My Cousin's 18th

Me and my cousin Ashley always got on well together. I was an only child and spent a lot of time with her on play dates when my parents were splitting up. After particularly vicious arguments between mom and dad, mom would bring me to her sister's to stay the night. This started happening more and more frequently until mom and dad finally got the hint. By that point, Ashley and me were inseparable. She was two years younger than me so I became like a big sister to her. We would share beds and spend hours playing hairdresser with each other. I taught her how to plait her hair. In return, she accidentally cut a chunk of mine off (I had to wear a hat in school for 3 months until it grew back). She became my escape, my confidant, my partner in crime. That was until my parents actually got divorced and I moved away with mom.

Over the next 10 years, we barely saw each other. Every now and then we'd get together at Thanksgiving or Christmas. But our relationship changed. After not seeing each other for months or years at a time, it wasn't so easy to just pick up where we left off. As if nothing happened. We would still laugh and reminisce and plait each other's hair like we were young, but something was different and I couldn't put my finger on what. Until her 18th birthday.

I got a text from her about 2 weeks before her 18th saying that she was going to have a small party, close family and friends, and wanted me to be there. I could feel my heart smile as I read that text, like that nostalgic, bittersweet feeling you get when you're cleaning your room and find a dusty box of your old favorite toys.

I spent the next 2 weeks trying to plan my outfit. Seeing family after a long time apart always felt like making a first impression all over again. You have to dress grown up, but not too grown up. You have to find that perfect balance between cute and sophisticated. If you hear 'my God, you've grown!', or 'you were just this big when I last saw you!', then you know you've nailed it.

Mom drove me to Ashley's house. I felt nervous for the first time. I was 16 when we last saw each other. A lot happens in 4 years, especially at that age. I sat in the passenger seat fiddling with the hem of my dress.

'Leave it alone, you'll pull a thread and then it'll be ruined'. Mom swatted a hand at me. I was actually pretty happy with my outfit. I was wearing a black dress that stopped about halfway up my thighs, with sleeves just past my elbows, and a thin brown leather belt. The material was light and soft so, despite it being summer, it didn't get hot. I could feel the breeze blowing through, brushing my skin. I was pretty damn small then: no curves worth mentioning, and my boobs stopped growing at like 14. But this dress hugged me just right. I won't lie, I looked pretty good.

Mom took a couple glances at me.

'Are you OK?'

'Yeah, I'm fine'

'You sure? Not nervous are you?'

'Nervous? No, why?' I furrowed my brow.

'Oh, no. No reason.' We pulled up to a red light. She looked in the mirror, smacked her lips and pulled at her crows feet with a finger.

'Now, are you sure you got everything?' She sighed noticing lines around her eyes.

'Yes, mom. I double checked before we left.'

'Alright... Do you have your toothbrush?'

'Yes'

'Clean underwear for the morning?'

'Yes, mom. I told you.'

'OK, I'm just checking.' I connected my phone to the car and put on a random playlist. We didn't talk much for the rest of the journey.

When we got there, the house was flooded with people: family I hadn't seen in years, and friends of Ashley's I had never met before. I followed mom into the living room and said hi to my aunt.

'Oh! You look so cute! Aren't you just a doll!' My aunt rested her chin on her palm and eyed me up and down.

'I think Ashley's in the kitchen, honey. Go in, say hi!' I walked through the double doors to the kitchen. Ashley was perched on the kitchen table, circled by her giggling friends. She saw me. Her eyes widened. The whites of her eyes lit up her face. She threw her arms in the air, jumped off the table and screamed with the force of an entire bachelorette party. She skipped over and threw her arms around me in a tight bear hug. I wriggled my arms free and wrapped them around her.

'Oh my god, Nicole! it's so good to see you. Thanks so much for coming'. She wore a huge '18 Today!' pin on her chest that poked her boob when she squeezed me.

'Agh... shit. I gotta stop doing that', she laughed. Her dress was gorgeous. A tight-fitting plum halter neck dress with a diamond window of cleavage in the center. She looked fabulous. She introduced me to her confused circle of friends and got me a soda. We were just kids when we last hung out. I could hardly recognize the woman that stood beside me. People say you don't know what you've got until you lose it, but I think they've got it twisted: you don't know what you've lost until you get it back. I didn't realise just how much I missed her.

The night went on, and people slowly started going home. My mom said her goodbyes and told me she'd pick me up around 12 the next day, so I'd better not keep her waiting. Soon it was just me and Ashley's family left recounting stories from her childhood curled up in the sitting room.

'OK, I'm heading to bed. Nicole, you know where you're sleeping?' My aunt rocked herself forward and got to her feet.

'In with Ashley, right?'

'Is that alright?'

'Yeah, of course'. She smiled and nodded her head.

'Happy birthday, my angel'. She planted a kiss on Ashley's forehead and went to bed. Ashley turned to me.

'Wanna chill in my room and watch a film or something?'

'Yeah, sure'. I collected my overnight bag and followed her up to her room. It had barely changed from her childhood. The same soft pink on the walls. The High School Musical stickers we stuck on her wardrobe were faded and peeling, but still there. If it wasn't for the clothes and textbooks strewn on the floor, it would be a perfect time capsule from our childhood.

We got changed into our PJs — mine blue plaid boxers and a tank top, hers an old Harry Potter t-shirt and shorts — and we climbed on top of the bed. Ashley put the TV on and scrolled through Netflix on her phone.

'Have you seen Arrested Development?' she said, paused on the info page.

'No, but I keep meaning to. Friends in college keep quoting it and I just haven't a clue what's going on. Go on, put it on'. She pressed play on the pilot episode, and a ukulele started playing. We sat there watching and giggling, feeling like little girls again. I pressed a hand on her back.

'Move up, I'll do your hair'. Her face lit up with a goofy smile. She scooted forward. I reached over to her end table and grabbed a handful of hair ties and bobby pins, sat behind her on my knees, and took her hair in my hands. For the first time in years, it felt like we were sisters again. I ran her hair through my hands, twisting and weaving her golden brown locks into a French braid. When it was done, I patted her on both shoulders proudly, 'now do me'. We swapped positions, and Ashley went to work on my hair. She ran the back of her hand down my hair a number of times, flattening it against my back. I felt a soft kiss on the back of my neck as she placed her palm on my shoulder. I reached up and put my hand on hers before she slipped it away, dragging it down my back, and took my hair in her hands again. She continued to let it run loosely through her hands. Then she lifted my hair up and placed another delicate kiss on the back of my neck. And then another. And another. Each kiss moving further down my back.

'What are you doing?' I turned my head to face her.

'Nothing'. She smiled innocently. 'Turn back around'. I turned back to the TV. Ashley took my hair again. I didn't know what she was doing. It felt strange but I could feel my heart thumping against my ribcage. I focused on the TV. She finally started weaving my hair, turning it over and under itself, inside and out. I could feel myself breathe out deeply in relief. But I couldn't shake this feeling. A part of me was feeling curious. I shook my head to try and straighten out my thoughts.

'Hey! I'm not finished yet'. She slid a couple pins into the braid to hold it in place.

'Sorry, I shivered'. She stroked the braid, pressing the loose ends against my back. It tickled. My shoulder blades quivered.

'There. Done.' She ran her hands quickly down and back up my arms, and laid her palms on my shoulders. I felt another soft kiss on my shoulder. Then one on my neck.

'OK, seriously. What are you doing?' I turned my whole body to face her.

'What?' She looked taken aback.

'Why do you keep kissing me?'

'I'm not'.

'You're not kissing me? What do I keep feeling then?'

'They're not kisses'.

'Well, then what are they?'

'Just little pecks. I just haven't seen you in so long'.

'If they're not kisses, then what are?'

'What? Are you asking me to kiss you or something?'

'Yes'. Her head went back in surprise. I didn't know what I just said. Or why. I tried not to make eye contact but I met her stare. She looked deeply into my eyes for an eternity, then leaped forward, knocking me onto my back, her lips racing mine to see who'd come up for air first. Her tongue danced with mine. She ran her hands through my hair, cupping the back of my head. I dragged my hands up her waist, pushing the old Harry Potter shirt up. I felt goosebumps on her skin as my fingers explored her elegant arched back. I pulled my lips from hers and gasped for air. I turned my face away from hers, trying to catch my breath. She quickly started caressing my neck with her mouth, each kiss bringing us further down a road we could never come back from. She sat up, straddling my waist. I admired my cousin's petite frame, wondering what the fuck we were doing. She ripped off her shirt. Her boobs bounced as they fell out of her top. The only other time I saw them, they were barely boobs at all. We were just excited kids, comparing our blossoming femininity. Now they were bigger than mine. She looked so beautiful. I sat up and pulled my top off. I dragged her back down on top of me, our nipples pressed against each other's. She bit my lip and started kissing her way down my body. A thousand watts of electricity shot down my spine as she got closer to my nipples. I gasped as she traced circles around my hard nipples with her tongue. I threw my head back. She was making me weak. I could feel my boxer shorts getting wetter as she placed delicate kiss after delicate kiss on my belly down to my waist. She sat back on her knees, gripping my underwear with both hands.

'Are you sure?' she said breathlessly. I could only nod my head yes. She pulled my underwear off. She held them up to me, showing the wet patch and giggled.

'I think your body's saying yes, too.' She scooped her arms under my knees, pushing them back.

'I'm sorry I didn't shave'. I thought I should be embarrassed. I was too turned on to care.

'What, you mean you weren't expecting this, either?' She laughed and dragged her lips along my labia, taking my swollen clit in her mouth, tickling it with her tongue. I thought I was going to explode. I couldn't see straight. I let out a breathless groan. She plunged her tongue into my pussy. My hips squirmed and shook, pushing her face deeper inside me. Her tongue swirled and teased. I thought my heart was going to burst. My pulse pounded in my neck. My clit was a bundle of nerves. With every move of her tongue, her nose just brushed off it, just enough for it to tickle like crazy, bringing me torturously close to orgasm. Oceans were building deep inside me, just begging to crash. I could feel my face turn red. My back arched and fell over and over as I struggled to control myself. I pushed her face deep into me. The waves crashed. My butt clenched. My shoulders closed in. My legs stretched, pointing my feet and curling my toes. My body writhed and shook underneath Ashley's as I was taken over by orgasm. I screamed. Ashley quickly covered my mouth.

I closed my eyes as she made her way back up my body. She placed a gentle kiss on my lips. I opened my eyes. She beamed a smile at me. Her eyes stared lovingly into mine. I felt her smile deep in my soul. It melted my heart. As she held herself up over me, I reached down and felt her soaking wet shorts. I let her taste herself off my fingers. She rolled onto her back. I straddled her smooth, creamy thighs. She gave me a tender smile and nodded her head. I pulled down her dripping shorts and traced her velvety labia with two fingers like a breaststroke. My fingers were instantly sticky. I took to her bulging clitoris and softly lapped at it. She breathed deeply, dropped her arm over her eyes, and grinned from ear to ear. I kissed her clit and dragged my tongue down to her vagina. Two fingers glided effortlessly into her slippery pussy. Her hips sank into the bed. She let out a fragile moan. My fingers curled and stretched deeper inside her innocent body. I grabbed a breast with my free hand, and began to tickle and tease her nipples with my tongue.

'Oh, Nikki, I'm so close'. My fingers moved faster inside her. Her body wriggled below mine. She grabbed the hand on her breast and put my finger between her teeth. She looked intensely at me with big, honest eyes as her brow dropped. Her head rocked back. Her mouth agape. I felt her orgasm into my hand as I sucked on her neck. She shouted out, and I returned the favor and covered her mouth with my hand. Her body slowed. I moved my hand. She shot me a pathetic, powerless look. My lips dove onto hers.

'I guess I'll never get to see that show', I giggled as I lay on top of her kissing her full, supple lips. Both of us were utterly exhausted.

We eventually got under the sheets and cuddled. I was the big spoon, my leg over hers. I fell asleep with her tucked into my body, perfectly content.

The next morning, I awoke from the most restful, peaceful sleep of my life. We went downstairs together, and walked into the kitchen. My aunt was sat at the table, drinking coffee.

'Morning, you two. What did you get up to last night? Anything fun?' Ashley and I looked at each other and smiled bashfully.

'No, nothing much'.