The Lady in Red

Her version of events...

I woke up with a sore neck. Sleeping all curled up on the couch with my favorite blanket was not unusual, and neither was having the TV on. But with my head on someone's lap was kind of strange.

I wasn't a virgin, and was probably more prudish than whorish, but when I was with someone we usually didn't cuddle on the couch and watch movies after sex. "Wow, that was fun, let's exchange numbers," or, "It's not you, it's me," were the post-coital normal interactions for me. I really only have fond memories of snuggling on a couch with one person, my stepbrother John.

We became "brother and sister" when we were both 13 and our parents married. Both military brats, my dad and younger brother had been killed in a traffic accident and John's mom had died of cancer. Through future deployments by our parents, we became the only constant in each other's lives. When some boy at school broke my heart, even though I wasn't supposed to find out about it, Johnny usually "had a talk" with them about their behavior- which maybe scared future suitors away by accident. And even though he was popular among the girls at our schools, he never seemed to really "seal the deal" and stick with the same one for long.

I slowly started to get up and stretch. I was in my comfy pj's, a pair of boxers and a Cubs tshirt I "misappropriated" from Johnny when we were about 17. I found he had a pair of my panties hidden in his drawer so I reciprocated and took a pair of his boxers and a tshirt. I snapped my head left, then right, then left and right again, trying to get my neck to crack, where it finally did. My mouth was kind of funky and I needed a drink and I also had to tinkle.

I got up, arched my back, twisted my torso, and smiled at Johnny still sleeping uncomfortably on the couch. My Johnny...WAIT! Johnny?! Did we...that hadn't been a dream? Had we actually, finally...my secret taboo fantasy and desire? My brother, well, technically not my brother. I still had my father's last name and hadn't taken Johnny's dad's last name when my mother married him. I could have, but it just didn't feel right then. Was it because of loyalty to my deceased father and deceased brother, or didn't want that family tie to my new stepbrother? Some secret desire even I didn't realize at the time?

Oh God? Did we? DID WE! Now what? I sat down on the toilet to pee but first did a quick examination. Yep, I'd had sex. Several signs still present. That feeling in my mouth. I was somewhat familiar with it. I did my business, Quickly brushed my teeth, and snuck down the hall to my bedroom. There on the floor were remnants of what two people would wear to a fancy gala.

I quickly picked up the clothes, sprayed the bedsheets with lavender spray, and walked back down the hall to a sleeping Johnny. How would he react? Would he regret it? I hope not, God I hope not. It was all coming back to me now, and even though not forbidden by law but looked down upon by many, it was what I had wanted. And when I remembered him asking me to be his date to this gala he needed to attend, he hadn't been embarrassed by the thought of taking ME. He had seemed fine with it, maybe even relieved. And when he had seen me in my red dress I bought especially for that occasion, he couldn't take his eyes off of me. Not to brag, but who could blame him? Even with the short notice I got all made up and looked really good. Hopefully when the credit card bills came due it would still be worth it.

We made a beautiful couple out there. We were both photogenic to look at, even with those silly masquerade masks on. We danced like Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire. Everyone seemed to notice us, yet we only seemed to notice each other. And when I had a little chat with his cheating bitch of an ex-girlfriend, she realized she was crestfallen to have lost him. And when I had asked Johnny if he wanted me to help him get her back...

He said he loved another!

So we came back and made love like two lovers would. Not like some one night stand, but as two people genuinely interested in the other person's pleasure. And despite our efforts to be safe, he had planted his seed inside me, and if it took root, we would have some explaining to do, and hopefully he would stand beside me. And if he didn't want to stand beside me, he would never have to see me again. None of them would. It would drive me away and I would just disappear from their lives. No, not THAT way, but the world was a big place and there were places I could hide. Forever if I needed to.

I went back down the hall and gently shook Johnny awake. "Johnny. Johnny, wake up. Either lay down on the couch or come to bed with me, but your snoring will wake the neighbors."

He startled awake, looked at me, snapped his head around, saw me wearing his clothes as pajamas, saw he was in boxers, and a light turned on. He smiled, and put his hand out, "Help me up, please?"

I pulled him up and off the couch, and he came right into my arms, or more accurately pulled me into his, and murmured, "You still smell fantastic. Like flowers and strawberries. Thanks for being my date, Brooke. You were the only Greek Goddess there, and the only one I ever want to see again."

Brooke, not my alter ego Athena for the gala. He had been with ME and not some fantasy. I was his fantasy. "I SHOULD smell like sex, Johnny. You need to fix that since the shower erased it."

"Let me make a quick pit stop, then I will try and oblige."

Okay, our dirty talk and flirting would need some work, but as long as we were both on board, who really cared?

I heard the toilet flush and the sink run. A couple minutes ater he came down to my bedroom. I was on the far side of the bed, naked, his clothes which I claimed 4 or 5 years ago as mine, lying in a small pile before the bed. He dropped his boxers, adding to the pile. Already I could see his erect manhood searching for me.

"Are you gonna just stand there like a clown or lie down? This bed is big enough for the both of us," I said.

"Only if I get the middle," he responded.

"Which 'middle'? The bed, or me?"

"What do you think?"

He got into bed, and lay down on his back so I could climb on top of him. I straddled him, kissing him. First we started with small kisses, but the intensity grew. Our tongues touched, then our hands roamed more and more. He caressed my breasts, and eventually his cock found its way inside of me. I started out slowly, wanting to feel all of him touch me everywhere. I moved this way and that, like we were mixing paint or cake batter. We wanted to feel each other connect once again. And this time we didn't mess with a condom, the damage had been done for the night, but we might want to reevaluate going forward, because THIS TIME for sure with him plugged into me, I KNEW we had a future. I knew I wouldn't marry some guy and he would marry some woman, and when we saw each other at Christmas it would be weird. Our spouses wouldn't look at us and wonder "if...". We wouldn't have awkward glances or conversations, trying to ignore the past and that 24 hour period where we were in love, had made love, maybe gotten pregnant and "taken care of it", or not gotten pregnant but enjoyed the feel of each other, only to decide at breakfast that it would never work out, ignoring our true feelings for some societal norm. No, THIS was our "new normal". THIS is what I wanted every day for the next 70, 80, 90 years. I wanted Johnny inside me. I wanted to love him, feel him, wrap myself around him and keep him there.

"Oh, Johnny, I'm...gonna..."

"That's it Brooke. Cum for me! Let's cum..."

My mind went blank in a bright flash. My body shook, and like a jolt of electricity, my tube clamped down on that shaft filling me up. And I came hard. My body shook, I left out some animalistic cry, and I felt him spurt, spurt and spurt repeatedly into me. I felt his cock empty inside me, then twitch. He tried to get a few more thrusts into me, but with his rapid breathing he stopped, and just stayed there with me around him, dripping out of me around him. Already I could tell the sheets were not going to smell like lavender anymore. He slowly got softer and softer and eventually fell out of me, allowing more of his cum to leak out of me, down onto him. Running down his midsection and pooling on the bedsheets beneath us.

"Oh, Brooke. I love you. And I need you."

"John, I love you too. Thank you."

"Thanks, and your welcome."

I kissed him and rolled off, snuggling up on his side. He pulled the sheet and blanket over us, and we both dozed off again. Neither one probably sure of what our next step would be, but both knowing where it would end up.

***********************************

We both awoke to sun streaming in through the bedroom window. Red dress hanging from the closet door, Johnny by my side, the smell of love in the air. Not the "smell of sex", but of love and passion. We were two people who had met and fallen into love over time, and had sex. But our path was more narrow and much more rocky than some. We were step siblings, and that needed to be addressed. And the sooner the better since I had the most to lose, or at least the most at risk.

"Johnny, two things. No, three. First, I love you."

"I am so glad to hear that. I have loved you for..."

I cut him off. I needed to say these things now, or they might get delayed, causing problems. "I am glad, and we need to talk about those feelings, but first, or second as it may be, I am not on the pill."

"I think you said that last night," trying to remember that conversation. Then realization set in. "Oh. We...I mean, I..."

"Twice now. Maybe the timing works, maybe not. If so, we need to plan and prepare. But if not, and I am...are we, I mean, will you...?"

"Of course. We have one option, and that's get married with or without our parents blessing," he said. I was glad to hear that response.

"But if we were not pregnant, what do you plan on doing, Johnny? I need to know, and the sooner we discuss it, the sooner we move ahead."

He got out of bed, and down on one knee, "Brooke Turner, I don't have a ring, but I have loved you since we were kids. Probably about 15 or so. I told your mom I was going to marry you someday and she smiled and said, 'She would like that, I'm sure'. I know it was just a comment to a young boy, but I have always had a flame for you, burning in my heart. Anytime I've ever had another girlfriend, I always measured them against you, and they have fallen short. When those didn't work out, I've never had heartbreak. The only heartbreak I will have is if you tell me, 'no', Brooke. I have loved you for a long time, and it hurts to be this close to you but not be able to act on it, and I know you feel the same way. I know you want to be with me, and I hope we are pregnant that way it forces the issue. Brooke, I want you to take my last name, from me, and not from my father. Please Brooke, marry me."

I had tears in my eyes and wanted all those same things. So I said, "Other than the weird part about taking your dad's name, yes, Jonathon Everson, I will marry you."

We hugged and kissed. It was a silly idea, and every expert will tell you that after one night of sex you should never decide to get married. Sorry Las Vegas, but that story almost never has a happy ending. But ours wasn't your typical story. It was years of love before the romance and sex. And as crazy as the whole idea sounded, it just might be crazy enough to work.

"Johnny, what do you think our plan should be? I have a couple of ideas, but we need to figure this out."

********************************

It was April, the spring semester was winding down, and we both had classes at different colleges about 20 minutes apart in the same city, so we didn't shack up every night. With every new relationship you run the risk of spending all of your time together and that fire burns up the base for that passion too fast. We each had 8am classes on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, but we were both done at noon those days. On Tuesday and Thursday I had class from 10 till 1, but worked a few hours each day afterwards. John had no classes on those days but worked a full day. So long story short, we didn't get to spend every night together or as much time together as we would have liked. But we did enjoy every moment together.

We started to get the feeling that things would always be a battle. Claire, John's ex, seemed to have it out for us, and thanks to social media and the internet found out our secret. One night while John and I were out for a walk, she approached us. Like a stalker she followed us to an park and picked her spot to confront us.

"So, ATHENA, that's not your real name, IS IT!" she spat out with venomous intention.

"Hello, Claire, it's been nice not seeing you lately. Maybe you should take the hint and leave," I politely suggested. I did not want us to get into a fight with her and her henpecked boyfriend if we could avoid it.

She looked at John, "After I dumped you, you had to try and upstage me at MY event, didn't you asshole!"

John replied, "YOUR event? I thought the event was for fat kids who were starving or something. Had I known it was YOUR event I would have not attended."

Damon, or Damien, or whatever his name was, said, "Hey, asshole, you can't talk to her that way! I will kick your ass!"

"I'd like to see you try," John said, stepping forward, closing the distance between them. Damon, Damien, whatever- "Mister Irrelevant" as John refered to him, took a step backwards.

I tried to defuse the situation, "Okay, okay, take it easy." Turning towards Claire, I asked, "So what is it you want, Claire?" I was polite, but losing my patience.

She looked right at John, snarled, and said, "Is it more fun to fuck your SISTER than ME?"

BOOM! My roundhouse right knocked her down.

"YOU BITCH!" she howled at me. "I'm calling the cops!"

Damien grabbed my wrist, "You cunt, I oughtta..."

I kneed him in the balls so hard he threw up. "Don't ever touch me again, you little bitch-boy." Then turning to Claire, who was sitting blood out of her mouth, I said, "John dumped your ass because you were an untrustworthy, cheating bitch. You and that guy are perfect for each other. I hope you make each other miserable." And then I leaned in closer, and in a lower voice, I warned her, "And you had better leave us alone, or the next time, you won't like it. And, call the cops if you like, we will press charges against Damon or Damien for sexual assault."

We turned and walked away. We got about 100 yards away and out of sight, and the adrenaline rush caused a collapse. I broke down, and John caught me. "I'm sorry Johnny. Am I a monster?" I did not know where that came from or what caused me to do that.

"It's fine, darling. It was eventually going to happen. Now we can move on."

"Are people always going to accuse us of incest- of a brother and sister fucking?"

He looked at me, took my face in his hands, and asked, "What really matters, Brooke? What someone like Claire says, or what WE think?"

"Will you still have that resolve after we talk to our parents?"

"Yes," was all he said. But he said it with confidence.

***************************************

The next challenge came when I went to the doctor to get birth control pills. I tried to do some research on my own, and have up, and by the time I finally got my appointment, the doctor started grilling me.

"Are you currently sexually active?"

"Yes."

"One partner, or many?"

"One."

He asked many personal questions I thought, but probably. Because of my past reactions with other BC pills. I let it slip that my lone current partner was my step brother, an he stopped. "Are you being sexually assaulted by a family member?"

"No, it's my STEP brother, and we met when we were teenagers. He is not RAPING me!" I was starting to feel very uncomfortable. And to make a bad situation worse, the nurse knocked and came in. They conferred for a brief moment, then he told me, "Please wait here," and he left.

Several minutes later, a female came in and introduced herself as a counselor. She asked me several questions, apparently trying to get me to admit that I was being raped or assaulted. I firmly told her that I was in love, and I was leaving. The doctor and nurse had to have been monitoring the conversation because they both came in the examination room, and the doctor started to explain he would not be giving me a prescription for BC pills

"WHY NOT!" I demanded.

"Because you are pregnant," he told me.

The great news of being pregnant was diminished by their accusations of assault and unwanted sex. I loved Johnny, and we both said we would be happy if we were pregnant. Now was the time to test his seriousness and resolve.

I told him the story of how terrible the doctor made me feel, and ended with the news of being pregnant.

He looked at me, eyes wide open, and I barely nodded "yes". He smiled, grabbed me in a hug, spun me around, then said, "Ooh, shit, sorry. Ihope I didn't hurt you. But I am so happy!"

"Oh Johnny, I am so happy to hear that! But we have figure a lot out in 9 months."

"I know, but we should be able to graduate. We need to find jobs. We need to..."

"We need to tell our parents, Johnny," I said. As happy as we might be, we still needed to face reality and so far everyone who was aware of our status had been hostile, more or less.

"Yes! And we need to get married! And soon," he said. He was so happy, which put me at ease. "But first, my dear, we celebrate!" He got up, took my hand, then picked me up, and carried me to my bedroom, where we made love.

************************************

There was no easy way to tell our parents, so we ripped the bandage off. We drove up to their house on a Saturday, we all sat down, and Johnny said, "I have good news. You are going to be grandparents! "

They were shocked, looked at each other, then at us. They assumed John got a girl pregnant. His dad said, "Do you plan on marrying her?"

"Yes," he proudly announced.

"When do we get to meet her?" my mom asked.

I revealed my engagement ring, and said, "You've known her a long time already..."

It's an understatement to say, "we talked for a bit". No yelling, but pointed questions which we had answers for. In the end, we had their blessing. But it was a tough road to get there. I think mostly what had them upset was we had sex and got pregnant. That's careless and stupid. But when they realized we truly loved each other, they gave in and supported us.

"You know, it's not going to be easy," they cautioned us.

***********************

We had a small church wedding with just a few family and friends and one person each to stand up with us. Not surprisingly, Claire and Damon or whatever Mister Irrelevant's name is were not invited. But the people who had th easiest time with our relationship was our friends- our TRUE friends. The fact that we were step siblings, placed into a sewn together family and somehow fell in love didn't really surprise them. Several of our friends and contemporaries had faced similar challenges and some had had similar experiences, just none of them had gotten married yet.

So with our wedding in early summer, not yet graduated until December and no solid full time job, we did what any person would do- we went on our honeymoon vacation. Our parents actually gave us a Good chunk of money for a downpayment on a house and bought us plane tickets to the Gulf Coast of Florida. They said it is really tough to establish a new family with kids already, and since they both loved us so much they wanted to help alleviate some of that stress. Then John's dad, my stepdad and new father-in-law added in his typical dry, way, "Besides, son, I don't have to worry about you getting her pregnant now."