Reaching Out Ch. 02

He wondered how he had never thought about Dana's shyness as anything but that, and even when he did think of it as sociophobia, that was as deep as the thought went. Just 'well, it appears to me she's afraid of any kind of social setting or interaction' and didn't worry about how it might affect her future. He thought he must have been pretty oblivious. That or heartless. He had always loved his sister, of course, and did not want to see her in pain or anything, but to think that something that big was going on and to shrug it off and go on with his life, well, he did not understand how he had done it. It felt cruel now. Now that he knew that she needed someone to talk to so badly.

They arrived and went into the house. James went to the kitchen to get some water, Dana went to the stairs. James stood at the sink, thinking. He knew mom and dad would talk to Dana if they could, but they were parents. It was their job, their responsibility to judge and monitor. Dana could not talk to them with any kind of comfort. He was her big brother, on the other hand. It was his job to protect her, and to teach her without condescension. He felt like he had fucked that up pretty good over the last five or six years by not talking to her more when she might have been more receptive to the idea of change.

With a sigh and a feeling of lingering guilt he went to the living room. Dana called his name softly form the railing of the hallway above him. He looked up, and saw she had changed into sweatpants and a t-shirt.

"James? I would like to talk, if it's okay."

"Of course." He answered, and started up the stairs.

They sat on her bed as usual. Dana rested her head on his shoulder. He wrapped his arm around her and let his hand rest on her hip where she liked it. He could hear and feel that she was calm. She did not seem worried or anxious, which was good. Dana could tell that James was nervous about something, but outwardly calm for the most part. His body was all calm and mellow except his heart. His pulse was a little fast. They just sat for a bit in the near silence, listening to and feeling the body rhythms of each other.

"I'll never understand your world." Dana said softly. She did not sound sad, or unhappy about it, just a little bemused.

"You may in time. I think you might. It won't be easy, but you are smart. You can learn." He answered. Dana straddled his lap and held him tight, her face hidden in the crook of his neck, where she liked it. James' hands made their slow circles across her back.

"The only thing I want from your world is you. Everything else is just stuff. Just stuff I don't really need." She said, kissing his neck between sentences.

"I'll help you." It was all James could think to say.

---

After dinner Dana went to draw, hoping to get some ideas on paper for the new work they would soon be getting in the shop. James hopped on his computer while mom and dad went for a walk in the cool evening air.

James checked on the websites with Dana's work. Nothing but praise. He smiled and went to a few other sites that he had in mind. He read various articles for almost an hour. He didn't realize how long he was reading until mom and dad came back in.

"You haven't moved since we left." Dad said, a little surprised. James wasn't typically the kind of guy to sit around on a computer all day.

"Yeah, just trying to do a little research." James said with a shrug.

"Research into what?" Mom asked.

"Sociophobia." James said. He looked calm on the outside, to his parents. He was watching them carefully, though. His mother had gone round and round with the doctors over sociophobia and Avoidant Personality Disorder. He knew that she was still a little sensitive about it.

"Now, I thought we had settled that already. The doctor said that it wasn't that, or any of the others." Mom said. Her body was tensing up; her voice was a bit tight, her eyes narrowed, leaning forward just a hair, ready to aggressively make her point. James could read all these indicators now that he was starting to see the world the way Dana did.

"Yes, I know. I'm not saying she has it, I'm obviously not a doctor. But her anxiety is a lot like it, so I figured learning about it couldn't hurt if I am going to help her overcome it. Does that sound reasonable?" He said, calm, his voice rhythm smooth and even, his body relaxed, leaning back a bit on the couch. He was trying to put his mom at ease, whether she picked up on the signals or not.

"I guess so, but don't call it that. She's just shy. She's not crazy. She doesn't have a disorder or a syndrome or anything like that." She said. She was still defensive and her hackles were still up a bit, but she was calming a little.

James went to talk to Dana before bed. He knocked on the door lightly and she called him in. She was sitting on her bed, the sketchpad on her lap, the pencil sticking out of her fingers. She looked up to him and smiled, meeting his eyes. She turned a little red in the cheeks, but she held his gaze as he walked over to her. He felt that this was quite an accomplishment. He sat down and hugged her tight, his lips finding hers and kissing lightly.

"Hello." James whispered.

"Hello." Dana answered. She kissed him again and started to swing her leg up when she froze. She sat down quickly and whispered 'mom.' James heard the footsteps as they came up to the door. There was a light knock and James called her in.

"Sorry to interrupt." She started. She looked a little stiff, diffident. "I just want to apologize for getting a little angry earlier, James. You were, right, of course. I was just having a kind of knee-jerk reaction. Well, your father and I are going to call it a night. We'll see you two in the morning." Mom said.

James and Dana said goodnight and James explained what mom had meant. Dana thought it was a good idea as well. She knew that what she felt, and if it wasn't a phobia, it was damned close. They talked for a little while about it, mostly about the articles that James had read and the general consensus that they all reached. She did not have the profuse sweating and only trembled rarely, but nausea, speaking difficulties, and blushing were all painfully obvious. She thought that what James was doing to help her, the talking, holding her hand for support in light social situations, and the judgment free intimacy was functioning as a powerful behavioral modification therapy.

Dana swung her leg over him, holding tight. Smiling now that she had a chance to sit in the fashion she so enjoyed. She pecked and nibbled idly at his neck.

"Will you stay here in my room tonight?" She asked, her breath tickling the short hairs on his neck, her lips brushing ever so lightly over his skin. He could feel her pulse had quickened slightly, and she was a little tense, but he did not think it was fear, because she was putting a bit of extra pressure into his back from her fingertips.

"Only if you want me to." He answered.

"I want you to. Please stay with me tonight." She said, and kissed his neck again.

James had to get changed for bed and go shut down his computer; he realized that he had left it running when he came up. He had planned on a quick conversation then back down to read some more. So much for that plan. Once he was in the living room he shut down the lap top and closed it. He heard a foot step behind him in the dark. The street light had not come on yet, but the sun was down, and the room was very dark. He stared into the inky room for a while, trying to pick apart what shadows were what. After what seemed like a very long time he heard his mother's voice.

"Do you usually get dressed for bed in the dark?" she sounded a little amused.

"Yeah, I didn't think it would be this dark when I shut the computer down. I should be alright though. I don't think I will bump into anything. Do you need a light?" He asked.

"No, honey. I can see well enough." She said, almost chuckling. He remembered the first thing that Dana had told him under the no judgment umbrella. Dana and mom both liked the dark. James heard his mom's footsteps, even and sure, going to the stairs and up without hesitation. He knew he was going to have to feel around a bit to find the stairs before he could climb them. He didn't know why the ladies in his family had such night sight, but he sure did envy them for it. He changed, feeling through his suitcase for his sweats and a t-shirt. He wondered if he should wait before going up. His mom had just gone up a couple minutes ago, and she didn't sound very sleepy. If he clunked or tripped he would make his presence very apparent. He could just say they were talking before bed, but he would rather avoid the situation all together and get into Dana's room quietly and unnoticed. He decided to wait a minute or two. He went to kitchen for some water, and then the bathroom. When he came out he figured that should be enough time.

He made his slow way across the living room, trying to keep from banging into anything too hard. He moved everything slowly to reduce the sound of any impact. He found the stairs and started up, stepping carefully to remain silent. He felt a hand cover his on the railing, and he froze.

"James, stay quiet." Dana said from the dark. James had not even heard her door creak or anything. Her light was off, so there had been no illumination, and Dana had already shown many times that she could move about the house silently.

With his heart trying to slow again and climb back down from his throat, James began moving. He gained the top of the stairs and started down the hall, Dana holding his hand. He thought that they had reached her door, but she kept walking straight. A few steps further and he knew that they had passed her door. He was wondering where she was taking him when he heard it.

A low moan. The hushed squeak of bedsprings. Whispered conversation. Dana walked down to the door to the master bedroom. James stood next to her, listening intently. His mom was clearly enjoying whatever it was his dad was doing to her beyond the door.

Dana pulled James' hand around her waist, and he stepped behind her. They stood in front of the door, both listening, with his quickly swelling dick pressing against her ass. James tried to pick out the conversation, but could only hear his mother.

"No, like you did before. Yes, yes like that." She said, her words faint. "Yes, harder." She was panting. James could hardly believe his ears. He felt Dana's heart beating very quickly, like his own. He also felt a slight movement in her arms. He flowed one down to her hand and found her rubbing her clit slowly. He slid his fingers in next to hers, and she pulled his hand down a little, her hand resting on his as he took over rubbing her.

"Please. Please." Their mother was saying, her words coming a little louder now, and easy to hear. James was a bit stunned to be hearing his mother like this, so obviously lustful, and wondered what the two of them were doing in there.

"Harder, harder damn it." She grunted. After that she started to moan louder and faster. James sped up his pace on Dana's clit to match. The hand that was not riding on his came up and caught his neck, pulling him closer. She was breathing a little heavier. Their mother was almost crying out, her moans loud enough that James thought he would have heard it from Dana's room easily. Probably from the living room or kitchen as well. They heard two loud groans then silence. Dana took James' hand and led him back down the hall. Just after she closed her door without a sound James heard the faint click of his parents' door opening and closing. Dana clicked the lamp on after the footsteps walked past, reaching the stairs.

"Holy shit." James said in a low voice. His face was flushed and he was still breathing a little quickly. Dana was blushing madly, but she had caught her breath at least.

"Do you always listen when they get, uh, intimate?" James asked.

Dana looked down at hands and nodded slightly, her blush deepening.

"I can't help it. It just turns me on so much. Hearing mom and dad get together. It drives me nuts. I always listen. I have watched twice. Those were good." She said. Her voice was quiet and hesitant, but James could hear the excitement in it. She was still turned on. Very much so. They heard the footsteps come back up the hall. They stopped and looked at the door together, waiting. The footsteps paused for only a second before continuing on. When they heard the click of the door they turned to each other.

Dana immediately took her spot straddling James lap, and he held her tight. She kissed him hungrily, holding his face to hers, her hips slowly rocking back and forth. James slid his hands under the waistband of her sweatpants and panties to get his hands directly on her ass. She was breathing a bit heavier, as was he. She felt his pulse, his body heat, the tension in his muscles, every inch of his flesh that was touching her, everything. She moved her head down to his neck, burying her face, and whispered to him.

"I want to try again sometime. Maybe not tonight, but sometime."

"Whenever you want, you just let me know." He answered.

Dana climbed off of James slowly, and stood in front of him, her head cocked to the side just a bit, looking down at him. She pulled her shirt off slowly, and let it fall to the floor, followed by her bra. She tilted her head to the other side, regarding his face carefully as she slid her sweatpants down far enough for them to slip down to her ankles on their own. She stepped out of them, towards James. He was looking at her, openly, letting his eyes take in her every curve, unashamed. She pushed down her panties and stood before him naked, her head still tilted.

"Am I someone you would want?" She asked quietly. Her voice was calm, her body relaxed, but her eyes were intense and focused. James smiled wide and put his hands on her hips.

"You are the only person I want. If I had realized what I had right here earlier, I would never have wasted my time on the women before you. I would have been with you as soon as I figured it out."

Dana smiled a bit at that and looked down, breaking that hard gaze that he was coming to like. She took his hands and pulled him to his feet. When he was standing, she undressed him, slowly, as she had undressed herself, but she let her hands trail across his body as she did. He still did not know what she saw that was so nice about his body, but she smiled as her hands wandered, their feather-light touch following what contours there were.

When she pulled his boxers down, his dick popped up, hard and ready. She looked at it a bit, head tilted again, and touched his head. He felt her finger tip, barely grazing the sensitive skin. She let her fingers glide from the base of his shaft to his tip, smiling as she did. She like the bumpy feeling of the vein that squiggled across the top. She looked up to his face and blushed, feeling like had been caught doing something she wasn't supposed to.

"You can touch it any way you want, Dana. No judgment."

"I like how it feels. It will hurt, though. It will stretch me." She said, looking back down to his dick, letting her hand wrap around it lightly. Her thumb and middle finger just barely touched.

"It hurts the first time for every woman, but I will be as gentle as I can. I promise." He said quietly, knowing she was right.

"I know you will. I'm not afraid of that. I'm afraid of the act altogether, but not of what you will do. I don't know if that makes sense." She said, still toying idly with his dick, letting her fingers move along it, grab it, stroke it, tickle it.

"I think it does." He answered.

Dana sat on the edge of the bed and put her hands on James' hips. He saw her cheeks turn deep, deep red as she stared at his cock.

"James? Can I taste it? I just want to know how it tastes." She said in a breathless whisper. She sounded horribly afraid, but very excited, as well. He smiled and nodded.

"Of course. However you want." He said.

Dana Leaned forward and studied his dick for a moment, her eyes travelling up and down its length. She ran her tongue out and lightly licked the underside of his head, catching the small bead of pre-cum that had built up. She sat back a little, smiling.

"Hmm. Not like I expected." She said, sounding like she was talking more to herself than to him. She leaned forward and licked again, this time a little more, with a little more pressure. She sat back and giggled, looking like an innocent girl, despite the circumstances.

"I like that. You taste good, James. You taste strong and a little salty, a little sour, but not much. It's nice. I like it." She said, looking up at him and smiling a bit before turning and crawling under the blankets. James slid in next to her and turned off the lamp, leaving them in darkness. He pulled Dana close and held her tight as they drifted of, his hand on her breast, her hand on his hip.

---

James woke to the just rising sun. Dana was facing him in his arms, watching him. When his eyes opened she smiled.

"Good morning." He said quietly.

"Good morning." She answered.

James got out of bed and dressed. Dana watched him from the bed, enjoying the sight of his body, but a little sad that he had to go downstairs to keep it from appearing that he was spending his nights with her. When he was dressed he leaned over and kissed her, a lingering, gentle kiss. Her hands went to the back of his neck, holding him close. She did not want to let go.

"I'll see you soon." He whispered, his lips tickling her ear.

"Yes. I know. But I want to keep holding you. It makes me feel good." She replied. Her voice was a melancholy mix of sadness, loss, and happiness. Her body was relaxed, none of her muscles tensed at all; James had not seen her this relaxed any time other than when it was just them together. It felt special. James gave her another quick kiss and went down stairs.

---

After everyone had gone off to work, James picked up his laptop and started cruising around, not really looking for anything in particular, just typing random words into search engines to see what kind of weird stuff popped up. It was something he did when bored at work sometimes. It usually ended in funny or pornographic results. One of the results that popped up after a few tries made him stop. It was the website for the accounting firm he worked for. He frowned and looked again at the tag under the link. It said there was a work from home option.

"If I'd known that I wouldn't have moved two cities away, I'd just..." He trailed off as the implications of that thought hit him. He would not have moved. He would be here, in this town. Near Dana, able to visit her and have her over to visit him (even better) whenever they wanted. He clicked the link and started looking through the website. He scoured every page, especially the ones concerning the work from home information. It appeared that they were willing to be flexible for employees with a reliable internet connection and computer, who had at least a year of experience in the field, if not the firm. James sat back, just staring at the screen. His mind was running in overdrive. He knew what he was going to do. It had to work. It had to. He would make it work.

---

Dana walked into the house expecting to see James, but he was nowhere to be found. When she went to her room she found a small note. 'Dana, be back soon. I think I found a way. I think it will work. Love, J' His handwriting was still the jagged mess that looked like a hyperactive five year old sneezing with a pen in his hand, but she could read it. She wondered what he had discovered. She was almost certain he was talking about them being together, she hoped he was talking about that. She changed into clean clothes and went to the kitchen. Mom was going to fix roast beef for dinner, and Dana was going to get it going since she was home in the middle of the day. She had just set it to go when she heard the front door. She went to the living room and saw James. He was smiling and his body was almost twitching with excitement. His face lit up when he saw her. He rushed over to her and swept her into his arms, spinning her around like a damsel in an old movie.