Author's Note, Thanks again to kenjisato for editing and suggestions.
______________
Brian waited at the bus station, thinking about the past and the coming change in his life. His half-sister Alicia, Ali, who was nearly nine years his junior, had called him the week before begging him to let her stay with him. She had only graduated high school the week before and, like Brian years before, wanted out. He had been estranged from his mother since college, his only contact with home was with his sister. He suspected she was being driven out of the house by the same forces that drove him away.
So, he took the afternoon off work to pick her up.
The bus pulled up and Brian watched the people exit. Despite sharing photos over the years, he wondered if he'd recognize her. Yet there she was, no longer the adolescent of his memory.
Alicia collected her suitcase and turned to see Brian smiling at her. She ran to him and gave him a bear hug.
"I'm so glad to see you!"
"Me too, Ali."
As he hugged her, he realized how petite and slim she was, giving her an air of being younger than her eighteen years.
"Man! It's been, what, six years since I saw you," he said, as they continued to hug.
"Seven!" she corrected him.
"Come. Let's get you home."
'Home!' Alicia liked the sound of that.
Brian dumped her suitcase on the back seat of his car and the two headed off.
"So, want to talk about it?" he asked, as they got on the highway.
"No!" she barked, taking in the scenery of her new city.
Brian said nothing. But understood the vagaries of being with their mother.
He changed the subject. "How was the bus ride?"
"Hungry. I only had ten bucks. Oh, thanks for buying the ticket."
"Why didn't you say so," he replied, pulling off the highway.
In a minute, they were at a burger joint. They sat at an outside table and Brian smiled at how she devoured her huge burger and fries.
With a smile from a satisfied stomach, Alicia watched as the landscape changed as they resumed their trip. They were heading to the outskirts of the suburbs, an area that not long before, had been more agricultural.
Brian pulled the car into a driveway, the house unseen from the road. Alicia smiled when her new home came into view. It was older and smaller. A little bungalow home on a fair-sized lot. And the trees and shrubs made it very private.
"Wow!" she exclaimed.
"Not much. I didn't want a condo. And here, I feel like I'm in the country. It's a long commute to work, but it's good for my sanity."
The setting and the warm, late June weather enchanted Alicia and she immediately took a liking to it.
She found the inside simple and neat. Neater than she expected of a bachelor.
"Here's your room. A small, spare bedroom for a small house."
"I love it!" Alicia told him. She didn't care what it was like, it represented her freedom.
"One bathroom, I'm afraid. You look like you could use a nap."
"A shower and a nap," Alicia replied.
"Towels are there." He smiled. "I have email to catch up on."
Brian settled at the kitchen table with his laptop, listening to the shower run as he caught up on his messages.
It was six-thirty, when Alicia finally appeared. She found Brian cooking. "Smells good!"
"Yeah, stir-fried veggies and rice. I figured you got your meat ration at lunch," he replied, turning to her.
He got a bit of a shock seeing her in shorts and a tube top that showed off her small but pert breasts. That, her legs, and her long, dark hair that framed her face confronted Brian with just how beautiful his sister was. He was of half a mind to tell her to tone down her outfit. But remembered she likely had heard enough of that from their mom. And, he admitted to himself, he liked the view.
"I didn't know you could cook."
"Had to, if I wanted to eat well. Besides, I found women like a man who can cook."
Alicia giggled. "Got a girlfriend?"
"Yeah, Stacy. And we have a date tomorrow. Taking her out to dinner. So, you're on your own Friday."
They sat down to eat, and Brian grabbed a beer from the fridge.
"Can I have one?" she asked.
"Um... Okay. Today, seeing how it's a special occasion. But don't expect it to be a regular thing. I don't want people to think I'm turning my little sister into an alcoholic!"
"No. One alcoholic in the family is enough," she replied.
They both went silent as Brian cringed, realizing he'd stepped on a touchy subject for them both.
"Brian," Alicia started, putting her hand on his, "I want to thank you. I mean... like... It must be a pain having me show up like this, I..."
"Ali! Stop! I want you here! I feel guilty for not being there for you all these years."
"You stayed in contact."
"That's not the same."
"Brian, I understand. You had to get away."
He went silent as the guilt welled up, over abandoning the only family member he loved.
He decided to change the subject. "Now, ground rules. Do you have plans?"
She shook her head.
"Two choices then. Get a job. Or go to school. The community college here is pretty good. I'm happy to support you if you go to college. But you need some plan."
Alicia simply smiled. She wondered how long Brian would let her stay. But then, she knew it was an open-ended invite.
She took a swig of her beer and scrunched up her face.
"It's an ale. An acquired taste, I guess."
She insisted on doing the cleanup, and after, Brian suggested they watch a movie.
They sat on the sofa, and as Brian searched for something they both might like, Alicia started, "You asked me if I wanted to talk about it." And after a pause, "Well, mom has been just as difficult as ever. But it was her new boyfriend. A real creep."
Alicia went quiet as Brian waited.
"Mom laughed it off as innocent flirtation. But I didn't want to put up with it."
"Ali, you did the right thing coming here," he replied, putting his arm around her and giving her a hug.
He suddenly felt the moment was awkward and put his arm on the backrest. But Alicia liked it. She placed his arm around her and nestled closer.
"I could use some comforting," she explained. But, in fact, she liked feeling his arm around her.
Brian wasn't going to protest. "Heard from your dad?"
"Nah, long gone like yours. I suspect he didn't like the child support. You know, I left mom a note telling her I split. Oh, I didn't tell her where. I thought I'd get a call from her-- an earful. But nothing. I feel like she's happy to be rid of me."
"Ali!" he whispered, pulling her in tightly.
Alicia rested her head on his shoulder, feeling more loved than she had in years, as Brian started the movie.
*****
Friday morning, Brian got ready for work. When he emerged from the bathroom with only a towel wrapped around him, he found Alicia in the hall, looking him over.
"Oh, sorry. I never needed a robe," he blushed.
"Don't be," Alicia smirked, getting her first good look at her brother's fit body.
As he headed out the door, Brian reminded her she was stuck at home for the day. "There are no bus routes nearby, sorry. Gotta go. Oh, you can use that computer in the corner," he added, giving Alicia a peck on the cheek.
It was a little peck that pleased her very much.
Alicia spent the day surfing the web and checking out the local college. And starting the process to apply.
That evening, Brian arrived home. As he headed to his room to change, he advised her, "You're on your own for dinner. Anything in the fridge is yours... Except the beer. Oh, Stacy is picking me up at six. I wanted her to meet you."
Suddenly, Alicia felt underdressed for the moment. Shorts and a T-shirt would not do, and headed to her room to change.
Brian emerged from his room to find Alicia gone. He turned to his computer, biding his time by catching up on messages.
"Is she here yet?" Brian heard from behind him.
"Not yet," he replied casually, turning to her. "Wow! Dressed up for her?"
"Just jeans and a blouse. I didn't want her to think your sister is a slob."
Brian took a long look at the tight jeans and top that showed off her slim figure at its best. "And the makeup?"
"Well..." she replied, sheepishly.
The knock at the door told of Stacy's arrival.
"Oh, you must be Alicia."
"Call me Ali," Alicia replied, as she looked Stacy over. 'Blonde and pretty. Just the type he deserves,' she thought to herself.
Stacy sized up Alicia as well. A type she might have been jealous of, if she wasn't his sister.
"Well, gotta go," Brian piped in, as he showed Stacy the door.
"Next time," Alicia smiled at her.
Stacy returned a nervous smile.
With them gone, Alicia changed back to sweatpants and T-shirt then headed to the fridge and found some leftovers. She plopped in front of the TV and started looking for a movie. She had gotten into the habit when her mom wasn't around to find movies with good sex scenes. Here, she hoped, would be more opportunities.
She found one she expected to be good and skimmed through to the first love scene. As the lovers became entangled on screen, Alicia's fingers slipped under her waistband and found her moistening slit. She fingered herself as the man made love to the woman.
She imagined herself in the woman's role, clearly being fucked in the darkness. Alicia was working her clit hard when the scene ended and quickly rewound it. In a minute, her orgasm hit, spasming to the pleasure of her own fingers.
She considered another round, but decided to watch the movie and see what the plot was. Next came another movie, a comedy this time. It was almost to the end when she heard the door open.
"Hi!" Brian greeted her.
