by Olga Menson
"About our relationship. That we've been...fucking.
"Holy shit, Ath. How did that happen?"
Dad was confused about what you did, and Mom started asking me pointed questions about me leading you to make this decision somehow, and I got angry and just told them the truth."
"Ath, you can't...I mean, how could you do that?"
Ath shrugged, and it was so frustratingly graceful that I knew I'd forgive her anything. I was still angry for the moment, however.
"I thought you were going to die, Od. I was sure of it. Mom and Dad were desperately looking for reasons why I made you my medical guardian and why you did what you did without consulting them or me. And I realized something, really very important. I couldn't keep this to myself. "
"Why not?"
I'm sure that Ath could hear the panic in my voice. She smiled and squeezed my hand, which did a lot to relax me.
"Because either you were going to wake up or you weren't. If you didn't, then no-one would understand the ways I was grieving, and if you did, then sooner or later, they'd figure it out. We weren't exactly subtle."
"Yeah, I guess not, but still...will they even forgive me?"
"You? Why would they blame you?"
"Because I'm the oldest, and I should have..."
"Should have what? Lied when I confessed to you? Told the truth and told me to fuck off? Should you have broken my heart?"
"No," I said, after a moment. "I never want to do that."
"Good. Because I think you did the right thing. Mom was worried for about a second that maybe one of us pressured the other, and yeah, she mentioned that you were older and more responsible for what happened, but I shut her down. I told them both that you were not predatory, that you were the kindest and gentlest lover I could have had, and that you respected my wishes just like I did yours."
"Wow. I bet they didn't take that well."
"They didn't, at first. There was a lot of bargaining. They kept telling me that we were making a mistake and that we'd 'grow out of it.' Like it was an obsession with Bionicle or something."
"All right, so...what do I need to do? Should I go out of town for a bit? Do I need to give them time? Do you need time?"
"What I need is time with you, not apart from you. They just kept pushing and pleading and once Dad even threatened to send both of us to therapy. I told our parents in no uncertain terms that they could either accept us as we are, or I wouldn't speak to them again. I also told them that what we were both consensual adults and if they revealed anything about us for any reason, that it would ruin our lives. They became a lot more accepting after that."
"Wow. It's hard to imagine them being okay with this."
"Yeah. I honestly think that their acting weird around you not because they're judging you, but because they don't know how you will react to them knowing. They always saw you as the more sensitive one between us, and maybe even the follower. When you did your stupid hero thing and agreed to the transplant without telling them you really shook them up. I think you being out gave them time to think. They've been asking me more about our long term plans. What we'd do if we could figure out a way to be together safely."
"Long term plans. I like the sound of that."
Athena's only response was a smile.
* *
Six months. It had been six months since I'd seen her. My Athena. My dancer. My everything.
After recovering, she'd gone to the Kilsgaard as she'd wanted. I missed her terribly, but it was the right move for her future. I had to stay behind and finish my own schooling. When our parents suggested that this separation might be 'good for us,' we'd agreed with them, to their surprise. Of course, we made them promise that should we decide to be together once that time was over, that they would accept it. They agreed.
I know that in their regular calls, Ath had been talking with our Mom about the possibility of children. Once Mom did her own research on the genetics of the situation (the likelihood of issues being higher than if we weren't siblings, but still overall quite low), she more or less accepted us completely.
Dad, being Dad, saw that we were happy and behaving like any other healthy young couple in love. Once he was satisfied that we weren't inadvertently causing each other harm, he was pleased that we were happy.
So by the time Athena was ready to come back for her first visit, really, things were strangely fine in my family.
Ath and I had stayed in contact during her absence, of course, and we talked about everything. The spark never left us. We always craved more of each other.
We did a lot of video calls, and Ath insisted on sending me at least one spicy selfie a day. She said it was to remind me who my wife was.
In return, Ath demanded dick pics, which surprised me quite a bit. I was more than happy to provide them. Athena told me quite frankly that they turned her on almost as much as hearing my voice did.
So, on that beautiful morning, almost six months to the day she had left for Sweden, I was waiting for her at the airport. I'd come alone as we wanted our reunion to be just for us. I was standing by the baggage carousel, keeping an eye out for her bags as I felt something small and brunette impact me hard. I reacted quickly, reaching around her, and she lept up into my arms, wrapping her strong legs around me, then kissing me fiercely. When I was allowed to breathe again, I put her down gently.
"Ath...I...wow."
"Yeah. I missed you, Od. So fucking much."
"Same. But you might want to be a little more careful. Someone might know us here."
"It's a big city. What's life without a little risk?"
We kissed again, more slowly this time.
* *
The dinner wasn't awkward, and for the first time, my relationship with my sister wasn't off-limits. It was my Dad who brought it up, oddly enough.
"So, are you still going to Sweden?" He asked me.
"Yeah," I answered. "We talked about it more in the car on the way back. Now that I've graduated, I'm going to live there while she attends school."
"I've got a great little apartment in the town," Ath chimed in. "We'll have to pay a little bit but way less than if we tried to get one on our own." She was always eager to make every part of our relationship look like a good idea, even if it wasn't.
"How will that work? I mean, how will you guys, uh, be together?" Mom asked. Her question wasn't aggressive, just curious.
Ath answered for me. She'd had the idea and had been laying the groundwork for this for some time.
"My friends already know I have a boyfriend that I'm, uh...crazy about. I've explained that we're childhood sweethearts and that Od's gonna come live with me now that he's done with college. I've driven them nuts talking about him. He's going to use James as his name while we're over there, just to keep anything from getting out. Oh, and we're staying off of any social media. Just in case. Hopefully, it won't be a problem."
"You've thought of everything," Mom said, impressed despite herself.
Ath reached out and took my hand.
"We have to, Mom. We're going to do this right. We're going to make it work. We have to be careful for both ourselves and our children when we have them."
Ath spoke quite well for both of us that night.
* *
Our parents showed their final acceptance by what they did later that evening. They went out to see a movie and left us alone after telling us exactly when they would be home.
They wanted to give us time together, but that didn't mean they were ready to catch us in the act. We moved upstairs to my bedroom about thirty seconds after they had left.
"So," I said. "Do you really want kids? Or were you just saying that to bribe Mom?"
"I brought it up to make her start thinking about having grandkids, but...I really want kids. I want your kids, to be specific. What do you think?"
"I think that's the hottest thing I've ever heard. What about your dancing?"
Ath shrugged.
"I've done a
lot of research about it, read about women like me who decided to have children, and keep performing. I...I don't know. I think I want to wait until after school and a few years of performing. I want to travel and tour and make an impact if I can."
"You will. Believe me. I may be biased, but I don't think you'll have any trouble finding work."
"I want you to come with me, of course. That's not even in question. I won't leave you behind. That's part of why I want to wait to have kids. I want to raise them with you. Together, someplace where we can be ourselves. Plus, if you travel with me, you can keep making music for me. I like the idea of that; my brother, lover, and pet composer all rolled up into one."
"Now the true nature of your scheme comes out. It was always about the music."
Ath giggled.
"In a way, I think it was," she said breathily as she crawled over the bed to me. "So, do you want me to set the tempo tonight? Or do you want me to be the melody?"
Her face was inches away from mine now, and I was hard as a rock.
"I think this time, we should improvise. I don't have enough control for formal composition."
Ath made a noise between a laugh and a moan, and we kissed. It was as intense as the first time, except this time, we were both experienced in each other's needs. Her tongue slipped into my mouth as her own eagerness overwhelmed her. She pounced on me, pushing my torso back on my bed, her small hands running over my chest, neck, and even face. She kissed me on my dead eye as tenderly as she could manage before biting me on my neck affectionately.
"Easy there, tiger," I said, chuckling at her intensity.
"I know. I just...I need to feel you and taste you. I've missed you so bad. You don't know how much I've needed you by my side."
I answered by firmly pulling her down on top of me for another kiss. When she pulled free, her look was one of almost uncontrolled hunger.
"Fuck it," she said, standing up. She stripped off her hoody and the tight shirt she was wearing under it, and then her tights and panties. I noted that the latter stuck to her wetness, briefly. It was all so sudden, and yet almost unbearably erotic. I struggled to get my shirt off clumsily, and midway through I felt small hands unbuttoning my jeans and pulling them off, almost harshly.
"I'm sorry, but I can't wait any longer. I've wanted to jump you since you picked me up at the fucking airport."
Then, Athena's compact body was on mine, her mouth on my neck, nipping me, her wet folds sliding over my cock.
"Athena," I groaned. "I missed you so bad."
"Did you miss me? Or did you miss your little sister's tight pussy?"
Ath was panting, but she was grinding her wet heat over me, enjoying the power she had over me.
"Both. God, Athena, please. Please."
Ath met my eyes, and I knew then that she couldn't deny me anything. She wanted me as much or more than I wanted her. As she bit her lip, she positioned my cock with her other hand, and then slowly impaled herself on my member. I groaned, but she cried out.
"Are you...okay?" I barely managed to utter. I had almost cum just from being inside her again.
"Y-yes. I'm good. You always stretch me out, big brother. I almost can't take it. Almost."
"I love it when you talk like that, Ath."
"I know. I know what you want and what you like and what you need. I'm going to reward you for waiting so long for me to come home, Od."
Athena started to move then, to roll and writhe and clench and grip. I don't know what she was doing, not really, but I loved it.
"Jesus, Ath...you...fuck...you waited too."
"I did, but I was the one who went away. I left you behind. I hated doing it, even if we both knew it was the right thing. I...I really need you to come with me. I need you by my side. Forever."
Words ended. Ath rose and fell and loved me as I plunged up, deep inside of her. She gasped and cried and shook, and I knew that she'd cum on my cock more than once. I thumbed her clit until she quaked and begged, and finally, I was on the ragged edge of release.
"I want you to look me in the eye when you cum. I want you to see me when you fill me."
"Oh god, Athena."
"I want you to think about how you're going to get me pregnant. I want you to think about how you're going to fill your little sister with your cum and how she's going to marry you and have your babies."
"Fuck!"
It was too much. I grabbed her hips and pulled down, hard, holding her in place as I thrust up as deeply as I could. I released inside of her, feeling my cum fill her. Athena's body reacted almost primally, her back arching and her body going rigid. She shook as I pumped over and over. Finally, we were both spent, and she leaned back on top of me, kissing my forehead and face.
* *
So I moved, and Athena danced, and then we travelled together. I can walk reasonably well now, without a cane, although I never regained my full sight. She finished school, and now I follow her around from tour to tour, company to company. I can compose virtually anywhere, and we've even worked on some projects together. She's famous, in some circles and I in some others. I never use my face, however, just in case.
We're to marry soon, although it's just a formality, and we're doing it somewhere that doesn't do blood or genetic testing. There won't be many people there, but that's all right. Soon, we're going to start a family. Ath hasn't said that she's ready to stop for a while and have a baby, but I can tell by the way that she looks at other couples with children, and then back at me, that she's close to doing so.
Things still aren't exactly straightforward. I'm worried about people finding out. I'm worried about our children having my condition. I'm worried about being a good father.
I dream of Grandfather often, and he assures me that while things won't ever be easy, Athena and I are strong enough to face the world together. He understands the need to struggle for happiness and for love.
And what is dance, if not struggle made beautiful?
THE END
* * *
Damaged Goods
* * *
Please note that violent abuse is a key part of this work. It is briefly described at the beginning of the story and discussed several times by its characters. If this is something that offends you or especially if this could cause you distress, please skip it.
Thank you, as always, for reading.
* * *
Murder
* * *
I remember very little of that night. My first memory is coming out of my room and seeing dad holding Marilyn's arm. He was dragging her down the hallway. She was crying and trying to resist him but he wouldn't stop. I didn't know where he was taking her or what he would do to her but I feared it instinctively. I had to do something and I found courage in my rage. I loved her. He could hit me if he wanted, but he wouldn't beat her anymore. Ever.
My next memory is standing between dad and her, shouting, telling him that I'd kill him before I'd let him hurt her. I remember being on the ground after that, and feeling more pain than I ever had before. He was over me, bringing his fist down again and again. His eyes were cold and dead. Like a rage-filled corpse. Then I heard mom's voice and he was gone.
The last memory that I have of that night is Marilyn kneeling next to me, holding my hand, telling me that I'd be ok. I tried to get her attention. Tried to get her to run but she wouldn't. She just sat there, crying and trying to make me feel better, telling me all the while that I would be all right. I was sure that I was dying, but in the moment I was amazed at her courage and kindness. I think I fell in love with her then, in an innocent, childish way.
That was the last time that I saw her for five years.
* * *
Court
* * *
He sat there, looking for all the world like a reformed citizen, ready to be released into the world. His hair slicked back, clean shaven. Even holding a bible and sitting with the chaplain.
Apparently, he was a model prisoner. He did all his work wel
l and on time. He hadn't been involved in any violence in over a year.
It made me fucking sick. It was a farce. There was no force, supernatural or otherwise, that could reform that monster. The mere fact that he was up for parole after only five years was a result of the ridiculous plea bargain that the District Attorney took to avoid a costly and long trial. No one cared much about the death of a poor addict. Even if she was my mom.
"Samuel Barnes, you are invited to speak as both a victim of the parolee and a relative of another victim."
The room was smaller and less like a courtroom than I had expected. There was a table with five chairs for members of the Parole board, seating for the parolee to the side, and few short rows of chairs for people like me. I suppose if I hadn't been in rooms like this, I might be intimidated by the official nature of the proceedings. But I was not a good person, and I had been.
"I currently live quite far away. I took unpaid time off and drove seven hours to be here. It is a small price to pay to be able to speak to you about the man that you are considering releasing into the world.
"My father cannot be reformed. You could no reform him then you could reform a rabid dog. It is his nature to be violent and abuse those weaker than himself. He beat me starting when I was eight. He beat my sister, although less so because I tried to stand up to him. That was what started the fight between my parents.
"I stood up to him, so he beat me. Unlike previous times, he would not stop. He would like you ladies and gentlemen to believe that the drugs amplified his rage. I'm here to tell you that I remember little of that day as I was deeply concussed, but I remember his dead eyes as he hit me over and over. When our mother tried to stop him he got a knife from the kitchen and stabbed her. He didn't rush, but did all of it slowly and deliberately. I recommend that you look at the crime scene photo and ask yourself if you would feel comfortable with him being on the outside with your families.
"The plea he made was done so without consulting either myself or my sister. He murdered my mother. He would have come back to murder me except that he heard sirens and fled. Because of him I am without my mother. Because of him I have not seen my sister in five years. We were close. Now we are lost.
