The Twin Sister Solution

Aiden was perhaps one-quarter done when Vee came downstairs, followed very shortly by Tam. He was not surprised to find that they each were wearing one of his old shirts, in addition to baggy pajama bottoms. Vee went to get the sweeper, while Tam began by taking out the existing trash which was already full before coming back and helping her brother directly. None of them spoke but worked in almost perfect harmony. They were done in only fifteen minutes.

"It isn't right," Vee said, as they stood there looking at the clean downstairs. "It feels like we just cleaned up the last parts of him."

"I keep thinking he's going to come downstairs and tell us to go to bed and stop keeping him awake," Tam noted.

"He's proud of you guys," Aiden said, with confidence that surprised even him. "He told me so on our calls. You were...are his girls. I think he's still watching over you."

"What about you?" Vee said.

"He doesn't want to know the sort of things I get up to at school," Aiden said, finally cracking a smile and winking at her. Both Tam and Vee rolled their eyes, but they smiled too. All three went upstairs.

As Aiden went to his room and got changed for bed, he considered what had happened, and what role he had to play in the future. He felt with sudden certainty that the family would be all right, so long as they remained present in each other's lives. He knew that needed some space to deal with his inappropriate feelings, but he could never leave his sisters or his mother behind. He was sliding into bed, dead tired, when he stopped. There was one thing he could do that might make his sisters feel better.

Aiden stood back up and padded down the hall. He came to Vee's door and knocked.

"Come in," Vee's voice answered shakily.

Aiden opened the door and entered, quietly. Tam sat on the bed facing Vee, who was already under the covers. Tam, of course, had her own room, but it wasn't surprising that she was talking to Vee.

"I just wanted to, um, check on you guys before I went to bed," Aiden said, unsure of what the correct way to do this was. He knew that, whether they were awake or asleep, their father always checked on his girls before he went to bed. He never barged in, always knocked first, and respected a closed or locked door.

"You didn't have to," Vee said, but she had a small smile of relief, really just an upturn at the corner of her lips.

Tam just stared at him for a moment, eyes divided between pure sorrow and an intensity which Aiden told himself he was not familiar.

"Thank you, Aiden," Tam said. "Y-you're not gonna leave us, right?"

"Tam," Vee said, softly.

"No," Aiden said, more calmly than he felt. Every part of him was torn. He wanted to reassure her, hug her, go to her. He wanted to tell Tam that he couldn't abandon either of them, that they were his life. He wanted to tell them that he loved them and then kiss them. He wanted to make love to one of them while the other urged him on.

Nothing had changed. He wanted all the things that he couldn't have, that would destroy what was left of his shattered family. Instead of doing those things, he leaned down and hugged Tam, and then Vee as she sat up. Then, he stood up again, said good night, and went to bed.

* * *

Aiden woke up, sensing people entering his room. His eyes fluttered open, and he immediately noticed his sisters standing in the shadows at his doorway. He looked at the dim light of his clock, which told him that it was three am. Thankfully, neither of them had turned the light in his room on.

"What is it?" He asked groggily.

"We can't sleep," Vee answered for both of them. Tam just nodded.

"Do you want me to make you some tea or something? Do you need to talk?"

"No. We just...we need to sleep with you," Tam said. "Just for tonight," she added, after a moment.

Aiden almost panicked before he understood Tam's actual meaning. He hesitated, and opened his mouth to object, but Vee spoke again.

"Please," was all she said. She was so vulnerable and plaintive. They both were.

"All right," Aiden said, nodding. As each one slid under the sheets on either side of his bed, Tam to the left, Vee to the right, he felt something shift inside of him. They were so close, now. Tam settled in on the left side of his chest, sighing, and Aiden let his arm settle naturally on her back. Vee hesitated, but then mirrored her sister on his right. Aiden felt his cock surge to hardness, and it took all his will not to allow his hands to wander lower, down to Vee's tight ass or higher, seizing Tam by her hair and drawing her in for a kiss. He could almost feel his father's judgmental gaze, but the proximity of death seemed to sharpen his desire.

With great effort, Aiden closed his eyes and took one deep breath after another, counted backwards from one-hundred, and calmed himself. His sisters must have been even more exhausted than he had been, for they were each sound asleep by the time he reached zero.

Aiden thought that perhaps he would find sleep impossible that night, but soon he joined his sisters. He woke to the gray light of the cold dawn, and yet again, felt watched. To his shock, his mother stood at the door, eyes wide, still dressed in her simple white bathrobe. She had clearly just gotten up. Although he had done nothing wrong, and his sisters were in his bed by their own volition, he felt a surge of guilt and shame. He expected his mother to ask, no, to demand what was going on in this room.

Instead, she met eyes with her son and smiled, sadly, before walking down the hall softly. Aiden let out a sigh. His mother understood what had happened. His sisters had come to him for comfort, and he had provided it. Despite what he may have wanted, nothing else had happened. He heard a yawn from his right, and looked to find Vee's eyes meeting his.

"Good morning," Vee said, with the faintest of smiles.

"Morning," Aiden said, as casually as possible. Vee's hand, which had been resting on his chest under the blanket, drifted down to his stomach. Again, Aiden's body betrayed him, but Vee didn't seem to notice the steadily increasing tent under the sheets. Vee leaned in and kissed him, mostly on the cheek, but a little on the corner of his lips, an obvious accident. Aiden's breath still caught.

"What was that for?" Aiden asked.

"For being such a good brother," Tam answered, from his left. "Neither of us had been sleeping well. Last night..."

"...was wonderful," Vee continued. "I felt safe and protected and I slept so well."

"Me too," Tam said.

As if by some shared signal, the twins began to get up, sliding away from their brother. He felt a sense of loss at their welcome warmth disappearing, but he also felt relief. He had not done anything that would hurt them, or shame himself.

"We're going to go help Mom with breakfast," Tam said.

"But you should sleep in until it's done. You've done enough," Vee added.

Then they were gone.

* * *

Aiden stayed for another week before returning to his studies. He had considered dropping the rest of the semester, but neither his mother nor his sisters wanted him to do that. His father wouldn't have wanted his studies to be interrupted, either. Soon, he was distracted by school-work and friends, and his attraction didn't seem to be quite as severe or important as it once did. But still, it lurked there, in the back of his mind, ready to come out at the worst of times. He resolved to keep himself physically distant from Tam and Vee until he no longer thought he was dangerous to them.

Now - A Walk and a Tree

They moved quickly. To Aiden's amusement, Tam and Vee wouldn't let him lead. They set the pace, and it was fairly quick. In less than two hours, they had reached the camp site. It was little different than it was on any given year. A tree had fallen nearby, but other than that the stream still bubbled by a short walk away, the hills still rose, and the trees still rustled in the cool breeze.

Aiden pulled out the tarp and again found himself following as Vee walked him through how to set up the tent. Although it had been around a while, the style was new to him so it made sense for her to guide him. He was impressed and a little amused at how easily Vee switched into the role of leader and teacher.

"Wh-what are you smiling at?" Vee said, at one point.

"You. You're become a good leader."

"I've always been a good leader," Vee said, with mock arrogance. Tam snorted.

"Yeah, maybe I've just been too self-involved to notice," Aiden said, thinking of all the time he had spent worrying about his feelings towards his little sisters rather than actually just being with them, and paying attention.

"Hey, I was joking," Vee said, before adding a little more softly, "Thank you, by the way. That was a lovely thing to say."

Tam, who had been setting up the rest of the camp and gathering wood for the fire later that evening, walked over.

"You guys ready?" Tam asked.

"Ready for what?" Aiden responded. He had assumed that they had wanted to hit the trail but didn't know where.

"We always do this walk the first day, remember?" Vee asked. And Aiden did remember. Every year on the first day the twins and their father had taken the first walk together. Aiden suspected it was originally intended to wear the energetic girls out, but as the years went past, it had become a tradition. While the others hiked, Aiden and his mother usually helped set up camp and then he took a nap, grateful for a bit of silence during the afternoons.

"You guys sure you want me to go with you?" Aiden asked. He was not opposed to it, not at all, but he did not want to intrude on what had become over the years something special between the three of them. Especially not this soon after Dad had died.

"Yes," Tam and Vee answered together, before Vee continued. "We want you to come with us. It was a wonderful tradition and we don't want it to end. We think Dad would have wanted you to take his place, to carry it on. Assuming you want to go?"

Aiden smiled, before picking up his lighter day pack, holding just essentials for the quicker trip. The rest would be left secured at camp.

"Sure thing, brats. Lead on."

* * *

And the twins had to lead, as Aiden had no idea where they were headed. They went slower than they had that morning, taking the time to savor the afternoon. They pointed out flowers and trees, as well as stopped to enjoy two lookout points on the low ridge that the trail followed.

Also, of course, they argued. It wasn't much of a surprise to hear Tam and Vee disagree about something. They were very different, and their arguments were frequent, but not very intense. The subject was the part of the conversation that Aiden found unusual, and, if he was honest with himself, a bit disquieting.

"I'm telling you, engagement and wedding rings aren't worth it," Tam said, pressing her point hard. "And since the cost is already crazy, the idea of one person bearing it is just so unfair."

"Hmm, no. It's tradition," Vee said, curtly.

"For fucks sake, Vee, how many guys have we seen go broke on a ring for someone and then they just break up or divorce inside of a year. No one ever gets that money back. And it's all for a piece of metal with a shiny rock on it, that's it."

"A ring is supposed to cost two month's salary. I don't make the rules, that's just how it is."

"What are you, a DeBeers commercial? Come on, that whole industry is a scam."

"N-no it isn't! I mean, yes it's greedy, but it's a concrete form of commitment. It shows real devotion. Come on, Aiden, back me up, here!"

Aiden looked at Vee. Her earnestness made her even more cute, but he had to disagree.

"I'm with Tam," he said, finally.

"Yeah!" Tam said, with a little more smugness than was strictly necessary.

"I mean, look, Vee," Aiden said. "If someone wanted to spend two-month's salary on you, would you rather have an expensive hunk of rock on your finger or take a trip somewhere really special to make memories with them?"

Vee stopped and for a moment looked very thoughtful. She shared a long, meaningful glance with Tam and then said: "All right. I think that would be just as good. But we're talking about a romantic trip, right? Not just like a vacation with drinking and partying."

"Partying can be romantic," Tam said. Vee rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, and when you end up fucking some random stranger instead of...of the man you're supposed to be there with, how romantic will that be?"

"Hey, I've never done anything like that! I'd never cheat on...on someone."

"You've made some pretty sketchy decisions when you're drunk," Vee pointed out. "Remember when you made out with Steve?"

Tam was looking like she was about to blow a gasket. It wasn't like the twins to fight, but when they did, it could be pretty intense. Aiden wanted to avoid that at all costs.

"Hey guys, can you bring it down a few notches," he said. "I think Dad would like it if we were, you know, getting along."

At their father's mention, both of the twins had the decency to look abashed. Aiden knew it was a dirty trick, but this walk was their way of honoring him, so it made sense. After a moment, something occurred to him.

"Wait. Tam, did you make out with Steve Conrad?"

Vee's snarky chuckle indicated that Aiden and guessed correctly.

"Goddammit, Vee," Tam swore softly. "I'm sorry, Aiden. It was like once, and yeah I had been doing Jãger shots and then things got a little wild and I made out with him on the couch. I stopped him when he tried to feel me up. That's as far as it went, I swear. I never really wanted you to find out."

Aiden stopped walking, a little shocked by Tam's vehemence. He would never want either of his sisters, or indeed anyone he cared about, to make out with Steve Conrad because Steve Conrad was a dick, but he never thought that Tam owed him an apology. For just a moment, Aiden seemed to see a pattern in the conversation that day, and in his sister's behavior in general. Then, intentionally or not, Vee distracted them.

"We're here," Vee said. "That's the tree."

At first Aiden couldn't see what was so special about it. It was an old oak, but not much distinguished it from other trees, then he realized that he was looking in the wrong place. There, towards the bottom, we're carvings in the bark. Not large enough to cause it any particular issues, but clear. Each set of markings included three letters and a date. The three letters were always the same: "T, V, & D"

"Tamara, Veronika, and Dad," Aiden said to himself, understanding the significance now. "So you guys came here every year?"

"Yeah," Tam said. "When we were little we looked forward to it. It was a secret. We never told Mom or you about it because it just belonged to us."

"Then after we'd mark it, we'd go a little bit farther down the path," Vee said, with a small hitch in her voice. "There's a rock that's like a bench that overlooks the river down in the ravine. We'd eat lunch there and watch the water and we just talked about things."

Aiden understood. He thought back to the hikes he would take with his mother when he was younger, and she'd show him all the flowers and insects and teach them their names and what they did. It wasn't really a secret, but it was something that she had only really done with him, so it was special.

"You guys should mark it this year, too," Aiden said. "Dad would want that I think."

"Okay," Vee said, smiling a little even though her eyes were clearly wet. "But you have to mark it with us."

"Yeah," Tam added. "Dad would understand. He knows we need to be close now."

"All right," Aiden said. He felt a little bit of tightness in his chest at the idea of taking something over from his father, but at the same time it felt right. It was confusing, much like the entire trip.

First Tamara carved a "T", then Veronika carved a "V", and finally, Aiden left his own initial. The three then stood there, arms around each other, looking at the many markings over the years. They did not speak. Aiden did not need to look to know that his sisters were both silently crying, as he was as well. For just a moment, he let his mind wander. Then he felt as though he were not in the woods, but in a chapel, and that the women he held were his brides, rather than his sisters. For that moment, in the late afternoon sun, he was content.

Naturally, Aiden's body betrayed him. He realized how close his sisters were to him, how they pressed their bodies into him from either side. His hands rested naturally on their waists, so close to where he wanted them to be. All he would need to do is shift them up or down, or simply tighten his grip and pull them into him.

Vee and Tam, as if responding to his thoughts leaned into their brother, and without meaning to, he made a noise, deep in his chest, something between a groan and a growl. It was very soft, but it was primal and both of his sisters withdrew from the hug. For a moment all stood there, awkward and silent.

"Thank you for coming," Vee said, breaking the silence and the oppressive mood that had suddenly fallen upon the three.

Aiden sighed.

"Yeah. Thank you for inviting me. I know this is special for you. I'm glad I could be here."

Tam hit him lightly on the arm.

"All right, enough of the feelings. Let's get back to camp. I'm hungry and its too fucking early to be crying already."

Now - The Storm

Aiden was lost in his own thoughts as they walked back to camp, or he would have noticed it too.

"That breeze is nice," Vee said.

"It feels good, but..." Tam trailed off, trying to see the sky through the thick summer canopy of leaves. That brought Aiden back to the present. A nice cool breeze could mean nothing in particular, but this close to the mountains it could also mean a pretty severe thunderstorm. There hadn't been anything in the weather forecast about that, but they were often inaccurate, especially in locations like this.

"If I take the trail up to the ridgeline real quick to look at the sky, would you guys mind getting back to camp and squaring things away? I think most everything is secure but no sense taking chances."

"Sure thing," Tam agreed.

"Don't take too long, Aiden," Vee added. "It can get bad out here pretty quickly."

* * *

Aiden walked up the trail alone, distracted but aware of the early afternoon quickly darkening to a dim gray. He had wanted to get a better look at the sky in case a storm was coming, but he needed time to think, and the fact that his sisters hadn't objected much to him going off on his own told him that they knew that something was off, too.

Aiden had been trying his best to keep things light and innocent, but the walk to the tree had shown him that he wasn't in control of the situation. Tam and Vee must suspect him. They had to have felt how he stiffened up when they had hugged him.

God, it felt so right to hold both of them like that. They melted against him. It must have been his imagination, but for a moment, it seemed like Tam had parted her legs and ground ever so slightly against him, while Vee pushed her upper body into his chest. It was like a fantasy come true. He had come perilously close to kissing the latter.

Aiden rolled the problem around in his head, but by the time he reached the ridge line he had not come up with any brilliant solutions. There was only one thing to do. He had to tell them everything, and ruin the trip. There wasn't any other way out.

They wouldn't hate him. He was sure about that, but they'd probably want to go home. Things wouldn't ever be the same between them, but that was all right. If he couldn't control himself, then...shit.

The view was better here. Aiden could see out over the lake and into the mountains. The height also allowed him to see the bruised deep purple of the storm clouds on the horizon. That was why things were getting darker. A breeze shook the trees around him. It would have been welcome normally, as it was cool and refreshing, but the temperature difference and the way it gusted told Aiden that the inbound weather might be even more severe than it looked.