Little Darling

A/N - Think I've already mentioned that I don't have as much time to write as I once did. Loving the new job though so there are positives. Also struggling for new ideas and I guess there are only so many plots so it's a case of at least trying to be interesting.

Usual caveats. All editing and reviewing done by the author with Microsoft Word. Spelling is usually spot on. Australian / British English. Definitely the occasional typo. Grammar can be ropey at times, but it's been a long time since I sat in a classroom. All mistakes owned up to by the author. Please remember this is only fantasy and I'm an amateur.

Comments and feedback appreciated as always.

*****

Little darling, you're the only one

My heart is racing like I'm on the run

Yeah, little darling won't you say you're gonna stay with me

I'm gonna give you everything you need

Just say the word and I'll be on my knees

Oh, little darling won't you say you're gonna marry me

- 'Little Darling', Jimmy Barnes

*****

Being one of the last of the plane never really bothered me on a domestic flight. I wouldn't have to worry about passport control, only having to collect the two large bags I'd brought with me. Having to pay extra for the second bag would always prove annoying, but again, it was a domestic flight. It wasn't too expensive.

It hadn't been a long flight from one side of the country to the other. I hadn't particularly missed my home city, as I'd enjoyed my years living in Perth, but I was happy to be home again to see my family. I hadn't been home too many times during the past five years, focusing on my studies and then my masters. My mother had understood and accepted my absence. As for my two sisters, I spoke to them often and I knew they missed me as much as I missed them.

After picking up my bags, I walked out into the arrivals hall to find my mother waiting for me. She was still an attractive woman on the other side of forty-five. There was no sign of my father. No real surprise as I hadn't spoken to the man since the day he walked out on our family. I still remember the night Mum arrived home in tears, Dad arriving home half an hour later, shouting about how it meant nothing, she was just his secretary...

The divorce was bitter and the man I'd called 'Dad' showed his true colours. Made my mother doubt everything about herself, withdrew all love and affection from his daughters, and the day he left, we nearly came to blows. I hadn't seen him in the flesh since. I knew he'd paid child support to my mother until my younger sister had turned eighteen. That was the extent of his contribution to our lives.

"Andrew!" my mother shouted. I would have groaned, but Mum had always called me Andrew. Everyone else called me Andy, but I couldn't be mad at my mother for calling me by the name she'd given me at birth.

Dropping my bags, I hugged her tightly. She needed a little cry as I gave her a squeeze, hearing her laugh. "How are you, Mum?"

"I missed my baby boy," she replied softly, before she leaned back and smiled. Being only five-four to my six-one, she did have to look up. "Well, no matter how tall and wide you get, you'll always be my baby!"

Kissing her forehead, I hugged her again. I could see a few people smiling at us. It felt good to be hugged my mother again. No matter how old a son gets, a hug from his mother always feels wonderful. Letting her go, I grabbed my two bags as Mum led me out of the airport towards the car park. "Where are the terrors?"

"Angela is at work. Anna wanted to come but knew she'd cause a scene if she was here, so she's waiting for her big brother at home."

"Missed her big brother?"

"She's barely seen you for the past five years. She was a young teenager when you left home. She's now a nearly nineteen-year-old woman who, well, I think she has this idea of who you are and what you'll be like now that you're finally home."

We didn't talk too much during the drive home to the western suburbs of the city, spending most of my time gazing out the window, marvelling at how much a place can change in only five years. Though I didn't want to, there was one subject I thought I should broach while we had privacy. Even after all these years, I noticed Mum's hands grip the steering wheel a little tighter at the mention of his name.

"Not heard a word from him since your sister turned eighteen. She was so hopeful that he'd do something for her that day. Instead, it was just another in a long line of disappointments. She's finally understood just what sort of man your father is."

"No communication at all?"

"None. Angela hasn't tried talking to him in years. But Anna's always been hopeful that 'Daddy' would finally return the love she had for him. Seeing her heart break was tough, but she now understands. It's why you now returning home means so much to her." She paused and glanced my way while stopped at a red light. "Not too awkward coming home to live with your mother?"

"It's only temporary. Thanks for taking me in."

"You're my son and you will always have a home with me, no matter how old you are."

"Thanks, Mum."

Pulling up into the driveway, I'd barely got out of the car when a smaller ball of energy practically slammed into my chest, feeling a pair of limbs wrap around my upper body, and two other limbs around my lower body, and I understood rather quickly that the small ball of energy was also crying her eyes out. Hugging her in return, it simply heightened the cries as I kissed the top of her head.

"Miss me, did you?"

I didn't get a verbal reply, just more crying and her limbs trying to squeeze me tighter. With one arm around her body, I managed to grab a bag and carry both inside, Mum able to pick up my lighter second bag. My sister finally extricated herself from my body once I dumped my bag, placing her feet on the ground as she took a step back, using the back of her hands to dry her cheeks.

"Think someone missed me," I said.

She returned a dazzling smile, gazing up at me from her height of barely five-one. Her blonde hair was tied up in a ponytail, her light blue eyes sparkling behind the glasses she'd always worn, perched on her cute little nose that had always scrunched up when she was thinking. She wore a loose t-shirt, but I remembered she'd grown a pair of perky breasts, but it was her butt that had always drawn attention from her early years of gymnastics, that had left her rather lithe and flexible.

"Of course, she's missed her big brother. Just like Angela's missed her little brother, and I've missed my son."

"It's nice to be missed."

"Did you miss me?" my little sister asked softly.

Just glancing into her eyes made her smile and her cheeks start to glow. "Of course, I did. I would have said 'My, how you've grown', but you're still... short."

"I am compared to you!"

"Want a coffee?" Mum asked.

"I'd love one. I'll dump my things in my room and join you back here."

Picking up both bags, I walked through the house to my old bedroom. I wasn't surprised that my mother had been busy while I'd been away. All my old furniture was gone, replaced by a new, larger bed and far better furniture. Mum had started to work full-time once my younger sister was at school, and she'd worked her way up the corporate ladder. The car she now drove, parked in the driveway, was a sign that she was now doing very well for herself.

Hearing a cleared throat, I turned around to see my little sister in the doorway, looking adorably awkward like she'd always been around me. "What's up, Bella?"

Her name was Annabella. Everyone else called her Anna. I was the only one who called her Bella. It wasn't something we agreed on, I just called her by that name one day, her face had simply lit up with pleasure, and I'd called her that ever since.

"You're not going to leave again soon, are you?"

Sitting on the edge of the bed, I patted the space next to me. Bella skipped across the room to sit down, immediately cuddling into my side. Wrapping an arm around her in return, I felt and heard her sigh happily. "I'm not going anywhere just yet. I might have a job lined up, but I've lived very much hand to mouth for the past five years. I need time to save up a deposit before I can move."

"So that means you'll be staying home for a while?"

"A couple of years to really save up enough money. I don't want to just buy the first place that takes my eye. And I'll also want to move somewhere that's still close to my family. I've spent five years living away. It was a little lonely at times."

"But you had friends, right?"

"I did."

"And girlfriends?"

"Of course. Never anything serious enough to bring a girl home to meet you though."

"And you're single now?"

"Definitely. Most of the girls I dated were local to the area, and I wasn't interested in a long-distance relationship."

"Good. That means I get my big brother all to myself for a little while!"

"I won't complain. I need to spend a lot of time with the three most important women in my life."

"I love you, Andy," she whispered, "I missed you so much."

"I missed you too, Bella. And I love you too."

Standing up and offering my hand, I led us back to the living room, Mum appearing in moments with a tray filled with mugs of coffee, biscuits and cake. Sitting in the middle, Mum to my left, Bella to my right, we chatted away while nibbling at the food and sipping at our drinks. I'd taken an early flight, so was still operating on Perth time.

Flying always made me feel tired so, within a couple of hours, I suggested I'd start on packing my things away then taking a nap. Mum had taken the day off, suggesting she'd just do a little housework. Bella was also on break from university, as the summer break was now in full swing, Christmas and New Year only a couple of weeks away, so she disappeared into her bedroom. I'd taken a quick peek and wasn't surprised it had barely changed over the years. She might be nearly nineteen but there was still a sweetness and innocence about her.

Could be entirely wrong about that. Never judge a book by its cover.

I spent an hour or so packing my clothes away, set my laptop up on the desk, and made sure my room would stay neat and tidy. I remembered what I could be like as a teenager, not always particularly neat and tidy. Now that I was in my early twenties, and a little more mature, I wanted a clean room, clean bedsheets, and just a nice place to call my own.

Lying down on top of the bed, I drifted off to sleep rather quickly. I'd set my alarm to wake me up within a couple of hours, but what did wake me up was the feeling of a body pressed against mine. Opening my eyes, I couldn't help smiling as it was Bella who was fast asleep with her head snuggled against my chest underneath my chin, her arm around me, one of her legs resting on top of mine. Kissing her forehead, she woke up and immediately blushed, glancing away shyly.

Hugging her to my body, she started to cry again. I guess she missed me far more than I realised. It wasn't full on sobbing like when she'd crashed into me when getting out of the car, and I guess it was nice to be missed so much. Looking back, my little sister had always adored me as much as I'd adored her. Despite the age gap of four or so years, we'd always been close. Probably closer to her than Angela, who was only eighteen or so months older.

"Making yourself comfortable already?"

"Is it wrong that I wanted cuddles with my big brother?"

"Not at all." I gave her a look she seemed to remember immediately as she giggled as I started to tickle her. "Though you are now in danger..."

"No! Don't!" she cried out as I found her ticklish spots, making her squeal and laugh out loud as she couldn't stop my fingers. Mum appeared in the doorway within a couple of minutes, laughing as she watched her youngest daughter at the mercy of her only son, begging and pleading for me to stop tickling her. Once she said she was going to lose control of her bladder if I didn't stop, I relented and hugged her. She tried tickling me in return but had forgotten I wasn't particularly ticklish.

"Nice to see nothing has changed," Mum said, walking over to kiss my cheek, "I'm thinking we go out for dinner. We'll just wait until Angela gets here."

"Want a swim?" Bella wondered. The one good thing our father had done was purchase a pool when we were kids. When he'd walked out on us, I'd taken over taking care of it though since I'd been gone, Mum and my sisters had shared the responsibility.

"Sure, I'll throw on some swim shorts."

Kissing my cheek, my sister got up and practically pranced out of the room, Mum watching her before turning back to me and laughing. "I'm sure you've already realised how much she's missed you. Only seeing you once every few months wasn't enough for her."

"It's nice to be loved."

Standing up, Mum needed another hug from her son. I had a feeling I was going to get a lot of hugs from all three women for the next few weeks. I'd never had a problem with showing affection to anyone in my family. "I'll let you get changed. Towels are still in the closet."

"Going to join us, Mum?"

She gave it some thought then her face broke out in a smile. "Sure. I'll go throw on my swimsuit too."

Getting changed into a pair of shorts, I grabbed some towels from the closet and headed out to the backyard. It was a warm day so the idea of taking a dip in the cool water was appealing. Bella was the first to walk out, wearing a white bikini that left little to the imagination. Her breasts had developed since I'd last seen her in a bikini, and the top she wore covered her nipples and a little more of each breast, but it was something even I wouldn't have liked her wearing elsewhere. As for her bikini bottoms, I learned that my sister either waxed or shaved, as the bottoms covered her mound. She grabbed the towel I held out for her, walking over to the one of the sunlounges, bending over rather provocatively, the string of her bikini splitting her rather perfect cheeks, before she turned and smiled at me before diving into the pool.

Shaking my head, I quickly dove in to join her. "Do you like my bikini, Andy?" she asked once I surfaced.

"Doesn't leave much to the imagination."

"I know. I felt so naughty when I was trying it on the other day. I just had to buy it." She swam closer to me as she whispered, "I even turned myself on a little when looking in the mirror."

"First time you've worn it?"

"I'm not going to wear it at the beach or anything. Everyone would stare at me. In the safety of my own home, I'll wear what I want."

"Well, I think you look absolutely stunning in it though you have to remember I am your brother too."

She smiled, paddling towards me and giving me a cuddle. "Is there anything wrong with wanting my brother to notice me too?"

"I guess not. Hard not to notice you though."

Mum walked out a couple of minutes later, wearing a one-piece swimsuit though there were cuts in it that showed off her pale flesh. Bella had a slightly darker tan, while I loved to spend time by the pool or at the beach, so I had the darkest tan of the three. My sister cooed and marvelled at my physique, as though I might have spent a lot of time studying my arse off, I still made time to visit the gym, exercised regularly, and while my diet wasn't great, being a broke arse student, I ate healthily when possible.

Diving into the pool to join us, Bella pulled away as we bobbed up and down in the water, Mum taking a moment to run her hand up and down on my arms. "Well, you certainly didn't inherit that physique from your father."

"It's not natural. I have worked to keep it."

"In our earliest days of dating, he kept himself fit, but once he had a ring on my finger, he turned into a slob. I've always wondered what his secretary saw in him except the fact he had power at the company and did make money."

"That's exactly what she saw in him. I haven't spoken to him in a long time, but it was obvious she saw dollar signs."

"Are they still together?"

"She married him," Bella muttered, "Thankfully, he didn't have the gall to invite any of his so-called children."

"Are you dating, Mum?"

"No-one at the moment. I'll admit that I'm rather selective about who I want to date. I'm single at the moment and I spend a lot of time with friends and my daughters."

Mum only spent half an hour or so with us before she lifted herself out of the pool, and I did get a good view of her rather pert behind. For a woman past forty-five, even as her son, I could admit her body was still fantastic. She walked over to take in a bit of sun, leaving me with Bella, who couldn't leave me alone, always wanting to hug or just touch me.

We were still in the pool when Angela arrived home from work. Walking outside to check on us, her face lit up when she saw me. Telling us to wait, she was back in five minutes, rocking a red bikini, not quite as scandalous as her younger sister, but still showing off plenty of her pale skin. Diving into the water, she hugged me immediately, ever so excited that her little brother was home. Feeling her legs wrap around me raised an eyebrow.

"Just a hug, Andy," she whispered, "I've missed you so much."

I'll admit those words took me slightly be surprise. I'd always been incredibly close with Bella. My relationship with Angela had been fine, but we'd never been anything more than siblings, a brother and sister that were family, but we were not what I'd call friends. Never argued. Never had any major fallings out. We just didn't spend much time together.

Hugging her back tightly, the sigh she released suggested she was happy, at least. "How are things with you?" I asked softly, her head resting on my shoulder. She had the same blonde hair as her younger sister though with brown eyes instead of blue.

"Same old, same old."

"That good, eh?"

Leaning back, she looked a little sad. "You know I'm with Brad, right?"

"Yeah, a couple of years by now. I'm surprised you're still living at home."

Releasing her legs from around me, the three of us moved to the shallow end, sitting on the ledge inside the pool. No surprise Bella practically sat on my lap, much to Angela's amusement. "Part of me loves living at home. I know Mum loves having us around and it means I can save for a deposit and other things. But I was hoping Brad was hoping for the same things, such as looking at buying a house together and proposing. We've discussed marriage more than once, but I just don't know if he's ever going to do it. And I don't want to be one of those women waiting years for a proposal that just won't come."

"Why don't you propose to him? Aren't you a modern woman and all?"

"There are one or two traditions I do prefer, Andy. He knows how much I love him, and he loves me the same way... Or at least I think he does. Sometimes I'm not so sure anymore." Sighing, she cuddled into my side. "Sorry, I shouldn't be dumping all this on your first day home but new ears and all."

"I could offer to have a word with him but I'm guessing that would be embarrassing."

"Very much so but thank you for caring."

The three of us remained in the pool until Mum suggested we get ready to go out for dinner. Returning to my bedroom, Angela wandered off to her bedroom, but Bella followed me into mine, closing the door and hugging me tightly again. I loved how affectionate she already was being. We'd spent most of our lives hugging and being affectionate with each other.

"Thank you for coming home, Andy," she whispered.

"And miss spending time with my favourite little sister..."

She leaned back and tried to look angry. "Your only little sister."

"You know what I mean."

Standing up on her tiptoes, she left a big wet kiss on my cheek then ran out of my bedroom, giggling away. I'll admit, I found her pert little butt mesmerising as she did so, shaking my head and chuckling to myself as I got changed to head out. Wearing a shirt and chinos as it was rather warm, Mum went with a skirt and blouse combination, but my two sisters decided to wear a light sundress each, plunging neckline and high hem to show off a pair of fantastic legs each.