The tires of the Faber's beloved pickup truck rumbled over the asphalt as Elizabeth crested the slight hill that brought her to the arrivals deck of the airport. Traffic was thickening somewhat; within the stream of cars a flurry of blinkers signified that drivers had found their travelers. She scanned the faces of people milling about the stretch of concrete but she didn't see anyone she recognized. She inched forward with the other cars, frowning at the crowd and running her hands excitedly over the wheel.
A year. It had been a year since she'd seen Oliver. A little longer than that, to be accurate. Some days she would look at the calendar and find that weeks had flown by, but there was no denying that the last year had been a long one for her. They'd kept in touch through phone calls and Skype sessions when they could, more often sending an innocuous text or funny email. Their respective schedules and social lives posed challenges, too. Oli would be home for a whole week and Bit could not have been more excited or relieved. Plus, he was going to help her move into her own apartment; she planned to stretch that process out a bit so she could keep him to herself. She would be a squirrel, storing moments with him to last for another long absence.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a hand shoot into the air. She spotted Oli's light brown hair and waved. She couldn't get a spot at the curb but she slowed down and he ran toward her. She felt her stomach twist itself into a knot as he stepped into the street and reached for the door.
And then he was there, hurling his bag into the back and sliding into the cab. She inhaled deeply, savoring that woodsy smell of his that she'd been yearning for.
"Hey, you," he said coyly as Bit merged back into the flow of cars. She wanted to look him over but she couldn't take her eyes off the road for more than a second.
"Hey yourself! How the hell are you?" she asked, feeling punchy. They moved away from the arrivals level and picked up speed as they queued to exit airport property. Oliver spent the next few minutes describing the flight and the bickering couple he'd been sitting between while Bit drove them in the direction of home. It wasn't long before the other cars thinned out and they found themselves on more rural roads. The farm was still a few miles off and the bustle of the airport was well behind them. Bit pulled off onto a deserted, private road and put the car in park. She turned to face her brother, who was giving her a curious smirk.
"Sorry, I wanted to get out of there but I need to give you a proper hello," she explained. Oli understood. Crowds of people- even those they'd probably never see again- were risky. They'd been incredibly lucky in the past. Eric hadn't been home when they'd been together that morning in Oli's apartment last year. Billy never asked about the particulars of their relationship after being caught red handed by an obviously outraged Oliver. They'd been sloppy before, like a pair of high schoolers. They had to be smart now and stick to the guidelines they'd established.
To avoid excessive nagging from their parents, the siblings agreed to date other people, if only superficially. They spoke candidly in person or over the phone, never over text or email where prying eyes might uncover their secret. When they were together in town they had no choice but to assume they could run into someone they knew. Better safe than sorry, they agreed. Still, they'd been waiting ages for this.
Now Oli reached out and pulled his sister across the seat of the pickup to embrace her. He gave an involuntary shiver of excitement when he felt her arms tighten around his torso.
"I missed you," she muttered, nuzzling his chest. He pressed his face into her hair, only a few shades lighter than his, and breathed in the sweet and tropical aroma of her shampoo.
"I missed you too, Bit. Like crazy," he added. He pulled back a little to admire her glimmering green eyes. "It was tough saying goodbye last time. I was in a funk for a while. I've been looking forward to this visit for a long time." Bit smiled up at him.
"You sure that doesn't have anything to do with eating a bunch of turkey and catching up with your high school buddies?" she asked, half joking. It was an informal tradition to meet up with other local alumni at Baker's, a bar in town, on the eve of Thanksgiving. Bit wouldn't be 21 for another 6 months but exceptions were often made for pretty women.
"There's nobody I'm dying to see," Oli replied vaguely. Bit squinted at her brother, evaluating.
"Please tell me you've forgiven Billy," she chided. "You know that was a silly mistake on my part and that it meant nothing. Don't you?" Oli rolled his eyes dramatically and sighed.
"Yeah, I know. I guess I'm over it."
"Oli! Billy's been your friend for ages. To throw that away over a few minutes of heavy petting is ridiculous, not to mention cause for suspicion," Bit reasoned. Oli couldn't hold back his grin. She was adorable when she tried to scold him.
"Don't worry. We've talked since then and we'll probably get a drink later," he reassured her. He gently tucked a lock of hair behind her left ear. "And I don't think Billy would judge us too harshly." Bit's eyes widened.
"What's that supposed to mean?" She felt a flutter of panic. Had he found out?
"Relax, he doesn't know. But he's had the hots for you since eleventh grade. When I told him about the night I walked in on you..." They shared an impish grin as they recalled the shared memory that sparked their tryst. Bit blushed, which Oli found both sweet and arousing. "Well, Billy expressed his opinion, which was that I should've made a move."
"He had to be joking. Right?" Bit couldn't quite believe it. Then again, that accidental intrusion of Oli's had ended up setting something wild in motion.
"It's hard to know with Billy. Anyway, after your entrance in the towel post-shower, he told me again that I needed to fuck you. By the way, where did you find such a skimpy towel? It might as well have been two wash cloths." Oli thought back to the beginning, the angst he felt and the relentless, throbbing hard ons she gave him.
"We had larger towels to choose from. That much I'll admit." Bit nibbled her lower lip, eyes alight with amusement. "I wonder if Billy was serious. Did you agree with him?"
"Not out loud. Not even really to myself until you were standing in my room, soaking wet. That was...pretty unbelievable." Oli's words trailed off. Bit recognized the shine in his eyes, the shift in focus. She slid her hand behind his neck, twisting the hair at the base of his skull in her fingers as she brought her face close to his.
"Fuck," he groaned softly. "I'm hard as a rock." She smirked.
"I know." She exhaled shakily, every bit as turned on as he was, and pressed her mouth to his. Neither of them could remember a kiss as passionate. Their mouths moved together, wet and warm, in a song of pants and moans. Their tongues wrestled, retreated and came back for more. Oli grabbed Bit's waist, crushing their torsos together. He broke the seal of their mouths and ventured to nibble her earlobe.
