care Bears and other animal plushes. The sight caused him to cringe a bit as he was reminded of how young she still was yet – as if he could forget. Willing away the thoughts and his sense of guilt, he saw there was an electric keyboard on a stand and an acoustic guitar located on the left side of the bed, next to a large bay window. A smile tugged the corners of his mouth as he imagined her spending hours holed up in here writing songs or just playing her instruments.
On the opposite side of the window, there was an enormous bookcase that was nearly packed to the brim and almost overflowing. She'll be needing another soon, Kevin thought to himself in amusement. Cocking his head to the side, he read a few of the spines. He observed that she liked Japanese comics, which was a bit of a surprise. There was a specific name for them, but fuck him if he could remember.
While the room was bright and cheery for the most part, it had its references to the macabre. Sitting on the dresser opposite the bookcase there was a tiny plastic coffin filled with dried and withered flower petals next to a faux skull. Posters of The Crow and The Rocky Horror Picture Show clung to the walls. Odd decorative choices to say the least, but she didn't exactly possess a conventional mindset.
He heard a creaking at the end of the room and turned towards it to see the door opening slowly, resounding music pervading the area. Then she bounced into the room, belting along cheerfully, "...But won't you ever know that I'm in love with you? That I'm in love with y-"
She halted, freezing instantly upon seeing him, a look of pure shock etched across her lovely face. He was hardly in a better position as they stood gawking at one another for several moments, both seemingly uncertain as to what exactly they were beholding, while the song continued in the background.
You, soft and only
You, lost and lonely
You, strange as angels
Dancing in the deepest oceans
Twisting in the water
You're just like a dream
Just like a dream
Kevin took her in, starting at her dainty sandaled feet, and roved upward witnessing yet another first. Seeing her in her bikini was one. Now she had dawned a light blue sundress sporting a floral pattern on it. He could see the purple straps of the bathing suit still hugging her neck beside the slim blue straps of the dress. It was a modest length, falling just above the knee and hung flowing around her in a breezy fashion. Her face was a deep crimson red as she was clearly suffering some sort of existential crisis. Her still damp hair was pulled high atop her head in a tight, yet messy bun, save one thin lock of violet which she clearly missed. Goddamn, she was beautiful. Perhaps even more captivating than when he saw her outside.
Heather was indeed suffering an existential crisis. She labored to catch her breath, but the air seemed to have been robbed from her lungs and her heart was crashing violently against the inside of her ribcage. Her face was ablaze and she knew she was blushing madly. There was a simultaneous rush of exhilaration and terror within her veins. She had spent the last several weeks observing him through the television and now there he was, standing before her unanticipated – and in the center of her own bedroom no less. She was at once curious and mortified as she gaped back at him. A myriad of questions buzzed around her brain, scarcely giving her room to begin. What exactly was he doing inside her room. How had he gained access here? Yet, more importantly: Had he discovered her collection of boy band CDs?
Unable to hold his staggering gaze any longer, Heather dropped her head as she began to apprehensively toy with the hem of her dress, twisting the fabric on either side around both forefingers. She now regretted putting the ridiculous thing on. Heather rocked back and forth on her heels; the silence palpable. A long silence. A long, awkward silence. He should have spoken by now, should he not? Why was he merely gawking at her as though she was some form of extraterrestrial?
Summoning her courage, "Thank you for coming," she murmured, unsure of what else she should say. Cautiously she peeked up at him. "I…I witnessed your scuffle with Scott," she imparted. "Why were you in a dispute, i-if I may ask?" She glanced upward, fixing her gaze on the shiner that was beginning to appear under his left eye. Regardless, he was still so devastatingly handsome. The warmth in her cheeks intensified as she acknowledged the thought.
Scott was the last thing Kevin wanted to talk or even think about at that moment. He leisurely stepped forward, his warm hazel eyes peering down at her. "It wasn't important," he told her, disregarding her query. "How's that ankle of yours, Little One?" he asked, as he grasped the lone tress of hair, twirling it idly between his thumb and forefinger. It was a rhetorical question, of course, as he had already seen her scampering around like it never happen.
"F-fine," she managed to squeak. Her heart was pounding at warp speed and she felt lightheaded. "I…I can return for Raw th-this forthcoming Monday," she murmured.
"I'm glad," Kevin expressed and leaned down towards her, still playing with that single lock of hair. "I've been waiting too long to kiss you again, Little One," his voice hummed with a low timbre.
Heather's breath hitched. She trembled with both anticipation and dread as he closed the gap between them. After a moment her eagerness took precedence as she braced herself for the connection. In truth, there was nothing that could have prepared her for the jolt of electricity that lanced through her like a shockwave. She momentarily turned to stone as her brain shorted out once more.
Kevin's mouth had seized hers with every intention to show her what she'd been missing (or he'd been missing, whichever way it was looked at). This time, he wasn't discouraged when she had stiffened at first. Drawing her delicate body firmly against him, he deepened the kiss, guiding her through her punch-drunk state. With a sigh, she melted under the tender heat, her body going slack in his strong arms.
Breathlessly, she broke away, panting heavily as she stared up at him with stars in her eyes. Faces mere inches apart, he peered down at her with all the charm to make her forget her reservations as he was prompt in claiming her lips once again. Releasing the hem of her dress which she had only just realized she was still gripping like a lifeline; she discovered a new one.
Hands came to rest tentatively on his broad chest. Clenched within her delicate grasp, the fabric at the front of his shirt wrapped around her tiny fists as she cautiously rose up on her tip-toes to meet him. Her lithe touch solicited a spontaneous shudder throughout his colossal form as he could feel his increasing erection stir with need. Reaching down, he gently cupped her backside as he hoisted her off the floor, drawing her into his sturdy hold.
Heather released a muffled gasp against his mouth at suddenly being plucked up. She tore her lips away and performed a brief survey of her surroundings. Her legs dangling awkwardly, she was uncertain as to what to do. Kevin knew undoubtedly what she should do as he hiked her legs around his waist. She stared at him wide-eyed for a moment before his hand came to the back of her head and hastily guided her mouth in its return to his. Hesitantly, she wrapped her arms around his neck, holding steadfast to him. A faint mewling sound was suppressed by their connection as she shivered in his embrace. Having found purchase, her tiny legs squeezed around him, causing a subtle growl from him. Gawkily, she pressed her mouth into his, teeth clanging, a reminder of her inexperience, but her fervor had him smirking against her kiss.
Kevin wasn't even sure whether it was this little nymph who sent his head spinning or if he had tripped on the shag rug beside her bed, but he took a step, then felt himself stumbling backward as he threatened to topple the both of them. Pivoting to his left, he sent them both crashing towards the bed. Bracing himself with his forearms, his knee shot to the mattress to keep from crushing her under his frame. The petite body bounced slightly underneath him as the bed slid, across the floor a couple of inches due to the impact. The delicate white, metal frame groaned in protest of the man who was three times the weight of the young girl and Kevin was a little dumbfounded that the damn thing hadn't collapsed altogether.
Using the same knee to part her legs, the giant moved between them as he loomed over her. Without a moment to spare, he conquered her sweet orifice yet again. His tongue edged along her lower lip, swollen from their pursuits. A sigh produced from her plush lips. As they parted slightly, Kevin took the opportunity to gain access to the sweetness inside her warm cavern, rendering her immobilized by this unforeseen intrusion. The little one didn't recoil, however, and after a few moments of his plundering, she released a feeble moan as a shudder overtook her. A robust hand glided down the side of her supple frame. She was so soft, so delicate. He could feel the lust bubbling inside him like a volcano, ready to erupt. How had he waited so long to possess her?
Heather was thrown into a state of disarray due to the unfamiliar onslaught to her senses. It was unfathomable what he was doing to her. Had she possessed the ability for coherent thought at that moment, she surely would have been mortified and ashamed. As it were, it seemed she had become nothing but this sensation, this heat welling up inside her and there was nothing else she desired to know at that moment.
Surrendering to months of yearning – whether they were conscious of it or not – they were so lost in one another they were unaware of the individual padding across the connecting bathroom. Nor did they hear their words, "Heather, have you seen my – " until they transformed into a shrill scream:
"WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING TO MY SISTER!?"
I hadn't intended this scene to end on a cliffhanger, but why the hell not? XD
If you don't recognize the lyrics, Heather was singing Just Like Heaven from The Cure.
Til next time.