Shawn and Kendall Ch. 04

Chapter 4: Gambling

The summer air was beginning to cool down as the season slowly ended. Shawn's favorite thing about late summer was leaving his windows open so the air could fill his room. He loved waking up to the breeze that rolled in during those sub-sixty-degree mornings, and fall was his favorite time of year.

Despite their recent drama, it was an enjoyable summer for Shawn and Kendall. Summer was always slow in Shawn's field, so he wasn't working overtime or weekends. It was usually so slow in the summer that he could waste time chatting and playing video games with his friends while he worked. Product and service demands were low during these months, so he worked less and enjoyed his summer.

Kendall used her stacked-up vacation time to take paid leave for several weeks to deal with her breakup. She spent the first few days gathering her belongings from Bradley's apartment and moving them back home. She intended to use the rest of the time to focus on herself and restabilize her mental well-being. Breakups are never easy, but this was severe and caused her a lot of damage. It was good that she had Shawn to lean on during this raw emotion and grief; he intended to stay by her side through all of it. As devastated as Kendall was, Shawn could not help but silently rejoice over her finally being finished with Bradley. It was like a massive thorn in his emotions had finally been plucked.

The two spent most of their time together during the week. Shawn distracted her, convincing her to do every little errand with him. They loved cooking together and hated cleaning, but they always turned it into a game that kept them busy until they finished. Shawn's favorite thing to do was build a strange costume out of cleaning supplies and pretend to be some character he made up on the spot. Kendall would laugh hysterically and spray him with water from the sink while he made absurd voice impressions. She loved how goofy and creative he was.

Shawn and Kendall were bonding well, but strange friction formed between them. As much as they enjoyed being around each other, the recent events between them caused this silent pressure to build. Shawn had been feeling more paranoid lately about his feelings toward her, hoping his thoughts wouldn't cause more tension between them. Kendall was also beginning to notice how he looked at her. She occasionally caught him staring when she walked away or while half-dressed in the morning. It worried her that Shawn's behavior made her more curious than disgusted. She wondered how he felt about her in ways no sibling should, but she wasn't courageous enough to approach that line with him. She found herself itching to know what her brother thought about when he looked at her like he did, and the desire to approach forbidden lines slowly festered within her.

As Kendall reacclimated to living at home again, she assumed most of her usual activities. She loved bar hopping on the weekends and dancing with her friends. Kendall didn't drink often. She loved dancing, and it was about the music and the energy for her. Shawn always agreed to stay up and wait until she got home on those nights. Kendall wanted him to go out with her and her friends, but he would never agree. Bars and clubs were the furthest things from his scene, and those environments gave him a lot of social anxiety.

Her life at home was easy, peaceful, and full of support. During her time off, she helped their mom redo the entire landscape around the house. Kendall was brave enough to get filthy under her car with their dad as they tag-teamed her oil leak. Shawn always checked on her and rarely left her alone. She was reconnecting with her family again and beginning to heal. Kendall courageously told her parents she intended to have children with Bradley before things ended. Like Shawn, they were relieved it did not work out, but they still empathized with her.

Kendall's final weekend off work rolled around, and she wanted to end her break with a bang. Her friends and co-workers had organized a group event where they would have a nice dinner before hitting the club to welcome Kendall back to work. Her support system was vast through this breakup, which made her incredibly thankful. The damage Bradley caused her was absolute, but Kendall was on track to recover fully, and her friends and family kept her above water.

Shawn was amidst his typical Friday evening activity: fighting games. As he destroyed people online, Kendall suddenly came walking around the corner. She dressed nicely for the occasion, and her outfit ripped Shawn's attention away from his video game when she walked by.

"You going out?" He asked casually, trying not to sound too curious.

"Yeah," she responded, seemingly searching for something.

She wore a short, tight, black dress that ended just below her ass with short sleeves and a very flagrant front, showing off her perky breasts. The dress's color complimented her skin and her long, brunette hair, and her makeup was on point. She was gorgeous. Shawn could only imagine how many men and women would ogle her wherever she went tonight. He could not resist staring at her luscious curves that only an outfit like this could show. He did his best not to get caught staring as she turned to face him again.

"Have you seen my wallet?" She asked, standing next to him.

"Under your pants on the kitchen table," he answered with lightning precision, never looking away from his game.

Kendall wandered over to the kitchen. Shawn stared at her perfect, round ass bobbing side to side beneath her dress as she walked away. He could smell her sweet but luxurious perfume following her.

"Nice!" She called out from the kitchen, "how do you do that?" She asked with a smile on her face.

Shawn shrugged with a slight grin as he kept playing. He had a strange talent for always remembering where everything was, no matter how small or specific.

Kendall suddenly went from smiling to stressing as she fingered through her wallet.

"No, no, no! Shit!" She grunted as she closed it in her hand, "I forgot I don't have a debit card right now. Bradley removed me from the bank account, and my new bank card hasn't been mailed yet. Dammit!" She called out in frustration.

Shawn continued fighting, intentionally not speaking up to offer his money because his checks were substantially smaller in the summer due to lack of business, and he was nearly broke. He knew he was bad at saving money during the slow season and hated being lectured by Kendall or their parents when they found out he was spending poorly.

Shawn was still a week away from payday and knew he'd be screwed if Kendall took the last of his cash. With that money, he wanted to buy the newest installment of his favorite fighting game, which would launch the following week. Shawn had just enough money left to afford it. Kendall needing a spot was the perfect inconvenience for him because his friends were holding a tournament at launch, and he wanted to participate.

"Do you have any cash I could borrow?" Kendall asked in desperation.

It wasn't like her to ask for money because she was far better at managing finances than Shawn and paid quite well as a nurse.

"No way," he responded, "how can you be broke? I thought you made good money!"

"I'm not broke, you dork!" Kendall lashed out, "I have plenty of money! The problem is I don't have access to it. Besides, you know I'll pay you back. Just spot me!"

"If you've got money, why don't you stop at the bank and get cash on your way to the bar? Problem solved," Shawn answered, holding firm.

"We don't have time!" Kendall cried out, "we made a reservation at the restaurant. They'll keep our deposit, and we'll lose our spot if I make us late! Please, Shawn. They'll be here to pick me up soon. Just this once!"

Shawn couldn't find it in himself to bail her out. He wasn't willing to put anything in front of this new game. This tournament was important to him, and he took fighting games seriously. He didn't doubt that Kendall would pay him back, but he didn't know when he could expect the funds, and his friends would all be expecting him at launch.

"Sorry, but I don't have it," he responded dryly.

"Seriously?" Kendall replied with crossed arms and a fed-up expression.

"Yup," Shawn said with his eyes glued to the TV, refusing to budge.

Kendall suddenly unfolded her arms and dropped her wallet on the table, grabbing the second controller as she flopped onto the couch next to Shawn.

"The hell are you doing?" He asked as she scrunched herself next to him, interrupting his match.

"Fine," she said with a fearsome look, "let's play for it."

"Play for what?" Shawn asked.

"The money you have that you won't spot me, jerk!" Kendall shouted with a competitive smirk, "if I beat you, you spot me. Deal?"

Shawn didn't know how to respond at first. He knew Kendall was formidable but not unbeatable. He questioned whether or not he should risk losing out on something this important to him.

"What's it gonna be, pussy?" She said mockingly to his face, knowing that Shawn never backed down from a challenge, and he hated it when she called him that.

Kendall pulled out all the stops to get this money, and Shawn took the bate. He aggressively backed out of his multiplayer menu and had the versus screen up in mere fractions of a second.

"You're on," he said coldly, determined to crush her.

Kendall smiled, biting her lip in anticipation of what could turn out to be the most weighted fight between them in years. Then, with stakes set, they gripped their controllers.

Shawn chose his most used character. He knew every combo and their spacing against every opponent. He was incredibly dangerous with this character and had won many tournaments with them over the years. Kendall quickly scrolled over to her favorite fighter, whom she had been working so hard on while Shawn wasn't paying attention. He had no idea that she spent hours and hours practicing while he worked in his room during the day.

As the loading screen ticked, the adrenaline set in. Shawn and Kendall knew it was all or nothing as soon as their characters hit the TV screen. Reflex was everything here.

"Wait," Shawn said calmly.

Kendall looked at him in surprise, not expecting any talking so close to the mayhem moments away from ensuing.

"What's in it for me?" He asked with a confused face, "I beat you, and I get to keep the money that already belongs to me. So what?"

Kendall hadn't thought this wager all the way through. He was right. Shawn had virtually no incentive to win aside from holding it over her head that he was better than her at the game. Kendall needed to win this fight, or she couldn't go out and enjoy her last weekend off. Her ego wouldn't allow her to ask her friends to spot her. Her mind raced as she silently scrambled to think of something that mattered to him. Then it hit her.

A wicked smile crept across Kendall's face as she looked at Shawn provocatively.

"Fine. I'll kiss you," Kendall said, flicking her eyebrow up.

Shawn nearly broke his neck, looking at her. His eyes wandered down to her soft lips. His mouth dried up as he looked into her eyes while she delicately bit her lower lip and smiled at him. It drove him mad. What was she thinking about right now? Was this some joke to tease him?

Their moment was swiftly interrupted as the sound of their characters exchanging fearsome dialogue on the screen pulled them back into the fight. Less than five seconds to go, but Shawn needed to know what she meant. He had to ask.

"What do you mean kiss? Like on the li-" Shawn mumbled but was interrupted as Kendall's reflexes launched her into battle, giving her the first full combo of the fight.

"Oh, fuck off!" Shawn grunted as he frantically began mashing his controller to recover and overtake her.

Kendall couldn't help but smile as she pondered the weight of what she had just instigated. The familiar heat in her chest that she had been trying so hard to ignore was now exposing itself with reckless abandon. Their battle wasn't gambling anymore. She realized she would get what she wanted no matter who won as her mind shadowed the thought of their lips touching. The strange friction that had been forming between them was officially sparking.

The fight evened out in the blink of an eye as Shawn pulled out his most proven tactics. Years of experience fighting against some of the most skilled players online turned him into a death machine in this game. Shawn successfully overtakes Kendall in the first round, securing his first win. However, this battle was best two out of three, and Kendall's confidence did not waver. In the calm of her mind, she stayed intensely focused on beating her brother.

The next round goes very differently. Shawn gets the jump on her, but Kendall begins to learn the spacing of his combos. As a result, she stays calm, skillfully bating and punishing him accordingly. Kendall wins this fight by a landslide. Shawn now feels the pressure as she smirks spitefully at him in victory.

"Practicing your setup combos, indeed..." He scoffed sorely, trying to summon everything he could remember about her character's weaknesses.

Final round. Shawn rolls his neck and shoulders in preparation while Kendall adjusts her seating position and squeezes her controller. The intensity of the fight is almost palpable. The energy in the living room is heavy enough to have a gravitational pull as buttons click at the speed of light, and human brains send electrical signals to thumbs on overdrive. This last fight would settle their bet.

The fight stays even as both characters approach their last speck of health. Neither one will survive another full combo. Whoever connects the next hit takes it. Shawn blocks a flying kick and attempts to end the fight with the opening, but Kendall is too fast and anticipates his greed. Her reflexes are almost scary as she backs away with precisely enough space to make Shawn whiff his first hit. She punishes with a final uppercut, beating her brother a second time and claiming victory. Shawn's controller slips from his hands and hits the floor as he sits there, frozen in disbelief.

"Yes!" Kendall parades, dropping her controller and standing up victoriously as Shawn falls back against the couch.

He couldn't believe he had lost to her. He thought the opening she gave him would have cost her the fight, but she was one step ahead of him the entire time. The worst part about it was that Shawn had always taught Kendall not to be greedy in fighting games. He would have won had he listened to his own advice.

"On my dresser..." he said brokenly, seeing the tournament fade from his mind.

"That's what you get for being greedy!" Kendall sang in bliss as she went upstairs to his room to collect her winnings.

Shawn sat there, melted into the couch as his head fell backward. He stared at the ceiling and couldn't stop thinking about what Kendall had said right before the fight started and the look she gave him. Her mention of the kiss was far more important to him than losing his cash. What was she thinking by saying such a thing? She must have been messing with him. He thought there was no way she had intended to plant a real kiss on his mouth. It couldn't have been more than a harmless peck on the cheek. He began rationalizing the exchange, and soon his mind dismissed it entirely. It didn't matter anyways. He lost.

As Kendall entered Shawn's room, her eyes instantly located his wallet on his dresser, just as he said. She didn't bother counting what was there and took what was left, assuming it would be plenty. Kendall suddenly noticed his laptop sitting on his bed. Her mind couldn't help but recall what she saw on it and the fight they had because of it. Brief ideas of sneaking another look entered her mind, but she shook her head and left the room, knowing it was a bad idea. Despite her curiosity gnawing away at her, she had no desire to upset her brother like that again.

Shawn could hear Kendall's footsteps approaching as she tucked the last of his cash into her wallet.

"Hey, don't feel so bad," she empathized sarcastically, "I won't tell anyone you got beat by a girl."

"Whatever," Shawn groaned, "as if I care about some stupid kiss on the cheek anyways," he finished with a smug tone, trying his best to sound like he wasn't hoping for an actual kiss.

His smugness was quickly replaced by shock as Kendall suddenly loomed over him without warning. Their faces were so close their noses almost touched. He could feel her chest against his as she rested her forearms on the back of the couch with his head between them. The smell of her hair and perfume overtook his senses.

"Hey," she spoke softly.

"Hey...?" Shawn mumbled nervously, glancing at her lips, feeling her warm breath on his face.

"Thanks for spotting me. I love you," Kendall whispered as she pressed herself into him, planting a real kiss on his lips.

She pulled away with a loud smooch but kept her face close to his. Kendall curled her lips in, tasting her first kiss with her brother, curiously analyzing his expression. Shawn was filled with butterflies as the dumbest grin crept across his face. His goofy expression made Kendall smile and giggle as she stole another small peck from his lips before standing up and gathering her things.

"Shit! They're here. I'll see you when I get home! Don't forget to wait up for me!" She called out as she grabbed her things and immediately headed out the front door.

Shawn was still paralyzed on the couch as his brain struggled to process the kiss, like shooting a firehose into an eye drop container. He could still taste her lips and feel her body against him. What was this feeling? His heart raced, and his lips tingled as he sat up and returned to the real world. No kiss had ever made him feel this way before.

"Did she just..." He began muttering to himself in disbelief.

His thoughts were swiftly interrupted as he heard the front door swing open again. Shawn jolted and turned around as the sound caught him off guard, seeing Kendall reaching into the house and grabbing her phone from the table next to the door.

"Might be a good idea to take my phone..." She said with an embarrassed look.

Shawn stared at her without saying anything, still in disbelief.

"What?" Kendall asked with a smile slowly forming on her face.

"Nothing," Shawn answered with a slight smirk, "have fun, ya weirdo."

Kendall gave a reassuring wave as she shut the door and went to her friend's car. But, as she squeezed into the vehicle packed full of girls ready for a crazy night out, her mind remained fixated on the kiss they had just shared. Her friends were blasting music and cheering as they pulled out of the driveway, but Kendall zoned out and remained silent. Nothing else mattered to her right now. Instead, everything around her turned into muffled sounds and blurred shapes. Her heartbeat filled her ears like it was trying to escape her chest.

She slowly raised her hand to her mouth as her fingertips touched her bottom lip. A smile grew on her face, and her heart pounded. Kendall had fully intended their kiss to be a harmless peck, but the growing warmth in her chest told her it was more than that. Kendall couldn't recall the last time a kiss made her feel this way. What had she just done, and more importantly, was it okay?

"Why the dumb look?" A voice called out over the loud music.

It was Grace, one of Kendall's closest friends for many years. Grace was raising her sunglasses and smiling from the front passenger seat.

"Nothing! It's nothing," Kendall answered, snapping out of it.

"Whatever you say, babe," Grace responded, "I know that look when I see it."

She winked at Kendall and turned back around, dialing the music louder. All the girls in the car began to howl as they merged onto the main road. Kendall told herself then and there that she would not let this be the only thing she thought about for the rest of the night. It was a harmless kiss, after all. There was no need to overthink it. She howled with her friends, ready to enjoy her last weekend off.