Lust Varied

I woke up. The room I was in was unfamiliar to me even though it was in the house I grew up in. The past few weeks was a blur to me with my mother welcoming my aunt and my twin cousins into our home. They had been displaced ever since my aunt divorced my uncle. I sat up and looked around the den that served as my room. I had the biggest room in the house before they moved in. My twin cousins now shared it while my aunt slept in what used to be the storage room. I groggily got out of bed and was thankful that I had a bathroom in my own room. Before my dad passed away, he made sure he found a home where he got a chance to be with his friends without disturbing the rest of the house. I opened the door to my bathroom and was greeted with a shriek and one of the twins on the toilet.

"Fuck!" I yelled as I slammed the door shut. "What the fuck are you doing in my bathroom, Ally?!"

The toilet flushed. My cousin swung the door open and looked at me. She was cute being a mixture of Chinese and Italian. Her eyes were fierce with anger as she stared me down, "I'm not Ally. Ally is upstairs using the main bathroom. I had to go and your mom told me to come in here. I didn't think you were going to peek on me.

That

bathroom door doesn't have a lock!"

I groaned. It was way too early. I rubbed the bits of sleep out of my eyes as I stood there with my cousin in my room. She was dressed in soft shorts that were a little too short for my liking. I wouldn't have minded if it was a girl that I dated, but on my cousin, it was too short. Her top was almost as bad. It was a tank top that barely contained her breasts. "Jesus, Ellie, I'm sorry. But, this

is

my room and I expect at least a knock before you come in here to use my bathroom."

Ellie rolled her eyes. There was something special about them. They weren't the pure dark brown like mine. Her hair didn't follow the traditional Chinese jet black like my mother's and I, there was a mixture of brown and black. She was stunning. She puffed out her chest in defiance, turned and walked out of my room. I shook my head and went into the bathroom for my morning routine. My mother had forgotten about my twenty-fifth birthday, but with my aunt and cousins moving in, I forgave her. Besides, I didn't care to celebrate anyway. I cruised through my routine and stepped out of the bathroom. I walked out of the den and made my way to the kitchen of the two story house. My mother and aunt were sitting at the dining room table talking.

"Good morning." My aunt greeted.

I grumbled in response.

"He isn't awake officially until he drinks a cup of coffee." My mother said to my aunt. The two of them laughed.

I grabbed my mug and poured rich, black coffee into it. I sipped slowly before turning around to face my mother and my aunt. My home was now filled with twins. My mother and aunt were identical twins with minute differences. They wore their hair in the same fashion. They dressed similarly. They acted the same. It was bizarre seeing the two of them sitting together. Both of them were dressed in thick sweaters and yoga pants. My mother was wearing dark purple while my aunt was wearing bright pink. They felt my eyes on them and stopped talking to face me.

"Good morning, Pete." My aunt said with a bright smile.

"Good morning." I said groggily with a bad night's sleep still hanging over my head.

"So, you're twenty-five now?"

I nodded, "A few days ago."

"Your mother was telling me." She made a face. "I'm sorry we didn't celebrate it."

I waved her off, "It's ok Aunt Kathy. I'm old enough to not care anymore."

"

Ay-yah

, Peter. Your aunt was just being sorry. You can at least be kind about it." My mother chimed in as she got up from the dining table. "I'm going to work now. They need me at the restaurant. Kathy, I leave my home to you. Take care of the brood."

Kathy winked at my mother. "You got it, Kit. I will make sure the place is still standing when you come home."

I stood like a statue as I watched my mother leave for work. My head was still trying to process everything. My aunt, the spitting image of my mother was still sitting at the dining room table. Her eyes were locked onto me. I wanted to head back to my room. My feet moved slowly as I willed myself to that direction.

"Peter...

goh-lay

." Kathy said beckoning for me to go over to her.

I did as told. I walked over to the dining table, set my mug down and sat. "Yeah?"

She reached across the table and took hold of my hand. "Listen, Peter, I know this is a huge change in your life. It isn't as if your aunt really wanted to do this. I am sure in time, we will all adjust. I will make sure you have your privacy as a man and I will make sure the girls stay out of your hair. They are young being nineteen and can be handful."

I tried to conjure the words to say to her, but my brain just wasn't cooperating. I felt her silky warm hand squeeze mine. I nodded like an idiot, "Just have the girls knock when they need to come in my room."

She smiled and sat back, "If that is all it takes for you to not be so grumpy around here then consider it done."

"Thanks, Aunt Kathy." I said as I took another sip of coffee.

"Kathy is just fine; no one is here to uphold the formalities."

I nodded.

"How are you doing?"

I shrugged, "I'm finished with school. Got myself a nice job where I get to work from home if I really wanted to. But, it is nice leaving the house. I get paid well. I was looking to move out, but it would leave mom in the house by herself. Since, you and the girls are here; maybe it can be my chance to leave without feeling guilty."

"Oh no..." Kathy said, "Never feel guilty when you are making progress in life. All baby birds leave the nest, hon. Your mother will understand."

I smiled. "I hope so."

A thundering of steps sounded at the stairs. One of my cousins appeared. "Good morning, mom. Good morning, Peter."

Kathy smiled. "Good morning."

"Good morning, Ellie." I grumbled trying my best not to sound like an asshole but failing miserably.

"I'm Ally." She said cutely. She walked over to the dining table and took the seat next to me. She smelled amazing. It was a perfume I had never encountered before. It was sweet and florally. She was dressed in a pair of yoga pants that were tight and hugged her legs perfectly. She wore a tight t-shirt that accented her bust and it truly looked amazing. I pulled my eyes away from her as she leaned closer to me. "Ellie's the bitch. I am the good one."

"Ally..." Kathy warned.

Ally waved a hand to her mother. "Yes, yes, keep the peace. I get it."

I sipped my coffee and was glad that the magical elixir breathed new life into me.

"What do you have going on today?" Kathy asked Ally.

Ally shrugged, "I don't know this neighborhood. I wanted to go walking around and explore."

Kathy turned to me, "Do you have work?"

I shook my head, "My docket is free. All I have to do is check on servers my company is contracted to upkeep later on tonight."

Kathy motioned towards Ally with her chin. "Would you take my daughter around and let her explore without being robbed and raped?"

I scoffed, "Kathy, we aren't living in a crime ridden city."

"Still..."

I nodded, "Ok."

Ally smiled with glee and hopped out of the seat. "I will go get dressed."

I downed the rest of my coffee and took a deep breath. "Well, I guess I should change as well."

"Thanks Peter." Kathy said warmly.

*

The autumn was cooler than usual in Brooklyn. There was a constant breeze that pushed through the bay-side area. I walked along the sidewalks with Ally as we traversed the neighborhood. I looked up and found my paintball coach standing outside his house. I walked over to him and shook his hand. I looked over his shoulder and found his cousin coming out of the house. The purple and green that she had dyed her hair to wasn't as vibrant anymore. When the team and I found out that he was dating his cousin, it shocked us at first, but we had never seen him happier.

"Taking a walk?" he asked.

I nodded, "Yes sir."

Ally stood beside me with a smile waiting to be introduced.

I reached around her and placed my hand on her back. My aim must have been a little off. My hand ended up on the small of her back. Ally jumped a little in shock, but stayed smiling. I pressed her forward. "Evan, this is my cousin, Ally. Her, her sister and her mom are staying with me now."

Evan smiled and stuck out his hand. Ally took it and they shook. "It is nice to meet you, Ally. I'm Evan and behind me fiddling with keys is my girl friend, Miranda."

Ally leaned to smile at Miranda and waved. "It's good to meet you."

I corralled Ally, "We should get going. I will see you at practice, coach."

He nodded.

Ally and I walked away. The leaves were falling from the trees near the bay. I looked out and watched as the autumn sun shined brightly onto the choppy waters. Ally walked closer to me as a gust of wind swept through the neighborhood.

"Coach?" she asked.

"Yeah, he is awesome. I joined the team a few years ago when I was watching them practice. Well...I tried out for the team and made it. We played an event in Central Park. It was the greatest time of my life. We ended up going to World Cup in Florida and came in second."

"I didn't know you played sports like that."

I looked over to her and smiled, "Well, it isn't as if we grew up together, Ally."

She nodded while she pursed her lips. "Truth."

We turned towards the park that was the length of the bay that it was built next to. I noticed Ally walking closer and closer to me. I cleared my throat. "So, what are your plans here?"

"Well, Ellie and I got transfers to different colleges down here. We are just waiting for the next semester to get back into it. It is weird living in one place for eighteen years and uprooting everything to move to Brooklyn." She looked up at me. "You're lucky. You grew up in a place where kids elsewhere only dreamed of."

I shrugged, "The mystical side of New York City is really in Manhattan. You have to look at Brooklyn like the suburbs, but just more urban."

We stopped at the railings of the park. Ally leaned on it and looked out into the bay. The choppy waves sent some spray up into the air. Ally giddily laughed as she ducked away from it. She hopped about happily and pressed herself back up against the railing. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes as the autumn sun bathed her in its fading warm rays of light. I looked over to her and found her stunning. Her nearly black hair had more tones of dark brown with the sun shining through it. She was a beautiful mixture of both Chinese and Italian. She pushed up and off the railing some more as if wanting to be carried away by the sea breeze. A huge gust of wind swept through the bay and knocked her off balance. I quickly stepped to her and wrapped my arms around her keeping her from falling into the waters.

"Whoa!" I cried out as I pulled her away from the railing.

Ally laughed heartily in my arms. "Lift me up, Peter!"

I hoisted her as high as I could. She extended her arms and closed her eyes once more.

"Oh my god, I love it! It feels like I'm flying!" she cried out as people in the park watched us and smiled.

"Ok, ok..." I said as I set her back down onto the ground. My arms were still around her tiny waist as she set hers down. She looked up at me and slowly wrapped her arms around me. Our eyes connected.

"That was fun." She said softly with as her hands rubbed my back slowly.

"I'm glad you had fun." I said as I finally let go of her. She lingered for a moment, but let go as well. "There is a coffee shop my coach raves about not too far away. You want to get a drink or something to eat?"

Ally's face was flushed red now. She batted her eyelashes for a moment and nodded. "That sounds awesome."

We walked together through the park and towards the café I told her about. Ally was fun and filled with a joyful spirit I hadn't ever encountered before. I looked over to her as she looked at all the falling leaves. Her eyes were constantly filled with wonder. She was delightful to be with. My mind began to spin. Where was a girl like her when I was actively trying to find someone? It wasn't fair. We walked up to the café. I found one of my teammates drinking his coffee as he stood outside near the outdoor seating.

"Niko!" I called out.

The lanky European looked over to me and waved. He shrugged his shoulders to make his leather jacket fit better as he walked over to meet Ally and me. He extended a hand and shook mine firmly. "Yo, you just missed Evan."

"Nope, we saw him before you did." Ally chimed in as she smiled brightly.

"Niko, this is my cousin Ally."

Niko nodded and lifted his cup, "Nice to meet you. Are you two going to grab a drink here?"

I nodded, "That's the plan."

He lifted his cup again, "They just made a fresh batch of hot spiced cider." He looked at his phone. "Damn it, I got to get going. I will see you at practice."

Ally waved as we both watched him walk away quickly. I looked over to her and pulled a seat out for her. She took it with a smile and sat. I sat across from her and took a deep breath. The time with Ally was growing a little awkward for me. When I looked over to her, she seemed blissfully happy. Perhaps it was all in my head. The waitress came out and greeted us. I ordered two ciders and a pastry sampler. She darted back into the shop.

"Hungry?" she asked.

"Their pastries are amazing here. You have to try them."

"Ok." She said. She sat back in the chair and looked over at me intently. "You have quite a life here, Peter. It's nice seeing someone that has friends and something other than work to live for."

I shrugged, "It isn't anything special."

She shook her head, "No, it

actually

is. Ellie and I never had a life like this. She played sports while I was into music. Dad never came to anything. It was always mom doing the work of two parents. We lived in a crappy suburb in Syracuse. The girls were catty; the guys just wanted only one thing..."

I laughed, "Ally, all guys are like that."

She bobbed her head about, "Perhaps...but when you live in a small town, it seems like you are surrounded by it. Here? Here when you are just one of thousands...one of millions...you get to be yourself. You get to be free from the bonds of suburban restraints. It feels liberating here."

The waitress came back with our order. She set the cups down in front of us and the platter of sampler sized pastries before darting over to another table that was seated outside. Ally picked up her cup of cider and sipped slowly.

"Wow." She said as she sipped some more. "This tastes amazing."

"Yeah?"

She nodded, "You have to have some."

I did. The cider was delicious. The café had a knack for making amazing drinks. I leaned back into the chair and sipped the drink slowly. The sounds of fall played gently like music as the two of us enjoyed our beverages.

"Do you care if I taste some of these pastries?" Ally asked politely. "They just look so amazing I can't help myself."

I lifted my chin, "Go ahead, Ally. No need to ask."

I watched as she looked through the platter and picked a few that she wanted to try. She took a bite out of the cheesecake stuffed croissant and her eyes nearly popped out of her head. She covered her mouth as she munched away. She swallowed and picked up another. She was soon furiously picking at the platter for more and more morsels. I sat back and drank as she enjoyed to her heart's content.

"Damn," she said. "I ate the entire platter."

I turned my attention back towards Ally. Every pastry on the platter had been consumed. She left me with a few crumbs and a goofy smile on her face. I playfully scoffed and shrugged, "Its fine. Every girl that samples their platters usually eats the entire thing."

She blushed as she wiped some of the crumbs of her lips with a napkin. "You bring a lot of girls here?"

"Used to."

"Not anymore?"

I shook my head, "I don't really have time for that kind of thing. Too much to do with work and practice."

"When was the last time you brought a girl here?"

I groaned in thought as I tried to recall. "Probably about a year ago."

"Wow." She said with her eyes wide with wonder. "That is

quite

a long time without a date."

I laughed, "Thanks for rubbing salt in the wounds."

She waved me off, "You know I'm only kidding." She shimmied about in her seat and edged around the table to be closer to me. "The next time you bring a girl here and she asks, you can say you brought me here."

"What?"

"Consider this a date."

I laughed as I took another sip of cider, "Yeah, I'm going to tell my next date that I brought my cousin here for pastries as a date. That would go over well."

Ally sat with a look of mock hurt on her face. "Am I not good enough?"

"What?"

She closed her eyes and looked sharply away from me. "Hmmph."

"What is it?"

She cranked her head away from me even more. "Well, since I'm not

good

enough for you to take here on a date, why even bother talking to me?"

I laughed in disbelief. "I can always leave and stick you with the bill."

"I don't care. I will go home and tell your mother."

I rolled my eyes, "Ok, ok, you're good enough for me to tell a girl that I brought my cousin here on a date. Ok?"

She turned to me with a bright smile and scooted her seat closer to me. "Now, wasn't that easy?"

"Jesus, you're a handful."

She smiled, "Want go head home?"

*

I sat in my bed and looked through my laptop. I checked the security of the servers and sighed as it was another uneventful time looking at code. I shut my laptop, set it aside and looked around my room. I leaned back in my bed and thought about the time I had with Ally. She was amazing to be with. I genuinely had a fun time. My mother had joked about us looking like a cute couple when we came home. My aunt chimed in as well saying that we were a perfect match for one another. If it could only happen, I would have done anything to date Ally. But, was it even right? Was it even legal? I grabbed my tablet and wanted to search if dating my cousin was a possibility and decided not to.

A knock sounded at my door.

"Come in."

The door opened and Ally appeared. She was wearing a large t-shirt that extended past her thighs but ended right above her knees. Even in the dim lighting of my room, I saw that her legs shined with silky smoothness. "Am I bothering you?"

I shook my head. "I just finished work. It took a while, but I'm done. What's up?"

She shut the door behind her. She looked around my room and nodded as if approving my decorating choices. She slowly walked over to my bed and climbed on. I was shocked at first, but stifled any sort of protest. She was after all my cousin and I shouldn't take it as anything but innocent behavior. "I can't fall asleep, so I was wondering if you were awake."

"I am."

"Do you mind if I hang out here?"

I looked over to her. She sat at the end of my bed. Her large over-sized t-shirt had shifted about when she sat. A large portion of silky thigh was now visible. I cleared my throat, "You know there is the rest of this house to hang out in."

"Everyone is asleep but you. Besides, I figured I would come and keep you company."

"There isn't anyway I can win this little debate we are having, is there?"

She shook her head. "Nope."

I rolled my eyes and patted the space next to me on my queen sized bed. "Come on. Make yourself at home. I was going to watch some Netflix."

She smiled and crawled next to me. She sat on top of the covers and leaned against me as I switched on the television that I had mounted on the wall when I moved into the room with the remote. She watched me as I surfed through the multitude of options available on the app.