Shivers Ch. 02 - Moving In

"Getting the blanket to tuck in my brilliant and understanding girlfriend." He stated, trying to pretend that he wasn't still being eaten alive by the guilt of it.

"Okay." Katie said mopingly, and then asked timidly, "Can I also have snacks?"

Right now, she could have anything in the world that she wanted.

He fetched their blanket from the floor beside the bed where it had been tossed, and the obligatory stuffed animal that every girl had to own, before returning to the lounge.

Will tucked the rabbit into her arms, before spreading the blanket over the top of her. He kissed her forehead, and Katie made a faux-whimper, looking at him pleadingly.

He sat down in front of her, "What's up?"

"You didn't kiss me. Properly."

He winced, "Katie. I hurt you."

"Hurting me more by avoiding me." She said with a pathetic look, "I'm sick. Can't you just give me what I want?"

Will gave a deadpan expression, "Isn't that half the reason we're here?"

"No fair." She pouted, "You're supposed to give in. I'm your adorable little sister that you nearly fucked to death. You're not meant to have stubborn big brother willpower right now."

He kissed her, almost as hesitant as their first kiss, but there was no literal thunder to underscore this moment. "I don't think that me, and willpower, arrive in the same sentence as you. Ever."

"I know. I love it." Katie grinned broadly, dropping the act. "Just milking it to see how long until you break. So... Snacks? And put on the pirate movie we used to watch as kids?"

He shook his head at how quickly she seemed to make his head spin. He was capable of feeling the full spectrum of emotions every time she opened her mouth.

"The one with the puppets? Or tentacles?"

"Tentacles. Don't think I'm quite done screaming for today." She said without a hint of sarcasm.

The movie was one that came from Katie's horror phase. Some claymation thing that managed to still be terrifying today despite the laughable animation. It also didn't even feature a pirate, but somehow that was what they'd called it when they were kids and way too young to be watching it.

He didn't remember why.

It was so old that finding a copy today was next to impossible, but he kept a copy around just for her. Something they used to pull out around Christmas time.

He sent the stream from his computer to the TV, tucked the remote into her hands along with the rabbit, and then moved into the kitchen to find snacks, before quickly giving up and grabbing his car keys.

"I won't be long. You going to be okay? Got any specific requests?"

Katie pouted, obviously torn between wanting her comfort food and not wanting to be alone. At length she shrugged, "I dunno. Cookies and milk seem like a bad idea on my stomach right now. How do you not have a giant stash of snacks?"

"Because my girlfriend has a thing for giant stashes of snacks and thinks I don't notice when she sneaks them at midnight."

Katie shrugged, "Not really sneaking. Just trying not to wake you up. If you expect me to feel guilty for eating all your food... We might have a problem."

"Nope." Will shook his head, "I grew up in the same house as you, remember? I know that you can eat. Especially when you're stressed out about something."

She didn't miss his hint. "It's just... Lying to people. I just wish I could come out and tell everyone about us. I want people to be happy for me, but... They'd probably put me in therapy."

"Yeah." There wasn't much he could say about that.

Katie bit her lip, but Will didn't push and she didn't say anything else. So he left to go buy her snacks.

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Exhausted was an understatement, but Katie had been through a few fainting spells in the past. She'd had tests, of course, but it wasn't a concern. She just had a habit of pushing her body to its limits and not paying attention when it was too far.

A couple times she'd passed out at the end of a match. A couple more she'd been exhausted before she tried to show her partner a good time. Same idea, really.

She wasn't surprised she'd overslept following it.

Remembering the first time she'd blacked out, though, and having it come up more than once recently, was enough for Katie to give up hesitating and trying to work out if she really wanted to do something and just do it.

She picked up her phone, knowing that Will was probably going to be pissed she was doing it without talking to him, and called Suzie.

Her friend groggily answered the phone, "Huh? Uh... This is Susan."

"Suze, it's Katie. You still in bed?"

"Kinda." Suzie noisily shifted in bed, "And alone, apparently. Aw. So harsh, I was hoping."

Katie laughed at that, "Suzie. Benders do not get boyfriends."

"Yeah, yeah. Stop criticising. Do you really blame me? You had to go and bring up that crap about Will yesterday."

She winced, feeling her stomach go queasy and her hands sweat, "I... Uh... I wanted to... Talk about that."

"Seriously?" Suzie sounded annoyed, "Yes. I like him. No, I'm not going to date him. I'm sorry I pissed you off by trying, just once!"

"Can you come over? To Will's place?" Katie felt her throat tighten. "I want to talk about it. With both of you."

"Don't go getting my hopes up."

Katie winced, "I won't be. Seriously, don't... Don't expect anything like that."

"You going to tell me what this is about?"

She shivered, "Uh... No. Not anywhere I can't lock the door to stop you from fleeing. I think the conversation will be good, at the end. But you're going to think I'm insane to bring it up. Please?"

"You suck." Suzie shot back and then made an annoyed sound, "Eugh, fine. I've got nothing better to do. You're a hard girl to be friends with sometimes, Katie."

"If it's any consolation, Will is also going to freak when I start talking."

"Yeah, nope."

------------

Will fumbled the grocery bags as he came through the door, "Got some other stuff whilst I was out, and popcorn and..."

He trailed off as he noticed the mood of the room.

"Suzie's here. Why does everyone look like something died? Is it me? Am I a dead man?"

Katie swallowed, "Both of you have to promise not to run."

"What... Is..." Will trailed off as he saw the serious look in her eye and felt like he was about to have a heart attack. She always was impulsive and usually he'd loved it. Recently, at least.

This time, he felt weak at the knees.

"She'll kill me. Or both of us."

Katie grimaced, "Plenty for her, as well, Will. So shut up, and for once in your life keep your fucking mouth shut."

He left the bags by the door and walked over, carefully sitting in the only space available to him, right next to Katie on the couch. Right in the middle of the discomfort zone.

Katie ran a hand through her hair, "I'm doing this. I'm doing this... We're going to start with an admission I made to Will. That you were my first, Suzie."

The brunette blushed, "Oh. That. Yeah..."

"I didn't tell him everything."

Suzie laughed nervously, "Obviously."

"But I want to."

Suzie's face became one of horror. Will didn't get it, but he'd royally screwed up Katie's plans the last time he casually said anything. If she wanted him quiet, he needed to be.

"You're shitting me. Why the fuck...?" Suzie asked, "Katie. This is a bad idea."

Katie shook her head, "It'll make sense. And clear up some awkwardness. Please. Trust me on this."

"Can I leave first? You don't need me for this."

Katie snapped at her friend, "Yes, I do! Shuddup. Sorry. I'm nervous. Will knows that you were sort of my eighteenth birthday present. And that it was the first time I did something with anyone. But he doesn't know why."

"Why?" Will couldn't help himself, "Figured there might have already been something. Sexual tension. Maybe even a kiss or two."

Suzie shook her head, face grim.

"I was in my room, alone, balling my eyes out."

Will looked at his sister in concern, "You were crying on your birthday? I... Don't remember that."

"It was because of you." Katie stated, "You don't remember any of it, probably. But that was the party where you hooked up with Cassie."

"Oh." It was starting to make sense to him.

Suzie winced, "You're really going to tell him... Everything?"

"I was crying... Because I had this stupid fantasy. Something I knew couldn't happen. Not ever." Katie breathed raggedly, "Suzie found me. You were too distracted with someone's tongue down your throat to notice the birthday girl run off."

Cassie had been more hands on than just that, from Will's memory. This didn't seem like the time to bring up that he had been in the garage getting head whilst his sister was in tears, though.

"You really are." Suzie ducked behind her own knees.

Katie looked at her hands, "It was... Impossible. Always. But you hooking up made me really realise it. I... Had a crush on you, Will. And I wanted you to be my first. On my eighteenth."

"Fuck." Suzie swore quietly.

Will's hand found Katie's and squeezed gently, "You must have hated me."

She smiled weakly, eyes on Suzie. "Anyway... She found me. And I spilled the whole stupid mess to Suzie. She offered me a... Compromise."

"Let the man take it in, first!" Suzie exclaimed, and then became confused when she noticed that he wasn't actually spiralling from the admission.

Katie shrugged, "Suzie would give me an eighteenth to remember. I'd still lose something on my birthday, it would still be special. But I'd still have my actual first waiting."

"That... Is really sweet." Will said to Suzie, "And... Surprisingly understanding. She did kinda tell you she wanted to fuck her brother... Who had asked you out a few times."

Suzie frowned, "...Yeah. Not like it was news to me, though. She banned me from dating you, and it wasn't in an overprotective little sister way... What the fuck is this, Katie?"

"I told her I had a crush on her. That it was the reason I moved out. To get away from her." Will admitted.

The girl cocked her head, "Is that what happened on the camping trip? You two finally get over your awkward repressed feelings to help each other out? Like get her the hell away from your parents?"

"Sorta, yeah." Will replied.

Katie crushed his hand in her grip, "He's being polite. Because he's as scared as I am. You still like Will, don't you, Suzie?"

"Yes." Suzie groaned, "Yes, I like your brother. The only reason I didn't... Go behind your back... Is because I also like you. Is that what you wanted me to admit? I kind of hate you right now."

"Going to be worse." Katie muttered before taking a deep breath, "I... I didn't tell Will that I used to like him. I teased him about liking me. But... Oh god. I did it, Suzie."

"You two kissed?" Suzie just about exploded, "Wait. Why the fuck are you living together? Doesn't that seem like a super bad idea after you... You didn't just kiss."

Will looked down, ashamed.

Waiting for the rant of judgement, and the threats to bring the world tumbling in on their heads.

Suzie stood up angrily, "Are you two still doing shit? Please, tell me it was a one off. Tell me that you're not fucking your brother, Katie!"

"I love him." She mumbled, right on the edge of tears. "I just... I hoped..."

"Hoped what, that I'd understand?" Suzie said, perplexed, "You were supposed to grow out of that! Supposed to realise I would have made any excuse to have you to myself."

Will's head jerked up as he heard her voice cracking. He hadn't expected that one, even after hearing that the two of them had been together for a while.

He'd sort of expected it was some friends-with-benefits type situation, which made him kind of an asshole. He'd failed to realise that the two of them had probably been intensely romantic.

Except, Katie had been using Suzie to get over him.

And Suzie had been in love with Katie.

And... And maybe him...?

He was confused, now.

"Suzie." Katie said desperately. "Please."

"I... I can't even..." The girl kicked the table, "Fuck's sake! Will. You're too stupid a shit to lie to me. Do you think you actually love Katie? That this isn't some stupid sexual thing?"

"Yes." He didn't hesitate. His heart might be in his throat, he might be terrified of what was about to happen, but he knew one thing. "I love her."

"Ah, fuck." Suzie deflated, "I am not okay with knowing this, Katie. I'm really not. I'm not going to break you up, but you're both fucking stupid. There is no possible way this ends well."

Katie winced, looking up at her, "I... Wanted to say sorry. For keeping him away from you. Stealing him. I knew you liked him, and I... Wrecked every chance I could. I'm a terrible friend."

"Yes, you are!" Suzie yelled, and scratched at her head, "God, fucking damn it. The two of you. Seriously. An item? What is it? Dating? What are you going to do? You can't get married. Really can't have kids."

Katie shrugged, "You know me."

"You haven't even thought about it." Suzie glowered, "Oi. Shitheel. You always spiral. What do you think is going to happen? What if Katie actually gets famous. Everyone is watching. What then?"

Will winced, "I spiral. Doesn't mean I have answers. Right now, having what we have is enough. I don't have any answers. And yes, it is stressing me out. But I'm not giving this up willingly."

The woman paced back and forth, and then turned, "Are you just pretending to sleep on the couch, Katie? Keeping up appearances?"

"No." She went red, "Actually... Eh... I may have passed out in the shower. Usually I'm sleeping in the bed. With Will."

"Too much information. I'm already jealous and angry with the both of you." Suzie snapped, "Even ignoring the fact you two definitely should not be dating... I am the last person you should be talking to. I like you both. Sort of an asshole move to tell me."

"Will didn't know I was going to." Katie insisted, "If you have to be mad, be mad at me. I'm the one who crawled into bed with him. I'm the one who kissed him, and I'm the one who told him to fuck me."

"I'm mad at both of you!" Suzie shouted.

Katie's head fell, and Will squeezed her hand. He resisted reaching around and hugging her, knowing that would end in tears and Suzie leaving to cool off. "I think... I think Katie wants to know if this is it. That you're just going to hate her now, or if she has someone she might... One day... Be able to talk to."

"This is so fucked up." Suzie rubbed at her head, and then walked over and dropped back into the chair, "Will, if you ever hurt this girl, I am coming for you. And I will be coming with a big ass knife and I will literally feed your balls to you before I kill you. I am not exaggerating."

"Fair." He replied, barely breathing.

Katie sniffled, "Does that mean... You might... Forgive me? One day?"

"No, it means I'll never forgive Will if he fucks this fucking fucked up fuckshit." Suzie cursed, unable to find the words. "Right now... I don't know what I feel. I don't know if I hate you Katie, because I... Don't even know if I'm awake. This is going to take some time."

Katie nodded silently, "Can... Can I hug him? Hide?"

Suzie rolled her jaw, and shrugged, "Fine. I already know stuff. There's no real point hiding any of it now."

The girl shoved her face into Will's chest, and crawled into his lap before grabbing the blanket and yanking it up over her. The sound of frightened tears emerged from the bundle, as he gently put his arms around it and began to rub her back.

All the while, acutely aware that Suzie was staring death daggers at him.

He had not a clue why Katie had decided the moment to do this was now, right after she'd been sick and a few days before they had planned to have their dating getaway to the city.

She never really did think through her moment. She just reacted. If she decided she wanted something, then she immediately felt the need to follow through with it.

He could really have used a heads up that she was going to call Suzie over and just explain... Everything.

"Well. Not the way I expected this to go after I told Katie that you and I did not sleep with each other." Will said, not knowing what to say in this awkward space.

Suzie rolled her eyes, "Yeah. Opportunity fucking missed."

"Do I get to ask... What happened? Or is death still on the table?"

The woman laughed bitterly, "Ah, what the hell. You're too stupid to figure it out on your own. I burst into tears because I felt like I was cheating on Katie. Even though we'd broken up and she made it clear she wanted guys. Specifically, you. But guys."

"So you like her more than me."

Suzie laughed, "Wow. That's your takeaway? You're still an idiot, Will. I was upset because I couldn't choose, and I wanted to. And my life was shit. And I felt like I was about to fuck it all up, worse."

"For what it is worth, Katie teases me about liking you."

"Do not say that." Suzie glared at him, "Not right after admitting you are fucking your sister."

A timid head looked up at him from inside the blanket, "You're not completely stupid."

"Only mostly. But you have been dropping so many hints." Will shrugged, "Still not sure. And now is not the time."

The brunette frowned, "What the fuck are you two gossiping about? Katie. Don't make me drag it out of you."

"We're going away." Katie said, turning around and emerging from the blanket, but staying in his lap and arms. "Before my upcoming match."

"You're eloping?"

"What? No." Katie shook her head, "I still want my tennis career, Suzie. I'm not giving up my life for him. I'm sharing it. We're just going somewhere people don't know us, so we can... Do stuff. Romantic stuff. And yes, sex stuff, too. Fantasies."

"Don't want to know."

Katie smiled coyly, "Yeah, you do. You're just mad at me. But... You've got as many problems talking about sex as I do. And you're really dying to ask me how good Will was, but don't want to seem like you approve."

"I am mad at you." Suzie admitted to part of it.

Will decided to step in, "Why don't we take this slow, then? Katie is a damned dream, isn't she? That cat arch thing she does. When she... Does."

"Will. Don't." Suzie said, going bright red and clearly remembering it.

He laughed at her, "Just about breaks my neck. No idea how you managed it over time. But you always were more fit than I am."

"Oh for... You two aren't going to let me leave until I admit that it's a turn-on, are you?" Suzie glared at the pair of them, "Fine. I disapprove of you. It also fucking hot and probably going to haunt my dreams. My two crushes, in a forbidden relationship. Yeah. Fucking hot. Fucking wrong."

Katie glanced at Will, asking for permission.

"I did say it isn't the right time, yet."

She glared at him, crossing her arms, but sighed, "Fine. If you really want to take off, Suzie. You can. I just... I hated keeping it from you. Lying to you."

Suzie seemed like she'd remembered something, "You called Will an inconvenient ass and then hung up on me the other day. Do I want to know?"

"I came home, saw her on the phone and..." Will shrugged, "In my defence, she was dressed very sexily."

"A hoodie and panties." Katie said sarcastically, and then shrugged sheepishly, "Yeah. He's not bad with his tongue, so long as he isn't actually speaking."

Suzie stood up, putting a hand up, "Hot. Not today. I'm going home. I will... Just give me time. Don't call me. Don't text me. Give me some space to process this."

"Okay." Katie choked, as her best friend walked away from the both of them and out the door.

Will fell sideways onto the couch, dragging Katie down with him into a tight cuddle. She drew the blanket up over them and re-positioned to bury her head in his chest. "Sorry."

"So, just to be absolutely clear about this, Katie." Will said slowly, "I'm fine with you telling Suzie, now. As to you wanting to turn us into a threesome? I don't know. I don't feel that way about her. And I don't know if she can... Take it. Psychologically speaking. Especially if I don't love her back."