An Unlikely Love Ch. 01

As Dan made the turn for the final stretches of drive, he looked out to see the familiar yet unfamiliar looking neighborhood. Familiar because nothing much has changed over the years, unfamiliar because he has not been visiting as much as he should.

When he thought of his mom calling and asking to visit more often and him always deflecting visiting with excuses, he felt a little guilty. She was always full of energy, active and an outgoing person. Nearing her fifty she's still like this.

He couldn't handle her energy. Still can't. For all her outward going personality her son didn't match it. Dan mostly liked to keep to himself, lost in his own thoughts. But she had a daughter to pick up his slack, so it evened out in the end.

When his thoughts drifted to his sister, Emma, his face became gloomy. His mom already told him about the break up and about that cheating piece of shit. He felt his blood boiling even thinking about it.

His poor sister. She was always the classy one. She didn't date anyone in high school saying that she didn't want to date anyone just for the sake of dating. She wanted to find the right person.

She was mature even as a kid, thinking ahead, nothing like him. It's sad that something like this happened to her. How could she get mixed up with a prick like that with all her wisdom he couldn't tell. But maybe love does that to people, even her.

He could only sign. If he could find that fucker, he will beat him to death for hurting his sister. He'll get to know more after going home. Mom told him she's already here.

Finally pulling into the garage, he felt exhausted. It was already very late. Now he just wanted to go straight into his bed. He picked up his luggage and got down. His mom was already waiting in the front with a big smile on her face. Making him feel guilty more.

"Hey mom". He greeted her with a hug. She hugged him back tightly. "Come here my sweet boy".

"Come, take a quick wash, I made your favorite."

He really wanted to go straight into bed, he was so exhausted. But seeing her this excited, he just couldn't say no. So he took a quick wash and came down to a scrumptious meal.

But Emma or dad wasn't here yet, it was already very late. "Where's Emma? And Dad's also not home yet?".

"Your dad is busy these days, something with work. Emma went to Trish's, she's supposed to be coming back by now though." She answered from the kitchen.

"How's she? Emma?"

"She... I don't know darling." She signed. "She's telling us she's okay. Me and dad tried to help, but I don't know, she really loved that boy. I honestly don't know how she's feeling right now. She's never been like this, keeping things from us."

He hugged her again, comforting her. He knew how much mom loved Emma, this must be devastating for her too. Her baby girl is hurting and she can't do anything to help.

"You should talk to her too, Dan. You two are close, maybe she'll open up with you. Even if she didn't just spend some time with her, that'll make her happy."

"Okay mom, I will."

"Okay eat now, I don't know when Emma and dad will come."

He had a nice home cooked meal after a long time. His mom's food is the best anywhere. After a happy meal, he waited some time for Emma but she didn't come home so he went to get some sleep as he was already dead tired.

******

He woke up a little early, the sun still hadn't peeked from the horizon. This was unusual for him. Typically he was not an early bloomer. He tried to stay in bed, but it felt boring. He felt tempted to scroll through his phone, but he didn't want to do that while he's here, home.

So he got up, went downstairs to get some coffee. As he neared the kitchen he heard the cling clang of cups. Emma was already there, making a coffee herself. Hearing him come in she turned and smiled at him.

"Good morning, want one?" she asked, gesturing towards her coffee.

"Morning, yes please." Dan said as he slid into a seat in the kitchen aisle.

He watched her. She was in a sweater suit, her dark brown hair down her shoulders casually. She didn't look any different, pre breakup and now, she looked casual as always. Her smile was also genuine just now.

He wanted to ask her how she's doing. But she must have been asked that question a million times already during this period. He didn't want to start her day like that, so he didn't.

"You went to Trish's last night? How's she now?" he asked instead.

She didn't answer him right away, poured the coffee into two cups and handed him one. She sipped her coffee with a sly grin on her lips.

"Awfully took a long time to ask that question, talk to mom last night?"

She didn't wait for his answer.

"Trish was fine. I'm going for a run, come with me."

It's like she read his mind, so he could only reply with a sheepish smile.

"I'm serious, come with me. We'll go for a run. Nothing like a run in the morning breeze, it'll be good for you."

"Yeah sure." it sounded like a good idea, a good way to break the ice too, regarding her break up.

"We'll go around the creek?" she asked with an expectant look in her eyes.

He raised his eyebrow in question at her. He knew the creek. There's only one place they both mention as the creek. It's an awfully long way though. He didn't know if wanted to run that far out.

It's one of their favorite places during their childhood days. Their grandparents' house was in the area, so when they visited them, both of them would run around the creek area playing. Later as they grew up they and with their grandparents' passing their frequent of the creek reduced.

But as it less became their childhood stomping ground, it already held a special place in their heart. So whenever life became difficult, they got hurt or simply wanted to relieve some stress, it became their go to place. It kind of became their sanctuary.

"It'll be fun. We'll run there, it'll be good cardio, have breakfast on the way too. We can spend the whole morning there. It'll be refreshing."

Pouting her mouth and batting her eyelids, "Come on big brother, don't you wanna cheer up your heartbroken little sister."

Wow. What was that? He stopped mid sip, staring at her, speechless. She may have pouted like that as a kid at their parents, but he can't remember the last time he saw like this.

Emma was always the mature one between them, even since school days. She displayed a maturity rare among that age, emotionally adept, taking responsibility seriously. Nothing like him, a reckless fool that he was at that age.

So even though he was two years older than her. He subconsciously didn't think of her as his little sister, more like an elder sister. Taking care of him. She was like that with everyone, not just him.

So it was weird seeing her pouting like this. He didn't know how to react to that. But seeing her like this and even suggesting to go to the creek, she must not feel like how she's showing outwardly.

So he agreed, "sure."

They sipped the coffee quickly and changed into some new sweatpants and after telling their parents, they started running.

They ran and ran and ran.

It was fun. Though a little too fast for him. He thought it would be more like jogging, but she literally ran. And he had to run to keep up with her. Though seeing the smile on her face, it felt worth it.

By the time they were at the creek, he was wheezing heavily.

"You're out of shape Dan", she said with laughter in her voice.

She was also breathing heavily, but not like him.

"Yeah, didn't have time to hit the gym, been too busy." he let out between his wheezing.

They rested for a while and slowly made their way towards a small pond there. Looking at the scenery around sure brought a sense of nostalgia for him. He wondered, even when he was older would he visit here and feel the same. He honestly didn't know.

"It's beautiful isn't it?"

"Yeah" his answer came absent mindedly.

She was also taking the scenery in. He didn't know what she was thinking about, but she had a look on her face that, when he saw he instinctively wanted to comfort her.

He gently pulled her into a hug. She let him, setting her chin on his shoulder. She was warm, felt warm in the cold morning breeze.

"I'm sorry"

"What do you have to be sorry for?" she asked with reporch in her voice.

"That prick, he hurt you, I'm sorry for that. I'm sorry you had to go through all this. I'm sorry for how you are feeling right now, but he is not worth it Emma, you-" as his voice raised she cut him off.

"Stop it, you don't have to comfort me Dan. Besides I'm really okay, I was hurt I'm not gonna lie, but now I'm okay, I'm not really... sad"

"Emma" he pulled back, but still keeping her within his arms. Staring into her eyes he said earnestly, "Emma, it's me. You don't have to pretend to be okay in front of me, you can cry and bitch about it and we can curse that prick together, I won't judge you."

"Oh sweet Dan. I'm really okay. This is not me pretending, and putting on a brave front, I'm just confused is all."

"Confused? About?"

Taking a deep breath she stepped back and turned to the little pond, "Love I guess, and people. About really knowing a person and really loving them for who they are."

"Tom... I really liked Tom, you know. He was this sassy charismatic boy- uh" she started to wonder out loud and stopped herself.

She took a second to gather her thoughts and started, "What i want to say is, when we really like someone, we only want to show them our best sides, to impress them, during dates or when we just hang out, we hide the parts of ourselves we think they won't like, we want them to like the version of ourself that we think that they'll fall in love with, but in doing so, the person that they get to know is not really the real us..."

"So when two people fall in love like this, the person they fall in love with may not be the genuine you, the person they fell in love with will be just a version of yourself that they have created in their mind. The real you and the person they have created in their mind are two different people. And that's scary."

She took a shuddering breath, bringing her arms around herself as she felt something cold and wanted to warm herself. Dan had an impulse to keep her warm when he saw her like this, but he stayed put letting her pour herself out.

"I think that's what happened to both of us, Tom and me. We both liked each other and only showed the good and what we only each wanted to see in each other and kept the bad hidden away and- "

That's such bullshit, "But emma he, that prick he cheated on you, you're not at fault here. If a person really love someone they don't cheat on that person. You-" he boiled.

But, she cut himself again.

"It's more complicated than that, Dan. The side I showed him, that was not the true me. I faked interest, pretended to like things that I didn't like, and forced myself to enjoy things that I didn't just because..." she signed, her gaze turning towards him "and it went both ways."

She continued, "When we both really got to know each other, I found the relationship exhausting. It wasn't always butterflies in the stomach like in the start. I became distant from him. But we tried you know, we-" she sounded desperate at the end, as though someone really wanted to believe her.

His heart ached, seeing her like this. Doubting herself. This wasn't the Emma he knew. So he stepped forward to take her into his arms again, to reassure her, he will always be by her side, whenever she wanted.

"But Emma, that's how it is for everyone, when two people really learn about each other, their faults, it's loving them despite their faults that make it matter. You don't just cheat on someone just because you are not compatible, you find the other person boring, you..." he stopped himself from continuing.

He wasn't sure she was even listening to him now. So he let her bed.

"Is that so? Am I naive Dan?" she asked almost in a whisper.

"No of course not, you are just too pure for this world."

"Pure?" a giggle escaped her, and he felt her body shaking in genuine laughter. He found himself smirking too. "Really Dan, I'm not a kid that you have to coerce, 'too pure for this world' but thanks anyway for telling me that."

"But it got me thinking, you know, will I really find a person to truly love and will I be a genuine person in front of them to love."

"What if I really am naive and keep looking for this perfect love, perfect person, whom I can love with all my heart and can't find him. Will I keep second guessing, always wondering if this is the real them or just what they wanted me to see?" her voice cracked a little bit in the end, letting him know how she really felt.

"I feel confused now, afraid even, that I won't be able to find someone ever." her unease was palpable to even him now.

His hold of her got tighter, "It's okay. I'm here." That's all he could say at that moment.

"I know" she acknowledged.

They stayed like that for some time. Just content with each other's presence, warmth.

"That was some heavy shit sis, now even I'm also kind of having very pessimistic thoughts." he eventually said.

Pulling back from the hug, she said hurriedly with concern, "No no. Don't think about it too much. I don't want you to miss out on a great person because of this"

"Yeah I know" seeing her concern he said reassuring her.

"But there is some truth in what you said, do we truly know everything about a person? Even our parents, you know, our best friends, they might have secrets, desires or goals that we don't know about." his thoughts started to wonder too.

"I guess so, when you say it like that, it does sound depressing" she echoed his sentiment.

"But hey, you know everything about me there is to know, I don't know about you but I have no secrets from you." he added wanting to break away from the dreary atmosphere.

"Don't try to be cheeky Dan." she said with amused eyes. "And no, I don't have any secrets from you either." she added with a small smile, "Thank you. For saying that. Letting me know that."

"Too bad I can't date you. Otherwise all my problems will go away." she added with mirth in her voice now, also trying to break away from this gloomy feelings.

"You? Want to date me? I have to first agree even for you to date me." he said with mock offense, "With how bossy you are, I won't last long."

"Hey I'm not like that, that's your sister, and I'm bossy because you are an idiot. The girlfriend me is very pleasant to get to know to" she said, purring the girlfriend part.

"Well, I don't know. Well you are a bossy person you know. Not just with me. And you are a control freak too. Wow when I really think about it, if the man know the real you, how you actually are, he wouldn't want to date you." he said with a laugh.

"Shush you." she said, patting his arm.

"You talk like you are pleasant date, don't I know about you. Lazy, clumsy and idiotic most of the time. Nobody would want to date you too of they know about you too"

"But I'm a good kisser." he said with a proud smirk on his lips. "After they kiss me they can't get enough of me."

"Oh, please. You are just pulling my leg here."

Laughing boisterously, feeling that previous depressing atmosphere fading, he said "well that is one side you will never get to know about me."

"Then let me have a taste" she replied challengingly.

"Uh? What taste?" he wasn't sure he heard that right.

With a mischievous smirk on her lips, "you know" she said while mimicking smooching with her lips.

"That was just a joke Emma, I don't want to kiss you, eww. That's like super gross and disgusting and borderline incest, kissing on lips" he said recoiling.

"What are you saying? That I am disgusting or that you are just a bad kisser and you just lied" she retorted.

"You know what I meant, don't make it weird emma."

"Haha, you should see your face" her laughter filled the air.

"What? You want me to prove it?" he asked provocatively.

"What, you up to the challenge, you scaredy-cat" she counted, equally provocative.

"What, are you for real? Are you asking for me to kiss you?" he asked, completely flabbergasted.

"Well you are the one who said that, I know everything about you but kissing, why not let me know that too." she replied like it was a completely normal thing to say.

"Are you for real now?"

"Yeah. let me have a taste of those ravishing lips" she giggled mischievously, like it was the funniest thing.

Seeing her laughing like that, he wanted to prove her wrong. So he leaned forward, as they were still in each other's arms from the previous hug he didn't have to lean too much forward.

Seeing him leaning forward, her giggling stopped. But when he thought she would back out, she closed her eyes and leaned in herself.

She's not backing down. He didn't think she would lean in for the kiss too. He just wanted to give her a scare, but she's giving him a scare now. And why is she closing her eyes?

He hesitated, but thought that if he backed out now he'll be teased by her to no end, he went along with it, thinking he'll just give her a peck.

At first touch of their lips, all he felt was softness, a softness he had never felt before, a softness he never knew was possible. He wanted more, he forgot it was just going to be a peck, he forgot whose lips these were.

As their little peck deepened, he felt her upper lip between his lips. He gently pulled at it, sucking it, tasting it. He had all but forgotten everything else other than these lips. Unknowingly he realised, he was interchanging between the upper lip and lower lip with jarring intensity.

He felt her opening up to him, her tongue hesitant, probing. His lips parted, taking her in. she was hot and wet and expectant. At her tentative exploration, he lost himself in her, overwhelmed.

As their tongues danced, he felt a rush of emotions, a mix of desire and confusion. It was then, with a jolt, that he realised the truth - this was Emma, his sister.

With a surge of clarity, he broke away, the weight of the situation crashing down on him.

Her closed eyes slowly opened. They were hazy, misty. Lost in a world of its own. They had the love he was familiar with and complete trust. But he saw something else, he saw something that he had never seen directed at him. A look of longing. It bore into his soul. Leaving him shaken.

Something inside him shited. Before he was even realising it, he was kissing her again. Hard. It was different from how the previous one started, it was hard from the beginning. Hard and wet and sloppy. He felt the rawness of this kiss. It awoke something deep within him. Something he never knew existed. A void. And he felt this void getting filled.

With every sound she made, soft whimpers and moans in the back of her throat, with every touch, that was once innocent, now tracing the curves of her body, as if to memorise every little detail, he felt this void getting filled with warm hot feelings. It spread throughout his whole body, and as this feeling got lower and lower, down his neck, his spine and lower he found himself hard and straining.

He was hard, for his little sister. As this overwhelming fact became clear, he gave in fully, losing himself in her, to save him from the insanity that was threatening to break out. Only a primal longing was left of himself at that moment.

He didn't know how long they were kissing, it could have been just a second or an eternity, they were lost in each other. It was only when their breath got ragged and breathing became difficult they separated, panting.

He found them in a very intimate position, his hands around on her lower back, tight, pulling her into him so firmly that he felt her curves embedded into him. Her hands on his hair,pulling, one cradling his neck from the side, gently stroking.