Ella & Evan - Quarantine Summer

"El," I said hopefully, "how much time to you need to get ready? I can go down to pick up that package any time you want." To our dad, I added, "She ordered something online but it got sent to the Fedex depot for some reason so we were just going to go pick it up today."

"Hmm, nah, I think I'll go get it tomorrow," Ella was back on her phone, scrolling a feed with one thumb while eating her sandwich. "It's nothing I need that bad and I don't feel like going out now."

You don't need to be the most emotionally tuned-in boyfriend to recognize that she was, in fact, not pleased with me. But I was annoyed too, not just because I was terrified of dad finding her sucking my dick out of the blue but because the whole summer had kind of sucked so far. She was mad at me? Fine, whatever. I already apologized, so I guess I'd just have to wait for her to cool off or else tell me why my apology wasn't good enough.

After lunch I helped dad set up his work laptop in the living room. He wasn't interested in a permanent arrangement, so just sitting down at the coffee table with a mouse was enough for him. He plugged his earbuds into his phone and almost immediately took a call from a coworker, so I left him too it.

As soon as he arranged a few things with the HR department at his firm he'd get me in touch with the team lead I'd be assisting, but until then I still had just as much free time as ever. Ella was in her room with the door closed, mom was in the office downstairs, dad was in the living room so I just went to my room and tried to decide what game to play. I normally prefer to do my gaming on the console in the living room with the big TV and the surround sound, or else in the home office where mom was along with the full-sized tower PC I like to play on. But with 'just' my laptop I was more likely to play an indie game with lower hardware requirements.

As Steam started downloading some updates on my laptop, I went to my bedroom window to close the blinds to reduce the glare on my screen. For a moment, I could smell a faint hint of Ella's arousal, and it made me pause. Thinking about almost getting caught again had me flushed with guilt, and I changed my mind. I had said I wasn't going to apologize again, but if Ella was upset with me I should at least let her know I'm willing to listen.

On my laptop, instead of playing a game I opened a chat window to someone who was probably on her phone maybe 20 feet away.

Me: I am sorry, and I hope you do want to go for a drive with me soon. We can talk?

Her reply took quite a long time. Maybe she hadn't been on her phone after all? Or maybe she really was that mad?

El2000: I know. I shouldn't have been so snippy. Sorry.

El2000: I just... argh I can't say. You'll get mad at me for saying it :P :P :P

Wincing, I knew she must mean that I'd get mad at her for talking about our relationship online. We were using Messages between her phone and my MacBook, so it could in theory be found by someone else. Even when we were in another app that has chats that delete over time I didn't trust it enough to be comfortable with clearly romantic messages between us. I mean, what if one of my friends picks up my phone one day and accidentally pulls up a day-old Snap that's clearly from El talking about us being intimate? Why take that chance?

This is dumb. I stood up and walked out of my room, but I was still a step away from Ella's door when it was flung open and she was there. We almost bumped into each other, but instead I simply grabbed her into a hug. Dad was downstairs but who cares, I was sure it was more important.

Of course, most of my brain instantly went into overdrive trying to listen to the stairs, just in case.

With a long sigh Ella grabbed me tight and held on. I brushed her still hair and we just stood there for a moment, slowly rocking.

"Do you want to go for a walk?" she asked, her face pressed against my chest. Obviously, it sounded like a good idea, and I assumed she wanted to get out of the house and talk.

"Absolutely, I'm ready whenever."

"Give me 10 minutes," Ella said, then kissed me, quickly, on the lips and retreated into her room. I was already dressed in a simple black tshirt and some shorts, so I splashed some water on my face and brushed my teeth. My hair was a bit messy but it was still short enough that I was able to get it mostly under control with a brush and some hair spray.

I was in the living room first, but Ella wasn't far behind me. She was in some tight leggings, the kind of pants that I can't tell if they are workout clothes or what but with the fabric that tight and thin around Ella's perfect ass I wasn't going to worry too much about it. She was also dressed in a casual Dodgers tank top that our grandmother had bought for her during her trip to LA.

"Going for a walk," I told dad as we walked past him to the front door, and he just grunted something as he frowned at his laptop. The day was beautiful, partly cloudy but it hadn't rained in a couple of days so humidity was low and the temperature was almost perfect. Without a word, we both turned right at the street to walk down to Chatwin Park.

We live on Jefferson Avenue in West Van, only a few doors down from the park. While it is only a quarter block or so large it is densely wooded with the kind of lush vegetation you get in the rainforest of the Lower Mainland. Ella and I have explored every bit of it over the years, the small paths that cut across it, the large old trees that stretch out over the small creek, all of it.

Walking in silence for a few minutes, we began cutting through the woods. Not in any hurry, we both just relaxed and enjoyed the quiet hum of the city around us, shielded by the huge trees.

"Obviously, I was more... angry about this morning than you might think," Ella said, quietly.

"I am very sorry El, I really didn't hear him of course and I know it's shitty you had to hide like that, I should have got him out of there quicker."

With a laugh, Ella shook her head, "Well yeah you coulda just said you'd go see him later! But no, that's not it. I... wanted you very badly and I couldn't get the words out. We keep saying we need to communicate more and better and then in situations like that I get so flustered and then if you can't guess what I'm feeling I get so frustrated and I wanted you inside me so badly I could have screamed and then Evan is just soooo nice and assumes I'm scared of being caught and you freaking apologize to me for the exact wrong thing and well I guess-" with a sigh she threw her hands up again.

I stopped dead until, flushed, Ella turned to face me. Her eyes were wide, but she quickly looked away, as if embarrassed by the emotional outburst. I wanted to hug her again, but this wasn't the place for that, so instead I smiled and said, "Thank you Ella, and I'm sorry I assumed you were upset for the same reason I was. Honestly, you're right, I was so scared of being caught I wasn't paying attention to you."

Ella's mouth quirked up in a smile and she shrugged, "Well ok I guess I can only be so angry at you when you're apologizing for everything. So stupid and cute and annoyingly adorable." Shaking her head, she started walking again, and I laughed. The tension was clearly lifting, but I didn't want to just pretend it never happened and move on.

"We should talk more later. We can go for a drive and talk about we react to those situations differently, and maybe what we're going to do with dad at home for a while."

"Maybe we can talk about just telling dad?" she said with a smirk.

"Heh. Uh, maybe?" My word, Ella was just never going to understand how dad was going to be infinitely angrier at me then her for us being in love. He just was.

In a more companionable walk, we turned and started for home. Close to the edge of the park, I saw a cat sunning itself, not a care in the world. It didn't appear to be a stray, but it was the very epitome of relaxed as it curled up on the grass.

I pulled out my phone to take a pic, and Ella stood beside me. "This cat knows what's up," she said, impressed.

Taking a last photo, I felt Ella's hand on my arm and for a moment didn't think much of it. It felt great to have her touching me like that, so natural. I could tell she was amused more by me taking photos of the cat for Instagram than the cat itself.

Then, reality set in. "Uh, sorry," I said as I pulled my arm away. Ella looked quizzically at me and I said, "Too close to home, El. Half the people around here know us."

With a frown, Ella protested, "I was just holding your arm, it wasn't anything weird." But it would look 'weird' to a neighbor I was sure, to see a 19-year-old woman walking with her twin brother like they were a couple. She looked like she was about to argue more when we heard a woman's voice, "Hello you two!" It was Mrs. Anderson, the old woman who lived in the house right beside the park on our street.

"Hi Mrs. Anderson,"I said, and she continued on her way down the side of the road. By the time I turned around to face Ella, she was already walking away, towards home. Her posture was stiff and her hands clenched into fists as she strode away told me I had, somehow, fucked up again.

Social Distancing

-Ella-

I walked home quickly, more irritated than angry really. Ok, I was pretty angry too, and Evan was doing that extra annoying thing where he recognized my mood and was giving me space, which I had always asked for in these situations but still found faintly aggravating when I got it. He was a few steps behind me as I strode home, my head held high and my eyes dry. Dignified and proud, as the wronged party should be when their love is being a dunderhead.

The garage door was open so I ducked inside to head for the house when he called out, "El?"

I spun around, perhaps a bit too quickly considering how calm and un-mad I was being. Arching an eyebrow, I looked at up into his solemn, beautiful eyes and gave him a silent 'well?' gesture.

He frowned, and I felt my certainty wobble a little. Evan is always so apologetic when he's wrong, or when he thinks he might be wrong, so for him to even want to argue his side instantly had me reassessing what happened. "Ella, I'm sorry if I made you mad but I just wasn't comfortable with the two of us standing like that so close to home."

Ah shit. Instead of being able to argue about whether or not simply standing with my hand on his arm - totally normal! - he made it about him personally not being OK with it... and of course I can't argue about his feelings about it.

I frowned but turned it into a half-shrug, "Well, I guess. But it hurt my feelings that you basically told me to stop touching you after the big talk we had."

With a frustrated sigh Evan waved his arms and said, "Yeah I picked up on that. But I didn't push you away, I just told you it wasn't a good idea. And whether Mrs. Anderson would have thought it was weird or not isn't the point, I've told you it makes me very nervous."

Double shit, he was being a little sarcastic but, in classic Ev fashion, wasn't getting overly jerky or doing an 'I told you so' about Mrs Anderson walking by. Honestly, God save me from cute boys who are in touch with their feelings and respect my thoughts but still insist on debating shit like adults! Well, this cute boy in particular, can't he just be a dick and let me be righteously angry for a minute?

"Fine. I accept that you have a different opinion on that and whatever." I crossed my arms and tried to not glare at him too hard. I was still sour, sure I can see how he wasn't, like, being horribly mean or anything but can't he see how it bothered me?

"Gee thanks," his sarcasm was growing, "well if you don't want to go get that package today I guess I'll go find Dad and talk about the job."

Now he was being snippy instead of apologetic, and I was still irritated. He walked past me into the house and I stuck my tongue out at his back then headed into the house too. Evan wandered off to the living room area near the front door and I heard him talking to Dad so I turned towards the kitchen.

I filled up my favourite giant cup with ice and water from the fridge, taking a long drink that cooled me off from the walk through the park but wasn't doing much to cool off the frustration coiling in my stomach.

Mom walked in with her coffee mug, nodding at me as she refilled her decaf from the pot she had going all day. "Hello," she said idly. Then she paused, cocking her head to the side until she could hear Dad responding to something Evan said in the distance. Stepping closer to me she gives me A Look and quietly says, "Clearly you were able to hide in Evan's room, thank God. But you two have to be more careful!"

I was truly not in the mood for this right now! "It's fine," I ground out, chewing a big piece of ice and hoping Mom would save whatever the hell she had to say for later after I had a chance to calm down about it all.

Nah. "Ella you have been very careless with your 'situation' since you and your brother came home. I am sure it must be frustrating to go from having all the privacy in the world to not, but I am counting on you to be cautious and not get Evan into trouble."

"Oh for fuck's sake," I hissed, putting my cup down on the counter hard enough to slosh some water out, "it was nothing! It's only a problem because Evan is so chicken about telling Dad! Why are we hiding and being so dumb when he found the fucking coupon book on Valentine's Day!"

Her eyes narrowed, but the sounds from the other end of the house were clear so she lowered her voice again and pointed at me with her finger, something I have always hated so much. "What your father does or does not know is one thing, but what he is 'happy' or 'accepting' of may not be the same! And you dragging your brother into his room to blow him without even closing the damn door is reckless!"

With a sarcastic laugh, I sneered, "Yeah I tricked Evan into taking his pants off and putting his dick in my mouth, he had no idea what was happening! Why do you always get mad at me about it, I've told you a million times I'm not bossing him around or controlling him, jeez!"

"Ella," her voice was clipped and her face set in the stern lines I knew so well from, well, most of my teenage years. "I love you both and I'm supportive of your unique relationship. But don't look me in the eyes and tell me you aren't being far more cavalier about your secret. I know for a fact it's Evan who works at keeping your private lives private, so I'm asking you to be more careful. I know everyone is bored and nervous about the Covid situation and feeling trapped here at home, but that is no excuse to create a situation where your Father has to acknowledge what is happening."

There wasn't much to say to that, I mean as angry and confused and pent up as I was there was no way to argue that point. I should have just nodded and left it at that.

"Gee Mom. Are you worried about Dad walking in on us being intimate or are you really worried that Dad will find out that Evan is the guy who was deep dicking you before the pandemic? I mean, I get it, when is the last time your perfect wittle Evan had you bent over the couch, screaming your head off? Must be months now!"

He face froze, then went pale, and my jaws clenched shut. I could feel my face burning but it was too late to walk back the comment now, and besides as angry as I was and as impolitely as I said it I also thought it was true! Expressionlessly, Mom said, "Very well Ella, clearly you are in no state to talk with me about this like an adult." She turned and walked out of the kitchen, back to her basement home office. She even forgot her mug of coffee.

A minute later I was in my room, after having slammed the door shut which annoyed me because no one was around to hear me slam the door and also it made me think about Mom lecturing me about not closing the door to Evan's room. I mean, no shit I should have, but it was literally the first time Dad has come home randomly in the middle of the day in forever, what were the odds?

Throwing myself on my bed I groaned and then pulled my pillow over my face and gave a short yell of irritation. Picking up my phone I started scrolling through Instagram, trying to focus on a cute makeup tutorial when I got an alert that had me switch to SnapChat instead. With a sigh of relief, I saw it was one of my best friends, Sushanti. We had become very close over the past year since we met at UBC during orientation for first year engineering. Shanti had been crushing on Evan, and it almost caused us some real drama during Valentine's Day (I lost an erotic coupon book meant for my twin, Shanti asked him out the same day, it was all a bit of a mess) but in a weird way it made us closer as friends. She was still a bit shy around Ev after she kissed him out of nowhere and he had to let her drunk-ass down (again, bit of a mess!) but the pandemic happened a month after Valentine's Day so we hadn't exactly been hanging out in person much anyway.

itsyagirlShanti!!: heeeey ya skank shawty bit!

itsyagirlShanti!!: I meant to say, hi hi you goddess, you perfect exemplar of modern womanhood! You're like the second smartest woman in engineering track!

El2000: lol, hey back you goof. Also, you know I was going to pull ahead of you after chem finals!

itsyagirlShanti!!: yeahyeah, hey I'm too lazy 2 type, can u talk?

El2000: sure sure

With a few pillows I got comfy half laying and half sitting, using the pillows to prop my arm up to hold my phone. Shanti was also in her bedroom; I could see she was sitting at the desk she kept her computer on. She pulled her long, gorgeous black hair back around one shoulder while smiling a huge hello. God she's beautiful, and not for the first time I felt a flicker of nervousness about her. She's so pretty, and smart, and funny, I wonder sometimes what my life would be like if Evan hadn't found that coupon book on Christmas vacation. Would he be dating her now, all normal and shit? Would he be happier like that?

"I am sooooo bored!" Shanti groaned, rolling her eyes, "My parents are being such hard asses, and my little brothers and sisters are so freaking annoying!"

"Hah! Well your sibs are super cute and fun so I'm going to take their side!"

"Pfft, you try living with a 6-year-old, a 9-year-old and a 14-year-old in our small-ass house and tell me how cute they are. I'm going to lose it if I have to hear one more argument about why can't they go to the mall anymore."

For the next 10 minutes, we spoke about how we were all coping during this crazy summer where an invisible illness creeped around the edges of our lives but the least concerned of our friends seemed to just be cruising through with a worry. Shanti's family lives next door to her grandparents so they are much stricter than some totally oblivious folks seem to be.

"But how are you guys doing?" Shanti asked. "We've had a few nice Zoom calls with the uni crew and the group chat is still fun, but I get the feeling you're as bored and distracted as I am. I wish we could just meet up and have coffee or go have drinks again!"

I couldn't help but let out a long moan of frustration, and not for the first time I felt a dull ache of longing deep inside me. In addition to the anxiety and exasperation of my arguments with Evan and Mom I still had the after effects of thwarted sexual tension all in me.