Chapter 9
“Yo, Will. You ready?” Davis appeared in the doorway of Will’s room. He threw the last book in his bag, “Yeah man, let’s go.”
A few of the Zeta brothers, including Will, had offered to help the hockey team promote their new season and were going out to hand flyers out around campus. They arrived at the student center, Davis pushing Will ahead of him, through the doors. Davis was on the hockey team which was one of the reasons the Zetas were helping out, “Will, this is Michael, Trevor, Adam…” He went down the line of his teammates that had gathered, “Connor and Zayne.”
Will felt strange as he greeted Zayne. The guy had brown hair that didn’t seem to know where it wanted to go and blue-green eyes that smiled when he did. He had on dark jeans and his jersey, number twelve, as did the rest of his teammates. Will couldn’t place the feeling because it was new. I do not have a crush. Will wasn’t one to get crushes and never really had. His flirtatious nature was all show and though he used it, he never followed through; it was just for fun. He had never been attracted to someone outside of aesthetic pleasure before. The apparent sudden attraction to Zayne wasn’t a sexual nature, that made him squeamish to think about, but it was more than his usual passing second glance. He had had a couple girlfriends in the past but they were mostly just really close friends, not much came out of it. Will never had the desire to have sex and eventually that had been a question that he couldn’t give them an affirmative answer to and they had decided it best to end the relationship. Will’s use of sex was surface in flirtation. It never meant anything to him. But this still wasn’t about sex. It was about something Will wasn’t familiar with because it was something he’d never paid attention to before. A simple crush didn’t seem so simple. Davis clapped his hands, “Okay, plan is to team up and stick up fliers or hand them out. Meet back here when you run out. Go!”
“Will, right? Wanna be a team?” He had a pep talk with himself. He could make this work; turn it in his favor. He knew he could but he seemingly lost all his natural abilities to be casual, “Yeah, sure.”
They started out of the student center, Will keeping silent, not entirely sure what to talk about with a hockey player he had just met. Hockey wasn’t a subject he knew a lot about and wasn’t keen on being a fool.
“I thought we’d head over to the library. A starting point at least.”
“Sounds good to me,” Will agreed quickly.
“You’re not very talkative are you?” Truthfully, Will wasn’t but he could be doing a much better job than he was currently doing, “Sorry, it’s been a weird day.”
Zayne held the front doors of the library open for Will who walked through and was immediately wrapped in hug, “Will!”
Laura kissed him on the cheek, “I didn’t expect you to be here!”
Will glanced as Zayne who was looking at Laura awkwardly. Will gestured at Zayne, “Zayne and I are passing out flyers for the Silas hockey team.”
Laura stuck her hand out and Zayne shook it, “Nice to meet you Zayne,” her attention turned back to Will, “I didn’t know you watched hockey?”
Will wanted to face palm but instead grimaced, “I don’t really. But one of the Zetas is on the team and I wanted to support him.”
“That’s fun,” she responded, adjusting the bag on her shoulder. Will paused for a second, “Wait, what are you doing here? Aren’t you supposed to be at work?”
“That’s where I’m going right now. I need to stop by. The Voice had a meeting and they asked me to come by and check in on things. I know I’m done with it and everything but I thought I’d help out if I could. Speaking of which, I do need to run.”
“Have a good -”
“Oh wait! I almost forgot,” she grabbed onto his arm, “Are you going to be at the house tonight? I want to do dinner.”
Will supposed she meant his own house and not her apartment, “I could definitely make it there.”
Laura looked over at Zayne, “You’re welcome to come to if you’d like.”
“I don’t want to crash dinner for two,” Zayne commented. Laura’s eyebrows arched, “It’s not -”
Will was so horrified that Laura had just invited Zayne over to his house that he shushed her and hugged her goodbye, almost shoving her out the door, “Okay, see you later, Laura.”
Laura waved goodbye as she hustled to catch the bus into the city. “Do not feel obligated to dinner. Laura is just like that. She corners you and then you don’t know what to do.”
“That’s okay. Like I said, I don’t want to intrude on anything. I also don’t know you guys very well, I would feel weird,” Zayne shrugged.
“That’s cool,” Will replied, only a little down that he turned down the invitation. He raised the fliers, “Let’s get these posted.”
“Your girlfriend’s cute by the way.”
Will blanched and almost choked. Despite the fact that he had hit on her the first time they had ever had an encounter, since then, Laura had become like a sister. “Laura? She’s not my girlfriend.”
“Oh,” Zayne replied, honestly surprised, “I just thought – I mean it sounded like you lived together. Doing dinner at home.”
“She’s my sister’s girlfriend.”
Zayne shook his head, “So, wait, ‘the house’ is?”
“Honestly, I’m guessing it’s my house. I live at the Zetas house now but my two sisters live at my family’s house. Actually, Carmilla pretty much lives with Laura at this point so it could be their apartment but I’m counting on it being my house,” Will explained aloud as he went through it in his head, “So, you wouldn’t be intruding. Its just dinner.”
“I still think I’ll pass. I’ve got practice tonight anyway. But, we should really pass these out.”
He walked away and Will followed him, not quite sure how to take any of Zayne’s reactions. He seemed passive about most of it but there was the way he commented on Laura that made Will think differently. He shook his head, not wanting what he labeled ‘a crush’ to impede his ability to talk like a normal human being to Zayne as they finished the job.
Will had offered Zayne a place at dinner once more, though he turned it down, before he said goodbye to Davis and headed out of campus, through town and towards his home. The summer had been very boring. He had spent it studying and studying and more studying. Kirsch had a small cookout at his house and the old gang was invited, but aside from that, Will had not seen most of his friends. It was time consuming getting into the city. Everyone had new jobs that they could not afford to lose. Laura, Carmilla, and Mattie had been his only acquaintances until he moved into the Zeta house. Laura and Carmilla had stayed in Silas all summer, not once leaving, even to the cabin while Laura solidified her position at The Journal. Carmilla had come up with some job at a law firm that Will had not seen coming. And Mattie was dealing with the gallery in Silas. She had held once large gallery event over the summer but was mostly focused on what long-time work she could acquire to be shown in the space. Will tried to avoid Mattie and Carmilla whenever they were in the same room together; it never turned out pretty even though he could physically see them both trying not to pull each other apart. Some relationships just weren’t meant to be.
That brought him to think about how tonight’s dinner was going to go. Laura was also very hesitant of Mattie but Will knew that was only her loyalty to Carmilla showing through; otherwise, Laura would have tried to make fast friends as she always did. Maybe this dinner was a reconciliation of sorts. Will hoped it ended fast so he could get back to studying. Only a month in and the med program was kicking his ass. He barely had time for any Zeta events. Today was the exception; he had needed a break before he had fried his brain.
The Silas summer was coming to an end. He could only tell because of the breeze that started popping up in the evening. He turned left off the main road, the street becoming darker with tree coverage and found his way around the neighborhood to the corner house that he had only spent the past couple years living in. For some reason, it felt like much longer than that. Will had learned never to become attached to anything, this house was no exception, but it still felt like much more had happened in their lives here than anywhere else. It was also the longest future they had ever seen in one spot. The props of coming of age, I suppose.
Lights were on in all the windows on the lower level, another sign that Laura was in the house. That girl caused their electric bill to skyrocket. The Karnsteins never felt it necessary to have more lights on than they needed to see in one place at a time; sometimes that meant there were none on, mostly when Carmilla was home alone.
Will pushed through the front door and made his way to the kitchen. Laura was bustling around, trying to cook though it seemed she was a little frazzled. Carmilla stood off to the side of the counter, hovering but staying away as Mattie intervened so that dinner would be edible. Laura squealed, “Will!”
“Come stai?”
“Sto bene,” Will winked at Carmilla who responded by draining her drink that Will only assumed was whiskey. She gestured at him with her glass, “You want a drink.”
“I’ll get it,” Mattie offered, handing Laura the spatula. She took it but looked mighty worried at her own skills. “I’ll have a beer.”
Will strode over to Laura and looked at the sauce she was stirring, “Have you ever cooked before?”
“Yes,” she said indignantly, “just not a lot. My dad did all the cooking.”
“Her dad’s actually not a bad cook,” Carmilla backed her up. Mattie handed Will a beer and relieved Laura, “Let me just do it.”
Laura held the spoon away from Mattie, “I said I’d make dinner.”
“I know but I would actually enjoy being able to eat the food.” Laura made a pouty face but handed over the utensil anyway and went to nuzzle Carmilla who smiled in return, “I’m not surprised. You live off of cookies and grape soda.”
Laura stuck her tongue out and turned to address Will, “Hey, is your friend, what’s his name, oh yeah! Zayne. Is he coming tonight?”
Will adjusted his shirt where it came into contact with his jeans, “He thought you were my girlfriend, so no.”
Amber liquid shot out of Carmilla’s mouth, just missing him as it landed and dripped off the counter. Laura patted her on the back to make sure she wasn’t choking and Mattie just stared on with a little bit of disgust etched into her expression. Will became defensive, “Okay, its not that far from a possibility.”
Carmilla raised her eyebrows at him with an amused look in her eye. He looked between her and Laura who was trying to avoid him. “Right. Laura.”
She shrugged, “I mean, I’m gay so…”
Will threw his hands up, “Is it so impossible to believe that if you weren’t gay, that you could have had the tiniest fraction of interest in me?”
“Someone’s projecting,” Carmilla said under her breath. Will narrowed his eyes at her but she was not perturbed. Will knew Laura would never be into him. He was not into her. That wasn’t the point. The point was that for some reason, it sounded impossible for someone to even think that maybe a cute girl, such as Laura, would have actually been into him. And underneath it all, he knew that wasn’t even what was bothering him. He was just trying to steer away from anyone asking anymore questions about Zayne because he didn’t know if he would be able to answer any of them.
“Are we eating out of the pan or is someone going to grab dishes?” Mattie swooped in just to save him and she shot him a commiserating look to show she understood. Laura whisked around to set the table but Carmilla kept staring at him; he tried to look anywhere but at her. “Who’s this Zayne?”
“Just some dude on the hockey team.”
“Just some dude,” she mimicked in a deep voice that sounded nothing like Will.
“What? I’m serious. I met him today when the Zetas helped the team pass out fliers. We were in the library and ran into Laura,” he said, taking a large swig of his beer, feeling the bubbles slide down his throat. “Tu sei mio fratello. I can read you.”
Will shook his head, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“You are being dodgy about the subject, Will,” Mattie added. Carmilla nodded towards her, “What she said.”
“Oh, so when its gang up on Will time, you guys are best friends?” Carmilla gagged at the insinuation.
“She’s not blind and neither am I. We can both see it. Hey, Laura!” she beckoned her girlfriend over, “What does Will’s face say right now?”
Laura scrutinized him, “I don’t know. He seems normal.” She shrugged and grabbed silverware, twirling off toward the dining room.
“Point proven.”
“Nothing was proven. She just said I look fine.”
“While Mattie and myself aren’t blind, Laura is completely oblivious. Again, point proven. Just tell me what’s up.”
“I don’t know,” Will set the beer on the counter. He was frustrated that he could not work out whatever it was that he was feeling toward Zayne. New territory was not something he did well with; he knew his boundaries and was comfortable with them but now they were being crossed. And Carmilla was not aware that he did not have a sex life. He had made it a priority to make sure she thought he was keeping up with her own debauchery when he was really just making up stories, having some really nice people act for him. He was not looking forward to her finding out about his trail of lies.
“A lot is going on in that head of yours. I can see it on your face. Spill.” She was not joking at this point and Will knew that she was not past holding his face to the floor and actually twisting his arm until he told her. She straightened up, that intention on her face. “Okay, okay.”
Mattie was watching him now and Laura had come back in the room, immediately tuned to him with the change of energy. “I’m a virgin. Alright?”
Carmilla scoffed and took a drink, “I mean that’s fine. But you’re not. You do know what a virgin is right?”
“Yeah, you’re looking at one.”
“You left just as long a trail of girls as I did,” she immediately grimaced and turned to Laura, “Sorry, cupcake.”
“Its not like I wasn’t aware,” Laura brushed it off. Will sighed, “It was faking. All of it. I just thought we’d be closer if we had something in common. And it worked and it was kinda fun making up all those stories.”
“So what you mean to tell me is that you devised a fully plotted out history of sexual encounters and concocted ways in which you would physically show me these girls during the aftermath and it was all faked?”
Will hung his head, “Yeah.”
“Wow.” He looked up the shocked expression on Carmilla’s face.“I’m not even mad. I’m kind of proud. Wow! That is brilliant and I never once guessed. I’m shocked that you were able to hold that up for as many years as you did.”
She looked at Laura, “Did you guess?”
“I’ve known you for about two years, how would I know?”
She circled the counter and patted Will on the back, “What a champ. What dedication that was.”
Will was taken aback at her nonchalant attitude toward the massive lie he had just divulged to her. She was usually so stuck on the truth and that was a huge part of their relationship: telling each other the truth about everything. He had expected her to go off in a rage, to tell him off, but instead he was praised because of his genius? He was going to take whatever he was given without protesting though; he wouldn’t turn her lack of anger into actual anger by pushing. “What does your still intact virginity have anything to do with Zayne though? That’s what I want to know about.”
He now felt how unnecessarily uncomfortable it must have felt for both Laura and Carmilla when they came out. He knew he would receive nothing but love and support from them, but he was still stressed about the words he needed to say. “I’m not really into that. Sex, I mean. It’s never been something I cared about or wanted. It was a game I played with but the actual act,” he shuddered, “I never want that. It’s called being ace. That’s me.”
“I know what ace means, Will, I’m waiting for the information about this new guy who made you all weird today.”
“I don’t know what ace means,” Mattie said. Will turned to her, “It just means that I’m not sexually attracted to anyone. I can be romantically or aesthetically attracted to people. But sex just isn’t in the cards for me. I don’t ever fell the need for that.”
“I would die,” Mattie replied simply. Will shrugged, “I would die with how you all live. I can’t even imagine it.”
They all laughed at the disgusted face he made and Laura clarified to appease him, “We aren’t laughing at you, Will. The face you’re making is just adorable and innocent.”
Carmilla pounded the counter, “Zayne, Will. Who is Zayne?”
“Yes, okay,” Will said, his mind being pulled in all different directions, “He’s on the hockey team. Davis, another Zeta, introduced us and I think I like him.”
“Is that it?” Carmilla questioned.
“Millie, I’ve never had a crush before. I don’t know what I’m doing.” Laura smiled and hugged him, “Oh, Will, that’s so cute. You’re first crush.”
He pushed her off, “No, its not like I’m some baby. Don’t treat me like that. This is just new and I don’t know how to know if he likes me back.”
“You don’t, bud. You just have to ask or keep hanging out until you figure it out or he makes a move.”
“I’ve also never been involved with a guy.”
“I know, like I said earlier, trail of girls,” Carmilla noted. Will wasn’t upset that he had a crush on a guy. But no one taught you how to approach that situation. Carmilla was entirely different; Will was certain she could make any girl sleep with her. She had proven him right in the past. He had dared her and she had taken it on and succeeded each and every time. But he only had experienced flirting with girls and a guy seemed like whole new territory that he did not have enough time to master.
“Just do the same thing you’ve always done. Be yourself. Be charming. Snag him.”
“I can’t believe I’m getting dating advice from my sisters and my sister’s girlfriend,” Will took another drink.
“I’ll spare you the pain, Will. Dinner is ready. Let’s drop the subject for now and eat. I’m sure Carmilla has wonderful stories from work to tell us all.” Carmilla growled her disapproval making Laura laugh. Will often wondered if he would ever have what they had. He was worried that no one would want to be with him once they realized sex wasn’t in the cards. Maybe it didn’t make up the entirety of a relationship but it certainly was a huge part.
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The buttons of his shirt would not come apart no matter how hard she pulled at them and it was only when his hands fell over hers that she heard them pop; he did not seem too concerned with the ruined fabric so she did not dwell on it. Her hands ran down the front of his chest, his muscles flexing under her touch as his lips connected with hers. His lips were soft but urgent and hurried and forceful. She returned his aggression with the same passion and her hands reached down to his belt, unbuckling it as he backed her up to the bed. She pulled his belt off without much problem and his lips found their way to her neck but before she could continue with the button on his pants he pulled away, looking down as he started to lift her shirt over her head. He was moving slowly which antagonized her and yet she let herself live in the build up; she watched his face and his jaw as it clenched at each inch of her skin that became visible.
His hands stopped, holding tightly onto her sides near her ribs and she removed the rest of her shirt without his help. He fell to his knees, his lips sucking at the skin of her stomach and his hands traveling up and cupping her breasts over her bra. She held his hands there as his lips worked and her abs shook. She ignored the stream of thoughts and knew a little over a year ago this would not even have been on her radar as plausible yet she knew that Kirsch had come to mean more to her than she had ever cared to admit. Their make out sessions had gotten more and more fraught with tension and this release was almost as painful as holding back. It was as if every nerve and fiber was rushing them forward while their minds told them to slow down and the tugging was an irritating affliction. They had finally reached the breaking point and Danny’s caught breath as Kirsch’s kisses landed right above the button of her jeans was an admission.
She let go of his hands as they pulled away and undid the buttons and pulled them down and she stepped out when she felt them around her ankles. His hands were on her ass now, kisses peppering the inside of her thighs. When he stood up, he did not remove his hands but used them to pull her to him and against her pelvis, she could feel the bulge that was straining through his pants and reached a hand down, cupping and squeezing. “Such a tease.”
“I’m just waiting for you,” she breathed out, not having enough air in her lungs to actually speak. He smiled against her lips, “Are you positive?”
“I want this.”
His smiled widened before he kissed her, “So do I.”
She fell back on the bed and watched as he unbuttoned his jeans, his eyes traveling the length of her body and for some reason the look made her feel shy. Maybe it was the fact that she had never been under such observation as he was currently putting her under. But it also made her feel strong and confident and the two conflictions only made her desire for him grow. He shook his pants off in a way that made Danny laugh and that was when she realized that this was perfect. She could laugh with him when they both knew perfectly well where this was going and it was not weird or awkward or put a dent in the progression of the evening. Instead, he crawled onto the bed and hovered over her. He leaned down to kiss her, making sure not to put all of his weight on her. She kissed him back until she decided to deepen the kiss and parted his lips with her tongue. He caught on fast and followed cues and before she realized it, he had flipped them over so that she was lying on top of him.
She felt him sit up, her legs wrapped around his torso as she sat in his laps. His hands ran themselves up her sides and around her back. He undid her bra in one foul swoop and tossed it to the side, quickly moving his lips down her jaws and her neck where he sucked on her pressure point. She gasped in surprise but he did not stay very long and moved down, kissing her breast gently. He flicked his tongue against her nipple a few times before taking it in his mouth and sucking, releasing with a pop and giving the same attention to the other one. Her hands found their way onto his head, pressing him closer as her hands grasped his short hair as best as they could.
Danny was growing hotter and hotter with every second and her body began to ache and nothing she did could pull Kirsch close enough. She started grinding her hips down to get some sort of friction going and again, following her lead, he flipped them over once more. This time his sat up, pulling away from her and the lack of contact brought a chill over Danny’s skin and also caused disappointment. His body felt good pressed against her own; it was warm and soft despite the muscles.
She lifted her hips from the bed when he started to pull down her underwear but he let her kick them off herself. He leaned over her again, his hands traveling down her side to rest at her hips as her own reached out to push down his boxers. “Danny Lawrence, you are beautiful. I always think you’re beautiful, but I really like you without clothes on.”
He helped her pull off his boxers and kicked them off. “I mean, I really like you without clothes on.”
She smiled, “You’re not so bad yourself.”
His hand traveled lightly over her skin, causing goose bumps to erupt under the almost ticklish movement. His eyes were trained on her as his fingers traveled lower beneath her thighs and hovered, the anticipation was enough to make her take a deep breath. She could feel her arousal; she had felt it when his kissing had become less than gentle. She was not embarrassed but it helped that she could clearly see his desire and though it looked like he was definitely ready to go, Kirsch did not seem to be in any hurry.
“One sec,” he jumped off the bed and went over to his drawer, pulling out a little packet that could be nothing else but a condom. He ripped it open with his teeth and put it on himself, which she was very grateful for; it made things much easier. He climbed back on the bed picking up right where they left off.
One finger slid between her wet folds and back up to her clit where he made circles with his thumb while his finger played at her entrance. The eye contact that he was keeping was more intimate than anything she had ever experienced before and though it made her want to squirm a little bit, it also showed how happy he was to have her there with him and for her, the sentiment was shared. She reached up and grabbed his head, pulling their lips together but the kissing was more open mouths and tongues than lips. She felt his hips readjust so that he was directly over her and he pulled back from her mouth, looking downward as he situated himself.
“One last time, are you sure?”
She rolled her eyes, “Yes, Kirsch. I am positive. But, do you want me to-?”
She nodded towards penis and he shook his head, “Not really.”
Her eyebrows furrowed at his rejection and she frowned. He apparently realized he must of said something wrong because his eyes widened, “No, no, no, it’s not...,” he winced, “it’s just not necessary right now.”
Kirsch’s outward embarrassment clued her into what he meant but she was not troubled. It was semi-endearing that he was overly ready before they had even started. She pulled his head down and kissed him again to tell him that she understood and between kisses said, “Okay then.”
She felt the tip of his penis as he nudged her, making sure to go slowly though how wet she was made it a lot easier for them both. He slid in easily and all the way causing her to gasp and tighten her hand in his hair. His left hand was holding him above her and his right was kneading at her breast as he thrust very slowly, taking his time. His grunts were stuck in his throat at first, barely audible and very deep but as he picked up speed with her urging, the groaning became much louder and mixed with her breathless gasps. His lips connected hungrily with hers and Danny felt so good everywhere. He knew how to work inside of her and filled her with every motion causing her legs to go slack as he hit all of the spots that made it hard to breathe.
Living together had made it more difficult to keep their relationship from their friends but for themselves, it had not changed their dynamic except possibly to make it better. They both had come to enjoy the secret that gave them ability to go home and be by themselves without anyone wondering anything of it. They enjoyed that this was just for them and no one else was influencing their decisions in anyway. And this step had been a long time coming but holding off was only making it sweeter.
Kirsch’s strong hands maneuvered their way around her back as he pressed himself close to her before rolling over so that she was on top of him. She pushed herself off his chest before wiggling herself back down over his erection and grinding in a circle. Her eyes closed as she leaned back and grabbed his legs. His hands were holding tightly to her hips and his groaning was getting quicker and more anxious. When she opened her eyes again, he was looking at her, a thing layer of sweat glistening on his forehead and his jaw was clenched tight as he lifted his hips off the bed, pushing even further against her. Only a few seconds later she knew he had finished; his growled out a long “uh” before falling back onto the bed. She rode him up and down a few more times and was a little peeved that she had not finished yet knowing full well that he might have thought she did. Her annoyance only lasted a few second though because after a few deep breaths, he looked up at her grinning and motioned with his finger, “Come here.”
He grabbed her hips and pulled and she helped him a long by scooting up his chest, knowing that she must have left a trail of sticky wetness on his skin. He kept urging her forward until she realized he wanted her over his head and she obliged, smiling that he had not assumed that she had come when he had. Kirsch was aware of much more than she gave him credit for and he was always surprising her.
Kirsch held her firmly above him and she felt his tongue flick up against her clit, sending shooting pleasure through her limbs. He reached his hand around her leg to play with her clit as his tongue moved lower and lapped at the entrance to her vagina. And his tongue was inside of her, moving this way and that while his thumb pressed against her clit. She had not thought she was even close before but the way that could feel herself clenching told her otherwise. She was usually quiet during sex, not much of a moaner but her vocalizations became higher and higher until her entire body shuddered and she fell forward over his head. She could feel Kirsch’s tongue running through her folds a couple more times, helping her down from the orgasm before she fell to the side, back onto the bed. She was facedown and the bed moved with Kirsch’s weight. There were light pecks against her back and he moved her hair to one side, kissing her ear and her temple and then her cheek. Her eyes were closed but she was smiling. His breath tickled her ear, “Was it good for you?”
Danny wanted to laugh at his concern but she did not want to make him nervous and she was also taken aback that he even had to ask. Instead, she opened her eyes and reached a hand out to caress his cheek, “It was great.”
He smiled wide and pecked her on the lips, before lying down beside her. “Does this change things now?”
Danny thought about it for a second. It could really change things. This could take them on a new path through their relationship but it also did not have to change things. They were still the same people. They still wanted the same things. They still wanted to be together. Sex was not the only thing that would impact them as a couple. It simply depended on what he meant. “It doesn’t have to change anything.”
“Good. I like us how we are.”
“And how’s that exactly?” Danny said, laughing to avoid the concern in her voice.
“Danny and Kirsch. Living together. Being together. I don’t want us to start overthinking it.”
“Then let’s let it be."
“Agreed,” he said, wrapping his arms around her, “And can we agree on something else?”
“What’s that? she inquired.
“That now we sleep.”
Danny laughed against his chest, “Agreed.”
“I feel like we did it backwards,” he commented, holding her hand in his as he led her up the sidewalk where the restaurant stood. He was wearing grey dress pants with matching shoes and a crisp dark blue shirt with the top button opened. She had on a deep green dress that was tighter than she wished it to be; it was a special occasion though so she had deemed it appropriate. She looked to him, “What’s that?”
“We couldn’t wait until after our anniversary dinner to well, do what we did last night.”
She grabbed both his hands and pulled him through the door of the restaurant, smiling, “I’m not complaining.”
The host sat them at a table for two in the middle of the restaurant. The light was low, casting strange shadows across all of the people in the room. The table was laid with a white cloth and full cutlery and a waiter appeared almost instantly at their sides. He rattled off a list of specials before asking for their drink order and Kirsch splurged on a bottle of wine. Danny had to stop herself from worrying about the expense as she read through the menu items. They both had stable jobs, she had just received a promotion, she was no longer in college where money had been sparse. The look on Kirsch’s face seemed to imply he was coming to the same conclusion. He looked up at her and they smiled at each other at the same time, “I feel guilty.”
“We don’t usually do this,” Danny acceded, “But that’s why we shouldn’t feel guilty. We’ve been together one year Kirsch. That’s something to celebrate.”
He agreed, their waiter came back, they ordered, they got their food and when Kirsch was about halfway through his steak, he said something that Danny had never thought of, “I think we should host Thanksgiving this year. Together. We don’t have to outright tell everyone because I know I’m enjoying just being together. But, it has been a year and eventually it’s going to happen. Why not then?”
Danny thought about it for a second and she knew he was right. They were secure. They weren’t going to fall apart at the slightest provocation. Their friends should know and she wanted to share her joy with them. “I agree but…I was going to see if you would come home with me and meet my family for Thanksgiving.”
Kirsch stretched his arms out, almost knocking plates out of a waiter’s hand and apologizing quickly, only to receive an annoyed look. His focus turned back to Danny, “I think that’s a much better idea. We’ll host Thanksgiving next year.”
“I have brothers.”
“Huh?” Kirsch said, lowering his glass of wine from his lips.
“I have two brothers. You’re going to meet my family and I know you didn’t know so now you do.”
“Why haven’t you said anything before?” he asked, genuinely wanting to know. Danny shrugged, “We’re not really close. They’re a lot younger than me. They have their own lives. But, I think you’d get along with them really well.”
“I bet I would. I have a younger sister, you know. And I love her to death.” Danny smiled in agreement. “And I have Laura. And in the beginning Will felt like a little brother but now he’s just a bro. And I’ve always wanted to know how it would feel to have actual brothers.”
“They aren’t going to be yours, Kirsch.” He waved her off, “Yeah, I know, but still. It would kind of be like that.”
Danny laughed, “Maybe we should tie down our Halloween plans first.”
“Let’s have everyone over for that, then! We could all dress up together and hand out candy to the kids. Will will have to do the Zeta thing but since I’m not tied to that anymore…”
“I’m totally into that. We’ll just have to see if anyone else has plans yet.”
The waiter brought them the check, interrupting their planning and when Kirsch got his card back and signed his name, his smile became the dopey grin she loved, “I have something else for you.”
“Kirsch, I thought we agreed no presents; we were just going to spend time together.”
He took her by the hand and placed the other on her lower back, guiding her out of the restaurant, “I know but this is for the both of us.”
When she walked outside, the first thing she saw was Will and she could not figure out why Kirsch was giving her Will for their anniversary. But then she saw what Will was holding: a tiny, golden retriever puppy.
“Kirsch,” was all she could get out. She was stunned.
“Thanks, man,” Kirsch said walking over to Will and taking the puppy from him. Will clapped him on the back, “Yeah, anytime. Nice to see you Danny. Have a good night, guys.”
He got into a close by car and sped off down the street. So it was just Kirsch and her on the sidewalk. Kirsch holding the most adorable puppy Danny had ever seen; the most behaved puppy if she was being honest. He was just sitting in Kirsch’s arms, wagging his tail, and looking at Danny. “You…you got us a dog?”
Kirsch nuzzled the fur with his nose, “His name is Cooper.”
Danny held her arms out, “Can I have the dog, please?”
Kirsch chuckled, “Yes, D-Bear. You can have the dog.”
As soon as he was in Danny’s arms, she was never letting him go. Throughout the drive home and the walk inside, she held him close to her chest, talking in a little baby voice as he licked at her face and fingers. Kirsch was taking off his jacket, “I’ve created a monster.”
“He is my baby now and don’t even try to come in between us,” Danny warned. She had had a dog growing up but for many years, one had been absent from her life. She had talked with Kirsch about possibly getting a dog but they had never totally decided for sure and if so, when. “I honestly can’t believe the surprise was a dog.”
Kirsch fell onto the couch next to her and kissed her. She watched him pet Cooper’s head a bit too rough and slapped his hand away. He gave her a look but toned it down. I don’t know how I’m going to leave this house now.
“So, no one can come for Trick-or-Treating but they are coming later?” Kirsch dumped a couple bags of candy in a bowl. “That is correct. Perry has to close up the bakery and Lafontaine wasn’t going to come without her. Laura has to meet a deadline and then Carmilla is picking her up bringing her over. Will is at the Zetas so he isn’t going to be here at all.”
“We could’ve invited some of our other friends,” Danny had made the suggestion before but Kirsch had not wanted to. “D-Bear, it would have been uncomfortable without everyone knowing each other. And our relationship with the gang is a lot different than our relationship with our friends now. We’ve known them for so long that it probably would’ve been awkward for our new friends.”
“I’m just saying that we would have people here right now if we had. We can’t only rely on the guys from Silas if we are going to have a life.” The doorbell rang for the first time that night and Kirsch lit up. They had decided on Captain America and Black Widow for costumes and they had found a tiny little Iron Man costume for Comet who looked absolutely adorable and like he loved every single second. When they opened the door, Comet jumped out, sniffing at the group of kids who yelled, “Trick or Treat!”
Kirsch held out the candy bowl, “Two each, guys. Take what you like.”
The kids all stuck they’re hands in and Kirsch almost dropped the bowl with their combined strength as Danny watched on. Kirsch seemed to really like kids, which was something Danny was not especially great with. She did not dislike kids; she just never knew what to do around them. She was happy he was excited to meet her younger brothers at Thanksgiving; she was positive they would get along very well.
When the kids had dispersed Kirsch shut the door, only to have the bell ring again and after that, they spent the rest of the night, sitting in chairs they pulled up in front of the door, handing out candy to superheroes and princesses and doctors all night. It was about fifteen minutes before Trick-or-Treating ended when a car pulled in their driveway and Carmilla stepped out of the backseat, opening the door for Laura. Danny shook her head. Of course she has a driver. Neither had costumes on and Laura was still dressed for work. Danny figured her and Kirsch would be the only ones in the Halloween spirit that night. “Hey, Danny! Hey, Kirsch! You guys look great.”
Carmilla eyed them, “Not bad, meathead,” she hesitated before finishing, “You too, Xena.”
She seemed to think of something else because her head quirked to the side, “Wait, why didn’t you actually just dress up at Xena?”
“Yeah, I’ll keep that in mind for next time.” Carmilla raised her hands, “Woah, okay, wasn’t a dig. Just a suggestion.”
Laura saw Comet just then and squealed, “Is this the puppy!? Oh my god, he’s so cute.”
She swooped him up into her arms and dashed into their house, Carmilla sighing and following loyally behind her. “Should we host now?”
Kirsch eyed the candy bowl, “Well, we’re out anyway so might as well.”
They shut the door and turned the porch lights off only to have the bell ring again. Danny opened it to apologize but it was only Perry and Lafontaine who looked Danny up and down, “Was this a costume party? Perry, I told you this was a costume thing and you said it wasn’t. Now we’ll be the ones left out.”
Danny waved them inside, “Laura and Carmilla didn’t dress up either. You both are fine.”
Perry handed Danny a plate of Halloween cookies, “Sorry, we missed Trick-or-Treating. I didn’t have anyone to close the shop aside from me tonight.”
“Oh, don’t worry about it. Come in. Make yourselves comfortable.”
In the living room, Carmilla was sitting on the couch watching as Comet jumped all over Laura who was laying on the floor giggling.
“She’s like a little kid,” Lafontaine said. They bent down to the pet the dog. Comet stopped attacking Laura for a few seconds to sniff at the newcomer.
Kirsch was in the kitchen fixing drinks and Danny leaned over the counter. He smiled, “Hey, D-Bear.”
“I just realized we are kind of wearing a couples costume…in front of our friends. And I’m not worried about it.”
“Neither am I. I don’t think there’s any need to be. We were just being weird about it,” he responded.
“You mean I was being weird about it,” she blamed herself. He just smiled again, “I was being nice.”
Danny grabbed some ice from the freezer for him, “You know, you’re really good with kids.”
“Yeah, I love ‘em. My first job was babysitting when I was younger. First it was just my little sister but then my parents’ friends asked. I don’t know. They’re just so cute and they like me.”
“Do you want kids then?” Danny asked, uncertain if this was a conversation they should be having at all right now. Kirsch looked at her, very serious, “This isn’t something we have to discuss right now.”
“No, it’s not that. I just wanted to know if you wanted kids.”
“Yeah, I do,” he answered honestly, “I’ve always imagined myself with kids. Do you want them?”
Danny looked him straight in the eyes, “Honestly, I don’t know.”