Freshman Week Ch. 05.0: Homesick

Another ding.

The two girls again. Natalie was grinning widely, her expression playful and unabashed. Shana's was more subtle. Her smile small and seductive, her eyes lidded.

Natalie had lost both towels, leaving her long wet hair to trail down her neck and shoulders. One rogue strand remained at the edge of her face, winding its way down onto her ample chest.

Adam's eyes went from his sister's pink nipples to Shana's dark ones. While differing in size, both girls had full and perky tits. It was only a picture, but Adam could imagine what they looked like in motion, unconstrained by bra or top.

Natalie had one arm around her friend's shoulders, pulling the other girl close so that the edge of their boobs pressed against one another.

The caption read, "Wish you were here," followed by an emoji of a pink lipstick imprint.

A kiss.

Adam closed the app and went into a bathroom stall. With no mind for the fact these were public facilities, he finished himself off.

Before he left the building, he texted his sister back. "Shana should come over for Christmas."

XxXxX

Adam pulled into his family's driveway. He was grateful to finally arrive; the drive had felt longer than last time. Part of it was that his car was quite old. The heating system wasn't what it had been two owners ago and the winter chill was creeping in. The other reason was his sheer anticipation.

The snow crunched under his boots. His family's house wasn't big. One floor, plus a basement. Three bedrooms, one bath. There was a big enough backyard to accommodate a swing set from his younger days and a well-insulated dog house for Polo the golden retriever. Adam felt his heart swelling as he stepped onto the doormat. He knocked.

The door flew open and the young man was enveloped in a tight squeeze. The arms were wrapped around his midsection. Their bearer was six inches shorter than him. The top of her hair came just under his nose as she clung on. Adam smelled his sister's peach-scented shampoo. Her breasts pressed into his upper stomach.

Adam returned the hug, squeezing her back just as tight but being careful not to hurt her.

"Hi Natalie."

His sister released the hug. She moved far back enough that they could meet eyes, but she didn't exit his personal space and her hands grabbed onto his hips. Her body was inches from his.

Adam was surprised to note her eyes. They were watery and emotional. Happy, but not in the way he'd anticipated. He had expected more coyness and teasing. This seemed honest and unaffected. Hardly how she seemed on the other end of a text.

And he thought he knew his sister.

"Hi Adam," she said. Beneath the emotional eyes, her mouth broke into a wide smile. That was more familiar.

Two figures rounded the corner behind Natalie. One was a broad man, his mass equal parts fat and muscle. He was mostly bald with a grey mustache and glasses. Beside him was a woman perhaps ten years younger. Her hair remained a bright auburn even as crow's feet had taken up residence at the corners of her eyes. Although she was older, her curves and chest left no doubt where Natalie had gotten hers.

Natalie took two big steps away from Adam as the pair appeared.

"You're home!" the woman exclaimed. "You didn't tell us when to expect you. I had started to worry."

"No need to worry, Mom. I'm fine."

"Glad you aren't dead," said the man. His words were gruff but his smile was much kinder. "Getting the car towed would have been a bitch."

"Love you too, Dad."

The four stood in the entry hall, chatting and laughing as Adam removed his coat and boots. He couldn't help but give his sister a once-over. She was pretty dressed up for hanging out around the house. She had on a green sweater that wasn't immodest but hugged her chest in an exciting fashion. Below that was a red skirt. It wasn't long, ending halfway to her knees, but nothing that their parents would find unusual. Her legs were clad with compression stockings that matched her sweater. They ended just above the knees, leaving a few inches of skin visible between her socks and skirt.

Adam had only seen his sister wear skirts to family events and church before now. The girl didn't seem at all embarrassed by her current wear, but she was very conscious of her body movements. Natalie stood straight, and she did not crouch or tilt too far to any side. There would be no up-skirts here.

"In any case, you made it back at the right time," Mom said, "I just got dinner on the table."

"Actually, she got dinner on the table fifteen minutes ago. She wouldn't let us eat till you showed up." Natalie rolled her eyes. "If you took any longer there was gonna be a riot."

Natalie's exasperated mother quickly shooed her into the dining room and was followed by the two males. The four took their seats and bowed their heads while the patriarch said grace.

Adam didn't mind the cafeteria's food. Like most guys in their early twenties, he could essentially live off of pizza, burgers, and fries. Since he'd gotten into exercise, salads and fruit occasionally made their way onto the menu too. The cafeteria was well and good.

But Mom's cooking was in another category.

Apparently the return of the only son was a call for celebration. What Mom had prepared resembled some kind of mini-Thanksgiving. There was roast chicken, mashed potatoes, spinach lasagna, and a couple other hallmarks of the household.

A good meal is a silent meal. The family was so consumed in consuming, there was no room for talk. Occasionally, Adam would take glances at Natalie. She looked... normal. Putting aside her outfit, putting aside the way he thought of her now, she looked like his sister. There she was in her usual chair, enjoying usual food. For the first time since the locker room, Adam felt doubt. Had he really thought something was different? His sister was just a playful girl. Natalie was still herself, his sister.

And then they met eyes. She favored him again with a smile. There was a bit of the old Natalie in that grin, but more. It was the grin she wore in that picture, where she and Shana had bared themselves. It was playful, but not only playful.

If nothing else, it assured Adam that he wasn't the only crazy one.

After finishing off her plate, Natalie spoke up. "I was thinking about having a friend over tonight. Would anybody mind?"

"Your brother just came back from school," her mother chided. "I thought tonight would be a family night."

"I don't see the big deal." Adam shrugged, trying to seem casual. "We're watching a movie after this. Shana- or whoever- can be here for that."

"Yeah, Darla, you really think big-man-on-campus is going to reject some female company? Clearly you don't know a thing about boys," piped in his father. The older man sent his son a knowing wink. Adam sincerely doubted they were on the same page.

The matriarch shrugged her shoulders. "Well, I suppose Shana is essentially family. Go ahead, dear."

Natalie left the room to call her friend. Adam wished he could follow her, to hear exactly how the invitation was worded. But that would have raised some suspicion from his parents, and that was better avoided.

Natalie and Adam were relegated to dish duty after the meal. Easily they fell into old roles. Adam would flick soapy water at his sister when she wasn't looking. Nat would make snide remarks at his scrubbing. They were like teenagers again. Except the mean spirited-ness was gone from it. What had been vitriolic sibling rivalry had mellowed out into kinship and mutual understanding. The once distant siblings were a community of two.

Through the jokes and laughs though, Adam wished he could talk to his sister for real. Was this an act, or was it the texts that had been illusory? Was their relationship as siblings a part of the foreplay, or something apart from it?

With their parents in the next room, he didn't dare ask.

Natalie was setting a plate in the cabinet when the doorbell rang. "That'll be Shana!" She took off for the front door, leaving her brother to handle the last five plates himself.

When Adam made it to the entryway, Shana had shed most of her winter gear. Her boots sat on the towel by the door that had been designated for wet shoes. Her scarf, hat, and coat all hung from the rack. As Adam laid eyes on her, the girl was squirming out of an orange jacket.

Beneath it, she was wearing a green tank top with grey leggings. A black bra strap had fallen out of alignment with the shoulder of her top, leaving it exposed. It was nothing compared to the states of undress Adam had caught her in before, yet it felt significant.

The girl half turned toward him as she hung up her jacket. Behind the lenses of her glasses, he could see that Shana was favoring him with the same inviting expression she'd worn in those pictures.

Then the footsteps of his parents became audible down the hallway. The look vanished.

"Hi Adam!" said Shana. She grabbed him in a hug just as his parents appeared in the entryway. "So good to see you again!"

Adam returned the hug, wrapping the girl in his arms. Shana was taller than his sister, so he felt the mass of her breasts pressing into his chest. The material of her top was so light it felt like the only thing between them was her bra. He ached to change that.

Adam released the hug before it became suspicious. "Nice to see you too, Shana. You've grown since last time."

"Oh shut up! You aren't that much older than me."

Once the hello-how-are-yous were taken care of, the five headed down to the basement. Given an overall lack of space for three people in the tiny house, the largest room downstairs had been converted into a den. It had a couch, a television, and it stayed cool during the summer.

There was already something loaded on Netflix waiting for them. It was something cute and generic, a movie Adam would forget the next day. Basically the type of movie his parents loved. Under the circumstances, he didn't care.

Dad took his rocking chair, Mom took the far side of the couch closest to him, and Natalie sat beside her. Without really thinking about it, Adam took the seat beside his sister.

The couch was only meant to seat three, meaning there wasn't much room left at this point. After a second of uncertainty, Shana went to sit in front of the couch on the floor.

"Hey, hold up," said Natalie. "There is plenty of room on this couch for everyone. Shana, get up."

Adam shifted uncomfortably. "Y'know I don't mind sitting on the floor if she wants to trade."

"Nonsense! Just scoot in a bit, we can make room."

Adam followed her instructions. It was a close fit, but Natalie hadn't been wrong. Well, except maybe for the "plenty of room" bit. The young man found himself sandwiched between the two girls. Their thighs were pressed to his legs on either side, and anytime he moved his left arm it unavoidably touched the side of his sister's (clothed) breast. It was not an uncomfortable spot for a boy, but Adam found himself becoming very aware of his body and its responses.

"Hey Dad, I think Shana is cold," said Natalie. "Could we have that blanket off your chair?"

Their dad took the quilt that hung over the head of his rocking chair and threw it at his kids. Adam caught it and spread the blanket over the three of them. It was warm, soft, and very good at hiding one's crotch. He made a note to thank his sister later.

Mom started the movie. It was about a boy, a girl, and the big city. At Christmas time, naturally.

Adam was only just following the film when he felt Natalie shift her weight. His sister leaned to the side, into him. Her head rested itself on his shoulder. Beneath the blanket, she laid her hand across his upper leg.

The room was dark other than the TV screen. Adam was glad. That meant his family wouldn't see his flushed face.

After a few minutes, Adam got comfortable with her new position. Without making a conscious decision he found himself leaning into her. He put the edge of his cheek against the top of her head and wrapped one arm around her shoulders, pulling her in even closer.

Adam felt someone grab onto his other leg. Shana, of course. He cringed inwardly. How had he forgotten her? He turned, expecting a glare for ignoring her. But she was smiling placidly. Her eyes were on the siblings, but not on either of them in particular. She turned her attention back to the movie but left her hand where it was, calmly stroking Adam's thigh.

Eventually the movie came to a close. The three young people hardly reacted as the credits began to roll. It was the two parents who got up from their sheets and stretched. Mom turned off the TV and turned to look at her offspring snuggling on the sofa.

"Aww, aren't they sweet Bob?" she asked her husband.

"Sickening," jested the older man. He lightly tossed the remote to Shana. "Well, the misses and I are hitting the hay. Some of us have work in the morning. You kids can watch TV if you want. I'm leaving Shana in charge since she's the only reasonable one."

Shana performed a sitting salute. "I won't let you down, old man."

"Forget the reasonable bit!" he said on his way up to the ground floor.

Not long after the parents absconded, Natalie got up from the couch. "Think I could use a warm drink. Anyone else want coco?"

Shana and Adam both raised their hands.

"Kay then. Be back in a stretch."

Natalie skipped up the stairs. Adam watched her go. The controlled manner with which she'd held herself all night was fading. Watching her skirt swish with her little hops made his stomach feel tight.

"So," said Shana, "What do we want to watch?"

"Something Christmas-y," Adam said, "And ideally less cliché. More interesting than watching a snow angel melt."

"Mmm. Picky-picky, aren't we?"

Adam shrugged.

She scrolled through Netflix's holiday selection. Despite how dark the room was, Adam could sense her watching him from the corner of her eye. "It's cute watching you spend time with Nat. She almost seems like a kid again with you around."

"Yeah?" Adam asked. "Don't tell me she's changed all that much."

Shana smirked. "In some ways. I like the new Natalie, a lot, but it's fun to see her so... perky. Plus it's fun to see you act human."

"Human? What am I normally?"

Shana shrugged. "Now? Don't know. When we were little, you always seemed aloof. The cool big brother, too smart to play with little girls. It was like having a robot around."

Adam frowned. He realized that he'd been a crumby big brother to Nat, but ouch. That was a pretty severe way of putting it. All the worse because Shana wasn't wrong.

He sighed. "Fair point. I sucked. But I'm trying to do better."

"She's noticed." Shana's cursor settled on a movie. "Oh! Hey, what about this?"

It... wouldn't have been his first choice. But after being so thoroughly rebuked, Adam didn't feel like he was in any position to challenge her. "Go for it."

The opening credits for ELF were wrapping up when Adam heard footsteps coming downstairs. "Ho-ho-ho, boys and girls. Saint Nat has a gift for you!"

Adam's sister had returned, now carrying three steaming mugs of hot chocolate. Natalie plopped two of the mugs on the coffee table before Shana and Adam and then reclaimed her spot beside her brother. She snuggled up under the shared blanket, coco in hand. "Finally, it feels like Christmas."

Adam picked up his own mug and took a hearty sip. He had been braced for the heat, but recoiled slightly at the taste of schnapps. "Did you spike this?"

Natalie grinned at me over her own piping hot cup of intoxicant. "Only with Christmas cheer!"

"Whatever," Adam said, taking another drink, "Just remember whose fault it is when you have a hangover on the first day of winter break."

"Stop being so sibling-y," said Shana. "We are watching a classic Christmas movie with alcohol. That means drinking games. What are the rules?"

They ironed out the rules over the next few minutes. Over the course of the movie, there were two breaks to refill mugs. By the end, Adam had finished three mugs of spiked coco, Shana had had two, and Natalie drank two and a half.

Adam got up from the couch as the end credits rolled, stretching his arms. "Okay. I think it's time all of the good boys and girls went to sleep."

Natalie rose to her own feet. "Agre-eed," she slurred. In attempting to walk around the coffee table, she had to take a quick side step to avoid falling. Her gait was entirely off.

Shana peered up at her friend. "Feeling okay, little trooper?"

"Feeling awesome! Wha -what are you saying?"

Adam raised an eyebrow. "I think someone hit the cheer a bit too hard tonight, kiddo."

"Dunno what you're-" Before she could finish, Natalie had to windmill her arms to prevent herself from tumbling backwards.

In two quick strides Adam planted himself in front of the girl and pulled her into a hug, saving her from gravity.

"Okay, maybe I'm not so awesome," Nat's bashful voice whispered in his ear. "Thanks."

"No problem." Adam took his sisters arm and put over his shoulder, wrapping his own around her back to hold her up. "Let's get you somewhere soft."

Natalie was not a heavy girl, and Adam was pretty strong. It wouldn't have been hard for him to pick her up in a bridal carry and whisk her upstairs on his own. But that would be awkward and uncalled for. Instead, he beckoned Shana to help him out. She copied his pose on Nat's other side and the three made their way upstairs.

Eventually, Adam realized Natalie was faking. At the very least she was playing up her drunken stupor for more than it was. On the ground floor, as they were going down the hall to Natalie's room, Shana made a misstep and dropped the right side of her friend. In theory, either the drunk girl should have toppled or Adam should have had to scramble to stop her. Instead Nat made a quick couple steps to right her balance and Shana took that chance to get back in position. Drunk people weren't great at reacting or improvising. Especially not young, inexperienced drinkers.

Adam smiled. If that was her game, he could play along.

Natalie had the bigger of the two "kid's'" bedrooms. The floor was coated in light brown carpeting, the mattress was a full, and the walls were covered in posters for musicians Adam was only tangentially aware of. Only downside was the laundry machine next door. Like most nights, their mom had turned it on before turning in. The soft, consistent thumping wasn't something Adam would ever be able to sleep through. For that reason alone, he'd been happy to take the smaller room.

With Shana's help, Adam sat his sister down at the edge of the bed.

"Alright Nat, you made it. Go ahead and get ready for bed, kay?"

Nat met his gaze, her eyes slightly lidded. With no response, she let herself fall sideways and thumped onto her pillow. "I don't wanna. We made it to the soft place. Good 'nuff."

Adam shrugged and was about to leave, but Shana stopped him. "Come on dude, we can't let her sleep like that."

"Uh, what are we supposed to do?" Adam asked.

"What do you think? Come on, help me get here changed."

Shana approached the bed and grabbed the hem of Natalie's skirt. She tugged it downward, and in between her skirt and sweater Adam could see the pink waistband of her panties. But with Natalie lying flat on her back, the skirt didn't go much further than that.

Shana put her hands on Natalie's mostly exposed hips. "I'm going to lift her up and I need you to pull her skirt off, okay? Quickly, I don't want to hold her up too long."

Adam looked at his sister's face. Her eyes were closed and she managed to look serene, as if she'd made it to bed right before her consciousness vanished. But her breathing didn't belong to a sleeping girl.

Adam slid his fingers under the waistband of his sister's skirt. His heart skipped a beat as the tips of his digits brushed over the fabric of her underwear. He glanced at his sister's still resolutely placid face. Then he looked up at Shana. The other girl gave him a nod, with the solemn serious expression of a Marine giving the go-ahead to charge an enemy fort.