Where the Lines Overlap

"You know, I don't even get what the big problem is?" I said, turning to Taron seated beside me. We were in his car, heading over to his house, which he generously invited me to.

"No, you don't get it because he's your brother and you've lived with him your whole life," Taron replied. "And now that we're dating, I feel like I at least have to try to be civil towards him."

"Then be civil to him. We used to bicker but you stopped, so what's the difference?"

"I. Like. You. That's the difference. It's not even that he got posted to my department; that I can handle. It's the fact that he's so damn good at his job that bugs me. It's irritating. I can't even insult him without feeling like I'm lying through my teeth," Taron said, clenching his fist in irritation.

"Give you a natal who sucks at his job, you'll complain. Give you a natal who's great at it, you complain too. So what would make you happy then?"

"If that natal was you?" he smiled.

"Even if I am totally clueless as to what to do in a lab?"

"Yep. Any day," he said. "So what about you, I know you haven't been to work in a couple of days, but how was it?"

Jay had been kind enough to give me the rest of the week off work, allowing me time to pack for the move to sector 76. It was a Friday and I had the rest of the weekend to spend with Taron before having to move in on Monday. With all the packing done, it was strange to see my bedroom so empty, with everything packed into their respective boxes.

"It's not bad. Turns out my neighbors are gay and married."

"You have gay neighbors?" he asked. He didn't need to say it but I could hear the hint of jealousy and trepidation at that information.

I laughed, patting him lightly on the knee. "You don't have to worry your pretty elite head, okay? They hold nothing compared to you."

"Well...I am pretty difficult to beat, aren't I" he smirked.

"Okay. Jealous Taron, kinda hot. Vain Taron, not so much."

"Oh fine," he said, rolling his eyes. "I'll be a good boyfriend. Wait on you hand and foot, make sure you're always happy, so that you won't leave me for your hot gay neighbors."

I smiled, leaning over and kissing his lips softly. "You're overdoing it," I said, kissing him again. "But like I said, you don't have to worry about me choosing someone else over you." Again, I planted a kiss on his lips, this time lingering slightly longer than before.

"Hmm, I think you need to prove it to me," Taron whispered, sucking on my lower lip. I smirked against his lips, climbing off my seat and crawling over to him. I straddled his thighs, hovering over him as I continued the light kisses over his mouth, my arms thrown loosely around his neck. The position was a little awkward, seeing that we were in the backseat of his hovercar, but I was past the point of overthinking it, letting the feeling of his lips on mine fill me.

The light kisses slowly morphed from gentle pecks to passionate making out. The feelings that he sent through me as he sucked on my lips, were something I thought I would never get tired off. Always familiar and at the same time new. We were slow to progress, taking our time enjoying the feel of each other. Taron's hands, at my waist, ran slow circles against my skin, making my body tingle with anticipation. Darting my tongue out, I brushed it against his lower lip, begging for entry to which he willingly obliged, parting his awaiting mouth.

As my tongue explored his, the tightness in my pants was beginning to become a distraction. Not enough to take my attention away from him, but enough to feel the yearning for his body. Instinctively, my body started moving closer to him, pressing and rubbing my rapidly growing erection against his thigh.

Sensing my eagerness, Taron slid a hand down, coming to rest between my legs, massaging my crotch through my trousers. The second he touched me, a gasp escaped my mouth, which he took advantage of, probing my entrance with his tongue. The smirk on his lips never left as he continued to ravage my insatiable mouth.

Finally, he abandoned my lips, instead burying his face into the crook of my neck, sucking on the skin there. With one hand rubbing at my groin, his other hand slipped down my waist, snaking its way into my pants and past the hem of my underwear. Gripping my ass tightly, I involuntarily thrust my body further into his, bringing us even closer.

It was sensation overload. The kisses on my neck, the heat of his hands on my bare ass and the pressure on my crotch, I was so close to climax and we hadn't even really started yet.

"You're driving me wild, you know that?" I muttered, eliciting a moan from him, the vibrations traveling down my neck and directly to my groin. I slowly untangled a hand from his hair, running it slowly down his arm, feeling the hard muscles of his biceps underneath my fingertips. The sensation however, caused my stomach to clench, not due to arousal but apprehension. My body wanted to pull away, immediately trying to avoid a repeat of 'The Event' but I forced myself to hold firm. I had to get over this...fear, of touching Taron.

It was this point that Taron decided to nibble softly on my ear, making my breath catch in my throat. Apprehension disappeared as he sent me to new highs. Possibly hoping that pushing through the dread would eventually get rid of it once and for all, I ventured further, bringing my hand to his torso, pulling up his shirt as I did. The first touch of my fingers to his abs caused the same bubbling nausea to come forth, but again, I pushed through.

So caught up in my will to negate these feelings, I didn't notice that Taron had begun unzipping my jeans. Rubbing me through the fabric of my boxers, I grew more brazen, sliding my hand down his pants too. The queasiness I felt kept building, reaching a point that I could no longer fight through it.

I withdrew suddenly, pulling my hand away from him and any skin contact we shared. I swallowed a few times, fighting the urge to puke. Taron's hands had stilled, only moving to squeeze me reassuringly at my waist. "I'm sorry," I whispered. "I don't know what's wrong with me."

"It's okay. There's nothing wrong with you. I shouldn't have moved so fast," he said, but I shook my head at him.

"It's not you, it's me. I can't bear to touch you intimately," I said, before letting out a humorless chuckle. "Geez, I can't even touch my boyfriend without feeling like shit." I pushed myself off Taron, returning to my seat as I leaned back, throwing a hand over my eyes in frustration.

"Hey, it's okay," he said, reaching over and intertwining our fingers. "Really it is."

Once again I scoffed at him. "No, it's not okay, Taron. I shouldn't be feeling this. Its screwed up. If anyone should be feeling any kind of repulsion at any intimate contact, it should be you and not me."

"Not that again, Kev. Stop with that bullshit about who should be the victim here," he shouted, probably louder than he had intended. I looked at him, shocked at his sudden change in temperament. I watched as he took a deep breath, pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration. "I'm sorry, but it is bullshit, and you know it. I don't care that you're having issues with being intimate with me. Hell, it helps me remember to slow down half the time."

"But—" I tried but was promptly cut off.

"No buts, Kev. It's okay. I understand and I will not push you to do something you are not ready for."

"That's the thing though. I am ready. You don't know how ready I am, it's just..." I trailed off, looking at my hand, bringing it up in front of me. I couldn't understand why I had those feelings. I was honestly not thinking much about 'The Event' anymore, and was even beginning to forgive myself for it, so then why couldn't I touch Taron without feeling like I was going to lose my lunch.

"It doesn't matter," Taron said, drawing me from my thoughts. "Whether you think you're ready or not, it seems like we need to take this slow, at least for now."

"Thanks...for...you know, understanding," I smiled, squeezing his hand tightly to show him how much I really appreciated it. I don't think words could describe the gratitude I felt for Taron. Not only for his understanding on my fucked up issues, but also for being the supportive boyfriend he was in general. I'm not gonna lie, with the imminent move, I have had a lot on my mind, from my new life in sector 76 to our relationship, but Taron had been there every step of the way. He didn't patronize me by playing down the severity of the events in my life, but somehow still managed to make them seem minuscule in the grand scheme of things.

"There is nothing to understand. Besides, it's not like we don't have time. I expect our relationship to last for a long time to come," he said, smiling softly to himself, rubbing small circles on the back of my hand with his thumb. This is what I meant though, how he managed to not make light of the issue, but somehow shined some positive light on the situation.

I sighed, leaning into his side, resting my head on his shoulders just enjoying the warmth of his body against mine. I wanted to believe him whenever he said we would last as a couple, but I couldn't help but be cynical about it. Sure, I was certain that we would try to keep it strong in the beginning, with daily calls and maybe even days that we would travel the long distance to each other's residence just to spend time with each other, but I knew that eventually even that would not be enough. Eventually, we would drift apart. Daily calls would slowly devolve into weekly calls. Trips out of the city would become too long and time consuming, and we would slowly not even bother about keeping the relationship.

"What are you thinking about?" Taron asked, once again knocking me out from my thoughts.

"Nothing," I lied, snuggling closer into his side.

"Liar," he said, before sighing. "You know you can trust me right? You can talk to me you know."

"It's nothing. Really."

"Okay fine. One day you'll trust me enough," he said. His statement held no accusation though, instead showing his understanding of anything that I was going through. What he said stuck with me though.

Did I not trust Taron?

I mean sure, he may have led me to believe that he hated me when in fact he liked me, but that was different right? He was protecting his heart, very much like what I was doing in regards to him. But did I trust him?

I kept contemplating this question in my mind as we arrived at his house. I looked at the modern looking glass facade of his mansion and couldn't help but smile. I wasn't clueless as to the living lifestyle of elites, seeing that I'd been over to Alena's more than enough to know the grand mansions they lived in, but still it was nice to know that unlike boring natal residences, elite house had character. Now, the reason I say that is partly due to the different architecture of each house. Unlike natal houses which were all almost identical copies of one another, elite mansions could be widely different from each other.

Taron's glass house was somewhat of a reflection of himself. He was cool and beautiful, and yet open and transparent. He didn't hide anything and was proud of it. What Taron wasn't, was fragile though. If anything, I was the fragile one in our relationship where he had been strong.

I followed him as he walked up to his door, waving his BIC across the imposing structure. A beep followed before the doors opened, allowing us to enter. It was the the first time I had ever dropped by his place, so I was a little unsure of what it was going to be like. Sure, I had somewhat of an idea, but being able to know without a doubt was a welcomed thought.

"Welcome to mi casa," he announced as we walked into his foyer. I let my eyes wander over the sleek wood interior, little brush metal accents giving the place a contemporary yet homely feel. Light shone easily through the panel windows, its pristine glass coming down from the ceiling all the way to the ground. All in all, very cool and very Taron.

"Yup, this is definitely your house," I commented as I strode slowly across the foyer, taking in the details of it's architecture, arms folded behind my back.

"Were you expecting something else?" he laughed, threading one arm though the loop at my elbow.

"Well, no...but...nevermind," I muttered, not really knowing where I was heading with that statement. "Are your parents home?"

He shook his head no. "But they'll be back later tonight. Why? Want to meet my parents already?" he teased.

"It seemed only fair seeing that you've met mine," I retorted, playing along.

"C'mon, I want to show you my bedroom," he said, pulling me up the stairs.

"Wow, meeting the parents and getting to know your bedroom? Someone is eager," I continued, stepping up the teasing a little.

"You know how I do." He smirked as he said this, sticking his tongue out the corner of his mouth, the mischievous look suiting him quite nicely I must say. I replied with a chuckle as he pulled me through a door, into what I could only assume was his bedroom. "Well, here it is. My man cave."

I took a quick glance over the surprisingly plain bedroom and raised an eyebrow. "Man cave? This hardly even qualifies as a bedroom." Somehow, I expected Taron's room to have something interesting; the cool factor so to speak. You see, Alena's room has a full walk-in closet, complete with runway and flashing lights. I never understood it, but whatever. From what she told me, her brother's room had a little antique arcade corner. So, you could see why I thought that Taron's room would have some sort of...special feature to it. With a bed, a simple couch and a TV hanging on the wall, the room was pretty bare.

"What were you expecting?" he ask.

"I don't know...something? I half expected every elite bedroom to have some cool feature or what not."

He chuckled at me. "Well, I don't know about cool, but you're not wrong to think that there is a feature of this bedroom. Sometimes not everything is quite as it appears." I raised my eyebrow at his deliberate tone of mystery. I stared at him, waiting for him to continue with whatever he was, no doubt, trying to lead up to.

"Well? I'm waiting," I deadpanned, crossing my arms over my chest.

He shook his head, laughing to himself. Walking over to a bare wall that looked like it needed something to liven it up, he ran a hand over the surface, coming to a stop somewhere in the middle of it. I wondered for a moment what he was doing before a panel shone through the wall, right where his right hand had stopped. My eyes bulged slightly, not even knowing there was a panel behind the wall, which I could now see was translucent. Scanning his hand, a small section of wall, no bigger than a doorway slid away, revealing a hidden room I didn't even know was there.

I could do nothing but stare in shock, my mouth hanging open. Taron turned back to me, noticing my reaction but simply beckoned me forward as he stepped through the newly opened passage. I took a deep breath, shaking my head and trying to regain my composure before following him.

Stepping past the threshold, I noticed an almost unnoticeable drop in temperature. The air also felt dryer, giving the room a sort of microenvironment. Lamps across the walls shone upwards, reflecting against the wall, illuminating the room in a soothing glow. I took the time to examine the room, noticing the shelves of books that lined the walls, seeing row upon rows of literature stacked neatly.

"It's a library?" I thought aloud.

"Something like that," Taron said. I wasn't much of a reader, but it was definitely something to see a room stocked to the brim with books, much less in a secret room in someones bedroom. Heck, people on Lunaris had, at most, a shelf with no more than ten books lining it. This was a freaking library. "I like to collect old literature. I preserve them here, in a room with controlled environment to ensure maximum lifespan."

"So I take it you like to read," I said as I ran a hand across a shelf in from of me, quickly browsing through the titles.

"Not excessively, but I do take pleasure in it from time to time. Mostly though, I just like the smell of old paper. Calms me somewhat," he said, taking a seat in a small couch sitting in the corner.

"Hmm, not exactly what I was expecting, but cool nonetheless. Ken would love this," I said.

"Not the correct brother I want in my bedroom."

"Oh come on. You two are so much alike it's not even funny. You two have more in common than me," I said, before coming to a realization at my words. "Which in a way, seems like I'm dating my brother." I cringed at the thought, feeling slight goosebumps erupt across my skin.

"I like to think I'm hotter than you're brother," he said, coming up behind me and wrapping his arms around my waist. Burying his face into my neck and kissing me lightly, more goosebumps raced across my skin, although this time in pleasure and not disgust.

"Hmm. Yes. You. Are." I punctuated each word. I could feel him breathing against my skin, taking in my scent, which sent me wild with lust. He snaked his hand underneath my shirt, running his fingers slowly up my abs, tracing the grooves with slow yet deliberate brushes. I leaned my head back against his shoulder, giving him better excess to my neck, which he was now lightly biting. I moaned in delight as the sensations he sent through my body lit up nerves, setting my body yearning for more. It was then that I got my answer to my question from before.

Did I trust Taron?

The answer? Yes. Wholeheartedly yes.

"Do you like this?" he whispered, dragging his lips softly over my shoulder, his fingers now slowly traveling up to my nipple. I could only moan in reply, hoping that was more than enough to convey how much I was indeed enjoying it. Then as quickly as this started, he froze. I pushed back against him, wordlessly asking why'd he stop. "Can I ask you something?" he asked.

"Ask me later," I breathed, hoping that he would just continue.

"No, we need to do this now," he said. I sighed in exasperation as I pulled away from him. He gave me a grateful look as he pulled me from the library, directing me to the couch in his bedroom. I sighed but made my way over to the couch nonetheless, sitting down and waiting for him as he closed his personal library before coming to sit beside me.

"So, what do you want to talk about," I asked.

"Us," he said simply. For a moment, my sexual frustration gave way to worry. It sounded like a break up talk. Did he realize that I wasn't worth the baggage that came with me? Or perhaps he didn't find me as sexually satisfying as he thought I'd be. Reaching over, he wrapped his fingers around mine, filling me with more dread than happiness, unlike what I usually felt.

"Us?" I said unsurely.

"You know, back in the car just now," he started. At his words, I couldn't help but feel like he was indeed about to break up with me. He was going to tell me how he couldn't deal with someone who couldn't even touch him. "You kinda freaked out on me." I could tell he was being very careful with his words.

"I'm sorry-" I started but was promptly cut off.

"No, don't apologize," he said, squeezing my hand tighter before taking a deep breath and continuing. "So after what happened in the car, I thought you wanted to take things slow. But just now in the library, you...you didn't..." he trailed off.

I was confused now. I didn't know what Taron was getting at, but it didn't seem like he was heading towards the break up speech that I thought he was heading to. "Taron, I don't really understand what you're trying to say."

He took another deep breath. "What I'm trying to say is, I hope you don't think I'm pressuring you into being intimate with me." I swear my eyes doubled in size at his words.