Step Sister with Benefits Ch. 02-03

"Yes dear, your father and I have always been so proud of how well you two get along."

"Let me finish mom. Well, we have discovered that there is more to our relationship than being step-brother and sister and being best friends."

Ben Sr. and Sherry got a concerned look on their faces as Ben then told them, "Mom, Dad, Claire, and I have, um, uh, been dating for almost a year now."

The proverbial cat was now out of the bag and there was no taking it back now. Ben Sr. and Sherry sat there with a stunned look on their faces, not knowing what to say or how to react, hoping this was some joke their children were playing on them.

Ben Sr. then said, "I knew it. I knew something was going on but I never thought it was true."

"You suspected something but never told me?" Sherry asked.

"I wasn't going to say anything based upon some suspicion I had. I didn't want to upset you."

Ben Sr. and Sherry then stared at Ben and Claire; they were speechless.

Claire then told them, "There was no easy way to tell you but Ben and I truly love each other. There's no denying the feelings we have for each other."

"That's right. We thought about this a lot and we wanted you to know," Ben said.

Sherry then tersely asked, "I guess this means you two are having sex."

There was an awkward silence with Ben and Claire simply nodding to acknowledge the obvious.

"So what do you expect from us?" Ben Sr. asked.

Ben replied, "We want your understanding and blessing."

"You just dropped a bomb on your mother and me. Let us digest this and let's talk further. I don't even know what to say right now," Ben Sr. said.

Sherry then chimed in, "I can't believe this was going on right under our noses in our own house and we didn't know. I can't tell you how upsetting this is."

"We needed time to figure things out ourselves, mom. It's not like we planned for this to happen. You should be happy we found someone that we love" Claire responded.

"I'm sorry, Claire. I can't be happy about this right now. I just can't. Your father and I need time as he said. We need to talk. I don't know what to think right now."

"That sounds fair," Claire said, "We didn't want you to find out some other way. We wanted to talk to you directly."

"We appreciate that Claire. It's still a surprise," Ben Sr. replied.

Claire and Ben excused themselves so they could go socialize with friends. They promised to keep their relationship under wraps until they could talk further as a family. There was an agreement that Claire and Ben wouldn't have sex in their parent's house. Their parents knew it was impossible to keep them apart while they were at work but needed time to process what they had just revealed.

No one got any sleep that night. Ben Sr. and Sherry talked late into the night and again that morning. They acknowledged to each other that when they first got married they casually discussed that it might be possible that Ben Jr. and Claire might develop an intimate relationship but there were no indications to them that it had actually occurred so they were still taken by surprise. They also recognized that seeing they weren't related by blood, there was nothing wrong with what Ben and Claire were doing. It was still difficult to process. They told Ben and Claire they wanted to have another discussion after dinner. Ben and Claire were anxious about what may happen but they were prepared for whatever might occur.

During the discussion, Ben Sr. and Sherry told their step-children that they were happy that they both found someone that they love. They cautioned that they were still young and encouraged them to explore other people before deciding that they should spend the rest of their lives together. That was too big a commitment to make while they were still in college but they realized that was a decision for Ben and Claire to make. They loved them and would continue to support and advise them the best they could. Ben and Claire were so relieved. It was like a huge weight had been lifted off their shoulders. However, there was one more matter to clarify, the subject of sex needed to be addressed.

Ben Sr. plainly stated, "We know it is impossible to keep you two from having sex while you are home for the summer. Your mother and I work all day and have our own social lives too. We want you to be very discreet."

He then put it in very succinct terms, "You don't want to see, hear or know about when your mother and I are having sex and we don't want to know about you either."

Ben and Claire couldn't help but snicker and Ben replied, "You made a darn good point, dad. You have our word on that."

With that out of the way, the only thing left to decide is what Ben and Claire would do with living arrangements in the fall. Ben was going to transfer to the same school as Claire and move into her apartment but they agreed to have separate rooms. While it would add to the cost burden each would face, it would also provide for them to have some of their own space.

Epilogue

Like any normal couple, Ben and Claire had their ups and downs over the years but they remained together. While living together in separate bedrooms provided them with some sense of privacy, more often than not, they slept together in the same bed even when they weren't having sex. Every couple has their fights and Claire and Ben almost broke up at one point but in the end, they realized it was one of the many challenges they would face in life and they would rather face them together.

Their parents felt better about their step-siblings having a serious relationship as time went on. After the initial shock, they witnessed how much Ben and Claire truly loved one another. It became a source of pride and they knew that their partners were raised to be decent loving people because they raised them themselves.

Claire got a job with a local startup after graduation and went on to get her Master's degree. Ben graduated a year later and joined an accounting firm while getting his Master's degree. They are planning to get married next year.