Family First Ch. 01

"Yeah... Sorry... Anyways, we better get to class. It was nice meeting you."

Christina turned and walked into the classroom without waiting for a reply. As class got started, she did her best to pay attention to the lecture, but her mind kept drifting back to her encounter with Olivia. She felt guilty for being so brusque. Olivia really did seem like a nice girl and exactly the type of person Christina would normally be friends with if the circumstances were different.

But the circumstances weren't different. This was the same girl that was dating her ex and playing mind games with her cousin. No reasonable person could possibly expect her to be nice in a situation like this.

When the bell finally rang and everyone got up to leave, Olivia briefly made eye-contact with her, flashing another one of those irresistible smiles. She didn't seem at all upset about having been given the brush-off, and Christina's feelings of remorse quickly returned. She briefly considered catching up to her and taking Olivia up on her previous offer.

She stopped dead in her tracks, though, when she saw Brett Sampson waiting right outside of class. As she watched the couple walk off together, a fresh wave of anger and jealousy wiped away all of her previously accumulated goodwill.

After track practice, she went straight to Danny's house, stopping briefly in the kitchen to say hello to her aunt. They chatted for a few minutes before she went down to meet him in the basement. She knocked twice then entered his room. He was playing a game on his computer, and despite herself, she couldn't help but remember how he'd looked the last time she'd seen him in that position.

"Hey, Chris. How was track?" he asked, pausing the game and swiveling his chair around to face her.

"Meh. Just alright," she said, plopping herself down onto his bed and trying to act like there was nothing particular on her mind. "I didn't get as much sleep last night as I probably should have," she offered by way of explanation.

"Yeah, same here. I've been super distracted by this whole Olivia thing."

Christina tried to keep her expression neutral. It wasn't easy.

"So..." he hesitated awkwardly. "I was thinking that maybe I should call her today. What do you think?"

Christina could tell that he was incredibly nervous and excited, and she felt terrible about the bomb she was about to drop on his plans.

She hesitated. "I don't know if you should," she said, her eyes downcast.

"What? Why not?"

Not knowing how to make what she was about to say any less disappointing, she decided to take the direct approach. "I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but I'm pretty sure Olivia Foster already has a boyfriend."

Danny's already fading smile quickly turned into a frown. "What are you talking about? How do you know?"

"Meghan told me. I also saw her with him after class this morning."

"You told Meghan about this?" he asked, anger rising in his voice.

Uh oh, she thought.

She chose her words carefully. "Well... yeah. I thought she might know something about Olivia. Don't worry, she won't tell anyone, though." She could tell from his tight-lipped frown that he wasn't buying it. "Look — I'm sorry, Danny. I know I should have just minded my own business. I just didn't want to see you get hurt."

"Why would you assume that I was going to get hurt in the first place? Is the idea that a girl at school would actually like me really that impossible to believe? Not everyone's like Brett, you know."

Christina recoiled as if she'd been slapped. "If she's nothing like him, then why is she going out with him?" The words seemed to fly out of her mouth of their own volition.

"Olivia... and Brett?" he sputtered, clearly struggling to process the information.

For a moment, Christina felt vindicated by the look of confused disappointment on her cousin's face, but the feeling quickly passed. "It's true," she said with a guilty sigh.

For several long minutes, the two of them sat in silence. "Well I guess we both got screwed by that guy," he said.

"Not literally. Thank God," she replied.

"You don't still like him, do you?"

"Are you kidding? Of course not!"

"Because if you did, I would understand why that might be a reason for you to not like Olivia..."

"I don't 'not like' Olivia. And I definitely don't still like Brett." she insisted, no longer able to keep the resentment out of her voice.

"It's just that I could see how you could be jealous and how that might give you the wrong impression about her."

"Jealous? Wrong impression?" Christina repeated, hardly believing what Danny was saying. "Literally what are you talking about? She's dating Brett. That's all I wanted to say. Use that information however you want to. I'm sorry I ever got involved."

"Yeah. Me too," he muttered.

"You know what? I'm done talking about this. I just thought you'd want to know, so you don't make an idiot out of yourself, but I guess it's too late for that. I need to get home for dinner. See you tomorrow." Before he could respond, she got up and left, slamming the door behind her.

She fought back tears as she walked home. All she wanted to do was hide in her room and cry herself to sleep. As she made her way up the stairs, she was surprised to see that the door to her room was open, and the lights were on. Inside, she saw her mother, Diane, sitting on her bed staring back at her, an inscrutable expression on her face.

Good god. What now? she asked herself. The last thing she wanted to do was have a conversation with her mother about any part of this.

"I need to talk to you," Diane said. From the tone of her voice, Christina could tell that something serious had happened. "Come. Sit," Diane said, patting a spot on the bed next to her.

"Sure. What's up?" Christina asked, doing her best to maintain a casual attitude despite her raging emotions.

"I came into your room this morning to pick up your laundry, and I found something I need to ask you about," she said. Diane hesitated for a moment, then, to her daughter's horror, reached behind her back and produced Christina's diary. It was opened to the most recent entry.

"You read my diary?" Christina asked, unable to hide her anger and fear at what her mother had undoubtedly discovered in those pages.

"I did, and I'm sorry," Diane replied. "It was right in the middle of the floor and open to this page. In all honesty, I kind of thought you might have wanted me to read it."

I must have knocked it off when I reached for my alarm, she thought. She wanted to be angry at her mom for snooping, but she knew she'd have done the same thing if their positions had been reversed. Still, she had to come up with some kind of explanation and quick.

"Well, it... it's not what it looks like..." Christina replied, fighting back tears of frustration. She couldn't believe that this terrible day had somehow managed to get even worse. She couldn't remember having ever been so embarrassed.

"So this is all a fantasy?" Diane asked. "None of it actually happened?"

Diane's questions were cold and dispassionate in a way that made Christina nervous. For the briefest of moments, she thought about saying yes, but there was something in her mom's eyes that said she already knew the truth. Lying would just make things worse.

"I... No. It's true... It really happened..." she said, her shoulders slumping in defeat. "Are you angry?" she asked.

Diane's expression softened. "Surprised, maybe... But no, I'm not angry with you, Christina," she said, reaching over to lovingly rub her daughter's back and shoulders. "How long have you been doing this?"

"Last night was the first time. It was an accident. I just wanted to talk to him about... something... and that's when I saw him."

Diane nodded, her expression giving no hint of what she was thinking. "Based on what I read, I know you... enjoyed yourself... while watching him." Christina's cheeks flushed a bright shade of red as her embarrassment somehow managed to deepen even further. "I don't know exactly how to say this, so I'm just going to ask," Diane continued. "Was this just a dirty thrill? Or is there more going on here?"

She didn't specify exactly what she meant by more, but Christina knew without having to ask.

"It was... more. A lot more, I think," she replied, biting back tears. "I didn't realize it until last night, but I think I've felt this way for a long time." Diane kept stroking her daughter's shoulders as she talked, her familiar touch helping to ease Christina's anxiety, if only a little. "Now he's all I can think about..." She couldn't believe she was talking about this with her mom of all people, but saying the words out loud felt like an immense burden lifting off of her shoulders.

"Is this something you actually want to pursue?"

"I... I don't actually know. I never really thought about it as something that could really happen."

"Well, I have to admit it wouldn't exactly be a... conventional relationship," Diane said. She hesitated, choosing her words carefully. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but you're practically an adult, and certainly mature enough to make your own decisions. I can't say I'm completely comfortable with the idea of you and Danny having sex, but I want you to know that your father and I will love and support you no matter what you do or who you love."

The dam finally burst, and tears started streaming down Christina's cheeks. She buried her head in her mother's lap and sobbed, letting all her pent up emotions flow out of her. She was grateful for her mom's love and support, but she couldn't stop worrying that she'd already ruined her relationship with Danny. Diane gently stroked her daughter's hair while she wept. They sat that way for a long time until Christina started to calm down and sat back up, wiping her eyes with her shirtsleeves.

"Does Danny know how you feel?" Diane finally asked.

"No. Definitely not."

"Are you going to tell him?"

Christina hesitated. "I don't know... we got in kind of a big fight this afternoon..."

Diane listened patiently as Christina went on to explain what had happened over the last few days. When she was finished, she said, "I think you need to tell him how you really feel. It's the only way you're going to work things out."

"But what if he's not interested? What if it makes things weird between us?"

Diane gave her a knowing smile. "Even if he doesn't feel the same way, at least it will clear the air between you. If I know anything about Danny, I know that he cares about you more than anything else in the world. It sounds like he was frustrated and hurt, and you happened to be down range. He'll get over it."

Christina smiled, realizing that her mother was right. Even if Danny wasn't interested in her that way, she knew that feelings of disappointment and regret would consume her if she didn't take a chance. There were a lot of other questions to consider, but none of them seemed that important compared to the one her mother had answered for her. "You're right, I'll talk to him about it," she said, feeling a sudden burst of confidence as the words left her mouth.

"You'll tell me how it goes, right?" Diane asked. Christina thought she sensed a hint of eagerness in her mom's voice.

"Of course!" Christina replied.

Her lack of interest in what her mom referred to as 'girl talk' had always been a point of friction between them. As such, it was a pleasant surprise to find out how nice it was to have someone to share her thoughts and fears with.

"Good! I'm sure it will all turn out fine. You'll see." She gave her daughter a final, loving squeeze before rising from the bed. "I'm going to order a pizza for dinner. Come on down whenever you're ready," she said as she left.

Christina was a tightly wound mass of excitement and nervousness for the rest of the evening. As she ate dinner with her parents, she wondered whether her mom was going to tell her dad about their conversation. She decided not to worry about it, knowing instinctively that her mom wouldn't do anything to break their newly formed bond.

After dinner, she showered and did some catching up on her school work. When she heard her parents call out goodnight to her and close their bedroom door, she started making preparations for another late-night excursion. Rooting through her closet, she found a red sundress, which she put on over her matching pink bra and panties. The dress showed off her lithe figure and emphasized the freckled expanse of skin above her small, pale breasts. She smiled back at her reflection as she struck a pose, pleased at her appearance.

Once she saw the light in her aunt and uncle's bedroom window go out, she quietly made her way downstairs and across the yard. As she crept barefoot through the grass, she did her best to stay calm. Her heart was pounding, but she knew what she had to do. There was no turning back.

When she reached his window, she peered carefully inside, not sure what to expect. Unlike the previous night, Danny was in bed, reading a novel. He jerked in surprise when Christina knocked on his window. As he approached, she could see from his expression that he was still upset with her.

"Can you let me in?" she asked, her voice low but insistent. "I need to talk to you about something."

"Can it wait until tomorrow?" he asked with an exaggerated yawn.

"No. It can't."

With a sigh, he unlocked his window and pushed it open, allowing her to crawl through. He was surprised and embarrassed when he realized that he was standing before her in nothing but his boxer shorts and a white undershirt.

"I'm sorry for coming so late, but I couldn't stand leaving things the way we did this afternoon," she said.

"You're right," he replied, his expression softening slightly. "I'm sorry for saying that stuff about Brett. I know you were just trying to look out for me. I appreciate it, even if I don't always do a good job of showing it."

"It's okay. I understand. I shouldn't have talked to Meghan about you without getting your permission first. This whole thing is my fault." She pulled him into a hug, enjoying the feel of his body against hers. She smiled as she realized that her mom had been right. It really was impossible for them to stay mad at each other.

"There's something else, though," she said, stepping back and taking a deep breath. "You were wrong when you said that I still had a crush on Brett. But, whether you knew it or not, you were right that I have a crush on someone."

"Okay... who?" he asked, clearly confused about where this was heading.

"You, Danny. I have a crush on you," she said, surprised at how easily the words came spilling out of her.

"What are you talking about?" he asked, pulling away from her, his face a mask of confusion.

"I'm talking about you. You're the one I want. It just took this thing with Olivia for me to realize it." She felt confident now. Even if he rejected her, having gotten it off of her chest felt amazing.

"Wow... Um, I don't know exactly what to say."

"You don't have to say anything," she replied. "But I had to tell you on the one in a million chance that you feel the same way. If you don't, then that's fine. We can pretend like this conversation never happened."

"But... we're cousins. Wouldn't it just be... wrong?"

"Most people probably wouldn't understand," she admitted. "But no one has to know except for you and me." She hesitated, blushing slightly. "There's something else I should tell you."

"There's more?" he asked, wide-eyed in surprise.

She chuckled, slightly embarrassed at what she was about to admit. "Yeah, I guess there is. After I talked to Meghan last night, I wanted to tell you about it right away. I saw the light in your room was still on, so I came over to tell you. When I came up to your window, though, I saw you..."

Realization dawned on Danny's face. He knew exactly what she'd seen and blushed in embarrassment. "You mean you watched me..."

She smiled sheepishly and nodded. "It was the hottest thing I've ever seen. I wanted more than anything to crawl through that window and help you out but I was too scared." She hesitated for a beat. "Would you have liked that?" she asked.

Danny gaped back at her, visibly struggling to make sense of what she'd just said. "You would really wanted to do that... with me?" he finally asked.

Christina knew it would take him some time to process what she was saying, but there was no hiding the look of excitement on his face. As if that wasn't enough, the rapidly rising tent in his shorts was a dead giveaway that he was turned on.

"That and so much more," she replied. "And it looks like you do, too." She gave him an impish grin as she openly stared at the outline of his erect cock straining against the fabric of his underwear. Danny was caught completely off-guard by Christina's admission and was only able to stare dumbly back at her.

Realizing that she was going to have to initiate anything that ended up happening between them, Christina closed the blinds, turned back to face him and pulled the hem of her dress over her head in one swift motion, tossing it aside. As she exposed herself to him she felt her nipples harden into sensitive little knots that strained against the inside of her bra.

She stood nervously before him, hoping he wouldn't be disappointed with her body. Her fears were quickly assuaged when she realized that Danny's surprised expression was quickly turning into an excited grin. "You like?" she asked, already knowing the answer.

Suddenly aware of himself, Danny blushed and tried to cover his cock while averting his gaze from his cousin's body.

"Don't," she said, grasping his wrist and gently pulling it away from his crotch. "I like that I turn you on. I like letting you see me like this."

"Sorry... This is all just a lot to take in. This is... You are so fucking sexy, Chris, but are you sure that this is something you really want? What if you regret it later? I couldn't handle it if this ruined our friendship."

"I couldn't either," she replied, "but I'm one hundred percent certain. I know we can't be together like a real couple, but I love you more than anything, and there's no way I'll regret letting you take my virginity."

"Wow," Danny replied. "I'm not sure there are many men alive who would be able to refuse an offer like that."

Moving onto the bed, Christina leaned back, using her elbows for support as she arched her back towards him. "Well, you've got a horny, half-naked girl in your bed. What do you want to do?"

"Can I kiss you?" he asked.

"That would be... really nice," she replied, her heart melting a bit at the simplicity of his request. When Danny didn't move, she sat back up, put her hands on his shoulders, and leaned in close to him. They'd hugged many times, but this was different.

Finally taking the initiative, Danny slid his arms around her waist, pulled her body into his, and kissed her for the first time as a woman instead of a cousin. Christina had kissed boys before, but this felt completely different. His taste and smell was so familiar, but the context was so very different.

Danny was surprised and disappointed when she pulled away. Seeing the look on his face, she smiled lustily at him before diving in for more. This time, she tentatively ran her tongue across his lips and moaned when Danny's tongue came out to meet hers.

For several minutes they passionately made out, lost in their mutual lust. Christina aggressively shoved her tongue into her cousin's mouth, making him shudder and moan. Before long, Danny took his turn exploring the inside of Christina's mouth. For several long minutes their tongues wrestled with each other, ratcheting up their passion even further.