Pepper's Delight
Disclaimer: Not real people, everyone is 18/18+
PEPPER
My fingers fiddled with my backpack strap as I stood on my big brother's front porch. Mom was with me but I was nervous. I was going to be staying with Saul till I could find an apartment on campus, but he was four years older than me and we didn't always connect.
"Hey! Why are you so nervous? You know he's a sweet guy, he's always had your back even when you haven't gotten along." Mom said and I smiled, she was right Saul was always looking out for me. I ran a hand through my blond hair and cut my blue eyes to her quickly before the door opened.
"Pep! Mom! I'm glad you guys made it safe." Saul said with a smile splitting his handsome face. He pulled me into a hug and I felt myself blush as I felt the ripple of his muscles against me, and the hardness of his body. His blond hair was short and in shaggy curls and his blue eyes matched mine and mom's. He released me and smiled happily down at me.
"I'm so excited to see you Pepper. I promise I'm gonna make this fun, I even have booze." He said and mom hit him over the head playfully. We all laughed and he helped me with my things, it was like old times instantly. We laughed and chatted over old memories while Mom and Saul helped me get settled.
Mom waved at Saul and I from her car as she backed out of the driveway, leaving me in the care of my big brother. Saul smiled and threw an arm around my shoulders.
"How about pizza and beer to celebrate my little sister making it to college?" He said and I grinned up at him. He knew how to make it feel like it used to. We would throw little mini parties when mom went away, stealing booze and ordering pizza. Sometimes playing truth or dare till early in the morning, daring each other to do stupid things.
"Sounds amazing. We can play truth or dare too." I said and he hesitated, as though he wanted to say something but stopped himself. I smiled not thinking anything of it, we went back inside and he ordered some pizza and beers to be delivered. I put on a scary movie while we waited and plopped on the couch. Soon Saul joined me looping his arm over the back of the couch behind me. I felt a little shiver of familiarity run through me. The protective way he was around me, already here to shield me when the show got scary.
"You gonna freak out at the first jump scare?" He asked with a chuckle and I stuck my tongue out at him.
"No, I just get surprised. I'm not scared." I said, crossing my arms. He laughed then patted my head.
"I've really missed you sis. It feels like it's been forever since I had to miss Christmas last year." He said and scooted a little closer to me. I smiled and tucked into his side like I used to as a kid when we would watch movies. His arm came around me, that wasn't something familiar. I looked up at him and saw an expression in his eyes I couldn't read.
"Bubba?" I whispered nervously, suddenly thrown off by how close he was and the way he was holding me. The doorbell rang and he jerked, then smiled sadly.
"Sorry, Pep. I'll get the food." He said and kissed my forehead before getting up and going to the door. He returned with his usual cheerful demeanor back, a case of beer and a pepperoni pizza.
"The beer is already cold so I'll bring you one with a slice." He said with a wink and a smile. I wondered what that look had been about. He had looked, longing. He came back to the couch with the box of pizza and two beers. He handed one to me and sat the pizza on the coffee table. I popped open my beer and took a long drink, the bubbles burning my throat and the alcohol warming my stomach. I was a real lightweight and Saul knew to keep me to only a couple of beers.
"Make sure to eat with that, remember last time you had too much." He said and I turned bright red. The last time I had gotten too drunk I had kissed him. It hadn't been a really deep kiss, only a peck on the lips but still a kiss. I looked away from him embarrassed.
"Sorry, Pepper, I said I wouldn't bring it up." He said and took a long drink of his beer frowning. I took a little bite of pizza, it was really good. We ate and drank in silence for a moment.
"Hey, so are you gonna be getting your veterinary degree?" He asked and I smiled and nodded. It was my dream to work with animals and he knew how driven I was.
"Yeah, I want to work with exotics. That's going to take extra training but it will be so worth it." I said and he grinned at me.
"I missed your company, I missed staying up late and hanging out. I know I wasn't always the best to you growing up, but I love you Pepper." He said and looked over at me with that same longing expression, that same sad smile on his face. Suddenly he got up and went to the kitchen, anger flashing in his eyes.
"I'm getting another beer, do you want one?" He asked and I hesitated, that would be my third and I was already past buzzed.
"Why not?" I said and his shoulders shook slightly as he grabbed two more beers and brought them back into the living room. He handed one to me and opened his, taking a long drink before he spoke.
"Want to play truth or dare?" He asked and I looked at him in surprise, he had acted like hadn't wanted to play earlier.
"Yes!" I said in delight and settled into the couch while he sat in the stuffed chair across from me, his face a mix of excitement and desperate longing.
SAUL
My mind screamed at me to stop what I was doing even as I opened my mouth. "So Pep, truth or dare?" I asked and felt the mixture of giddiness and horror as I took my first step towards another kiss from those sweet lips.
"Now I can't start you out with anything fun, so I pick truth." She said and I swallowed. I could lead this very easily and I would, I needed this.
"Do you enjoy playing risky games like this with me?" I asked and she took a deep swallow of her beer before she answered. I could see the alcohol starting to haze over in her eyes, her inhibitions slipping away.
"Yes, I like that you could ask me to do anything, like how you used to make me climb on the roof and howl at the moon, or that one time on my eighteenth when you dared me to go streaking." She whispered and I flashed back to that night. It was her 18th birthday and we had stayed up late goofing off while Mom slept. I had dared her to go streaking through the neighborhood. She had done it and I had fallen in love. That had been the same night she kissed me, she had gotten drunk and I had turned at the last second. It had been amazing, her lips so soft.
I had craved her ever since and now here she was in my home months later, playing the same game with me again. Only now the stakes were higher, now I wanted her.
"Truth or dare Saul?" She asked me and I smiled.