Given

It was that lazy time of year where no matter how much one has slept, the haze of the early morning made everyone stifle a yawn and blink their eyes over and over again, struggling to stay open until the body stopped trying to make the mind rest.

The sounds of the city just outside the window of the taxicab were muffled, the bumps in the streets the only noise that broke the otherwise chilly silence - not even the taxi driver was trying to make conversation, it was so cold and dreary a morning.

Actually, there

was

another noise, one that had gone on for so long it had faded into the background to both pairs of ears unfortunate enough to be awake at the moment...

The most thunderous snoring ever heard.

"Emmy...

Emmy

, wake up, I think we're almost there."

She was laying against her lover's shoulder, snoring loudly right into his left ear. After a few nudges, she slowly blinked her eyes open and stretched out her arms, yawning furiously. She looked around the cab trying to get her bearings, and noticed him trying to hold back a laugh.

"Oh

no

, was I snoring again?", she asked, realizing the driver must've heard her.

"Oh yeah, big time; I'm just glad you only do that when you're really tired, otherwise I'd be deaf in one ear by now."

She playfully slapped his arm, but was mortified when she felt that her cheek was wet, too. She looked at his sleeve and saw a long stain down the side, both of them noticing at the same time; he looked at her with a peeved expression.

"Remind me why I put up with all this again?", he asked, wiping away at it.

"Uh...because you love me?", she answered, her voice rising by an octave. She hugged his arm again and sighed happily against him, resting against the crook of his shoulder. After only a few seconds of this closeness the cab slowed down, making Emily get up and look around.

"Yep, we're here alright...Oh my god Gabe, Mom is gonna be so happy to see you again!"

She was almost like a kid just then, bouncing up and down on the seat. She got her wallet out while Gabe went around the back and starting taking out one suitcase after another, shaking his head at how much she'd thought was necessary for just a few days' stay. She got out of the cab, closed the trunk for him when he was done, and grabbed one in each hand as he took the rest with them up the driveway.

Before they even reached the doorstep, they saw the curtains flutter, followed by quick footsteps as they looked at each other and said it at the same time:

"Vanessa."

The door flew open as a raven-haired figure knocked the wind out of them, nearly tackling them both to the ground. Vanessa was Emily's twin in every way: both were short, athletic-bodied women, even though neither could be bothered to walk for an hour every so often, let alone do sports. The only noticeable difference was their hair; Emily always tied her long brown hair into a ponytail, whereas Vanessa preferred a different color every month and letting it flow free. They were short enough that even Gabe, who was used to always looking up at others, could pretend to be tall around the two.

When she was done suffocating Emily, Vanessa turned her sights on Gabe, though he could always give as good as he got when it came to her hugs.

The twins were wiping tears from their eyes as they made their way inside, almost feeling as if they were thawing as soon as they crossed into the house.

"What the

hell

Emily, how long were you gonna wait until we saw you again? Mom and Dad are gonna

freak

when they get back from the store."

"I know, I know. We were gonna visit in the summer but Gabe transferred to this university closer by and...you know."

"You didn't want to be away from him, huh?", Vanessa teased her.

"I don't think I

could

be, Nessie."

"I know

that

feeling", came a voice from the kitchen; a slim, redheaded woman, taller than any of them there, stepped into the living room as she dried her hands with a rag. She gave a quick kiss to Vanessa and then hugged Emily, but turned to Gabe with a serious expression.

"I don't think we've ever met."

"Uh, nope, it seems we're never here at the same time. I'm Gabe", he added, giving her a firm handshake that was given away by his playful eyes.

"Well, the pleasure's all mine - I'm Susan. I guess we kinda swept these two off their feet, huh?"

Before he could add to that, there was a click at the front door as it was unlocked, making everyone turn to it; they could hear voices just outside.

"Frank, we need to check if Emily called to say how long-

Hi

!", she yelled as she saw them all there together.

The twins' parents walked inside, dropping their bags right then and there so they could hug their two daughters, as Susan and Gabe stayed awkwardly in place. Their mom noticed and ended her embrace so she could greet

them

, too.

"Hi Susan, how

are

you? And why are you still letting Vanessa play with her hair all the time?", she wondered, tugging at her daughter's dyed locks.

"Ugh, I stopped trying to make her stop a long time ago, Mrs. Myers."

"Hmph, she reminds me of

someone

", Mrs. Myers answered, sticking a thumb over her shoulder at her husband. She turned to Gabe as Susan left to greet the dad, flashing a smile at Emily's tag-along.

"Hello again, you", hugging him like all Moms know how, pulling him into her as she jokingly swung them both one way and then another. "We missed you two last July, you know."

"I'm sorry about that, Mrs. Myers, I know Emily was really bummed out about it.

But

, if it makes you feel any better, we're not gonna be missing get-togethers any time soon."

"Glad to hear that", she added, clapping her hands to get everyone's attention. "Why don't we go eat what Dad and I just bought over some coffee...and tea", she amended as she saw the looks on everyone else's faces. "Honestly, are Dad and I the only ones who drink coffee here?"

"Mom, Gabe and I just got used to drinking tea all the time back home; I just don't get how you can drink that tar you call coffee all the time", explained Emily. Gabe went back to greet Emily's Dad, always a fun experience for him. The trick was to decipher the grunts and mutters into something akin to a conversation.

"How are you, Mr. Myers? Emily tells me you've been fixing up the backyard this year for the Christmas party."

"Yeah well, she'd

see

it and not just hear about it if you two came around more often."

Ouch. Okay, fair point, I get that

, thought Gabe.

"Let me help you with those, sir", Gabe asked, grabbing whatever bags were left on the living room floor, receiving only a grunt of acknowledgement from Emily's dad. They carried everything over to the kitchen, where Mrs. Myers was already cooking, boiling, and setting out ten different things at once. The four women were talking as they moved around the kitchen, though it was mostly Mrs. Myers and Susan that were doing the work.

When they were all settled at the table, the twins went off on their own conversation, leaving Susan and Mrs. Myers to keep talking about the household projects they'd each started; Gabe and Mr. Myers simply eat their breakfast in peace.

Gabe looked at how close Susan and Vanessa were, at how they seemed to have a pull on the other; whenever one would move slightly, it was as if the other was tethered along, not wanting to be any farther than they needed to be. He felt a little squeeze from the hand resting on his leg, turning to his left and finding Emily smiling at him. She flicked her eyes to the staircase behind him, making a subtle nod towards it when he didn't get the hint.

"Mom, I think Gabe and I need to sleep a little more of this jet-lag off - is the room ready?"

Her mom immediately wiped some crumbs off her shirt and stood up, leading the way towards the room they'd be staying in. Emily tugged Gabe behind her as they grabbed their suitcases and carried them up the steps, every creak and groan under them reminding Emily of

just how old this house was. They passed two doors on either side before taking the second one on the left, Emily's old room, as her mom opened the door for them.

"Here you go!", she sang, doing a little flourish as Emily laughed at the interior.

"Mom, it looks

exactly

like it did when I left...aren't you ever going to do something with it?"

"Oh, you know I don't need to", answered her mom, picking at whatever she imagined to be stuck to her shirt. She smoothed out her skirt and smiled at the couple, knowing that what she'd have to tell Emily wasn't going to make her happy.

"Listen, your dad wanted me to tell you that, well, he's okay with you getting your rest and all, but that he doesn't really want you to share the room after this."

There was a moment of silence after this demand as Emily opened and closed her mouth, trying to stop whatever words were trying to make their way out - she didn't do a good enough job.

"Are you fuckin'

kidding

me, Mom? Gabe and I aren't in high school, we

live

together! Doesn't Dad know that?!"

"Emmy, watch your language! You know how your Dad is, he just doesn't think it's right that you two are going to be sharing your room, so he wants Gabe to sleep downstairs on the couch. Can you please just go with this for the week and not make such a big deal of this?"

"Mom,

he's

the one making a big deal out of this, not us! Gabe and I were gonna sleep here together like we do

every night

back home, and Dad's kidding himself if he's gonna make Gabe sleep in that old crappy couch." Emily crossed her arms and, to Gabe's amusement, literally put her foot down, staring down her mom in the hopes she'd crack - he knew he always did when

he

was the one that look was directed at.

Gabe decided to speak up before Emily forgot she was getting angry at the messenger, taking her hand and kissing it, knowing how that always seemed to soothe her. "Emmy, if it bothers him that much, I can just sleep downstairs...nonono, it'll be okay", he added as soon as he saw her start to protest again, and turned to her mom. "I understand, Mrs. Myers, and I certainly don't wanna start on the wrong foot with Mr. Myers, either. At least I'll be able to use the computer down there and...get started on some work before sleeping."

Not like I'll be able to do anything else

, he conceded.

Mrs. Myers hugged him to show her thanks and quickly left the room, with Emily only letting out a sigh at this new speed bump. She dropped onto the bed before he could say anything, silently asking him to join her. He took off his shoes and slid in next to her, the two doing their familiar dance as they turned to their left side with Gabe behind her. He moved closer to her until there was no space in between, her neck resting on his left arm while his right one wrapped itself around her.

She traced circles with her fingers on his right hand, knowing that whatever rest they were going to get was ruined. He waited for her to say something, anything, and became more concerned with each second that passed.

He kissed the nape of her neck, hoping to get something out of her. "Emmy, can you say something? You're never this quiet when you're angry..."

"That's cause I'm not angry, I'm just...I don't think we ever slept apart after our first time; it's gonna feel so

weird

."

"I know Emmy, but maybe it'll be kinda good for us. This might be good practice for when I have to leave for a couple days; you can't expect to be able to come with me every time I have to travel."

She turned around and looked at him, nodding her head in defeat; she hugged him close and buried her face in his chest.

"Besides, it's only for a few days - we can handle that, right mi amor?" He chuckled at her little smile that popped up whenever he called her that.

"Suuure we can...as long as you keep rolling those r's like that, I don't think I'll mind this so much." She giggled again when he put his lips to her ear; she closed her eyes and listened, even though she didn't even come close to understanding what his whispers meant.

Seeing she was calm again, he leaned over and kissed her, hoping they could get some real rest after a nightmarish flight with her; his hands were still sore from being squeezed so tight by her whenever the plane dipped and bounced in the slightest. She kissed him back, their kisses multiplying with every second they kept going, until he rolled her over on top of him. He stopped them and looked towards the door, making Emily get up and lock it; the soft click was followed by her turning towards the bed.

She put a finger to her lips and slowly walked over to him, lifting one knee to the mattress and crawling her way to him; he sat up and met her halfway, running a hand through her hair as they continued kissing. They breathed through their noses as their tongues danced together, at least until kissing just wouldn't be enough for them anymore.

It didn't take very long.

Gabe slid a hand to her side, down her arm and past her waist, until he reached around and cupped her backside, then moved to the front; he tugged her by her belt loops to his lap, letting out a moan at the delicious weight of her on him. He let her rest completely on his thighs, letting her feel his hardness through his pants, getting

her

going, too. She slipped her hands under his grey shirt and ran them across his chest, relishing how warm it felt compared to how cold her fingers were.

She started grinding against him until her underwear bunched up right at her center, letting her rub against it as she moved back and forth. He pulled her hands from under his shirt and pulled her right up to him, feeling her small, soft swells against him, holding her by her back as she moved faster and harder against him. He held back his groans as every movement of hers was right on his erection, pleasuring them both; she started moving her hips in circles just then, the new sensations just enough to get her where she wanted.

She ground against him for just a few seconds longer until she tensed up, her eyes closing suddenly as ragged breaths escaped her. She shook forward two, three times as her quick orgasm passed by, leaving her worn out and drained. He slowly fell backwards while holding her, noticing she was already falling asleep.

Women

, he quipped.

He rolled themselves over like before, reaching behind him and pulling the thick duvet over them. Listening to her soft breathing, the quiet he was used to during her sleep, he counted each inhale and exhale as he started following her in sleep, feeling his eyelids slowly...falling...

*******

Emily inhaled deeply as a noise awoke her, though she wasn't quite sure what it was. She looked around in a sleepy stupor, blinking quickly to wake up as soon as possible; there was a soft knock on the door, finally getting her attention. "Yeah?", she called out.

"Emily, it's Susan; your mom sent me up to tell you that we're going out to lunch - are you guys coming?"

"Uh...I don't think so, I think we're gonna get our stuff settled while you all go eat. Gabe and I'll just eat something here, but thanks!"

"Alright, I'll go tell the others", replied the husky voice on the other side. Emily waited for her footsteps to fade away until she turned her head around; she looked at Gabe's face, noticing how uneasy it was. She was about to call out his name when she felt a discomfort in her back; she looked down and noticed him against her, his bulge poking at her. She was surprised he was still hard until she realized he didn't come with her.

She put her palm on the front of his jeans and stroked him through the material, hearing his breathing quicken almost as soon as she started. She kept stroking as slowly as she could without waking him up, feeling his arms around her tighten even more as he started bending forward. He suddenly woke up just as the sensations were proving to be too much when there was another knock at the door, though it was her mom this time.

"Emily, c'mon, you two can unpack later tonight - you two are going out with us, so get up."

Emily gave an annoyed groan and called out a "Fine, Mom", shaking Gabe out of his own fog. "Sorry, I think I just made things worse for you down there." Gabe frowned at her and looked down, noticing his own obvious frustration. He shook his head and chuckled as Emily pouted at him, kissing him in apology. "I thought I had enough time to return the favor", she explained. He got up and pulled her along with him, adjusting himself before they walked out of the room.

*******

The three couples walked back up the driveway later that night, exhausted from all their walking downtown. Mrs. Myers pulled out her key and opened the front door, everyone still quiet from sore feet and full stomachs. Vanessa pulled Susan down with her onto the nearest couch, not even bothering to take off their coats as they collapsed around each other. Gabe picked the single sofa, pulling Emily down onto his lap and trying to enjoy having her close for whatever time they had left that night.

Mrs. Myers puttered around the kitchen, leaving Mr. Myers to sit in the recliner sofa and turn on the t.v. She came back with a tray full of cookies and pastries, drawing a chorus of groans and "Put those away, for the love of

God

!" from those around her. She put her hands on her hips and looked around, amazed at how low their tolerance had shrunk after leaving home.

"Now how are you all supposed to handle Thursday if you can't even handle a lunch like today? I hope you all don't act like babies when I bring out this year's dessert."

Susan stretched out a hand and tugged at hers to get her attention, trying to talk as little as possible lest her stomach explode. "Mrs. Myers, trust me,

no one's

gonna be pushing your dessert away this year...are you gonna finally let us know what it'll be, or are you gonna keep it a secret until it's in front of us again?"

Mrs. Myers chuckled and walked over to her husband, falling into his lap and making eyes at him. "Trust me,

someone's

gonna be real happy about dessert this year." They kissed for far longer than the others found comfortable, making the twins throw pillows on top of them to calm them down.

"Ew Mom, stop being gross and let us enjoy our food coma in peace", demanded Vanessa, laying her head on Susan's lap and letting her play with her hair while she was on the edge of dozing off. Emily noticed this and looked over at her mom, wondering why her dad was okay with them being close but not okay with Gabe and her. Her mom caught her frown and simply shook her head, asking her to let it go; Emily sighed and simply fell back against Gabe.

"Gabe, you watching the Redskins game on Turkey Day?"

Gabe quickly opened his eyes and looked over at Mr. Myers, already cringing at what he had to say.

"Uh, no sir, I've never really watched American Football. I only watch...soccer, when I have the chance."

Mr. Myers screwed up his eyes and muttered, "You gotta be shitting me, kid",

just

loud enough for everyone there to hear.

Susan got up off the couch and pulled tiny Vanessa up by her armpits, much to her protests; she turned to the others and remarked, "I think we should all just head head to bed - tomorrow's gonna be a long day, so we might as well be nice and fresh in the morning." Vanessa sleepily padded her way up the staircase, Susan pushing her from behind much like how a parent would make their kid go to bed. Mr. Myers said nothing as he simply went over to the couch and pulled out the bed, while Emily seethed quietly at such a ridiculous situation.