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Chapter Text

Sisterly Bonding

Chapter 1

"Haley!" Claire Dunphy called out from the kitchen, her voice sharpened by impatience. She carefully arranged spider-web sugar cookies onto a pumpkin-shaped platter, the scent of burnt caramel lingering faintly in the air from an earlier mishap. Phil’s Halloween open house demanded perfection, and she’d spent all afternoon piping orange frosting onto ghost cupcakes and arranging chocolate eyeballs.

Outside, twilight deepened toward evening, streetlights flickering as costumed shapes darted past the window. Luke had bolted out hours ago with Manny and Lily, armed with pillowcases guaranteed to return brimming with candy corn resentment.

"What?" the 20-year-old asked, voice flat as she strode into the kitchen, thumb tapping her phone screen. Haley leaned against the doorframe, watching Claire pipe orange frosting onto ghost cupcakes with surgical precision. Rolling her eyes, she locked her phone and crossed her arms. "You yelled?"

Claire didn't turn from her sugary battlefield. Without looking toward her daughter, she asked, "What are your plans for tonight?" Her tone was clipped, frosting bag trembling slightly as she outlined a ghost's frown.

Haley opened her mouth to respond before abruptly snapping it shut. She tapped her phone screen harder, stalling as her mind raced through flimsy excuses—Gavin needing emergency fabric swatches at 9 PM, a nonexistent client meeting downtown, sudden food poisoning from Phil’s experimental candy-apple brie.

Finally, she shrugged, feigning nonchalance. "I actually have a thing to do for my boss tonight, so..." The lie tasted like cheap lip gloss on her tongue, sticky and transparent.

Claire rinsed her hands under the faucet, water swirling with flecks of orange frosting. She dried them methodically on the faded dishrag before turning fully toward her daughter. Her gaze pinned Haley like a moth to corkboard.

"Don’t give me that," she countered, hands settling firmly on her hips. "I know you’re going to some party or club or whatever." Haley inhaled sharply, ready to deny it, but Claire steamrolled onward. "Whatever it is, I don’t care. Just take your sister with you."

Haley froze mid-breath. Utterly stupefied, she could only stare, the kitchen tiles blurring momentarily. The humming refrigerator sounded suddenly deafening. Then she snapped her head back, shaking it vehemently as if trying to dislodge the absurdity.

"What?!" The exclamation cracked the silence, sharp and brittle. "Even if I was going to a club – which I’m totally not, by the way – Alex is too young! And the nerd would literally rather dissect roadkill than go dancing!" Her voice rose, shrill with disbelief, gesturing wildly toward the stairs where Alex was undoubtedly buried in textbooks.

Claire rolled her eyes skyward, grabbing a worn dish towel. She scrubbed at a stubborn smear of orange frosting on the granite countertop with unnecessary force.

"Just do it," she commanded, her voice clipped and weary. "She needs to let loose and have some fun for once in her life. It’s her senior year, and I’m afraid she’s a little too focused on school." She paused, pressing the towel deep into the counter's crevices. "School is important, but so is having a social life." She glanced sideways, her gaze hardening when she saw Haley’s thumbs flying across her phone screen again. "Are you even listening, Haley?"

Haley groaned dramatically, tossing her head back so her highlighted hair brushed her shoulders. She snapped her phone shut with exaggerated force.

"Yes, God. I'll try to convince Count Dorkula to go out," she muttered, rolling her eyes toward the ceiling as if appealing to a higher power. "But I don't think it's gonna work."

"Haley!" Claire called sharply as Haley stomped toward the stairs. The younger woman paused mid-step, hand gripping the banister. Claire softened her voice, a rare crack in her usual efficiency. "Just spend some time with your sister. Soon she’ll be off to college, and you’ll wish you had these moments to bond."

Haley scoffed, shoving her phone deep into her skinny jeans' back pocket. Heading upstairs, her footsteps echoed louder than necessary on the wooden steps—each thud a punctuation mark to her irritation. She flung Alex's bedroom door open without knocking, hinges protesting sharply.

Inside, Alex sat hunched at her desk, thick glasses sliding down her nose, fingers smudged with highlighter ink as they traced equations in a calculus textbook. The room smelled faintly of ozone from her overheated laptop and stale coffee from the mug abandoned beside it.

Haley leaned against the doorframe, crossing her arms. She stared at her teenage sister, who hadn't even flinched at the intrusion.

Fligures.

She stared at the wispy strands drifting from Alex's desk lamp; fragile dust motes dancing in the beam like desperate ghosts. She hadn’t noticed them before, but now they felt like tiny witnesses. Alex’s fingers tightened around her mechanical pencil, knuckles whitening as she underlined a differential equation with such force the graphite snapped. The sudden crack echoed sharply in the cramped room.

Haley dragged her gaze from the doomed dust specks to her sister’s rigid shoulders. Silence stretched, thick and prickly as cheap carpet. Finally, Alex let out an aggravated puff of breath—sharp, impatient, like steam escaping a kettle. She didn’t turn, her eyes still glued to her textbook.

"What do you want?" Her voice was ice-cold, deliberate. "I have to study."

Haley pushed off the doorframe. Three quick strides, ankle boots thumping on the worn rug, and she was looming over Alex’s chair. The scent of old paper and microwaved hot pockets wafted up as she leaned in. Her hand shot out, closing over the textbook’s spine. Alex gasped, flinching instinctively. Haley yanked the heavy calculus volume free, ignoring her sister’s startled cry.

Without hesitation, she snapped it shut with a decisive thud and flung it sideways. It sailed in a clumsy arc, pages fluttering wildly like wounded wings, before landing with a muffled whump atop Alex’s unmade bedspread. A lone sheet drifted free, settling near her pillow like a surrender flag.

"Hey!" Alex exploded, surging up from her chair so fast it screeched against the floorboards. Her thick glasses slipped crookedly down her nose as she whirled to face Haley, chest heaving. "What the hell are you doing!?" Her voice cracked, genuine outrage coloring her cheeks crimson.

“You’re coming to a club with me,” she stated simply, dusting her hands off on her jeans as if she’d just disposed of toxic waste.

Alex stared at her older sister for a few solid seconds before bursting into harsh, disbelieving laughter. “Are you joking?” she choked out, pushing her glasses up her nose with a trembling finger. “Like I’d go anywhere on a perfectly good studying night.”

Haley laughed too, sharp and short, shaking her head as her highlighted hair swung like a curtain. “Do you hear yourself? Mom was right‚ you really are too wrapped up in school.” Her grin turned sly, predatory. “No wonder you haven’t had a boyfriend in‚ like‚ ever.”

Alex opened her mouth, ready to unleash a torrent of sarcasm about Haley’s revolving-door dating history but paused, blinking. Her eyes narrowed. Something about Haley’s forced cheerfulness felt off.

Slowly‚ she asked, “Mom put you up to taking me out to a club? Is she drunk? I’m seventeen!” She gestured toward her fluorescent-lit desk‚ textbooks stacked like a fortress.

Haley scoffed‚ crossing her arms. “Tell me about it. When I was seventeen‚ I got grounded for a month for drinking. Just because you’re so uptight‚ Mom is okay with it. And no‚ she was baking cookies or something.” She shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly‚ but her fingers tapped a nervous rhythm against her elbow.

“I am not uptight!” she retorted‚ pretty much ignoring whatever else her sister had said. Her nostrils flared‚ cheeks flushing scarlet beneath the harsh desk lamp. Haley was always doing this; twisting things around‚ making her feel like some socially inept freak.

Haley’s grin widened‚ sharp and predatory. She leaned in‚ the cheap vanilla scent of her perfume clashing with the stale coffee lingering in Alex’s room.

“Oh‚ please‚” she purred‚ her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. “Your plan was to stay home on a Friday night‚ on Halloween‚ to study. If you weren’t so uptight‚ you’d have already grabbed my arm and dragged me to the club.”

Alex knew Haley was manipulating her; she always did. The jab about her nonexistent dating life was a classic move, designed to sting and provoke. But beneath Alex's fury, a flicker of doubt sparked. Haley's words echoed Claire's: Too wrapped up in school. Too uptight. 

The absurdity of going clubbing felt like swallowing glass, but the thought of another lonely Friday night trapped under textbooks suddenly seemed suffocating. What if they were right? What if she was missing out? Her shoulders slumped, the fight draining out of her like air from a punctured balloon.

"Ugh, fine," she muttered, pushing her glasses up and refusing to meet Haley's triumphant gaze. "But how are we even going to get in? We aren't old enough." Her voice was flat, resigned, the sharp edge replaced by weary practicality.

Haley grinned, the predatory edge softening into genuine satisfaction. "Don't worry about it," she chirped, waving a dismissive hand. "I've got that covered." Then her eyes swept critically over Alex’s faded flannel shirt and worn jean shorts, dotted with ink stains. Her nose wrinkled slightly. "But first," she declared, stepping forward and pushing Alex toward her closet, "you need to change." Her fingers flicked dismissively at Alex's sleeve. "Seriously, this is tragic."

Alex glanced down at her outfit, brow furrowed behind her thick glasses. "What’s wrong with what I’m wearing?" she protested, voice tight as Haley yanked open her closet door. The contents – orderly rows of turtlenecks, sensible skirts, and exactly two hoodies – seemed to depress Haley further.

Haley snorted, rifling through hangers with manicured nails. "If I had time to list all the issues," she muttered, shoving aside nerdy plaid button-downs and academic award tees, "we'd be here till Thanksgiving." She froze abruptly, a triumphant grin splitting her face. "A-ha!"

With a flourish, she yanked out a deep purple velvet blouse Alex had impulse-bought during a caffeine-fueled mall trip and forgotten, plus black skinny jeans artfully ripped at the knees—a rare concession to Haley's fashion influence after a disastrous thrift store outing.

She tossed the bundle onto Alex's calculus-strewn bedspread. "Put these on," she commanded, tapping her boot impatiently. The look in her hazel-green eyes brooked zero argument; it seemed to say, Change before I forcibly peel that flannel off you.

Alex just groaned and rolled her eyes, shutting the bedroom door firmly against Claire's potential interruption. Fifteen years sharing this small space meant nudity held zero novelty or embarrassment.

She shimmied out of her stained shorts and oversized flannel without ceremony, tossing them toward her desk chair. The air in the room felt thick with Haley’s impatient energy and her own lingering resentment. She pulled on the stiff velvet top, the unfamiliar fabric scratching slightly against her skin, smelling faintly of mothballs and forgotten ambition.

Before too long, she was in the new outfit and crossing her arms just below her breasts. The velvet clung differently than academic fleece, highlighting curves she usually hid. The ripped jeans felt alien and restrictive.

“Is that good enough?” Alex asked sarcastically, pushing her glasses up her nose with a fingertip. “Or do I need to get facial reconstruction as well?” She gestured vaguely at her face, her brown eyes narrowed behind the thick frames.

"Well..."

"Damn it‚ Haley!"

Haley laughed‚ a bright‚ infectious sound that cut through Alex’s grumbling as she grabbed her sister’s wrist. Her fingers were surprisingly strong‚ nails painted a chipped burgundy.

"You are such a dork‚" she teased‚ pulling Alex toward the bedroom door. The worn wood felt cool against Alex’s palm as she braced herself‚ resisting for just a heartbeat before Haley yanked her forward. Alex stumbled‚ the unfamiliar pinch of tight jeans throwing off her balance.

They clattered down the stairs‚ Haley practically skipping in her ankle boots‚ dragging Alex behind her like a reluctant balloon. Claire glanced up from arranging candy corn in a plastic cauldron‚ eyebrows raised‚ but Haley flashed her a dazzling smile.

"Just borrowing Alex for a while!" she chirped‚ voice too bright‚ before tugging her sister past the living room where Phil balanced precariously on a ladder attempting to hang cobwebs‚ oblivious.

The scent of cinnamon candles and damp autumn leaves drifted through an open window as Haley hauled her sister toward the basement door‚ Alex stumbling on the unfamiliar heels Haley had forced onto her feet moments earlier.

Haley threw open the basement door‚ plunging them into the dimmer‚ cooler air thick with the scent of fabric softener and stale popcorn from movie nights past. She grinned‚ teeth flashing whitely in the gloom‚ and tightened her grip on Alex's wrist‚ pulling her down the steep wooden steps.

"Almost there‚" she breathed‚ excitement thrumming in her voice.

Reaching the bottom‚ Haley finally released Alex's hand‚ the sudden absence leaving a faint tingling sensation on Alex's skin. She blinked‚ adjusting her glasses‚ taking in the familiar clutter of Haley's basement "apartment": clothes draped over chairs‚ makeup littering a vanity‚ posters of bands she vaguely recognized.

Haley dropped to her knees beside the unmade bed‚ the mattress groaning softly. Without hesitation‚ she shoved aside a crumpled pile of discarded leggings and yanked a dusty plastic storage bin out from the deep shadows beneath the frame. She flipped the lid open with a sharp snap‚ plunging her hands inside.

Old concert tickets‚ tangled costume jewelry‚ and crumpled receipts flew out in a haphazard arc as she rummaged urgently‚ her brow furrowed in concentration. Her little sister watched‚ shifting uncomfortably in the stiff velvet blouse‚ the ripped denim biting into her knees as she crouched slightly to peer closer.

With a triumphant little gasp‚ Haley pulled out two rectangular slips of plastic‚ slightly warped around the edges. She blew sharply on them‚ sending a miniature dust storm swirling in the dim basement light filtering through the small high window.

"Here‚" she rasped‚ thrusting one toward Alex without looking up‚ her focus entirely on the card in her own hand. Her fingers‚ nails chipped burgundy‚ trembled almost imperceptibly as she traced the raised text.

Alex stared dumbly at the object Haley shoved into her palm. It felt cold and strangely substantial. She tilted it toward the weak light‚ squinting behind her thick glasses.

The laminated plastic gleamed‚ displaying a photo of her own face—her hair slightly different‚ darker brown without the usual friz‚ but undeniably her—beside a name she didn't recognize: Cynthia Myers. The birthdate listed made her twenty-one. The holographic state seal shimmered convincingly‚ the font crisp and professional. Her breath hitched.

"When..." she started‚ voice tight‚ "...did you make me a fake I.D.?" Her gaze snapped to Haley‚ bewildered and slightly accusing. "And how does it look so real?"

Haley didn't look at her‚ completely engrossed in tucking her own forged ID, declaring her to be Rachel Vance‚ aged 23, neatly into her worn leather wallet. She snapped it shut with finality‚ shoved it deep into her oversized fake-leather purse slung over a chair‚ and fished out a tube of strawberry-flavored lip gloss.

"Never mind that‚" she dismissed‚ already pivoting toward the full-length mirror leaning precariously against the wall beside her messy bed.

Her reflection frowned back as she slicked the glossy pink sheen over her lips‚ puckering with practiced ease. The artificial strawberry scent momentarily overpowered the basement's stale popcorn smell. She popped the cap back on and shoved the tube into her front jeans pocket‚ then ran her fingers aggressively through her highlighted waves‚ teasing them outward‚ aiming for effortless chaos.

Turning back to Alex‚ she nearly choked back a laugh; her little sister stood frozen‚ clutching the fake ID like it was radioactive‚ eyes wide and horrified behind her thick glasses‚ mouth slightly agape.

Haley grinned‚ sharp and teasing. "Oh come on‚ Alex. Don’t be such a dweeb. It’s fine."

"This says I’m 21. Do you really think I can pass for 21?"

Haley paused mid-stride toward her vanity, pivoting sharply to scrutinize Alex under the dim basement light. Her gaze traveled slowly from the ripped jeans clinging to Alex’s hips, up past the unexpectedly deep neckline of the velvet blouse straining across Alex’s chest, lingering pointedly on the swell of cleavage visible above the fabric. A slow, knowing smirk spread across Haley’s glossed lips.

"Yeah," she drawled, her voice dropping into a husky, almost appreciative tone that prickled the hairs on Alex’s neck. "You sure as hell have the body for it." Her eyes flicked back up to meet Alex’s bewildered stare, a flicker of something unreadable—curiosity? Amusement?—passing through her hazel-green irises.

"Um, what?"

Haley waved her hand sharply, dismissing her own loaded comment like swatting a fly. She snatched her keys off the cluttered dresser with a metallic jingle, already heading for the basement stairs without a backward glance. A grin tugged at her lips when she heard Alex’s uncertain footsteps hesitantly shuffling behind her on the worn wooden steps, the familiar creak of the third stair confirming her little sister was following.

The cool October air hit them sharply once they pushed through the door into the driveway, smelling faintly of decayed leaves and distant bonfire smoke. Haley clicked her key fob, unlocking her Toyota Corolla.

Just as Haley slammed her car door shut, the engine coughing to life, Alex’s sharp intake of breath sliced through the stale air inside the Toyota. Her knuckles whitened around the fake ID, its laminated edge digging into her palm like a guilty secret.

Outside, the crisp Halloween twilight deepened, casting long shadows across Phil’s half-strung cobwebs dangling from the porch eaves. Haley flicked on the headlights, bathing the driveway in a harsh yellow glow that made the younger girl squint behind her glasses.

“I don’t think this is such a good idea,” Alex blurted, her voice tight as she finally tore her gaze from the unnervingly accurate forgery. She shifted uncomfortably in the passenger seat, the velvet blouse suddenly itchy against her collarbone. “What if we get caught?"

Haley snorted, tossing her wavy hair as she smoothly reversed out of the driveway. The car’s tires crunched over fallen oak leaves. “Relax, Alex. I’ve been doing this since I was fifteen; we’re not gonna get caught,” she said dismissively, her eyes flicking to the rearview mirror.

The neighborhood’s Halloween decorations, glowing jack-o’-lanterns and dangling skeletons, streaked past in the twilight. She glanced sideways, taking in Alex’s clenched jaw and white-knuckled grip on the door handle.

With an exasperated sigh, she reached across the gearshift, her cool fingers wrapping around Alex’s trembling hand. “It’s fine, you big baby. We’re just gonna dance, drink a little, and see if any cute guys wanna hang. Okay?” Her thumb brushed Alex’s knuckles, a fleeting, habitual gesture leftover from childhood scrapes.

Alex shook her head vigorously, dark curls bouncing against her temples as she snatched her hand back. "Oh no. We are not going to get drunk and sleep with some random pervs!" Her voice cracked slightly, sharp with panic. "Are you clinically insane? That’s your solution?"

Haley rolled her eyes dramatically, her jaw tightening as she slapped her palm back onto the steering wheel. The worn leather squeaked faintly under her grip. "I didn’t mean sex, Gawd," she huffed, shaking her head with an exasperated sigh that fogged the chilly windshield glass for a second.

The rhythmic thud of tires on pavement filled the tense silence before she continued more softly, her tone losing its edge, dipping into something almost vulnerable. "Please, Alex. We never hang out. You’re gonna be off to college soon, probably working for NASA or whatever." A streetlight flashed overhead, momentarily illuminating the weary slump of Haley’s shoulders. "Don’t you wanna have some fun before you go and be a nerd for the rest of your life?"

Alex leaned back against the worn car seat, the vinyl groaning softly under her weight. She crossed her arms tightly over her chest, the stiff velvet of her blouse bunching awkwardly at her elbows. Outside the window, Los Angeles blurred past—dark shapes of palm trees silhouetted against streaks of neon signs, distant headlights weaving through the gloom like fireflies. The moon, almost full and unnervingly bright, hung low in the ink-black sky, casting a cold silver light that made the fake ID in her lap shimmer faintly.

She took a deep, shuddering breath, inhaling the stale scent of fast food wrappers and Haley’s lingering strawberry lip gloss. The tension coiled in her shoulders eased slightly. Slowly, she nodded, a decisive little jerk of her chin.

“Okay, yeah,” she murmured, her voice quieter now, less brittle. “You’re right.” She turned her head, meeting Haley’s startled glance; her sister’s hazel-green eyes wide with surprise beneath thick mascara. She pushed her glasses firmly up her nose. “But just this once.” She added firmly, her spine stiffening with renewed resolve. “Then I have to get ready for college.”

Haley grinned with a nod of her head. “Sure, whatever.” The words dripped with sarcastic dismissal as she cranked up the stereo, blasting pulsing synth-pop that vibrated the car door panels. Her fingers drummed impatiently against the leather steering wheel, eyes fixed ahead on the slick asphalt shimmering under neon signs.

•••

The Toyota Corolla shuddered to a halt in a dimly potholed alley behind Velvet Rope, its bass-heavy thumping vibrating through the car's chassis like a feverish pulse.

Haley killed the engine, plunging them into sudden silence broken only by distant laughter and the screech of a dumpster lid slamming shut nearby. Alex flinched at the sound, her knuckles white where they gripped her fake ID.

Haley flung her door open, the interior light casting harsh shadows across Alex’s face as she scrambled out, crossing her arms defensively over the velvet blouse. Her gaze darted nervously—past overflowing trash bins, graffiti-streaked walls, and a trio of smokers huddled under a flickering neon sign that read "EMPLOYEES ONLY." The sharp tang of cigarette smoke and stale beer hung thick in the chilly air.

Haley slammed her door with unnecessary force, the metallic echo bouncing off the brick walls. She jabbed the lock button on her key fob, the car chirping twice in confirmation, then shoved the keys deep into her oversized purse with a sigh of exasperation. Rolling her eyes at her little sister’s hunched posture, she marched over, grabbed her sister’s stiff left arm above the elbow, and forcibly linked her own right arm through it, pulling Alex close.

"Jesus, Alex," she hissed under her breath, her strawberry gloss scent clashing with the alley’s grime as she steered them toward the thumping bass and a distant velvet rope. "Uncross your damn arms. You look like you’re waiting for Mom to pick you up from junior high detention." She gave Alex’s arm a sharp tug for emphasis. "You need to stop looking like such a terrified teenager. My God, are you actively trying to get us tossed out before we even get inside?"

Alex stumbled alongside Haley’s determined stride, the unfamiliar heels catching on uneven pavement. She used her free hand—the one not trapped against Haley’s side—to hastily push her thick black glasses back up the bridge of her nose before glaring up at her older sister.

“Well I’m sorry!” she whisper-yelled, her mind screaming that this was a monumentally bad idea, that a thousand things could go catastrophically wrong. “I am not used to doing something illegal!” Her voice pitched higher on the last word, drowned out as they neared the pulsing bassline bleeding from the club’s entrance.

Haley’s grip tightened painfully on Alex’s arm. She leaned in, her strawberry-scented breath hot against Alex’s ear. “Shh. Just de-dorkafy in the next few minutes,” she hissed, her voice sharp with warning yet oddly encouraging.

The velvet rope materialized ahead, guarded by a massive bouncer whose bored gaze scanned the shuffling line. Haley straightened instantly, releasing Alex’s arm to smooth her own blouse with practiced casualness. Her posture shifted: shoulders back, chin tilted confidently, lips parting into a dazzling, practiced smile that didn’t quite reach her watchful hazel-green eyes. She sailed forward, dragging Alex behind her like a reluctant tugboat.

The line dissolved as Haley cut smoothly to the front, ignoring the muttered protests behind them. The bouncer—towering, dark-skinned, with a thick neck and arms folded like steel cables—stepped forward, his broad palm slamming down on the velvet rope bar. Alex froze mid-step, her breath catching as his shadow engulfed them.

“I’m gonna need to see some I.D.,” he rumbled, his deep voice vibrating through Alex’s ribs like distant thunder. His expression remained impassive, carved from stone under the pulsing crimson club lights.

Haley flashed her widest smile, the one used to get out of speeding tickets, and flipped open her purse. "Sure, no big deal," she chirped smoothly, producing a worn leather wallet.

Her fingers slid out the fake ID—Rachel Vance, 23—and slapped it confidently into the bouncer's massive palm. The plastic gleamed under the pulsing crimson lights, showcasing Haley's genuine smirk beside the fabricated birthdate. She leaned a hip casually against the velvet rope pole, radiating effortless entitlement while Alex's breath hitched beside her.

The younger Dunphy sister fumbled the laminated card from her tight jeans pocket, her fingers trembling against the coarse denim as she thrust it toward the looming bouncer. The plastic slipped slightly in her sweaty palm—Cynthia Myers, 21—the ghostly smirk of her own face staring back beside wildly inaccurate digits. Her throat tightened.

If Haley gets us arrested, she silently vowed, I’ll strangle her with that hideous velvet rope.

The bouncer’s thick fingers snatched the ID, his knuckles brushing hers with unnerving roughness as he held both cards side-by-side under the crimson glare. His eyes flicked between the photos and their faces—Haley’s confident tilt of the chin, Alex’s rigid posture—while distant bass thumped low in Alex’s chest like a trapped heartbeat.

Seconds stretched, thick with the sour tang of spilled beer and desperation. The bouncer’s gaze lingered on Alex’s cleavage, deliberately prominent in Haley’s chosen blouse, before he grunted, thrusting the IDs back with a dismissive jerk of his thumb toward the club’s pulsating darkness.

Haley snatched hers with a triumphant flip of her hair, already pushing past him. Alex’s lungs burned as she gulped dank air, relief flooding her legs just as Haley’s hand clamped vise-like around her wrist.

“No time for hyperventilating, dork," Haley hissed, dragging her deeper into the chaos before Alex could register the sticky floor beneath her heels.

Inside was a sensory assault: pounding bass vibrating Alex’s ribcage, strobing lights stabbing her eyes through her glasses, and bodies pressing close; hot skin slick with sweat brushing against her bare arms.

Haley dragged her deeper through the crush, Alex stumbling over sticky floors littered with crushed plastic cups. The air tasted thick with spilled liquor and perfume. Bodies writhed around them, hips grinding rhythmically beneath flashing purple and green lasers that sliced through swirling cigarette smoke.

Alex flinched as a stranger’s elbow jabbed her shoulder, her free hand instinctively clutching Haley’s wrist tighter to avoid being swallowed by the pulsing darkness.

Haley shoved ruthlessly toward the crowded bar counter, ignoring annoyed glares. She slammed both palms onto the sticky mahogany surface, leaning forward to yell her order—"Two vodka-tonics!"—at a harried bartender who barely glanced up. Alex pressed against the bar’s edge, feeling the wood tacky with spilled drinks beneath her fingers, her glasses fogging from the humid press of bodies.

Moments later, Haley thrust a cold, sloshing plastic cup into her sister’s hand, ice cubes clinking against the rim. The sharp, chemical tang of cheap vodka burned Alex’s nostrils.

Leaning close enough that her strawberry-scented hair brushed Alex’s cheek, Haley shouted over the pulsing bass, her breath hot against Alex’s ear. "Drink that!" She jabbed a finger toward the cup. "It’ll help you take that stick out of your ass!"

Alex glowered at her sister before rolling her eyes and gripping the cold plastic cup tighter, condensation soaking into her palm. She shook her head sharply, her dark hair catching the strobing blue light.

"Remind me to kill you when this inevitably backfires on us," she yelled back, voice flat and dripping with sarcasm.

Then, before doubt could paralyze her, she tipped the cup back and took a large, reckless gulp. The vodka-tonic hit her throat like turpentine—sharp, chemical, and overwhelmingly bitter—making her gasp and screw up her face in disgust. She shuddered violently but forced herself to swallow another mouthful, ice clinking against her teeth, the alcohol already warming her chest.

Haley laughed, the sound sharp and delighted above the pulsing bass. She slid her arm around Alex’s shoulders, pulling her close in a tight, sweaty embrace that smelled overpoweringly of strawberry gloss and cheap perfume. With her other hand, she lifted her own cup and chugged its contents fiercely, throat working as she swallowed without flinching.

“That’s what I’m talkin’ about!” she cheered, pulling back just enough to grin at Alex’s still-scrunched nose, her hazel-green eyes gleaming with triumph under the flashing lasers. She slammed her empty cup onto the sticky bar. “Let loose for once!” Without hesitating, Haley leaned forward again, waving two fingers wildly at the bartender. “Two more!” she commanded, voice slicing through the noise.

•••

The bass thumped deeper now, vibrating through Alex’s bones like a second pulse as she swayed unsteadily on the dance floor, her fourth cocktail sloshing precariously in her plastic cup.

Haley’s laughter bubbled up beside her, raw and reckless, as she pressed her hips flush against Alex’s front, grinding to the synth-heavy beat. Alex didn’t pull away; instead, she let her head fall back, throat exposed, dark hair sticking to her damp neck as she giggled into the whirling lights. The vodka had melted her rigid posture, leaving her limbs loose and her thoughts pleasantly blurred.

Behind Haley, some faceless guy in a leather jacket pressed close, his hands sliding low on Haley’s hips as he mirrored her rhythm, his breath hot against her shoulder. Alex watched through half-lidded eyes, unfazed, and took another deep gulp of her neon-green drink, the artificial sweetness masking the burn.

Haley blinked her unfocused eyes a few times to try and see straight again before she reached out and grasped onto her sister’s waist, not just a casual hold, but firm and anchoring. Alex didn’t seem to mind the contact; she leaned into it, her shoulder bumping against Haley’s collarbone, the velvet blouse clinging damply to both their bodies.

Haley held her younger sister closer, savoring the rare moment where Alex was genuinely unspooled—head tossed back, a crooked smile playing on her lips as she abandoned calculus theorems for the primal thump of the bass. Beneath the flashing purple strobes, Haley could see the flush high on Alex’s cheeks, the way her glasses tipped precariously down her nose.

She tightened her grip, pulling Alex into her rhythm, the press of Alex’s soft curves against her own suddenly more intimate than playful dancing. Haley inhaled sharply; vodka, sweat, and the faint chemical scent of Alex’s shampoo mingled with the club’s thick perfume.

The rhythm changed abruptly; a heavier beat punched through the speakers, vibrating the soles of Alex’s borrowed heels and making the ice clink violently in her half-empty cup.

Before she could register anything beyond Haley’s strawberry-scented closeness, a solid weight collided with her from behind. Hard hands clamped onto her hips, pressing insistently against the low-slung waistband of her ripped jeans.

Alex froze mid-sway, her entire body locking rigid as the stranger’s breath—hot, whiskey-sour—fanned against her exposed neck. She felt the rough scratch of stubble against her skin and the deliberate thrust of his pelvis grinding against her rear, her thin blouse offering no barrier against the shockingly intimate contact.

The younger girl stiffened for a moment, breath catching sharply in her throat as the stranger’s hands slid lower, fingers digging into the denim seam where her hips met her thighs. His stubble scraped her neck like sandpaper, whiskey-laced breath hot against her ear as he pressed closer, too close, forcing her forward against Haley’s chest.

She shook her head violently, dark hair whipping across her cheeks, and refocused on Haley’s flushed face mere inches away. She continued dancing with her sister, ignoring the insistent pressure grinding against her backside, choosing to lean harder into Haley’s embrace instead.

The vodka thrumming in her veins muffled her panic, replacing it with a defiant numbness that let her roll her hips forward against Haley’s rhythm while pretending the hands squeezing her didn’t exist.

“You girls wanna go to our place for some more fun?” The voice was deep, husky, and uncomfortably close, breathing hot against Alex’s ear where she leaned against Haley.

Haley reacted instantly. Her grip on Alex’s waist tightened like steel cables, and she yanked Alex forward so abruptly that Alex stumbled, her face smashing into Haley’s shoulder. Haley wrapped her other arm around her sister’s back, pressing Alex flush against her—chest-to-chest, hipbone digging into hipbone—before pivoting them both sharply away from the stranger.

Haley’s gaze snapped upward, eyes narrowed into lethal slits. She plastered on her signature innocent smile, the one that made cops wave her through DUI stops, and tilted her head coyly.

“Sorry guys,” she chirped, voice dripping sugary venom as she scanned the man behind Alex and his friend lurking beside him. “You’re just not our type.” She was smart enough to notice how Alex had stiffened like a board when that handsy creep started grinding against her little sister’s ass.

“Oh yeah?” The taller man asked, leaning into Alex’s personal space, his breath reeking of stale beer and pretzels, as he eyed Haley’s protective grip around her sister.

His gaze trailed down Alex’s body, lingering pointedly on the swell of her breasts beneath the purple blouse Haley had forced her into.

“And what is your type?” His voice dripped with mocking challenge, amplified by the thumping bass that made the sticky floor vibrate beneath Alex’s unsteady heels.

Haley arched a perfectly sculpted eyebrow, scoffing sharply as her hand slid upward from Alex’s waist to wrap possessively around her ribs instead; fingers splayed just beneath the curve of Alex’s breast. The younger sister stumbled forward at the sudden shift, her fogged glasses slipping down her nose as she grasped Haley’s shoulder for balance, pressing them that much closer together.

And making it that much easier to convince these not-nearly-attractive-enough perves to leave.

Haley glanced deliberately between her sister’s flushed face, those wide brown eyes blinking behind fogged lenses, and the two looming men shadowing them under the chaotic lights. She tilted her head, a slow smirk curling her lips as she tightened her arm around Alex’s trembling ribs.

"What does it look like to you guys?" Her voice dripped honeyed suggestion, low and deliberate enough to cut through the bass, her fingers tracing idle circles on Alex's side through the thin velvet blouse.

The taller man blinked, his leer faltering as he processed Haley’s insinuation; the clinging bodies, Alex’s dazed obedience, the possessive grip Haley maintained. A flicker of confusion, then disgust, crossed his features.

"Oh," he muttered, stumbling back a step as if their proximity suddenly burned. "Jesus. Later then." He grabbed his buddy’s elbow, both men retreating into the undulating crowd with hurried, apologetic shrugs, leaving behind only the sour tang of stale beer and awkward dismissal.

Haley giggled—a high, sharp sound—and waved dismissively after them, shaking her head as she turned back to Alex. The moment she did, her playful smirk vanished. Alex leaned heavily against her, cheeks flushed crimson, glasses askew, her breathing shallow and uneven against Haley’s neck.

Haley’s stomach clenched. Shit.

Alex’s fifth drink sloshed precariously in her limp hand; Haley pried it away before it spilled, her own buzz suddenly sharpening into cold clarity. She should have cut Alex off after that third vodka-tonic. She was seventeen, small, and had never held liquor before; her trembling limbs and unfocused gaze screamed impending disaster. Haley cursed under her breath, tightening her grip as Alex mumbled something incoherent about derivatives.

“What just happened?” Alex slurred, blinking rapidly as if trying to clear fog from her brain. Her brow furrowed beneath crooked glasses, struggling to replay the last chaotic minutes; flashing lights, grinding bodies, Haley’s sharp voice slicing through noise. She squinted up at her sister, confusion deepening.

“Why’re there two of you?” Her voice wavered, tinged with childish bewilderment as Haley’s face swam in her vision, splitting and blurring at the edges. The club’s bass felt like it was pounding inside her skull now, each thump syncing with her racing heartbeat.

Haley swallowed hard, forcing her gaze away from Alex’s parted lips, still glistening with vodka-tonic, and the vulnerable curve of her neck. The closeness felt unexpectedly charged, lingering warmth where Alex’s body had pressed flush against hers moments ago.

“Not important,” Haley muttered, her voice unnaturally tight as she stared down into Alex’s unfocused brown eyes. She’d forgotten how little space separated them, how Alex’s breath hitched against her collarbone. A sudden dryness coated Haley’s throat; she licked her lips reflexively before shaking her head sharply, as if dislodging a thought. Panic flickered behind her practiced calm. “Uh, we should go.”

Alex tilted her head back, blinking slowly, a loose grin spreading across her flushed face. Her hand tightened around Haley’s forearm, knuckles whitening.

“Really?” she slurred, her voice unnaturally loud above the bass. “Didn’t…” She paused, swallowing thickly. “Didn’t you want me to loosen up?”

A burst of giggles erupted from her, sharp and uncontrolled, like shattered glass hitting the sticky floor. She clutched Haley’s arm tighter, struggling to stay upright, her shoulders shaking with the force of her laughter, tears pricking the corners of her eyes.

Haley chuckled softly, the sound strained against Alex’s drunken weight pressing into her shoulder. She leaned in, her lips brushing the shell of Alex’s ear; a ghost of warmth against sweat-damp skin. The scent of cheap alcohol and Alex’s vanilla shampoo filled her nostrils.

“You’re definitely loosened up, Alex,” she murmured, her voice low and intimate, almost lost beneath the thudding music. Her younger sister shuddered at the closeness, a soft sigh escaping her lips as Haley’s breath tickled her neck.

Haley breathed in deeply—vanilla shampoo mixed with vodka and the club’s heavy humidity—and her eyes fluttered shut for a heartbeat too long. A low, involuntary sound hummed deep in her throat, threatening to spill out.

She yanked herself back abruptly, clearing her throat loudly as if dislodging dust. She could feel her heart hammering against her ribs like a trapped bird, and suddenly, the stifling heat of the club pressed in on her; a suffocating blanket of sweat, perfume, and bass that made her skin prickle. Her own buzz, amplified by Alex’s closeness, twisted something low in her stomach; she hadn’t just loosened Alex up—she’d loosened something inside herself, too.

Something dangerous.

Which was enough incentive to make her grasp the fact that they’d probably had enough drinks for the night.

Haley seized Alex’s wrist, her little sister’s skin clammy beneath her fingers, and dragged her roughly away from the dance floor, navigating through the pulsing crowd toward the blinding red EXIT sign.

Alex stumbled blindly against her, heels catching on the sticky floorboards as she mumbled incoherent protests about calculus formulas and, inexplicably, the physics of centrifugal force. Haley ignored her, tightening her grip when Alex tripped over her own feet, nearly crashing into a group of laughing girls whose cocktails sloshed dangerously.

Outside, the abrupt silence was a physical slap. Cool October air hit their flushed skin like ice water, slicing through the club’s lingering heat and stale perfume.

Haley hauled Alex into the shadowed alley beside the Velvet Rope, pressing her against the graffiti-tagged brick wall to steady her. Alex sagged against it, blinking at the streetlight’s harsh glare like a disoriented owl.

Haley fumbled in her faux-leather clutch, fingers brushing crumpled receipts and lip gloss before closing around her phone. She jabbed at the screen, dialing a familiar number, and pressed the device to her ear. The tinny ringing echoed in the sudden quiet; a lifeline in the suffocating dark.

“Who’re ya callin’?” Alex semi-slured, leaning sluggishly against Haley’s shoulder. Her crooked glasses dug into Haley’s collarbone as she nuzzled closer, breath warm and vodka-scented against her sister’s neck. Haley shifted uncomfortably, the brick wall scraping her bare forearm while she gripped Alex’s trembling waist.

“A ride,” she muttered, pressing the phone tighter to her ear as Alex slumped heavier against her shoulder.

“Why?”

Haley rolled her eyes so hard it hurt her temples, then sagged against the graffiti-scrawled bricks in pure relief as Cam’s familiar, slightly nasal voice finally answered—cutting off the tenth ring.

“Hey Uncle Cam,” she rasped, pitching her voice into sugary sweetness despite the vodka burning her throat. “Can you pick me and Alex up? Yeah, the usual place.” A pause, the distant sound of Lily’s high-pitched laughter crackling through the speaker. Haley squeezed the bridge of her nose. “I know, crazy right? Thanks Uncle Cam! Bye!”

She stabbed the lock button, shoved the phone deep into her faux-leather clutch like hiding evidence, and finally turned to Alex, who was blinking owlishly at her, fogged lenses reflecting the flickering neon sign above.

“Because, genius,” Haley huffed, her words sharp-edged despite the exhaustion dragging at her voice. She gestured vaguely at the alley’s grimy surroundings; the overflowing dumpster reeking of stale beer and rotting food, the distant wail of a siren slicing through the city’s low hum. “I’m drunk.”

The confession hung heavy between them, raw and undeniable in the cold October air. Alex blinked slowly, processing this, her brow furrowing beneath crooked frames as if Haley had just declared quantum physics irrelevant.

“You don’t seem like it,” Alex murmured, her words thick and clumsy, eyes drifting half-shut as she leaned into Haley’s warmth.

Haley snorted, shifting her weight against the damp brick wall. “Trust me, I can handle myself. Unlike you, who can’t seem to stand on your own two feet to save your life.”

Alex pushed her fogged glasses up her nose, her brow furrowed in drunken confusion. “I really don’t have the energy to fight with you, Haley.” The words slurred together, thick with exhaustion and vodka, as she slid lower against the graffiti.

Haley’s sharp laugh echoed off the alley walls. “Huh. So all you needed to be less uptight was a little alcohol.”

She leaned closer, her breath ghosting Alex’s cheek; a phantom touch that made Alex shiver despite the damp cold seeping through her velvet blouse. The scent of sweat and stale beer mingled with the memory of Haley’s grip on her ribs under the club lights, possessive and warm.

“I am not uptight,” she protested weakly, her words slurring as she tilted her head back against the rough brick. Her glasses slid sideways, revealing unfocused brown eyes glazed with defiance and exhaustion.

“Sure, you’re not,” Haley shot back, rolling her eyes with practiced disdain. But her own grip on Alex’s waist tightened instinctively as Alex wobbled, the scent of cheap vodka and her little sister’s vanilla shampoo mingling unnervingly in her nose.

“I’m not!” Alex insisted, her voice cracking as she shoved Haley’s shoulder weakly. 

Haley rolled her eyes with theatrical flair as she leaned against the graffiti-scarred brick wall beside them, crossing her arms tightly over her chest. She looked down at her sister’s flushed face, glasses fogged and hair escaping its ponytail, and smirked.

“Uh-huh.” The word dripped with condescension, sharp as shattered glass in the alley’s sudden silence.

“Ugh!” Alex glared up at her infuriating sister, lips trembling with vodka-fueled defiance. She shoved off the wall abruptly, swaying on her heels. “If I was so uptight,” she hissed, voice cracking, “would I do this?”

Before Haley could react, Alex grabbed her shoulders with surprising force and yanked her forward, crashing their lips together in a clumsy, desperate kiss. She froze completely, eyes wide open. The sudden press of Alex’s mouth—soft, sticky with gloss, tasting sharply of tonic and indecision—wasn’t entirely unwelcome, just violently unexpected, like a spark igniting damp kindling.

Haley didn’t have time to really ponder what had just crossed her mind, however; the flicker of warmth low in her belly, the dizzying familiarity of Alex’s trembling fingers digging into her shoulders; because Alex pulled away barely two seconds later.

She stared at Haley with wide, frightened eyes, pupils dilated in the alley’s dim light, her breath coming in shallow gasps. Her hands flew to her own mouth as if scalded. The frantic pulse in her throat fluttered against Haley’s collarbone, a trapped bird beating against glass. The alley’s chill air suddenly felt suffocating, thick with the lingering ghost of her vanilla shampoo and sharp regret.

Why the hell did she just do that? Alex honestly had no clue. Her own lips tingled fiercely, burning with the phantom press of Haley’s mouth, sticky-sweet gloss mingling with vodka bitterness; a taste now irrevocably tangled with panic.

The silence stretched unbearably thick, colder than the October air slicing through Alex’s velvet blouse. She couldn’t look away from Haley’s wide, startled eyes—green-hazel pools reflecting the flickering neon sign overhead, utterly unreadable. Haley hadn’t pushed her away, hadn’t recoiled… hadn’t done anything. Just stood frozen, breath shallow against Alex’s cheek.

Alex felt the frantic thrum of her own pulse hammering against her ribs, each beat screaming mistake-mistake-mistake. The alley’s damp brick scraped her bare shoulders where she’d pulled away, the graffiti tag blurred into meaningless swirls through her fogged lenses. Haley’s expression shifted, confusion flickering into something sharper, hotter, before Alex could decipher it.

Headlights speared the alley’s gloom with blinding yellow intensity, illuminating swirling motes of dust and the startled terror on Alex’s face. Tires crunched wet asphalt just feet away, followed by the familiar, cheerful honk-honk of Uncle Cam’s silver Prius. The driver’s window whirred down.

"Haley! Alex! My favorite nieces!" Cam’s booming voice shattered the suffocating quiet, his grin wide beneath the dome light, oblivious to the electric tension crackling between them.

Haley jerked into motion, plastering a bright, brittle smile onto her face. "Uncle Cam! You’re a lifesaver!" She practically shoved her sister towards the car’s rear door, her fingers digging into Alex’s arm with bruising force, propelling her forward.

Alex stumbled, her heel catching on a loose chunk of asphalt; Haley’s grip tightened instantly, hauling her upright without a word. The cold chrome handle stung Alex’s fingertips as she fumbled it open. Haley practically bundled her inside, sliding in after her with an unnatural stiffness, slamming the door with a sharp thud. The vinyl seat groaned under their combined weight.

Silence descended again, thick and choking, pressing down heavier than the bass they’d escaped. Alex stared fixedly at her lap, fingers twisting the ripped hem of her ripped jeans, acutely aware of every inch separating her thigh from Haley's, yet feeling the phantom burn of Haley’s grip and the ghost of her lips as if scorched onto her skin.

Cameron chattered brightly from the driver’s seat, oblivious to the suffocating atmosphere behind him. "Pepper’s Halloween masquerade ball requires originality, Alex!" he exclaimed, gesturing animatedly as he navigated wet streets slick with fallen leaves. "Mitchell insists our matching peacock-feather ensembles are ‘artistic cohesion,’ I say it’s fashion redundancy! Imagine—two grown men shimmering like identical disco balls!"

His laughter filled the Prius, sharp and artificial against the thick silence pressing Haley and Alex into opposite corners of the worn vinyl backseat. Haley stared rigidly out her window at blurred streetlights, knuckles white where they gripped the door handle. Alex traced the condensation on her own window with a trembling fingertip, the cold glass a stark contrast to the heat still prickling her lips. Every bump in the road jolted them closer, then apart, an excruciating dance neither acknowledged.

Cam pulled smoothly into the Dunphys’ driveway, killing the engine with a soft sigh. He twisted around, his cheerful façade softening as he studied Haley’s stiff posture and Alex’s pale, pinched face.

"Alright, you two," he murmured, genuine concern creeping into his voice. "Get some water, some rest. Haley, I’ll swing by tomorrow to drive you back for your car.” His gaze lingered on Alex’s fogged glasses and smudged lip gloss. "And be kind to yourselves tonight. Halloween mischief is one thing, but…" He trailed off, shaking his head slightly before forcing another bright smile. "Safe inside now, ducklings!"

They stumbled out onto the dew-slick lawn, waving weakly as Cam’s Prius whispered back into the darkness. The sudden silence pressed in, thick and heavy. Haley fumbled with the lock, every click echoing like a gunshot in the stillness.

Inside, the foyer swallowed them in familiar shadows; the grandfather clock ticking loudly in the hallway, the faint scent of Claire’s vanilla candle clinging to the air.

Haley eased the door shut with agonizing slowness, the latch sighing softly into place. It was nearly 2:00 AM; the house breathed with the deep, heavy slumber of its occupants.

She started to creep towards the basement stairs, her heels muffled against the rug, her entire body coiled tight. Then she froze. A small, unsteady figure was veering sharply away, towards the staircase leading up to the bedrooms. She lunged forward, fingers closing around Alex’s cold wrist like a vise.

"Where the hell are you going?" she hissed, the whisper sharp as a knife in the suffocating quiet. Her eyes darted towards the darkened landing above, terrified Phil or Claire might stir.

Alex jerked her arm back, her heart hammering against her ribs. The frantic pulse echoed the frantic replay in her skull: kissed Haley kissed Haley kissed Haley. Her lips still felt raw, sticky with gloss and vodka residue, and the phantom pressure against them was a brand. She gestured blindly upward with her free hand, fingers trembling toward the dark staircase.

“Uh-uh,” Haley hissed, the sound sharp as a snapped rubber band in the sleeping house. She reached up, fingers wrapping around Alex’s chilled wrist with surprising strength, pulling her away from the staircase.

Alex stumbled forward, colliding awkwardly against Haley's shoulder, the sudden contact jolting them both. Their eyes locked; Haley’s green-hazel gaze intense, searching, while Alex’s brown eyes widened behind fogged lenses, pupils dilated with fear and lingering vodka haze.

The faint scent of Alex’s vanilla shampoo mixed with the stale alcohol on Haley’s breath hung thick between them. For three agonizing heartbeats, the grandfather clock’s rhythmic tick-tock was the only sound, amplifying the frantic drumming in Alex’s chest.

Then Haley’s voice dropped low, urgent: “We need to talk.”

Alex tried to convince her otherwise—her lips moved in silent protest, trembling fingers pushing her crooked glasses higher—but her vodka-saturated brain offered nothing coherent beyond fragmented panic. Too dangerous. Too wrong. Mom upstairs.

The arguments dissolved like sugar in hot tea, leaving only the bitter aftertaste of Haley’s kiss lingering on her tongue. She slumped forward in defeat, her shoulder bumping Haley’s as she allowed herself to be dragged toward the basement stairs.

The worn wooden steps groaned beneath their shared weight, each creak a hammer blow in the suffocating silence. Haley’s grip on her wrist was iron, unyielding, as she pulled Alex into the dim, cluttered sanctuary of her subterranean room.

Haley kicked the door shut behind them with a muffled thud, plunging them into near-darkness save for the city glow bleeding through the high basement windows. The metallic click of the lock echoed like a gunshot; a finality Alex felt in her bones.

She stood frozen beside Haley’s unmade bed, smelling faintly of fabric softener and stale perfume, as Haley turned. Her silhouette blocked the weak light, arms crossed defiantly beneath her breasts; a deliberate posture that tilted her hips forward, emphasizing the curve of her waist Alex had never consciously noticed before.

Haley’s gaze pinned Alex against the doorframe—green-hazel eyes sharp, intense, stripping away the fog of alcohol, leaving Alex terrifyingly sober and exposed.

“You kissed me.”

Haley’s accusation sliced through the silence, sharp and unflinching. Alex flinched as if physically struck, her gaze snapping away toward a pile of discarded clothes near Haley’s laundry hamper. Why would she just blurt it out like that? The blush ignited instantly, scorching her cheeks and neck, radiating heat that prickled beneath her velvet blouse. The basement air felt thick and stagnant, choked with dust motes swirling in the weak moonlight filtering through the window wells.

After only a small hesitation, her voice cracked, thick with shame and lingering intoxication: “I was drunk—am drunk.” She swallowed hard, fingers twisting the rip in her jeans tighter.

Haley didn’t move. Not an inch. Her arms remained folded beneath her chest, making the soft fabric of her low-cut club top pull taut across her skin. Alex’s traitorous eyes flickered back, drawn against her will. Haley’s stare hadn’t wavered—intent, evaluating, dissecting Alex’s panic with unnerving calm.

The silence stretched again, a suffocating blanket of tension punctuated only by the frantic drumming inside Alex’s own skull.

Then, Haley’s shoulders lost some rigidity. Her arms unfolded slowly as she stepped forward—one deliberate, soft-footed stride on the worn carpet. Then another. The faint scent of her strawberry lip gloss mingled with vodka drifted closer.

Alex held her breath. Haley’s eyes, those unsettlingly intelligent green-hazel pools, locked onto her own brown ones, refusing to let her look away. The distance closed until mere inches separated their faces, Alex’s glasses slightly fogging from Haley’s exhale.

Haley’s voice dropped to a whisper, dangerously soft: “But you wouldn’t have done it,” her gaze flickered down to Alex’s lips for a fleeting, electric instant, “if you didn’t want to.”

Alex backed up sharply, her shoulder blades hitting the cold wood of the locked basement door with a soft thud. She swallowed hard, feeling the sour tang of vodka and rising panic claw its way up her throat.

“This is crazy, Haley,” she hissed through clenched teeth, the words tasting stale and insufficient. Her fingers curled tightly at her sides. “You’re my sister.”

The statement landed like a physical blow in the cramped space. She forced herself to meet Haley’s unwavering gaze again, desperation sharpening her voice.

“And even if you weren’t—” Her eyes darted involuntarily down Haley’s form, the curve of her hips beneath the soft black leggings, the impossible softness of her mouth, before snapping back up, horrified. “You’re a freaking girl!”

Haley tilted her head slightly, a slow, infuriatingly knowing smile curling the corners of her lips. She stepped even closer, eliminating the last few inches between them until Alex could feel the warmth radiating from Haley’s skin, smell the lingering sweetness of her lip gloss mixing with vodka fumes. Her arms hung loosely at her sides now; utterly unconcerned, utterly confident.

“Oh please,” she breathed, the whisper ghosting over Alex’s cheek. Her voice was impossibly steady, devoid of shock or judgment. “I’ve known you were a lesbian since we were little kids.”

Alex choked. The words hit like ice water thrown in her face—sharp, shocking, paralyzing. Her vision blurred behind fogged lenses. Her cheeks burned hotter than fire. Thoughts fragmented: Haley’s smug expression, the terrifying intimacy of her closeness, the unbearable accusation. It wasn’t just the kiss now; it was every awkward glance, every sharp denial, every confusing flutter in her chest laid bare.

Panic surged—pure, electric panic—ripping a ragged cry from her throat: “Stop saying that! I am not a lesbian!” The words echoed harshly off the basement walls, too loud, too desperate.

“Oh really?” Haley drawled, her voice thick with mocking challenge.

“I’ve had boyfriends! I’ve—”

Haley cut her off, stepping impossibly closer. Her breath warmed Alex’s cheek as she hissed, “You’ve had one boyfriend who turned out to be gay.” The accusation landed like a hammer blow, sharp and precise.

Alex’s blush deepened to a furious crimson, scorching her neck and ears. She pressed her back harder against the door, desperate for distance Haley refused to grant.

"I’ve done things with boys before!" she whisper-yelled, the words thick with vodka-slurred defiance, yet painfully hushed. Panic flared in her brown eyes behind fogged glasses; panic at her own voice echoing in the sleeping house, panic at Haley’s unwavering proximity, panic at the truth twisting in her gut.

Haley’s grin widened, predatory and sharp beneath the dim basement light. She traced a slow, deliberate finger along the collar of Alex’s velvet blouse, feeling the frantic pulse hammering in her little sister’s throat.

"So," she murmured, leaning in until her lips brushed Alex’s ear lobe, "you’ve had sex." The husky whisper wasn’t a question; it was a verdict, thick with mocking certainty.

Alex flinched, tasting bile and strawberry gloss. She jerked her head away, stammering, "Well, n-no, but—"

"But what?" Haley’s laugh was low, derisive. Her hand slid down to grip Alex’s hipbone through the torn denim. "Have you been with a girl?"

Alex recoiled against the locked door, her glasses slipping crookedly down her nose. "No!" The denial ripped from her throat—too loud, too shrill—and she froze, breath catching at the sound reverberating off the concrete walls.

“Have you wanted to?”

“…N-no.”

“You hesitated.” Haley’s voice dropped to a low, intimate rasp. She stepped forward, closing the last sliver of space between them until their toes touched. The basement air crackled with tension as Haley’s gaze drilled into Alex’s, unblinking and relentless. Her breath ghosted warm against Alex’s cheek, smelling faintly of vodka and strawberry gloss. “So, if you’ve never been with a girl before…” She tilted her head, her lips curling into a knowing smirk. “…how are you so sure you’re not a lesbian?”

Alex’s cheeks flamed hotter than ever, her indignation boiling over. “Ugh! You’re so annoying!” she hissed through clenched teeth, her voice trembling with frustration. “You always do this, Haley.” Her knuckles whitened as she gripped the doorframe behind her. “Just because I haven’t gone and had sex with every boy that I’ve met, doesn’t mean—mmph!”

The rest of her protest dissolved into a muffled gasp as her older sister’s fingers tangled in her hair, yanking her head back sharply. Haley’s mouth crashed against hers—unyielding, demanding, tasting of vodka and strawberry gloss—cutting off Alex’s words mid-sentence.

Alex froze, her body rigid against the locked door. Her brain short-circuited, struggling to process the sudden assault; Haley’s demanding mouth sealing hers, swallowing the gasp that tore from her throat.

Time stretched thin and elastic; her thoughts scattered like spilled beads across concrete; Haley’s lips, vodka-strawberry heat, the sharp tug at her scalp, the pressure of Haley’s hips grinding against hers.

Five agonizing seconds bled past before comprehension slammed into her; Haley was kissing her. Seriously kissing her.

And then, with a shuddering exhale, her resistance crumbled. Her rigid spine softened, her hands, trapped between them, uncurled to clutch blindly at Haley’s waist. A low, involuntary moan vibrated deep in her chest, escaping through parted lips that now moved in hesitant sync with her older sister’s.

Haley’s lips were impossibly soft, yielding like velvet against Alex’s mouth, yet commanding. They tasted overwhelmingly of sticky-sweet strawberry gloss layered over the tang of vodka and cranberry mixer; a dizzying cocktail Alex couldn’t help but chase deeper.

Haley pulled back an inch, just enough to nip sharply at Alex’s lower lip; a sharp sting that melted instantly into soothing warmth as her tongue traced the spot, coaxing another gasp from Alex. Her heart hammered against Alex’s chest like a frantic drumbeat beneath the thin club top, a wild rhythm Alex felt echoing in her own ribs, loud and frantic against the oppressive silence of the basement.

The sheer wrongness of it—Haley’s breath mingling with hers, Haley’s fingers tangled possessively in her hair—should have sent Alex scrambling. Instead, she leaned in, pressing closer, her hands sliding up Haley’s back to grip her shoulders tightly. The thought This is my sister flickered weakly, drowned out by the slick heat of Haley’s tongue probing tentatively against hers. She met it with her own, hesitant at first, then eager.

Haley deepened the kiss slowly, not demanding, but coaxing, her lips moving with deliberate softness against Alex’s. She teased Alex’s bottom lip with the tip of her tongue, a feather-light stroke that made Alex gasp softly into her mouth, before settling back into a rhythm of slow, deep pulls.

Haley’s palms slid from Alex’s hairline down to cradle the base of her skull, fingers curling gently behind her ears. The intimacy of it, Haley’s thumbs stroking the sensitive skin beneath her lobes, sent shivers rippling down Alex’s spine.

Their bodies pressed flush now, Haley’s slight frame fitting perfectly against hers, the soft knit of Haley’s leggings brushing Alex’s bare thigh through the rip in her jeans. Haley lingered there, tasting Alex deeply, before pulling back just enough to nip playfully at her swollen lower lip.

Alex whimpered, chasing Haley’s retreating mouth instinctively until Haley stilled her with a final, lingering kiss—soft, almost chaste—the ghost of strawberry gloss clinging to Alex’s lips.

Haley sighed softly against her sister’s mouth, a sound like velvet tearing, her breath warm and trembling. Fire roared through her veins, molten and consuming, drowning out everything but the impossible softness of Alex’s lips yielding beneath hers. She tasted desperation, vodka, and something uniquely Alex, sharp and electric, that burned deeper than any boy’s clumsy kisses ever had.

Drowning? Yes, she was drowning willingly; letting the tide pull her under without a fight. Her hands drifted from Alex’s neck down her spine, tracing the knobs of her vertebrae beneath the velvet blouse, pressing Alex harder against the cold wood of the door.

Thoughts of wrongness clawed at the edges of her mind—sister, parents upstairs, this is insane—but Haley silenced them with another hungry sweep of her tongue against Alex’s. The sheer naughtiness thrilled her, a forbidden taboo tightening low in her belly, making her head spin deliriously. She hummed low in her throat, a vibration Alex felt against her chest, as she nipped softly at her little sister’s lower lip.

Alex whimpered—a broken, breathy sound—and Haley smiled against her mouth. The sound vibrated through her own lips, igniting deeper hunger, a raw ache that throbbed beneath her ribs.

Slowly, deliberately, Haley pushed forward, stepping into Alex’s space with languid purpose. She shifted her weight onto her toes, pressing Alex back until her sister stumbled a half-step. She followed, her lips never leaving Alex’s, swallowing her gasp. She guided Alex backwards—one slow, measured step at a time—her hips swaying deliberately against Alex’s trembling frame with each movement, forcing her deeper into the dimly lit basement.

Haley’s palms slid back up to cradle Alex’s flushed cheeks, thumbs brushing the delicate swell beneath her sister’s eyes, feeling the frantic flutter of her pulse beneath her fingertips.

Alex’s fingers clenched convulsively against Haley’s forearms, digging in hard enough to bruise, a silent plea Haley understood instantly: Don’t stop. Don’t pull away.

The unspoken vulnerability sent a sharp thrill through Haley, sparking a possessive warmth deep inside. She deepened the kiss, grinning fiercely against Alex’s parted lips—a silent promise: I’m not going anywhere.

The rhythm of Haley’s advance became hypnotic; step-push-kiss, step-push-kiss, a relentless tide Alex couldn’t fight. Her legs moved mechanically beneath her, stumbling backwards blindly through the cluttered room.

The world narrowed to Haley’s demanding mouth, the sharp bite of her fingernails grazing Alex’s scalp as her hands tangled tighter in her hair, the dizzying scent of strawberry gloss and sweat mingling with stale basement air.

Distantly, Alex registered the scrape of her heels against the worn carpet, the soft thud of something—a discarded hoodie?—kicked aside, the cool touch of plaster against her elbow as she brushed a wall. But it all blurred beneath the searing focus of Haley’s tongue, slick and insistent as it eased deeper past her lips.

Alex tried to clamp down, to stifle the gasp building in her chest, but it was too late; a low, choked moan ripped free, muffled instantly by Haley’s mouth swallowing the sound, a triumphant vibration humming against her own lips.

Alex had barely gotten a taste before it was taken away from her much too fast for her liking.

Because the next thing Alex knew, she was on her back on the queen-size mattress, the thick comforter swallowing her shoulders as her eyes blinked open dazedly. Haley hovered above her, knees pressing into the mattress on either side of her hips, crawling forward with predatory grace.

She watched, frozen, as strands of Haley’s long brown hair, still smelling faintly of club smoke and hairspray, curled around her flushed cheeks, framing her intense gaze. The look in her older sister’s beautiful hazel-green eyes wasn’t playful or teasing anymore; it was raw, hungry, and terrifyingly certain. Her pulse hammered against her ribs like a trapped bird, her throat tightening as she tried to form some sort of protest—some logical, practical reason why they shouldn’t, couldn’t—go further. 

“Uhm…” Alex so eloquently muttered, her voice thick and choked as Haley crept closer, knees sinking deeper into the mattress on either side of her thighs.

The word hung uselessly in the stale air, drowned by Haley’s shallow breathing and the frantic drumming in her own ears. She knew she should say something; push her away, scream, remind Haley they were sisters, but her body remained rigidly still, paralyzed beneath the weight of Haley’s predatory stillness.

Every instinct screamed for flight, yet she lay frozen, eyes wide behind fogged glasses, watching Haley’s shadow swallow the dim light filtering from the bedside lamp.

Haley grinned down at her innocent little sister, a predatory spark igniting behind her hazel-green eyes as she traced the flushed curve of Alex’s cheekbone with her thumb. The air crackled between them, thick with vodka fumes and unspoken tension, as she gently tucked a stray strand of Alex’s dark hair behind her ear, her fingertips lingering against the shell.

The sharp hitch in Alex’s breath—a tiny, strangled gasp—made her grin widen, revealing a dimple Alex hadn’t noticed since they were kids playing pretend in this very basement.

“For the record,” Haley murmured, her breath fanning warm and sticky-sweet along Alex’s lips, “I’ve only had sex with two guys.” The confession hung between them; a fragile, unexpected truth dissolving the vodka haze.

Then she closed the distance, her lips meeting Alex’s not with the earlier bruising force, but with a slow, deliberate tenderness that stole her sister’s breath. Haley settled her full weight against her, their bodies aligning perfectly; the soft pressure of Haley’s B-cup breasts flattening against Alex’s fuller 34D chest through thin layers of velvet and knit, a startling intimacy that drew a shaky gasp from the younger girl.

Haley’s tongue traced the seam of Alex’s mouth, not demanding entry, but inviting, coaxing Alex deeper into the kiss as she tangled her fingers gently in her dark hair.

Alex nearly cried out in frustration when Haley pulled her mouth away much too soon, leaving her lips cold and swollen. But the protest died as a gasp escaped instead; her big sister’s mouth moved to the sensitive skin beneath her jawline, her kisses dissolving into soft, wet licks tracing the frantic pulse beating there. Her mind scrambled, trying desperately to keep up. One minute she’d been arguing with Haley about labels and sexuality like countless times before, bristling with defensive sarcasm. The next… this.

And Alex really, really enjoyed it. 

Haley's mouth moved hot and wet along the sensitive skin beneath Alex's jaw, tracing the frantic pulse point hammering against her throat. Each soft lick sent sharp, electric jolts straight down Alex’s spine, pooling low and hot in her belly. A low, involuntary moan escaped her lips; a raw, shaky sound she barely recognized as her own, vibrating against Haley's exploring tongue.

Pleasurable tingles exploded outward from each point of contact, flooding her limbs with a warm, buzzing numbness that made her fingers clench uselessly in the comforter. Her mind emptied completely, overwhelmed by the sheer sensory assault; the slick heat of Haley’s tongue, the faint scratch of her sister’s teeth grazing her earlobe, the dizzying scent of strawberry gloss and sweat clinging to Haley’s skin.

All coherent thought evaporated; she didn't care about labels, or consequences, or the cold basement door digging into her elbow earlier. There was only this hungry ache spreading through her entire body, this desperate, clawing need for more. More pressure, more heat, more of whatever Haley was doing to make her feel this terrifyingly good.

She didn't quite understand what her big sister was doing, only that every wet drag of her tongue across her throat obliterated another shred of rational thought.

And that she really, really needed this persistent ache to go away. It thrummed low in her belly—hot, insistent, unfamiliar—demanding attention Haley’s mouth seemed determined to give.

When her brain finally comprehended what Haley had uttered a whole two minutes ago—only two guys—Alex’s breath hitched. The words echoed in the thick silence, sharp and startling.

"A-and what about girls?" she heard herself whisper, the question trembling out before she could cage it.

Haley froze instantly, her warm mouth lifting from the damp skin of Alex’s throat. Slowly, deliberately, she pushed herself up onto her palms, hovering above Alex with her weight balanced on outstretched arms.

Her nerves screamed, every muscle coiled tight beneath Haley’s shadow, as she stared up into those hazel-green eyes, now dark and unreadable in the dim light. But then Haley’s lips curled into a slow, secretive smile, soft around the edges, and Alex felt the frantic drumming in her chest ease, just a fraction.

“I made out with a girl once at a party to make Dylan jealous.” Haley chuckled, the sound casual and light, as if they were gossiping over coffee—not pinned together on a mattress with Alex's pulse still hammering where Haley’s mouth had been seconds before.

Her thumb brushed Alex’s lower lip, smearing strawberry gloss. “Like that ever would’ve worked.” She rolled her eyes, the movement lazy and familiar. “All it did was make him horny and want a threesome.”

Alex’s eyes widened behind her fogged-up glasses, cheeks flushing crimson as Haley’s admission sank in—the casualness of it, the threesome hanging between them like a tangible thing. Haley burst out laughing, the sound warm and melodic against the basement’s stale silence.

“Alex! Your face!” she teased, dipping down to capture Alex’s lips again before she could protest. The kiss was brief, playful—a quick nip—then Haley pulled back, her grin softening as she traced her jawline. She gasped at the sudden vanishing warmth, her body arching instinctively toward Haley’s retreating heat.

“I basically told him to fuck off and then I left,” Haley continued, her voice dropping lower, rougher. Her thumb lingered on Alex’s lower lip. “So, no. I’ve never had sex with a girl.”

The confession hung thick between them; a raw admission dissolving the lightness. Haley’s gaze flickered over her sister’s flushed skin, her dilated pupils, the rapid flutter of her pulse beneath her jaw.

A slow, knowing grin spread across Haley’s lips, sharpening the predatory edge in her hazel-green eyes as she lifted her left hand. She gently brushed stray strands of Alex’s dark hair away from her forehead, fingertips trailing whisper-light across her temples in a gesture that felt almost tender, yet charged with terrifying intent.

Then Haley’s touch drifted downward, fingers tracing a deliberate path along Alex’s bare throat. She swallowed thickly, the dry click echoing loudly in the sudden stillness as Haley’s palm slid lower, slipping beneath the velvet collar. Her hand paused above her heart, the heat radiating through the thin fabric.

Alex froze, breath suspended, her entire body taut as a wire. Haley’s grin widened, a silent command, before her fingers closed around Alex’s breast, squeezing with sudden, firm pressure that pulled a startled gasp from her lungs.

She gasped sharply—a thin, choked sound—her spine instinctively arching off the mattress, pressing her chest deeper into Haley’s grip. Her eyes flew wide behind fogged glasses, shock and confusion warring with the electric jolt Haley’s palm sent through her nipple, already stiffening beneath her clothes.

Her mouth opened, closed, opened again, a futile gape, no words forming, only the frantic pulse hammering in her throat where Haley’s teeth had teased moments before.

Haley leaned down, her breath warm as it brushed Alex’s lips, silencing the unfinished protest before it could surface. Her lips brushed Alex’s, not a kiss, but a feather-light promise, as her thumb found the hard peak straining against her velvet blouse and rubbed slow, deliberate circles over the fabric.

"Not until now, anyway," Haley breathed against her sister’s mouth, the words low, rough, and thick with unspoken intent. Her thumb pressed harder, grinding against the sensitive nub, coaxing a shuddering whimper from Alex that vibrated against her lips.

“W-wait, what?” Alex gasped out, her fingers digging convulsively into Haley’s shoulders, knuckles white against the thin knit fabric.

Alarm bells shrieked in her skull—sister, parents asleep upstairs, permanent damage—but Haley’s deep hum vibrated against her lips before she could form another syllable. The sound traveled down Alex’s throat as Haley’s mouth slid wetly over her chin, leaving a trail of sticky-sweet gloss, then lower—much lower—to nip at the frantic pulse hammering beneath her ear.

Alex’s protest died in a ragged gasp when Haley squeezed her breast again, rhythmic and claiming, while her tongue traced a hot, slow circle just below her earlobe. The sensation short-circuited her panic, replacing it with white-hot static that crackled down her spine. She arched violently off the mattress, hands scrabbling blindly at Haley’s back, nails catching on stray threads of her sweater as she clung—anchorless, desperate—as if Haley alone could stop her from drowning.

Haley paused mid-lower-lip bite, lifting her face mere inches above Alex’s flushed chest. Her breath fanned warm across Alex’s damp throat as she studied her sister’s trembling lips, pupils blown wide behind fogged lenses.

A slow, feline smile curled Haley’s lips, sharp-edged and knowing, as she leaned close enough for Alex to taste her own shaky breaths mingling with Haley’s strawberry gloss.

"Why don’t we think of it as an experiment?" she murmured against Alex’s mouth, her voice husky and deliberate. "Like for science." She sealed the suggestion with another lingering kiss, soft but insistent, her tongue sweeping slowly across Alex’s bottom lip.

She whimpered and parted her lips instantly, her hips arching involuntarily against Haley’s thigh pressing between her legs. The way her little sister surrendered, fingers twisting desperately in her hair instead of pushing her away, told Haley everything. She didn’t need to be all that convincing.

"Neither of us have ever been with a girl before," Haley whispered against her sister’s swollen mouth, her thumb tracing Alex’s jawline. "So why not try it together?" She licked her lips slowly, deliberately, as her gaze flickered down to Alex’s mouth, gloss-smeared and trembling, before snapping back to meet panic-dilated brown eyes.

A soft whimper escaped Alex as Haley’s teeth grazed her bottom lip, quick and sharp, followed instantly by the soothing swipe of Haley’s tongue, warm and slick. She pinched her eyes shut, her fingers flexing convulsively against Haley’s back as if clinging to sanity.

"I—you—we—" The words choked in her throat, thick with unspoken dread, as Haley’s thigh pressed harder between her legs. "We’re sisters…" she hissed, her spine arching despite herself.

Haley scoffed, low and dismissive. "So?" Her left hand slid down from Alex’s shoulder blade, fingertips trailing a deliberate path along the curve of Alex’s ribs until they found the hem of her velvet blouse.

Haley’s fingers slipped beneath the fabric, cool air rushing against Alex’s skin as the velvet lifted, her fingertips grazing Alex’s bare stomach with feather-light intensity. She gasped sharply, hips jolting against Haley’s thigh at the unexpected contact.

"It’s not like we can end up pregnant. It’s no big deal." Haley’s palm slid higher, pressing flat against Alex’s trembling abdomen before inching upward—slowly, torturously—until her fingers brushed the underwire of Alex’s bra.

She curled her fingers over the lace-covered swell of Alex’s breast, squeezing firmly yet slowly. Alex exhaled a ragged groan, long and shuddering, as Haley leaned her weight back onto her hips, lowering her face until her lips hovered a breath from Alex’s dampened mouth.

Haley’s grin was sharp-edged and triumphant. "We’re just bonding."

The scent of strawberry gloss and stale vodka thickened between them as Alex’s eyes widened at Haley’s predatory closeness. Haley’s thumb traced Alex’s lower lip, smearing gloss into the corner.

"Mom always wanted us to bond more," Haley murmured, her breath ghosting hot across Alex’s parted lips. Her grin widened into a mischievous glint, eyes predatory. "Maybe she was right all along..."

Alex’s blush scalded her cheeks, burning hotter than the vodka still swirling in her veins as she stared into Haley’s predatory hazel-green eyes. Her teeth sank into her lower lip, the sharp sting grounding her momentarily while her mind raced; was she seriously contemplating this?

The sheer absurdity, the taboo, screamed at her to shove Haley off the bed, bolt upstairs, and scrub this entire night from her memory. Yet, beneath the frantic drumming of her heart, a treacherous current of anticipation surged, drowning the panic. She should feel revolted. Disgusted.

But the pressure of Haley’s thigh between her legs, the lingering heat of her older sister’s mouth on her throat, the claiming squeeze on her breast; it all coiled low in her belly, hot and undeniable, whispering that gross wasn’t the word trembling on her lips.

All she felt was a molten coil of anticipation tightening low in her belly, hotter than the blush scalding her cheeks. Haley’s eyes; dark, predatory, and far too knowing, held hers captive, a silent dare hanging in the humid air thick with strawberry gloss and old mattress springs.

Alex’s teeth sank deeper into her lower lip, the sharp sting anchoring her swirling mind against the vodka haze. Logic screamed taboo, sisters, catastrophe, but its voice was drowned out by the frantic drumming of her pulse against Haley’s lingering touch and the insistent throb echoing Haley’s thigh pressed between her legs. The sheer impossibility of it warred violently with the undeniable pull; a terrifying thrill that whispered what if, louder than fear.

Thinking about it further, Haley did have a point; a cold, logical anchor in the drunken haze. Neither of them could get pregnant. So really, what was the harm in a little science experiment? Alex would be lying to herself if she denied the gnawing curiosity about whether she liked girls, buried beneath layers of textbooks and sarcasm.

And here was Haley—familiar, exasperating Haley—offering a way to explore it with someone she already knew, already trusted, however recklessly. The safety of that trust warred violently with the taboo, twisting Alex’s stomach into knots even as heat pooled lower.

So with those final thoughts swaying her decision, Alex licked her lips, still tasting the sticky-sweet residue of Haley’s gloss, and exhaled a slow, shuddering breath before rasping, "You can’t tell anyone."

Haley scoffed with a sharp shake of her head as she slid her left hand behind Alex’s back. With practiced ease, her fingers found the clasp of Alex’s bra, metal cold against her skin, and unhooked it in a split second. She grinned, eyes locked on Alex’s panicked expression, as she moved her hand back to the front and tugged at the loosened bra cup.

The lace slid away, the cool basement air hitting her nipple, already stiffened into a hard peak, before Haley’s palm covered it entirely, skin-on-skin, her thumb rubbing slow circles around the sensitive flesh.

"Who do you think I would tell?" Haley laughed, low and mocking, her thumb pressing harder against Alex’s nipple until a gasp ripped from her sister’s throat. "Who would even believe me?"

Alex was too stunned by the shockwave of sensation to form coherent protest; Haley’s bare palm encircling her breast was fire and ice, the rough pad of her thumb scraping over her nipple sending jagged sparks through her nerves.

Her breath hitched, trapped somewhere between a gasp and Haley’s name, but all that escaped was a soft, broken moan vibrating against Haley’s collarbone. Instinct overrode panic; her hands moved of their own accord, fingers fumbling blindly beneath the hem of her velvet blouse.

The fabric rasped against sensitive skin as she dragged it upward, past her ribs, the cool basement air kissing her sweat-dampened torso before she wrenched it overhead and flung it toward the shadowed corner. The bra followed, a tangle of lace and underwire, landing with a muted thud beside the bed.

Alex knew she should feel embarrassment—deep, scorching shame—for how easily she was agreeing to something so fundamentally wrong. Instead, a reckless thrill surged through her veins, hotter and brighter than the vodka burning her stomach.

Haley’s smirk widened as her breath hitched, her sister’s thumb still circling her exposed nipple with deliberate slowness. She couldn’t deny the thrill coiling tight in her belly, the illicit promise of discovery drowning out every warning scream in her mind.

Science, she told herself fiercely, just an experiment, even as Haley’s fingers slid lower, tracing the dip of her navel.

Haley grinned, the curve of her lips sharp and victorious in the dim light as she withdrew her hand from Alex’s skin. She pushed herself upright onto her knees, the mattress groaning beneath her sudden movement.

Without hesitation, her fingers gripped the hem of her own thin sweater, pulling it upward with a swift, fluid motion that revealed the pale expanse of her stomach, then ribs, before the fabric vanished over her head and landed somewhere in the shadows with a soft thud. Her hands snaked behind her back, familiar with the clasp of her own bra, and with a practiced flick, the garment loosened, slid down her arms, and was discarded carelessly.

Her breasts, freed from the tight confines, bounced slightly with the motion, small and pert in the cool basement air, nipples already hardening against the chill. She caught Alex’s gaze lingering low, noticeably lower than her eyes had been a moment before, and Haley’s grin deepened, feline and knowing.

Her tongue darted out, wetting her lips slowly, deliberately, as she held Alex’s wide-eyed stare; a silent acknowledgment of the younger girl’s rapt attention.

Haley inhaled deeply, the scent of stale vodka and Alex’s lingering vanilla shampoo thick in her lungs, before she lowered herself back down with deliberate slowness. She pressed her bare torso flush against Alex’s, skin-to-skin, from ribs to hips.

The sudden heat was electric; a shockwave of friction that made Alex gasp sharply beneath her. Haley felt the frantic flutter of her sister’s heartbeat against her own chest, a wild drumming echo, and the soft, yielding swell of Alex’s fuller breasts pressing into hers.

She shifted slightly, aligning their bodies perfectly, letting Alex feel the hard peaks of their nipples brush together; a fleeting, tantalizing contact that drew another shuddering gasp from the younger girl.

Haley’s breath hitched at the sensation—the unfamiliar softness, the shared warmth, the sheer wrongness of it—but she didn’t pull away. Instead, she anchored herself on her elbows, cradling Alex’s face between her palms, forcing her to meet her gaze. Her thumbs traced the trembling line of Alex’s jaw, smearing gloss across flushed skin.

Haley’s eyes, darkened hazel-green pools, locked onto Alex’s dilated pupils before drifting lower, lingering hungrily on the full curve of Alex’s exposed breasts. Her lips parted slightly, tongue darting out to wet them in a slow, deliberate pass.

Without breaking eye contact, Haley slid her hands down Alex’s neck, over trembling shoulders, until her palms cupped the heavy warmth of Alex’s breasts. Her fingers tightened possessively, thumbs brushing over stiffened nipples in rough, circling motions that pulled a choked whimper from Alex’s throat.

Haley’s lips curled into a triumphant smirk as she leaned closer, close enough for Alex to feel the heat of her breath, before crashing their mouths together again. This kiss wasn’t hesitant or clumsy; it was hungry, demanding, an open-mouthed collision that silenced Alex’s gasp.

This time, Alex responded immediately. Her arms snapped around Haley's bare shoulders, pulling her older sister deeper into the kiss with a desperation she hadn't known she possessed. Haley's demanding mouth met hers with fierce heat, and Alex moaned into it, the sound muffled against her sister's lips.

When Haley's tongue swept insistently along the seam of her mouth, Alex parted her lips eagerly, welcoming the slick, intimate invasion. The taste, strawberry gloss mingled with something uniquely Haley, flooded her senses, and she choked back another raw, shuddering moan as their tongues tangled, exploring with frantic urgency.

Alex’s fingers knotted into Haley’s soft brown hair, anchoring them together while Haley’s hands kneaded her breasts, rough thumbs circling her nipples relentlessly, sending sharp currents of pleasure-pain radiating through her body.

Haley moaned back, the vibration humming against Alex’s lips as she kissed her harder. The sound was low and guttural, a visceral reaction to the feel of Alex’s surrender beneath her; the frantic clutch of fingers in her hair, the arching press of Alex’s hips against her own. Her tongue explored Alex’s mouth with possessive thoroughness, savoring the slick heat, the faint hint of vodka still clinging to her sister’s breath, the sheer forbidden thrill of tasting her.

Every gasp Alex made, every tremble Haley felt vibrating through her skin, only intensified Haley’s need, tightening the coil of heat low in her own belly. She wanted more—needed more—than just Alex’s mouth.

With a final, lingering sweep of her tongue against Alex’s, she broke the kiss abruptly, pulling back just enough to see the dazed, wanting look in her baby sister’s eyes behind fogged glasses.

Haley stared down at Alex’s flushed face, her own chest heaving, before sliding her hands from Alex’s shoulders down to the swollen curves of her breasts once more. She molded both palms firmly around them, squeezing possessively until they pressed together, the stiff peaks grazing each other.

Alex gasped sharply—a choked, breathless sound—her head tilting back against the mattress, eyes pinching shut as a ripple of pleasure shuddered through her. Haley grinned, her thumbs brushing rough, tantalizing circles over the hardened nubs, drawing soft whimpers from Alex’s kiss-swollen lips.

“So sensitive,” she murmured, her voice thick with satisfaction as she watched Alex writhe beneath the touch. The flush deepening across Alex’s chest confirmed her suspicions; her baby sister was drowning in sensation, losing herself to Haley’s hands.

She leaned down slowly, deliberately, her breath ghosting hot across Alex’s damp skin. She hovered just above the left nipple, watching it tighten further under her gaze like a dark pink bud begging for attention.

Alex whimpered again, a soft plea, and Haley finally closed her mouth over the stiffened peak. Her tongue swirled wetly around it, languid and exploratory, savoring the salt-sweet taste of Alex’s skin mingling with vodka sweat. Her entire body jerked beneath her, hips lifting off the mattress as she cried out; a sharp, startled sound muffled by her own trembling hand clapped over her mouth.

Haley sucked harder, rhythmically, pulling the nipple deeper into the heat of her mouth. The answering gasp tore from Alex’s throat, ragged and involuntary, her fingers tangling frantically in Haley’s hair; pulling her closer, not pushing her away.

“Oh God,” she whined, the sound raw and desperate as her fingers knotted deeper into Haley’s hair, pulling her mouth harder against her aching breast.

Her other hand slid down Haley’s spine, palm flattening against the small of her back before gripping the curve of her ass—firm and warm beneath the thin fabric of her leggings. A ragged moan tore from her throat as Haley sucked harder, the wet heat and rhythmic pull on her nipple sending electric shocks straight to her core.

Haley moaned in response, the vibration humming against Alex’s skin as she shifted her weight. Her right hand slid down Alex’s trembling abdomen, past the sharp dip of her navel, over the soft swell of her hip, until her fingers found the cold metal button of Alex’s jeans.

With a quick, practiced flick, she snapped it open. The zipper rasped sharply in the quiet basement, a harsh counterpoint to Alex’s choked gasp. Haley’s fingers slipped inside the denim, brushing against damp lace. The fabric clung hotly to her little sister’s center, slick with undeniable arousal. She pressed her palm flat against it, rubbing slow, firm circles that made Alex’s hips jerk upward off the mattress.

Alex gasped sharply—a ragged, shuddering sound—as her spine arched off the bed, glasses slipping askew. Her head fell back against the pillows, eyes squeezing shut against the onslaught: Haley’s mouth still torturing her nipple with wet, sucking heat; the relentless pressure of Haley’s palm grinding against her panties. Her fingers scrabbled uselessly at rumpled sheets.

"H-Haley, I—" she choked out, voice cracking with panic and pleasure tangled into one breathless plea.

"Shh," Haley murmured against Alex’s damp skin, pulling away from her breast with a soft, wet pop. She trailed slow kisses upward, along the frantic pulse in Alex’s throat, the trembling curve of her jaw, until her lips hovered a breath above Alex’s parted mouth.

The scent of sweat, strawberry gloss, and Alex’s lingering vanilla shampoo thickened the air. Haley stared down, hazel-green eyes locking onto her sister’s dilated pupils behind thick lenses.

Her thumb brushed a stray tear track from Alex’s cheekbone—gentle, almost tender—as she whispered, low and unnervingly steady, "Do you trust me, Alex?"

Her eyelids fluttered open, taking a second to adjust and lock onto her older sister’s big hazel eyes. The intensity in Haley’s gaze pinned her; terrifying and magnetic. Her pulse hammered against Haley’s palm still pressed firmly over her damp panties.

She swallowed thickly, the sound loud in the sudden stillness, and nodded her head. "Y-yeah, but—Ah!"

The words dissolved into a sharp, keening whine as Haley’s fingers shifted, applying deliberate, feather-light strokes against her clit through the soaked lace. Pleasure spiked, white-hot and unexpected, arching her spine off the mattress.

Haley leaned back down, her expression softening momentarily. She kissed Alex softly; a brief, reassuring press of lips that tasted of shared strawberry gloss and desperation.

"Just relax…" she murmured; her lips brushed Alex’s cheekbone, then lingered near her ear. Haley’s breath ghosted warm and intimate against the shell as she whispered, "Focus on how good it feels, okay?" The command was gentle, hypnotic, coaxing Alex away from the frantic whirl of wrong and sister and what have I done.

Alex clenched her eyes shut, trembling fingers curling into tangled sheets. She inhaled deeply—once, twice—the stale basement air thick with dust, sweat, and Haley’s strawberry shampoo grounding her panic. Exhaling slowly, she nodded against the mattress, the frantic drumming in her chest easing fractionally.

Haley hummed low in her throat; a pleased, resonant vibration Alex felt rumble through her own skin, before sealing their lips together again. This kiss was different: deliberate, unhurried, Haley’s mouth moving with feather-light pressure against hers. She teased Alex’s bottom lip with the barest hint of tongue—a fleeting, slick warmth—before retreating, drawing a soft whimper from her sister.

She lingered just an inch away, her lips brushing Alex’s with every shallow breath. “Relax,” she whispered against Alex’s mouth, her thumb tracing idle patterns over the flushed skin beneath Alex’s navel.

Slowly, tentatively, Alex leaned upward, seeking the vanished warmth. Haley rewarded her with another soft kiss, deeper this time, tongue dipping gently to taste Alex’s hesitant response. The coaxing rhythm, soft pressure followed by retreat, drew Alex further from rigidity, her body softening against Haley’s as she chased the fleeting sweetness of her sister’s tongue.

So when Alex whined frustratingly—a small, desperate noise vibrating against Haley’s lips—at the deliberate withdrawal, Haley grinned and dove down, ready to make her baby sister feel amazing.

Her tongue plunged back into Alex’s mouth; hot, slick, and demanding, as she swallowed her sister’s startled gasp, tasting desperation mixed with the ghost of vodka and vanilla shampoo.

Their moans tangled wetly together, Haley’s low and throaty, Alex’s sharp and fractured, as Haley’s free hand slid downward beneath the waistband of Alex’s jeans. Her fingers hooked the damp lace edge of Alex’s underwear and tugged roughly sideways, exposing her slick heat.

Alex cried out sharply, a ragged gasp muffled against Haley’s tongue, as Haley’s middle finger slid smoothly through soaked folds, exploring the swollen tenderness beneath. Her fingers dug into Haley’s bare shoulder blades, nails scraping skin as her tongue surged forward to dominate Haley’s mouth; eager, frantic, tasting strawberry sharper than before. She groaned into the kiss, pushing deeper against Alex’s tongue while her circling fingertip teased Alex’s clit; soft, deliberate strokes that dragged a shuddering sob from her little sister’s chest.

Haley moaned softly, the sound vibrating against Alex's mouth as her fingers slid deeper into the wet heat gathering between her sister's trembling thighs. She traced slick, deliberate circles around Alex's swollen clit; feathering touches that made the teenage girl buck upward with a choked gasp. Her thumb joined the rhythm, pressing firm counterpoint strokes that sent shocks radiating through Alex's core, her cries muffled against Haley's relentless kiss.

She felt Alex unraveling beneath her; the desperate clutch of fingers in her hair, the choked whimpers vibrating against her lips, the frantic arch of Alex's hips grinding against her palm. It wasn't enough. The vodka haze burned hotter, whispering that she needed more—more skin, more heat, more of Alex's trembling surrender pressed completely bare against hers.

Haley broke the kiss sharply, pulling her mouth and hands away in one fluid motion. She pushed herself upright, kneeling between Alex's parted legs, her gaze locking onto her sister's dilated pupils behind fogged glasses. Alex whimpered at the sudden loss of contact—a raw, needy sound—but Haley ignored it, her fingers curling into the waistband of her little sister’s jeans and the damp lace beneath.

The Dunphy siblings froze—Alex pinned beneath Haley’s weight, Haley kneeling bare-chested above her—their gazes locked in a wordless standoff thick as the basement’s stale air.

Haley’s fingers still curled possessively into the damp lace waistband of Alex’s underwear, knuckles brushing the flushed skin beneath her navel. Alex’s breath came in ragged pants, fogging her thick glasses further; she searched Haley’s dilated hazel-green eyes for mockery, cruelty, regret—anything but the unnerving, predatory certainty she found there.

Seconds stretched into eternity beneath the flickering fluorescent bulb, the only sound their shared, shallow breathing; until Alex gave one jerky, almost imperceptible nod against the mattress.

Haley’s answering smirk was razor-sharp in the dimness.

She didn’t hesitate. Her grip tightened instantly, yanking Alex’s jeans and soaked underwear downward in one rough, fluid motion—fabric scraping against damp thighs. Alex gasped, her knees jerking upward instinctively, feet scrabbling awkwardly against tangled sheets. Her heels caught the elastic waistband, kicking wildly as Haley peeled the denim past her ankles, and with one frantic thrash, Alex freed her legs completely. The clothes landed in a damp heap on the concrete floor, forgotten.

Haley froze then, utterly still, her gaze locked on her sister’s naked form beneath her. The stale basement air prickled Alex’s flushed skin. Haley’s eyes traced upward slowly, deliberately: from the sharp jut of Alex’s hipbones, past the dark triangle of curls glistening wetly in the flickering fluorescent light, lingering on the soft swell of Alex’s stomach rising and falling with ragged breaths.

Higher still—over the heaving curve of Alex’s breasts, fuller than Haley’s own, nipples hardened into tight pink peaks—before finally settling on Alex’s face. Fogged glasses obscured wide, panicked brown eyes, but Haley saw the raw vulnerability there anyway.

She’d always dismissed Alex as the bookish sister, hidden beneath oversized sweaters and sarcasm. Now, sprawled bare and trembling, Alex wasn’t just smart. She was… stunning. The realization punched through Haley’s vodka haze; a sharp, sobering ache in her chest. How had she never seen this?

"H-Haley?" Alex whispered after a few moments of awkward silence, her voice cracking like thin ice over dark water. The fluorescent bulb overhead flickered, casting shifting shadows that danced across Haley’s stunned expression and Alex’s bare skin.

Haley blinked, shaking her head slowly as if waking from a dream. Her gaze swept Alex’s body—the flushed skin, trembling thighs, damp curls glistening beneath fluorescent light—before locking onto her sister’s panicked brown eyes behind fogged glasses.

She swallowed hard, throat working visibly, then offered a shaky, reassuring smile. "Sorry," she breathed, her voice raspy but unexpectedly gentle. She reached out, gently pushing Alex’s glasses back into place. "You're just so… wow." Her thumb brushed Alex’s cheekbone, lingering on the tear track. "I didn't realize… how beautiful you are."

Her eyes trailed back down, over the swell of Alex’s breasts, the curve of her hips, before finally landing on her neatly trimmed pubic hair, dark against flushed skin. Haley licked her lips slowly, deliberately, a predatory hunger returning to her hazel-green eyes.

Haley abruptly pushed herself off the bed, landing barefoot on the cold concrete floor. She moved with startling fluidity to the foot of the mattress, her gaze never leaving Alex’s naked form as her fingers hooked into the waistband of her own leggings.

With a sharp tug, she peeled them down her thighs, revealing smooth skin and simple black lace underwear, and kicked them aside. Her thumbs slid beneath the elastic waistband of her panties next, dragging them slowly past her hips, letting them pool around her ankles before she stepped free.

Alex blushed violently; a deep, spreading crimson from her collarbones to her temples, at Haley's compliment. She wasn't used to anyone, let alone her effortlessly beautiful older sister, staring at her like she was something desirable.

Her hands twitched instinctively toward her bare chest, but she forced them flat against the mattress, nails digging into worn cotton sheets. Haley's gaze lingered, hot and deliberate, tracing the curves she usually hid beneath oversized sweaters; it prickled her skin like static electricity, making her thighs tremble. She clenched her jaw, refusing to squirm or cover herself, clinging to the shreds of her dignity even as her breath hitched unevenly.

She watched as Haley stood tall, a slender silhouette against the basement’s cluttered shadows, and began to undress. Her gaze drifted downward, tracing the graceful curve of Haley’s hips, the smooth plane of her belly flickering under the faulty fluorescent light.

Haley’s fingers hooked into the waistband of her black lace underwear, dragging them down long legs with agonizing slowness. Her breath hitched as the fabric pooled around Haley’s ankles, revealing smooth skin and the clean-shaven swell of her mound, pale and taut against the dimness.

A satisfying thrill surged through Alex—sharp and electric—as Haley stepped free, fully bare, her small breasts lifting slightly with each shallow breath.

Even though they'd shared cramped bathrooms and cluttered bedrooms for years, scrambling for bathroom time before school and tossing pajamas onto the same laundry pile, they'd never truly seen each other.

Haley had always registered Alex's sharp intelligence and awkward stance, dismissing her as the perpetually stressed bookworm. Alex, in turn, saw Haley's effortless popularity and confident curves as qualities belonging to a different species entirely; admirable, perhaps, but fundamentally separate from her own hidden anxieties.

The sheer physicality, the raw attraction humming between them now, felt like discovering a hidden room inside their own home; one filled with forbidden, electrifying possibilities neither had dared to imagine.

Alex’s gaze dropped instinctively, drawn magnetically downward past Haley’s collarbone. She stared, transfixed, at Haley’s bare form—the elegant slope of her shoulders, the surprisingly lush swell of her perfectly rounded breasts—far softer than Alex had imagined beneath her tight tops.

Her eyes traced the delicate curve of Haley’s waist, dipping into the subtle indent of her navel where a tiny silver belly button ring glinted coolly beneath the flickering basement light; a secret adornment Alex hadn’t known existed.

Her gaze drifted lower still, over the smooth plane of Haley’s stomach, finally landing on the neat triangle of Haley’s sex; fully smooth, waxed bare, revealing soft pink folds glistening faintly in the dimness. She licked her suddenly dry lips unconsciously, the muscle memory of anxiousness overriding her crumbling composure; the metallic tang of her own nervousness lingered on her tongue.

Alex must have been staring longer than she realized—lost in the startling intimacy of Haley’s bare skin, the unfamiliar gleam of her navel ring, the smoothness between her thighs—because suddenly Haley was there. Not just close, but pressing her down onto the mattress, the weight of her hips settling firmly against Alex’s own.

Haley’s palms framed Alex’s face, fingers tangling in her dark hair as she leaned in, her mouth reclaiming Alex’s in a deep, urgent kiss. There was no hesitation this time, only a raw hunger that surged past the awkward stillness of moments before.

Alex responded instantly, wrapping her arms around Haley’s narrow waist and arching upward, meeting the kiss with equal fervor. The lingering taste of strawberry gloss mixed with vodka and something uniquely Haley, sweat and strawberry shampoo, flooded Alex’s senses as their tongues slid together.

Any guilt, any echo of this is wrong, dissolved like sugar in hot tea. The line was scorched earth now. There was only Haley’s heat, Haley’s skin sliding against hers, and the desperate need coiling tighter in her belly.

Having never engaged in anything past tentative kisses—one stolen without warning by a vacation boy at thirteen, another awkward exchange with a closeted boyfriend who later came out, and one unsettling peck from Luke’s stubble-chinned friend Reuben—Alex felt utterly adrift now.

Haley’s hands slid possessively over her ribs, thumbs grazing the undersides of her breasts, and Alex’s breath hitched. She didn’t know how to touch back, how to reciprocate beyond mimicking Haley’s earlier kisses.

A tremor ran through her thighs as Haley’s knee nudged hers wider, exposing her completely. The only map she had was Haley’s confidence, the assured pressure of her sister’s palms guiding her hips upward.

With a shuddering sigh, she released the tension coiling her spine. Her fingers, trembling slightly, settled on Haley’s hips; the curve surprisingly solid beneath her touch, warm skin over taut muscle.

Haley hummed low and approving against Alex’s lips, the vibration traveling straight down Alex’s spine as her tongue plunged deeper—wet, slick, insistent.

There was no hesitation.

Haley’s hands slid upward, fingers curling possessively around the full swell of her sister’s plump breasts. She squeezed firmly, molding the soft flesh, then tugged gently at the stiffened pink nipples before barely brushing her thumbs in feather-light circles over the hypersensitive peaks.

Alex gasped sharply, her head snapping back against the mattress with a muffled thud. Her glasses slid askew, blurring Haley’s triumphant grin into a smear of victorious hazel green. The sensation was electric; jagged bolts of pleasure radiating from Haley’s thumbs, shooting straight to her pulsing core.

She whimpered, a high, desperate sound muffled against Haley’s mouth. Her spine arched violently off the sheets, her fingers digging deep into the flesh of Haley’s hips, nails surely leaving crescent moons behind as she sought purchase against the onslaught of sensation.

Haley broke the kiss just long enough to trail wet, biting kisses down Alex’s jawline toward the frantic pulse point at her throat. "Such pretty noises," she whispered hoarsely against Alex’s damp skin, her breath hot and ragged. "All for me."

Her thumbs continued their relentless torment; soft circles shifting to firmer presses, then back to teasing brushes that made Alex’s hips buck upward uncontrollably. She smirked, shifting her weight lower, settling her bare hips flush against Alex’s trembling thighs.

The sudden friction sent another gasp tearing from Alex’s lips. Haley’s knee nudged her trembling legs wider apart, settling herself fully against Alex’s slick heat, skin against skin.

Alex cried out at the searing contact—Haley’s smooth pubic mound pressing firmly against her swollen clit—and her hips jerked upward instinctively, seeking more pressure, more friction.

Haley responded with a slow, grinding roll of her own hips, the deliberate drag of skin against Alex’s slick core pulling another choked sob from her sister’s throat. Alex’s hands slid frantically down Haley’s spine, clutching her bare hips tighter, fingers digging bruisingly into flesh as she arched upward harder, meeting Haley’s slow grind with frantic urgency.

Haley’s breath hitched sharply as Alex’s desperate thrusts intensified the delicious friction between them. She pulled her mouth away from Alex’s collarbone with a wet gasp, locking eyes with her sister’s flushed, tear-streaked face behind skewed glasses. The raw need she saw there—unfiltered, almost terrifying—sent a primal jolt through her core. She couldn’t bear another minute without tasting that slick heat Alex was grinding against her thigh.

With a groan torn from deep within her chest, she tore herself away from Alex’s feverish skin. She pushed herself back sharply onto her knees, breaking the intimate press of their hips. Alex whimpered, a raw, devastated sound, her hips lifting off the mattress, seeking vanished contact.

She ignored it, her gaze fixed solely on Alex’s chest, the rapid rise and fall making Alex’s full, sweat-slicked breasts glisten in the flickering fluorescent light. Her hardened nipple, already deep pink from Haley’s earlier attention, stood taut and impossibly tempting.

Haley’s own breath came in shallow pants, her mouth watering with sudden, fierce hunger. Just a few seconds of agonizing stillness stretched between them—Haley kneeling above Alex, Alex trembling beneath her, suspended in anticipation—before Haley lunged downward.

Her lips descended onto Alex’s breast like a starving woman finding sustenance. She didn’t hesitate; her mouth enveloped the stiff peak completely; hot, wet, and demanding. She groaned against Alex’s skin, the vibration traveling deep into Alex’s chest. Then, her tongue moved; a sharp, deliberate flick against the hypersensitive tip, like striking a match on flint.

Alex’s spine snapped upward off the mattress, a raw, guttural cry tearing from her throat; a sound loud enough, Haley knew instantly, to wake the entire house sleeping above them.

Panic flared hot and fast in her chest, cutting through the vodka haze. Her left hand shot upward instinctively, clamping firmly over Alex’s open mouth, silencing the cry abruptly. Her palm pressed hard against Alex’s trembling lips, fingers digging into her cheekbone.

She held her breath, ears straining against the ringing silence, listening desperately for any sign of movement upstairs—a creak of floorboards, a muffled voice—over the frantic drumming of her own heart. Nothing came. Only the erratic hitch of Alex’s breathing against her palm and the relentless flickering of the basement light.

Haley slowly raised her head, breaking contact with Alex’s heated skin. Her gaze locked onto Alex’s wide, dilated pupils behind sweat-fogged glasses. Alex stared back, eyes wide saucers filled with shock, panic, and a raw, desperate need that hadn’t faded in the slightest. Her breath escaped in sharp, shallow bursts through her flared nostrils, whistling faintly against Haley’s fingers still clamped over her mouth.

Beneath Haley’s weight, Alex’s hips jerked upward in tiny, involuntary spasms—a silent plea for friction, for contact, anything—her naked body writhing like a fish gasping on a dock, trapped between Haley’s thighs and the unforgiving mattress.

A high-pitched whimper escaped Alex’s nose, muffled against Haley’s palm, vibrating against her skin. Every muscle in Alex’s slight frame trembled visibly; her shoulders tense, her abdomen twitching, her thighs clenched tight—a portrait of agonized restraint held captive beneath Haley’s grip.

“You gotta be quiet,” Haley hissed, her voice ragged and urgent, her eyes darting nervously towards the basement stairs. The silence upstairs felt fragile, precarious. “We don’t wanna wake up Mom and Dad.”

The warning slammed into Alex’s haze of pleasure like a bucket of ice water. Sisters. The word echoed, sharp and ugly. This wasn’t just experimenting; this was crossing a line scorched deep into every family photo, every shared birthday party, every petty childhood argument.

A sickening wave of guilt threatened to drown her arousal. Was the sheer wrongness of it—the delicious, terrifying taboo—actually fueling the frantic heat pooling between her legs? Or was it just Haley, Haley’s skin, Haley’s scent, Haley’s hands? She squeezed her eyes shut tight, trying to claw through the vodka fog and tangled hormones to find an answer, nails digging into Haley’s forearm still clamped over her mouth.

But then Haley’s thumb slid firmly against Alex’s clit; rough, deliberate, silencing her thoughts with electric pressure. She gasped against Haley’s palm, her hips jerking off the mattress.

Haley lowered her head again, tongue swirling wet heat around Alex’s other nipple as her free hand kneaded the neglected breast greedily. Teeth scraped lightly—sharp, teasing—then lips sealed over pink flesh, sucking hard enough to bruise.

Alex whimpered, muffled and desperate, her fingers clawing Haley’s spine. Haley moved relentlessly: mouth trailing biting kisses down Alex’s trembling belly, tongue tracing the ridge of her hipbone while fingers maintained their cruel, delicious friction between her thighs. The fluorescent light buzzed overhead, casting stark shadows on Haley’s arched back as she devoured inch after inch of sweat-slick skin.

Her lips reached the soft swell beneath Alex’s navel; nipping, sucking, leaving reddened marks that bloomed like secret flowers on pale skin. Alex trembled violently, stifled cries vibrating against Haley’s hand.

Then Haley paused, her breath hot on damp curls, nostrils flaring with the scent of Alex’s arousal; tangy, sweet, utterly intoxicating. Her fingers withdrew abruptly, leaving Alex aching and empty. She shifted lower, settling fully between Alex’s shaking thighs, her knees pressing into the mattress.

Alex felt Haley’s warm breath ghosting over her slick folds. The hand silencing her slid away slowly, Haley’s palm lingering on Alex’s flushed cheek before her fingers tangled possessively in dark pubic hair.

Haley’s gaze locked onto Alex’s—hazy brown eyes wide behind fogged lenses—as she leaned forward, tongue extending deliberately to taste her baby sister for the very first time.

Alex’s knuckles clenched the bedsheet into tight, white-knuckled fists as short, frantic pants escaped her lips. Heat pooled low in her belly; an insistent, electric tingling that intensified with every ragged breath. Haley’s slender fingers trailed upward along the sensitive inner skin of her thighs, leaving goosebumps in their wake.

Without warning, Haley’s hands gripped Alex’s trembling legs firmly, spreading them wider apart on the worn mattress, exposing her completely to the basement’s stale air and Haley’s unwavering gaze.

Alex whimpered, a sharp, involuntary sound that she instantly silenced by biting down hard on her bottom lip. The metallic tang of blood bloomed on her tongue as her big sister’s fingertips brushed through damp curls, then circled her slick, swollen pussy with agonizing lightness.

This was it. The first time anyone else's fingers had ever touched her like this—intimately, deliberately—and the sheer exposure felt terrifyingly profound. She squeezed her eyes shut, unable to bear Haley’s intense scrutiny as those fingertips traced her slick folds, feather-light yet deliberate. Her breath hitched sharply as Haley parted her gently, exposing damp pink flesh glistening under the harsh overhead light.

Alex felt unbearably seen—every freckle, every tremble, every secret crevice laid bare not just to Haley’s gaze but to the cool basement air—and a choked sob escaped her lips before she bit down hard again. The taste of copper flooded her mouth, sharp and grounding against the dizzying intimacy.

Haley hummed softly; a low, appreciative sound vibrating against Alex’s inner thigh, before leaning closer. The warmth of her older sister’s breath ghosted across her slick heat, making every nerve ending scream. Her hips lifted instinctively, a desperate, involuntary plea, and Haley’s thumb pressed firmly against her swollen clit, rubbing slow, deliberate circles that tore a muffled cry from her throat.

It was terrifying, this loss of control, this raw vulnerability laid bare before the sister who’d teased her for years. Yet beneath the terror coiled something electric, a thrill so potent it burned through the fear, because Haley wasn’t mocking her now. Haley’s gaze was hungry, reverent even, as she traced Alex’s trembling wetness.

Alex unconsciously parted her legs wider—an instinctive surrender that terrified her even as thrilling sparks ignited deep in her belly.

Haley was mesmerized, her gaze locked on Alex's trembling form as her index finger traced feather-light patterns over slick folds, barely teasing the tight entrance before skimming upward to circle the swollen bud. She could feel the frantic pulse beneath Alex's skin, see every muscle tensing as her touch ghosted over hypersensitive nerves without granting relief.

Leaning down, Haley pressed soft, open-mouthed kisses just above the neatly trimmed curls, inhaling the sharp scent of arousal mixed with sweat, before trailing her lips slowly along the quivering inner thigh.

Alex jerked violently, a sharp gasp escaping her clenched teeth as Haley’s hot breath washed over untouched skin, leaving damp trails that cooled in the basement’s stale air. The deliberate evasion was torture, each kiss landing agonizingly close to where she needed her most, stoking desperation until her knuckles whitened on the sheets and a choked whine vibrated in her throat.

“H-Haley…” she whimpered, her hips lifting in a silent, desperate plea against her big sister’s tortuously light touch; arching off the mattress, seeking friction, anything to ease the maddening ache between her thighs.

Haley’s thumb circled her clit again—slow, deliberate—only to withdraw just as Alex gasped, leaving her trembling and slick with need.

Haley grinned, predatory and sharp, tracing the soaked folds with her fingertip without entering her. Her muscles clenched tight—unbearably exposed, unbearably empty—her breath escaping in ragged bursts as Haley leaned down to press wet, teasing kisses low on her belly.

The basement lights hummed overhead, casting harsh shadows as Haley lifted her gaze, locking onto Alex’s panic-stricken eyes. Without blinking, Haley kissed her way slowly up Alex’s trembling inner thigh, her lips lingering just below slick, trembling heat, and paused. Her breath, hot and deliberate, ghosted across her baby sister’s clit.

Alex’s eyelids fluttered open—slow, hesitant—meeting Haley’s unwavering stare. The world narrowed to Haley’s dilated pupils, the unspoken dare shimmering between them. Haley’s tongue slid flat against her pussy lips—slow, deliberate—dragging slick wetness upward in one long, possessive stroke. She gasped, sharp and ragged, her fingers twisting the sheets.

Haley maintained eye contact, unblinking, as her tongue circled Alex’s swollen clit, light, teasing flickers alternating with firm pressure, until Alex’s hips jerked involuntarily.

Only then did Haley probe Alex’s tight entrance with the tip of her middle finger, pausing to feel the frantic pulse against her skin. She listened closely to her baby sister’s heavy breathing, each frantic inhale hitching against the basement’s stale air, before sliding the digit inside.

Alex let out a small cry, high-pitched and muffled, before grabbing a pillow beside her and shoving it hard against her face.

Haley moaned softly against Alex’s sex, the buzz vibrating through sensitive flesh as she curled her finger inside Alex’s slick heat. She savored the frantic clench of Alex’s walls around her knuckle and the tangy sweetness coating her tongue. She watched her baby sister writhe, hips bucking and legs trembling, the pillow clutched desperately against flushed cheeks, muffling choked sobs that shook her entire body.

Haley continued sliding her finger in and out—steady, rhythmic thrusts—while flattening her tongue against Alex’s swollen clit. She traced slow circles, applying pressure just shy of painful, as Alex’s thighs spasmed against her ears. The pillow shifted slightly, revealing Alex’s wide, panicked eyes behind fogged lenses, briefly locking with Haley’s gaze, before she buried her face again, fingers clawing at the fabric.

Haley’s tongue pressed harder, faster, no longer teasing, as she hooked her finger upward inside Alex, rubbing against that rough, hidden spot that made Alex arch violently off the mattress. She drank in the muffled cries vibrating through the pillow, the primal desperation twisting Alex’s body beneath her. She lost herself completely: the musky-sweet taste coating her lips, the slick heat gripping her knuckle, the tremors rippling through Alex’s belly. This wasn’t science anymore—this was hunger, raw and possessive—and Haley needed to feel her baby sister shatter.

She withdrew her finger abruptly, slick and glistening, pressing her thumb hard against Alex’s clit instead. Alex’s hips jerked upward, a choked sob tearing from beneath the pillow, before she slid two fingers back inside without warning. The stretch burned, deliciously sharp, forcing a gasp from Alex’s throat.

Haley curled them instantly, pressing deep against that spongy wall, rubbing in tight, relentless circles; the motion deliberate, practiced. Alex’s back arched impossibly higher, her thighs clamping around Haley’s head as she ground down against her mouth. Haley moaned against her, low and guttural, the vibrations tearing another gasp from her sister.

Alex pressed the pillow harder against her face, muffling screams that clawed their way up her throat with each stroke. Haley’s fingers pistoned inside her—rough, demanding—while her tongue flickered against her clit in rapid, merciless swipes.

Pleasure coiled tighter, white-hot and terrifying, snapping nerves like live wires. Tears streamed down her temples, soaking the pillowcase, as she rode Haley’s face with desperate urgency. Her hips slammed down again and again, chasing that blinding peak she’d never reached alone; not in dark bedrooms, not with trembling fingers, not ever.

She ripped the pillow away with a frantic gasp, air burning lungs starved too long, vision swimming with basement light and damp shadows. Her hands moved without thought; no calculations, no hesitation, fingers tangling roughly in Haley’s blonde-streaked hair.

She held her big sister’s head clamped tight against her wet heat, forcing Haley deeper, and slammed her hips upward with reckless abandon. Haley’s muffled groan vibrated straight through her core, igniting wildfire. Her eyes snapped open—wide, frantic—locking instantly with Haley’s intense green-hazel gaze.

Haley stared back, mouth sealed tight over slick skin, tongue still working furiously, fingers curling harder inside Alex’s clenching walls. The sight shattered Alex completely: her big sister’s flushed cheeks smeared with her wetness, eyelashes damp, gaze unwavering and fierce.

Pure, blinding ecstasy detonated, a supernova tearing through spine and belly, ripping a ragged scream from Alex’s throat. Her back arched violently off the mattress, hips grinding uncontrollably against Haley’s mouth as wave after wave of convulsive pleasure seized her muscles.

She couldn't look away from Haley’s focused stare, the raw devotion burning in her sister’s eyes, as she cried out again, trembling uncontrollably.

Warmth flooded Haley’s chin and neck, Alex’s release overflowing, the sticky-sweet scent mingling with basement dust and sweat. She swallowed greedily, her tongue refusing to stop its relentless rhythm, drawing out the violent tremors until Alex collapsed, gasping, against sweat-damp sheets.

Haley squeezed her thighs together tightly, a futile attempt to quell her own building heat, as she withdrew her glistening fingers and plunged her tongue deep inside her slick entrance instead.

A choked moan vibrated against Alex’s sensitive flesh as Haley devoured her little sister’s taste; musky, sweet, and uniquely Alex, her eyes rolling back in pure, primal bliss.

Lost in the rhythm of her tongue thrusting deep, then swirling broad and possessive over swollen folds, Haley barely registered the trembling fingers tugging weakly at her hair, her focus narrowed to the intoxicating rhythm of Alex’s trembling thighs clamping around her ears and the slick sounds filling the humid basement air.

Alex’s voice cracked, a desperate whimper slicing through the heavy silence, "H-Haley, ah—please..." Her hips jerked involuntarily, caught between pushing Haley deeper and pulling away from the overwhelming intensity.

She responded by flattening her tongue hard against Alex’s clit, swirling rough circles while her tongue-tip probed deeper inside, drawing another sharp gasp.

Alex’s nails scraped Haley’s scalp, her voice rising to a panicked pitch, "Haley, t-too much!" The plea dissolved into a ragged sob as Haley’s relentless tongue continued its assault, pressing deep into her core, tasting every shuddering contraction. "S-stop—!"

Haley tore herself away violently; breath ragged, lips slick and glistening, her eyes wide with horrified realization as she scrambled backward on the mattress. She gasped, a sharp inhale that tasted like salt and sweat and sin. Holy shit.

Haley had blown guys, given clumsy handjobs in frat house bathrooms, even gone down on Dylan after too many tequila shots, but she’d never lost herself like that. Never felt this raw, gnawing hunger to devour someone whole.

Alex lay trembling, thighs still spread wide, skin flushed and glistening under the harsh basement light—utterly wrecked.

Haley’s heart hammered against her ribs. Was it the taboo of tasting her baby sister? The forbidden thrill of Alex’s choked whimpers? Or just the slick, musky sweetness clinging to her tongue? She didn’t know. Didn’t care. All she knew was the desperate, clawing need to bury her face between those trembling thighs again. And Alex had to say yes.

Her gaze dragged hungrily up Alex’s body, taking in every devastating detail. Her pussy shone pink and swollen, slick folds glistening against dark hair, legs splayed open in exhausted surrender. Her breasts, fuller than Haley remembered beneath those baggy sweaters, rose and fell rapidly, nipples tight and flushed from Haley’s biting kisses. Dark hair tangled like spilled ink against the wrinkled sheets, her throat marked red where Haley’s teeth had scraped. Her lips were swollen, bruised crimson from kissing, and biting down hard to stay silent.

But it was Alex’s eyes that froze Haley; dazed pupils blown wide behind fogged glasses, eyelids heavy, blinking slowly as if surfacing from deep water. She looked shattered. Used. Haley’s own slickness pulsed between her legs, wet heat soaking her bare thighs, at the sight.

Their eyes locked—Alex’s brown irises wide, confused, still swimming with after-shock—and Haley grinned wolfishly, licking Alex’s taste lingering on her lips.

Alex instantly flushed crimson, a wave of scalding heat flooding her cheeks, throat, all the way down to the tops of her trembling breasts, and jerked her head away, staring fixedly at a dusty cobweb dangling from the ceiling beam.

Haley chuckled low in her throat; a husky, satisfied sound, finding Alex’s sudden shyness unbearably cute, especially after the raw, vocal mess she’d just been.

She pushed herself onto her knees, the mattress springs groaning softly, and roughly wiped her wet mouth across the back of her hand, smearing Alex’s slickness like war paint. She crawled forward deliberately, bare knees sinking into the mattress on either side of Alex’s hips, her damp core hovering just above Alex’s sticky thighs.

Haley reached down, her fingers still slick, and gripped Alex’s chin firmly, thumb pressing into the soft hollow beneath her lower lip. She tilted Alex’s face upward, forcing her sister’s gaze away from the cobwebbed ceiling beam. Alex resisted weakly, her neck muscles tensing, but Haley held fast, her grip unyielding.

Their eyes locked—Haley’s green-hazel sharp, predatory, Alex’s brown pupils still dilated behind fogged lenses—and the basement air crackled with shared shame and simmering heat.

"You know…" Haley's voice was low, rough-edged from exertion, yet threaded with a mischievous warmth that bordered on playful cruelty. The grin spreading across her flushed face was pure wicked delight. She tightened her grip on Alex’s chin, thumb dragging slowly over Alex’s bruised bottom lip. "I wouldn’t mind getting to taste you again sometime."

She leaned in closer, so close Alex could feel Haley’s humid breath ghosting over her damp skin, and deliberately dragged the tip of her tongue along her own upper lip, gathering a stray bead of Alex’s wetness she’d missed. Her eyes drifted shut, a soft sigh escaping her as she savored the lingering tang, her expression one of unmistakable pleasure.

The memory itself seemed to electrify her; Alex watched, frozen, as Haley’s lashes fluttered, her hips shifting slightly above Alex’s thighs, the slick heat of Haley’s own arousal unmistakable now where it brushed against Alex’s skin.

Alex opened her mouth—to protest, to question, to scream—but the words dissolved into a startled gasp as Haley pressed her lips softly against hers. It wasn’t demanding this time; it was slow, deliberate, almost gentle. Haley tasted like salt and sweat and herself, a dizzying combination that sent a jolt straight to Alex’s core.

Without conscious thought, Alex melted into the kiss, her body surrendering faster than her mind could process. A soft sigh escaped her as Haley deepened it, her tongue sweeping possessively into Alex’s mouth, exploring every corner.

The taste of her own arousal on Haley’s tongue; musky, intimate, forbidden, made Alex’s stomach flip violently. The sheer wrongness of it, the visceral thrill of Haley consuming her essence so openly, sent a fresh wave of heat pooling low in her belly.

Haley finally broke the kiss—slowly, reluctantly—leaving Alex’s lips tingling and parted, her breath coming in shallow, shaky gasps. A faint sheen of saliva glistened between them in the dim basement light.

With surprising tenderness, Haley tucked a sweaty strand of Alex’s dark hair behind her ear, her fingertips lingering against the flushed skin of Alex’s temple. She leaned impossibly closer, her warm breath puffing against Alex’s damp ear, her voice a husky whisper that vibrated down Alex’s spine: "Just think about it, okay?"

The implication hung thick in the humid air—the promise of that tongue, those fingers, that devastating intimacy happening again. Alex shuddered, her eyes drifting shut briefly against the overwhelming sensation.

Without waiting for a reply, Haley reached out, her fingers grazing Alex’s cheekbone as she gently slid her fogged-up glasses off her face. She folded the thick black frames neatly, her movements precise despite the tremor in her own hands. She leaned far over Alex’s prone body to place the glasses on the rickety bedside table; her full, flushed breasts swinging perilously close to Alex’s face, brushing lightly against her forehead and nose for a fleeting, electrifying second.

Alex froze, inhaling sharply; the scent of Haley’s sweat, her lingering arousal from grinding against Alex’s thighs, and faint traces of Alex herself still clinging to Haley’s skin filled her nostrils, making her head spin anew. Haley caught Alex’s sharp intake of breath and inwardly chuckled, a low pulse of possessive satisfaction tightening in her own belly.

Alex swallowed thickly, her bruised lips pressed tightly together to trap any treacherous sound. She didn’t trust her own voice; not after the raw, shuddering screams Haley had ripped from her throat just minutes before.

The world still felt liquid, unstable; her thoughts dissolved like sugar in hot tea whenever she tried to grasp them. Instead, she offered a single, jerky nod. It was all she could manage; the explosive orgasm had vaporized her defenses, leaving only a trembling, pliant daze behind.

Haley’s answering smile was soft, almost tender, as she shifted her weight, her damp skin sliding against Alex’s, before curling her body tightly against her sister’s side. She tugged the thin fleece blanket pooled at their feet upward.

Alex instinctively turned her face toward Haley’s warmth as the coarse fabric settled over them both, cocooning their tangled limbs and cooling sweat-slicked skin. Haley’s breath fanned warm against Alex’s temple, slow and deep, her arm draped possessively across her waist, fingers splaying low against the curve of her hipbone.

For several long moments, the silence pulsed louder than any club music. Their eyes were closed, breathing syncopated in the thick air, limbs tangled under the scratchy blanket. Haley’s arm felt like a hot iron across Alex’s waist.

Every tiny shift of Haley’s fingers against her hipbone sent phantom echoes of those relentless fingers plunging deep inside her. The basement smelled overwhelmingly of sweat, cheap laundry detergent, and something else entirely—something darkly sweet and unmistakably sexual, clinging to Haley’s skin and the rumpled sheets.

Alex’s mind raced frantically, replaying flashes: Haley’s slick mouth pressing against her thigh, the sharp sting of teeth on her nipple, the terrifying intimacy of Haley tasting her aftermath.

After contemplating whether or not this would go too far, Alex finally opened her mouth. The words caught in her throat, thick as paste. "Um... Haley?" Her voice emerged scratchy and hesitant, barely audible above Haley's rhythmic breathing.

“Hm?” Haley groggily hummed, her voice thick with sleep. She didn’t open her eyes, just nuzzled deeper into the pillow, her breath warm against Alex’s shoulder.

“You didn’t—I mean‚ I didn’t—I uh‚ I could… you know…” Alex bit her bottom lip until the coppery tang bloomed on her tongue, twisting her face away toward the cracked basement wall. The peeling paint offered no escape from the suffocating intimacy still radiating between their tangled legs under the thin blanket.

How could she articulate the frantic curiosity clawing at her insides; the sudden, terrifying urge to trace the soft dip of Haley’s waistline, to taste the salty sweat pooled in her collarbone, to slide trembling fingers between the slick heat she’d felt pressed against her thigh moments ago? Embarrassment burned hotter than the fading alcohol flush, searing her cheeks crimson as she choked on the unspeakable request.

Haley’s lips twitched violently against Alex’s shoulder blade, a choked snort escaping her nostrils as she fought the sudden, absurd urge to erupt into laughter. The sheer innocence radiating from Alex—her brilliant, sarcastic sister reduced to a stuttering mess over wanting to reciprocate—was unbearably, dangerously adorable.

Haley kept her eyes firmly shut, feigning drowsiness while pressing her forehead into the bony ridge of her sister’s shoulder to stifle the bubbling amusement.

She deliberately softened her voice into a gravelly murmur, thick with faux sleepiness: “S’okay, Alex. If you really wanna when you haven't been drinking... we can talk about it then.” The deliberate pause hung heavy with implication; a teasing promise buried beneath false nonchalance.

Alex swallowed the sudden lump in her throat as she nodded her head slowly. Her gaze remained locked on a suspicious yellow stain blooming across the ceiling tiles.

“O-okay… W-well, I should probably, uh, go to my room…” The words tasted like ash. Every instinct screamed run; away from Haley’s radiating warmth, the scent of their sweat mingled with sex, the terrifying echo of her own choked screams still vibrating in the humid air. Yet her body felt welded to the lumpy mattress, limbs leaden.

Haley sat up sharply on her left elbow, the thin blanket pooling at her waist. The sudden movement made Alex flinch. Haley’s sharp green-hazel eyes scanned Alex’s rigid profile; the flushed cheeks visible even in the basement’s gloom, the way Alex’s jaw clenched tight enough to crack a walnut.

Haley’s voice, when it came, was deceptively light, a practiced casualness layered over something far heavier: “You don’t have to go.” Her fingers brushed Alex’s bare forearm, a fleeting touch that sent electric awareness prickling up Alex’s spine. “What’s wrong with having a sleepover with your big sister?” A knowing smirk played on Haley’s lips. “We used to do it all the time when we were kids.”

Her eyes shot to Haley’s, her blush deepening tenfold, flooding her face and neck with crimson heat. “We lived in the same room,” she stammered, the words tumbling out too fast, too defensive, “all we did was move four feet over to the other bed.”

Her cheeks flared hotter as she realized she was still staring, trapped by Haley’s mesmerizing gaze; intense, unreadable, yet unbearably intimate after what they’d shared. The silence stretched, thick with the musk of sex and shared secrets.

Alex swallowed hard, her voice dropping to a near whisper, thick with bewildered vulnerability: “I uh… think this is a bit different now, don’t you think?” She finally wrenched her gaze away, focusing desperately on the cracked paint of the opposite wall, unable to bear Haley’s penetrating scrutiny any longer.

Haley shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly, utterly unconcerned that the movement fully exposed her bare breasts to her little sister’s wide-eyed stare.

“Like I said before," she murmured, her voice low and smooth as honey, "think of it like a science experiment." Her fingers traced lazy circles on Alex's forearm beneath the blanket, sending shivers rippling through her skin. A slow, deliberate smirk curled Haley’s lips.

"And anyway," she added, her tone shifting to something softer, almost protective, "we’re just bonding." Her fingers slid upwards, grazing the sensitive inner skin of Alex’s elbow before settling possessively back on her waist. "There’s nothing wrong with that." The casual dismissal of the taboo hung thick in the humid air, underscored by Haley’s thumb digging gently into Alex’s hipbone—a claim staked in flesh.

"R-right," Alex stammered, a tiny, involuntary twitch pulling at the corner of her lips—a ghost of her usual sarcasm utterly overwhelmed by dizzying confusion. "Bonding."

The word tasted absurdly inadequate on her tongue, echoing hollowly against the visceral memory of Haley’s teeth scraping her nipple, the slick heat of her tongue circling her clit, the sharp gasp ripped from Alex’s throat as Haley plunged inside her.

Maybe if they didn’t call it what it was‚ they could ignore the fact that this was much more than sisterly bonding.

Incestuous‚ forbidden‚ dangerous.

The words screamed through Alex’s mind like a frantic alarm she couldn’t silence. But before she could even form a coherent protest, Haley dipped down swiftly. Soft, warm lips pressed against Alex’s own; a brief, feather-light kiss devoid of the earlier frenzy, yet terrifyingly intimate in its casualness. It felt shockingly normal, like Haley kissing her cheek goodbye before school years ago.

Alex’s breath hitched violently in her throat, her heart slamming against her ribs like a trapped bird. Then it was over. Haley pulled back, leaving Alex blinking in the dimness, lips tingling, utterly frozen. Had Haley even noticed her stunned stillness? Should she have kissed back? The moment vanished before she could decide, leaving only the phantom pressure and a dizzying rush of confusion.

Are they still experimenting? The frantic question clawed at Alex’s thoughts. Was this terrifying intimacy just a continuation of Haley’s twisted "science project"? Or, infinitely more unnerving, had Haley silently declared this—this kissing, this closeness—a permanent fixture? An all the time thing?

Alex’s stomach lurched, but beneath the panic, a treacherous flutter bloomed in her chest. The thought of Haley’s lips returning, of Haley wanting more, sent a treacherous warmth spreading through her limbs, tightening low in her belly. It was horrifying. It was exhilarating. She had absolutely no idea what any of it meant.

“Goodnight, sis,” Haley murmured, her voice thick with deceptive softness as she sank back onto the pillow. A triumphant grin ghosted across her lips; small, fleeting, but unmistakable, before vanishing beneath a mask of drowsy innocence.

Alex murmured, “Night,” as her head lolled to the side to rest against Haley’s. She closed her eyes with a sigh, a small smile tugging at the corner of her lips; a fragile, fleeting thing born more of exhaustion and lingering sensory shock than contentment.

The cracked ceiling tile blurred above her, its yellow stain morphing into a nebulous shape in her swimming vision. Every inhale filled her nostrils with Haley’s shampoo layered over the sharp, humid musk of their bodies pressed together beneath the thin blanket; a scent that now felt branded onto her skin. The phantom pressure of Haley’s fingers inside her, the slick drag of Haley’s tongue, pulsed anew with each beat of her racing heart, a rhythm syncopated against Haley’s slow, steady breaths.

Haley shifted subtly, draping her arm more heavily across Alex’s waist as if anchoring her in place. Her fingers flexed possessively against the soft curve of Alex’s hipbone, the light scrape of her short nails sending involuntary shivers radiating through Alex’s exhausted frame. Her breath warmed the hollow of Alex’s neck, a steady puff of air that smelled faintly of vodka and something uniquely Haley; a scent Alex suddenly realized she’d known intimately since childhood but could never name until this suffocating moment.

The silence pressed down, thick and alive, amplifying the distant groan of pipes overhead and the frantic drumming of Alex’s pulse in her ears against Haley’s unnerving calm.

No words broke the heavy silence. Alex lay rigid at first, acutely aware of Haley’s arm draped like a weighted chain across her ribs, Haley’s warm breath ghosting against the sensitive skin below her ear.

Every nerve felt frayed, hypersensitive; the scratch of Haley’s nail against her hipbone, the subtle rhythm of Haley’s chest rising and falling against her back. The scent; salt, sweat, sex, and Haley’s strawberry shampoo, hung thickly in the damp basement air, a tangible reminder that coiled low in Alex’s belly despite the echoing panic in her mind.

Slowly, exhaustion won out over adrenaline; Alex’s eyelids grew leaden, her limbs sinking deeper into the mattress’s worn springs. The last sensation she registered before sleep claimed her was Haley’s fingers unconsciously tightening against her waist—a possessive pull.

Chapter Text

Chapter 2

Haley peeled her eyes open to a brutal assault; morning sunlight sliced through the dusty basement window, hitting her retinas like shards of glass. A low groan escaped her cracked lips as she instinctively tried to burrow deeper into the warmth beside her. The movement sent a fresh wave of pain, sharp and insistent, throbbing behind her temples, each pulse synchronized with the dull ache radiating from her jaw.

Ugh, vodka… The phantom taste of cheap salt and sour lime flooded her mouth, triggering a wave of nausea. She yanked the scratchy pillowcase over her face, pressing it hard against her forehead, seeking refuge in the muffled darkness.

But the darkness wasn’t empty. Beneath the pounding rhythm of her headache, images flickered like a malfunctioning projector: the sticky heat of the club, Alex’s hesitant laugh echoing over throbbing bass, the sharp tang of fake IDs pulled from her clutch. Then sharper, hotter flashes: Alex’s flushed cheeks in the dim basement glow, her own fingers tangled in dark hair, the choked gasp Alex made when Haley’s tongue first—Oh God.

Her eyes snapped open wide, suddenly wide awake despite the skull-cracking pain. A sharp gasp escaped her lips, loud in the quiet basement. It wasn’t a dream. She flung the pillow aside, sitting bolt upright. Her gaze instantly flew to the rumpled space beside her. Empty. Only a faint depression in the mattress and the tangled sheets remained.

Cold dread prickled her spine beneath the thin blanket. But denial was impossible. The vivid sensory ghosts were too potent: the lingering musk of sex clinging to the stale air, the faint ache in her jaw muscles from… effort… the phantom feel of Alex’s trembling skin beneath her hands. There was no way her subconscious could conjure something that real, that detailed. She wouldn’t—couldn’t—dream something that twistedly perfect, that terrifyingly perverse.

Haley groaned louder this time, rubbing her temples fiercely. Leave it to me, she thought, bile rising in her throat. Leave it to freaking Haley Dunphy to wake up thinking a sex dream about her sister is too crazy to be real, but actually climbing on top of her, touching her, tasting her… 

She squeezed her eyes shut, pressing the heels of her palms hard against her eyelids until stars burst behind them. That, apparently, was perfectly fucking believable. The sheer, absurd horror of it collided violently with the pulsing hangover. She shook her head sharply, a bitter, humorless laugh escaping her lips. The movement sent another wave of nausea crashing over her, intensifying the throbbing behind her eyes.

Wincing, Haley reached over blindly, her fingers scraping the gritty concrete floor beside the bed until they closed around her phone. The cracked screen glared back, displaying the brutal truth: 1:47 PM. Late afternoon sunlight streamed through the dusty window, painfully bright.

She decided she might as well haul her aching body up and face the terrifying reality she'd created. And more urgently, track down Alex—her sister, her… what exactly were they now?—on a Saturday afternoon following… that.

Haley scrambled out of bed, her movements stiff and clumsy. She winced as her bare feet hit the cold concrete floor, the chill jolting her throbbing head. With hurried, almost frantic motions, she gathered fresh clothes, ignoring the rumpled club attire scattered nearby, and bolted upstairs without glancing back at the basement.

The shower spray scalded her skin, washing away sweat and the phantom scent of Alex’s shampoo, while vigorous toothbrushing erased the taste of vodka and something darker, more intimate.

Toweling off quickly, she pulled on soft leggings and an oversized cream sweater that swallowed her frame, then meticulously blow-dried her hair into loose waves, applying minimal makeup; just enough concealer to hide the shadows under her eyes and a swipe of nude gloss. She stared at her reflection: the practiced casualness didn’t quite mask the flicker of panic behind her hazel-green eyes.

Grabbing two Advil from the medicine cabinet, Haley padded downstairs into the kitchen’s warm, cinnamon-scented air. Claire stood by the counter, phone wedged between her shoulder and ear while jotting notes, her brow furrowed in concentration.

Haley poured orange juice into a tumbler, the acidic tang sharp in her dry mouth, and swallowed the pills with a grimace. She slid onto a barstool, fingers tracing the cool granite as she watched her mother’s animated work call, something about client revisions and deadlines, her own pulse drumming a frantic counter-rhythm to Claire’s calm, professional tone.

A few beats later, Claire hung up with a sigh, scribbled one last note on the calendar, and turned. Her smile softened as she took in Haley’s carefully curated casualness: the oversized sweater, the artfully tousled hair, the understated makeup masking pale skin.

"Hey hon," she began, leaning against the counter, her eyes sharp but kind. "So how’d it go last night? Your sister bolted out of here like her textbooks were on fire this morning; I barely got a word in."

Haley’s gaze slid instinctively toward the fridge, fingers tightening around her tumbler of orange juice. The cold condensation seeped into her palm, grounding her as she forced a breezy shrug.

"Oh, yeah," she murmured, her voice deliberately light, almost sing-song. "I got her to go out with me." She took a quick sip, the acidic tang burning her throat, and kept her eyes fixed firmly on the gleaming refrigerator door handle.

"It was… good." She added a soft hum, a meaningless filler sound: "Mm-hmm", as if confirming something utterly mundane, like the weather. But a treacherous warmth bloomed across her cheekbones, fierce and undeniable. She prayed the loose fall of her hair hid the telltale flush.

Claire’s eyebrows knitted together sharply, forming deep furrows above her shrewd brown eyes. She leaned forward slightly, bracing her palms against the cool granite countertop.

"Well, are ya sure?" she pressed, her voice low and probing. "Because when I asked her if you guys had fun last night,"—she stressed the word—"she wouldn’t look me in the eyes." She mimicked Alex’s posture with unnerving accuracy: head ducked, shoulders hunched inward.

"And then…" Claire paused, her gaze boring into Haley’s averted face, "she stuttered something about needing to go study at the library." A deliberate pause hung heavy in the cinnamon-scented air. "You wouldn’t happen to know anything about that, would you?" The unspoken accusation vibrated beneath her calm tone.

Haley stood abruptly, the barstool scraping loudly against the tile floor. She shoved her hands into the pockets of her soft leggings, forcing a dismissive shrug.

"Ugh, Mom," she scoffed, rolling her eyes dramatically toward the ceiling. "How should I know why Alex is acting dorkier than usual?" Her voice was thick with exaggerated indifference, but her knuckles whitened around her phone as she pulled it out.

The screen flickered to life, revealing three missed calls from Cam; each timestamped within the last hour. Panic flared briefly in her chest before she stamped it down.

"Look," she stated flatly, thumb tapping rapidly on the screen to fire off a quick text. "Sorry, gotta bail. Uncle Cam’s on his way over right now to take me to get my car."

She spun on her heel, already halfway to the front door, hair whipping around her shoulders. The air in the kitchen felt suddenly thick, heavy with Claire’s unspoken suspicion and the lingering scent of cinnamon that now churned Haley’s stomach. Her pulse hammered against her ribs, a frantic counterpoint to the measured click-clack of her own footsteps across the hardwood.

"Okay, but—" Claire’s voice sliced through the strained silence, sharp and sudden.

Haley froze, hand hovering over the doorknob, cold metal biting her palm. She didn’t turn, focusing instead on the whorls in the painted wood. Claire’s tone shifted, edged with a mother’s instinctive alarm.

"Wait." The word landed like a stone. Haley heard the soft scrape of her mother’s slippers on tile as she took a deliberate step closer. "Where is your car, Haley?" The question hung for a heartbeat, pregnant with implications. Before Haley could fabricate an answer, Claire’s voice dropped lower, layered with unmistakable accusation: "And what exactly did you get your sister into last night?"

Haley pivoted slowly, plastering on a casual smirk that felt brittle. She chuckled, a hollow, airy sound bouncing off the hallway walls as she shrugged her shoulders; a studied gesture of nonchalance.

"You told me to take her out to a club," she countered, her voice dripping with defensive lightness, "so that’s what I did." She waved a dismissive hand toward the kitchen. "Don’t worry, Mom, I was totally responsible." The lie tasted sour. "Called Uncle Cam to pick us up like, immediately." She gestured vaguely toward the street. "My car’s perfectly fine. Still parked at Velvet Rope." Her gaze flicked away, landing on a speck of lint clinging to her sweater sleeve. She picked at it intently.

Claire groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose. The sound echoed Haley’s own skull-pounding rhythm. "Haley Gwendolyn Dunphy," she breathed, her voice tight with dawning horror. "Tell me truthfully. Did Alex drink?" Her eyes, sharp as flint, locked onto Haley’s.

Haley forced a careless chuckle, shrugging her shoulder against the heavy weight of Claire’s stare. "Well, maybe a little," she admitted, her voice pitching slightly higher than intended. She waved a dismissive hand, the loose sleeve of her cream sweater flapping like a surrender flag. "But everything is totally, completely fine. Seriously." She injected false brightness into her tone. "In fact, I’m heading out right now to pick her up from the library; she’s probably drowning in nerd fumes."

As if summoned by her desperate plea for escape, a sharp triple-knock echoed through the foyer—rat-a-tat-tat—followed instantly by the metallic scrape of a key turning in the lock.

The heavy oak door swung inward, flooding the dim hallway with midday light and the chaotic energy of Lily Pritchett-Tucker bursting through first, clutching a lopsided papier-mâché pumpkin. Cameron swept in behind her, arms laden with reusable grocery bags, while Mitchell followed, sighing dramatically about parallel parking.

Haley saw the opening immediately. Without acknowledging Claire’s horrified expression, she snatched her keys off the entryway table and slipped sideways through the half-open door, brushing past Lily’s pumpkin and Cam’s grocery bags.

"ThanksUncleCambeinthecar!" she blurted in one breathless rush, already halfway down the front steps before Mitchell could even finish complaining about the Prius’s blind spots.

She practically dove into the passenger seat of Cam’s silver Prius parked at the curb, the cool, leathery scent of air freshener a welcome relief from the kitchen’s cinnamon and accusation. Slamming the door shut muffled Lily’s excited chatter and Claire’s sharp voice calling after her.

Haley slumped low, pulling her oversized sweater sleeve over her palm to wipe away the condensation clinging to the window, blurring the view of her family spilling onto the porch.

Her thumb jabbed at her phone screen, scrolling mindlessly through Instagram—bright, meaningless squares of friends laughing in pumpkin patches—anything to avoid replaying Claire’s probing gaze or the terrifying intimacy of Alex’s trembling skin beneath her touch in the damp basement air.

•••

When Alex had woken up this morning, the first thing she saw was her older sister’s sleeping face. She blinked away the blurry haze, squinting as the dim basement light revealed Haley tangled around her—naked.

Alex froze, her breath catching in her throat. Haley’s left arm lay heavy across her ribs, fingers curled possessively against her bare hipbone. With trembling hands, she had carefully lifted Haley’s arm and slid free, the mattress springs groaning softly beneath her. She perched on the edge of the bed, head buried in her hands, the pounding in her temples syncing with the frantic rhythm of her pulse. A sour taste, vodka and regret, coated her tongue.

She was dizzy, her skull throbbing like a drum solo. Fragments surfaced: sticky club floors, blinding lights, Haley’s sharp laugh ordering another vodka tonic. Nothing coherent beyond the blur of forced intoxication Haley had orchestrated.

Alex wrinkled her nose in disgust at the phantom taste of stale liquor coating her tongue. She blinked hard, rubbing her temples before focusing on the dim surroundings. Her glasses lay folded neatly on the rickety bedside table. She snatched them up, shoving the frames onto her nose; the world snapping into sharp, horrifying clarity.

Discarded fabric littered the concrete floor like confetti after a crime scene. Haley’s silky club top lay crumpled near the laundry hamper, tangled with Alex’s own velvet blouse tossed carelessly toward the door. Her ripped jeans lay inside-out beside Haley’s discarded heels. A jolt of pure adrenaline surged through Alex’s veins, cold and electric, making her fingertips tingle.

Her face erupted into a scalding crimson flush as fragmented memories tore through her vodka-hazed mind: Haley’s sharp intake of breath against her lips in the alley, the bruising grip on her wrist hauling her inside, the unbearable closeness in the darkened basement; Haley’s accusing green-hazel eyes stripping her bare.

Then, worse: Haley stepping forward until their breaths mingled, whispering that damning truth; if you didn’t want to. The horrifying, exhilarating slide into inevitability: tangled limbs, clumsy fingers fumbling with buttons, the consuming shock of Haley’s mouth on her skin—everywhere. Her own choked moan echoed in her skull. The sheer, reckless abandon as Haley’s hands mapped her body, as she arched into Haley’s touch, forgetting sister, forgetting consequence, forgetting everything but the desperate, forbidden release Haley had wrung from her.

As cliché as it sounded: one thing led to another…

Alex had clutched her trembling hands over her mouth, reality detonating in her skull. She scrambled off the mattress edge, heart pounding against her ribs like fists on a locked door, and turned.

The covers had slipped low around Haley’s hips, revealing the smooth plane of her stomach and the soft, full curve of her bare breasts in the dim grey light. Alex’s gaze skittered away, burning, but the image seared itself into her retinas: Haley’s skin flushed, her lips slightly parted.

The teenage girl stood frozen at the foot of the bed, trembling fingers clutching her crumpled blouse. Her mind spun like a crashed hard drive; rebooting, stuttering, failing to process the raw data flooding her senses: the sharp tang of vodka-sweat clinging to sheets, the ache between her thighs, the vivid replay of Haley's mouth hot and demanding on her skin.

Her first time. Those words should have sparked joy, curiosity, maybe even pride. Instead, they curdled into icy horror, poisoned by two inescapable truths: Haley and sister.

Alex had scrambled into last night's clothes with frantic, silent urgency; the velvet blouse inside-out, the ripped jeans catching on trembling ankles, barely glancing at Haley’s sleeping form tangled in rumpled sheets. Each snatched breath tasted like dust and panic, her pulse hammering a frantic drum solo against her ribs.

Flashes of the basement’s oppressive darkness tore through her hangover haze: Haley’s fingers digging into her hips, the sharp gasp against her collarbone, the dizzying rush of finally unraveling beneath skilled hands.

A phantom ache bloomed low in her belly at the memory, sharp and unwelcome, twisting into nausea. Sister. The word echoed like a judge’s gavel. She’d bolted up the basement stairs without looking back, the creak of wood beneath her feet sounding like a betrayal.

Upstairs, she’d locked the bathroom door and cranked the shower spray scalding hot. Steam clouded the mirror instantly, mercifully obscuring her reflection; the flushed cheeks, the swollen lips, the bruise Haley’s mouth had left just below her jawline.

She scrubbed furiously at her skin with harsh soap, trying to erase the phantom feel of Haley’s hands mapping her body, Haley’s tongue tracing the dip of her navel. Water sluiced over her, stinging her eyelids, but couldn’t wash away the visceral memory of Haley’s low moan vibrating against her thigh.

She clenched her teeth until her jaw ached. It shouldn’t feel good to remember. It shouldn’t make heat coil tighter between her legs. It was disgusting, depraved, unforgivable. Her sister. She pressed her forehead against slick tile, shivering despite the heat. Last night had been a catastrophic lapse in judgment; a collision of vodka and loneliness and Haley’s terrifying persistence. It shouldn’t have happened.

She shouldn’t have let it happen.

She shouldn’t have wanted it.

She shouldn’t want more…

It would never happen again. It couldn’t. Not after the scalding water failed to cleanse the phantom press of Haley’s teeth against her hipbone, not after Claire’s shrewd gaze dissected her trembling hands gripping the cereal box; Alex had mumbled something incoherent about cramming for physics before bolting.

Yet every echoing footstep toward the library cemented the lie deeper: the frantic pulse in her throat wasn’t panic, but anticipation. She hated it; the treacherous thrill coiling low in her belly as she recalled Haley’s husky gasp against her ear, the slick slide of fingers she’d never imagined could feel so right. Disgust curdled her spit. She shouldn’t crave the forbidden heat of her sister’s mouth, the addictive friction of skin on sweat-damp skin.

She couldn’t even look her mother in the eyes over breakfast, terrified Claire would somehow see it; the depravity etched onto her skin beneath the oversized hoodie. Every clink of cereal spoon against bowl sounded like an accusation.

Alex had kept her gaze locked on the milk swirling in her cereal bowl, tracing soggy Cheerios like they held the secrets of the universe. If Mom knew… if anyone knew what she’d done—what she’d let Haley do, what she’d begged Haley for in breathless whispers against the locked basement door… Her heart hammered against her ribs, a frantic drumbeat threatening to burst free and splatter her shame across the pristine kitchen tile.

Freak. Haley’s childhood taunt echoed in her pounding skull, sharp as shattered glass. Except now, the silver lining shimmered darkly: Haley wasn’t just calling names anymore. Haley was the freak too. Her perfect, popular older sister had tasted her, touched her, wanted her. The forbidden symmetry of their shared corruption was the only anchor in Alex’s swirling nausea.

After she had stammered that pathetic lie about needing to hit the Physics section, Alex practically threw her cereal bowl into the sink, the clatter echoing like a gunshot in the strained kitchen silence, snatched her book bag off the hook, and fled.

She didn't bother zipping it properly, just shoved her laptop inside and bolted for the front door, her pulse hammering a frantic tattoo against her ribs.

The heavy oak swung open just as she reached it, and she slammed bodily into Phil Dunphy’s chest; a collision of sharp textbook corners and startled "Oof!" His thermos of lukewarm coffee sloshed dangerously, splattering dark droplets onto his "World’s Best Dad" tie.

"Whoa there, speed racer!" Phil chuckled, steadying her shoulders with his free hand. The familiar scent of his cheap aftershave, cloying citrus and pine, clashed violently with the phantom vodka-strawberry taste still lingering on her tongue.

Alex recoiled as if scalded, mumbling a choked "SorryDadgottagobye" before twisting free and stumbling down the porch steps, not daring to look back at Claire’s narrowed eyes drilling holes into her fleeing back.

•••

Now‚ Alex hunched over a physics textbook in the hushed library stacks‚ the sterile scent of aging paper and industrial cleaner doing nothing to scrub the taste of Haley’s lip gloss from her memory.

Equations blurred before her eyes‚ replaced by vivid flashes: Haley hovering above her‚ predatory grace shifting to raw tenderness as her fingers traced patterns Alex had never dared explore.

A phantom ache bloomed low in her belly; sharp‚ unwelcome‚ and devastatingly familiar, as she recalled the slick slide‚ the choked gasp Haley swallowed‚ the impossible feeling of being known beneath her sister’s hungry gaze.

She slammed the textbook shut‚ the sharp crack echoing like a gunshot in the silent aisle‚ earning a furious 'shush!' from a bespectacled student across the room. Concentration was a joke. Haley had hijacked her nervous system‚ wiring every synaptic pathway directly back to the damp basement air and the echo of her own desperate moans.

Her idiot older sister; always dragging her into chaos.

Why the hell couldn't she stop thinking about Haley this morning? The image burned behind her eyelids; the messy spill of brown hair with blonde highlights across rumpled sheets, the soft curve of her bare breasts rising above the blanket’s edge, that unconscious vulnerability twisting something deep in Alex’s chest. It wasn’t the glossy Instagram Haley or the sharp-tongued big sister; it was something raw, undone, beautiful in a way that stole Alex’s breath.

She traced the condensation on her coffee cup, the phantom sensation of Haley’s skin beneath her fingertips ghosting over her own knuckles, a forbidden thrill coiling low in her stomach despite the library’s sterile chill. What terrified her most wasn't the disgust; it was the sharp, undeniable want slicing through her panic, the treacherous craving to crawl back into that warmth and taste the sleep-softened curve of Haley’s mouth again.

Alex shook her head with a harsh groan before dropping her face into the palms of her hands, pressing her thumbs hard against her throbbing temples. The library's fluorescent lights buzzed overhead like angry hornets, but the sound couldn't drown out the relentless replay in her skull: Haley’s teeth scraping her collarbone, the slick friction of her sister’s thigh between hers, the choked gasp Alex had buried in Haley’s neck.

Every remembered sensation; nimble fingers tracing her ribs, the wet heat of Haley’s tongue mapping her inner thigh, flooded her nerves like live wires, leaving her skin hypersensitive and aching beneath her stiff corduroy pants and oversized hoodie. Physics equations dissolved into meaningless scribbles; all she could calculate was the exact pressure-point Haley had found just below her navel that made her legs tremble.

Haley’s voice sliced through the haze, "There you are!", sharp and startlingly close.

Alex gasped, jerking her head up so fast her glasses slipped down her nose. Pain exploded through her skull, a hangover hammer blow syncing with the frantic pulse hammering against her ribs.

Haley stood framed between towering shelves of philosophy texts, haloed by dusty shafts of afternoon light slanting through high windows. She moved with that familiar loose-limbed saunter, the soft swish of her designer jeans echoing unnervingly loud in the silent aisle.

Alex froze, fingers tightening around her pen until the plastic creaked as Haley slid into the chair opposite her.

"You know," Haley began, leaning forward with a conspiratorial whisper that couldn't quite mask the rasp of last night's shouting over techno beats, her breath carrying faint traces of mint and coffee, "I thought you agreed last night you needed to loosen up a bit."

She tapped her sister’s physics textbook with a polished fingernail, the sharp click echoing like the ticking of a detonator. Alex flinched as if burned, the textbook’s cover suddenly feeling obscenely intimate beneath Haley’s lingering touch.

"Studying on a Saturday?" Haley’s grin widened, revealing the dimple Alex had traced with trembling fingertips hours ago. "That’s not very loosey-goosey."

"Loosey…" Alex shook her head sharply, ignoring the spike of pain behind her eyes. Her fingers trembled as she tapped the physics textbook, avoiding Haley’s knowing gaze. "I… I told you l-last night it would be just that once. I’m not flunking out of highschool for some dancing and cheap vodka." Her voice cracked, betraying the rehearsed firmness.

She focused on the textbook's dense equations; torque vectors, angular momentum, anything to anchor herself against the dizzying pull of Haley's proximity, the faint scent of her sister's fruity lotion cutting through the library's antiseptic air, reminding her of tangled sheets and whispered promises.

Haley shrugged her shoulders, her movements deliberately casual as she reached her left hand forward and placed it lightly on Alex’s forearm. Alex stiffened instantly, muscles locking tight beneath her hoodie sleeve, her gaze darting up involuntarily to meet her sister’s. Haley’s smile was soft, almost innocent, as she leaned closer.

"What about the other thing you said?" she murmured, her voice low and intimate despite the surrounding silence.

Alex blinked rapidly behind her glasses, confusion knitting her brows together. She pulled her arm back slightly, but Haley’s fingers tightened, gliding downward until they brushed the back of Alex’s tense hand.

"What are you talking about?" she hissed, her voice strained as Haley traced idle circles over her knuckles.

Haley leaned in closer, her gaze locked on Alex’s parted lips. "You know…" she began, her voice a smoky purr that sent shivers down Alex’s spine.

Her fingers trailed slowly down Alex’s forearm, over the delicate bones of her wrist, until they tangled hesitantly with Alex’s own. Haley smiled faintly at the look of wide-eyed shock on her sister’s face, her thumb stroking the pulse point fluttering like a trapped bird beneath Alex’s skin.

"…I couldn’t get enough of my dessert last night." She licked her lips slowly, deliberately, her eyes darkening as Alex’s gaze followed the wet glide of her tongue. "I told you I wouldn’t mind another taste…" Haley murmured, the words thick with implication.

Alex’s eyes shot back to Haley’s, widening in surprise, before she sat bolt upright in her chair, frantically scanning the library stacks. Her breath hitched as she twisted around, checking behind her, beneath nearby tables; anywhere Claire’s book club friends or Luke’s soccer buddies might be lurking. The physics textbook slid off the table with a dull thud, forgotten.

"Relax, you big baby," Haley hissed, amusement sharpening her whisper as she kicked the fallen book toward Alex’s chair. "No one’s here."

She leaned back, stretching languidly, the movement drawing Alex’s gaze to the faint bruise peeking above her sister’s collar; her bruise. Alex tore her eyes away, heart hammering against her ribs like fists on a locked door. Her fingers flew across her laptop keyboard—save, close, shove—before she snatched her physics textbook and crammed it into her bag. The zipper snarled halfway, but she didn’t care.

Shouldering the strap, she grabbed Haley’s wrist, fingers digging into the soft skin above her pulse point, and hauled her upright. Haley stumbled slightly, a soft laugh escaping her lips, but Alex didn’t pause. All she knew was the desperate need for walls, doors, locks; anything to cage Haley’s reckless words before they spilled into the sterile, judgmental air of the library. Public vulnerability was a grenade Alex refused to let Haley pull the pin on. Not about this. Not ever.

Alex propelled Haley down the narrow library aisle, her grip bruising-tight on her sister’s wrist. Every rustle of paper, every muffled cough behind book-lined shelves sounded like amplified whispers exposing their shame.

Haley drifted beside her, radiating smug satisfaction, her smug grin unseen but palpable; a phantom pressure against Alex’s skin. The cool library air tasted of dust and disinfectant, a cruel mockery failing to cleanse the heat blooming low in Alex’s belly.

Haley’s thumb on her pulse… Haley’s tongue wetting her lips… Haley’s whispered promise… Each memory flashed like a strobe light behind her eyelids; bright, chaotic, impossible to ignore. Her stomach churned, a cocktail of panic and something dangerously close to want. She couldn't deny the slick, aching echo between her thighs; Haley’s fingers had unlocked something primal, terrifyingly addictive. But the gnawing horror anchoring it all; the indelible truth of blood shared, siblings raised, shared Christmases, doused every flicker of desire in icy dread.

Liking girls might be possible, her frantic mind conceded, the admission scalding, but liking Haley? Her sister? Unthinkable. Unforgivable. A line crossed in drunken chaos that sober daylight couldn’t erase, only illuminate in brutal clarity. The sheer wrongness of it crashed over her, a suffocating wave threatening to pull her under. That Haley could dismiss it so casually; a taste, she’d called it, like Alex was some illicit dessert; twisted nausea deeper into Alex’s gut.

It was just… wrong.

No matter what her body told her when Haley’s hip brushed against hers, or the scent of her sweet strawberry perfume wafted thick and tempting toward her, or even—

"Earth to Alex," Haley’s voice cut through the cool November air, sharp as shattered glass.

The teen shook her head violently, snapping out of her spiraling thoughts to find herself standing stupidly beside her sister’s car, fingers white-knuckled around her bag strap. Heat flooded her cheeks as she registered the open passenger door gaping like an accusation.

She swallowed thickly, tasting library dust and shame, before sliding onto the sun-warmed vinyl seat. The worn fabric groaned beneath her as she shoved her backpack between her knees like a shield, fingers fumbling with the buckle's cold metal tongue until it clicked with finality.

Haley glanced over, her fingers tapping an idle rhythm on the steering wheel as she shifted into drive. The engine rumbled to life beneath them, vibrating through the worn seats; a familiar purr that felt jarringly mundane after the basement’s humid silence.

"What were you lost in thought about over there?" Haley murmured, her tone deceptively casual. Her gaze swept over Alex’s flushed profile before returning to the road. That smile, barely there but unmistakable, curved her lips: a knowing grin that crawled under Alex’s skin. It promised secrets Alex hadn’t consented to share. "Looked pretty intense."

Alex stiffened, knuckles paling where they gripped her backpack strap. She jerked her head toward the passenger window, watching suburban lawns blur into streaks of orange and brown.

"Nothing important," she muttered, the lie brittle as dried leaves. Her reflection flickered in the glass; pale, haunted, glasses askew, as she swallowed against the lump in her throat.

Haley snorted softly, drumming her fingers faster on the steering wheel. "Is this your whole plan?" she pressed, voice laden with amused disbelief. "Just ignore what happened last night?" She glanced sideways, taking in Alex’s rigid posture, the flush creeping up her neck like spilled wine. The sight sparked a low thrum of possession deep in Haley’s belly.

"I-I don’t know what you’re talking about," Alex choked out, fingers clawing at her backpack’s nylon straps like lifelines. Her gaze remained locked on the passing mailboxes—red, blue, ordinary—anything to avoid Haley’s devastating smirk.

Haley glanced sideways, taking in the furious scarlet staining Alex’s neck and ears, the way her sister’s knuckles whitened against the dark fabric. The sheer, flustered innocence of it punched through Haley’s lingering hangover haze. A choked laugh burst from her lips.

"So," she drawled, voice dripping with wicked amusement, "you don’t remember me fucking you so good that—"

"Oh my God, Haley!" Alex shrieked, recoiling as if physically struck, her entire body instantly awash in furious crimson; a wave of heat flooding her cheeks, throat, and chest beneath her hoodie. Her hands flew to clamp over her ears, fingers digging into her temples as if trying to physically block out the vulgarity echoing in the confined space of the moving car. "Stop it! Shut up!"

Haley just laughed, low and rich, shaking her head as she kept her eyes lazily on the road. Her fingers tightened possessively on the steering wheel, knuckles white against the worn leather.

"What?" she drawled, her voice dripping with feigned innocence laced with condescension. "It's the truth. Why do you have to be so weird about it?" She shot Alex a sideways glance, her lips curling into that infuriating, knowing smirk.

Alex gaped at her sister, utterly speechless for a moment. Is she serious? The disconnect was staggering. Haley lounged casually behind the wheel, radiating amused confidence, while Alex felt like her skin was about to crackle off her bones from sheer mortification.

"Wh-What!?" The word exploded out of her, high-pitched and shaky. "How am I the one being weird?" She gestured wildly, inadvertently brushing Haley’s thigh with her knuckles and instantly jerking her hand back as if burned. "You're the one hitting on your sister in public!" Her voice cracked on the word 'public'. She pointed wildly towards the library fading behind them. "And—and…"

The sheer ludicrousness hit her like a physical blow; Haley’s casual flirtation in the quiet stacks, the brazen offer to taste her again, the terrifying ease with which she wielded these forbidden words. Alex trailed off, her frantic gaze snapping around the confined space of the car, seeing the mundane suburban streets outside with fresh horror. Her brow furrowed in sudden, sharp realization.

"Wait." Her voice dropped to a whisper, thick with suspicion. "Why did you even come pick me up? I was just going to take the bus home when I was done studying."

"Oh please," Haley scoffed, rolling her eyes dramatically toward the autumn sky. She expertly navigated a turn, one hand draped loosely over the steering wheel, the other tapping rhythmically against her thigh. That infuriating smirk deepened as she glanced sideways. "With the way you were sitting there all spaced out when I walked up?" Her voice dropped to a conspiratorial purr. "Something way better than studying was going through that genius brain of yours. Don't even pretend." Her gaze lingered pointedly on Alex’s flushed neckline.

Alex threw her head back against the sun-warmed vinyl seat with a loud groan, the sound sharp with exasperation and resignation. Her glasses slid slightly askew.

"Fine!" she hissed through clenched teeth, staring defiantly at the cracked ceiling fabric above her. "You win, Haley. I remember." The words tasted bitter and thick. She swallowed hard, fingers digging into her backpack strap as she finally turned her gaze toward her big sister. "Now what?" Her voice tightened, raw with accusation and dread. "You’re just gonna torture me about it for the rest of my life?”

Haley’s smirk softened into something genuinely amused, almost tender, as she glanced sideways. Her fingers gently stroked the steering wheel’s worn leather.

“Oh, Alex,” she murmured, her voice dropping into that low, smoky register Alex now recognized; the one that promised things it shouldn’t. Haley kept her eyes on the road ahead, but her profile was sharp with intent. “That depends…” she breathed out softly, deliberately stretching out the pause until Alex felt it tighten the air inside the car. Haley shifted fluidly in her seat, the fabric of her jeans whispering against the vinyl as she angled her body slightly toward her sister. “…on if you want me to.”

The rest of the ride home was a suffocating silence.

Alex gripped her backpack strap like a lifeline, knuckles bone-white against the nylon. The rhythmic hum of tires on asphalt became a terrifying metronome counting down seconds until Haley’s inevitable smirk returned. Her face burned as if scrubbed raw with steel wool, nerves crackling with phantom echoes of Haley’s fingers tracing her jawline in the dim basement.

Fight or flight screamed through her veins, muscles coiled to bolt from the moving car, yet she remained paralyzed, staring unseeing at passing maple trees shedding fiery leaves. How could she just… say that?

Haley’s casual vulgarity echoed in her skull like a dropped grenade—fucking you so good—each word sharpening the jagged edges of Alex’s panic. Her lungs hitched, shallow breaths scraping her throat raw.

That depends on if you want me to. Haley’s smoky whisper coiled around Alex’s thoughts again, tightening like a noose. She squeezed her eyes shut behind fogged lenses. A treacherous warmth pooled low in her belly, a molten counterpoint to the icy dread frosting her spine.

She’d be lying—was lying—if she denied the craving. The slick memory of Haley’s tongue between her thighs, the bruising grip on her hips, the choked gasp Haley tore from her throat… Her treacherous body screamed yes. But her mind recoiled: Sister. The word detonated behind her eyes; incandescent condemnation. Illegal. Immoral. A violation written in shared DNA and childhood photos tucked in dusty albums upstairs. Yet the fire refused to be extinguished, flickering brighter with every stolen glance at Haley’s hand resting confidently on the gear shift.

Alex choked on air, lungs seizing painfully. Fragmented sensations flooded her—Haley’s teeth scraping her earlobe in the humid dark, the desperate whimper Haley coaxed from her lips, the slick slide of fingers inside—each memory a branding iron on her conscious mind. Her throat tightened impossibly, trapping her denial. Words failed entirely. She could only stare at Haley’s profile; the smug tilt of her chin, the subtle curve of her lips, as if witnessing a stranger behind the wheel of this familiar car. Panic warred with a terrifying, undeniable pull deep in her gut.

Haley’s grin widened, slow and predatory, as she smoothly merged onto the suburban avenue leading home. She didn’t need Alex’s stammered reply; the heated silence screamed volumes louder than any confession. She’d seen Alex flustered before—by condescending professors, by some boy’s clumsy compliment—but this? This frantic energy crackling between them, this raw scarlet flush creeping up Alex’s neck beneath her hoodie collar? It wasn’t panic. It was arousal, tangled hopelessly with guilt. Haley knew the difference. Recognizing it mirrored in her sister, her handiwork, sent a jolt of pure triumph straight to her core.

Confidence, already humming beneath her skin, surged higher, hotter. Alex wasn’t hiding disgust. She was hiding want. And Haley had the scalding evidence etched into every flinch, every stolen glance her sister couldn’t quite suppress.

Haley didn’t press further as the Toyota Corolla slowed before their driveway. Alex’s choked silence spoke volumes; a tangled mess of panic and reluctant want Haley could practically taste.

Fine, she thought, shifting into park with deliberate calm. Let the little genius stew. She’d crack that stubborn shell soon enough. Patience wasn’t Haley’s strong suit, but seeing Alex tremble like a trapped bird? Rushing her would just send her fleeing deeper into her textbooks. No, this needed… finesse. Like coaxing a stray cat closer with slow blinks and tempting morsels. Alex wasn’t some nameless conquest at Velvet Rope; she was fragile, brilliant, and terrified. Haley’s certainty about their shared desire didn’t erase the jagged edges of taboo carving trenches in Alex’s conscience. Scaring her off now would be stupid.

Dial it down, Haley commanded herself, twisting the key to silence the engine. Less teasing smirk, more lingering glance. Less vulgar whispers, more accidental touches. Let Alex think she had control. For now.

For science.

Obviously.

Haley had planned on easing Alex further into conversation once they got home; maybe cornering her gently in the basement, offering lukewarm reassurance laced with temptation.

But as soon as they pushed through the front door, Claire’s sharp voice sliced through the foyer: "Girls! Get your things; we're leaving for Grandpa and Gloria’s in ten minutes for lunch. Phil’s bringing Luke back from practice."

Haley froze mid-step, keys dangling from her fingers, a flicker of irritation tightening her jaw. Lunch? Now? Before she could protest, Alex practically vaulted past her, murmuring a breathless "Good! Okay!" as she bolted for the stairs without meeting Claire’s or Haley’s eyes.

Alex took the steps two at a time, her backpack thumping against her spine. She didn’t stop until she slammed her bedroom door shut behind her, twisting the lock with trembling fingers.

Leaning against the cool wood, she gasped for air, the frantic rhythm of her pulse hammering against her ribs like trapped wings. Finally—blessed silence. No Claire’s probing gaze, no Phil’s oblivious cheerfulness, and crucially, no Haley’s smoldering intensity radiating through the confined space of the car. Here, surrounded by her orderly chaos; textbooks stacked with geometric precision, NASA pennant pinned neatly above her desk, she could breathe.

She slid down the door until she sat crumpled on the rug, pressing her forehead against her knees. The sweet scent of Haley’s strawberry shampoo still clung faintly to her hoodie sleeve; a treacherous reminder.

Footsteps padded softly down the hall outside, stopping directly before her door. Alex froze, breath catching in her throat. Haley’s voice drifted through the wood, low and honeyed—"Alex? You okay?"—but the phrasing wasn’t concern. It was a deliberate echo of last night’s breathless whispers against her skin, loaded with knowing undertones.

Alex squeezed her eyes shut, fingers digging into her corduroy-clad thighs. She stayed silent, counting the frantic thuds of her own heartbeat until the footsteps retreated. The air still thrummed with unspoken tension.

Was Haley right? Alex buried her face deeper into her corduroy knees, the rough fabric scraping her flushed cheeks. Each frantic heartbeat echoed Haley’s whispered promise—fucking you so good—the vulgarity burning brighter than any physics equation.

Her traitorous body remembered too: the slick slide of Haley’s tongue, the bruising grip on her hips, the choked gasp torn from her throat. A shudder wracked her frame, unwanted heat pooling low beneath her zipped jeans.

She squeezed her eyes shut, but the memories flickered relentlessly; Haley’s raw beauty in tangled sheets, the vulnerable curve of her bare shoulder, the possessive weight of her arm anchoring Alex to the mattress.

Science, Haley had said downstairs. Alex choked back a bitter laugh. What experiment measured the corrosive weight of guilt warring with illicit desire?

The silence pressed in, thick with the phantom scent of strawberries and sweat.

"Alex! Haley! Let’s go, we’re leaving!" Claire’s sharp call sliced through the locked door, snapping Alex’s spine rigid.

No more hiding.

She drew a shuddering breath deep into her lungs, the air tasting stale and desperate. With trembling fingers, she hauled herself up, shoulders her worn bookbag like armor.

Downstairs, Claire bustled near the foyer mirror, Phil waved cheerfully from the Toyota Sienna already idling in the driveway, Luke in the back center seat. Haley leaned casually against the banister, radiating deceptive calm; chin tilted, lips curved in that faint, knowing smirk Alex both feared and craved.

Alex kept her gaze fixed firmly on the scuffed hardwood floor, each step echoing her dread. She followed Claire’s hurried silhouette out the door, the brisk November air hitting her overheated skin like a physical shock.

Claire slid efficiently into the front passenger seat, fussing with her seatbelt. Alex hesitated, the open minivan door feeling like a trap. She avoided Haley’s eyes, clambering stiffly into the seat behind Phil. Luke was already crammed into the middle spot of the bench seat, earbuds dangling, scowling at his phone.

Before Alex could exhale in relief, Haley yanked open the door beside her. "Move it, Lukey," Haley commanded, her voice sharp-edged despite the casual nickname.

Luke didn’t look up. "But I always sit in the middle."

Haley leaned in, her perfume—a mix of strawberry shampoo and lingering mint from her toothpaste—washing over Alex.

"Just do it," Haley hissed, a low thread of steel beneath the irritation.

Luke rolled his eyes dramatically. "Ugh, fine," he groaned, unbuckling and shuffling sideways with exaggerated slowness toward the passanger side seat. H

aley flashed a triumphant grin Alex’s way; quick, predatory, before slipping into the vacated spot, her thigh instantly pressing flush against Alex’s in the cramped space.

The sudden, unavoidable heat of Haley’s leg against hers sent a jolt through Alex’s nervous system. She flinched violently, scrambling sideways until her shoulder jammed painfully against the cold plastic door panel. Haley merely shifted closer, reclaiming the lost inch and adding another, her hipbone digging firmly into Alex’s.

"Comfy?" Haley murmured, so low only Alex could hear it beneath Claire’s chatter about Gloria’s cooking and Phil’s cheerful humming.

Alex stared rigidly ahead at the worn headrest of Phil’s seat, her entire right side hyper-aware: the denim-covered pressure against her thigh, the radiating warmth, the terrifyingly familiar scent trapped in the enclosed space. She clutched her hands in her lap, knuckles white, desperately trying to shrink into herself.

Across Haley, Luke shoved his earbuds back in and slumped, oblivious to the static-charged tension crackling invisibly beside him. The minivan pulled away from the curb.

Haley stretched languidly, her left arm draping casually over the top of the bench seat behind Alex’s shoulders; not touching, yet hovering with unnerving proximity. Her fingers drummed a slow, idle rhythm against the synthetic upholstery near Alex’s ear.

Alex held her breath, frozen.

Then, slowly, deliberately, Haley let her arm sink lower. The back of Haley’s knuckles brushed the collar of Alex’s hoodie, feather-light against her exposed nape. The younger Dumphy sister shuddered, a full-body tremor she couldn’t suppress. Haley’s fingertip traced a slow, invisible circle on the sensitive skin just below her hairline; a ghost touch that screamed last night’s explorations.

Alex squeezed her eyes shut behind her glasses, biting her lip hard enough to taste iron. She felt Haley’s soft exhale, a near-silent laugh, warm against her temple. The drumming fingers stopped. Haley’s touch lingered, possessive and deliberate.

Phil hit a pothole. The minivan jolted violently. Haley’s hand slipped from the seatback, landing heavily, and perfectly, on Alex’s thigh. Her fingers instantly curled inward, digging slightly into the denim-covered muscle above Alex’s knee.

Alex gasped, a sharp, involuntary sound lost beneath Luke’s annoyed grunt about his headphones. Haley didn’t pull away. Instead, she turned her head slowly, her hot breath washing over Alex’s cheek.

“Oops,” she breathed, voice thick with faux innocence.

Her thumb began to trace deliberate, circling patterns against Alex’s inner thigh, pushing higher with each rotation, inching toward the forbidden seam of her jeans. Her gaze remained fixed forward, her expression deceptively neutral, but Alex saw the triumphant gleam in her sister’s sidelong glance; the predatory stillness of a cat pinning its prey.

Claire twisted around from the front passenger seat, brow furrowed. “Everything okay back there?” Her sharp eyes scanned the unusually silent trio. “You girls are oddly quiet. Usually, you’d be bickering about Haley’s music choices or Alex hogging the window.” Suspicion hardened her gaze, lingering on Alex’s flushed face and rigid posture, Haley’s unnaturally casual sprawl. “Haley? Alex?” Claire pressed. “What’s going on?”

Phil chuckled obliviously, adjusting the rearview mirror. “Maybe they’re finally appreciating the smooth jazz stylings of Phil Dunphy’s curated road trip playlist?”

Haley’s fingers tightened imperceptibly on Alex’s thigh, a warning pressure, before she smoothly withdrew her hand, flashing Claire a bright, practiced smile.

“Totally fine, Mom!” she chirped, her voice dripping with breezy reassurance. She stretched again, deliberately casual. “Just… growing up, you know? Like you always say we need to.” Her gaze flickered sideways, locking onto Alex’s frozen profile for a fraction of a second; a loaded pause filled with unspoken heat. “We bonded so much last night.”

The emphasis on ‘bonded’ landed like a velvet-wrapped hammer, heavy with innuendo only Alex could decipher. Alex choked on air, her blush deepening to a furious crimson as Haley continued brightly:

“Honestly, Mom, you were right. Alex really needed to… loosen up.”

Claire’s suspicious squint softened marginally, though her eyes lingered on Alex’s burning cheeks. “Hmm. Well, good,” Claire conceded slowly. “Just… keep the volume down next time you’re ‘bonding’ downstairs. We heard… giggling.”

Phil chuckled obliviously. “See? Smooth jazz brings siblings together!”

Ohgodohgodohgod, Alex’s mind screamed silently, the phantom pressure of Haley’s thumb still burning on her inner thigh.

Her sister’s casual lie—“bonded”—echoed with terrifying intimacy, twisting Claire’s momentary approval into something grotesque. She pressed her thighs together so tightly her muscles trembled, focusing on the monotonous drone of Phil’s smooth jazz saxophone bleeding from the speakers.

She counted the passing street signs—Oak, Elm, Maple—anything to anchor herself against the suffocating heat radiating from Haley beside her. Luke remained slumped, oblivious, his earbuds blaring tinny hip-hop Alex could faintly detect over Kenny G.

Haley shifted subtly, her shoulder brushing Alex’s arm—deliberate, possessive—and she flinched, her elbow knocking the cold windowpane with a jarring thud. Haley’s low chuckle, barely audible, vibrated through the shared seat cushion.

Moments later, the Sienna eased into Jay Pritchett’s sprawling driveway, the crunch of gravel beneath tires sounding like salvation to Alex's frayed nerves. She fumbled with her seatbelt clasp, fingers slick with sweat, desperate to escape Haley’s stifling proximity, but Haley’s hand clamped over hers on the buckle, trapping her wrist against the cool plastic.

"Hold up, dork," she murmured, breath hot against Alex’s temple as Phil killed the engine. Alex froze, pulse hammering against Haley’s thumb pressed insistently over her thrumming vein. Haley leaned closer, lips brushing the shell of Alex’s ear as she whispered, "You look… different today."

Alex went rigid, expecting another jarring tease about her oversized hoodie or messy ponytail.

Instead, Haley’s voice softened, unusually genuine, as she added, "Your skin’s all… glowy. Like you slept really deep." Haley’s gaze swept Alex’s face, lingering on her lips, before pulling back with an unnerving intensity. "Almost pretty. Kinda makes me want to mess you up again."

Alex recoiled as if scalded, the seemingly innocent compliment twisting into something predatory and intimate; a stark reminder of dawn-lit sheets and tangled limbs. Haley smirked, releasing her grip as Luke shoved past them both.

Inside Jay's gleaming kitchen, chaos reigned: Gloria clattered pans while shouting rapid-fire Spanish into her phone, Phil wrestled Lily’s sticky fingers away from the guacamole bowl, and Claire scolded Luke for attempting a front-flip off the counter.

Alex hovered near the patio doors, nursing lukewarm soda, every nerve screaming hyper-awareness of Haley; who was perched on a barstool chatting animatedly with Cam about runway trends, legs casually crossed toward Alex.

Manny slid beside her holding two flutes of Gloria’s virgin sangria. "You seem… preoccupied, Alexandra," he observed, offering her a glass with theatrical solemnity. "Your essence radiates inner turmoil. Tell Manny."

Alex stiffened, avoiding his probing stare. Before she could deflect, Haley’s bright laugh sliced through the din, sharp as shattered glass, as Cam gestured flamboyantly toward Alex.

Haley’s gaze pinned hers across the room, slow and deliberate, a single fingertip tracing her own collarbone where last night Alex’s teeth had left faint, hidden marks. Alex’s grip tightened on her soda can, condensation soaking her sleeve.

Manny followed her stare, brow furrowing. "Is something… transpiring between you and Haley?"

Alex jolted as if electrocuted. "What? No! Nothing’s—" She choked, voice cracking. "Everything’s perfectly fine! Haley’s just… being Haley, you know how she’s always staring at people weirdly? Like last Tuesday when she stared at Dad’s golf trophy? Totally normal sisterly staring! And the—the glowy thing? Probably just bad fluorescent lighting in the van! Or residual Halloween candy glow? Or—"

She sucked in air, realizing she was babbling, Manny’s eyebrows climbing toward his hairline. Panic seized her throat.

"Actually, I really need the bathroom. Now." Alex shoved her untouched soda at Manny, sloshing sticky liquid onto his sleeve, and fled toward the hallway powder room.

Inside the cramped, marble-tiled sanctuary, Alex slammed the lock and braced her shaking hands on the cool sink. "Breathe, idiot," she hissed at her reflection; pale face, wide terrified eyes behind smudged glasses, lips bitten raw.

Haley's words echoed: Makes me want to mess you up again. That casual cruelty wrapped in something almost tender was worse than the thigh touch, worse than the lie about bonding. It slithered under her skin, igniting phantom shocks where Haley's fingers had mapped her body hours ago.

What could that mean? Was Haley planning… more? Tonight? Or was it just a twisted game, watching her squirm?

Alex splashed icy water on her face, the shock jolting her thoughts into frantic circles; Haley's predatory grin in the car, Manny's suspicious frown, Claire's oblivious approval of their "bonding."

Everything was not perfectly fine. Nothing was fine. It was a grenade with the pin pulled, rolling across their family's polished kitchen floor.

She pressed her damp forehead against the mirror, fog blooming with each ragged breath. Focus. Physics. Thermodynamics. Entropy; the inevitable decay of ordered systems into chaos. Perfect. Her life. Her body. Haley’s scent seemed trapped in her hoodie now; strawberry shampoo and cloying vanilla perfume, making her stomach lurch.

She needed to get out, now. Hide in Jay’s library. Avoid Haley, avoid Manny, avoid everyone until she could… what? Think? But thinking just brought back images; Haley’s flushed cheeks above her last night, the wet heat between Alex’s own legs…

Stop it. She straightened, wiping streaks from her lenses. Escape. Just get through lunch without vomiting or—

The bathroom lock clicked—sudden, jarring—then rattled violently.

Alex froze, pulse hammering against her ribs. Who—?

Before she could react, the door swung inward hard enough to bang against the tile wall. Haley stood silhouetted against the hallway light, her expression unreadable for a heartbeat before she slipped inside, kicked the door shut, and twisted the lock again; all in one fluid motion.

Too fast. Alex stumbled back until the cold marble counter dug into her spine. Haley crowded forward instantly, one hand shooting out to clamp over Alex’s mouth before a gasp could escape. Her palm was warm and faintly sticky, probably Gloria’s sangria, and smelled like citrus.

"Shhh," Haley breathed, the word a humid puff against Alex’s temple. Her eyes; their hazel-green gone dark, pupils blown, darted over Alex’s face, lingering on her bitten lips. "Jesus, Alex, calm down. You’re breathing like you ran a marathon." Haley’s thumb pressed insistently against Alex’s pulse point beneath her jaw, feeling the frantic flutter there. "Seriously. Stop making noises."

Her voice dropped to a velvet whisper, low and intimate, as her free hand drifted down to settle possessively on Alex’s hipbone; exactly where she’d gripped her the night before.

"Everyone’s gonna hear you hyperventilating out there. Manny’s already suspicious." Haley leaned in until her lips brushed Alex’s ear, her breath hot and deliberate. "Do you want Mom walking in while you’re panting? You look wrecked. Like I just…"

She trailed off, letting the implication hang; thick and suffocating as the steam still clinging to the mirrors. Alex whimpered against Haley’s palm, the sound muffled and desperate.

Haley’s grip tightened, thumb stroking slow circles against the hinge of her jaw, a mockery of comfort, as her eyes locked onto Alex’s, unblinking. "Good girl. Just… hold still."

Haley’s gaze drifted lower, lingering on the flushed skin peeking above Alex’s hoodie collar. Her fingers flexed against Alex’s hip, digging in slightly; a possessive pressure Alex remembered from the club’s dark corner, from Haley’s basement bed.

"You’re sweating," Haley murmured, almost conversational, as her thumb brushed the damp hollow beneath Alex’s jawline. The pad of her finger caught on Alex’s pulse again—thud-thud-thud—and Haley’s lips curved into a slow, knowing smile. "Still freaking out? Or is it… something else?"

Her other hand slid lower, fingertips grazing the waistband of Alex’s jeans; a whisper-light touch that sent jolts of panic and unwelcome heat straight to Alex’s core.

"Bet I know." Haley tilted her head, studying Alex’s wide, terrified eyes. "You feel it too. That… buzz." She leaned closer, her breath ghosting over Alex’s temple. "Like last night. When you couldn’t stop shaking."

Alex whimpered again, high and trapped, against Haley’s palm. The sink’s cold marble pressed painfully into her back, but Haley’s warmth enveloped her, strawberry and sangria and sweat, a suffocating cocoon. Memories crashed over her: Haley’s mouth between her legs, her own choked cries muffled by a pillow.

Haley’s grip tightened, pinning Alex’s jaw. "Shut it," she hissed, urgency sharpening her whisper.

Footsteps clicked past the door outside, Cam’s voice calling Lily, and Haley froze, listening. The moment stretched, Alex’s ragged breaths loud in the sudden silence. Haley’s thumb resumed its slow, maddening circles.

"You think too much," she breathed as the footsteps faded. "Always analyzing." Her palm slid away from Alex’s mouth; slowly, letting Alex gasp, only to trail downward, tracing Alex’s throat. "Relax. I’m not gonna jump you here." Her knuckles brushed the swell of Alex’s breast beneath her hoodie. "Yet."

"Stop," Alex choked out, voice raw and trembling. She shoved weakly at Haley’s shoulder, but Haley didn’t budge. "Haley, you—you’re insane." The word spilled out, a desperate whisper.

Haley blinked, a flicker of surprise crossing her face before her expression smoothed into something softer, almost apologetic. She stepped back abruptly, one sharp click of her boots on tile, creating a sliver of space between them. Alex sucked in cold air, the sudden distance a shock. Haley held up her hands, palms out.

"Okay. Okay, Alex." Her voice dropped, losing that predatory edge. "I’m not gonna do anything you don’t want." Her gaze locked onto Alex’s, serious now. "Promise." She gestured at the locked door. "But you need to chill the fuck out. Seriously."

Haley leaned in again, but only to whisper urgently, "Manny was staring. Mom’s already suspicious. If you keep freaking out like this… someone’s gonna walk in here and find you looking like I did jump you." She paused, letting the implication sink in. "And then how do you explain that, Einstein?"

Haley’s hand moved, slowly this time, toward Alex’s face. Alex flinched violently. Instead of grabbing her mouth, Haley gently brushed a damp strand of hair off Alex’s cheek. Her fingers lingered, tracing the shell of Alex’s ear; a touch too intimate, too familiar. Alex shuddered, the gesture confusing her defenses. Haley sighed.

"Look," she murmured, softer still. "I just… wanted to talk. Privately." Her thumb traced Alex’s jawline; light, coaxing. "About last night." Her sister froze, every muscle tense. Haley’s eyes searched hers; not predatory now, but searching. "Did you… regret it?" Her voice cracked slightly; a chink in Haley’s armor. "Really?"

Alex’s breath hitched. The bathroom’s porcelain felt icy against her palms. Haley’s gaze held hers; open, almost vulnerable, making the denial catch in Alex’s throat. Before she could form words, Haley leaned closer; slowly, telegraphing every movement, and pressed her lips to Alex’s forehead. A brief, smoldering kiss.

"Because I didn’t," Haley whispered against her skin. Her breath warmed Alex’s temple. "You were…" she paused, swallowing audibly. "Beautiful." She drew back just enough to watch Alex’s reaction; eyes wide, pupils darkening. Her thumb resumed its gentle stroke along Alex’s jaw. "Scared me how much I wanted it." She laughed softly; bitter and low. "Still do."

Alex jerked her head away. "That’s—that’s not—" she stammered, voice cracking. Her glasses slid askew. She shoved them up clumsily. "I’m not gay." The word hissed out—too loud.

Haley’s eyes narrowed.

Alex backtracked frantically, babbling. "I mean, experimentation doesn’t mean anything! Like—like Dad’s college roommate! Or Manny’s Shakespeare phase! Or Uncle Mitch’s synchronized skating!" She flinched at Haley’s deepening frown. "It’s just… hormones! Curiosity! Everyone experiments! It doesn’t define—"

Haley’s hand clamped over her mouth again; gentler this time, fingertips trembling against Alex’s cheek.

"Shhh," Haley breathed, pressing her forehead against Alex’s temple. Her voice dropped to a jagged whisper. "Not so loud. Lily’s right outside." She felt Alex’s gasp against her palm; hot and frantic. She pulled back slightly.

Her thumb traced the curve of Alex’s lower lip; slowly, possessively, before she finally released her. Alex sagged against the sink, gulping air. Haley watched her, expression twisting between irritation and something softer.

"Alright. Fine," she murmured. "You’re not gay. You’re just… ‘curious’. Whatever." She paused, eyes roaming Alex’s flushed face. "But last night; you wanted it. Badly." Her knuckles brushed Alex’s jawline; a fleeting touch. "Admit that."

Alex gulped, the motion sharp and painful in her dry throat. "I was drunk," she whispered, voice frayed at the edges. "Not in my right mind." The words tasted like ash; a flimsy shield against Haley’s knowing stare. She couldn’t meet her sister’s eyes, focusing instead on a hairline crack in the tile grout beneath Haley’s boot. "It was the vodka, the stupid club lights… I didn’t know what I was doing."

Her hands trembled as she adjusted her glasses, the lie thick and clumsy on her tongue. She remembered it too clearly; the deliberate way she’d pulled Haley closer in the basement, the gasp when Haley’s fingers first slipped under her waistband. Drunk, yes, but achingly aware.

Haley’s lips flattened into a bitter line. "Fine," she clipped out, the word brittle as ice. "If that’s what you need to tell yourself."

She straightened, her posture snapping back to its usual effortless cool, the vulnerability vanishing like steam. Her eyes, hard and assessing, swept over Alex one last time; lingering on the flush still staining Alex’s neck, the dampness clinging to her lashes.

"Just make sure you act… normal." She stressed the word, her gaze sharpening. "In front of Mom. Manny. Anyone." Her knuckle tapped Alex’s collarbone; a quick, stinging point of contact. "Stop jumping like I’ve got taser hands. And for god’s sake, quit blushing every time I breathe near you." She spun on her heel, her boots clicking sharply against the tile toward the door.

The lock snicked open, the sound startlingly loud in the sudden silence. Haley didn’t look back. She yanked the door wide, the sudden flood of hallway light making Alex squint behind her glasses. Lily’s high-pitched laugh echoed nearby, mingled with Cam’s theatrical sigh.

Haley paused just beyond the threshold, silhouetted for a heartbeat; long brown and blonde hair catching the light, shoulders set with deliberate ease. Then, without a backward glance, she melted into the cheerful chaos of Jay’s living room, her laugh ringing out; bright, false, and perfectly calibrated to blend in.

The door swung slowly shut behind her, leaving Alex alone with the lingering scent of sangria and Haley’s strawberry shampoo, and the cold porcelain biting into her palms.

The rest of the day stretched ahead like a minefield.

Alex lingered in the powder room for several minutes longer, scrubbing her face with cold water until the flush receded and her glasses fogged.

She avoided Haley’s gaze during lunch, a chaotic buffet of Gloria’s spicy empanadas and Claire’s skeptical glances, focusing instead on Luke’s enthusiastic recounting of a prank involving Manny’s fedora and a garden hose.

Haley, meanwhile, chattered brightly with Lily about princess costumes, her fingers casually brushing Alex’s arm as she passed the sangria pitcher—a touch Alex endured with rigid stillness, nausea churning beneath Gloria’s fiery seasoning.

Later, trapped beside Haley in the minivan’s sticky backseat during the drive home, Alex pressed herself against the window. Haley’s knee bumped hers deliberately with each bump in the road. Claire’s voice crackled over the radio, discussing weekend grocery lists, while Haley hummed along, low and throaty, the melody from last night’s club pulsing faintly beneath her breath.

Alex stared fixedly at passing streetlights, counting them like equations: forty-seven… forty-eight… Each flicker echoed Haley’s whispered "mess you up again" in the backseat earlier. Luke snored softly beside her, oblivious.

Back home, Alex bolted upstairs, locking her bedroom door with trembling hands. She ripped off her hoodie, still faintly smelling of Haley’s shampoo, and flung it across the room. In her desk mirror, her reflection looked fractured: flushed cheeks, bitten lips, brown eyes wide with panic. She traced the spot on her jaw Haley had touched; a phantom burn.

Downstairs, Haley’s laughter drifted up—bright, effortless—as she chatted with Claire about Gavin Sinclair’s ridiculous demands. "He wanted me to find peacock feathers by Tuesday!" 

Alex flinched at the familiarity in Haley’s tone, the ease she’d never directed at her. A floorboard creaked outside her door. She froze, breath hitching; but it was Luke’s clumsy footsteps thudding past. Relief tasted sour.

Evening shadows deepened across Alex's bookshelf-strewn walls, but the trigonometry textbook lay untouched. Her fingers trembled against her desk's edge; not with academic stress, but with the phantom memory of Haley's thumb tracing her lower lip. The worn velvet of her desk chair felt unnervingly similar to Haley’s basement couch.

Focus, she hissed inwardly, glaring at an equation about angular momentum. Momentum; Haley’s thigh pressing hers in the minivan, relentless and deliberate.

A soft knock shattered the silence. Alex froze. Before she could respond, Haley slipped inside, no invitation, leaning casually against the closed door. Her eyes, sharp and assessing, scanned Alex’s untouched homework.

"Still hiding?" she murmured, a lazy smirk playing on her lips. She pushed off the door, crossing the room with predatory grace, stopping inches from Alex’s chair. The scent of strawberry shampoo flooded Alex’s senses. Her fingertip tapped Alex’s untouched calculus notebook. "How’s the nerdery going?"

Alex recoiled, chair legs scraping loudly. "Get out." The command rasped out, weaker than intended.

Haley merely chuckled, low and knowing. She leaned down, bracing her palms on the desk’s edge, caging Alex in. Her breath warmed Alex’s ear. "Still denying it?" she whispered, her voice velvet menace.

Alex flinched as Haley’s knee nudged between hers beneath the desk—insistent, claiming. She remembered that exact pressure from the club, guiding her hips.

"Admit it," Haley breathed, lips brushing Alex’s temple. "You liked how I touched you." Her hand slid slowly, deliberately, over Alex’s clenched thigh, thumb tracing the seam of her jeans where skin met denim. Alex’s gasp hitched. Haley’s fingers tightened possessively. "You’re shaking," she observed, triumph lacing her tone. "Just like last—"

A sudden thud echoed from the hallway; Luke’s muffled shout about confiscated Xbox controllers. Haley froze mid-sentence, her predatory focus snapping toward the door. Alex seized the distraction, shoving Haley backward with both hands. Haley stumbled against the bookshelf, dislodging a physics trophy that clattered to the floor.

Alex scrambled upright, chest heaving. "Get. Out!" she hissed, pointing a trembling finger at the door.

Haley straightened slowly, rubbing her hip where Alex had pushed her. Her eyes narrowed; not angry, but calculating. She studied Alex’s flushed face, the rapid rise and fall of her chest visible beneath her thin t-shirt.

A slow, dangerous smile curled Haley’s lips. "Fine," she murmured, smoothing her shirt. She stepped over the fallen trophy without glancing down. At the door, she paused, hand on the knob. "Sweet dreams, Al," she said softly. The nickname dripped with intimacy.

Then she was gone, leaving the scent of strawberries and the memory of heat against Alex’s thigh.

Alex’s dreams that night were anything but sweet; a feverish replay of Haley’s hands and the clatter of that trophy hitting the floor, jolting her awake at dawn soaked in cold sweat.

She dragged herself to the shower, scrubbing her skin raw as if she could erase Haley’s phantom touch; the strawberry scent clinging stubbornly to her memory.

Downstairs, Claire’s cheerful humming grated against Alex’s frayed nerves; she choked down toast, avoiding Haley’s knowing smirk across the table.

Haley’s foot brushed hers beneath the breakfast nook; a deliberate, lingering pressure that made Alex flinch violently, sloshing orange juice onto her calculus notes. Claire frowned, but Haley merely laughed, tossing Alex a napkin with feigned innocence.

"Jumpy much?" she chirped, her eyes glinting with predatory amusement. She rose smoothly, stretching with feline grace before sidling behind Alex’s chair. Her fingers trailed lightly, possessively, across Alex’s shoulders as she passed, pausing to tuck a stray strand of dark hair behind her little sister’s ear.

Alex froze, the memory of those fingers tangled in her hair last night flooding her senses. Haley’s touch lingered a heartbeat too long, her thumb brushing Alex’s flushed earlobe.

"Relax," Haley murmured, warm breath ghosting Alex’s skin. "It’s just me." She sauntered toward the sink, rinsing her juice glass with deliberate nonchalance. Her gaze slid sideways, locking onto Alex’s tense frame; a hunter savoring her quarry’s unease.

Then, turning to Claire wiping down the counter, Haley flashed her brightest smile. "Heading out, Mom! Gavin needs me to source those peacock feathers by noon," she announced, rolling her eyes theatrically. "Honestly, who does he think I am, David Attenborough?"

Claire chuckled, waving her off. Haley grabbed her denim jacket, shrugging it on slowly, her eyes still pinned on Alex.

"Try not to stress too hard over those equations, Al," she added, voice dripping false sweetness. "Wouldn’t want you to… tense up again." The double entendre hung heavy as she slipped out the door, her laughter echoing back like a challenge.

Alex bolted upstairs, the slam of her bedroom door echoing through the house. She paced, five steps to the bed, five steps back, counting each pass like a metronome to drown out Haley’s voice. Her thigh throbbed where Haley’s knee had pressed; the desk chair’s velvet mocked her with its memory.

She snatched her physics textbook, slamming it open. Angular momentum. Haley’s hand sliding over her hip. Force vectors. Haley’s thumb tracing her earlobe. She hurled the book against the wall, pages fluttering like wounded birds.

Breathing hard, she stared at the chaos; shattered equations mirroring her mind. Slowly, she knelt to gather the scattered papers, fingers trembling.

How could Haley be so normal after everything? She stood, pressing her forehead against the cool windowpane, watching Haley stride down the driveway towards her car; sunlight catching the blonde streaks in her hair. Her older sister moved with that infuriating, effortless sway Alex could never mimic, keys jingling as she unlocked the car door without a backward glance.

As Haley’s car disappeared around the corner, Alex finally exhaled, the tension leaching from her shoulders only to pool cold and heavy in her stomach. Claire’s cheerful humming drifted up from the kitchen, oblivious; a soundtrack to Alex’s unraveling.

Was her sister truly unbothered, or just meticulously maintaining appearances?

Haley’s car vanished around the bend, yet Alex remained plastered against the window, tracing the lingering cloud of exhaust fumes with a fingertip. The cool glass did little to soothe the heat prickling beneath her skin where Haley’s touch still lingered; phantom fingertips branding her shoulder, her thigh, the delicate shell of her ear.

Alex shuddered, pressing harder until the pane fogged with her breath. Claire’s distant off-key humming rasped against her nerves like sandpaper. Normalcy felt like a suffocating costume she hadn’t consented to wear.

She needed to think. Really think about things.

Alex shoved herself away from the window, the abrupt motion sending a stray pencil rolling off her desk. She sank onto the edge of her unmade bed, the mattress springs groaning under her weight, then flopped backward, the pillow swallowing her head with a soft whumpf.

Staring at the familiar constellations of glow-in-the-dark stars plastered on her ceiling, remnants of a childhood Haley had long mocked, Alex exhaled deeply.

Boys. Every interaction felt like navigating a minefield in clown shoes. She’d liked boys in the past, but each encounter had dissolved into awkward pauses, misunderstood signals, or the crushing realization that her awkwardness scared them off. Comparison was easier: Haley’s effortless charm, the curve of a stranger's smile in the library, the soft focus in those romance novels she secretly devoured. Girls were... aesthetically captivating. Elegant, intimidatingly put-together, beautiful in ways Alex felt she’d never achieve. Admiration, yes. Acknowledging attraction? That felt like trespassing.

But that night... Haley’s fingers inside her weren’t admiration. The sharp gasp Haley had swallowed wasn’t aesthetics. Alex squeezed her eyes shut, instantly regretting it as the memory flooded back; Haley’s low murmur against her ear, the slick slide of her own wetness against Haley’s thigh, the desperate arch of her back.

Alcohol had loosened the restraints, blurred the boundaries. But now? Sober, shaken, the ache between her legs felt brutally honest. Haley’s lingering touches weren't drunken accidents. They were deliberate, targeted, echoing the possessive grip Haley had used to guide her hips last night.

Alex ran a hand over her face, fingers catching on her thick glasses. For science, Haley had whispered, breath hot against Alex’s neck just before she’d sunk lower. Experiment. The words felt cheap now, a flimsy shield for something undeniable.

Maybe... maybe she owed it to herself—and to Haley’s terrifying persistence—to stop hiding behind panic and denial. To just... listen.

She trusted Haley. Against every screaming instinct, she did. Haley had checked in last night, whispering rough assurances against Alex’s skin: Focus on how good it feels, okay? Haley hadn’t forced anything; had stopped instantly when Alex had said told her to. And today, pinned in the powder room, Haley had promised not to push without consent. Just don’t lie to yourself, Haley had hissed, eyes blazing. Haley wanted honesty. Brutal, messy, terrifying honesty.

But why? What did Haley, effortlessly gorgeous, perpetually desired Haley, get from this? She could snap her fingers and have anyone—boys, probably girls too—lining up. Dylan drifted in and out of Haley’s orbit like a ghost; were they together now? On another one of their perpetual breaks? Was Haley sleeping with him between... this?

Alex’s stomach churned. Haley didn’t need Alex’s awkward fumblings. Did Haley crave power? Control? The thrill of the forbidden? Or... something else? Something Alex couldn't name?

The questions multiplied, tangled knots tightening in Alex’s chest. Haley wanted something; that relentless pursuit proved it. Sex? Clearly. But last night wasn't just frantic touching. Haley had murmured You’re so beautiful. Possessive? Tender? Was Haley seeking dates? Sneaking out for coffee like some twisted romance? Or cold, detached hookups in the basement?

Alex pictured Haley laughing with Dylan downtown, then cornering her later; Alex’s shyness a perverse aphrodisiac. Worse: what if their mom walked in? The image slammed into Alex: Haley’s hand vanishing beneath her shirt, Claire’s horrified gasp echoing in the sudden silence, freezing her breath. Expulsion? Disgrace? Haley would survive, shrugging it off as a wild phase. Alex... Alex would shatter.

She rolled onto her stomach, pressing her face into the pillow still faintly smelling of her own vanilla shampoo. Choice loomed: ignore Haley, hope it faded. Impossible. Haley wouldn’t retreat; Alex knew her sister’s stubbornness like she knew physics theorems—unyielding. Or... lean into this terrifying pull. Explore.

For science, Haley’s voice mocked. Alex clenched the pillow tighter. What if she liked it? What if Haley’s confidence unlocked some buried part of her? The thought shimmered—exhilarating, forbidden—then sputtered. What if Haley got bored? Cast Alex aside? The ache intensified. Trust Haley? Or trust the panic screaming run?

She pushed herself up abruptly, legs dangling off the bed. Her reflection in the dusty vanity mirror stared back: flushed cheeks, messy hair, eyes wide behind smudged glasses. A stranger gazed back; a girl who’d been unraveled, remade overnight.

She touched her lips; Haley’s kiss hadn’t been gentle curiosity. It had been claiming. Possessive. Did Alex crave that? The question hung heavy. She traced the swell of her own breast beneath her worn T-shirt; Haley’s hands had explored there too.

Heat bloomed, unexpected and undeniable. Not admiration. Arousal. Raw and confusing. Was it Haley? Or the touch itself? Was attraction gender-blind? Or was she just desperately lonely? She dropped her hand, fingers curling into a fist. Labels felt like prison bars. Lesbian? Bi? Straight? Confused? She had no idea. And she didn’t know if she should really try to figure out this way… tangled in sheets with her older sister.

Throughout the rest of the day, Alex noticed Haley hadn’t texted once; no mocking emojis, no suggestive gifs, not even a mundane question about laundry. The silence felt heavier than Haley’s knee between her legs yesterday.

Dinner arrived as a solitary ritual: Claire chirped about Jay’s barbecue plans while Alex shoveled a lukewarm microwave burrito into her mouth, claiming "equilibrium calculations" demanded isolation.

Upstairs, Newton’s laws blurred into Haley’s breath on her neck, Schrödinger’s equations dissolved into the memory of Haley’s fingers inside her.

By 9 PM, Alex slammed her calculus book shut, the thud echoing her frustration. Pent-up energy hummed beneath her skin, a live wire strung taut from collarbone to thighs.

She grabbed the softest pajamas she owned, thin cotton with fading constellations, before retreating to the bathroom. Locking the door felt insufficient; she wedged a towel against the crack like a barricade.

Steam quickly fogged the mirrors as hot water sluiced over her shoulders, carrying the phantom scent of Haley’s strawberry shampoo. Alex’s hands trembled as she traced the soapy path down her stomach.

Just focus on how it feels, Haley’s voice echoed, roughened by memory. That night had unlocked something; a floodgate of sensation she couldn’t reseal. She’d tried before, fumbling in darkness, always hitting a wall of clinical detachment or sharp embarrassment. But Haley’s persistence had shown her the shape of release: the coiled tension, the sharp gasp trapped in her throat, the shuddering collapse. Alex leaned back against the slick tiles, water pounding her chest as tentative fingertips brushed lower.

Her eyelids fluttered shut; instantly conjuring Haley’s possessive grip guiding her hips, the deliberate drag of Haley’s thumb over her clit. Breath hitched.

Experiment, Haley had murmured.

So Alex did. One finger circled cautiously, mimicking Haley’s practiced rhythm. Too light. Too hesitant. Nothing. She pressed harder, knuckles whitening. Frustration bubbled; dry, pointless friction.

Then she remembered Haley’s patience: the slow build, the teasing pauses that made Alex writhe. She gentled her touch, imagining Haley’s breath hot on her neck, her thigh pressing firm between Alex’s legs. A spark ignited—tiny, electric. Alex moaned, biting her lip.

She added a second finger, shallow at first, picturing Haley’s low laugh against her ear: Deeper, Alex. She obeyed. Pressure bloomed, molten and demanding. Haley’s phantom hands guided hers—faster, deeper—until Alex arched off the tiles, water sluicing down her trembling thighs as sensation coiled tight, tighter…

She was so close; that coiled spring tightening low in her belly, muscles trembling as she leaned heavily against the shower wall, steam thick like a shroud. Images flashed behind her eyelids: Haley’s hips grinding into hers in the basement darkness, Haley’s teeth scraping her collarbone, Haley’s commanding whisper: Let go.

Alex’s fingers moved faster, rougher, plunging deeper as she chased the ghost of that release. Her breath came in ragged gasps, lost in the drumming water. Almost... almost... but the peak vanished like smoke, leaving her stranded on the trembling edge. Her hand stilled abruptly.

Frustration surged—hot, acidic—and she slammed her fist against the wet tile with a dull thud. A choked groan escaped her, raw and tinged with helpless anger.

Alone, she couldn’t replicate Haley’s knowing touch, couldn't unlock what Haley had effortlessly shown her.

•••

After Haley had left the house this morning, she spent hours running Gavin Sinclair’s ridiculous errands; picking up dry cleaning that reeked of expensive cologne, hunting down vegan pastries for his temperamental Chihuahua, all while wrestling with how to approach Alex without triggering another panic-spiral.

The answer crystallized halfway through sorting mismatched fabric swatches in Gavin’s cluttered studio: Back off. Her dorky little sister needed space to dissect things under a microscope; to categorize every sensation, label every emotion. Maybe if Haley vanished completely today, Alex’s analytical brain would circle back to her.

So Haley silenced her phone, ignored every impulse to text Alex a winking emoji or a teasing "Still thinking about me?" and deliberately stayed away from the Dunphy house until long after dinner.

She even killed time catching a cheesy rom-com with Jenna and Chloe; friends from her brief college days, their laughter too loud in the dim theater, their gossip about frat parties feeling like relics from another life.

Halfway through the movie’s predictable proposal scene, Haley’s phone buzzed. Dylan’s name flashed on the screen: Miss u. Wanna try again? Dinner tomorrow? 

The familiar pull tugged at her; the comfort of his goofy smile, the easy rhythm of their messy history. Sex with Dylan was good; familiar, uncomplicated.

But staring at his text, Haley felt… nothing. A hollow echo where longing should be. Five years of on-and-off drama, and now the thought of his hands on her skin felt like putting on clothes that didn’t fit anymore. Something fundamental had shifted inside her, buried deep beneath Alex’s frantic gasp against her mouth.

She typed back, Nah. Think we’re done for good this time, Dyl. Take care, hitting send with a surprising lack of hesitation. Dylan was a closed chapter. The realization landed softly, a strange kind of freedom settling in her chest as the credits rolled.

She said goodbye to her friends outside the theater, the neon lights reflecting in the puddled asphalt, and drove home through the quiet suburbs. The silence in the car felt different now; not oppressive like Alex's avoidance, but charged with possibility.

Haley parked in the driveway and sat for a moment, staring at Alex's dark bedroom window; no telltale blue glow of a laptop screen. She imagined Alex tangled in sheets, equations abandoned, and smiled faintly.

Patience, she reminded herself, slipping quietly inside and heading straight for the basement stairs.

Upstairs, Alex lay rigid in bed, constellations on her pajamas glowing faintly in the moonlight. The shower's failure still clung to her like damp gauze; the phantom sting of tile against her knuckles, the hollow ache of unfinished release.

She rolled onto her side, pressing her face into the pillow, desperately inhaling fabric softener to erase the lingering scent of Haley's shampoo. Her analytical mind raced: Was Haley's silence strategic withdrawal or genuine indifference? Did the absence prove manipulation or respect? The questions tangled like frayed wires, sparking uselessly against the memory of Haley’s thigh pressing purposeful and warm between her legs.

When a faint creak echoed from the basement stairs, Alex’s breath froze mid-inhalation; every nerve ending screaming betrayal at her own body’s traitorous leap of recognition.

In the basement’s dim solitude, Haley kicked off her boots, the thud echoing her frustration. She peeled away her clothes; the scratchy lace of Gavin’s stupid “vintage” blouse and the constricting jeans, letting them pool on the cold concrete floor.

Naked and shivering slightly, she slid between the rumpled sheets of her unmade bed, the fabric cool against her flushed skin. Horniness coiled low in her belly, sharpened by annoyance: Dylan’s predictable text, Gavin’s demeaning errands, and Alex’s maddening withdrawal.

Haley wasn’t some reckless slut, no matter what Claire’s worried glances or Manny’s poetic insinuations implied. Sex meant something; or it needed to. With Dylan, it had become hollow routine, and with Alex… it had cracked her world open.

Since shutting Dylan out and granting Alex space, her body screamed for release, leaving only one path forward.

Her fingers fumbled in the cluttered nightstand drawer—past crumpled receipts, half-dried lipsticks, and loose guitar picks Dylan had left behind—until they closed around cool silicone.

The vibrator hummed to life in her palm, a familiar vibration that usually promised quick relief, but now felt hollow against the phantom press of Alex’s sharp hipbones digging into hers. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to conjure faceless bodies, anonymous encounters, anything but the memory of Alex’s choked gasp muffled against her neck, the frantic clutch of her little sister’s fingers in her hair.

But Dylan’s dopey grin flickered uselessly behind her eyelids, replaced instantly by Alex’s wide, bespectacled stare; confused, aroused, utterly hers in that basement darkness.

Haley dragged the humming toy lower, pressing it hard against her swollen clit. A jolt shot through her; electric but shallow. She let the images wash over her: Alex sprawled breathless beneath her in the basement, moonlight catching the sweat on her collarbone, her glasses askew.

Haley hadn't touched herself that night, hadn't chased her own climax. Every gasp, every shudder from Alex had been reward enough; the tremor under Haley’s palm when Alex came undone against her tongue, the desperate clutch of fingers in Haley’s hair. And Alex’s clumsy, adorably earnest offer afterward: "You didn’t—I mean‚ I didn’t—I uh‚ I could… you know…"

Haley had shut it down instantly, "It's okay, Alex. If you really wanna when you haven't been drinking... we can talk about it then." Not rejection. Preservation. Tipsy Alex needed sleep, not obligation.

God, Haley had wanted her sister’s hands, her mouth, her nervous curiosity; she wanted it so fiercely her teeth ached. She wanted it now.

Her hips arched off the mattress, chasing the vibrator’s frantic buzz against her clit, slickness pooling hot between her thighs. She pictured Alex’s perfect breasts, so unexpectedly full beneath those baggy sweaters, tasting salt on her tongue as she dragged her mouth across one tight nipple, feeling Alex’s sharp gasp vibrate against her lips.

A ragged moan escaped Haley’s throat, swallowed by the damp basement air.

The memory sharpened: Alex’s tentative fingers tangling in Haley’s hair, pulling her closer, deeper, that first broken cry Haley had coaxed from her throat. She pressed the toy harder, circling faster; not enough, never enough without Alex trembling beneath her. She needed the hitch in Alex’s breath when her teeth grazed sensitive skin, the way Alex’s hips jerked helplessly against her restraining thigh.

Her own climax built, jagged and urgent, fueled by the phantom weight of her baby sister’s body pressing hers into the mattress.

Haley’s free hand clamped over her mouth, muffling Alex’s name as she imagined her sister’s shocked eyes wide behind fogged glasses, lips swollen from kissing; a tremor exploded through her. Her back arched violently off the sheets, toes curling as release tore through her in shuddering waves; bright, sharp, and achingly incomplete.

The vibrator fell from her trembling fingers, its persistent hum suddenly alien against the silence. Panting, she stared at the water-stained ceiling, the fading pulses of pleasure mocking her. It hadn’t been Alex’s clumsy reciprocation she craved; it was Alex’s surrender; the raw vulnerability Haley had unlocked, the power thrumming beneath her own fingertips as she mapped uncharted territory on skin forbidden and familiar.

She’d known she liked girls, really liked them, since sophomore year when Heather Davies tasted like cherry lip gloss and desperation at that party, but guys were… easier. Dylan’s predictable urgency, his heavy weight pressing her into cheap motel mattresses; she’d convinced herself nothing beat that stretch, that fullness.

That night obliterated that lie. Watching Alex unravel; feeling those choked cries vibrate against her tongue, guiding Alex’s shaking hands, had been a revelation. She hadn’t even needed her own climax; Alex’s raw, bewildered ecstasy was the climax. Holy shit. The thrill wasn't just sex; it was discovery.

And Alex? Her sister? Yeah, weird, but not catastrophic. No pregnancy scares, no messy breakups splitting family holidays; just intense, exhilarating… exploration. The big deal shriveled against the urgent need burning low in her belly. She needed Alex trembling beneath her again. Soon.

Haley flicked off the vibrator, its sudden silence deafening. Cold reality seeped in. Pushing Alex today; cornering her, taunting her, had backfired spectacularly. Alex was a fortress guarded by theorems and panic attacks; storming the gates only welded them shut. Patience wasn’t Haley’s forte, but desperation sharpened her instincts.

Tomorrow meant normalcy: endure Gavin’s ridiculous demands, probably fetching kale smoothies or organizing sequins by hue, and stay silent. No texts, no lingering stares across the breakfast table. Just… space. Let Alex’s own frantic thoughts, her treacherous body, do the work. Small gestures only; a brush of fingers handing over a textbook, a murmured compliment about her hair. The goal wasn't to chase; it was to lure. Make Alex choose the descent into that delicious, forbidden heat.

Alone time, Haley decided, tossing the vibrator back into the drawer with a clatter, was torture. Dylan’s uncomplicated thrusts paled against the memory of Alex's choked whimper when Haley’s tongue had traced her inner thigh; a sound Haley hadn't even known she could evoke.

Sex with guys was physical release; this was revelation. The sheer power of unraveling Alex, of being the architect of her little sister’s trembling climax… it rewired Haley’s desires entirely. She craved not just sensation, but control; the watchful intensity as Alex’s academic façade cracked into raw, gasping need. Pregnancy? Impossible. Social stigma? Haley had weathered worse whispers than "sisters experimenting." The real scandal was denying how fucking incredible it felt.

Haley stretched lazily on the rumpled sheets, tracing idle patterns on her bare stomach. Patience meant strategy: subtlety was her weapon now. A soft compliment tomorrow about Alex's messy study bun wouldn't raise alarms; just plant warmth low in her sister's belly. She pictured Alex stiffening at the praise, that flush creeping up her neck while pretending not to hear.

Perfect.

She'd let Alex dissect every accidental brush of fingers passing salt at breakfast. Let her lie awake tonight replaying Haley's laugh echoing up the stairs; low and knowing.

Haley smiled. Waiting wasn't passive; it was watching a trap spring beautifully.

And she could not wait to taste that surrender again.

Throughout the following week, Haley executed her strategy with unnerving precision. Passing Alex in the cramped kitchen doorway, Haley's fingers would graze the small of her sister's back; brief, warm, and gone before Alex could flinch, accompanied by a soft "Your hair looks cute up like that" or "That sweater brings out your eyes."

At night, lingering near Alex's bedroom door after saying goodnight, Haley's knuckles would brush Alex's wrist as she handed back a borrowed pen, her gaze lingering just a heartbeat too long. Never pushing, never demanding, just… there. 

Haley took cold showers afterward, humming pop songs while her vibrator did efficient work against the ache, imagining Alex’s shaky breaths beneath her palms.

The frustration was manageable; the waiting game, addictive. She watched Alex’s rigid posture soften fractionally each day, a silent victory.

Alex, meanwhile, drowned herself in differential equations, the scratch of her pencil frantic against graph paper. Haley’s casual touches; a fingertip tracing Alex’s shoulder blade as she reached for milk, a compliment whispered against her temple, sent jagged bolts of heat straight to her core. She’d bite her lip until it bled, forcing her eyes back to textbooks.

Ignore it, she commanded herself during late-night study sessions, jumping when Haley’s shadow fell across her desk to place a steaming mug of chamomile tea wordlessly beside her. Just biology responding to stimuli. It’ll fade.

But the phantom press of Haley’s knee between her thighs, the remembered sting of teeth on her nipple; these weren’t abstracts. They were physical truths etched into her nerves, reigniting every time her older sister’s laugh echoed too close.

Haley maintained her siege with infuriating discipline. Sorting Gavin’s nightmare inventory of faux-fur trims, she’d replay Alex’s hushed groan from their basement encounter; the exact pitch when Haley’s thumb circled her clit just right.

Back home, she’d shower briskly, the scalding water a poor substitute for Alex’s trembling skin. After dinner, brushing past Alex in the hallway, her palm would skate deliberately, possessively, down her baby sister’s spine; a brand burning through thin cotton. She’d retreat without a word, leaving Alex frozen, breath catching.

Alone later, Haley’s vibrator hummed efficiently against her swollen clit, climax sharp and functional. Release, yes. Satisfaction? No. Only Alex’s unraveling gasp, thick with lost control, would truly quench her.

Then, on the Saturday following Halloween—November 8th, 2014—the tension fractured during a family brunch at Jay and Gloria’s: Luke spilled orange juice across the white tablecloth, sparking Claire’s exasperated sigh and Manny’s theatrical gasp about "textural violence against fine linens."

As everyone scrambled for napkins, Haley’s hand brushed Alex’s under the table; not an accident. Her thumb pressed hard into Alex’s palm, a deliberate, grounding pressure that cut through the chaos.

Alex froze, the contact searing like a brand, her breath hitching audibly enough for Mitchell to raise an eyebrow.

Haley merely smiled, retrieving a soaked cloth with effortless grace while whispering, "Breathe, dork," her knee nudging Alex’s beneath the tablecloth.

The proximity was suffocating; she could smell Haley’s strawberry shampoo mixed with the sharp citrus, feel the heat radiating from her thigh.

And Alex has yet to succeed on her own; eight agonizing days since Haley had unraveled her in that basement, three fumbling attempts locked away in her room.

Each time, her own fingers felt clumsy, impatient; where Haley’s touch had been deliberate, teasing, Alex’s frantic circling only sparked frustration. Mimicking the rhythm Haley used proved impossible; her mind chased the memory—Haley’s low chuckle vibrating against her thigh, the hot slide of her tongue—only for her body to stall, trembling on the edge without release.

The climax remained elusive, a phantom sensation just out of reach, leaving Alex sweaty and furious against her sheets, biting back tears of humiliation. Only Haley knew the precise pressure, the exact cadence; Alex’s intellect couldn’t decode it.

The persistent brush of Haley’s thumb against her palm now, under the tablecloth chaos, wasn't just heat; it was a dare. A raw, silent challenge wrapped in the mundane horror of spilled juice and Manny’s theatrics.

Alex stared at Haley’s profile; the curve of her jaw, the focused calm as she mopped Luke’s mess, while that thumb pressed harder, an anchor in the storm.

“Breathe, Einstein.” The whisper, low and knowing, scraped over Alex’s nerves. Haley’s knee nudged hers again, possessive and steady. Rules? Boundaries? Logic screamed for them, a fortress against this insanity. But her body, starved and humming beneath Haley’s deliberate proximity, screamed louder: Give in. Let her unlock you.

Then Gloria’s sharp command sliced through—“Luke, don’t move! You’re dripping on my silk rug!”—and everyone lunged for towels.

Haley withdrew her hand, leaving Alex’s palm tingling and cold. She stood, grabbing extra napkins, her hip brushing Alex’s shoulder as she leaned past. “Later,” she murmured, so soft it could’ve been the scrape of her chair.

Alex caught the scent of strawberry shampoo mixed with citrus, sharp and demanding. Her breath hitched; she’d heard it. The word wasn’t an invitation; it was a command. Rules? Boundaries? Haley’s very existence felt like a violation of both. But Alex’s skin still burned where Haley had touched her. Eight days of denial, of clumsy fingers failing where Haley’s had triumphed… it hollowed her out.

Later. The promise pulsed in her veins, thick and urgent.

Alex stared at her lap through the rest of brunch, Manny’s dramatic recounting of Luke’s “textural atrocity” a distant drone. Haley’s foot tapped hers under the table—once, deliberately—before pulling away. Alex flinched, jostling her water glass.

Mitchell frowned. “Everything okay, Alex?”

She nodded, throat tight. Haley just smiled, offering Gloria a compliment about the flan. The ease was infuriating. How could she navigate this minefield with such casual grace while Alex’s own hands trembled clutching her fork?

Later. The word echoed, a drumbeat syncing with Alex’s racing pulse. Rules were irrelevant now; Haley had rewritten them in the basement’s dark. Alex’s need was a raw, exposed nerve. She couldn’t decode her sexuality, couldn’t replicate Haley’s touch; but she knew she craved its devastating precision.

As the chaotic cleanup wound down and family members drifted toward cars, Alex’s pulse hammered against her ribs. Haley was already sliding into the driver's seat of her Corolla, keys dangling from her fingers.

Alex swallowed the cottony dryness in her throat. "We need to talk," she blurted, the words sharp and too loud in the sudden quiet of the driveway.

Haley’s eyes flickered; surprise, then something darker, hungrier, before she masked it with a breezy smile. "Sure thing, sis. Mom, Dad? Alex has a killer chem headache. I’ll drive her home."

Claire waved them off absently, making sure Luke was in the minivan, while Phil joked about "brain overload."

Alex scrambled into the passenger seat, the vinyl upholstery cold through her jeans. Through the windshield, she watched Jay scoop up Joe, Gloria fussing over the rug. Haley gave a cheerful, two-fingered wave as she reversed out, tires crunching gravel.

The silence inside the car thickened with every mile.

Haley tapped manicured nails on the steering wheel; a deliberate, rhythmic click Alex recognized as her sister’s tell for barely contained impatience.

Alex tried to think of how she’d word this; a demand for boundaries? A plea? Her eyes dropped to Haley’s fingers, and instantly she was in the basement again: those same fingers slick and sure inside her, curling just there.

She jerked her gaze to the window, breathing ragged against the cool glass. Outside, LA blurred into strip malls and dusty palms.

Haley finally spoke, voice low and liquid-smooth, "You okay?" She didn’t wait for an answer. "Looked pale back there." Her hand slid off the wheel, landing feather-light on Alex’s knee. The contact burned. Alex froze. Her grip tightened almost imperceptibly. "Relax," she murmured, not glancing away from the road.

Her thumb traced idle circles just above Alex’s kneecap, each rotation sending jagged heat up Alex’s thigh. The car’s hum faded beneath the roar of Alex’s pulse; deafening, helpless. Outside, traffic lights bled red streaks across Haley’s sharp profile.

Alex clenched her fists, knuckles white against her jeans. Haley’s touch wasn’t comforting; it was a scalpel peeling back layers of denial. Why couldn’t she shove her away? Why did her body arch infinitesimally closer instead?

"T-talk," Alex stammered, the word brittle as dry leaves. "I meant talk, Haley. Not… not anything else." Her voice cracked on the denial, betraying her.

Haley’s lips curved; a predator’s smile, fleeting and satisfied. She eased the car into a deserted alley behind a shuttered laundromat, gravel crunching beneath tires. Killing the engine, she turned fully. Shadows hollowed her cheekbones, sharpening her gaze.

"So talk," she whispered, leaning in until her breath warmed Alex’s ear. "Tell me exactly what you thought about when you tried to touch yourself last night." Her hand slid higher, fingertips grazing the inseam of Alex’s jeans. "Tell me how cold your fingers felt. How wrong."

Alex’s blush deepened, flooding her neck and ears. She squeezed her eyes shut against the dizzying proximity; Haley’s strawberry-scented hair tickling her jaw, the heat radiating from her thigh pressed tight against Alex’s own.

"This," she choked out, trembling fingers gripping Haley’s wrist where it rested high on her thigh. "This… it’s what’s wrong, Haley. But—" A ragged breath hitched in her chest. "But I’m trying to talk to you about it. Please."

Haley paused, her thumb stilling against the inseam of Alex’s jeans. The alley’s silence felt thick, broken only by Alex’s shallow breaths and the distant hum of traffic.

"Wrong?" Haley echoed softly, her voice dropping to a velvet murmur as she withdrew her hand slowly, deliberately. "Or just new?" She traced the flush blooming across Alex’s cheekbone, her touch clinical yet intimate. "You’re shaking," she observed, not unkindly. "Tell me what wrong looks like in that brilliant head of yours. Rules? Society? Mom and Dad finding out?" Her gaze locked onto Alex’s, stripping away pretense. "Or is it how badly you want my mouth on you again right now?"

Alex recoiled as if burned, pressing her back against the cold car door. "How are you so okay with it? It’s ince—"

"Shut up, no it isn’t!" Haley snapped, her voice cracking like ice.

Alex flinched, pressing harder against the car door. "What the hell are you—"

"Ugh!" Haley slammed her palm against the steering wheel, the sharp crack echoing in the cramped car. "Because we're both girls! Duh! It's not the same!" Her knuckles whitened, voice cracking with frustration. "It’s just… bodies exploring. Nobody gets hurt."

Alex stared, disbelief stripping her voice raw. "You can’t be serious, Haley. We are full-blooded sisters; that is literally incest."

The word hung between them; ugly, clinical, undeniable. Raindrops began ticking against the windshield like a metronome counting down the silence.

Haley recoiled as if slapped, her knuckles pale where they gripped the steering wheel. "Don’t say that," she hissed, eyes darting to the alley’s mouth like someone might overhear. "It’s just… complicated." Her voice frayed, desperation bleeding through. "It doesn’t have to be a label. It doesn’t have to be anything but us."

Alex slumped back against the cracked vinyl seat, defeat hollowing her chest as she watched raindrops blur the windshield into streaked halos.

After a suffocating silence, the question clawed its way out, small and broken: "Why me?" She didn’t look at Haley, her gaze fixed on the murky puddle forming near a dumpster. "Not just because we're sisters. But… why me? I'm the awkward one. The one buried in textbooks while you’re out taking photos of models. The frizzy-haired freak with glasses thicker than her social calendar." Her fingernails dug into her palms. "You could have anyone. Why waste your time exploring…" she swallowed hard, "...with me?"

Haley’s knuckles eased their grip on the wheel, her gaze softening as it traced the tremble in Alex’s jawline. "It’s not a waste," she murmured, reaching out to brush a stray curl behind Alex’s ear; a gesture startlingly tender amid the tension. "You think I don’t see you? That night in the basement…" Her thumb lingered on Alex’s earlobe, warm and deliberate. "You weren’t awkward. You were hungry. Every gasp, every shiver; like you’d been starving for years without knowing it."

Her voice dropped lower, rougher. "And watching you unravel? It’s the most electrifying thing I’ve ever seen."

Alex flinched at the memory, fingers twisting in her lap. "But you spent our whole lives mocking me," she whispered, the words raw. "Calling me ‘lesbo’ for not dating, laughing at my clothes, my glasses... calling me a freak…" She lifted her chin, meeting Haley’s gaze defiantly. "Are you happy now? Knowing you were right all along?"

The question hung sharp-edged between them, accusing. Rain slicked the windshield in uneven trails, distorting the alley’s grimy brick walls into watery ghosts.

Haley’s hand dropped abruptly, fingers curling into her own thigh. Silence stretched, thick with the ticking rain and Alex’s hammering pulse. Then Haley leaned forward, elbows propped on the steering wheel, staring blindly at the cracked dashboard vinyl.

"It wasn’t about being right," she admitted quietly, her voice stripped of its usual bravado. "It was… fear." She risked a sideways glance, green-hazel eyes shadowed. "Seeing you so sure of yourself; books, labs, that brain of yours… It scared me." A bitter laugh escaped her. "Mocking you was easier than admitting I envied how untouchable you seemed. How little you needed anyone."

Alex’s breath caught; not at the words, but at Haley’s knuckles whitening again, the faint tremor in her lips. Vulnerability looked alien on her big sister’s face.

Haley turned fully, rainwater glistening in her blonde-streaked hair like scattered diamonds. "And then that night…" Her gaze fixed on Alex’s mouth, intense and raw. "You weren’t untouchable. You were trembling. Begging." Her voice roughened. "You needed me. And Alex…" She swallowed hard. "I’d never felt that powerful. Or that terrified."

The rain drummed louder now, sealing them in a watery cocoon. Alex watched Haley’s throat work, her own pulse thudding in her ears. "Terrified?" The word slipped out, hushed.

Haley nodded, her eyes dropping to Alex’s hands clenched in her lap. "Because I’ve never wanted anything—anyone—like I wanted you underneath me," she breathed, fingers curling around the steering wheel again. "And I know how twisted that sounds. How fucked up." She laughed; a brittle, humorless sound that scratched at the silence between them. "But it’s the truth."

Alex’s gaze drifted to Haley’s knuckles, white-knuckled and trembling. The raw admission hung like a live wire, sparking against Alex’s skin. She swallowed, her mouth suddenly dry despite the humid air.

"So... are you even into girls?" The question tumbled out, sharp and unpolished. "I’ve seen you with tons of guys..." she trailed off, recalling Haley’s messy parade of ex-boyfriends and flings. "But Halloween night... you said you kissed a girl once. Was that..." Alex hesitated, searching her sister’s eyes, "...just curiosity? Or did you mean it?"

Rain continued its rhythmic patter against the Corolla, blurring the alley into a watercolor smear of grays and browns. Alex gripped the door handle harder, knuckles aching. She needed to understand this gaping hole in Haley’s history; the hint of bisexuality Haley had confessed to only once, drunken and giggling in their basement. Was it real? Or just another story Haley told to seem edgier?

Haley didn’t flinch. She stared straight ahead, wipers swishing uselessly against the downpour. "That girl?" Her voice was low, detached. "I wasn’t lying. I kissed her. At Dylan’s frat party sophomore year." A cold smirk touched her lips. "He was ignoring me. Shouting over the speakers about some stupid beer pong tournament. So I grabbed her, pulled her onto the sticky dance floor, and kissed her right in front of him." She shrugged, fingers tapping the steering wheel. "Didn't work. Dylan just asked for a threesome later." The bitterness sharpened her tone. "I told him to fuck off."

Alex shifted, the leather seat creaking beneath her. "But... did you want to kiss her? Or was it purely revenge?" Rain lashed the windshield, turning the alley into a watery grave.

Haley finally turned, her gaze pinning Alex. "Does it matter? I liked it. More than kissing Dylan, anyway." She exhaled sharply, fogging the glass. "Girls... they're softer. Smell better. Taste..." She trailed off, her eyes lingering on Alex’s lips. "But honestly? It was exhausting. The drama, the secrecy. Most girls weren’t worth the hassle. Guys were easier—simple." Haley leaned closer, the strawberry scent of her shampoo cutting through the damp metallic air.

Her thumb brushed Alex’s knee again, feather-light. "I’ve known I was bi since freshman year. But admitting it?" She gave a wry laugh. "Why complicate my brand? Haley Dunphy: Hot, Straight, Available." Her fingers tightened on Alex’s jeans. "Until you." The admission hung raw between them. "That night... I wasn’t just drunk. I was starving. For you."

Alex blinked, rainwater trickling down the passenger window mirroring the tremor in her voice. "Me?" She gestured helplessly at her rumpled sweater, her smudged glasses. "Haley, I’m—"

"Beautiful," Haley interrupted, her thumb tracing the seam of Alex's jeans where her thigh met the car seat. "Even when you're drowning in calculus sweat and old library dust." Her gaze dropped to Alex's chest, lingering with undisguised hunger. "And those curves beneath all that baggy flannel? God, Alex. You have no idea what you do to me."

Alex's breath hitched at the raw admission, her skin prickling beneath Haley’s possessive stare. Rain drummed harder on the roof, cocooning them in humid intimacy.

"Why don't we head home?" Haley sighed, her voice thick with unspoken promise. "Finish talking where it’s dry. The house is empty until six."

Alex nodded mutely, throat too tight for words. The engine roared back to life, slicing through the alley’s gloom. Haley drove with unnerving focus, knuckles white on the steering wheel. Silence swallowed the Toyota whole; only the rhythmic swish of wipers and Alex’s frantic heartbeat filled the space between them, charged with everything left unsaid.

Rain lashed the driveway as they pulled in, turning the Dunphy house into a gray smudge behind water-streaked windows. Haley killed the engine. "Run!" she commanded, already flinging her door open.

Alex scrambled after her, damp sneakers slipping on slick pavement. They crashed through the front door in a tangle of wet coats and frantic breaths, dripping onto the welcome mat. Haley slammed the door shut behind them, plunging them into the sudden quiet of the empty foyer; only the drumming downpour and their synchronized panting broke the stillness.

Haley peeled off her soaked cardigan, revealing a damp tank top clinging to her skin. Her gaze locked onto Alex’s rain-slicked glasses, fogged and crooked. "You look like a drowned lab rat," she snorted, flicking water droplets off Alex’s sleeve.

Alex pushed her glasses up her nose, scowling; but the absurdity of their sprint, the shared adrenaline, cracked her stern expression. A tiny puff of laughter escaped her lips.

Haley’s eyes widened in mock offense. "Did Alex Dunphy just... giggle?" she gasped, clutching her chest dramatically. "Alert the media! Nobel Prize in Fun awarded!"

Alex tried to stifle it, pressing her lips together, but Haley’s exaggerated swoon against the hallway wall was too ridiculous. A choked snicker burst from her, loud and ungainly.

Haley grinned, triumphant. "There it is!" she crowed, stepping closer. Her fingers brushed a stray wet curl from Alex’s forehead; a casual gesture that sent sparks down Alex’s spine. "See? Not so terrifying."

Alex ducked her head, shoulders still shaking with residual laughter. Haley joined in, their mingled chuckles echoing off the empty walls, warm and unexpectedly light. For a fleeting moment, the tension dissolved into shared breathlessness, rainwater pooling at their feet like forgotten evidence.

"Seriously though," Haley murmured, her voice softening as she tugged Alex’s dripping sweater sleeve. "You’re freezing. Let’s get dry." She didn’t wait for agreement, guiding her sister toward the basement stairs with a hand lingering possessively on the small of her back.

Alex stiffened slightly but didn’t pull away, hyperaware of Haley’s thumb tracing idle circles through the soaked fabric. The familiar scent of laundry detergent and damp concrete rose from below; a stark contrast to the charged humidity clinging to their skin.

In the basement’s dim glow, Haley tossed Alex a faded UCLA hoodie before peeling off her own clinging tank top, revealing the simple black bra beneath. Alex averted her eyes, focusing on the frayed hem of the hoodie as she changed, but not before catching the way Haley’s gaze lingered on her own bare shoulders.

"Here," Haley said, her voice rough as she handed Alex a towel. Their fingers brushed, and Alex jerked back as if shocked. Haley’s lips twitched; a ghost of a smirk. "Relax, genius. I won’t bite." Yet her eyes, dark and unreadable, promised otherwise.

Alex stuffed her damp clothes into the laundry basket, the scent of fabric softner thick in the air. "Let’s... finish this upstairs," she blurted, pushing her glasses up her nose. "In the living room."

Haley froze mid-wring of her hair, water droplets catching the overhead bulb like diamonds. For a heartbeat, Alex braced for resistance; the sly pressure, the insistence on privacy below. Instead, Haley simply nodded.

"Okay," she said softly, her tone devoid of manipulation. She gestured toward the stairs. "After you." The unexpected compliance unnerved Alex more than any demand would have.

Upstairs, rain still streaked the bay window, casting watery shadows across Claire’s pristine cream sofa. Haley sank onto one cushion, leaving a deliberate foot of space between them. Alex perched rigidly on the opposite end, knees locked together, fingers twisting the hem of her borrowed hoodie.

The silence stretched, thick with unsaid words and the drumming rhythm of the storm outside. Haley didn’t bridge the gap. Didn’t shift closer. She simply watched Alex, her expression uncharacteristically patient, green-hazel eyes reflecting the gray afternoon light. The distance felt like a physical thing; a canyon Alex hadn’t expected Haley to honor.

“You asked why you,” Haley began, her voice low and steady, breaking the quiet without startling her. She traced a seam on the sofa cushion, avoiding Alex’s gaze for once. “That night… it wasn’t just the vodka. Or curiosity.” She paused, swallowing hard. “It was the way you looked at me when I dragged you onto the dance floor. Like I’d cracked some code. Scared shitless, sure; but underneath? Hungry. So fucking hungry.”

Alex’s breath caught at the memory; the pulsing bass, strangers pressing close, Haley’s hand warm on her waist, pulling her into a darkness that felt terrifyingly alive.

Haley finally met her eyes. “No one’s ever looked at me like I was the answer to a question they were too afraid to ask.”

Alex dug her nails into her palms, the truth slicing through her defenses like a scalpel. Haley’s words echoed the unspoken ache she’d buried beneath textbooks; the gnawing loneliness in crowded libraries, the envy watching couples hold hands on campus. She’d mocked Haley’s shallow conquests, but now she saw the mirror: Haley chasing validation through Dylan’s adoration, herself through academic trophies. Both starving.

Her voice cracked. “So what now? We just… ignore the big pink elephant in the room screaming incest?” The word hung heavy, poisonously vivid; a grotesque parade balloon floating between them, impossible to pop or ignore.

Haley flinched, fingers tightening on the sofa cushion. “I already told you,” she hissed, low and urgent, leaning forward despite the space she’d promised. “It’s not like that. We’re sisters, yeah, but…” Her gaze flickered down Alex’s body, then snapped back up, defiant. “Girls can’t get each other pregnant. It’s just skin and heat and feeling good. Safe.” The logic was flimsy, desperate; a paper shield against societal cannons.

Alex shook her head sharply, rainwater droplets flying from her damp hair as she locked eyes with Haley. “That doesn’t matter,” she stated, voice low but razor-sharp. “Zero pregnancy risk doesn’t magically erase the DNA chain. It’s still incest.”

Before Haley could protest, Alex leaned in, her tone shifting to icy challenge: “So by your logic? You’d have sex with Mom? Just skin and heat, right? You can’t get each other pregnant either.”

Haley recoiled as if physically struck, horror twisting her features. “Ew! No! Jesus, Alex, that’s disgusting!”

Alex didn’t blink. “See?” she pressed, the word quiet but lethal. “Admit the truth.”

Haley’s face flushed crimson, her earlier confidence crumbling. She stared at her hands, knuckles white where they gripped the sofa. “It’s… not the same,” she whispered, the denial hollow even to her own ears. “Mom’s… Mom. You’re… Alex.” She raised her eyes, pleading. “It felt right. Didn’t it?”

Alex watched a droplet of rainwater slide slowly down Haley’s temple, tracing the curve of her jaw before vanishing into the collar of her shirt. The silence stretched, filled only by the relentless drumming of rain against the windowpane and the frantic hammering of Alex’s own heart against her ribs.

She remembered the unexpected solidity of Haley’s shoulder beneath her fingers during their mad dash indoors, the shared, breathless laughter; a fragile bridge built over a chasm.

"Yeah," Alex breathed, the word escaping like a trapped sigh. Her knuckles whitened where they gripped the sofa cushion; not in denial, but from the terrifying weight of admission. "It did."

Haley's sharp inhale cut through the rain's drumming, her eyes flaring wide with desperate hope.

Alex hurried on before that hope could solidify, "But feeling right doesn't make it right, Haley. You know that." She gestured vaguely toward the staircase, where family photos lined the wall; trapped moments of birthday cake and forced smiles. "What happens if someone walks in? What happens when Luke barges in asking for pizza money and finds—" Alex's throat closed around the image: her little brother's baffled stare, their secret splashed across his face like acid.

Haley scooted closer, the sofa cushion dipping under her weight. Her knee pressed against Alex's thigh through the thin hoodie fabric; a deliberate, electric contact.

"Nobody's walking in," she murmured, fingers brushing Alex's tense forearm. "Dad's golfing with Grandpa. Mom took Luke to his soccer game." Her thumb circled Alex's wristbone, slow and hypnotic. "It's just us. Just now."

Alex shivered, torn between recoiling and arching into the touch.

Haley leaned in, her breath warm against Alex's ear, voice dropping to a velvet rasp: "What if we just… stopped fighting it? Just for an hour. See where it goes." Her lips grazed Alex's earlobe; a barely-there promise. "No one has to know."

Alex jerked back, putting precious inches between them. "Stop." The word cracked like ice. She shoved her glasses higher, knuckles white. "Before—before anything," she stammered, forcing herself to meet Haley’s hungry gaze, "are you sleeping with anyone else?" The question hung sharp in the air. "Because it’s not just… babies. There’s STDs. Hepatitis. Herpes." Her voice trembled with clinical detachment, a shield against the flush creeping up her neck. "I know you get tested; you told me last year after Dylan cheated. But lately? Since… us?"

The unspoken accusation vibrated between them: Have you touched anyone else since you touched me?

Haley froze, her fingers hovering mid-air where Alex’s wrist had been. The flush of desire drained from her face, replaced by stark indignation. "Wow," she breathed, voice tight. "You really think I’d—" She cut herself off, jaw clenching. "No, Alex. God, no." She leaned back abruptly, putting space between them, her arms crossing protectively over her chest.

"There hasn’t been anyone," she hissed, low and fierce. "Not Dylan, not some random guy, nobody. Because all I’ve been able to think about," her voice dropped to a raw whisper, trembling with frustration, "is you. Your stupid-smart mouth. Those eyes behind your glasses. How you taste." She inhaled sharply, looking away toward the rain-streaked window. "It’s been torture."

Alex stared at Haley’s profile; the stubborn set of her jaw, the tension in her shoulders, and felt a confusing rush of relief warring with guilt. The clinical armor she’d wrapped herself in cracked, exposing the raw fear beneath: What if I’m not enough? What if she regrets me?

Haley’s confession hung thick and heavy between them; a confession not just of abstinence, but of obsession. Alex’s throat tightened. She traced the faint watermark left by raindrops on her borrowed hoodie sleeve, the silence amplifying the frantic drumming in her chest.

Another question surfaced, sharp and terrifying: What if I fall for her more than… more than I already have? The thought felt like stepping onto a crumbling ledge; exhilarating and doomed.

Haley turned back, green-hazel eyes locking onto Alex’s brown. The raw vulnerability Alex glimpsed there, a flicker of pleading beneath the defiance, made her breath catch. Haley shifted closer again, abandoning the distance, her thigh pressing flush against Alex’s.

“Scared?” Haley whispered, fingers brushing Alex’s knee. Alex nodded mutely, unable to move. Haley’s thumb traced slow circles on her skin through the fabric, a hypnotic rhythm against Alex’s pounding pulse. “Me too,” she admitted, her voice barely audible above the rain. “But I’d rather be scared with you than safe without you.” She lifted Alex’s chin gently, forcing eye contact. “One more chance, Alex. No expectations. Just us seeing where this goes.”

Alex swallowed hard, trapped by the desperate sincerity in Haley’s gaze—and the terrifying thrill pooling low in her belly.

Alex’s silence stretched taut as piano wire, her knuckles bone-white against the sofa cushion. Haley leaned in until their foreheads almost touched, her breath warm and smelling faintly of mint gum against Alex’s lips.

The air crackled—not with tension, but possibility.

Haley’s fingers trembled as she brushed a damp strand of hair from Alex’s temple. “Can I kiss you?” she murmured.

Alex froze, every synapse screaming wrongwrongwrong, but her traitorous body swayed forward an inch. “O-okay,” she breathed, the word cracking like thin ice.

Haley didn’t hesitate. Her mouth closed over Alex’s; a soft press at first, testing, then deeper when Alex didn’t pull away. She gasped against Haley’s lips, the sound swallowed whole. Her hands fluttered uselessly before settling gingerly on Haley’s waist.

Haley’s fingers slid into Alex’s damp hair, angling her head just so. The kiss deepened, hungry and searching; less like sisters and more like two people drowning who’d found the same life raft.

Alex tasted rainwater and coffee and something uniquely Haley, bright and sharp as citrus peel. Her glasses fogged. Haley’s thumb brushed the hinge of Alex’s jaw, coaxing her mouth wider.

Haley pulled back just enough to murmur, “Still scared?” against Alex’s lips. Her sister nodded, her glasses askew, chest heaving. Haley’s answering smile was crooked, almost shy. “Good,” she whispered before kissing her again—slower now, deliberate.

Her hands slid down Alex’s back, pulling her closer until their torsos aligned. Alex felt the soft swell of Haley’s breasts through both hoodies, the frantic thud of Haley’s heartbeat echoing her own. Her fingers tightened on Haley’s waist. A low hum vibrated in Haley’s throat—approval, demand—and Alex responded without thinking, parting her lips, letting Haley in deeper.

The world narrowed: rain drumming outside, the scratchy sofa fabric under her thighs, Haley’s warm tongue tracing the roof of her mouth.

Haley shifted, pressing Alex back into the cushions, one knee sliding between hers. Alex gasped, breaking the kiss. “Wait—Haley—”  

“Shh.” Haley nipped at Alex’s jawline, her breath hot. “Just kissing.” But her thigh pressed higher, insistent against the seam of Alex’s jeans.

Alex whimpered, hips arching involuntarily. Her hand slipped under Alex’s hoodie, fingers skating over bare skin just above her waistband. Alex froze.

“Trust me,” Haley breathed against her ear, palm flattening possessively against Alex’s stomach. Her glasses slid down her nose; Haley caught them, set them aside with exaggerated care. Her expression was stripped raw; hunger and fear warring in those hazel-green eyes.

“Tell me to stop,” Haley challenged, voice trembling. Alex couldn’t. Could only stare, mesmerized, as Haley traced the curve of her lip with a thumb.

Haley kissed her again—softer now, achingly slow—while her exploring hand drifted lower. The scrape of denim zipper echoed like thunder. Alex gasped, fingers knotting in Haley’s damp hair.

“Still okay?” Haley murmured against her mouth.

Alex nodded frantically, torn between shoving Haley away and dragging her closer. Haley’s fingers hooked into fabric, easing the zipper down inch by torturous inch. The rasping sound filled Alex’s ears, drowning out the rain. She felt exposed, vulnerable—yet electrified.

Haley traced the elastic edge of Alex’s underwear with a fingertip. Alex’s breath hitched. She couldn't believe this was happening; on her mother’s sofa, in broad daylight, with the ghosts of family photos watching from the walls. Haley’s thumb circled the sensitive skin just below her navel, and she arched off the cushion with a choked cry.

Haley’s lips trailed lower; kissing her jaw, then the frantic pulse beneath her ear. Her breath was hot, uneven. “Tell me,” she whispered, teeth grazing Alex’s throat. “Do you want me to touch you?” Her free hand slid beneath Alex’s borrowed hoodie, fingers splaying across her ribs.

Alex trembled, every nerve alight. She could lie, bury this in shame, or surrender. Haley’s teeth nipped her collarbone, sharp and possessive. Alex’s hips bucked. “Yes,” she gasped, the word ripped from her.

Haley’s answering smile was fierce, triumphant. Her hand dipped lower, fingers slipping past elastic, seeking slick heat. Alex cried out, fingers scrabbling against the sofa cushions as Haley’s touch found her, bold and knowing; just like in the basement, yet terrifyingly new in this bright, ordinary room.

Alex arched violently, her vision blurring. Haley’s fingers moved with deliberate precision—circling, pressing—igniting fireworks low in her belly. The hoodie fabric bunched around Haley’s wrist, exposing Alex’s flushed skin to the cool air. Haley watched her, eyes dark and intent, cataloging every hitch of breath, every choked whimper.

“Look at me,” she demanded, her thumb pressing harder.

Alex forced her eyes open; Haley’s gaze was a trap, hungry and satisfied. The intimacy was paralyzing: being seen, being known, by the one person who shouldn’t. Her thighs clamped around Haley’s hand, trapping her there as pleasure coiled tighter, relentless. Distantly, she registered the patter of rain against the window; a fragile counterpoint to the slick, rhythmic sounds Haley drew from her.

Haley’s other hand slid up Alex’s torso, slipping beneath the hoodie’s loose hem. Rough fabric scraped Alex’s ribs before Haley’s palm closed possessively over her breast; the unexpected weight, the sudden friction of her thumb against Alex’s already taut nipple through thin cotton. She gasped, back bowing off the sofa cushion.

Haley kissed her again—hard, claiming—as her finger plunged deeper inside her sister, curling upward. The dual assault shattered Alex’s thoughts: pressure here, friction there, Haley’s tongue mirroring the thrust of her fingers.

Haley broke the kiss, lips hovering a breath away. “Tell me,” she whispered, her voice raw and urgent, thumb circling Alex’s nipple in sync with the deep, insistent stroke inside her. “What do you want, Alex? More? Or—” She slowed her fingers almost to stillness, a threat wrapped in velvet. “—should I stop?”

Alex’s hips jerked helplessly against Haley’s hand, chasing the rhythm, the pressure. Words dissolved into a ragged sob. “Don’t—don’t stop,” she choked out, fingers twisting in Haley’s hair.

Haley’s answering laugh was low, triumphant. She surged forward, teeth scraping Alex’s collarbone as her fingers drove deeper, faster; the slick, desperate sounds drowning the rain. Alex’s vision whited out at the edges, every muscle coiled. Haley watched her unravel, hazel-green eyes dark with primal satisfaction.

“I need to taste you again,” she breathed against her sister’s skin, her thumb grinding relentless circles against her clit as her fingers stilled deep inside. "Can I?" Alex froze; mind screaming no, body screaming yes. Haley’s tongue traced the shell of her ear, hot and wet. “Say it,” she demanded, breath ragged.

Alex whimpered, hips lifting. Haley’s fingers withdrew—a cruel, sudden emptiness—leaving Alex trembling on the precipice.

Before she could protest, Haley slid down the sofa cushions, peeling Alex’s jeans and underwear halfway down her thighs. The cool air hit damp skin, sharp and shocking. Haley’s gaze locked onto hers, fierce and unflinching.

Then, she dipped her head, tongue lashing out, flat and broad, right where Alex burned hottest. She cried out, back arching, fingers scrabbling against the sofa fabric as Haley’s mouth sealed over her, sucking hard.

The world narrowed to wet heat and Haley’s muffled groan vibrating through her core. Haley’s hands pinned her hips to the cushion, thumbs digging into the sharp angles of her pelvis. Her tongue worked relentlessly—flicking, circling, plunging—finding a rhythm that stole Alex’s breath. Rain hammered the windows, forgotten.

Alex’s vision blurred, tears pricking her eyes; not from sorrow, but the brutal intensity coursing through her. Haley’s lips drew tight around her clit, sucking rhythmically as her fingers slid back inside, curling deep. The dual assault shattered coherence; Alex’s thighs trembled violently, her moans raw and guttural, echoing off the silent family portraits.

Haley lifted her head, lips slick and parted, eyes burning with primal satisfaction. She moaned, the sound low and resonant against Alex’s inner thigh as her hands slid upward beneath Alex’s borrowed hoodie. Fingertips traced trembling paths over Alex’s ribs before closing possessively around the swell of her breasts.

Alex gasped at the sudden contact; rough cotton scraping her nipples through the thin bra fabric. Haley’s thumbs pressed hard circles against the peaks, the friction sharp and electric.

"Take it off," she commanded, her voice thick and urgent, gaze locked on Alex’s flushed face. "Let me see you."

Alex hesitated, trembling fingers fumbling for the hoodie’s zipper. The metal tag felt icy against her overheated skin. She tugged the garment up and over her head in one frantic motion, tossing it aside. The cool air prickled her bare arms, but Haley’s stare was hotter; fixated on her chest. Alex’s hands hovered protectively over her bra clasp, knuckles white. Haley’s eyes flicked up, pupils blown wide.

"The bra too," she whispered, leaning forward to nip Alex’s hipbone. "Now."

Alex flinched, then obeyed, her fingers clumsy. The clasp gave way. Haley caught the straps before they could fall, easing them down Alex’s shoulders with agonizing slowness. The bra pooled loosely around her waist.

Haley’s breath hitched. Her baby sister’s breasts spilled free; pale, full, the soft weight of them shifting with her ragged breaths. She traced the underside of one breast with a reverent fingertip, circling the flushed nipple. Alex gasped, arching off the sofa as Haley rolled the peak between thumb and forefinger.

"God, you’re perfect," Haley murmured, pressing soft kisses across the swell. She teased the other nipple with her tongue—slow, wet circles—before sucking it sharply into her mouth.

Alex cried out, fingers tangling in Haley’s hair. Haley moaned against her skin, the vibration traveling straight to Alex’s core. Her other hand slid back between Alex’s legs, fingers thrusting deep again; harder now, demanding. Her thighs clenched around Haley’s wrist, trapping her there.

Haley lifted her mouth with a wet, smacking sound. Her eyes were dark, desperate. "Touch me too," she whispered, guiding Alex’s hand beneath her own loose sweater.

Alex’s trembling fingers found warm skin, then the lace edge of Haley’s bra. Haley arched against her touch with a low groan. "Yes," she hissed, grinding her hips against Alex’s thigh. "Like that."

Alex fumbled with the clasp, clumsy from sensation. Haley helped, ripping the bra away. Her smaller breasts; firm, tipped with tight pink buds, were bare now. She hesitated, overwhelmed. Haley grabbed her wrist firmly, pressing Alex’s palm flat against her own nipple.

"Harder," she commanded.

Alex squeezed experimentally, rubbing her thumb in rough circles. Haley shuddered, head dropping forward. She moaned Alex’s name—a broken, needy sound—as her fingers drove relentlessly deeper into her little sister’s wet heat.

Rain lashed the windows, turning afternoon light gray and watery. Alex cried out again; a high, fractured note, as Haley’s thumb pressed merciless circles against her clit. Her thighs trembled violently.

Haley’s gaze locked onto Alex’s face. "Come for me," she ordered, her voice ragged but certain. Alex shook her head wildly, overwhelmed. Haley’s fingers twisted deeper, curling sharply. "Now."

Pleasure detonated; sudden, blinding. Alex’s back arched off the cushions, a silent scream tearing from her throat as convulsions shook her. Haley held her down, lips pressing wetly against Alex’s hipbone, murmuring, "Good, so good," as Alex gasped and trembled.

Haley watched Alex shudder through the aftershocks, an unfamiliar tenderness softening her features. Slowly, deliberately, she lowered herself back down between Alex’s legs. Her tongue traced a lingering path through slick folds; broad, hungry strokes that tasted salt-sweet and musky. She whimpered, hips jerking involuntarily at the renewed stimulation. Haley groaned against her skin, savoring the flavor, the texture.

"You taste like honey," she murmured, breath hot against damp skin, her lips closing possessively around Alex’s still-throbbing clit. She whimpered again, fingers twisting in Haley's hair, pulling her closer.

Haley’s movements became purposeful; long, flat laps followed by sharp suction. Her eyes stayed locked on Alex’s flushed face, hungry for every gasp and tremble. Alex arched helplessly, overwhelmed by sensation. Haley slid two fingers back inside her—a deep, slow penetration—curling them against that tender spot that made Alex cry out. Her thumb pressed hard circles against Alex’s clit, relentless.

"Again," Haley commanded, her voice muffled against Alex’s thigh. "Come again."

Alex shook her head wildly, tears spilling down her temples as pleasure built anew; too soon, too much. Haley’s tongue flicked faster, fingers thrusting harder. The pressure coiled, unbearable. Alex’s breath hitched. She slid her free hand beneath Alex’s hip, lifting her higher, angling her deeper.

"Now!" Haley demanded, voice ragged. Alex shattered; a silent scream tearing from her throat, body convulsing violently against her big sister’s mouth.

Haley rode her through the tremors, her tongue gentling to soft, soothing strokes until Alex whimpered, oversensitive. She finally lifted her head, lips slick and swollen. She crawled up Alex’s trembling body, claiming her mouth in a deep kiss, letting Alex taste herself.

Haley groaned into it, her hips grinding against Alex’s thigh, seeking friction. Alex’s hands slid beneath Haley’s sweater, desperate to reciprocate, fingertips tracing damp skin before sinking into Haley’s waistband. Haley gasped into her mouth, bucking against Alex’s searching fingers.

"Inside," Haley choked out, guiding Alex’s hand lower. She hesitated, her fingers slick with Haley’s wetness, as Haley’s tongue tangled harder with hers. Haley broke the kiss, panting. "Please," she whispered, forehead pressed to Alex’s. "Make me feel it too."

Alex slid two fingers inside Haley—tight, silken heat—and Haley cried out, biting Alex’s shoulder.

The world narrowed to Haley’s ragged breaths and Alex’s fingertips curling deeper; Haley’s hips jerking forward, chasing sensation. Haley’s moans grew urgent, strained. "Harder," she gasped, fingers knotting in Alex’s hair.

Alex obeyed; thumb circling Haley’s clit in rough, uneven strokes, as Haley squirmed against her thigh, wet skin sticking to denim. Rain hammered the windows, a frantic drumbeat, as Haley’s breaths hitched higher, sharper. She clutched Alex’s wrist tighter, grinding herself onto Alex’s fingers.

"Don’t stop," Haley choked out, a desperate plea, her eyes squeezed shut.

Alex watched her sister unravel; the tremor in Haley’s jaw, the frantic flutter of her pulse against damp skin, until Haley froze, back bowing violently. A ragged sob tore from her throat as she convulsed against Alex’s thigh, wetness soaking Alex’s jeans.

Silence crashed over them; only the rain and their uneven breaths. Haley slumped against Alex’s chest, trembling, her sweater damp with sweat. Alex stared at the ceiling, Haley’s weight anchoring her, fingers still slick and sticky.

The enormity of what they’d done settled like dust on Claire’s floral sofa. Family photos; Phil’s grin, Claire’s proud smile, watched from the mantelpiece. Haley’s fingertips traced Alex’s collarbone—slow, tentative—as if testing reality.

"Damn," she breathed, the word thick with reverence, her cheek pressed against Alex’s heartbeat.

Alex swallowed, her throat raw, the taste of Haley still sharp. We did it sober, the thought sliced through her, in Mom’s living room.

Haley lifted her head, hazel-green eyes searching Alex’s face; smudged lipstick, flushed skin, with an unfamiliar softness.

"Talk," Haley whispered—a command, a plea—her thumb brushing Alex’s cheekbone.

Alex flinched, words lodged like stones. Outside, a car door slammed, sharp and real. Haley froze, listening, her knuckles whitening against Alex’s skin. Alex stiffened, every nerve screaming, someone’s home.

Haley scrambled backward jerkily, yanking her sweater down, eyes darting to the hallway. "Get dressed!" she hissed, grabbing Alex’s discarded hoodie as footsteps echoed heavily by the front door.

Haley shoved Alex’s bra into her hands—rough, frantic—as Claire’s muffled voice drifted closer: "Phil, did you see my…"

Alex fumbled, zipper snagging, jeans half buttoned, before Haley snatched her wrist, cold fingers biting, dragging her towards the basement stairs. She stumbled, bare feet slipping on hardwood, Haley’s grip iron-tight, as Claire’s purse thumped onto the hall table.

They skidded down the steps, dim light swallowing them, Haley slamming the door and bolting it just as Claire’s footsteps reached the top landing. She leaned against the wood, breathless, forehead pressed to peeling paint, Alex’s own heartbeat hammering behind her ribs, loud enough to drown Claire’s distant call: "Girls?"

Haley finally exhaled; a slow, shuddering breath, fingers tangling with Alex’s clammy palm, pulling her deeper into the cluttered basement apartment, past damp laundry piles, towards the unmade bed. She sank onto the edge of the mattress, springs groaning, tugging Alex down beside her, their thighs brushing, skin still humming with shared heat.

Silence stretched, thick with phantom sounds;  Haley’s ragged breaths, Alex’s swallowed sob, the slick slide of fingers… until Haley turned, eyes tracing Alex’s profile; the tremor in her jaw, the smudged glasses askew.

"Hey," Haley whispered, rough, her thumb brushing a streak of dried lipstick from Alex’s cheekbone. "Talk to me. Was that… too much?"

Alex stared at her hands, knuckles scraped from gripping sofa cushions, Haley’s wetness still tacky between her fingers. She couldn’t smell strawberry perfume now, only sweat, sex, rain, and beneath it; the sharp copper-tang of panic. Claire’s voice upstairs was muffled, asking about misplaced keys, hammered against her temples.

"Someone could’ve walked in," Alex choked out, voice sandpaper-raw, "Mom… Dad… Luke—"

Haley’s hand tightened, fingers interlacing with hers, squeezing hard; anchoring. "But they didn’t," she murmured, leaning closer, her breath warm against Alex’s ear. "It’s just us now. Are you… okay? Physically?"

She gestured vaguely toward Alex’s jeans, still half-unbuttoned, the hoodie zipper jammed below her breasts, exposing flushed skin, Haley’s teeth marks stark against her collarbone.

Her thumb traced the bruise; gentle, possessive, making Alex shiver. "You were shaking so hard," she whispered, "When I…"

Her gaze flicked down, lingering, and Alex remembered: Haley’s tongue; demanding, insistent, the brutal pleasure that ripped through her twice, sober, eyes wide open, in their mother’s favorite room. The memory burned; hotter, sharper than the alcohol-blurred basement.

"Was it—" Haley swallowed, suddenly hesitant, her street-smart bravado cracking. "Was it bad?"

Alex’s stomach clenched, not from disgust, but the raw vulnerability in her big sister’s eyes; the way her fingers trembled against Alex’s palm, so unlike the demanding girl who’d ordered her to come minutes ago.

Alex shook her head violently, hair catching against Haley’s shoulder. "No," she breathed, the word thick and strangled. "It was… terrifying."

Haley flinched, pulling back, but Alex gripped her wrist tight, anchoring her, knuckles white against Haley’s freckled skin.

"Because it wasn’t just… good," Alex confessed, voice cracking, "It was everything… and Mom almost—"

She choked; Claire’s oblivious voice upstairs slicing through her thoughts: Phil, have you seen my reading glasses? Too close. Too real.

Haley’s eyes widened, understanding flashing, before she leaned forward, forehead pressed to Alex’s, their ragged breaths mingling; sweat, salt, the faint metallic tang of panic.

"We’re smarter than this," Haley murmured, fingers tightening. "Next time… my bed. Bolted door."

The promise hung between them, forbidden and irrevocable, as Alex’s thumb brushed Haley’s nipple through thin cotton, drawing a sharp gasp, proof they weren’t done—not yet.

Haley shuddered, arching into Alex’s hesitant touch, her breath catching, sharp, in the dusty stillness. Alex’s fingers trembled, hovering, just beneath Haley’s thin sweater, skin warm, pulse fluttering against her fingertips. Outside, rain hammered the basement windows; gray light slanting across Haley’s face, her hazel-green eyes enormous, locked on Alex’s, searching, waiting.

Alex swallowed, throat raw, her stomach knotting with dread and desperate want, as Haley’s gaze softened; not teasing now, but vulnerable, almost pleading. Her thumb brushed Haley’s nipple again, lightly, and Haley whimpered, low and needy, shifting closer, her thigh pressing against Alex’s jeans, dampness radiating through denim.

"Can I…?" Alex whispered, voice cracking, her eyes tracing Haley’s lips—swollen, smudged scarlet—before drifting downward, toward the hem of Haley’s sweater. "Touch you again? P-properly?" She gestured faintly toward Haley’s waistband, fingers trembling visibly in the dim light.

Haley’s breath hitched, sharp, her knuckles whitening against Alex’s palm. "Yes," she choked out, nodding fiercely, already scrambling back onto the rumpled sheets.

With quick, jerky movements, she peeled off her damp sweater and wriggled out of her jeans, tossing them onto the floor. She paused, fingers hovering at the clasp of her practical black bra, then left it fastened. The worn cotton underwear stayed too, a fragile barrier.

"Like this?" Haley whispered; a question, not a tease, her gaze fixed on her sister’s trembling lips.

Alex hesitated, eyes darting from Haley’s bare shoulders to the small, defiant triangle of lace, then nodded. Her own hoodie followed, zipper rasping, jeans pooling at her ankles. She stood frozen in pale pink bra and sensible cotton briefs, skin prickling in the cool basement air.

Haley sank against the pillows, patting the space beside her; a silent invitation, not command. "C’mere," she murmured—soft, urgent—as Alex crawled forward on unsteady knees, the mattress springs groaning beneath her weight.

Haley’s hand lifted—slow, deliberate—cupping Alex’s flushed cheekbone. Her thumb brushed Alex’s parted lips, smearing scarlet residue, before leaning in; a soft, lingering kiss tasting of salt and shared terror. Then her fingers curled over Alex’s wrist; gentle, guiding, pulling her palm flat against her own stomach, just above the lace waistband.

"Explore," Haley breathed against her mouth, her other hand sliding into Alex’s tangled hair, "Anything you want. Just... feel."

Alex’s fingers trembled against Haley’s skin; hot, velvety soft, as she traced slow paths over Haley’s ribs. She avoided the bra clasp—too intimate, too soon—focusing instead on the constellation of freckles beneath Haley’s collarbone.

Haley shuddered beneath her sister’s touch, a sharp intake of breath, her hips shifting against crumpled sheets. Alex hesitated, fingertips grazing the lace edge of Haley’s underwear; a silent question.

Haley nodded, eyelids fluttering shut, fingers tightening in Alex’s hair. "Yes," she whispered, a ragged sound, as Alex’s palm slid beneath the fabric, encountering smooth, bare skin.

Haley’s mound was meticulously shaved; utterly hairless, waxed smooth and vulnerable. Alex’s breath caught at the startling intimacy; no barrier, nothing hidden, just pure, exposed warmth against her palm. Her big sister whimpered—a high, needy sound—arching against her hand, her thighs parting instinctively. She explored cautiously, fingertips tracing smooth warmth, finding Haley already slick. Haley gasped sharply, hips jerking against her palm.

"Slow," Haley choked out, fingers knotting in Alex's hair; a silent command, not a plea.

Alex obeyed, circling lightly with trembling thumb pads, fascinated by Haley's frantic breaths, her body arching like a taut bowstring beneath each stroke. Haley's eyelids fluttered shut; not composed predator now, but exposed vulnerability, as Alex mapped unfamiliar territory: silken heat, hidden ridges, the tight bud that made Haley cry out when brushed just right.

Haley guided her fingers lower urgently, pressing them inside shallowly. "Deeper," she commanded, shuddering, arching hard against Alex’s wrist. "Curve them up—like—yes!"

Alex obeyed mechanically, fingertips sliding into tight wet heat, curling upward against Haley’s frantic pulse point. Haley gasped—a raw, punched-out sound—legs clamping around Alex’s arm, trapping her hand.

"Don’t stop," she ordered, mouth open, chest heaving as Alex pumped steadily, thumb pressing relentless circles against Haley’s swollen clit. Her gasps fragmented: "Faster—Alex—please," her body bucking wildly against Alex’s trapped wrist.

Alex’s other hand lifted slowly, hovering toward Haley’s straining bra-clad breast. Through sweat-damp cotton, Alex traced the taut nipple, hesitant circles sparking Haley’s choked sob.

"Squeeze," Haley begged, eyes squeezed shut, hips pistoning harder against Alex’s trapped fingers. "Harder—like—ah! Like you mean it."

Alex obeyed; fingers digging fiercely into soft flesh through the worn fabric, Haley arching violently, a silent scream tearing from her throat, her inner muscles clamping down on Alex’s thrusting fingers, wetness flooding Alex’s wrist.

Alex’s mind was swimming; a whirlpool of Haley’s frantic gasps, the slick sounds beneath crumpled sheets, the iron grip of Haley’s thighs trapping her hand. Haley arched violently, hips stuttering against her sister’s wrist, a choked sob escaping her lips as wetness coated Alex’s knuckles.

Alex didn’t stop, couldn’t, fingers still pumping deep, thumb grinding relentless circles against Haley’s throbbing clit. Haley’s fingernails dug into Alex’s scalp, sharp little stars of pain anchoring Alex to the storm of sensation. Haley’s eyes snapped open, wild hazel-green meeting Alex’s stunned brown, her mouth forming Alex’s name without sound, raw and desperate, before her entire body shuddered violently.

A ragged cry tore from Haley’s throat as she convulsed, back bowing so sharply Alex feared Haley might snap, her wetness pulsing hotly around Alex’s buried fingers. Alex felt every clench, every tremor, locked tight against Haley’s thigh until Haley finally went limp, breathing wetly against Alex’s shoulder, a damp patch spreading on Alex’s bra strap.

Silence rushed back; only their ragged breaths, the drumming rain outside, Haley’s faint whimpers against Alex’s skin.

Alex slowly withdrew her hand, fingers shiny and trembling; the tang of sex sharp in the dusty air. Haley didn’t move, sprawled bonelessly across the sheets, eyes closed, lashes sticky against flushed cheeks. She stared at her own hand, Haley’s wetness cooling between her fingers, then at Haley’s pale thighs, still spread open, utterly exposed beneath the rumpled lace.

The cleft of Haley’s pussy glistened; smooth, hairless, vulnerable, tiny muscles still fluttering. Alex’s throat tightened; she’d never seen someone unravel like that; so completely, so intimately.

She wiped her hand hastily on the bedsheet, leaving a damp smear, panic bubbling beneath her skin. Their mom’s muffled laughter drifted down the stairs—loud, sudden—and Alex flinched, scrambling backward, heart hammering against her ribs.

Haley stirred drowsily, blinking at Alex’s panic. "Shhh," she murmured, reaching blindly for Alex’s wrist, her grip weak now. "They’re upstairs… worlds away." Her fingers traced sticky patterns on Alex’s arm. "You okay?"

Alex shook, unable to speak, eyes darting to Haley’s bare body; the fading bite marks above her collarbone, the damp sheen on her stomach, the way her breasts rose and fell beneath the practical black bra.

Haley sighed, a soft, satisfied sound, and shifted onto her side, propping her head on her hand. Her gaze swept Alex’s trembling frame; the askew glasses, the flushed skin beneath the pink bra straps, the crumpled cotton briefs, before settling on Alex’s face. Her expression softened unexpectedly; not predatory now, but quiet, searching.

"You were amazing," she breathed, fingertips brushing Alex’s knuckles—gentle, almost reverent. "Seriously." She paused, hazel-green eyes holding Alex’s terrified gaze. "Did… did you want to?"

Haley gestured vaguely toward Alex’s lap, toward the damp fabric clinging between her thighs. "Your turn?" Her voice cracked slightly; uncertainty bleeding through. "I mean… if you’re not freaking out?" Haley’s thumb rubbed slow circles on Alex’s wrist; soothing, coaxing, as she waited.

Alex swallowed hard, the knot in her throat loosening slightly as Haley’s touch anchored her. Her big sister was right; Mom never descended into this basement clutter, Dad couldn’t navigate the stairs without tripping over Luke’s abandoned skateboard. The risk felt distant, muffled by rain drumming against the high windows.

Haley hadn’t slept with anyone else since Halloween, so no diseases whispered in the back of her mind. They couldn’t get each other pregnant. The logic settled like dust: just sisters exploring something secret and safe, a bond twisted into shapes others wouldn’t recognize.

Maybe she liked girls, maybe she only craved Haley’s particular heat, maybe none of it meant anything beyond skin and sound. All she knew was the tremor in her hands wasn’t fear anymore; it was hunger.

Alex yielded, a soft sigh escaping as Haley’s mouth met hers, gentle and sure, guiding her back into the pillows.

Haley’s lips trailed downward, tasting salt on Alex’s collarbone as her fingers hooked into the waistband of her cotton briefs. She lifted her hips, willingly surrendering the last barrier. Air chilled her damp curls; Haley paused, breath warm against the younger sister’s inner thigh.

"Tell me what feels good," Haley murmured, fingertips tracing the soft swell above Alex’s sex; light, testing. "Don’t think. Just feel."

Alex gasped, hips arching involuntarily as Haley’s thumb brushed her clit; already swollen, aching.

"Harder?" she whispered, circling again with deliberate pressure. Alex nodded frantically, fingers twisting in Haley’s hair. "Here?" her middle finger dipped lower, slipping easily into slick heat, curling upward just inside.

Alex cried out—sharp, jagged—her body clenching around Haley’s touch. "Don’t stop," she begged, voice shattered. "Please don’t stop."

Haley kissed her way back up Alex’s trembling belly, fingers still working deep; slow, relentless thrusts against that spot that made Alex see stars. As she reached Alex’s breasts, her left hand slid behind Alex’s back, fingers fumbling clumsily with the clasp of the pink bra.

The clasp popped open; Haley tugged the straps down Alex’s shoulders. Her baby sister’s breasts spilled free; full, heavy, nipples tight and dusky pink in the gray basement light. Haley groaned low in her throat, capturing Alex’s mouth in a searing kiss as her right thumb pressed hard circles against Alex’s clit.

"Look at you," Haley breathed against her lips, pulling back just enough to watch Alex’s face contort with pleasure. "So fucking perfect."

Haley’s mouth descended onto Alex’s right breast; hot, wet, and demanding. Her tongue swirled around the peaked nipple before sucking hard, drawing a ragged cry from her little sister’s throat. At the same moment, her slick fingers slid deeper inside, curling upward with brutal precision.

Alex arched violently off the mattress, hips grinding against Haley’s hand, her own fingers scrabbling at Haley’s shoulders. Haley shifted her attention to Alex’s left breast; biting gently, then soothing the sting with her tongue, while her thumb never ceased its relentless pressure on Alex’s throbbing clit.

The dual assault—mouth and hand, heat and friction—left Alex gasping, incoherent, her world narrowing to the points of contact: Haley’s mouth on her nipple, Haley’s fingers stretching her, Haley’s thumb circling maddeningly.

Alex couldn’t stop herself. She reached behind Haley and fumbled until the bra gave way, the clasp releasing with a soft snick. Haley gasped against Alex’s breast as the straps loosened; Alex yanked the damp fabric down Haley’s shoulders, exposing small, perfect breasts; pale skin flushed pink, nipples hard and dusky.

Alex’s hands closed over them; hesitant at first, then squeezing firmly, kneading soft flesh the way Haley had begged. Haley moaned, low and guttural, her hips instinctively rocking against Alex’s thigh, seeking friction. She watched, mesmerized, as Haley’s nipples peaked impossibly tighter under her touch, her own arousal spiking at the raw need on her big sister’s face.

Haley’s mouth left Alex’s breast, trailing wet kisses up her throat. "Touch me," she demanded against Alex’s jaw, breath hot and ragged. "Down there—while you do this." She guided her sister’s right hand roughly between her own legs.

Alex obeyed blindly, fingers slipping through slick heat, finding Haley’s clit swollen and throbbing. Haley bucked violently against Alex’s hand, a choked cry escaping her as Alex rubbed tight, frantic circles; thumb grinding against Haley’s clit while her palm pressed hard against Haley’s mound. Haley’s hips jerked in time with Alex’s thrusts, her own fingers still buried deep inside, curling ruthlessly.

Their mouths crashed together; messy, desperate, tongues tangling, teeth scraping. Haley moaned into Alex’s mouth, the vibration humming through Alex’s skull as she pumped her fingers harder, deeper into Haley’s slick heat. Alex’s thumb never left Haley’s clit, rubbing faster now, slick sounds mingling with their ragged breaths.

Haley broke the kiss, panting heavily, her eyes wild and unfocused. "Fuck me harder," she gasped, hips slamming against Alex’s hand. "Make me come again—now."

Alex obeyed, driving her fingers deeper, thumb pressing harder, circles tight and relentless, as Haley’s fingers inside Alex curved sharply upward, hitting that spot that tore a scream from Alex’s throat.

Haley’s thighs clamped around Alex’s wrist, trapping her hand as Haley’s hips bucked violently. "Don’t stop—don’t you fucking stop!" she snarled, her fingers plunging deeper into Alex, thumb grinding against Alex’s clit with bruising pressure.

Alex whimpered, overwhelmed by sensation; Haley’s wetness coating her wrist, Haley’s fingers stretching her, Haley’s thumb relentless, her own body arching uncontrollably. Haley’s cry cut through the air; sharp, shattered, as her back bowed, wetness pulsing hotly around Alex’s buried fingers.

Alex felt Haley clench, convulse, shudder; each spasm echoing inside her own body like a physical shockwave. Haley’s climax ripped through Alex’s nerves, her own untouched clit throbbing in frantic sympathy; Haley’s desperate tremors didn’t just trigger Alex’s orgasm, they tore it from her. Her scream tangled with Haley’s gasps as her vision whited out, hips jerking against Haley’s trapped hand, wetness flooding Haley’s knuckles; a brutal, shared unraveling.

Haley collapsed, shuddering, her fingers still inside her baby sister, slick and heavy. Alex trembled violently, aftershocks wracking her body as Haley’s thumb softened its circles, gentling against Alex’s oversensitive flesh. Her free hand slid up Alex’s trembling thigh, fingertips tracing the damp trail between Alex’s legs, smearing the evidence of their shared climax.

"Jesus," she breathed, her voice raw and awed, pulling Alex closer until Alex’s forehead pressed against her sweat-slicked shoulder. The scent of sex and rain hung thick between them; salt, musk, the faint metallic tang of exertion, as Haley kissed Alex’s temple, her lips trembling against damp skin. "That was... unexpected."

Haley’s fingers slowly withdrew, leaving Alex aching and hollow, her breath ragged against Haley’s collarbone. Her thoughts scrambled like static; physics equations obliterated by the phantom pressure of Haley’s thumb, the echo of Haley’s wetness cooling on her fingers.

She stared blankly at Haley’s discarded lace underwear tangled near her knee, the pale triangle stark against rumpled gray sheets. Haley shifted, turning to face Alex fully, her small breasts brushing Alex’s arm as she hooked a leg over Alex’s hip; possessive, anchoring.

"Talk to me," she murmured, thumb brushing a smear of scarlet from Alex’s swollen lip. "Are you freaking out?" Her tone held no mockery now, only cautious probing.

Alex swallowed, throat tight, unable to articulate the collision of shame and exhilaration; how Haley’s command had sliced through her panic, leaving only obedience and release.

Finally, Alex managed words; stiff, brittle. "I’m not… as freaked as I was." She paused, gaze fixed on Haley’s collarbone where a bruise bloomed faint and purple. "But it’s still kinda… weird." The admission scraped out raw. "We’re sisters."

Haley traced the jagged edge of Alex’s bitten thumbnail; her own fingers still damp, faintly trembling.

"Weird?" she echoed softly, pressing closer until her breath warmed Alex’s ear. "Kinda. But weird doesn’t mean bad." She nudged Alex’s knee with hers. "You liked it. Both times. You trembled." Her lips skimmed Alex’s temple. "Is weird the only thing stopping you?"

Alex glanced toward the door before Haley’s fingers hooked under her chin, forcing eye contact. The sheer, unnerving intimacy glinting in Haley’s hazel eyes erased doubt faster than logic. Haley’s thumb brushed her lip; knowing, possessive, then slid downward over her throat, the pulse hammering wildly beneath her touch.

"I know you," Haley murmured, her breath hot against Alex’s jawline. "You need rules. Definitions. Fine." Her palm settled low on Alex’s bare stomach, claiming territory, as she mapped boundaries: no labels beyond this, no telling anyone ever, just them exploring this fever-heat until the fire burned itself out. "Exclusive," Haley punctuated the word with a sharp nip at Alex’s earlobe. "Only me. Only you. Until we decide no more."

Alex shuddered, the simplicity easing the tangled panic in her chest. Rules she could cling to, like lifelines in a hurricane.

Haley watched Alex’s eyes widen; not panic this time, calculation, the gears turning as Haley pressed their foreheads together.

"We stop whenever you say stop," Haley added sharply, eyes locking onto Alex’s; her thumb pressing a silent oath into Alex’s hipbone. "Deal?"

Alex nodded once—stiff, brittle—her breath catching as Haley’s hand slid lower, fingertips grazing damp curls. The basement door rattled upstairs—Luke’s muffled yell about pizza boxes—and Alex flinched, legs snapping shut.

Haley withdrew instantly, rolling onto her back with a frustrated sigh. "Brat," she muttered, but her hand found Alex’s thigh again; reassurance, not demand.

Alex’s pulse slowed, the coiled tension easing beneath Haley’s touch. Rules. Escape hatches. A language Alex understood.

Haley tugged her little sister closer, draping an arm across her waist. Her thumb traced idle patterns on Alex’s hipbone—silent repetition: mine, safe, secret.

Alex watched dust motes dance in the early evening light filtering through the high windows, familiar chaos echoing overhead; Claire’s sharp command, Luke’s clumsy thud, Phil’s goofy laughter; a dissonant soundtrack to the sweat-slick silence below. Haley’s breath warmed her shoulder, steady and slow.

For the first time since Halloween, Alex’s mind didn’t race toward equations or consequences. It simply settled; anchored by Haley’s weight, Haley’s scent (strawberry shampoo and something darker, muskier), Haley’s thumb circling like a mantra against her skin.

Chapter Text

Chapter 3

Throughout November, Haley watched Alex’s confidence bloom in stolen moments; under tangled sheets, against bathroom counters, once pressed against the laundry room dryer mid-cycle. The hesitant girl who’d fumbled with bra clasps now mapped Haley’s body with a scholar’s precision, tongue tracing the dip of her hipbones like memorizing equations.

–––

About a week after their whispered agreement, Alex hovered uncertainly above Haley on her own rumpled bed, fingers trembling against the clasp of Haley’s black lace bra; the one she’d deliberately worn knowing it would fray Alex’s nerves.

“Can I—?” Alex’s voice cracked, her glasses fogging slightly with each shallow breath.

Haley arched an eyebrow, feigning nonchalance as she let the strap slip off one shoulder. “Spit it out, nerd.”

Her blush deepened, her hips shifting restlessly against Haley’s thighs. “I wanna… try,” she murmured, fingers finally freeing the clasp.

The bra fell away, and Haley exhaled sharply; not from exposure, but from the raw hunger in Alex’s gaze as she stared down at Haley’s bare chest.

“Tell me what to do,” Alex whispered, already sinking between Haley’s legs before receiving instructions.

Haley gripped the sheets as her warm breath ghosted over her inner thigh, her little sister’s nervous exhales sending tremors through her skin. Her first touch was hesitant, just the flat of her tongue tracing Haley’s folds, but Haley arched violently, a broken sound escaping her lips.

“Just like that,” she gasped, tangling her fingers in Alex’s messy dark hair.

Encouraged, Alex pressed closer, her lips wrapping around Haley’s clit with surprising instinct. Haley’s hips jerked off the mattress, her thighs clamping around Alex’s shoulders.

“Oh fuck—yes—” The words dissolved into a moan as Alex’s tongue found a rhythm, alternating broad strokes with sharp flicks that made Haley’s toes curl.

She watched through fogged glasses as Haley unraveled above her; the way her big sister’s breath hitched when Alex sucked just right, how her stomach muscles trembled as she fought not to buck too hard. She loved the power; the way Haley’s fingers spasmed in her hair, the desperate little whimpers she couldn’t suppress. Every choked “don’t stop” sent heat pooling low in Alex’s belly, her own hips grinding helplessly against the mattress.

Haley’s thighs tightened around Alex’s ears when she curled two fingers inside her, the sudden stretch drawing a ragged cry. Alex remembered exactly how Haley had touched her that first time—the angle, the pressure—and mirrored it now, her palm pressing firm against Haley’s clit with each thrust. The taste was sharper than she expected, salt and musk blooming across her tongue as Haley’s back arched off the bed.

“Look at me,” Haley demanded, her voice wrecked. Alex glanced up, her glasses slipping down her nose, and Haley moaned at the sight; her genius little sister’s lips glistening, chin damp, eyes dark with hunger. Haley’s fingers twisted in the sheets. “Fuck, you’re good at this,” she gasped, hips rolling to meet Alex’s tongue. “Too good—Christ, Alex—”

Alex moaned against her, the vibration tearing a ragged cry from Haley’s throat. She pulled her fingers out slowly, spreading Haley wider with both thumbs, and curled her tongue deeper inside instead, lapping at her with slow, deliberate strokes. Haley’s thighs trembled violently, her heels digging into the mattress as she tried—and failed—to keep still.

“Don’t stop—” she gasped, her fingers tightening in Alex’s hair, tugging sharply. “Don’t you fucking stop—” Her hips jerked forward, grinding against Alex’s mouth, her slickness smearing across Alex’s chin and glasses. The friction was delicious, messy, the wet sounds muffled only by Haley’s bitten-off moans.

Alex obeyed, her tongue relentless; sucking Haley’s clit into her mouth before releasing it with a pop, circling the swollen bud with quick, agile flicks. Her fingers curled back inside, pressing hard against that spongy spot she knew would unravel Haley completely, her knuckles slick with Haley’s arousal. Her big sister’s thighs tensed, her breath coming in sharp, ragged pants; her entire body coiled tight, trembling with the need to break.

Haley didn’t just come; she burst apart, her fingers tangled in Alex’s hair, her back arching off the bed with a cry that sounded almost panicked. Her hips bucked wildly against Alex’s mouth, wetness overflowing, dripping down Alex’s chin and onto the sheets beneath them. She kept going, her tongue relentless, lapping up every drop, swallowing Haley down like she was afraid to waste even a single taste.

Haley gasped for air, her thighs trembling violently around Alex’s ears, her stomach muscles clenched tight. “Holy fuck,” she choked out, her voice wrecked, her fingers tightening in Alex’s hair. “Did you—did you fucking plan that?”

Alex didn’t answer, too busy swallowing, her tongue still working lazy circles against Haley’s oversensitive clit, milking every last shudder from her big sister’s body. The taste was overwhelming; sharp and musky, flooding her senses, soaking her chin, her glasses now uselessly fogged and smeared. Haley’s hips jerked weakly, her breath coming in ragged gasps as she tried to shift away, but Alex pressed closer, fingers still buried deep inside, refusing to let her retreat. Not yet.

“Jesus—Alex—” Haley’s voice cracked, her thighs trembling violently around Alex’s shoulders as her little sister’s tongue lapped up every drop, messy and thorough, like she was memorizing the flavor.

Alex’s free hand gripped Haley’s hipbone, holding her in place, the possessive pressure making Haley whimper—half protest, half surrender—as her fingers tangled tighter in her sister’s dark hair.

Alex didn’t stop until Haley’s thighs slackened, her breathing ragged, her fingers finally loosening their death grip on Alex’s scalp. Only then did she pull back, her lips swollen, her chin glistening, glasses smeared beyond use, which she realized as she wiped them clumsily on the sheet before tossing them onto the nightstand. Haley exhaled sharply, her chest rising and falling unevenly as she stared at her with a mix of awe and residual panic, her fingers tracing her own collarbone as if checking she hadn’t imagined the intensity.

Haley reached for her suddenly, her grip unexpectedly firm as she yanked Alex up; not gently, not hesitantly, but with a roughness that bordered on desperation, and crushed their mouths together before Alex could process the movement. The kiss tasted overwhelmingly of herself, salt and musk smearing against Alex’s lips, her tongue pushing in deep, claiming every inch of her little sister’s mouth as if chasing remnants of herself.

Alex gasped into the kiss, her fingers instinctively tangling in Haley’s damp hair, their bodies rolling together until Haley was pressing her down into the mattress, her bare thigh slotting between Alex’s legs with intimate precision.

"I’m gonna wreck you," Haley breathed against Alex’s parted lips, her hand already sliding down Alex’s trembling stomach, fingertips skating over her hipbone; a silent warning before plunging lower.

Alex arched off the bed with a choked cry as Haley’s fingers slid through her slickness in one brutal stroke, her thumb pressing hard against her clit without hesitation or preamble.

"Wait—Haley—" she stammered, her thighs clamping around Haley’s wrist, but Haley just smirked, her fingers curling deliberately inside, her thumb circling faster, relentless.

The rough treatment shattered Alex’s usual overthinking; her brain short-circuited as Haley’s fingers pistoned into her, the heel of her palm grinding against her clit with bruising pressure.

Haley watched Alex’s mouth fall open in silent ecstasy, her eyes blown wide, her dark hair fanned across the pillow; utterly wrecked already, and Haley had barely started.

"You taste so fucking good," Haley growled, her free hand gripping Alex’s thigh to keep her spread wide as she leaned down to lick a stripe up Alex’s throat. "Wanna make you scream so loud the whole house hears."

Alex’s hips bucked wildly, her fingers scrabbling for purchase in the sheets as Haley’s thumb circled faster, her other fingers crooking just right inside her. The pressure built terrifyingly fast; no teasing, no buildup, just Haley’s ruthless precision honed from weeks of memorizing Alex’s body.

"Haley—I can’t—" she gasped, her back arching off the bed, her thighs trembling violently around Haley’s relentless hand.

Haley just smirked, her breath hot against Alex’s ear. "Yeah you can," she murmured, biting down on Alex’s earlobe hard enough to make her whimper. "Come for your big sister."

The orgasm ripped through Alex like a live wire, her vision whiting out as her body convulsed uncontrollably. Haley didn’t let up, her fingers still pistoning inside Alex even as she writhed, her thumb pressing harder against her oversensitive clit until tears pricked at the corners of Alex’s eyes.

"Fuck—Haley—too much—" Alex sobbed, her hips jerking erratically between chasing the sensation and trying to escape it.

Haley finally eased off, withdrawing her fingers slowly, watching with dark satisfaction as Alex shuddered through the aftershocks, her chest heaving. She licked her fingers clean with deliberate slowness, her eyes locked on Alex’s flushed face.

"You taste fucking incredible," she murmured, her voice rough with arousal.

She leaned down to kiss her little sister again, their tongues tangling as Alex moaned into her mouth, still trembling from the intensity of her climax. Her hand slid down Alex’s sweat-slicked thigh, her fingers tracing lazy circles just above where Alex was still throbbing, teasing without quite touching.

Before Alex could catch her breath, Haley was shifting lower, her hands gripping Alex’s thighs firmly, spreading her wide open. Alex gasped as Haley’s hot breath ghosted over her sensitive flesh, her hips jerking instinctively.

"Haley—" she whimpered, her fingers tightening in her sister’s hair.

Haley didn’t hesitate; she pressed her tongue flat against Alex’s folds, licking her in one long, slow stroke from bottom to top. Alex cried out, her back arching off the bed, her thighs trembling around her shoulders.

Haley smirked against her skin, then leaned in again, circling her clit with the tip of her tongue, slow and teasing. Alex whimpered, her hands fisting the sheets beneath her. Haley reached up suddenly, her fingers cupping Alex’s breasts roughly, squeezing them as her tongue pressed harder against her clit. Alex cried out again, her hips bucking forward. Haley twisted Alex’s nipples between her fingers, rolling them until Alex was writhing beneath her, her breaths coming in short, desperate gasps.

Haley’s tongue traced slow circles around Alex’s clit, her fingers twisting Alex’s nipples harder; just the way she knew Alex liked it. Alex arched off the bed with a choked moan, her thighs trembling against Haley’s shoulders. Haley watched her baby sister’s face; the way her lips parted, her brows knitted together, her glasses slipping crookedly down her nose; and she reveled in every tiny reaction. Haley’s tongue flicked faster, relentless, as her thumbs rolled Alex’s nipples in tight circles, sending electric shocks of pleasure straight to Alex’s core.

She pulled back just enough to smirk up at her little sister, her breath hot against Alex’s slick folds. “Imagine if Mom walked in right now,” she murmured, her fingers still teasing Alex’s nipples. “If she heard you screaming my name like the desperate little slut you are—” Alex whimpered, her hips jerking forward, already so close. Haley let her tongue dart out again, lapping at Alex’s clit just once—short, sharp—before continuing,  “She’d hear how wet you get for me, how you moan when I fuck you—”

Alex cried out, her fingers twisting in Haley’s hair, her body trembling on the edge. Haley’s lips curled into a wicked grin as she deliberately slowed her movements, circling Alex’s clit with maddening lightness.

“You think she’d ground you?” Haley whispered, her breath ghosting over Alex’s sensitive skin. “Or would she just listen at the door, trying to figure out why her perfect little genius is begging her sister to make her come—”

Alex’s thighs clenched around Haley’s head, her entire body shuddering as Haley’s tongue pressed harder, faster. “God, Haley—please—” she gasped, her voice breaking.

“Please what?” Haley pulled back sharply, leaving Alex whimpering at the sudden loss of contact. She gripped Alex’s hips, her nails biting into soft skin as she stared up at her little sister’s flushed face. “Say it.”

Alex’s throat worked silently, her lips parted around ragged breaths. Haley’s thumb brushed feather-light over Alex’s clit, watching her hips jerk helplessly.

“Tell me exactly what you want,” she murmured, her voice dripping with challenge. “Or I stop.”

Alex’s fingers twisted in the sheets, her mind scrambling through the fog of arousal. “I want—your mouth,” she gasped, the admission scraping her throat raw.

Haley’s smirk deepened as she leaned in again, her breath hot against Alex’s wet flesh. “Where?” she prompted, her tongue tracing lazy circles just below where Alex needed it most.

Alex’s thighs trembled violently. “On my—on my clit,” she choked out, her hips bucking forward when Haley’s tongue flicked against it once, teasing. “Harder,” she pleaded, her voice cracking. “Please, Haley—”

Haley obeyed with a vengeance, her lips sealing around Alex’s clit as she sucked sharply, her fingers plunging back inside without warning. Alex’s cry shattered into a high-pitched whine as her tongue worked in rapid, punishing circles, her fingers curling just right—once, twice—before Alex’s body locked up, her back arching off the bed in a silent scream. She moaned against her sex, swallowing every pulse of Alex’s climax, her fingers slowing to gentle strokes as Alex collapsed, twitching and gasping.

Haley crawled up Alex’s shuddering body, her own thighs slick with arousal, and crushed their mouths together in a messy, breathless kiss. Alex whimpered into it, her fingers clutching Haley’s shoulders; still oversensitive, still trembling, but Haley didn’t relent. She ground her hips against Alex’s thigh, her wetness smearing hot against skin, her breath ragged against Alex’s lips.

"Feel that?" Haley gasped, rocking harder. "That’s what you do to me."

Alex’s hands slid down Haley’s back, fingertips digging into the dimples above her ass as Haley rutted against her thigh with desperate, uncoordinated thrusts. Haley’s forehead dropped to Alex’s shoulder, her moans muffled against sweat-damp skin.

"Fuck—Alex—" Her hips stuttered, her entire body tensing as pleasure crested—until the sharp buzz of a phone vibrating on the nightstand shattered the moment.

They froze. Haley’s phone lit up with Gavin’s contact photo, a shirtless selfie he’d programmed himself, accompanied by the obnoxious ringtone he’d demanded she use. Haley hissed a curse, her muscles locking as she fought the interruption, but Alex’s fingers tightened possessively on her hips.

"Ignore it," Alex murmured, tilting Haley’s chin up to reclaim her mouth; a dominance Haley usually wielded, now flipped.

The phone stopped vibrating. For three precious seconds, their ragged breaths were the only sound; then it buzzed again, insistent. Haley groaned, her forehead dropping against Alex’s collarbone.

"Fuck off, Gavin," she snarled toward the nightstand, but her hips stilled. Alex traced Haley’s spine with blunt nails, her lips brushing Haley’s temple. "He’ll keep calling," Haley muttered, her voice thick with frustration. "Last time I ignored him, he showed up at the house."

Alex’s fingers stilled. The idea of Haley’s obnoxious boss barging in while they were like this—skin damp, legs tangled, the air thick with sex—sent a jolt of panic through her. Haley felt the shift instantly. She rolled onto her back with a frustrated exhale, one arm flung over her eyes.

"I hate him," she hissed, her thigh still pressed hot against Alex’s. The phone buzzed a third time. Haley snatched it, swiping to answer with a venomous "What?"

Gavin’s nasal voice crackled through the speaker, demanding Haley fetch some absurdly specific coffee blend for a last-minute client meeting. Alex watched Haley’s jaw tighten, her fingers gripping the sheets like she wanted to strangle something.

"It’s Saturday," Haley ground out, but Gavin steamrolled her with a dismissive "Be there in twenty" before the line went dead. Haley hurled the phone onto the mattress with a snarl, her chest rising and falling rapidly.

Alex traced a finger down Haley’s twitching forearm, her touch feather-light. "You don’t have to go," she murmured, though they both knew Haley would; Gavin had a knack for dangling career opportunities like carrots just out of reach.

Haley exhaled sharply through her nose, then rolled abruptly onto Alex, pinning her wrists with uncharacteristic force. "Make it worth my while then," she challenged, her hips grinding down hard enough to wring a gasp from Alex.

The sudden shift from vulnerability to dominance sent heat pooling low in Alex’s stomach; Haley’s teeth scraped her pulse point as fingers tugged her wrists above her head.

"You’ve got ten minutes," Haley breathed against her throat, her knee nudging Alex’s thighs apart with practiced precision. Alex arched instinctively, the protest dying on her lips when Haley’s thumb circled her clit in slow, deliberate strokes—reward and punishment in one.

Haley lifted Alex’s left leg around her own hip with a rough tug, their damp bodies aligning seamlessly. Alex gasped as their pussies pressed together, the slick friction igniting her nerves; Haley rocked forward with a groan, her tongue plunging into Alex’s mouth to swallow the sound. Their breasts rubbed together, nipples pebbling painfully tight; Alex bit Haley’s lower lip hard enough to taste copper, her hips jerking upward to meet each grind.

Haley’s breath hitched when Alex’s clit dragged against hers with a jolt of electricity, her fingers digging bruises into Alex’s thigh to anchor herself. The rhythm was messy, desperate; wetness smearing between them in obscene streaks, her moans vibrating against Alex’s lips as their movements grew erratic. Alex’s free hand scrabbled down Haley’s sweat-slicked back, nails scoring red lines as Haley’s thigh muscles trembled with exertion.

The angle shifted; Haley hooked Alex’s leg higher over her hip, pressing down harder until Alex whimpered into her mouth, their swollen clits grinding together in relentless friction. Haley’s breath stuttered, her forehead dropping to Alex’s as she chased the sensation, their shared gasps hot and mingling. Alex’s hips jerked upward, matching Haley’s frantic pace, the slap of skin echoing through the room—too loud, too reckless—but neither cared, not when Haley’s teeth caught Alex’s lower lip just right.

Haley’s hands abandoned Alex’s wrists to grasp her breasts, squeezing roughly before twisting her nipples between thumb and forefinger, sharp enough to wring a choked sob from Alex’s throat. In retaliation, Alex’s fingers dug into Haley’s ass, pulling her impossibly closer, her blunt nails leaving crescents in soft flesh as Haley’s movements grew erratic.

Every drag of Haley’s clit against hers sent sparks up Alex’s spine, the pleasure coiling tighter; she could feel Haley trembling above her, her rhythm faltering as their shared slickness coated their thighs.

“I’m—Haley, I’m close,” Alex whimpered, her voice cracking as her thighs clamped around Haley’s hips, her orgasm cresting violently, unstoppable.

Haley groaned against her collarbone, her hips stuttering as she gasped, “Yeah? Just—hold on, hold on—” Her fingers tangled in Alex’s hair, tugging hard as she lifted her head to capture Alex’s lips in a sloppy, desperate kiss, swallowing every ragged breath; she was close too, so close, Alex could feel it in the way her muscles locked, in the way her clit pulsed against hers.

Haley’s hands slid down Alex’s sweat-slicked sides, gripping her hips with bruising force as she ground down harder, their slick folds dragging together in torturous, perfect friction.

“Come with me,” Haley panted against Alex’s mouth, her voice raw—commanding, pleading—her fingernails biting crescents into Alex’s skin. “Right now, Alex—fuck—”

Alex arched off the bed with a silent scream as Haley’s teeth sank into her shoulder; the pain sent her hurtling over the edge, her body convulsing wildly as Haley’s hips jerked erratically against hers, their shared wetness smearing hot between them.

Haley gasped sharply, her thighs locking tight around Alex’s hips as her orgasm ripped through her; her fingers tangled in Alex’s hair, her moan muffled against Alex’s throat as she shuddered violently, her clit pulsing against Alex’s in oversensitive aftershocks.

Alex whimpered, her hands clutching Haley’s trembling back, her own climax still washing through her in waves; Haley’s muscled stomach flexed beneath her palms, slick with sweat, her heartbeat thundering against Alex’s chest where they pressed together, skin to skin, breath to breath.

The aftershocks faded slowly, their panting breaths the only sound in the room besides the distant hum of the house’s air conditioning.

Haley rolled onto her side with a groan, her arm slung heavily across Alex’s waist, her fingertips idly tracing the fresh bite mark on Alex’s shoulder; still red, still stinging. Alex swallowed hard, her fingers hesitating before brushing Haley’s damp hair from her forehead, tucking it behind her ear with a gentleness that made Haley’s breath hitch unexpectedly.

“I really do have to go,” Haley murmured, though she made no move to get up, her leg still hooked possessively over Alex’s thigh.

Alex nodded, her thumb brushing Haley’s bottom lip—swollen from kissing, from biting—before she forced herself to pull away, the loss of contact like a physical ache. Haley sat up with a wince, her muscles protesting as she reached for her discarded underwear, her movements sluggish, her skin still flushed.

Alex watched her sister dress; Haley’s fingers fumbling with her bra clasp, her shirt inside-out at first, and something twisted in her chest at the domesticity of it, at how ordinary Haley looked despite the mess they’d just made of each other.

Haley caught her staring and smirked, tossing Alex’s glasses at her with practiced precision. “What?” she teased, stepping into her jeans with a sway of her hips. “Regretting your life choices?”

Alex snorted, pushing her glasses up her nose with one finger, the lenses still slightly fogged from exertion. “Just wondering how you’re gonna explain smelling like sex to Gavin.”

Haley froze mid-button, her eyes narrowing playfully. “Bitch,” she muttered, but the corner of her mouth twitched as she yanked her blouse over her head, the fabric clinging to her still-damp skin.

The bed creaked as Haley sat down to tug on her boots, her movements rougher than necessary; lingering frustration leaking through. Alex studied the tense line of her shoulders, the way her jaw worked silently. She reached out before she could stop herself, fingertips skimming Haley’s spine through the thin fabric. Haley exhaled sharply, her posture softening just slightly.

“You’re gonna be late,” Alex murmured, withdrawing her hand like she’d been burned.

Haley turned abruptly, catching Alex’s wrist mid-retreat. Her grip was firm, but her thumb stroked the delicate skin underneath; gentle contradiction. “Text me when Mom leaves,” she ordered, her voice low. It wasn’t a request.

Alex swallowed, nodding once. Haley’s eyes flickered with something unreadable before she released Alex’s wrist and stood, snatching her purse off the floor.

The door clicked shut behind Haley, leaving Alex alone in the tangled sheets, the scent of sex and Haley’s vanilla perfume clinging stubbornly to the air. She pressed her palms to her eyelids, exhaling sharply; her pulse still thrummed unevenly, her body humming with residual pleasure and something heavier, something she refused to name. Distantly, she heard Claire calling her name from downstairs, the sound muffled through the floor boards.

Downstairs, Haley breezed past her mother with a distracted wave, her cheeks still flushed. Claire sniffed pointedly at the strong scent of alcohol Haley had spritzed over herself in a panic; cheap vodka, stolen from her mother’s “emergency” stash.

“You reek,” Claire sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. “At least try to act professional for once.”

Haley rolled her eyes, already halfway out the door. “Love you too, Mom,” she tossed over her shoulder, her voice dripping with sarcasm that didn’t quite mask the tremor beneath.

Upstairs, Alex lay frozen in the wreckage of her bed, her fingers tracing the indentations of Haley’s nails still raised on her thighs; half-wishing they’d scar, something permanent to carry forward. The house pulsed around her; Claire’s footsteps retreating downstairs, Luke’s muffled video game gunfire through the wall, the creak of pipes as someone ran water. Normal sounds. Mundane. They pressed against her skin like accusations.

She rolled onto her side, pressing her face into Haley’s pillow; vanilla and strawberry and sweat and something metallic, the ghost of their teeth clashing. Her stomach twisted. This wasn’t supposed to happen. Not like this. Not with Haley.

Alex squeezed her eyes shut, but her traitorous brain replayed the way Haley’s hips had stuttered against hers, the raw gasp when Alex’s fingers dug into her back just shy of drawing blood. The way Haley had looked at her afterward—half-sated, half-starving—like Alex was something to devour and worship in the same breath.

Downstairs, the front door slammed. Alex flinched, her fingers curling into the sheets still damp with their sweat. She could still taste Haley on her tongue; bitter and sweet, salt and something darker, something hers alone. Her chest clenched violently.

This isn’t love, she told herself desperately. Love didn’t leave bruises blooming like ink under skin. Love didn’t twist your stomach into knots when your sister’s laugh echoed through the house, bright and careless like she hadn’t just ruined you. Love wasn’t hunger. Not like this.

This couldn't be love; this crawling, gnawing thing in Alex's ribs that tightened every time Haley's perfume lingered in the hallway, that throbbed when Haley's laugh echoed too loud downstairs. Love was slow dances and whispered promises, not stolen moments between calculus textbooks and stolen glances across the dinner table while their parents bickered about grocery lists.

Alex pressed her palms harder against her closed eyelids, willing the heat behind them to recede. Bodies could lie; they could twist need into something softer, something fatal.

The pillow still smelled like Haley; like the strawberry shampoo she’d used since middle school and something sharper, muskier, something Alex could still taste on the back of her tongue.

She dug her fingers into the fabric until her knuckles ached, as if she could strangle the feeling clawing up her throat. It wasn’t love. It couldn’t be. Love didn’t make you ache this way, didn’t leave you hollowed out and desperate, didn’t twist your insides until you couldn’t tell where pleasure ended and panic began.

Love didn't happen between siblings—not the kind that made your throat tighten when they stretched their arms overhead, not the kind that left your palms sweaty when their knee brushed yours at breakfast.

Yet Alex's pulse still thrummed erratically, her lips tingling with the phantom press of Haley's teeth.

She pressed a hand to her sternum as if she could physically press the feeling back down where it belonged, but it slithered between her ribs like ivy, stubborn and alive.

She was in love with Haley.

The realization punched through Alex's ribs like a blade, sharp and undeniable, yet she squeezed her eyes shut tighter, as if she could unthink it.

The ache wasn't just physical; it was in the way Haley's laughter sounded brighter than anyone else's, how her stupid fashion magazines left ink stains on the couch cushions, how she chewed her lip raw when pretending not to care.

Facts stacked like dominoes in Alex's mind: the accelerated heartbeat when Haley entered a room, the way her skin tingled for hours after Haley touched her, the hollow in her stomach when Haley left for work. Scientific evidence pointed to one conclusion, and Alex Dunphy didn't believe in denying data.

Downstairs, Claire called her name again, sharper this time. Alex dragged herself upright, her muscles protesting as she yanked on the first clothes she found; Haley's discarded sweatshirt, the sleeves swallowing her hands. The fabric smelled like them both now, sex and vanilla and something irrevocably tangled.

She hesitated at the door, her palm pressed against the wood where Haley had slammed it moments ago, then inhaled sharply and stepped into the hallway. Normalcy clung to the house like a thin veneer; Lily's high-pitched giggle from the living room, the clatter of dishes from the kitchen. Alex's skin felt too tight, as if she'd outgrown the life she'd built.

A few nights later, with the house groaning under the weight of mid-November chill, Haley cornered Alex outside the upstairs bathroom; one hand clamped over her little sister’s mouth, the other tugging the damp towel tighter around Alex’s waist. The terrycloth rasped against her bare thighs as she crowded Alex against the hallway wall, her lips brushing the shell of Alex’s ear.

"Breathe wrong and you’ll wake Mom and Dad," she murmured, her thumb pressing possessively into the hinge of Alex’s jaw.

The threat was unnecessary; Alex’s pupils were already blown wide, her pulse hammering visibly at her throat, her bare toes curling against the hardwood as Haley’s knee nudged between her thighs.

Haley’s tank top rode up as she maneuvered them downstairs, moonlight catching on the sweat-damp hollow of her lower back. Alex’s gaze snagged on the way the fabric clung to Haley’s ribs, how her nipples stood taut against the thin cotton; proof she’d planned this.

The basement door creaked ominously, but Haley didn’t flinch, her fingers lacing with Alex’s to drag her into the dimness. The air smelled of laundry detergent and dust, the concrete floor biting into Alex’s soles as Haley backed her against the washing machine.

"You’re shaking," Haley observed, her grin flashing white in the dark. Her palms skated up Alex’s sides, the towel unraveling between them. "Cold? Or just… scared?"

The towel pooled at their feet. Haley’s thumbs hooked into Alex’s hips, pressing bruises into bone as she leaned in; not kissing, just breathing against Alex’s mouth, letting her feel the heat.

"You left the bathroom door unlocked," Haley murmured, her knee nudging higher between Alex’s thighs. "Like you wanted me to catch you."

Alex shuddered, her fingers scrabbling at Haley’s tank top seams; the fabric ripped slightly, the sound loud enough to make them both freeze. Upstairs, a floorboard groaned. Haley’s laugh was a puff of warmth against Alex’s collarbone.

"Guess we’ll have to be quiet," she whispered, her teeth grazing the tendon in Alex’s neck. "Unless you want Dad to find us like this."

Alex’s choked noise was swallowed by Haley’s palm as she slid a hand between them, fingers slicking through Alex’s wetness with practiced ease. The washing machine vibrated faintly against Alex’s back, the rhythm syncing with Haley’s circling thumb—deliberate, relentless.

Haley watched Alex’s lashes flutter, her own breath hitching when Alex bit down on the meat of her hand to stifle a moan. "Look at you," she breathed, her tongue darting out to taste the sweat at Alex’s temple. "All messy for me. Bet you’ve been thinking about this since breakfast."

The accusation spilled between them like gasoline; Alex’s hips jerked involuntarily, her nails scoring Haley’s shoulders through the torn fabric. Haley laughed low in her throat, the sound vibrating against Alex’s skin as she crooked two fingers deep, her palm grinding against Alex’s clit in the same motion. Alex arched, her head thudding against the machine; Haley caught her jaw, forcing eye contact.

"Quiet," she mouthed, her own pupils swallowing the blue-green of her irises. The basement air clung like a second skin, humid with their shared panting, the only light seeping under the door from the hallway above.

Haley withdrew her fingers abruptly, ignoring Alex’s bitten-off whimper; she sucked them clean with exaggerated slowness, her lips gleaming wet in the dark.

When Alex surged forward, chasing the taste of herself on Haley’s tongue, Haley sidestepped with a chuckle, catching Alex’s wrist to steer her toward the queen size bed shoved against the wall. The sheets were still rumpled from their last encounter, the scent of sex lingering faintly beneath fabric softener.

Haley pushed Alex down onto the mattress with a palm to her sternum, her thumb brushing the dip between Alex’s collarbones before she leaned in; close enough to share breath, but not touching. "Close your eyes," she murmured, her voice rough with promise.

Alex obeyed instantly, her lashes fluttering shut; the trust in that simple act sent Haley’s stomach swooping.

"Good girl," Haley breathed, watching her sister’s pulse leap at her throat, her lips parting on a silent gasp.

Haley pressed a kiss to the hinge of Alex’s jaw—chaste, teasing—before sliding off the bed to rifle through the bedside drawer. The blindfold was black satin, stolen from a Halloween costume years ago; the vibrator was cheap, pink, and unopened, buried beneath Haley’s tangled jewelry. She held them up with a smirk Alex couldn’t see, running her tongue over her teeth.

"Never used this on anyone," Haley admitted, straddling Alex’s thighs to fasten the blindfold. The fabric whispered against Alex’s skin, her breath hitching when Haley’s nails grazed her temples. "You get to be my first."

The vibrator buzzed to life in Haley’s palm, the sound obscenely loud in the basement’s hush. Alex stiffened, her fingers twisting in the sheets; Haley traced the toy down Alex’s sternum, circling her navel before dragging it lower, letting the vibrations tease the crease of her thigh.

"Relax," Haley murmured, her free hand skating up Alex’s ribs to thumb at her nipple. "It’s just us." She pressed the toy against Alex’s clit without warning, swallowing her startled cry with a bruising kiss.

The vibrations shuddered through Alex’s body, her hips lifting helplessly; Haley pulled back, grinning at the way Alex’s lips chased hers blindly.

"Uh-uh," she chided, dragging the toy lower to circle Alex’s entrance, slick with her own arousal. "You don’t get to rush me."

Haley watched Alex’s thighs tremble as she teased the vibrator around her folds, never quite pressing inside; each time Alex arched toward it, Haley withdrew with a soft tsk. The blindfold darkened the flush creeping down Alex’s chest; Haley cataloged each hitch in her breathing, each twitch of her abdominal muscles.

"You’re so wet," Haley mused, dragging the toy through Alex’s slickness before tapping it lightly against her clit again. Her sister whimpered, her hips jerking, but Haley pinned her down with a forearm across her pelvis. "I decide when you come," she reminded, her voice dropping to a husk. "And right now…" She flicked the vibrator off, laughing at Alex’s broken groan. "I don’t think you’ve earned it yet."

The sudden silence amplified every sound; Alex’s ragged inhale, the creak of the bedsprings as she twisted, Haley’s exhale as she leaned closer.

"You wanna beg?" Haley whispered, trailing the inert toy up Alex’s sternum to rest between her breasts. Alex’s lips parted, but Haley covered them with two fingers, shaking her head. "No, don’t ruin it."

She reactivated the vibrator, the buzz muffled by Alex’s frantic pulse point as Haley pressed it to her throat. Alex shuddered, her legs falling open wider—submission, invitation. Haley’s breath caught.

"Fuck," she muttered, shifting to kneel between Alex’s thighs. The vibrator skated lower, tracing ribs, bellybutton, the jut of her hipbone, each pass slower than the last.

Haley dragged the toy through Alex’s folds with agonizing precision, stopping just shy of her clit every time Alex’s hips lifted. The blindfold hid nothing; Alex’s teeth digging into her lower lip, the rapid flutter of her eyelids, the way her fingers clawed at the sheets only to release them abruptly, as if reminding herself to stay still.

Haley grinned, withdrawing the toy completely to watch Alex’s chest heave. "You look so pretty like this," she murmured, thumbing the wetness glistening on the vibrator’s tip before pressing it back against Alex, this time circling her entrance without penetration. Her baby sister whimpered, her thighs tensing; Haley pinned her wrist to the mattress with her free hand. "I told you," she breathed, leaning down to nip at Alex’s earlobe. "No coming."

Alex arched violently when Haley finally relented, pressing the buzzing toy flush against her clit… but before the pleasure could crest, Haley withdrew again, leaving Alex gasping on the edge. The cycle repeated—teasing friction, unbearable pressure, abrupt denial—until Alex’s breathing fragmented into desperate sobs.

Haley watched the tremors wrack her sister’s body, the flush spreading down her neck, the sweat-slicked skin gleaming in the dim light. She wanted to memorize every twitch, every stifled sound, every proof of Alex’s unraveling.

"You’re close, aren’t you?" Haley whispered, dragging the vibrator down to Alex’s soaked entrance before flicking it off. Alex’s hips jerked fruitlessly—Haley laughed, low and throaty. "Not yet."

Haley tossed the toy aside, her palms skating up Alex’s trembling stomach to cup her breasts, thumbs circling the stiff peaks with deliberate slowness. Alex whimpered, her back bowing off the mattress; Haley leaned down, swirling her tongue around one nipple before sucking hard, relishing the way Alex’s breath hitched. She rolled the other nipple between her fingers, pinching just shy of pain, the contrast of sensations pulling another broken noise from Alex’s throat.

Haley released her with a wet pop, blowing cool air over the flushed skin; Alex shuddered, her fingers twisting in Haley’s hair blindly. "Haley—please," she gasped, her voice raw with need.

Haley smirked against Alex’s sternum, tracing the valley between her breasts with the tip of her tongue, pausing to nip at the delicate skin beneath.

"Please what?" she murmured, palming Alex’s breasts roughly, squeezing just enough to make her squirm. "You want me to stop?" Alex’s hips jerked involuntarily, her thighs clamping around Haley’s waist; Haley clicked her tongue, pinching both nipples simultaneously. "Use your words, genius."

Alex choked on a moan, her head thrashing against the pillow; Haley watched the flush creep down her neck, the way her collarbones stood out sharply with each ragged inhale.

Haley laved attention over one nipple while her fingers teased the other, alternating between featherlight flicks and deliberate pressure; just shy of pain, just enough to make Alex’s breath hitch. Her teeth scraped the sensitive peak, pulling a strangled noise from Alex’s throat as her back arched off the bed.

"You’re so fucking responsive," Haley muttered, switching sides, her fingers trailing down Alex’s ribs to trace the dip of her waist; still avoiding the wet heat between her thighs.

Alex whined, her hands fluttering uselessly at Haley’s shoulders.

Haley caught her wrists, pinning them above her head with one hand while the other continued its torment. "Patience," she chided, rolling a nipple between her fingers.

She nipped her way down Alex’s torso, pausing to press open-mouthed kisses along the jut of her hipbones, each touch just soft enough to make Alex squirm without offering real relief. She exhaled warm breath over Alex’s slick folds, grinning when Alex’s thighs twitched—but she bypassed her clit entirely, dragging her tongue lower to trace the tight furl of her entrance instead.

Alex gasped, her fingers clenching around Haley’s grip like she couldn’t decide whether to push or pull; Haley chuckled against her skin, letting the tip of her tongue circle without penetrating.

"You taste so good," she murmured, licking a slow stripe upward; just as Alex’s hips jerked, chasing the sensation. Haley pulled back. "Uh-uh. Stay still."

The second time Haley’s tongue flicked over Alex’s clit, it was lightning-fast—there and gone before Alex could even gasp. She watched her baby sister’s stomach flutter, her breath coming in shallow pants, the blindfold doing nothing to hide the way her lips trembled.

She did it again, another teasing graze, and again, each touch lighter than the last, until Alex was whimpering with every exhale.

Haley finally took pity, sealing her mouth over Alex’s clit with ruthless precision, sucking just hard enough to make Alex’s thighs clamp around her head, then pulled back, swiping her thumb over the swollen bundle instead.

"Haley," Alex begged, her voice cracking, her hips lifting off the bed.

Haley pinned her down again, tutting. "No," she said simply, blowing cool air over Alex’s wetness just to watch her shudder.

She dragged her teeth lightly over Alex’s inner thigh, leaving faint pink marks in their wake; just shy of bruises, just enough to make Alex jolt. She traced her tongue over the same spot, soothing the sting before biting down harder, savoring Alex’s choked-off moan.

Her fingers skated up Alex’s other thigh, nails scraping lightly; not enough to hurt, just enough to make her twitch, before circling her entrance, rubbing slow, lazy patterns through the slickness. Alex’s breath hitched; Haley withdrew her fingers entirely, grinning when Alex whined.

"You’re so desperate," Haley murmured, pressing two fingers against Alex’s clit instead, rubbing tight little circles—just enough to tease, never enough to push her over. Alex’s hips jerked before Haley pinned them down with her free hand. "Stay. Still."

She dipped her head again, this time licking a broad stripe from Alex’s entrance to her clit, her tongue flat and slow; Alex gasped, her fingers twisting in the sheets. She did it again, slower this time, deliberately avoiding the places Alex needed most, focusing instead on the soft creases of her thighs, the dip of her hipbones, anywhere but where Alex was aching.

She could feel her baby sister trembling beneath her, could hear the way her breath came in ragged little hitches; Haley exhaled warm breath over her clit, watching the way her stomach jumped.

"You wanna come?" Haley whispered, pressing her lips to Alex’s inner thigh instead of where she needed it most. Alex whimpered, her thighs tightening around Haley’s head; Haley laughed, low and dark. "Too bad."

Haley dipped her head once more, swirling her tongue around Alex’s clit in tight, relentless circles; Alex cried out, her back arching off the bed, but Haley pulled back just as the tension coiled too tight. Alex sobbed, her hips lifting frantically while Haley pinned her down with a forearm across her stomach, her other hand tracing featherlight patterns over Alex’s inner thighs.

"Not yet," she murmured, her breath ghosting over Alex’s wetness. She watched Alex’s chest rise and fall rapidly, her nipples pebbled, her skin flushed; she looked wrecked, and Haley hadn’t even let her come yet.

"You love this, don’t you?" Haley whispered, her fingers skating higher, circling Alex’s entrance without pushing in. Her little sister nodded desperately; Haley clicked her tongue. "Use your words."

Alex whimpered, her throat working soundlessly for a second before she managed a strangled, "Yes."

Haley rewarded her with a slow press of two fingers, just the tips, just enough to make Alex’s breath hitch—then withdrew again.  "Tell me how much," she demanded, her voice rough with arousal.

Alex swallowed hard, her thighs trembling; Haley watched the flush spread down her chest, the way her lips parted around silent pleas. "I—I need it," Alex gasped, her voice cracking.

Haley leaned in, her lips brushing Alex’s ear. "Need what?" she murmured, her breath hot against Alex’s skin. "My fingers?" Her thumb circled Alex’s clit lazily; Alex whined, her hips jerking uncontrollably. "Or my mouth?" She dragged her tongue along Alex’s jaw, pausing to nip at her earlobe. "Or maybe—" She pressed her thigh between Alex’s legs, rolling her hips just enough to make Alex shudder. "—this?" Alex moaned, her back arching while Haley laughed, low and dark, pulling back just as Alex’s hips chased the friction. "Tell me exactly what you want, baby sister."

Haley’s fingers traced the soaked folds between Alex’s thighs, her touch featherlight, deliberate. "You’re dripping," she purred, pressing two fingers against Alex’s entrance; not pushing in, just teasing. "You wanna come so bad, don’t you?" Her sister nodded frantically; Haley tightened her grip on Alex’s wrists, her nails digging in just enough to sting. "Say it," she growled. "Tell me how bad you need it."

Alex’s breath hitched; Haley pressed her fingers deeper, just a fraction, just enough to make Alex whimper. "I—I can’t," she gasped, her hips lifting desperately, only for Haley to pull her fingers away entirely, smirking as Alex sobbed.

Haley dragged her tongue over her own fingers slowly, eyes locked on Alex’s flushed face, before pressing them back against Alex’s clit, rubbing tight little circles.

"You can," she murmured, her voice low, rough. "You just don’t wanna admit it." Alex’s thighs trembled and Haley leaned in, her breath hot against Alex’s ear. "You wanna come on my fingers," she whispered, curling them just slightly; not inside, just teasing. "Or my tongue." Alex whimpered and Haley nipped her earlobe.

"Or maybe," she added, pressing her thigh higher between Alex’s legs, "you wanna ride me until you forget your own name." Alex shuddered and Haley pulled back again, leaving her sister panting.

She finally relented, pressing two fingers inside with a slow, deliberate twist; Alex gasped, her nails raking down Haley’s shoulders, but Haley stopped just as Alex’s hips jerked.

"Tell me," Haley ordered, her voice thick, her fingers curling just enough to make Alex’s breath hitch.

Alex’s mouth opened but nothing came out; Haley withdrew her fingers entirely. Alex moaned and Haley laughed, low and dark.

"Words," she reminded, her thumb circling Alex’s clit lazily. "Or do I need to stop?" Alex’s hands flew to Haley’s wrist and Haley arched a brow. "No?" she taunted, pressing her fingers back in, just the tips, before pulling away again. Alex whined; Haley smirked. "Then say it."

"I—" Alex swallowed hard, her voice cracking. "I want—" Haley tilted her head as Alex exhaled sharply. "I want you to fuck me," she blurted, her face burning.

Haley grinned—slow, predatory—pressing her fingers in deep, Alex arching as Haley twisted her wrist. Alex gasped as Haley withdrew again. "Not quite," she murmured, dragging her tongue along Alex’s collarbone. "Try again." Alex whimpered; Haley nipped her shoulder. "How do you want me to fuck you?" Alex shuddered as Haley pressed wet kisses along her ribs. "Tell me," she whispered, her breath hot against Alex’s skin. "Or I stop."

"P-please—" Alex gasped, her fingers gripping Haley’s hair. "Please, I need—your mouth."

Haley hummed, barely audible, her fingers circling Alex’s clit. "Where?" she murmured, pressing a kiss to Alex’s stomach. "Here?" Her fingers slid lower and Alex groaned. "Or—" Haley’s tongue flicked out, tracing Alex’s folds; Alex jerked. "Here?" Alex’s breath hitched and Haley laughed, low and dark. "Then ask nicely."

Alex whined as Haley pressed her fingers in, curling them. She gasped. "Don’t—" she panted, her thighs tightening. "D-don’t stop, I need—" She shuddered. "Make me cum, please, just—fuck me, lick me, I don’t care, please."

Haley’s lips curved—slow, dangerous—before she lowered her head. Her tongue dragged through Alex’s folds, slow and deliberate, while Alex arched, her breath escaping in a ragged gasp.

Haley pressed deeper; Alex whimpered, her hips lifting as Haley pinned her down, her grip unrelenting. "Stay still," she hissed.

Alex groaned while Haley’s tongue circled her clit; teasing, relentless. "Oh—oh fuck," she gasped.

Haley pulled back and Alex whined; Haley smirked. "Ask again," she murmured, her breath hot against Alex’s wetness.

Alex shuddered as Haley’s fingers pressed in just enough to tease, before withdrawing. "Please," she sobbed.

Haley grinned before diving back in, ruthless. Her tongue worked Alex’s cunt with slow, deliberate precision; she pulled back just enough to press the buzzing vibrator against Alex’s clit with one hand, the other gripping her thigh, nails biting into skin.

Alex jerked and Haley laughed, muffled against her, before dragging her tongue lower. She flicked it over Alex’s entrance, teasing, before pressing it inside, just barely, while the vibrator circled her clit in tight, relentless patterns. Alex whimpered, her thighs trembling as Haley pressed harder, humming against her, the vibrations mingling with the toy’s relentless buzz.

Alex arched but Haley pinned her down with her forearm, the vibrator never letting up, her tongue tracing wet circles around it. She could feel Alex’s pulse fluttering beneath her lips, her thighs tensing.

Haley pulled back just enough to murmur, "Close?" Alex nodded frantically; Haley smirked, pressing the toy harder. "Not yet," she whispered, her breath hot against Alex’s soaked skin.

She dragged her tongue through Alex’s folds again, slower this time, savoring the way Alex shuddered; then flicked it against her clit once, sharp, before withdrawing entirely, leaving only the vibrator’s relentless hum.

Alex whined; Haley watched her hips jerk helplessly, her fingers twisting in the sheets. "You look so pretty," she murmured, dragging her nails down Alex’s thigh. "All desperate for me." Alex’s breath hitched as Haley pressed the vibrator harder, her thumb circling just beneath it, teasing the edge of release. "You wanna come?" she whispered, leaning in; Alex nodded desperately. Haley tilted her head. "Then beg."

Alex’s lips parted and Haley pulled the toy away entirely, laughing as Alex gasped. "Please," Alex sobbed, her voice raw. "Please, Haley, I can’t—I need—"

Haley kissed her way up Alex’s trembling stomach, her fingers replacing the toy; slow, deliberate strokes, just enough to make Alex whimper. "You need what?" she murmured, her lips brushing Alex’s nipple. "Tell me."

Alex’s hips lifted but Haley pressed down, pinning her. "I need—you," she gasped, her fingers tangling in Haley’s hair.

Haley hummed, her fingers sliding lower, pressing in just enough to tease; Alex arched. "Better," she purred, curling her fingers; Alex moaned. "But not enough."

Haley’s tongue traced Alex’s collarbone, her fingers pumping shallowly; just enough to keep Alex writhing, never enough to tip her over. "You’re so wet," she murmured, her breath hot against Alex’s ear. "All for me." Alex whimpered as Haley nipped her earlobe. "Say it."

Alex’s thighs trembled; Haley pressed deeper, and Alex gasped. "For you," she choked out, her voice ragged.

Haley smirked, her fingers twisted, Alex arched, then Haley withdrew again, watching Alex’s hips jerk uselessly. "Again."

The vibrator buzzed back against Alex’s clit, Haley guiding it with slow, cruel precision, her other hand pinning Alex’s hip down.

"You think about this," she whispered, dragging her teeth along Alex’s throat. "When you’re studying." Alex moaned as Haley pressed the toy harder. "When you’re pretending not to watch me." Alex’s breath hitched and Haley laughed. "You wanna come?" Alex nodded desperately but Haley pulled the toy away. "Then tell me the truth."

"I—I do," Alex gasped, her fingers clawing at the sheets. "I watch you, okay? I think about—this."

Haley hummed, mockingly thoughtful, before pressing the vibrator back, this time circling Alex’s entrance instead. "Where?" she murmured, her lips brushing Alex’s jaw. "Where do you wanna feel me?" Alex whimpered as Haley’s fingers replaced the toy, sliding in just enough to make Alex’s back arch. "Here?" Alex sobbed when Haley twisted her wrist. "Or—" Her thumb pressed against Alex’s clit, rubbing tight circles. "Here?"

Haley’s laugh was dark as Alex’s hips jerked, her entire body trembling on the edge. "Say it," she whispered, her breath hot against Alex’s ear. "Exactly where you want me." Alex’s mouth opened but no sound came out; Haley pulled back. "Wrong answer." Alex whined as she dragged her tongue up Alex’s thigh instead, slow and cruel. "Try again."

Alex’s voice cracked. "Both—please, both, I need—"

Haley smirked, her fingers curled deep, her thumb pressed harder, Alex’s back arched off the bed, her mouth falling open in a silent scream.

She watched Alex unravel beneath her; her thighs shaking, her fingers clutching desperately at Haley’s shoulders, and she didn’t relent. Not even when Alex sobbed her name, her voice raw. Haley pressed harder, her fingers relentless, her thumb circling faster.

"You gonna come for me?" she murmured, her lips brushing Alex’s throat.

Alex gasped as Haley bit down; Alex shattered, her body seizing, her cry muffled against Haley’s shoulder. Haley didn’t stop, not until Alex was writhing, oversensitive, her pleas devolving into broken whimpers.

Only then did Haley finally relent, pulling back just enough to admire her handiwork; Alex’s flushed skin, her gasping lips, her trembling thighs, before lowering her mouth to lick up the mess she’d made.

Alex whimpered as Haley grinned against her, humming as she dragged her tongue through Alex’s folds, slow and deliberate, savoring the way Alex’s hips jerked under her hold.

"Too much?" Haley murmured, her breath hot against Alex’s oversensitive skin.

Alex nodded frantically and Haley laughed, pressing one last kiss to Alex’s inner thigh before pulling away. She crawled up Alex’s body, her own pulse still thrumming with satisfaction, and tilted her head to study her little sister’s dazed expression.

"You okay?" she asked, softer than before, her fingers brushing a loose strand of hair from Alex’s damp forehead. Alex swallowed before nodding weakly. Haley grinned, leaning in to press a slow, lingering kiss to her collarbone. "Good," she murmured, savoring the way Alex shuddered under her touch, still hypersensitive.

Haley slowly peeled the blindfold away, the fabric clinging slightly to Alex’s damp forehead before she tossed it aside. It landed somewhere on the rumpled sheets, forgotten as Haley caught Alex’s gaze; her pupils blown wide, lips parted, cheeks flushed with the kind of exhaustion that came from being wrung out and remade.

"You took it so well," Haley murmured, her thumb tracing the delicate skin beneath Alex’s eye, feeling the flutter of her lashes against her fingertip. Her sister’s breath hitched; a tiny, broken sound, and Haley smirked, leaning in to kiss the corner of her mouth, tasting salt and something darker, something just hers.

"You’re shaking," Haley observed, her voice low as she dragged her fingers down Alex’s arm, feeling the fine tremors still coursing through her.

Alex swallowed, her throat working as if she were trying to form words and failing. Haley didn’t mind the silence; she liked it better this way, liked seeing Alex unraveled beyond speech, her usual sharpness softened into something pliant and warm. She pressed another kiss to Alex’s temple, lingering there for a moment, inhaling the scent of sweat and the faint, stubborn hint of Alex’s shampoo beneath it all.

The washing machine’s cycle ended with a sharp beep, the sudden silence in the basement almost deafening. Alex flinched and Haley laughed under her breath, nipping at her earlobe as punishment.

"Relax," she murmured, her lips brushing the shell of Alex’s ear. "No one’s coming down here."

Alex exhaled shakily, her fingers twisting in the sheets as Haley shifted, straddling her hips and leaning down to catch her mouth in a slow, filthy kiss. She whimpered into it, her body still thrumming with aftershocks, too sensitive to do anything but take what her sexy big sister gave her.

Haley pulled back just enough to smirk at the way Alex chased her lips, her breathing ragged. "You’re such a mess," she teased, dragging her thumb over Alex’s bottom lip, smearing the remnants of her own spit there.

Alex blinked up at her—dazed, wrecked—and Haley felt something dangerously close to affection tighten in her chest. She crushed it immediately, replacing it with the sharp nip of her teeth against Alex’s jaw instead.

"You gonna return the favor?" she murmured, her voice dripping with faux innocence as she rocked her hips down against Alex’s thigh, letting her feel the damp heat through her panties.

Alex’s fingers twitched against Haley’s waist—hesitant, unsure—before Haley grabbed her wrist and guided it lower, pressing Alex’s palm against the soaked fabric.

"See what you do to me?" she breathed, her lips brushing Alex’s ear. Alex shuddered, her fingers flexing instinctively, and Haley rewarded her with a roll of her hips, grinding down against her hand. "Don’t think," she ordered, her voice rough. "Just touch me."

Alex’s breath hitched, Haley could practically hear the gears turning in her overactive brain, so she bit down on her collarbone, sharp enough to make Alex gasp and finally move.

Her fingers slipped beneath the waistband of Haley’s panties, no longer tentative but deliberate, the way Haley had taught her; slow circles first, just the way she liked, before sliding one finger inside with a practiced curl that made Haley’s thighs tighten around her.

"Fuck," Haley hissed, her head dropping back as Alex added a second finger, her thumb brushing Haley’s clit in perfect counterpoint.

She wasn’t hesitant anymore, wasn’t fumbling; Haley had ruined her in the best way, and now Alex was ruining her right back. The thought sent a jolt of heat straight to her core, her hips stuttering against Alex’s hand.

Alex’s other hand pushed up Haley’s tank top, her fingers skimming over the soft swell of her breast before her mouth closed around Haley’s nipple, tongue flicking hard enough to make her gasp.

The contrast was devastating; the wet heat of Alex’s mouth, the slow, relentless thrust of her fingers, and Haley’s hands tangled in Alex’s hair, holding her there as she arched into the dual sensation.

"You’re such a fast learner," Haley breathed, her voice ragged, and Alex hummed against her skin, the vibration sending another shudder through her.

Haley’s thighs trembled as Alex worked her over with ruthless precision, her fingers deeper now, her thumb pressing just right every time she curled them. The slick sounds between them were obscene, Haley’s moans pitching higher as Alex sped up, her own hips lifting off the mattress to chase the rhythm.

Alex’s dark eyes flicked up, locking onto Haley’s face with a focus that knocked the breath from her lungs; sharp, intent, like she was studying her reactions the same way she dissected equations in calculus.

Haley gasped as Alex’s fingers curled deeper inside her, pressing against that spot that made her vision blur, and suddenly her baby sister wasn’t just learning; she was executing, her thumb circling Haley’s clit with merciless precision.

Alex’s lips parted, her breath hot against Haley’s skin as she murmured, "You like that?"—a question laced with newfound confidence, the words sending a jolt straight to Haley’s core.

Suddenly, Haley found herself pinned to the mattress; Alex’s smaller frame pressing down with unexpected strength, her hands rough as they shoved the tank top up over Haley’s breasts. The fabric caught briefly on her nipples before Alex yanked it higher, leaving Haley bare and exposed.

The cold basement air prickled against her flushed skin, but it was the look in Alex’s eyes; dark, hungry, no trace of hesitation, that made Haley’s breath hitch. Her panties slid down her thighs, Alex’s fingers hooking under the elastic with a sharp tug before tossing them aside, the damp fabric landing somewhere near the discarded blindfold. Haley’s legs fell open instinctively, her body already thrumming with anticipation.

Alex’s hands skated up Haley’s inner thighs, her thumbs pressing into the soft flesh hard enough to leave marks, her gaze locked onto Haley’s soaked cunt with a focus that burned. Haley arched into the touch, but Alex didn’t rush; she trailed her fingertips up, just shy of where Haley needed her, savoring the way her big sister’s hips jerked off the bed in desperate protest.

“You’re... dripping,” Alex murmured, her voice husky as she dragged her index finger through Haley’s slickness, her gaze fixed on the way it glistened in the dim basement light.

Haley shuddered, her thighs tensing when Alex brought that same finger to her own lips, tasting her with a slow, deliberate swipe of her tongue; eyes never leaving Haley’s face, watching the way her breath hitched. Haley’s pulse pounded in her ears, her usual control fracturing under Alex’s unnerving focus, the way she mirrored Haley’s own techniques back at her with terrifying precision.

Alex leaned down, her breath hot against Haley’s inner thigh as she pressed an open-mouthed kiss there, her teeth grazing the skin just enough to make Haley gasp. She dragged her tongue upward in a slow, teasing line, pausing just shy of where Haley needed her most, her lips brushing the soft curve of Haley’s mound before finally—finally—dipping lower.

The first flick of her tongue against Haley’s slick folds was featherlight, barely there, just enough to make Haley’s hips jerk off the mattress with a choked whimper. Her hands tightened around Haley’s thighs, her fingers digging in hard enough to bruise as she held her open, refusing to let her squirm away from the torturously slow licks.

Alex savored her big sister's taste; sharp and sweet, unmistakably her, as she dragged the flat of her tongue up Haley’s slit with deliberate slowness. Haley’s thighs twitched under her grip, the muscles taut with restraint as she teased just beneath her clit, circling the swollen bud without applying enough pressure to give relief. She could feel Haley’s hips stuttering upward, chasing the contact, but she held her down firmly, her fingers digging into the soft flesh of Haley’s thighs as she exhaled a hot breath against her wetness, watching the way Haley’s stomach tightened with anticipation.

Haley’s breath came in ragged pants, her fingers twisting in the sheets as Alex finally took mercy and pressed her tongue flat against her clit, swirling in tight, relentless circles that had her back arching off the mattress. The drag of Alex’s tongue was slick and perfect, her rhythm unerring; she had taught her baby sister too well, and now she was unraveling beneath her practiced mouth.

Alex hummed against her, the vibration shooting straight through Haley’s core as her legs trembled, her heels digging into the mattress for leverage that didn’t exist.

Alex was so screwed; because Haley tasted like everything she shouldn’t want, but now all she could think about was how much more she needed. Her fingers tightened around Haley’s thighs, nails biting crescent moons into the soft skin as she dipped lower, teasing the very edge of Haley’s entrance before dragging back up in one agonizingly slow stroke.

Haley gasped, her hips jerking off the bed, but Alex held her down with a bruising grip, her own pulse hammering in her throat. She wanted Haley desperate, wanted her to beg like she had; wanted to repay every torturous second Haley had ever wrung from her.

Wanted to love her like she was trying to breathe water; too much, not enough, drowning in everything Haley was giving and refusing to give all at once.

She dragged her fingers through Haley’s slickness, then pressed two inside without warning, the sudden stretch wrenching a raw cry from Haley’s throat. She curled them just so, her thumb finding Haley’s clit again as she swallowed every trembling gasp, every bitten-off moan Haley couldn’t stifle fast enough.

Haley’s hands fisted in Alex’s hair, pulling hard enough to sting, but Alex only fucked her deeper, her tongue relentless against Haley’s clit; learning her, memorizing the way Haley’s thighs shook when she was close, the hitch in her breath right before she—

Haley came with a shuddering gasp, her body bowing off the bed as Alex worked her through it, her movements unforgiving even as Haley whimpered oversensitivity. Alex kept her pinned, her grip unyielding, her fingers still pumping inside Haley’s trembling cunt as she lapped up every drop of her release.

Haley’s thighs twitched around Alex’s head, her breath coming in ragged pants, but Alex didn’t stop, wouldn’t stop, not until Haley was wrung out and shaking, not until she’d given back every ounce of torment Haley had ever lavished on her.

Alex was lost in the slick heat of Haley’s body, in the way her thighs trembled against her shoulders, in the desperate clutch of Haley’s fingers tangled in her hair; pulling her closer even as she gasped for air. She could feel Haley’s pulse fluttering against her tongue, the way her cunt clenched around her fingers in erratic spasms, and something primal coiled tighter in Alex’s gut. She wanted to ruin her, wanted Haley to forget every other touch but hers, wanted to brand herself into Haley’s skin so deep even time couldn’t erase it.

She wanted to be the only thought in Haley's head, the only name on her lips; wanted her big sister to sob with it, to choke on the weight of what they were doing.

Alex crooked her fingers deeper, the heel of her palm grinding against Haley's clit with each thrust, her lips sealing over the swollen bud to suck hard enough to drag another broken cry from Haley's throat. Haley's back arched off the mattress, her hips twitching in helpless little jerks as Alex drove her toward another peak, her body already oversensitive but unable to stop the relentless build of tension coiling low in her belly.

Haley's hands scrabbled at Alex's shoulders, her nails biting crescent moons into the skin there; half pushing her away, half dragging her closer.

"Fuck—Alex, wait—" she gasped, her voice shattered into a breathless whimper as Alex ignored her plea, her tongue flicking faster against Haley's clit, her fingers twisting just right inside her.

The stretch burned—deliciously, unbearably—and Haley's thighs trembled violently, her hips jerking in stuttering little thrusts as Alex swallowed every wet, ragged sound she made.

Alex's mouth was slick with Haley's arousal, her chin glistening, her fingers gleaming under the dim basement light as she drove them deeper, knuckle-deep, curling relentlessly against that spot that made Haley's vision fuzz at the edges.

Haley's back arched off the mattress, her breath coming in punched-out gasps as Alex worked her over with terrifying precision; three fingers now, her thumb circling Haley's clit in tight, ruthless little strokes that sent sparks skittering behind her eyelids. Haley's legs kicked weakly, her toes curling into the sheets, her body tensing tighter and tighter, a coiled spring about to snap, her cunt fluttering around Alex's fingers in frantic little pulses.

Alex watched Haley's entire body flush; her chest blooming pink, her nipples stiffening against the cool basement air, her breasts bouncing with each uneven jerk of her hips.

Haley's fingers twisted in Alex's hair, pulling hard enough to sting, her mouth falling open around Alex's name and a jumble of half-formed pleas: "Oh God—fuck—Alex, please, I can't—"

Her thighs trembled violently, her hips stuttering in erratic little thrusts as Alex sucked her clit into her mouth, her fingers pistoning faster now; wet, obscene sounds filling the basement air, Haley's whole body taut as a bow string.

Haley's breath hitched, her spine arching off the mattress as another orgasm ripped through her with terrifying force; a white-hot detonation that left her trembling, her vision blurring at the edges. She gasped Alex's name, her thighs clamping around her sister's head as pleasure pulsed through her in ruthless waves, her cunt fluttering around Alex's relentless fingers.

And then, impossibly, she felt the wet rush before she registered it, her hips jerking as warmth gushed against Alex's chin, her mouth, her chest; Haley's body betraying her completely. Alex didn't flinch; she moaned against Haley's clit, her tongue lapping faster, swallowing every drop as Haley's legs shook violently, her toes curling into the sheets.

Haley's eyes flew open, her breath stuttering as she watched Alex tilt her head up; her lips glistening, her chin slick, her dark gaze locked onto Haley's face with terrifying focus. Alex's fingers slowed but didn't stop, curling inside Haley with deliberate precision as she dragged her tongue over her swollen clit one last time, her lips quirking into a smirk when Haley whimpered, oversensitive but unable to pull away.

"You taste so good," Alex murmured, her voice rough, her fingers twisting deeper, forcing another shuddering gasp from Haley's throat, before she finally, finally stilled her hand, leaving her big sister trembling and wrecked beneath her.

Haley's chest heaved, her limbs boneless, her skin still buzzing with aftershocks as Alex leaned back on her heels; her lips swollen, her glasses askew, studying Haley with a quiet intensity that made Haley's pulse stutter all over again. There was something unsettlingly possessive in the way Alex watched her, like she'd mapped every twitch of Haley's body, memorized every sound she'd made, and Haley couldn't decide if it thrilled her or terrified her.

Alex dragged her fingers through the mess on Haley's thighs, her gaze never leaving Haley's face as she sucked them clean with deliberate slowness, her dark eyes glittering with something Haley couldn't name.

Haley swallowed hard, her throat dry, her voice coming out hoarse when she finally managed to speak. "You—"

She broke off, her breath hitching as Alex leaned in, pressing a filthy, open-mouthed kiss to the inside of her thigh, her teeth grazing the sensitive skin there. She shuddered, her fingers tightening in the sheets, her body still thrumming with oversensitivity.

Alex pulled back just enough to meet her gaze, her pupils blown wide behind her smudged glasses, her lips curved into a confident grin that sent heat pooling low in Haley’s belly all over again.

Alex kissed Haley then, slow and deep, her tongue sliding against Haley’s with deliberate intent, her hands sliding down Haley’s waist; her thumbs pressing into the dip of her hips, the touch both possessive and reverent. Haley’s hands went around Alex’s lower back, her fingers tracing the ridges of her spine, her nails scraping lightly against sweat-slick skin as she pulled her impossibly closer.

Their legs tangled, Haley’s thighs still trembling, and Alex shifted, pressing her knee between Haley’s thighs, the pressure deliberate, relentless, drawing a ragged gasp from Haley’s throat.

Alex grinned against Haley’s lips—sharp, triumphant—her hands sliding lower, cupping Haley’s ass as she rolled her hips forward, grinding her thigh against Haley’s wetness with torturous slowness.

Haley arched into it helplessly, her cunt still oversensitive, still twitching with lingering aftershocks, but the slow drag of friction sent sparks skittering up her spine. She bit Alex’s lower lip—hard—her fingers tightening in Alex’s hair as her hips jerked in stuttering little thrusts, chasing the pressure, the heat, the promise of another peak just out of reach.

Alex shifted just enough to give Haley room to move, her own hips rocking forward, pressing her clit against Haley’s slick thigh in rough, uneven circles. The friction was electric, maddening, and Alex gasped, her breath hitching as Haley’s thigh tensed beneath her, the muscles flexing as Haley fought to keep rhythm. Their bodies moved together; halting, desperate, Haley’s moans muffled against Alex’s collarbone, her teeth sinking into the skin there as Alex’s fingers dug bruises into her hips.

Haley’s hands slid down Alex’s back, over sweat-slick skin, cupping her ass as she pulled her closer, their hips grinding together harder, faster. The wet heat between Alex’s thighs smeared against Haley’s leg, the friction sending sparks skittering up her spine, her vision blurring at the edges, as Haley kissed her again, deep and filthy, her tongue sliding against Alex’s with bruising force.

Their breasts pressed together with each frantic thrust, Haley’s nipples stiff against Alex’s, and Haley arched into the contact, her breath ragged, her pulse thundering in her ears.

Alex bit down on Haley’s bottom lip, hard enough to draw a whimper, her fingers digging into Haley’s waist as she rutted against Haley’s thigh, desperate for relief. Haley’s hand slid between them, her fingers slick with Alex’s wetness, dragging slow circles over Alex’s clit; her touch deliberately teasing, maddeningly light, until Alex gasped, her hips jerking erratically.

"Fuck—Haley—" Alex’s voice fractured, her nails scraping down Haley’s ribs as Haley smirked, her thumb pressing harder, her fingers dipping lower, tracing Alex’s dripping entrance without entering.

Haley rolled them over, flattening Alex beneath her, her thighs bracketing Alex’s hips as she ground down against Alex’s leg, her wetness smearing across smooth skin. Alex groaned, her hands sliding up Haley’s thighs, her thumbs pressing into Haley’s hipbones, as Haley leaned down, capturing Alex’s mouth in a filthy, open kiss.

Their tongues tangled—wet, messy—Alex’s fingers tightening in Haley’s hair as Haley rocked against her, her breath hitching with each rough thrust. The headboard knocked against the wall, rhythmic and insistent, as Alex arched into Haley’s body, her nipples rubbing against Haley’s with every desperate grind.

Haley pulled back, just enough to smirk, her lips swollen, her pupils blown wide as she dragged her tongue over Alex’s collarbone, sucking a bruise into the delicate skin. Alex gasped, her fingers scrambling for purchase against Haley’s back as Haley’s teeth scraped lower, her mouth closing over Alex’s nipple; hot, wet, her tongue flicking mercilessly until Alex arched off the bed, her thighs clamping around Haley’s waist. Haley laughed; a low, breathy sound, before trailing her mouth lower, her teeth nipping at Alex’s ribs, her tongue tracing the dip of her belly, her breath hot against Alex’s trembling skin.

Haley spun without warning, knees bracketing Alex’s shoulders as she dropped onto her mouth; hot, wet, the musky salt of her still clinging to Alex’s tongue. Alex’s gasp vibrated against Haley’s clit, her hands instinctively gripping the soft swell of Haley’s ass, thumbs pressing into the dimples above her hips. Haley’s thighs trembled as she arched, her own mouth descending, lips parting Alex’s thighs with a filthy groan, before her tongue dragged a slow, torturous stripe from perineum to clit, lingering just long enough to make Alex whimper.

Alex’s fingers dug into Haley’s flesh, spreading her wider, her tongue plunging deep as Haley’s teeth scraped her inner thigh. The dual sensations; Haley’s mouth sucking bruises into her skin while her tongue circled Alex’s clit, left her dizzy, her hips jerking helplessly against Haley’s face.

Haley moaned around Alex’s thigh, the vibration rippling through her as Alex’s tongue curled inside her, fucking her in rough, shallow thrusts that had Haley’s breath hitching. She could taste herself on Alex’s lips—sharp, familiar—her own moans muffled against Alex’s wetness as she licked faster, her fingers spreading Alex wider, thumbs pressing into her entrance.

Haley shuddered, her thighs clamping around Alex’s head as pleasure coiled tight in her belly, her cunt fluttering around nothing, desperate for friction. Alex’s tongue flicked her clit—once, twice—before Haley’s hips stuttered, her orgasm crashing over her in ragged waves, her mouth falling open against Alex’s thigh in a silent scream.

Alex didn’t stop; she lapped at Haley through it, her fingers tightening on Haley’s ass, pulling her closer as Haley’s thighs trembled violently, oversensitive but unable to pull away. Haley’s vision blurred, her breath coming in sharp gasps as Alex’s tongue dragged slower now, softer; her teeth grazing Haley’s clit just enough to make her jerk, her nails biting into Alex’s skin.

Then Haley grabbed the discarded vibrator from earlier and redoubled her efforts on Alex; her fingers slick with Alex’s wetness as she traced the buzzing toy down Alex’s inner thighs, teasing her entrance before pressing it against her clit with relentless pressure.

Alex gasped, her hips bucking, her fingers digging into Haley’s hips hard enough to bruise as the vibrations sent sparks skittering up her spine, her vision blurring, her body arching off the bed.

Haley smirked, her thumb circling Alex’s clit in tight, deliberate circles as she pressed the vibrator harder against her, her own breath hitching as Alex’s wetness dripped down her wrist.

"Fuck—Haley—" Alex’s voice fractured, her thighs trembling violently, her toes curling into the sheets as Haley’s free hand slid between her own thighs, her fingers plunging into her own slick heat with a choked moan.

Haley’s fingers moved faster, rougher, her thumb pressing harder against Alex’s clit as she fucked herself on her own fingers, her breath coming in ragged gasps against Alex’s thigh.

The dual sensations; Alex’s tongue plunging into her, Haley’s fingers pistoning inside herself, sent Haley’s vision whiting out, her hips jerking erratically against Alex’s face. Alex moaned, the vibration sending another wave of pleasure crashing through Haley, her own hips grinding against Haley’s hand, desperate for relief. Haley’s fingers curled just right inside herself, her thumb circling her own clit in tight, frantic circles as Alex’s tongue fucked her deeper, her teeth grazing Haley’s clit with just enough pressure to make her cry out.

Haley’s orgasm hit her like a freight train; her body locking up, her cunt clenching around her fingers, as Alex swallowed every wet sound she made, her tongue lapping at Haley’s clit through the aftershocks.

At the same moment, Haley pressed the vibrator harder against Alex’s clit, her fingers plunging deeper, her thumb circling ruthlessly until Alex’s thighs clamped around her wrist, her body arching off the bed with a sharp, broken cry. Haley gasped, her own orgasm still rippling through her, as Alex’s wetness gushed around her fingers, her hips jerking in stuttering little thrusts, chasing the last waves of pleasure.

The Dunphy sisters lay tangled in the aftermath, skin sticky with sweat and the remnants of each other, their breathing still uneven. Haley groaned as she lifted herself off Alex, collapsing beside her with a sigh that bordered on exhaustion, her left hand blindly searching for Alex’s right.

Their fingers tangled together instinctively, clammy and trembling, anchoring them both as they caught their breath.

Haley turned her head just enough to catch the way Alex’s eyelashes fluttered against her flushed cheeks, the way her lips parted slightly around each gasp, and something possessive twisted in her chest. Alex squeezed her hand, a silent acknowledgment, and Haley squeezed back harder than necessary, relishing the way Alex’s breath hitched.

Haley’s eyes traced the sweat-damp curve of Alex’s collarbone, her thumb absently stroking the pulse point at Alex’s wrist—too fast, too alive.

The silence between them wasn’t empty; it thrummed with the aftershocks of what they’d just done, the unspoken words lodged in Haley’s throat like shards of glass. She wanted to bite them out, spill them raw into the space between their mouths, but the rules held her back; their own stupid, self-imposed rules.

Alex’s exhale shuddered against Haley’s cheek, warm and uneven, and Haley wondered if she could taste the lie on her own tongue when she whispered, "Still good?" like this was just another experiment, another data point in Alex’s meticulous world.

Alex turned her head slowly, her glasses askew, the left lens fogged from their earlier frenzy. Her lips curved, but it wasn’t her usual sarcastic smirk; it was softer, dangerously close to something Haley wasn’t ready to name.

"Better than good," she murmured, and Haley’s stomach lurched at the way Alex’s fingers tightened around hers, like she was afraid Haley might pull away. The vibrator lay forgotten between them, still humming faintly against the rumpled sheets, and Haley reached to turn it off with a click that sounded too loud in the quiet room. Alex’s gaze flicked down, then back up, her voice dropping lower. "You’re... really good at that."

Haley laughed, but it came out breathless, unsteady. "Yeah, well," she said, dragging her thumb over Alex’s knuckles, "you’re a quick study."

She watched the way Alex’s pupils dilated, just slightly, at the praise, the way her free hand twitched like she wanted to reach for Haley but didn’t dare.

The air between them grew heavier, charged with something neither of them could articulate, and Haley swallowed hard. She could feel the weight of Alex’s silence pressing against her ribs, the unspoken more hovering on Alex’s tongue. But Haley couldn’t—wouldn’t—be the one to break their rules first.

Thanksgiving chaos had always been inevitable; Claire's clipped tones and Gloria's accented protests clashing over hosting rights, Jay's exasperated sighs, Luke and Manny sneaking extra rolls before dinner, but this year, the familiar madness was just noise to drown out as Haley dragged Alex downstairs by the wrist, their palms slick with adrenaline.

Alex stumbled first, her hip bumping the banister, but Haley caught her with a bruising grip, their mouths crashing together before they'd even cleared the staircase. Haley tasted like stolen sips of red wine and cranberry sauce; Alex like nervous energy and the mint gum she'd been chewing to mask it.

The basement door clicked shut behind them, Haley's foot shoving it closed, and suddenly the cacophony upstairs was muffled, distant. Haley backed Alex toward the bed, their knees knocking together in the dim light from the string of Halloween lanterns still dangling over Haley's dresser.

Alex's glasses fogged when Haley's teeth caught her lower lip; she shoved them up her nose impatiently, her other hand already fumbling under Haley's sweater, fingertips skating over warm skin. Haley laughed into her mouth—breathless, triumphant—and pushed her down onto the mattress, the springs creaking under their combined weight.

"You're so fucking needy today," Haley murmured against Alex's jaw, her thigh slotting between Alex's legs with practiced ease. She ground down just enough to make Alex gasp, her fingers tightening in Haley's ponytail. "What, did you miss me all morning while I was setting the table?"

Alex's hips jerked upward instinctively, seeking friction, her cheeks flushing darker when Haley pulled back to smirk at her.

"Patience, nerd," Haley teased, but her own breathing was ragged, her pupils blown wide behind smudged mascara.

The scent of roasting turkey seeped through the floorboards, mingling with the musk of their shared arousal; a bizarrely domestic contrast to Haley's fingers hooking into the waistband of Alex's tights. The fabric stretched taut before snapping back against Alex's hips, Haley's nails leaving fleeting crescents in their wake. Alex bit her lip hard enough to taste copper, her legs trembling as Haley dragged the material down inch by excruciating inch.

"Hurry," Alex managed, her voice cracking as Haley's knuckles brushed her inner thigh. Haley exhaled sharply through her nose, the only betrayal of her own impatience, before pressing two fingers against Alex's damp underwear.

Beyond the basement door, footsteps thudded across the kitchen tile, someone hunting for serving spoons, but the sound barely registered as Haley's mouth closed over Alex's throat. She sucked hard enough to bruise, her free hand pinning Alex's wrist above her head as her fingers finally slipped beneath cotton. Alex arched off the mattress with a choked whimper when Haley's fingertips found her slick heat, circling just once before withdrawing completely.

"Haley—" her voice cracked, her hips lifting in desperate protest, but Haley just laughed darkly, pressing a finger to Alex's lips to silence her.

The distant clatter of dishes underscored Haley's husky command: "Quiet, or they'll hear." She dragged her damp fingers down Alex's collarbone, tracing the lace trim of her bra before dipping lower, beneath fabric already clinging to sweat-damp skin.

Alex gasped—sharp, audible—as Haley's thumb flicked her nipple while her other hand finally, finally pushed past soaked curls. Haley's mouth curled against Alex's jaw when she found her clit swollen and throbbing.

"Jesus, you're already this wet?" she breathed, her voice thick with something dangerously close to awe before teeth scraped Alex's pulse point. "Just from watching me peel potatoes?"

Upstairs, Lily's high-pitched giggle pierced through the ceiling, followed by Phil's booming joke, but Alex barely registered it; not when Haley's fingers were circling her entrance with maddening slowness, not when every nerve ending screamed for contact. She grabbed Haley's wrist, nails biting in, but Haley twisted free effortlessly, pinning Alex's hand back against the mattress.

"Say it," Haley demanded, her breath hot against Alex's parted lips, her fingertips skating along sensitive folds without pressing in.

Alex whined—pathetic, broken—her hips jerking upward, but Haley's weight held her down, the denim of her jeans rough against Alex's bare thighs.

The oven timer blared faintly through the floorboards, the turkey was ready, but Haley didn't flinch, her gaze locked on Alex's trembling mouth.

"Tell me what you want," she murmured, dragging her wet fingers up Alex's stomach, painting glistening trails that cooled in the basement's draft. Her baby sister shuddered, her chest heaving, the words clotting in her throat. Haley's smirk turned vicious; she leaned down until her lips brushed Alex's ear. "Or should I go help Mom instead?" Her hips rolled teasingly against Alex's thigh, the damp spot on her own jeans unmistakable.

Alex's fingers spasmed against the sheets. "Fuck you," she hissed, but her legs fell open wider, her heel hooking behind Haley's knee to pull her closer.

Haley laughed—low, victorious—before sinking two fingers into Alex without warning, her palm slapping sharp against slick skin. Alex's back arched violently, her cry strangled into Haley's shoulder as Haley's thumb pressed relentless circles against her clit. The rhythm was brutal from the start, Haley's wrist flexing with each deep, twisting thrust, her teeth scraping Alex's collarbone whenever Alex's breathing hitched too loud.

Haley's free hand fisted in Alex's hair, yanking her head back to expose the flutter of her pulse. "Louder," she taunted, her voice cracked with want.

The headboard knocked against the wall in time with their ragged breathing, the sound swallowed by the sudden crash of a dropped pan upstairs. Alex's thighs trembled, her toes curling into the mattress as Haley's fingers curled—just there—and her vision whited out. She came with Haley's name bitten into her own wrist, her hips jerking erratically against Haley's palm.

Haley didn't stop, wouldn't stop, her fingers pumping through Alex's convulsions until Alex whimpered, oversensitive, her hands scrabbling weakly at Haley's shoulders.

"Fuck," Haley breathed against Alex's damp temple, her own thighs clenching around nothing, the denim of her jeans chafing against her throbbing clit. She dragged her wet fingers from Alex's heat, pressing them to Alex's parted lips with a hoarse command: "Clean them."

Alex's tongue darted out instinctively, her lips closing around Haley's fingers with a shudder as she tasted herself—sharp, musky—her lashes fluttering when Haley groaned above her.

"You're so fucking perfect," Haley muttered, her free hand tracing the flushed curve of Alex's breast, thumb brushing a peaked nipple.

She leaned down, capturing Alex's swollen lips in a searing kiss, their tongues tangling, the metallic tang of Alex's bitten lip mixing with the salt of Haley's skin. When she pulled back, her pupils were blown wide, her breath uneven against Alex's mouth.

"Now hurry up and make me come before Mom yells for us." Her fingers tightened in Alex's hair, guiding her down the mattress with a rough tug. "Quick. Before the turkey burns."

Haley's head hit the pillow with a breathless laugh, her hips lifting impatiently as Alex fumbled with the button of her jeans. The denim resisted—too tight, damp with sweat—until Alex snarled and yanked hard, fabric tearing slightly at the seam as she shoved them down just enough to expose the soaked lace beneath. Haley shuddered when Alex's nose brushed her clit through the thin fabric, her thighs instinctively clamping around Alex's ears.

"Jesus—Alex—" Her voice fractured as Alex pressed her open mouth against Haley's underwear, tongue dragging slow, deliberate stripes through the damp fabric until Haley's back arched off the bed.

The scent was overwhelming; musky-sweet, distinctly Haley, and Alex moaned against her, fingers digging into Haley's hips hard enough to leave marks as she licked harder. Haley's hands fisted in the sheets, her stomach muscles quivering when Alex's teeth grazed her through lace.

"Fuck—just—" Haley choked out, her hips jerking erratically, but Alex pulled back just enough to smirk up at her, watching Haley's chest heave with ragged breaths.

Haley whined, high pitched and desperate, her knee knocking against Alex's shoulder when Alex finally hooked her thumbs under the waistband of Haley's underwear and dragged them down in one rough motion.

Haley tasted like salt and desperation, and Alex groaned against her, tongue tracing the swollen folds before sinking in deep. Haley's thighs clamped around her head instantly, her cry muffled by the distant clatter of dishes upstairs as Alex's tongue fucked into her in slow, wet thrusts. Haley's fingers scrabbled at Alex's scalp, her hips rolling in frantic circles against Alex's mouth, her breath coming in sharp, stuttering gasps.

"Don't stop—Alex—" she begged, her voice cracking when Alex's teeth scraped her clit lightly, just enough to make her sob.

Alex hummed against her, the vibration ripping another whimper from Haley's throat as she lapped greedily at the slick pooling against her chin. Haley's thighs trembled violently, her nails biting into Alex's shoulders as she ground down harder, riding Alex's face with abandon.

Alex's fingers dug into Haley's ass, spreading her wider, pulling her closer until Haley's slick coated her glasses, her nose buried in the wet heat of her big sister. Each desperate roll of Haley's hips shoved her deeper against Alex's tongue, her clit throbbing against Alex's upper lip with every jerk of her body.

Haley looked down—chest heaving, lips parted—and tangled both hands in Alex’s sweat-damp hair, forcing her head back just enough for their gazes to lock. The unblinking eye contact sent a bolt of heat straight to Haley’s already throbbing clit; she rolled her hips harder, grinding Alex’s mouth against her with deliberate, filthy pressure.

Alex’s pupils blew wider, black swallowing brown, as Haley rode her face with slow, agonizing precision, her thighs flexing around Alex’s shoulders with each slick slide forward.

The strained silence upstairs had dissolved into overlapping chatter; Claire barking orders, Gloria’s accented laughter, Luke’s teenage whine, but all Haley heard was the obscene wetness between her thighs, Alex’s choked moans vibrating against her skin. Haley’s stomach muscles clenched violently when Alex’s tongue lashed her clit in rapid, fluttering strokes—too much, too fast—her hips jerking erratically as she neared climax.

"Yes—fuck—like that," Haley gasped, her fingers tightening in Alex’s hair until the roots pulled taut, her thighs shaking with the effort to keep grinding down.

Alex’s fingers dug into Haley’s hips hard enough to bruise, her nose bumping Haley’s clit with each desperate thrust of her tongue. Haley’s breath hitched—sharp, punched-out—as Alex’s lips closed around her swollen bud, sucking hard just as her tongue flicked upward in relentless circles.

The dual sensation ripped Haley’s orgasm from her without warning; her back arched off the bed with a silent scream, her thighs clamping around Alex’s head like a vise as wetness flooded Alex’s chin. Haley’s vision blurred at the edges, white-hot and dizzying, her hips stuttering against her baby sister’s mouth as wave after wave of pleasure wracked her body.

Panting, Haley slumped back against the pillows, her fingers loosening their death grip on Alex’s hair as aftershocks trembled through her. Alex pulled back slowly, her lips glistening, her glasses askew and smeared with Haley’s arousal. She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, her chest rising and falling rapidly, her eyes dark with something Haley couldn’t name.

Before Haley could catch her breath, Alex surged upward, capturing her lips in a searing kiss; Haley tasted herself on Alex’s tongue, sharp and musky, and groaned into her mouth.

The distant sound of Claire calling their names barely registered as Alex’s hands slid beneath Haley’s sweater, fingers tracing the sweat-damp skin of her ribs with possessive urgency. Haley arched into the touch, her thighs still quivering, her pulse racing as Alex nipped at her lower lip.

“We should—dinner—” Haley murmured against Alex’s mouth, but her hips lifted instinctively, seeking friction even as the rational part of her brain screamed about timing.

Alex’s teeth grazed her jawline, her breath hot and uneven. “They can wait,” she muttered, her palm cupping Haley’s breast through her bra, thumb circling a peaked nipple with deliberate slowness.

Haley’s head fell back against the pillow with a groan, her body still hypersensitive, every brush of Alex’s fingertips sending fresh sparks through her nerves. The air smelled of sex and impending turkey, a ridiculous juxtaposition that would’ve made her laugh if Alex hadn’t chosen that moment to drag her panties down the rest of the way, fingers dipping between her thighs with zero hesitation.

“Alex—” Haley gasped, her legs falling open wider, her heels digging into the mattress. “We—they’re gonna—” Her protest dissolved into a whimper as Alex’s fingers pressed inside her again, still slick from before, her thumb instantly finding Haley’s clit.

Haley’s bra was shoved up haphazardly, one nipple exposed to the cool basement air before Alex’s mouth closed over it, teeth grazing the pebbled flesh just hard enough to make Haley buck beneath her. Haley tangled her fingers in Alex’s hair, not pushing her away, not pulling her closer, just holding on as Alex worked her over with ruthless precision.

Every flick of Alex’s tongue, every twist of her fingers, carried a desperate edge, like she was trying to brand herself into Haley’s skin. The headboard thumped against the wall again, louder this time, muffled by the distant clatter of silverware upstairs.

Alex didn’t let up, couldn’t, her hips grinding down against Haley’s thigh while her fingers curled inside her, searching for that spot that made Haley’s breath stutter.

When she found it, Haley arched off the mattress with a choked gasp, her thighs trembling around Alex’s wrist. “Alex—fuck—” her voice cracked, her free hand scrabbling at the sheets as Alex sucked harder, her fingers pumping relentlessly.

The room smelled like sex and the faint, incongruous scent of roasting turkey; Haley’s senses were overwhelmed, every touch amplified, every sound distorted except for Alex’s ragged breathing against her chest.

Alex pulled back just enough to watch Haley’s face twist with pleasure, her lips swollen from biting back moans, her eyelashes fluttering against flushed cheeks. She’d never seen anything more beautiful; Haley unraveling beneath her, completely and utterly hers. Alex’s thumb circled Haley’s clit faster, her other hand gripping Haley’s hip hard enough to leave bruises.

“Come for me,” Alex murmured against Haley’s collarbone, her voice rough with want. “I want to feel it.”

Haley’s hips jerked erratically, her thighs clamping around Alex’s wrist as she tipped over the edge with a ragged cry, her body shuddering violently beneath her sister’s touch.

Haley’s fingers tangled in Alex’s hair, tugging weakly as she rode out the aftershocks, her chest rising and falling in uneven gasps. Alex slowed her movements but didn’t stop, watching with fascination as Haley’s muscles twitched with oversensitivity, every tiny flinch sending a jolt of satisfaction through her.

“Alex—too much—” Haley whimpered, but her legs stayed spread, her hips tilting instinctively toward Alex’s hand.

Alex leaned down, pressing a kiss to Haley’s damp forehead before sliding her fingers free, bringing them to her own mouth with deliberate slowness. Haley’s breath hitched as Alex licked them clean, her dark eyes locked on Haley’s flushed face.

"Fuck," Haley breathed, her thighs still twitching as she watched Alex taste her release with dark, unreadable eyes.

The basement air felt charged, thick with the scent of sex and impending consequences, but Haley couldn't bring herself to care; not when Alex's tongue flicked out to catch the last trace of her, not when her little sister looked at her like she was something sacred.

Claire's voice grew sharper, closer, her footsteps heavy on the creaking stairs, but Haley merely tugged Alex down for another filthy kiss, her fingers tightening in her baby sister's dark hair.

Alex pulled away first, her glasses fogged beyond repair, her lips swollen and glistening. She wiped her chin hastily on the back of her hand, her chest rising and falling too fast, as if she'd forgotten how to breathe normally.

The absurdity of it—Thanksgiving dinner waiting upstairs, their parents oblivious, her own underwear halfway down her thighs—hit Haley like a punch to the gut, and she laughed, low and breathless, pressing her forehead against Alex's.

"We are so screwed," she murmured, but her hands were already smoothing Alex's rumpled sweater, her thumbs swiping at the dampness beneath her sister's eyes.

Claire's footsteps paused outside the door—hesitant, questioning—and Alex froze, her fingers digging into Haley's hips hard enough to bruise. Haley pressed a finger to Alex's lips, her own breath stalling as the doorknob rattled lightly.

"Girls?" Claire's voice carried through the wood, sharp with irritation. "We're carving the turkey; why aren't you answering?"

Haley exhaled through her nose, counting silently before forcing her voice steady. "Be right up, Mom!" she called back, too bright, her free hand already tugging Alex's underwear back into place with practiced efficiency. "Alex was just—helping me find my earring."

The lie slid effortlessly off Haley's tongue as she shoved Alex backward, giving herself room to yank her jeans up over still-trembling thighs. Alex blinked rapidly, her fingers fumbling with her bra clasp beneath her sweater—misaligned, twisted—but Haley swatted her hands away, fixing it with two sharp tugs before smoothing Alex's hair into something resembling presentable.

Claire sighed audibly behind the door. "Hurry up," she muttered, footsteps retreating upstairs.

Haley waited until the kitchen noise resumed before collapsing against the mattress with a shaky laugh, her pulse hammering in her throat.

"You tore my underwear," Alex whispered accusingly, holding up the ruined lace with pink-tipped fingers.

Haley rolled her eyes, snatching them away to shove in her back pocket before pressing a quick, biting kiss to Alex's jaw. "You'll live," she breathed against her sister's flushed skin, already standing to tug her sweater straight, her knees threatening to buckle beneath her.

Alex stood slower, adjusting her smudged glasses with trembling hands, the silence between them thick with everything unsaid; Haley's own heartbeat thundered in her ears, drowning out the clatter of Thanksgiving dinner above them.

Haley spritzed Alex's neck with vanilla body spray—too sweet, cloying—just to mask the musk clinging to their skin, her fingers lingering a second too long against Alex's pulse point.

Alex swatted her away with a grumble, cleaning her fogged glasses on the hem of her sweater with meticulous precision, her lips still swollen from Haley's teeth. The sight sent a fresh jolt of heat through Haley's gut; she grabbed Alex's wrist, spinning her around to press her back against the basement door, their chests heaving in sync.

"Stop looking at me like that," Alex hissed, but her thighs parted instinctively when Haley's knee slid between them, her breath hitching as Haley's thumb traced the damp collar of her shirt.

The perfume did nothing to disguise the flush on Alex's neck, the way her pupils dilated when Haley's fingers tightened around her waist, possessive and claiming, but Haley stepped back anyway, smoothing her own hair into a messy ponytail with practiced nonchalance.

Alex adjusted her glasses again, her fingers trembling as she tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear; Haley watched the motion with predatory focus, cataloging every tell, every flicker of hesitation.

The basement smelled like sex and cheap body spray now, an absurd combination that made Alex's nose wrinkle in distaste even as her thighs pressed together tighter.

Haley grabbed her wrist again at the foot of the stairs, rougher than necessary, and spun her around, their mouths crashing together in one last desperate, biting kiss. Alex whimpered into it, her hands fisting in Haley's sweater, her body betraying her with every shuddering exhale.

Haley pulled back just as abruptly, licking her lips with deliberate slowness, her thumb swiping at the smudged gloss on Alex's bottom lip.

"We have Thanksgiving to survive," she murmured, voice low and uneven, her fingers tightening around Alex's wrist like a warning. "Try not to stare at my tits while Mom passes the gravy."

Alex's laugh came out strangled, her pulse hammering under Haley's grip as she tugged her up the stairs, their footsteps deliberately loud to mask the lingering tremble in their limbs.

Haley paused at the top, adjusting Alex's collar with sharp little tugs—too intimate, too familiar—before plastering on her best vapid smile, the one Claire always rolled her eyes at. 

The kitchen was chaos; Luke shoving marshmallows into his mouth while Gloria swatted at him with a wooden spoon, Phil attempting to carve the turkey with alarming enthusiasm, but Haley didn't miss the way Alex's breath hitched when her fingers brushed the small of her back, guiding her forward.

Claire thrust a bowl of mashed potatoes into Haley's arms, her narrowed eyes flicking between them with unspoken suspicion; Haley responded by popping a fingerful into her mouth with exaggerated relish, grinning as Alex's cheeks flushed scarlet at the obscene implication.

Alex fumbled her way into her seat beside Luke, her thighs pressing together tightly beneath the table; still throbbing, still slick, as Haley's knee brushed hers with calculated negligence, a single touch sending electricity up her spine.

"You okay?" Luke mumbled around a mouthful of stuffing, nudging Alex's shoulder. "You look all... sweaty."

Alex's knife screeched against her plate as she sawed at her turkey with unnecessary force. "Fine," she hissed, glaring at Haley on her other side when her sister smirked, slow and knowing, her tongue darting out to catch a stray drop of cranberry sauce.

Across the table, Manny launched into an elaborate toast about gratitude, interrupted by Lily kicking his shin under the table, while baby Joe smeared mashed potatoes into Gloria's immaculate blouse with gleeful abandon.

"Ay, Dios mío," Gloria sighed, swiping at the mess with a napkin as Jay chuckled beside her, his hand resting comfortably on her thigh.

Haley stole a glance at Alex, who was meticulously rearranging her green beans into geometric patterns; her fork trembled slightly, her knuckles white around the stem, but no one seemed to notice except Haley, who nudged Alex's ankle with her foot beneath the table.

Luke elbowed Lily sharply when she reached for his roll, earning a scowl from Mitchell, but Claire was too distracted by Phil's disastrous turkey-carving attempt to intervene.

"It's like performing surgery on a football," Phil declared, brandishing the carving knife with misplaced confidence as Claire groaned and snatched it from him.

Haley seized the momentary chaos to lean closer to Alex, her lips brushing the shell of her little sister's ear. "You're thinking too loud," she murmured, her breath warm against Alex's flushed skin.

Alex stiffened, her fork clattering against her plate just as Claire's head snapped up, her gaze sharpening on them with sudden, terrifying focus.

"Girls," Claire said, and Haley felt Alex's knee jerk beneath the table. Their mother’s eyes narrowed as she wiped gravy from her fingers with deliberate slowness. "What exactly are you two up to?"

Her tone carried the weight of a hundred curfews broken, a thousand white lies unraveled; Haley recognized it instantly, the same way she recognized the flush creeping up Alex's neck, the way her sister's fingers clenched around her water glass tight enough to crack the stem. Haley grinned, slow and deliberate, twirling her fork between her fingers before spearing a piece of turkey with exaggerated precision.

"Just bonding, Mom," she drawled, kicking Alex's ankle lightly under the table; a warning disguised as reassurance. "Like you always wanted." She popped the turkey into her mouth, chewing slowly, savoring the way Claire's lips pursed at the edges. "Unless you'd rather we go back to ripping each other's hair out over bathroom time?"

Alex choked on her water, coughing into her napkin as Luke pounded her back with unnecessary force, his elbow jostling her ribs. Claire's gaze flicked between them, sharp enough to cut through the steam rising from the mashed potatoes.

"Something's off," she muttered, more to herself than anyone else, but Gloria's laughter drowned her out as she wrestled a spoon from Joe's sticky grasp.

Haley stretched her legs beneath the table, her toes brushing Alex's calf with deliberate intent; Alex jerked like she'd been shocked, knocking her knee against the table hard enough to make the silverware rattle.

Mitchell raised an eyebrow from across the table, his fork paused mid-air. "You two are jumpier than Lily at a haunted house," he remarked, just as Lily dumped her entire glass of milk into Manny's lap with a triumphant grin.

The ensuing chaos; Manny's dramatic shriek, Gloria's exasperated "Ay, Dios mío," Phil diving for napkins like a man on fire—provided perfect cover for Haley to lean in closer, her lips grazing the shell of Alex's ear.

"Remember," she breathed, warm and low, her fingers tracing the hem of Alex's jeans beneath the tablecloth, "be cool." Alex's breath hitched, her fingers tightening around her fork; Haley smirked, biting her earlobe lightly before pulling back, her voice dropping to a whisper only Alex could hear: "If you be a good girl and don't get us caught tonight, I'll reward you later."

Her thumb pressed into the sharp jut of Alex's hipbone—brief, possessive—before retreating as Claire turned back toward them with a fresh glare.

Alex stabbed at her turkey with unnecessary force, her knuckles white, her pulse fluttering visibly at her throat. The air between them crackled with tension, thick enough to drown in. Haley licked cranberry sauce from her fingers with deliberate slowness, watching Alex's pupils dilate from her periphery.

Across the table, Jay launched into a story about his golf game, his booming voice filling the room. Haley seized the distraction to slide her foot higher up Alex's calf, her toes curling beneath the frayed edge of Alex's shorts. Alex choked on her water again, her gasp lost beneath Luke's loud laughter and Haley grinned, popping a roll into her mouth with feigned innocence.

Claire's fork clattered against her plate suddenly, her chair scraping backward as she stood. "Alex, help me in the kitchen," she ordered, her tone brooking no argument.

Alex froze, her fingers twitching against her napkin; Haley kicked her ankle sharply under the table, a silent command to move. She stood mechanically, her glasses fogging slightly from the heat rising off her flushed skin.

Haley watched her go with narrowed eyes, noting the way Alex's thighs rubbed together with each stiff step. Claire's hand closed around Alex's elbow as they disappeared into the kitchen, and Haley tensed, straining to hear over Mitch and Cam's bickering about stuffing recipes.

In the kitchen, Alex braced herself against the counter, the stainless steel cool against her overheated palms. Claire leaned against the opposite counter, arms crossed, studying Alex with unsettling stillness. The faint hum of the refrigerator filled the silence until Claire finally spoke, voice low.

"You're acting weird," she said, tapping her foot; each tap like a metronome counting down to disaster.

Alex swallowed hard, her throat dry. "Just stressed about school," she lied, adjusting her glasses unnecessarily.

Claire's gaze dropped to Alex's neck, to the faint bruise barely concealed by her collar, but before she could speak, Haley sauntered in, snagging a celery stick from the tray with deliberate casualness.

Haley's fingers brushed Alex's lower back as she passed, electricity shooting up her spine, before she leaned against the fridge, chewing lazily. "Relax, Mom," she drawled, rolling her eyes with practiced theatrics. "She's not pregnant if that's what you're worried about."

Claire's nostrils flared, her grip tightening on the counter edge as she snapped, "That's not funny."

But Haley just shrugged, plucking a grape from the fruit bowl and popping it into Alex's mouth before she could protest. Alex froze, Haley's fingers lingering against her lips a second too long; Claire's gaze flickered between them, her frown deepening.

"You think I don't know when you're hiding something?" Claire stepped closer, her voice dropping to a whisper sharp enough to cut glass. "Whatever it is—and I will find out—you better pray it's not something that gets this family on Dr. Phil."

Haley snorted, twirling a strand of hair around her finger. "Why are you so freaked out?"

Claire didn't blink. "Because your sister doesn't hide guilt well—never has—and there's a hickey under her collar."

Alex's hands flew to her neck, colliding with her glasses in a clumsy panic. Haley rolled her eyes, too dramatically, and shoved Alex backward, stepping between them. "Oh my God, Mom, what’s the big deal? We were all seventeen once—unless you were just born thirty?"

Claire's jaw tightened. "Alex?" The name cracked through the kitchen like a whip, and Alex flinched, her pulse rabbiting visibly at her throat.

"I… i-it was just some guy from study group," she blurted, her fingers twisting the hem of her sweater. "We kissed once, and—and that happened," she gestured vaguely at her neck, her voice pitching higher. "We're not—it's nothing. It was stupid."

The lie tasted rancid on her tongue, but Haley's foot nudged hers under the cabinet; steadying, a silent command to commit, and Alex swallowed hard, forcing her shoulders down.

Haley snorted, flicking a grape stem into the sink. "Relax, Mom," she drawled, leaning against the fridge with practiced nonchalance. "You knew about me and Dylan way before we ever did more than kiss… why's Alex suddenly some fragile nun?"

Claire's eyes narrowed and Haley could practically see the gears turning, the way her mother's gaze darted between Alex's bitten lips and Haley's deliberate slouch.

"Because," Claire said slowly, fingers drumming against the countertop, "Alex doesn't lie about boys. She doesn't date boys." The emphasis landed like a hammer between them, sharp enough to make Alex's breath hitch.

Haley rolled her shoulders back, shifting her weight onto one hip—too casual, too calculated—and smirked. "Yeah, well, maybe she just needed a better teacher."

Alex's hands clenched at her sides, her nails digging into her palms. "Wait," she blurted, suddenly bristling; not at the accusation, but at the assumption. Haley watched her sister's spine straighten, the familiar fire of academic challenge sparking behind her smudged glasses. "I have dated. Why does everyone think I can't get a boyfriend?"

The words came out sharper than intended, her voice cracking on the last syllable; too defensive, too raw, but Haley bit her lip to hide a grin. This was new: Alex defending herself not with facts, but with feeling.

Claire blinked, momentarily thrown. "Sweetheart," she began, her tone softening even as her eyes remained narrowed, "you had one boyfriend, and he came out the next week."

Alex's mouth opened, then shut, then opened again, her cheeks flushing crimson. Haley seized the opening, twirling a strand of hair around her finger.

"So?" she interjected, voice dripping with exaggerated boredom. "Half the guys I dated turned out to be gay or secretly married. Doesn't mean I wasn't dating them." She punctuated the statement by crunching loudly into another celery stick, watching Claire's nostrils flare.

Claire exhaled sharply, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Alex," she said slowly, deliberately, "if there's anything—anything at all—you need to tell me—" Haley snorted into her palm, shoulders shaking with silent laughter. Claire's head snapped toward her. "Something funny?"

Haley wiped her mouth with exaggerated care. "Nope," she lied, popping the 'p' obnoxiously. "Just thinking about Dr. Phil chasing Dad with a polygraph."

Claire ignored her, turning back to Alex with an expression that was almost gentle. "Is there... a girlfriend I should know about?"

Alex's mouth opened, then shut like a fish gasping on land, her face so red Haley could practically feel the heat radiating off her. Haley lost it then, doubling over with laughter, bracing herself against the counter as she wheezed.

"Oh my God," she managed between gasps, "you should see your face—"

Luke chose that exact moment to barrel into the kitchen, skidding to a halt with marshmallow fluff smeared across his chin. "I knew it!" he crowed, flinging his arms wide like a game show host revealing the grand prize. "Alex is a lesbian!"

His triumphant shout ricocheted off the stainless steel appliances, impossibly loud in the sudden silence. Alex made a noise like a deflating balloon, her fingers curling into claws against her thighs.

"I am not!" Alex hissed, her voice cracking mid-protest as Luke grinned like he'd just won the lottery.

Claire's eyebrows climbed toward her hairline, her gaze darting between Haley's shaking shoulders and Alex's flushed throat. Haley wiped tears from her eyes, still choking on laughter, until Claire grabbed her wrist with sudden force.

"Enough," she snapped, her voice low and lethal. The kitchen air thickened, the hum of the refrigerator suddenly oppressive.

Luke's grin faltered as Gloria appeared in the doorway, her manicured fingers gripping Joe's wriggling form. "What is all this screaming?" she demanded, eyes flashing between Claire's iron grip on Haley's wrist and Alex's hunched shoulders.

The moment splintered into fragments; Jay's booming voice calling from the dining room, Mitchell and Cam's curious heads appearing over Gloria's shoulders, Lily darting between legs to lick marshmallow fluff off Luke's sleeve.

Alex's breath came too fast, her pulse roaring in her ears louder than the overlapping voices crowding the kitchen. Haley's fingers brushed her elbow; a fleeting touch, gone before anyone could notice, but Alex recoiled like she'd been burned.

"I'm not," she repeated, her voice cracking on the word, her glasses slipping down her nose with the force of her exhale.

Mitchell beamed, clapping his hands together like she'd just announced her engagement. "Oh, honey, it's wonderful—"

Luke whooped, tossing a marshmallow at the ceiling where it stuck with a wet splat. "Dibs on her first girlfriend's number!"

Manny adjusted his sweater vest with solemn gravitas. "I knew," he intoned, as if Alex's hypothetical sapphic awakening had been his personal prophecy.

Alex's hands clenched into fists, her nails biting crescents into her palms—until Haley's laugh cut through the noise, sharp and bright.

Mitchell wiped away an imaginary tear, draping himself dramatically over Cam's shoulder. "Our little niece, coming out on Thanksgiving—how iconic!"

Alex groaned louder, her fingers dragging down her face as Haley dissolved into fresh giggles, doubling over with her forehead against the fridge.

Luke pumped his fist in the air, marshmallow fluff flying off his knuckles. "Lesbian Alex! Lesbian Alex!" he chanted, dodging when Alex lunged for him—but Gloria's hand shot out, snagging his collar mid-jump.

Claire's grip on Haley's wrist tightened, her other hand pressing against her temple like she was fighting off a migraine. "Everyone out," she ordered through clenched teeth, her voice slicing through the chaos.

Gloria herded Luke and Lily toward the dining room with a sharp clap of her hands, while Mitchell and Cam scurried backward with matching scandalized gasps—but not before Cam mouthed love wins! in Alex's direction, wiggling his fingers in a rainbow-shaped gesture.

Alex inhaled sharply through her nose, adjusting her glasses with trembling fingers. She was mortified; not by the assumption itself, but by how close it had hit. She did love sex with Haley, loved the way her sister's breath hitched when Alex dragged her nails down her back, loved the possessive grip Haley had on her hips. But that didn't mean she wanted to slap a label on it, didn't mean she was ready to untangle the mess of feelings that had been simmering since Halloween.

"It was just a boy from study group," she repeated, her voice steadier this time, her fingers smoothing imaginary wrinkles from her sweater. She could feel Haley's gaze burning into the side of her face—equal parts amusement and something darker, something that made her stomach flip—but she refused to look. "It's over. There's nothing else to talk about."

Claire exhaled through her teeth, her grip loosening on Haley's wrist as she studied Alex's flushed face. "Fine," she conceded, though her tone suggested she'd be circling back to this later; probably with a forensic-level interrogation when Alex least expected it.

Alex swallowed hard, forcing herself to meet her mother's gaze without flinching. She'd spent years perfecting the art of deflection, of burying inconvenient truths beneath layers of academic achievement; this was no different.

"Can we just eat now?" she muttered, sidestepping Haley's outstretched foot as she pushed past them toward the dining room. The weight of Haley's smirk followed her like a brand.

Alex hadn’t taken a moment to really consider her sexuality until now, and the realization felt like swallowing broken glass; sharp, jagged, and impossible to ignore without bleeding internally.

She loved Haley. Not just the way Haley touched her in the basement, not just the way she could make Alex’s body sing; but the way she rolled her eyes during family dinners, the way she stole bites off Alex’s plate without asking, the way she smirked when Alex lost an argument.

And that terrified her more than any label ever could.

She didn’t need to be a lesbian; she just needed to be Haley’s, even if it was only in the dark.

But the question still lingered in the back of her mind—was she?

Alex sat stiffly at the dining table, pushing her food around her plate, acutely aware of Haley's thigh pressed against hers beneath the tablecloth. Every accidental brush sent a jolt through her, and she wondered if this was how Haley had always felt; this electric awareness humming under her skin whenever someone attractive was near. Except Haley knew what she wanted. Haley had never second-guessed herself so violently that she felt like throwing up.

Across the table, Mitchell kept shooting her knowing glances, his lips twitching like he was holding back some grand proclamation. Alex glared at him over her mashed potatoes, willing him to shut up with her eyes alone, but he just wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

Next to him, Cam leaned in, stage-whispering, "You know, statistically, women who come out later in life have much healthier relationships—"

Alex stabbed her fork into a Brussels sprout with unnecessary force, wishing the floor would swallow her whole. Haley kicked her ankle under the table; not in warning this time, but in solidarity.

"Can we not turn my hypothetical love life into a TED Talk?" Alex hissed under her breath, her fingers tightening around her fork as Haley's foot slid higher up her calf; slow, deliberate, a silent promise beneath the chaos.

Claire's gaze snapped toward them, sharp enough to cut steel, but Haley just leaned back in her chair, popping a grape into her mouth with exaggerated innocence.

"Relax," she murmured, low enough that only Alex could hear, her fingers trailing along the edge of Alex's plate. "You're way hotter when you're not freaking out."

Alex exhaled sharply through her nose, her pulse thundering in her ears as Haley's fingers brushed hers—brief, electric—before retreating. Across the table, Luke's marshmallow-coated fingers reached for another roll, oblivious to the tension radiating off Alex in waves. She couldn't decide if she wanted to strangle him or thank him for derailing Claire's interrogation—but then Haley's knee pressed against hers, warm and solid, grounding her amidst the madness.

What if I am? The thought slithered through Alex’s mind as she watched Haley lick cranberry sauce off her thumb with deliberate slowness, eyes locked onto hers like it was a challenge.

Alex’s fork scraped against her plate loudly enough to make Jay glance up from his turkey, but she barely noticed the way Haley’s smirk deepened, the way her toes traced circles against Alex’s shin beneath the table.

The air was thick with roasting herbs and Gloria’s perfume, but all Alex could smell was the faint strawberry of Haley’s shampoo, lingering from when they’d collided in the hallway earlier; Haley’s hands gripping her hips just a second too long.

I think... I think I don’t care what it’s called.

It was Luke’s birthday weekend, and Gloria had strung papel picado banners between the palm trees, their colorful edges fluttering in the warm breeze as the scent of grilled carne asada and chlorine mingled in the air.

Haley leaned against the pool’s edge, her toes skimming the water’s surface while she watched Alex across the patio; her sister’s glasses fogging slightly from the humidity as she pretended to listen to Manny’s dramatic retelling of some school play. The way Alex’s sundress clung to her damp lower back made Haley’s teeth ache with the urge to mark her there, right where the fabric dipped low enough to reveal the faintest edge of a bruise Haley had left two nights prior.

Haley’s fingers twitched against the concrete, remembering the way Alex’s hips had jerked against her hands just hours ago, the way her breath had hitched when Haley’s teeth grazed her inner thigh. The chlorine stung her nostrils, sharp and artificial, but beneath it she could still smell Alex’s shampoo; something coconut-sweet and out of place amid the sizzle of meat and Gloria’s laughter.

A bead of sweat rolled down Haley’s temple as she watched Alex adjust her glasses with two fingers, her other hand clutching a half-finished lemonade like a lifeline. The sun glinted off the condensation, catching the curve of Alex’s wrist where Haley’s mouth had been, and Haley had to dig her nails into her palm to keep from crossing the patio and licking the salt from her baby sister’s skin.

Luke cannonballed into the pool with a shriek, sending a wave that soaked the hem of Alex’s dress. She yelped, adorably indignant, and Haley bit back a grin as Alex shook out the fabric, her scowl softening when Luke surfaced, grinning like an idiot. Manny sighed, pulling his polo higher up his chest like the splash might ruin it, and Haley seized the distraction.

She pushed off the pool edge, wading toward Alex with deliberate slowness, her sundress clinging transparent where the water reached her thighs. Alex’s gaze flickered down, then away too fast, her cheeks flushing darker than the sun could explain.

Haley stopped just close enough for their bare arms to brush under pretense of reaching for Alex’s lemonade. "You’re staring," she murmured, letting her fingers linger a second too long around the cold glass.

Alex’s breath caught, Haley felt it more than heard it, and when she glanced sideways, Alex’s lips were parted, her throat working around whatever protest she couldn’t quite voice. Haley took a slow sip, her tongue dragging over the rim exactly where Alex’s mouth had been, and watched Alex’s pupils swallow her brown irises whole.

The backyard noise faded into meaningless static; Claire’s laughter, Jay’s barbecue commentary, Luke’s splashing, as Haley leaned in, her damp shoulder pressing into Alex’s.

"Meet me in ten," she whispered, her breath skating over Alex’s earlobe, warm despite the poolside humidity.

She didn’t wait for confirmation before slipping past, letting her fingers trail down Alex’s forearm just long enough to feel the goosebumps rise. She ducked into the house under the pretense of refilling her drink, her pulse hammering as she climbed the stairs two at a time, bypassing the bathroom where Gloria was undoubtedly reapplying her lipstick.

Alex’s palms were sweating around her lemonade glass when Haley disappeared inside, the condensation running rivulets over her knuckles. She swallowed hard, her throat suddenly tight as she counted the seconds in her head—seven minutes now, if she could just hold out—but her body was already responding, her thighs pressing together under her sundress with traitorous awareness.

Manny was still talking, something about Shakespearean motifs, but Alex barely registered the words over the memory of Haley’s mouth between her legs that morning, the way Haley had murmured "You taste better every time" before licking her clean.

The upstairs guest bedroom was dim when Alex finally slipped inside, the heavy drapes half-drawn against the afternoon sun, casting stripes of gold across the comforter.

Haley was already waiting, perched on the edge of the bed with her sundress hiked up to her hips, her bare legs crossed at the ankles like she had all the time in the world.

The air smelled faintly of Gloria’s vanilla candles and something muskier beneath; Haley’s arousal, Alex realized with a jolt, and her knees nearly buckled when Haley crooked a finger at her without a word.

Alex locked the door behind her with trembling fingers, the click of the latch louder than it should’ve been. Haley’s smirk deepened as Alex hesitated by the dresser, her hands hovering uncertainly at her sides, the damp hem of her dress clinging to her thighs.

"You’re overdressed," Haley murmured, tilting her head toward the space between her legs with deliberate invitation.

Alex exhaled sharply through her nose, her pulse hammering in her throat as she stepped forward, the floorboards creaking under her bare feet.

Haley’s fingers curled around Alex’s wrist the second she was within reach, yanking her down onto the bed with enough force to make the springs groan. Alex landed half-straddling Haley’s lap, her breath hitching when Haley’s free hand slid under her sundress, fingertips skating up the inside of her thigh with practiced ease.

"Still nervous?" Haley whispered against her lips, her thumb pressing a slow circle over the damp fabric of Alex’s underwear; too light to relieve the ache, just enough to make Alex’s hips jerk forward involuntarily.

Alex swallowed hard, her fingers tangling in Haley’s hair as Haley dragged her mouth down her neck, teeth scraping over the pulse point where Alex’s heartbeat thudded wildly.

"Not—not nervous," Alex managed, her voice cracking when Haley’s fingers slipped under the elastic of her panties, finding her slick and swollen without preamble. Haley smirked against her collarbone, her fingers curling just enough to make Alex whimper, her hips canting forward into Haley’s touch like she couldn’t help it. "Just... someone could—"

The rest of her sentence dissolved into a gasp when Haley’s middle finger slid inside her without warning, her thumb pressing tight circles against her clit in counterpoint.

Haley nipped at Alex’s earlobe, her breath hot and uneven against Alex’s skin as she worked her fingers deeper, the wet sounds obscenely loud in the quiet room.

"They’re all distracted," Haley murmured, her free hand sliding up the back of Alex’s sundress to unhook her bra with practiced ease. "Luke’s trying to cannonball onto Manny, Gloria’s fixing her lipstick again, and Dad’s too busy burning the burgers to notice."

She punctuated each word with a twist of her fingers, her palm grinding against Alex’s clit with every thrust until Alex was trembling in her arms, her thighs clamping around Haley’s wrist like a vice. Alex’s breath hitched when she suddenly withdrew her fingers, pressing them against Alex’s lips instead.

"Clean yourself up for me," she ordered, her voice rough with arousal.

Alex hesitated, eyes darting toward the door, before wrapping her lips around Haley’s fingers, her tongue lapping at the sticky mess she’d made. Haley shuddered, her free hand fisting in Alex’s hair to hold her in place as Alex sucked her fingers clean with slow, deliberate strokes.

"Good girl," Haley breathed, her pupils blown wide with hunger as she watched Alex’s cheeks flush darker. She pushed Alex backward onto the bed, climbing over her with predatory grace. She hooked her fingers into the waistband of Alex’s underwear, yanking them down her thighs in one sharp motion. "No more worrying," she murmured, pressing a kiss to the inside of Alex’s knee while her thumbs traced idle circles higher up her legs. "Just feel it."

Alex whimpered when Haley’s mouth finally reached her center, her tongue dragging through slick folds with agonizing slowness. Haley hummed against her, the vibration making Alex arch off the mattress, her hands scrambling for purchase in the tangled sheets.

Haley flicked her gaze upward, watching Alex’s throat work around silent gasps. "So responsive," she mused, circling Alex’s clit with teasing precision before sealing her lips over it and sucking hard.

Alex’s hips jerked forward instinctively, her legs falling open wider in surrender. Haley rewarded her obedience with deeper strokes of her tongue, curling it inside Alex just enough to make her cry out before retreating again.

"Shh," Haley hushed against her thigh, her breath hot on oversensitive skin. "You don’t want them to hear, do you?" She punctuated the question with two fingers sliding home, crooking them mercilessly against that sweet spot that made Alex’s vision white out.

The distant splash of someone cannonballing into the pool underscored Haley’s rhythm, each thrust timed to the muffled cheers outside, until Alex was biting her own wrist to stifle her moans. She twisted her fingers, pressing her thumb down in a way that dragged Alex right to the edge before easing off, again and again, until Alex was trembling with frustrated tears in her lashes.

"Please," Alex choked out, her thighs quivering around Haley’s shoulders.

Haley smirked, her free hand sliding up Alex’s stomach to pinch a nipple through the damp fabric of her sundress. "Please what?" she murmured, her teeth grazing Alex’s inner thigh. "Use your words."

"Please—let me—" Alex's voice splintered as Haley's fingers curled deeper, the heel of her palm grinding against her clit in slow, maddening circles.

Haley hummed, her tongue flicking once more against Alex's entrance before she pulled back entirely, leaving Alex gasping at the sudden loss.

"Not yet," Haley murmured, pressing a kiss to Alex's trembling thigh while her fingers resumed their torturous rhythm; just shy of enough. "You're gonna wait until I say."

Alex's nails dug into Haley's shoulders, her hips bucking uselessly against Haley's restraining forearm. The sounds from the pool—laughter, another splash—filtered through the haze of arousal, sharpening Alex's desperation. Haley watched her with dark amusement, her own breath ragged as she dragged her teeth over the soft skin of Alex's hipbone.

"Look at you," she breathed, her thumb circling Alex's clit faster now, relentless. "So close—but you'll hold it, won't you?"

Alex whimpered, her entire body tensing, her thighs shaking with the effort of not unraveling.

"You want to please me that badly?" Haley whispered, her voice molten, as she slowed her fingers to a crawl, watching Alex's face twist in frustrated need.

Alex nodded frantically, her chest rising and falling in shallow pants, and Haley rewarded her with a sharp thrust that punched a broken moan from Alex's throat.

The door handle rattled suddenly, and Haley froze, her fingers still deep inside Alex as they both held their breath. Footsteps retreated down the hall, and Haley's grin turned predatory again, her fingers flexing inside Alex's heat.

"Think they heard you?" she murmured, dragging her tongue over Alex's clit in one slow, filthy stroke.

Haley's free hand clamped over Alex's mouth just as her hips jerked off the bed, her scream muffled against Haley's palm. She drank in the way Alex's eyes rolled back, the way her thighs trembled around her shoulders, before finally, finally giving her what she craved.

Her fingers pistoned ruthlessly, her tongue circling Alex's clit in tight, rapid flicks until Alex shattered with a silent sob, her back arching off the mattress. Haley didn't let up, dragging the orgasm out until Alex's legs were shaking with oversensitivity, her fingers clawing at Haley's wrist in a futile attempt to pull her away.

The distant clatter of plates from the backyard party grounded them as Haley slowly withdrew, pressing a kiss to Alex's quivering belly.

"See?" she murmured, licking her fingers clean with deliberate slowness while Alex panted beneath her. "Worth the wait."

Alex's chest rose and fell rapidly, her sundress bunched around her waist, her hair fanned out in wild disarray across the guest bed's duvet. Haley traced the fresh bite marks on Alex's inner thighs, the ones that would sting under her clothes for hours, before smoothing Alex's dress back down with a satisfied smirk.

Haley shifted suddenly, her own breathing uneven as she hooked her thumbs into the sides of her bikini bottoms. She rolled the damp fabric down her legs in one smooth motion, the scent of her arousal thick between them, before tossing it onto the nightstand.

Alex's eyes widened as Haley climbed astride her, knees bracketing Alex's shoulders, her sundress pooling around her waist like a makeshift tent.

"My turn," Haley breathed, her fingers tangling in Alex's hair to guide her forward; the first swipe of Alex's tongue drew a shuddering gasp from Haley's throat, her hips canting instinctively toward Alex's mouth.

The taste of Haley, salt and chlorine and something uniquely hers, flooded Alex's senses as she circled Haley's clit with slow, exploratory strokes. Haley's thighs tensed around her, her fingers tightening in Alex's curls in silent demand for more.

Alex obeyed, flattening her tongue to drag through Haley's folds with increasing pressure, her nose bumping against Haley's pelvis when Haley ground down against her face with a broken moan.

"Jesus—" Haley gasped, her hips stuttering when Alex sucked her clit into her mouth, her tongue flicking rapidly over the swollen bud. Haley's breath came in ragged pants now, her back arching as she rocked against Alex's mouth in a rhythm that sent sparks racing up Alex's spine.

Outside, the muffled sound of Claire calling for Luke barely registered as Haley's movements grew more frantic, her knees pressing into Alex's shoulders with bruising force.

Alex hummed against her, the vibration pulling a strangled cry from Haley's throat, her fingers yanking Alex's hair in silent warning. The faint creak of floorboards in the hallway went unnoticed as Haley's thighs began to tremble, her breath hitching with each pass of Alex's tongue.

"I'm close—don't you fucking stop—" Haley growled, her voice cracking as Alex slipped two fingers inside her, curling them just right while her mouth worked in relentless counterpoint.

The guest bed's headboard rattled against the wall with Haley's mounting desperation, the sound masked by Jay's booming laughter from the backyard. Haley's grip on Alex's hair tightened to the point of pain, her hips jerking in short, erratic bursts as Alex sucked her clit harder, her toes curling against Alex's sweat-slick back.

A high, keening noise escaped Haley's clenched teeth when the orgasm hit, her thighs clamping around Alex's skull as she ground down hard, forcing Alex's tongue deeper while her body convulsed violently. Her breasts bounced freely beneath the tented sundress, the peaked nipples brushing against the fabric with every frantic undulation; the wet sounds of Alex's mouth between her thighs drowning out the distant clang of silverware downstairs.

Haley's body collapsed forward the second the aftershocks subsided, her trembling hands cradling Alex's flushed face with surprising tenderness. She traced Alex's swollen lips with her thumb, smearing her own slick across them, before leaning down to kiss her fiercely, their tongues tangling in shared taste.

"So good for me," Haley murmured against Alex's mouth, her voice ragged with lingering pleasure, her thighs still twitching around Alex's shoulders with residual sensitivity. She nipped at Alex's lower lip, her fingers trailing possessively down Alex's throat to trace the damp neckline of her sundress. "My perfect girl."

The mattress dipped as Haley rolled off, pulling Alex with her into a messy sprawl; their legs tangling, Haley's fingers still threaded through Alex's hair. The afternoon sun sliced through the drapes, gilding the sweat on Alex's collarbone as Haley propped herself up on one elbow to study her. Alex's lips shone wet, her glasses askew, her pupils blown wide behind the crooked frames; Haley couldn't resist dragging her tongue over Alex's pulse point, savoring the rapid flutter beneath her mouth.

"You're getting better at that," she breathed, her free hand sliding under Alex's dress to palm her still-throbbing clit, teasing rather than relieving, just to feel Alex's hips jerk against her fingers.

Alex swallowed hard, her throat working around the three words clawing their way up her chest, burning like a lit match behind her teeth. She caught herself, exhaling sharply through her nose as Haley's fingers circled lazily between her legs.

"I—" Alex's voice cracked; she wet her lips, her lashes fluttering when Haley's thumb pressed harder. "I love..." Haley's smirk deepened, her teeth grazing Alex's earlobe—expectant, predatory—until Alex gasped out the rest: "...going down on you."

It wasn't a lie, but it wasn't the whole truth either, but Haley's laugh was worth the ache in her ribs; bright and wicked as she rolled Alex onto her back again.

The distant clatter of the patio door sliding open snapped Haley's head toward the window, her body tensing over Alex's. Footsteps echoed below, Claire calling for them, but Haley's fingers never stilled, dipping lower to trace Alex's entrance with torturous lightness.

"We should—" Alex began, her breath hitching when Haley's fingertip breached her just enough to make her hips jerk.

Haley shushed her with a kiss that tasted like shared salt and desperation, her free hand fumbling behind her to snatch the discarded bikini bottom from the nightstand.

"Two minutes," she promised against Alex's lips, her voice rough with lingering arousal. "Just let me—"

A sharp rap at the door froze them mid-motion, Luke's muffled voice asking if they'd seen his phone, as Haley's fingers curled deeper inside Alex, wrenching a bitten-off gasp from her throat.

Haley pressed her forehead to Alex's, her own breath ragged as she whispered, "Hold still," her thumb circling Alex's clit in slow, punishing strokes.

The doorknob jiggled again, Luke's frustrated groan drifting through the wood, as Alex clenched around Haley's fingers, her nails digging crescent moons into Haley's bare shoulders. Haley watched Alex's face twist with the effort of silence, the way her lips parted around soundless pants, before finally, mercifully, withdrawing with a wet sound that made Alex shudder.

Footsteps retreated down the hallway as Haley rolled off the bed in one fluid motion, her sundress falling back into place like nothing had happened. She tossed Alex's crumpled underwear at her chest with a smirk, wiping her fingers on the hem of her own dress with deliberate slowness.

"You're leaking," she murmured, nodding toward the damp spot on the duvet beneath Alex's hips, her grin widening at the flush that spread down Alex's neck.

The distant chime of the doorbell announcing more guests barely registered as Alex fumbled with her panties, her fingers trembling too much to pull them up properly.

Haley watched her struggle for a beat before sighing dramatically and kneeling between Alex's legs, yanking the underwear up her thighs with a sharp snap of elastic against skin. Alex hissed, her hips lifting involuntarily, only for Haley to press a punishing kiss to her mouth, biting her lower lip hard enough to draw a whimper.

"You're a mess," Haley breathed against her lips, her thumbs hooking into the waistband to adjust the fabric tighter, deliberately rubbing against Alex's oversensitive clit in the process.

Alex's choked gasp was swallowed by Haley's tongue as the backyard screen door slammed, Luke's whooping laughter drifting up through the open window.

Haley pulled back abruptly, straightening her sundress with quick tugs while Alex remained sprawled on the bed; legs still parted, her breathing uneven. The contrast between Haley's put-together appearance and Alex's dishevelment sent a fresh wave of heat through Alex's stomach.

Haley noticed, her smirk deepening as she leaned down to whisper, "You love this, don't you? Being all fucked-out while I look innocent." Her fingers trailed down Alex's sternum, light as a feather, before pinching her nipple through the damp fabric. Alex arched into the touch, her hips twitching helplessly, but Haley was already stepping back, tossing Alex's glasses onto her chest with a careless flick. "Fix yourself before Mom notices. Don’t want her asking any more questions."

•••

The bathroom tiles were cold against Alex’s bare feet as she braced herself against the sink, staring at her reflection; hair tangled, lips kiss-swollen, the flush spreading down her chest like spilled wine. Behind her, Haley leaned against the doorjamb, watching Alex’s fingers shake as she adjusted her glasses.

"You should see your face," Haley murmured, stepping closer to trace the fresh bite mark she’d left on Alex’s shoulder, her touch deliberate, proprietary. Alex shuddered, her thighs pressing together at the memory of Haley’s mouth between them; Haley’s laugh was low and knowing as she reached around Alex to wipe the smudged lipstick from her mouth with her thumb. "Maybe I should mark you up more often. Keep you remembering who you belong to."

Alex’s heart fluttered dangerously as Haley’s fingers lingered on her jaw, the possessiveness in her touch making her knees weak. She caught herself leaning into it before forcing her spine straight, the lie she hadn’t quite told still sitting bitter on her tongue. Haley’s smirk faltered for half a second, just long enough for Alex to wonder if she knew, before her thumb swiped roughly over Alex’s bottom lip again.

"Better," Haley murmured, stepping back to survey her handiwork with a critical eye, her gaze lingering too long on the way Alex’s pulse jumped in her throat.

I love you burned like a brand against Alex’s ribs as Haley turned toward the door, her sundress swaying with each step, still damp between her thighs from where Alex’s mouth had been minutes ago.

Alex dug her nails into the sink’s porcelain edge, watching Haley’s reflection adjust the strap of her bikini top through the thin fabric, her fingers lingering where Alex’s teeth had left red crescents. The muffled sound of Claire calling Haley’s name from downstairs made Alex flinch, her stomach twisting at the way Haley rolled her eyes, like this was just another game, another secret to keep buried.

Haley paused at the bathroom threshold, one hand braced against the doorframe as she glanced back over her shoulder; her gaze skimming Alex’s flushed skin, her swollen lips, the way her fingers trembled against the faucet. A slow smile curled Haley’s mouth before she turned fully, crossing the tiles in three quick strides to cup Alex’s face without warning.

The kiss was startlingly gentle; Haley’s lips soft against hers, her thumbs brushing Alex’s cheekbones, so different from the bruising pressure of before that Alex’s breath caught, her eyes fluttering shut instinctively. A soft sigh escaped her as Haley deepened the kiss for just a second, her tongue sliding against Alex’s in a way that made her knees buckle before Haley pulled back abruptly, leaving Alex swaying against the sink.

Haley paused in the doorway, her silhouette haloed by the hallway light. "Five minutes," she mouthed, her fingers twitching like she wanted to reach back, to touch Alex one last time, before she vanished into the noise of Luke’s party.

The absence hit Alex like a punch; the bathroom air suddenly too thick, the mirror fogging with her ragged breath. She pressed her forehead to the glass, the cool surface doing nothing to soothe the fever under her skin.

You’re mine, Haley’s teeth had said earlier. You’re mine, her fingers had promised.

But mine wasn’t love—not the way Alex needed it to be.

Chapter Text

Chapter 4

The days blurred into a feverish rhythm; stolen kisses behind closet doors, Alex pressing Haley against the washing machine during laundry cycles, Haley’s fingers sliding beneath Alex’s skirt while Claire shouted about setting the table downstairs. Alex had learned to school her face into blank indifference even as Haley whispered filth against her neck during family movie nights, her teeth scraping Alex’s pulse point just hard enough to make her thighs twitch.

By December 10th, Haley’s 21st birthday, Alex had perfected the art of covert longing; how to press her knee against Haley’s under the dining table just long enough to feel her shiver, how to exhale softly against her neck when passing behind her chair, how to linger in doorways with her arms crossed just so Haley would brush against her breasts on the way out.

That evening, as Claire fussed over reservations at some upscale downtown bar and Phil practiced his "dad jokes" for the waitstaff, Haley cornered Alex by the fridge, her fingers hooking into the belt loops of Alex’s jeans to yank her closer.

"You’re gonna wait up for me," Haley murmured against her mouth, the words more command than request; her teeth grazed Alex’s lower lip, and Alex nodded before she could stop herself.

The kiss tasted like stolen time, like the promise of Haley’s tongue slow and deliberate between her thighs later, and when Haley pulled away, her smirk was laced with anticipation.

Alex watched her sister saunter toward the front door, Haley’s hips swaying extra for her benefit, the backless top she’d chosen leaving nothing to the imagination where Alex’s nails had raked down her spine the night before.

Upstairs, Alex spread her textbooks across her bed, the dry equations blurring as her mind replayed Haley’s fingers twisting in her hair that morning; the way Haley had laughed when Alex came untouched just from grinding against her thigh.

She chewed her pen cap, her knee bouncing under the desk, the hollow ache between her legs making concentration impossible. Downstairs, the front door slammed; muffled laughter faded as Claire’s car pulled away, leaving the house silent except for the hum of the fridge and Alex’s ragged breathing.

She focused on the textbook's meaningless symbols until her bedroom door creaked open; Luke, his hair still damp from the shower, flopped onto her bed next to her notebooks.

"Studying already?" he snorted, flicking a crumpled candy wrapper at her forehead. "Haley's gonna get so wasted tonight."

Alex stiffened, her fingers twitching around her pen as Luke grinned, oblivious. She forced a shrug, tracing a meaningless equation while her pulse throbbed against her collarbone where Haley's teeth had been last night.

"It's no different than any other night since Haley turned fifteen," Alex muttered without looking up, the lie smooth and practiced as she circled a random variable.

Haley's birthday traditions never changed; cocktails, stumbling home with mascara smudged, laughing too loud in the hallway. just now, Alex would be the one waiting in the dark, Haley's nails digging into her hips while the house slept.

Luke snorted again, rolling onto his stomach to swipe her phone; Alex let him, focusing on the heat spreading low in her belly where Haley's knee had pressed just hours ago.

Luke squinted at Alex's Mathletes schedule, oblivious to the way her pulse jumped when he mused, "You two used to scream at each other like, every day. Now it's just—" He waved vaguely, searching for the word, but Alex's throat tightened. Haley hadn't yelled in weeks; not since she'd started pinning Alex against walls to shut her up with her tongue instead. Luke rolled onto his back, tossing her phone aside. "Did you, like, secretly bond over some girl shit?"

His nose wrinkled as if the thought physically pained him, but then he froze, eyes widening, as Alex's pencil snapped in half. The graphite dust scattered across her notebook like ashes, her fingers trembling around the broken pieces. Luke sat up slowly, his Adam's apple bobbing.

"Wait," he whispered, way too sharp for someone who couldn't find his shoes most mornings. "Are you two, like—secret drug buddies?" His voice dropped to a conspiratorial rasp, his hands miming a joint. "Is that why you're always sneaking off to the basement? Holy shit, Alex, Mom would lose her mind—"

Alex's laughter came out strangled, half-panic and half-relief, her knuckles whitening around the pen fragments. She should've known Luke would land on the dumbest possible conclusion; his imagination couldn't stretch past dime-store Netflix plotlines.

"Yeah, Luke," she deadpanned, wiping her palms on her jeans. "Haley's teaching me how to hotbox the dryer. Real Breaking Bad shit."

The sarcasm dripped thick enough to drown any lingering suspicion, and Luke's face fell into exaggerated disappointment before he lobbed her pillow at her head.

But the question lingered like a bad smell; why weren't they screaming anymore? The old fights had been predictable as sunrise: Haley's laziness, Alex's judgment, the way they'd tear each other raw over unmade beds and borrowed sweaters. Now their battles were silent; fought with teeth and trembling fingers, Haley's nails carving red lines down Alex's back when she disobeyed, Alex's tongue circling Haley's clit just slow enough to make her beg. The anger was still there, just redirected into something molten and unspeakable.

Alex stared at her reflection in the darkened laptop screen—cheeks flushed, lips bitten raw—and wondered when Haley had stopped treating her like a little sister and started treating her like a conquest. Maybe it was the same moment Alex had stopped fighting back with words and started surrendering with her body instead, letting Haley pin her wrists to the mattress while she whispered "say it" against her throat. The worst part? She'd do it again in a heartbeat, even knowing Haley saw this as some fucked-up power trip while Alex was drowning in something far more dangerous.

Alex’s thoughts were interrupted by Luke flopping onto her bed again, his elbow jabbing her notebook. "Seriously though," he pressed, his chin propped on his hands like a kid waiting for storytime, "you guys used to go full WWE in the living room over who left the milk out. Now it’s just—," he mimed crickets with his fingers, "—nothing. Did you, like, sign a truce or something?"

His tone was light, but his eyes held a glint of something sharper; the rare flicker of perceptiveness he usually reserved for figuring out how to swipe extra dessert without their mom noticing.

Alex pressed her thumb against the broken pencil tip, the sting grounding her as she shrugged. "We grew up," she lied, the words sticking to her tongue.

Growing up had nothing to do with the way Haley’s breath hitched when Alex dragged her nails down her ribs, or the way she’d started waking up with the taste of Haley still lingering in her mouth. Luke frowned, unconvinced, and Alex knew she’d misstepped; Haley never just "grew up" out of anything without a fight.

She watched Luke’s brows furrow, dangerous territory, and scrambled for a distraction, snatching her phone back with exaggerated irritation. "Don’t you have a date with your hand or something?" she muttered, scrolling aimlessly through notifications she didn’t read.

Luke scoffed, kicking her ankle, but the tension bled out of his shoulders. Crisis averted—for now.

•••

Meanwhile, Haley drummed her French-tipped nails against the linen tablecloth, the clink of her second martini glass doing nothing to drown out the interrogation masquerading as birthday small talk.

Across the table, Claire's smile was too sharp, the kind she wore when sniffing out lies, while Phil's attempts at levity fell flat between loaded questions about Gavin Sinclair's "hands-on management style" and whether Haley's late nights were really just for fashion shoots.

Haley smirked into her olives, twirling the toothpick; if only they knew how literal "hands-on" could get when Alex's teeth scraped her inner thigh in the basement at 1 AM.

"You're hovering," Haley drawled, deliberately lounging back in her chair until her scoop neckline dipped dangerously low; just enough to showcase Alex's faint bite mark from last night. Claire's lips pursed at the sight, but Haley only raised her glass higher, letting the condensation drip down her wrist like a challenge. "I'm twenty-one, not twelve. If you wanna ask if I'm banging my boss for designer samples, just say it."

The silence that followed was delicious; Phil choking on his sangria, Claire's fork clattering against her plate, but Haley kept her smirk lazy, her toes curling under the table at the thrill of control.

Claire's voice came out tight, her fingers white around her napkin. "That's not—"  

"Because I'm not," Haley interrupted, swirling her drink with a practiced flick of her wrist. She could've sworn she saw her mother's gaze flick to the fresh hickey barely concealed by her choker; Alex's parting gift this morning. The lie slid off her tongue effortlessly: "Gavin's got a boyfriend in Milan who'd cut his dick off if he even looked at an assistant sideways."

Phil snorted into his glass while Claire's nostrils flared, the unspoken then who the hell left that mark practically vibrating between them.

"If it's not Gavin," Claire snapped, her fork clattering against her plate as she leaned forward, "then are you back with Dylan?"

The name landed like a grenade; Phil's face lighting up with hopeful enthusiasm while Haley's martini glass froze halfway to her lips. Dylan. The boy who'd stolen her virginity when she was seventeen, who still texted her drunk at 2 AM with misspelled declarations of love. The boy who didn't hold a candle to the way Alex's hands shook when she untied Haley's bikini top by the pool last week.

Haley smirked into her martini, letting the silence stretch just long enough to be uncomfortable before dropping her voice to a conspiratorial whisper: "Relax, Mom. If I was seeing Dylan again, you'd know. He still texts in emojis like a middle schooler."

Phil's chuckle earned him a glare from Claire, but Haley was already moving on, her fingers trailing absently over her exposed collarbone, right where Alex had sucked a bruise three nights ago. The motion was casual, but the way Claire's eyes tracked it made Haley's pulse jump; she'd always been good at pushing buttons, but this was the first time she'd done it while secretly picturing her little sister's mouth.

The waiter arrived with their entrees, halting Claire's interrogation just as her foot started tapping under the table. Haley flashed him her brightest smile, the one that made men trip over themselves, and deliberately adjusted her spaghetti strap to expose another faint mark near her shoulder. Claire’s knife scraped violently against her plate.

"So," Haley chirped, twirling pasta around her fork, "What is the real reason you two dragged me to some stuffy Italian place instead of letting me get trashed at Barney's like a normal twenty-one-year-old?"

She flicked a glance at Claire's clenched jaw—bullseye—before popping the bite into her mouth with exaggerated relish, the tomato sauce staining her lips the same shade as Alex's blush when Haley had pinned her against the fridge this morning.

Phil cleared his throat, nudging Claire's elbow with an expression that screamed abort mission. "We just wanted quality time with our firstborn," he declared, waving his breadstick like a baton.

Haley rolled her eyes, bullshit, just as Claire's fork stabbed into her chicken parmesan with unnecessary force.

"Actually," Claire said, false sweetness dripping like cheap olive oil, "we were wondering if you've considered reapplying to community college. Or at least moving your—," she gestured vaguely, "—lifestyle out of our basement."

Haley's smirk didn't falter, even as her pulse spiked at the unspoken accusation. She licked marinara off her thumb, slow, deliberate, imagining Alex's breath hitching when she'd done the same thing against her inner thigh yesterday.

"And here we go," Haley drawled, tossing her napkin onto her barely-touched plate with a theatrical sigh. "Newsflash, Mom; I'm not the same dumbass who got kicked out of college." She leaned forward, her cleavage pressing against the table's edge just enough to make Claire's eye twitch. "I've got a quarter-million subscribers watching me review fall collections, Gavin's about to get unfollowed into oblivion, and my sponsored posts pay triple what he ever did." The lie slid out smooth, her follower count barely cracked 200K, but the way Phil's eyebrows shot up made it worth the stretch.

Claire's grip on her wineglass tightened, the crystal catching the chandelier light like a warning flare. "A blog isn't a career, Haley," she hissed, the yet another phase left hanging between them like cheap decor.

Haley rolled her eyes, twirling her fork in lazy circles. "Welcome to 2014, Mom. People make six figures filming themselves opening mail now." She tossed her hair, Alex's favorite shampoo still clinging to the strands, and leaned in with a smirk. "And anyway, my love life is my business. Unless you wanna start sharing details about Dad's weird thing for your—"

Claire's wineglass hit the table with a sharp clink. "That's not the point," she snapped, knuckles whitening around the stem. "I am your mother, and I know something's going on with you. Something reckless."

Haley's pulse jumped; not at the accusation, but at the memory of Alex's teeth sinking into her lower lip that morning, the muffled whimper when Haley had twisted her fingers just so. Across the table, Phil shifted uncomfortably, sensing the impending nuclear meltdown but clueless how to defuse it.

Haley leaned back, draping an arm over the booth with deliberate nonchalance. "Oh my God, Mom, what do you think I'm doing? Hosting underground ragers with strippers and a meth buffet?" She flicked her fingers toward the ceiling like scattering confetti, grinning at the way Claire's nostrils flared. "Or maybe I've got a daring side hustle as a high-end escort? Or—wait, better yet—what if I'm secretly running a cult out of the basement?" She punctuated the last word with jazz hands, watching as Claire's eyelid began to twitch like a faulty shutter.

Phil choked on his breadstick, thumping his chest while Haley batted her lashes. "No cults, Daddy, promise," she cooed, reaching over to pat his arm. "Unless you count the time Alex and I tried to summon Bloody Mary in the bathroom mirror when I was twelve—which, by the way, totally worked."

Claire's fork screeched against her plate, but Haley was already warming to her performance, twirling a strand of hair around her finger, the same way Alex had tangled it in her grip last night.

"Though if we're confessing hypothetical sins..." She let the pause linger just long enough for Claire to inhale sharply. "I did accidentally steal a hotel towel from Maui. It's incredibly absorbent."

•••

Back at the Dunphy house, Alex jerked away from the fridge at the sound of Luke's footsteps thudding down the stairs. She tightened her grip on her water bottle, the condensation slick against her palm; too much like Haley's skin beneath her fingertips yesterday.

"Dude," Luke announced, swinging into the kitchen with his usual lack of spatial awareness, "you're standing there like you're trying to telepathically summon pizza." His grin faltered when Alex didn't snap back, his eyes narrowing at the way she was chewing her lower lip raw. "Wait, are you actually waiting up for Haley like some kinda—"

"Shut up," Alex cut him off, too fast, too sharp. The microwave clock read 10:37 PM; Haley had been gone for three hours and seventeen minutes. Not that she was counting.

Luke whistled low, plopping onto a stool with the grace of a dropped backpack. "Damn, did Mom put you on sister-sitting duty or something?"

Alex's throat tightened around the lie she should've told, but all she could taste was the ghost of Haley's cherry lip gloss from this morning's reckless goodbye kiss before she had left for school.

Luke snagged an apple from the fruit bowl, tossing it once in the air before sinking his teeth in with a loud crunch. "You're being weird," he declared through a mouthful, juice dribbling down his chin. "Like, extra weird. It's like you've got some secret boyfriend—or girlfriend, whatever—" He waved the half-eaten apple vaguely, and Alex's pulse stuttered against her ribs.

The fridge hummed loudly in the sudden silence as Alex focused on the droplets trailing down her water bottle, tracing the same path Haley's nails had followed down her spine last weekend.

"Maybe I'm just tired of your face," she muttered, but her voice lacked its usual bite.

Luke snorted, wiping his mouth with his sleeve before suddenly freezing, his eyes catching on the fresh bruise peeking above Alex's collarbone where her shirt had slipped. She stiffened, adjusting her neckline with a sharp tug that made his eyebrows climb higher.

"Dude," he said slowly, apple forgotten in his hand, "since when do you bruise like a peach?"

The refrigerator's compressor kicked on with a low groan, filling the kitchen with white noise as Alex weighed the risks; admitting to a nonexistent hookup would only fuel his relentless teasing, but outright denial might push him toward dangerous curiosity.

She settled for rolling her eyes, her fingers drifting unconsciously to the mark Haley's teeth had left after their rushed, breathless encounter against the laundry room door that morning.

Luke's grin turned wolfish as he leaned forward, elbows propped on the counter. "Wait—don't tell me Reuben finally wore you down?" The name of his best friend made Alex's stomach twist with a fresh wave of nausea, and she shoved her water bottle into the fridge harder than necessary. The glass shelves rattled, but Luke just laughed, oblivious. "Bro, I knew he had a thing for you ever since—"

"Drop it," Alex snapped, slamming the fridge door shut with enough force to make Luke blink.

Her pulse hammered in her throat, images flashing behind her eyelids; Haley's hands pinning her wrists to the mattress, Haley's laughter vibrating against her ribs, Haley's breath hot in her ear whispering mine. Luke held up his hands in mock surrender, but his eyes lingered on her flushed cheeks with growing suspicion.

"It's not Reuben," Alex hissed, knuckles whitening on the counter's edge, the same way Haley's fingers had dug into her hips yesterday when she'd refused to let her pull away. "And it's none of your damn business unless you want me dissecting your pathetic lack of love life next."

She shoved past Luke before he could retort, her socks sliding on the hardwood like she was fleeing a crime scene. The basement steps creaked under her hurried descent, the scent of Haley's body wash still clinging to the throw blanket they'd twisted between their bodies last night.

Luke watched his sister disappear down the basement steps, the sharp click of the door latch echoing in the quiet kitchen like a gunshot. He took another bite of his apple, chewing slowly as his gaze drifted to the fruit bowl, the same one Alex had shoved him into last Thanksgiving after catching him filching cookie dough.

Something prickled at the back of his neck, some half-formed realization that slithered away before he could grasp it. The apple tasted suddenly too sweet, cloying, and he tossed the core into the sink with a wet splat.

The microwave clock blinked 10:51 PM, way past his usual bedtime, but it wasn’t the late hour that made Luke’s palms itch. It was the way Alex had practically thrown herself down the basement stairs, like she was escaping something. Or chasing it.

His fingers twitched toward his phone before he shook his head; no, he needed something better. Something undeniable. The old camcorder Dad had given him last Christmas—perfect for catching ghosts, Phil had joked—was shoved somewhere under his bed, batteries probably dead, but it would have to do.

He took the stairs two at a time, nearly slipping on the broken step his father had yet to fix. His bedroom door creaked as he shoved it open with his shoulder, the mess of clothes and half-built science projects swallowing the sound.

Dropping to his knees, Luke shoved aside crumpled posters of soccer players and a forgotten bag of Halloween candy, his fingers brushing against something hard beneath the bed frame. The camcorder's strap tangled around an abandoned shoelace, its lens cap long lost to the abyss of his closet.

The battery compartment clicked open in his palm, revealing corroded terminals. Luke swore under his breath; Haley's voice still echoing in his head from earlier that evening ("You'd lose your own head if it wasn't screwed on, loser"). He grabbed the cheap charger from his desk drawer, jamming the plug into the wall with more force than necessary. The red light blinked mockingly slow; three hours minimum for a full charge.

But he didn't need a full charge, just enough juice to catch whatever weirdness was brewing between his sisters. The camcorder's screen flickered to life in his lap, displaying the last recording: shaky footage of Manny attempting parkour in their backyard before face-planting into the hedge. He smirked, deleting the file with a press of his thumb, the memory card's remaining space taunting him with possibilities. He could stash it somewhere strategic, maybe the bookshelf near the basement stairs, angled just right to catch whoever passed by.

But Luke had a better idea. The half-charged camcorder slipped into the pocket of his hoodie with a metallic clink, its weight pressing against his ribs like a promise. He crept back downstairs, pausing at the landing where the floorboard always groaned, his socked toes testing each step with exaggerated caution.

Through the window, headlights washed over the driveway; their parents’ car rounding the corner, Haley undoubtedly in the backseat pretending she hadn’t already pre-gamed at the restaurant. The front door would swing open any second.

Luke ducked into the hall closet just as the lock clicked, pressing his back against winter coats that smelled of mothballs and Haley’s abandoned perfume. The camcorder’s record button depressed with a soft beep he prayed no one heard.

Claire’s heels clacked against hardwood, followed by Phil’s booming laugh and the rustle of shopping bags; “Birthday swag!” he announced, oblivious.

But it was Haley’s voice that snagged Luke’s attention, husky and uneven: “Where’s my nerdy little sister? I got her a… a thing.” The way she slurred “thing” sent a prickle down his spine—too intimate, too knowing.

What was going on with his sisters? Luke pressed closer to the closet door, the camcorder’s tiny screen capturing Haley’s unsteady sway as she kicked off her heels, one landing dangerously close to Phil’s head.

Claire’s sharp inhale cut through the room. "Haley, be careful—are you drunk?"

Haley rolled her eyes, exaggerating her sobriety by walking an imaginary straight line toward the basement door. "Three drinks, Mom. Over, like, three hours. I’m fine." Her fingers lingered on the doorknob, tracing the metal with deliberate slowness, as if imagining Alex's hands already there. "Oh, and don’t wait up—Alex and I are doing sister stuff. Birthday sleepover."

Claire’s frown deepened, but Phil just chuckled, nudging her toward the stairs with a muttered "It’s her twenty-first."

Haley didn’t stick around to hear the rest.

Luke’s breath fogged the camcorder’s lens as he crouched in the closet, counting the seconds until his parents’ footsteps faded upstairs. The basement door clicked shut, but not latched, the gap just wide enough for a sliver of yellow light to slice across the hallway tiles.

His pulse thudded in his ears as he crept forward, the camcorder’s weight suddenly leaden in his grip. Something about the way Haley had said sister stuff made his stomach twist—like she was savoring a secret.

The basement stairs groaned under his cautious descent, each creak a potential landmine. Muffled laughter drifted up—Alex’s, but strained, breathless—followed by the rustle of fabric and a wet sound Luke couldn’t place.

He froze on the last step, finger hovering over the camcorder’s zoom button. Through the half-open door, shadows writhed against the far wall: Haley’s silhouette pinning Alex’s against the small couch, her fingers tangled in dark hair.

“You waited all day for this,” Haley murmured, voice thick with something that wasn’t just alcohol. Alex’s responding gasp sent Luke stumbling back, his elbow knocking against a laundry basket.

The clatter of plastic echoed like a gunshot. The shadows froze. Luke’s pulse hammered against his ribs as he ducked behind the washing machine, the camcorder slipping against his sweat-slick palms.

He heard Haley’s quiet curse, then Alex’s panicked whisper: “You left the door open?”

Footsteps approached, Haley’s bare feet slapping against concrete, and Luke squeezed his eyes shut, praying the darkness would swallow him whole. The footsteps paused inches away. A beat. Then, inexplicably, they retreated.

“Just the house settling,” Haley said, her tone dripping with nonchalance. “Now where were we?”

Luke’s exhale shuddered out through clenched teeth as the viewfinder framed Alex’s trembling hands gripping Haley’s waist, so unlike her usual rigid control, her glasses askew as she dragged Haley down into a kiss that was all teeth and desperation.

The camera’s autofocus whirred softly, sharpening on Haley’s smirk against Alex’s mouth, the way her fingers slid possessively up the back of Alex’s neck to twist in her hair. A muffled whimper escaped Alex as Haley deepened the kiss, their bodies pressed so close the camera could barely distinguish where one sister ended and the other began.

"Whoa…" Luke whispered under his breath, the camcorder's zoom whirring softly as it framed Alex's trembling fingers gripping Haley's face; her movements hesitant at first, then deliberate, like she'd practiced this moment in her head a thousand times.

The kiss wasn't like Haley's usual teasing dominance; Alex pressed forward with a desperation that made Luke's stomach flip, her glasses fogging as Haley's surprised gasp vibrated against her mouth. Haley recovered fast, her hands sliding down to Alex's hips with a possessive squeeze that crumpled the fabric of her hoodie, her thumbs digging in just above the waistband of Alex's jeans.

Haley pulled back just enough to murmur against Alex's lips, her voice husky with intent: "I wanna try something new tonight."

Alex's breath hitched, Luke saw the exact moment her pulse jumped in her throat, but she didn't pull away. Instead, her fingers tightened in Haley's hair, a silent challenge that made Haley's smirk deepen. The camcorder's night vision caught the flash of teeth as Haley nipped Alex's lower lip, her free hand already working the button of Alex's jeans with practiced ease.

"You trust me?" Haley breathed, and the way Alex nodded—too fast, like she'd been waiting for the question—sent an uneasy prickle down Luke's spine.

How long has this been going on? Luke thought, his fingers tightening around the camcorder as Haley's hand disappeared under Alex's waistband, her wrist flexing in a way that made Alex's breath stutter.

He should look away—this was wrong, wasn't it?—but the camera kept rolling, capturing every twitch of Alex's fingers where they clutched Haley's shoulders, her knuckles whitening as Haley murmured something too low for the mic to catch.

Haley withdrew her fingers with a slick sound, pressing them against Alex's parted lips. "Taste how fucking wet you are," she ordered, and Alex obeyed without hesitation, her tongue darting out to lick Haley's fingertips clean. Haley's answering groan sent Luke's stomach plunging; this wasn't just drunk experimentation, this was something hungry, practiced.

Luke's knuckles whitened around the camcorder as Haley told Alex to strip, her voice carrying that lazy, commanding lilt that made Alex's breath hitch. The lens caught the way Alex's fingers trembled on the hem of her hoodie; not hesitation, but anticipation, before she peeled it off with a quiet urgency that betrayed how many times they'd done this dance. Haley watched with half-lidded eyes as Alex shimmied out of her jeans, the dim basement light catching the sheen of sweat along her collarbones.

"Good girl," Haley murmured, digging through the bedside drawer with deliberate slowness while Alex settled onto the mattress, her knees falling open almost instinctively.

The camcorder's autofocus whirred as Haley pulled out a sleek black harness; small, unthreatening, the silicone cock barely four inches, and Luke's throat went dry. He'd seen these in movies, sure, but watching his sisters... he swallowed thickly, his thumb hovering over the stop button, yet the camera kept rolling as Haley set the toy on the edge of the bed with a quiet thud.

"Close your eyes," Haley ordered, and Alex obeyed instantly, her lashes fluttering against her cheeks as Haley stepped out of her panties, the fabric pooling around her ankles.

Luke's pulse pounded in his ears as Haley climbed onto the bed, her knees bracketing Alex's hips, her mouth trailing hot, open-mouthed kisses up Alex's sternum.

Haley's fingers dipped between Alex's thighs without preamble, her touch sure and practiced as she curled two fingers inside her, the wet sound obscenely loud in the quiet basement. Alex's hips jerked off the mattress, a choked gasp escaping her lips, but Haley didn't slow her rhythm. If anything, she sped up, her thumb circling Alex's clit with relentless precision.

"You're so fucking wet already," Haley murmured against Alex's jaw, her breath hot. "But I want you dripping."

Alex whimpered, her fingers scrabbling at Haley's bare shoulders, her thighs trembling around Haley's wrist.

Haley withdrew her fingers abruptly, ignoring Alex's frustrated noise, and dragged her slick fingertips in slow circles around Alex's left nipple; the wetness glistened under the dim basement light as Haley smirked down at her.

"Tastes good here too," she murmured before ducking her head to lick a stripe upward, her tongue rough enough to make Alex's back arch off the mattress.

Haley didn't linger; she traced a wet, meandering path down Alex's stomach, pausing just long enough to scrape her teeth over the jut of Alex's hipbone before hooking her thumbs under Alex's thighs and spreading them wide.

The camcorder's night mode caught the flush spreading across Alex's chest as Haley exhaled sharply against her clit—deliberately, teasingly—before flattening her tongue in one long, slow lick that dragged a punched-out moan from Alex's throat.

Luke's grip on the camcorder faltered when Haley shifted, reaching blindly for the harness, her fingers wrapping around the toy with a possessiveness that made Alex whimper, before guiding it against Alex's slick folds without penetration. The silicone glistened, catching the light as Haley rubbed it in tight circles over Alex's clit, her other hand pinning Alex's hips down against the mattress when she bucked up desperately.

"Haley—" Alex gasped, her fingers twisting in the sheets, but Haley just tutted, pressing the toy harder against her until Alex's thighs trembled.

"Do you want it?" Haley murmured, her voice dark with intent, and Alex's nod was almost frantic, her breath coming in shallow pants.

Haley’s mouth was relentless—hot, wet pressure circling Alex’s clit before sealing over it completely, sucking just hard enough to make Alex’s thighs jerk involuntarily. She licked broad, deliberate stripes through Alex’s slickness, her tongue flicking against her entrance before diving back up to torment her clit again, each movement calculated to wring gasps and whimpers from Alex’s throat.

By the time Haley pulled away, Alex’s hips were twitching helplessly, her arousal glistening between her thighs, and Haley wiped her chin with the back of her hand before flashing a smug grin.

The harness straps hissed as Haley tugged them tight around her hips, the black silicone cock jutting obscenely between her thighs; small but thick, the tip already slick from where she’d dragged it through Alex’s wetness.

“Open your eyes,” Haley ordered, her voice ragged with anticipation, and Alex obeyed instantly, her dark pupils swallowing the brown of her irises as she took in the sight of Haley straddling her. Haley leaned down, her breath warm against Alex’s lips, and caught her in a slow, filthy kiss, tongue sliding against tongue, the taste of herself bitter on Haley’s lips, before murmuring, “Do you trust me?”

Alex’s nod was desperate, her fingers digging into Haley’s hips as she whispered, "Yes," against her mouth; a fragile, breathless sound that made Haley’s stomach clench.

She guided the toy’s tip to Alex’s entrance with deliberate slowness, watching the way Alex’s throat worked as she swallowed hard, her thighs already trembling.

The first inch slid in effortlessly, Alex’s body yielding easily from Haley’s earlier attention, but Haley paused there, her own breathing uneven as she savored the way Alex’s nails bit into her skin.

"More," Alex gasped, her hips arching up instinctively, but Haley held her down, her smirk sharpening at the frustrated whine that escaped Alex’s throat.

"Tell me," Haley demanded, her voice rough, and Luke nearly dropped the camcorder when Alex choked out, "Please—I need it inside me."

The plea punched through the basement’s stillness, raw and unguarded, and Haley’s smirk twisted into something darker as she finally pushed forward—slow, relentless—until the toy bottomed out inside Alex with a wet, obscene sound.

Alex’s mouth fell open on a silent cry, her back arching off the mattress, her fingers scrabbling at Haley’s hips like she couldn’t decide whether to pull her closer or shove her away. Haley didn’t give her the choice; she curled her hands under Alex’s knees, forcing her thighs wider, and leaned down to bite at her collarbone.

"Yeah? You needed this?" she taunted, her breath hot against Alex’s skin. "Needed your big sister fucking you like this?"

Luke’s pulse roared in his ears as Haley pulled out almost completely, just the tip lingering inside, before snapping her hips forward sharply, drawing a startled sob from Alex’s throat.

Haley set a brutal pace from the start, each thrust punctuated by the slick slap of skin against skin, her fingers digging bruises into Alex’s thighs as she held her open. Alex’s moans fractured into breathless, stuttering gasps, her hands clutching at the sheets like she was drowning, her body jerking helplessly with every sharp snap of Haley’s hips.

Haley didn’t ease up; if anything, she angled deeper, her thrusts growing rougher, her breaths coming in ragged, uneven bursts as she watched Alex unravel beneath her.

"Look at you," she panted, her voice dripping with smug satisfaction. "Couldn’t even wait until Mom and Dad were asleep."

The words sent a jolt of heat through Alex’s gut; Haley’s birthday dinner barely an hour past, their parents still awake upstairs, and she bit down on her lip hard enough to taste copper, her thighs trembling around Haley’s waist.

Haley smirked, dragging her thumb over Alex’s clit in rough, careless circles, her thrusts never faltering even as Alex writhed beneath her.

"You think this is hot?" Haley murmured, her voice a filthy whisper against Alex’s ear. "Wait until I get you alone with shelves of toys to pick from. Gonna make you choose what you want me to fuck you with."

The promise twisted something sharp and desperate in Alex’s chest, her hips jerking up instinctively, chasing friction, chasing the impossible fullness Haley was giving her, only for Haley to pin her down harder, her laugh low and throaty.

"Mm, my innocent baby sister," Haley purred, her thrusts slowing to a deliberate grind that wrenched another whimper from Alex's throat. She dragged her tongue along the shell of Alex's ear, savoring the way she shuddered before murmuring, "Next month, when you turn eighteen, we're walking into that adult store; you'll point at what makes your legs tremble, and I'll buy it just to watch your face when I use it on you."

The mere suggestion sent Alex's hips jerking involuntarily, her slick walls fluttering around the toy, and Haley's grin turned wolfish; her little sister's body always betrayed her before her words ever could.

Haley shifted abruptly, hooking Alex's legs over her shoulders and leaning forward, forcing Alex impossibly deeper onto the toy, before rolling her hips in tight, punishing circles. Alex's breath hitched, her hands flying up to grip Haley's forearms, her blunt nails leaving crescent indents as Haley watched her struggle to breathe through the mounting pleasure.

"Haley—" Alex gasped, her voice cracking, but Haley just shook her head, catching Alex's wrist and pinning it above her head with bruising force.

"Not yet," she warned, her rhythm never faltering, her dark eyes locked on Alex's flushed face. "Gotta earn it, remember?"

Luke's grip on the camcorder trembled as Haley's hips pistoned faster, the wet slap of skin echoing obscenely in the dim basement. He couldn't tear his eyes away from the way Alex's body arched, her toes curling, her mouth open in silent gasps, as Haley fucked her with ruthless precision.

A drop of sweat slid down Haley's temple, her breath ragged as she angled the toy deeper, her free hand pinching Alex's nipple hard enough to make her cry out. "That's it," she growled, her voice thick with satisfaction, "you're so fucking pretty like this... all wrecked and desperate for me."

Alex's fingers twisted in the sheets, her thighs shaking as Haley's relentless pace pushed her higher, her orgasm coiled tight in her gut, just out of reach. Haley knew it, too; she slowed her thrusts to a maddening tease, dragging the toy almost all the way out before sinking it back in with deliberate slowness.

"Please," Alex whimpered, her voice breaking, but Haley just smirked, her thumb flicking Alex's clit once, sharp and fleeting, before withdrawing entirely.

"Not until you say it," Haley murmured, her breath hot against Alex's lips. "Tell me who you belong to."

The denial sent a whimper tearing from Alex's throat, her hips bucking uselessly, chasing friction that wasn't there, as Haley loomed over her. "You," she gasped, her nails digging into Haley's hips. "Always you."

The admission shattered Haley's control; she surged forward, slamming the toy back into Alex with a force that knocked the breath from her lungs. Alex's scream fractured into a choked sob as Haley's teeth scraped her collarbone, the pain-pleasure blurring into white-hot sensation as Haley finally, finally, let her fall apart.

Haley didn't let her catch her breath. She fucked Alex through the aftershocks, her hips pistoning relentlessly as Alex's body convulsed around the toy, her legs locking around Haley's waist, pulling her deeper.

The camera captured every shudder, every bitten-off moan, the way Alex's fingers twisted in Haley's hair, dragging their mouths together in a wet, messy kiss that tasted like desperation and sweat. Their breasts pressed together, Haley's nipples scraping against Alex's with each frantic movement, and Haley groaned into the kiss; her own pleasure cresting as Alex's walls clamped down around the toy one final, trembling time.

Luke's breathing stuttered when Haley jerked the toy free abruptly, Alex's body twitching at the sudden emptiness, before flipping her onto her stomach with rough hands. The camcorder's night vision caught Haley's smirk as she dragged Alex's hips up, her fingers digging bruises into the soft flesh.

"One more," Haley murmured, her voice husky as she pressed the slick toy against Alex's entrance again; pushing in slow, so slow, letting her feel every inch stretch her open.

Alex's gasp was muffled against the pillow, her fingers clawing at the sheets when Haley bottomed out, her hips flush against Alex's ass.

Haley didn't give her time to adjust. She pulled almost all the way out before slamming back in—once, twice—Alex's choked sob dissolving into a moan as Haley set a brutal pace.

The angle was deeper now, each thrust jolting Alex forward, the toy hitting that spot inside her that made her vision blur. Haley's hand fisted in her hair, yanking her head back, forcing her spine into a sharp arch, as she leaned down to lick a stripe up Alex's sweat-slicked neck.

"You're gonna come untouched," Haley panted against her skin, her thrusts never faltering. "Just from this. No hands. Just my toy fucking you stupid."

Alex's thighs trembled, her hips jerking back against Haley's, chasing the friction, the impossible fullness, as Haley twisted her fingers tighter in her hair. The pain-pleasure sharpened everything; the stretch, the burn, the way Haley's breath hitched behind her, and Alex could feel her orgasm building again, coiled tight and inevitable.

Haley's free hand slid between her legs, her thumb pressing down hard on Alex's clit, just once, before pulling away, leaving her gasping.

"Haley—" Alex begged, her voice raw, but Haley just laughed, low and vicious, her hips snapping forward unforgivingly.

"You're such a good girl for me," Haley growled, her breath ragged against Alex's shoulder as she fucked her harder, deeper, her hips pistoning with a desperation that matched Alex's own.

The toy curved perfectly inside her, hitting that spot with every brutal thrust, and Alex's moans dissolved into shuddering gasps as Haley's fingers tightened in her hair.

"That's it," Haley murmured, her voice dripping with approval, "take it—take every fucking inch."

Alex's vision whited out as her orgasm tore through her, her body clamping down around the toy in helpless spasms, her scream muffled into the pillow as Haley rode her through it relentlessly.

Haley didn't stop. She kept fucking her through the aftershocks, her own pleasure cresting as Alex's body trembled beneath her, her hips stuttering when Alex's walls fluttered around the toy one last, desperate time.

Haley's breath hitched as she watched her sister fall apart, the way Alex's fingers gripped the sheets so tight her knuckles turned white, the way her mouth went slack with silent, shattered moans. Only then did she slow, dragging the toy out torturously slow, savoring the way Alex's body clenched instinctively, trying to keep her inside.

Haley didn't let Alex collapse yet. She held her hips still, fingers digging into the soft flesh as she bent her head between Alex's thighs, her tongue lapping up the slick mess she'd made of her. Alex whimpered, her thighs twitching at the overstimulation, but Haley didn't relent; she licked into her with slow, deliberate strokes, cleaning every drop with a hum of satisfaction. The taste was sharp and familiar, laced with the faint bitterness of arousal, and Haley groaned against her, her own thighs pressing together at the sensation.

Then she helped Alex flip over onto her back, her hands gentler now, almost tender, as she propped her sister's limp body against the pillows. Haley smiled as she tugged the strap-on off, the harness falling away with a flick of her wrist before she straddled Alex's face in one fluid motion. Her thighs bracketed Alex's head, her hands braced against the headboard as she looked down at her little sister's flushed, panting face.

"Time for the birthday girl to get her present," Haley murmured, her voice thick with amusement—and something darker, something possessive—as she rocked her hips forward, grinding against Alex's mouth. "And all I want is my baby sister's pretty little tongue."

Luke had a problem; his fingers were numb from gripping the camcorder too tightly, his knuckles white as Haley arched above Alex, her thighs trembling with each slow roll of her hips against Alex’s mouth.

The lens caught the way Alex’s hands fluttered uselessly before settling on Haley’s waist, her fingers flexing like she wanted to dig in but didn’t dare. Haley’s breath hitched when Alex finally licked, her tongue tentative at first, then bolder, flicking over Haley’s clit with a precision that made Haley’s head tip back, her lips parting around a silent gasp. The camera didn’t pick up the sound, but Luke didn’t need it; the way Haley’s fingers twisted in Alex’s hair, yanking her closer, told him everything.

He had to adjust the zoom; Haley’s thighs squeezing around Alex’s head, her hips jerking forward with sudden urgency, and the camcorder nearly slipped from his sweat-damp palms when Haley let out a sharp, punched-out moan.

Alex’s fingers dug into her sister’s hips now, her mouth working with a desperation Luke had never seen from her, not in debate club, not during exams, her tongue flicking faster, her lips sealing around Haley’s clit with a suction that made Haley’s spine bow.

The night vision caught the way Haley’s mouth fell open, her teeth biting down on her own wrist to muffle her cries as Alex’s thumbs hooked into her, spreading her wider; the obscene, wet sounds filling the basement louder than Luke’s own heartbeat in his ears.

His jeans were too tight, the fabric rubbing against him with every shallow breath he tried to take, and he couldn’t stop himself, his free hand sliding down his stomach, his fingers hesitating just above the zipper. He shouldn’t. He couldn’t. But Haley’s gasp, high and broken, as Alex’s tongue pushed inside her, fucking her with short, relentless strokes, made his own hips jerk forward involuntarily.

The camcorder tilted dangerously when Haley’s hand fisted in Alex’s hair, yanking her impossibly closer, her thighs shaking as she rode Alex’s face with a frenzied rhythm that left Luke’s mouth dry.

This was wrong, so goddamn wrong, but Luke couldn’t look away, couldn’t stop the heat pooling low in his stomach, couldn’t unhear Haley’s breathy moans as Alex’s tongue worked deeper. His fingers fumbled with his zipper, the sound deafening in his own ears, and when he finally freed himself, his cock twitched against his palm; already leaking, already aching.

He bit down on his own wrist to stifle a groan, his thumb swiping over the slick head as Haley’s hips stuttered above Alex, her thighs squeezing tight around her sister’s face. The camcorder wobbled in his other hand, capturing Haley’s orgasm in shaky, green-tinged footage, her mouth open in a silent scream, her back arching as Alex drank her in greedily.

But that didn’t mean they were done yet. Haley collapsed onto Alex’s chest, her breath still ragged, and Alex reflexively curled her arms around her, their skin sticking together with sweat. Haley didn’t seem to care; she pressed lazy kisses along Alex’s collarbone, her fingers tracing idle patterns on her ribs as if memorizing the way Alex shuddered under her touch.

The silence between them was thick, charged; not awkward, but heavy, and Alex could feel Haley’s pulse hammering against her own, their bodies still tangled in the sheets.

Haley exhaled sharply, her breath warm against Alex’s neck, before murmuring, "You taste better than birthday cake."

Luke barely had time to process that before Haley shifted, rolling Alex onto her side, and his breath caught as Haley’s hand slid between Alex’s thighs from behind.

The camcorder’s night vision caught the way Alex tensed, then melted, her mouth falling open as Haley’s fingers curled inside her with practiced ease. Haley’s lips brushed Alex’s ear, her whisper too low for the mic, but Luke didn’t need sound to understand the way Alex’s hips jerked back instinctively, seeking more. Haley’s other hand snaked around Alex’s waist, her fingers pinching Alex’s nipple sharply, just to hear her gasp, before sliding down to join the other, burying both inside Alex with a slow, deliberate twist that made Alex’s back arch violently.

Luke stroked himself in ragged, uneven jerks, his breathing shallow as Haley's fingers moved inside Alex with a rhythmic precision that mirrored his own frantic pace. The camcorder's lens fogged slightly from his exhales, but the grainy footage still captured Alex's broken whimpers as Haley's thumb pressed tight circles against her clit, her other hand pumping deeper with each thrust.

Haley's teeth grazed Alex's shoulder, sharp enough to leave marks, and Luke's own hips bucked forward at the sound Alex made, a choked-off sob that dissolved into a shuddering moan when Haley suddenly stilled her fingers, denying her release.

Alex twisted against Haley's grip, her thighs trembling with the effort to grind down onto Haley's motionless hand, but Haley just laughed, low and breathless, against Alex's sweat-slicked spine.

"Not yet," she murmured, her teeth scraping the nape of Alex's neck as her fingers flexed inside her, just shy of where Alex needed them most.

Luke's thumb smeared precome over his cockhead, his own rhythm faltering when Haley finally relented, her fingers pistoning into Alex with ruthless efficiency; the wet, squelching sounds loud enough to make Luke's stomach clench with want.

Alex's nails clawed at Haley's forearm, her breath coming in ragged gasps as Haley's thumb circled her clit faster, too fast, and then Alex was arching, her muscles locking tight as her orgasm ripped through her with a violence that left her shuddering. Haley's name spilled from her lips in a broken whisper, and before Haley could pull away, Alex turned her head, capturing Haley's mouth in a messy, desperate kiss.

Their teeth clicked together, their tongues tangling as Alex mumbled against Haley's lips, "I love—" her voice hitched, her heart pounding so loud she swore Haley could hear it, "—what you do to me."

Haley froze for half a second, her fingers still buried inside Alex, her breath warm against Alex's parted lips. She could taste the lie, or maybe the truth Alex wasn't ready to say, and something dark and possessive coiled in Haley's chest. She withdrew her fingers slowly, deliberately, then pressed them against Alex's tongue, watching her sister's lashes flutter as she sucked them clean.

"Good," Haley murmured, her voice rough with something that wasn't quite satisfaction. "Because I'm not done with you yet."

Luke looked down at his hand, covered in cum. And he freaked. His stomach twisted with a sick, electric thrill as he fumbled to stop the recording, the camcorder clicking off just as Haley rolled Alex onto her back again, her fingers already tracing wet paths down Alex’s stomach.

He didn’t stay to see what came next; he bolted up the basement steps two at a time, his pulse hammering in his throat, the sour-sweet stench of his own release clinging to his fingers like guilt.

By the time he slammed his bedroom door shut, his lungs burned, but the images burned hotter—Haley’s thighs shaking, Alex’s mouth glistening—and he scrubbed his hand against his jeans like he could erase what he’d done.

His nose wrinkled. He was not some weirdo attracted to his sisters. It was just a reaction his body had; automatic, meaningless, like flinching from a hot stove.

He peeled his jeans off with jerky movements, kicking them into the corner like they’d betrayed him, and collapsed onto his bed, staring at the ceiling. His heartbeat slowed, but his skin still prickled with residual heat, his thoughts circling back to the way Haley had moaned, low and throaty, when Alex’s tongue had curled inside her.

He exhaled sharply through his nose and turned onto his side, pressing his face into the pillow. It wasn’t them he wanted, he told himself. Just… the sounds. The way it looked. The way it felt to watch.

Luke didn’t know what to think, his brain short-circuiting between disbelief and a creeping, unwanted fascination. He’d always known Haley and Alex were weirdly close, but this? The way Haley had touched Alex—possessive, practiced—like she’d done it a hundred times before.

The thought made his stomach flip. How long had this been going on? Weeks? Months? Years? He wondered if this was why Haley never brought guys home anymore, why Alex’s sarcastic barbs at her had softened into something else, something that made his skin prickle when he noticed it now.

Were they insane? If they got caught... Luke’s mind spiraled through worst-case scenarios; Claire would murder them, Phil would probably try to give some awkward, well-meaning speech about experimentation before collapsing into horrified silence. And Jay? God, Jay would disown everyone.

Luke rubbed his palms against his bare thighs, the texture of his skin oddly grounding. He should tell someone. But then he imagined Haley’s smirk dissolving into panic, Alex’s sharp wit crumbling into shame, and something hollow yawned in his chest.

Were his sisters dating? The distinction gnawed at Luke; dating implied something soft, something stupidly romantic, and nothing about Haley’s grip on Alex’s hips or the way she’d growled mine into her skin had been soft.

But then he remembered Alex’s choked-off I love—, the way Haley’s fingers had lingered in her mouth afterward, and his stomach clenched. Maybe it was both. Maybe it was neither. The Dunphy family prided itself on being quirky, but this wasn’t quirky—this was the kind of shit that got you whispered about in therapy waiting rooms.

He glanced over at the camera on the floor, its little red light still dark, evidence trapped inside like a ticking bomb. His thumb hovered over the playback button, the weight of what he'd seen pressing against his ribs. He could delete it, pretend he never saw anything. But his fingers trembled, betraying him, and instead of erasing the footage, he jammed the camera into his backpack like hiding it would somehow hide the truth.

He sighed and flopped back onto his pillow, staring at the glow-in-the-dark stars peeling off the ceiling; Phil had insisted they’d be educational when Luke was seven, but right now they just reminded him of how stupidly small he felt.

What was he supposed to do? Pretend he hadn’t seen anything? Tell Mom and Dad and watch his family implode? His fingers drummed against his thigh, each tap punctuating the same unanswerable question: What the hell do I do?

He knew he was clueless, he could admit that, but this was way beyond his usual level of cluelessness. His thumbs hovered over his phone screen, thumbsucking indecision making his temples ache. Manny was smart, Manny knew about love and stuff... maybe he’d know how to handle this.

Pulling up Manny’s contact felt like pressing a detonator; Luke’s thumb hesitated, then jabbed send before he could second-guess himself. The three letters glared back at him, accusatory and vague, but Manny would understand. Probably. Maybe.

His phone buzzed almost instantly, Manny’s response a single, dramatic question mark followed by: Is this about the existential horror of midterms or the time-sensitive disaster of unrequited love?

Luke’s groan muffled into his pillow. Of course Manny would assume this was about him.

Just come over, Luke texted back, his fingers clumsy with urgency. Not about midterms. Not about—whatever. He added a skull emoji for good measure, hoping Manny would pick up on the severity without details leaking through the screen.

The reply came faster than expected: Dramatic. I’m already grabbing my scarf.

Luke exhaled, tossing his phone onto the rumpled sheets. At least Manny’s flair for the theatrical might make this feel less like a crime scene confession.

•••

Downstairs, Haley rolled off Alex, stretching like a cat in a sunbeam, her fingers trailing possessively down Alex’s ribs. "Best birthday sex ever," she murmured, half-laughing, half-serious, as she licked the salt from Alex’s collarbone.

The words curled between them—smug, intimate—but Alex caught the flicker of something darker beneath; Haley’s birthday gift wasn’t just the orgasms she’d wrung from Alex, but the way she’d made her beg for them. The admission hung there, dangerous and thrilling, until Haley punctuated it by biting the soft skin beneath Alex’s ear.

Alex twisted away, her fingers gripping the sheets as she fought the urge to curl into Haley’s warmth. "I don’t want to know about the other times," she muttered, staring at the ceiling, willing her voice not to crack.

The implication, that there were other times, that Haley had done this before, lodged in her throat like a shard of glass.

Haley’s laugh was sharp, delighted, her breath hot against Alex’s flushed cheek. "Jealous?" she purred, her nails scraping lightly down Alex’s stomach, just shy of cruel.

Alex’s hips jerked involuntarily, betraying her before she could even speak. "No," she lied, too quickly, the word brittle. The blush spreading across her chest told a different story.

Haley hummed, rolling onto her side to prop her head on one hand, her smirk widening as she took in Alex’s clenched jaw, the way her fingers twitched against the mattress.

"Liar," she sing-songed, dragging a fingertip along the inside of Alex’s thigh, slow and deliberate, just to feel the muscle tense beneath her touch. "You’re such a fucking liar."

Alex swallowed hard, her pulse thudding in her ears. She wanted to bite back, to snap something clever that would wipe that smugness off Haley’s face, but the truth coiled tight in her chest... she was jealous, stupidly, violently so, and Haley knew it.

Alex grumbled something incoherent, twisting onto her stomach to bury her face in Haley’s pillow, inhaling the scent of her shampoo mixed with sweat and something faintly metallic; the strap-on’s leather harness, probably. Haley’s fingers trailed up her spine, slow and teasing, before settling possessively at the nape of her neck.

"You’re cute when you’re sulking," Haley murmured, her voice thick with amusement, but Alex could feel the tension humming beneath her skin; Haley wasn’t just playing, she was waiting, testing, seeing how far she could push before Alex snapped.

She exhaled sharply through her nose, pressing her forehead harder into the pillow, willing herself not to give Haley the satisfaction of seeing her squirm. But Haley’s fingers tightened imperceptibly—not painful, not yet—just enough to make Alex’s breath hitch.

"Tell me," Haley murmured, her voice a velvet threat, lips brushing the shell of Alex’s ear.

Alex shuddered, her fingers twisting in the sheets; Haley wasn’t asking, she was commanding, and the realization sent a hot lick of something shamefully eager down her spine.

"What if I don't want to?" she muttered into the pillow, her voice muffled but defiant, even as her hips shifted instinctively toward Haley's touch.

Haley's responding laugh was low, dangerous, her teeth grazing Alex's shoulder blade before she whispered, "Since when do you get a choice?"

The words sent an electric jolt through Alex's body, equal parts dread and anticipation, as Haley's fingers slid lower, tracing the taut curve of her ass with deliberate, teasing pressure. She bit down on the pillowcase to stifle a whimper as Haley’s nails dug in just shy of breaking skin, her breath hot against the back of Alex’s neck.

"You’re thinking too much," Haley murmured, her voice dripping with false sweetness as she dragged her tongue along Alex’s spine, savoring the way her little sister shuddered. "Just admit it—you like being mine."

Alex’s stomach clenched, the words carving through her resolve like a scalpel, exposing the raw, pulsing truth beneath. She did. God help her, she did.

Haley hummed low in her throat, her fingers trailing back up to tangle in Alex’s hair, tightening just enough to make her gasp. "You don’t have to say it," she murmured, pressing her lips to the knob of Alex’s spine, her breath hot and teasing. "I can feel it."

The words curled under Alex’s skin, igniting a slow burn of humiliation and desire; Haley always knew, always saw, even when Alex couldn’t admit it to herself.

Alex’s nails dug into the pillow as Haley shifted behind her, her thigh slotting between Alex’s legs, pressing just enough to make her hips jerk forward involuntarily.

"You’re so fucking predictable," Haley whispered, her voice thick with amusement, but Alex heard the rough edge beneath it, the way Haley’s breathing hitched when she arched into her touch. It was a game, this push-and-pull, but Haley was just as caught in it as she was.

Haley wished she could admit she was just as wrecked, that Alex's ragged breathing and trembling thighs unraveled her just as thoroughly, but the words lodged like splinters in her throat. Instead, she dragged her teeth over the crest of Alex’s shoulder, savoring the way her little sister’s breath stuttered into something fractured and needy.

"I love how you fall apart for me," Haley lied, her voice smooth as the edge of a blade, because the truth, that she was the one unraveling, would shatter the illusion of control she clung to like a lifeline.

"You’re mine," Haley breathed against Alex's damp skin, the words half a growl, half a plea, her fingers tightening in Alex’s hair as she pressed their bodies together.

Alex whimpered, her hips canting forward instinctively, chasing the friction Haley denied her, just enough pressure to tease, never enough to satisfy. Haley’s lips curled into a smirk against her shoulder, her own pulse hammering in her throat; she could feel Alex trembling beneath her, could smell the heady mix of salt and desperation clinging to her skin, and it made her dizzy with power.

"Do you like that?" she murmured, her voice dripping with false sweetness, her teeth scraping the tendons of Alex’s neck. "Being my good little sister?"

Alex gasped with a moan, the taboo twisting into something molten and inevitable inside her chest; a wildfire she couldn’t douse even if she wanted to. She could feel Haley’s heartbeat thudding against her back, the rhythm ragged and uneven, betraying the control Haley pretended to wield so effortlessly.

She turned her face just enough to catch Haley’s sharp inhale, the way her pupils dilated when their eyes met, dark with something far more vulnerable than cruelty. It was there and gone in a blink, but Alex clung to it like a secret, the flicker of Haley’s mask slipping.

Haley kissed her before she could speak, hard and punishing, like she was trying to erase the hesitation Alex had glimpsed. Her teeth dragged against Alex’s bottom lip, sharp enough to sting, and Alex whimpered into her mouth, her hands scrabbling at Haley’s hips to pull her closer. Haley growled low in her throat, her fingers tightening in Alex’s hair, tilting her head back to deepen the kiss until Alex’s lungs burned with the lack of air.

When they finally broke apart, Haley’s breath was ragged, her lips swollen and glistening, her eyes flickering with something desperate and hungry.

"Don’t," she muttered, her voice rough, like the word was being dragged from her throat against her will. "Don’t fucking look at me like that."

Alex shuddered, her chest heaving, her pulse hammering so loud she was sure Haley could hear it. She didn’t know what expression she was making, some sickening mix of longing and surrender, but Haley couldn’t seem to look away, her grip tightening painfully in Alex’s hair as if she was fighting the urge to either shove her away or pull her closer.

"Like what?" Alex breathed, her voice cracking, her fingers digging into Haley’s waist, anchoring herself before she drowned in the heat between them. Haley’s jaw tensed, her nostrils flaring, and for a second, Alex thought she might actually answer, might actually admit what this was doing to her.

But then Haley’s mouth crashed back down onto hers, swallowing Alex’s gasp as she ground her thigh between Alex’s legs, the sudden friction wringing a strangled moan from Alex’s throat.

"Shut up," Haley growled against her lips, her voice raw and ragged, her hips pressing forward with bruising force, like she was trying to erase the space between them altogether.

Alex arched into her, her hands scrambling for purchase on Haley’s back, nails digging through the thin fabric of the sheet as Haley bit down hard on her lower lip, the sharp sting making Alex whimper.

Haley rolled them fully over, pinning her sister beneath her, their sweat-slicked skin sticking together as their mouths clashed with desperate hunger. She couldn’t think, didn’t want to, not when Alex was gasping like this, her hips jerking up into Haley’s touch, her hands tangling in Haley’s hair with a desperation that matched Haley’s own.

Haley shoved her knee roughly between Alex’s thighs, grinding down with enough pressure to make Alex’s breath hitch, her head falling back against the pillow as her fingers tightened convulsively in Haley’s hair.

She bit down on Alex’s collarbone, hard enough to leave a mark, her fingers digging bruises into Alex’s hips as she rolled her pelvis forward again, chasing the friction she needed to drown out the stupid, clawing ache in her chest.

It was just sex—just fun—just something twisted and temporary she could use to burn away the way Alex’s eyes softened when she thought Haley wasn’t looking. Alex whimpered beneath her, her thighs trembling, her nails raking down her back as she dragged her teeth over the sensitive skin of her sister’s throat.

Feelings were messy, irrational things, and Haley refused to acknowledge the way her chest clenched when Alex’s breath hitched just so, like she was trying to stifle a sob.

Instead, she pinned Alex beneath her, their bodies slotting together with practiced ease, mouths fusing in a kiss that tasted more like desperation than hunger.

Haley’s hands roamed greedily, mapping the familiar curves of Alex’s body as if she could erase the weight of her own stupid, traitorous emotions with each bruising grip. She pressed her thigh harder between Alex’s legs, grinding down with enough force to make Alex’s back arch off the bed, a choked moan vibrating against her lips.

Haley bit down on Alex’s lower lip, hard enough to draw a whimper, savoring the sting of pain because it was easier than admitting the way Alex’s fingers tangled in her hair, gentle despite the feverish need, made her stomach flip. She dragged her nails down Alex’s ribs, reveling in the shudder it elicited, the way Alex’s breath fractured into something ragged and pleading.

"Tell me," Haley demanded against the hollow of Alex’s throat, her voice rough, fingers tightening possessively around Alex’s wrists. "Tell me who you belong to."

She didn’t want the answer, didn’t want to hear the words that would make this real, but she needed them anyway—needed something to silence the quiet, insistent ache in her chest.

Alex gasped, her hips jerking up against Haley’s thigh, her pupils blown wide with a hunger that mirrored Haley’s own. "You," she breathed, the word cracking halfway through, raw and uneven. "Just you."

The admission burned between them, too honest, too vulnerable, and Haley crushed their mouths together before Alex could say more, swallowing the rest of her broken sounds. It wasn’t supposed to mean anything—just bodies, just friction, just heat—but Alex’s hands cradled Haley’s face like she was something precious, and Haley hated how it made her chest constrict.

Haley bit down on Alex’s collarbone harder than necessary, a punishment for the way her fingertips trembled against Haley’s skin, for the quiet, shuddering exhale that sounded too much like surrender. She dragged her nails down Alex’s sides, relishing the sharp intake of breath, the way Alex’s muscles clenched under her touch.

"Say it again," Haley demanded, her voice rough, fingers tightening in Alex’s hair as she ground down against her, the friction making Alex whimper. She needed the words to be dirty, transactional... anything but the soft, broken whisper Alex had given her.

Alex’s hips jerked up involuntarily, her breath coming in ragged gasps as Haley’s teeth scraped over her pulse point. "Yours," she choked out, the word sticky with something Haley refused to name, her fingers digging into Haley’s back like she was afraid she’d vanish.

Haley hated the way it twisted in her gut, hated how Alex’s voice cracked around the syllable like it was being torn from her chest.

She kissed her again, bruising and deep, trying to drown out the quiet ache in Alex’s sigh.

Alex’s mind was a whirlwind of contradictions; every bite, every bruise Haley left behind was a brand of possession she craved even as she hated herself for it. The sting of Haley’s nails down her thighs was grounding, a sharp counterpoint to the dizzying way Haley’s hips rolled against hers, their bodies moving in a rhythm that felt both practiced and desperate.

Alex could taste the lie on Haley’s tongue, just fun, just temporary, but the way Haley’s breath hitched when their eyes met told a different story, one neither of them dared voice.

Haley’s grip on her wrists tightened, pinning them above Alex’s head as she dragged her teeth over Alex’s earlobe, the hot whisper of her breath sending shivers down Alex’s spine.

"You’re mine," Haley muttered, the words rough, like she was trying to convince herself as much as Alex. But the tremor in her voice betrayed her, the same way her hips stuttered when Alex arched up against her, chasing friction with a whimper that was more plea than protest.

Haley’s control was slipping, and Alex could feel it in the way Haley’s fingers trembled against her skin.

Alex tilted her head, catching Haley’s bottom lip between her teeth for a fleeting second before releasing it with a shaky exhale. The fleeting vulnerability in Haley’s eyes, wide and dark with something that wasn’t just lust, made Alex’s chest ache.

She wanted to say it, to whisper the words pressing against her ribs, but Haley’s knee pressing harder between her thighs stole her breath, replacing thought with sensation. The sharp bite of pain when Haley nipped at her collarbone was grounding, a reminder that this was all they could ever allow themselves.

Haley’s breath hitched when Alex’s hands slid down to grip her hips, nails biting crescent moons into the soft skin there; a silent challenge. The way Haley shuddered, her rhythm faltering for just a second, was more intoxicating than any dominance she’d ever forced. Alex arched into her, their bodies flush, sweat-slick skin sticking together as Haley’s gasp ghosted over her lips.

"You’re shaking," Alex murmured, the observation slipping out before she could stop it, her voice rough with something that sounded too much like tenderness.

Haley growled low in her throat, her fingers tightening in Alex’s hair; not pulling, just holding, like she wasn’t sure whether to shove her away or drag her closer.

"Shut up," she breathed against Alex’s mouth, but there was no bite to it, just the faintest tremble beneath the command. Her hips rocked down harder, desperate now, as if she could fuck away the tension coiling between them, the unspoken thing thickening the air like humidity before a storm.

Alex’s breath hitched when Haley hooked her knee over her hip, their bodies aligning with a familiarity that should have been impossible—this wasn’t just skin against skin, it was muscle memory, the way their hips slotted together like they’d been doing this for years instead of stolen weeks.

Haley’s gaze locked onto hers, unflinching, the same hazel-green eyes Alex had rolled at across the dinner table a thousand times, now darkened with something that made her stomach twist.

Their mouths hovered close enough that Alex could taste the sharp tang of Haley’s breath, the faintest hint of mint and the fruity burn of vodka from earlier, and it was unbearable, how well she knew this—knew her.

Haley rocked down, the slow drag of her heat against Alex’s sending sparks up her spine, and Alex’s fingers dug into the sheets, twisting the fabric as she fought to keep her hips still. She could see the flutter of Haley’s pulse in her throat, the way her lips parted just slightly

Tell me, Alex wanted to demand, tell me you feel this too.

But Haley’s tongue darted out to wet her own lips instead; a silent taunt. The pressure built between them, teasing and relentless, and Alex’s vision blurred at the edges, her whole world narrowing to the slick friction and Haley’s unreadable stare.

Haley’s hand slid down to grip Alex’s hipbone hard enough to bruise; stay still, the bite of her fingers said, but Alex could feel the tremble underneath, the way Haley’s thighs tensed like she was holding herself back just as much as she was restraining Alex.

The contradiction was maddening; Haley’s dominance was unraveling with every uneven breath, every stuttering roll of her hips, and Alex wanted to tear it apart completely, to see what lay beneath the performance. She twisted her wrists experimentally, not enough to break free, just enough to make Haley hiss and tighten her grip, her nails breaking skin—mine, mine, mine.

The air between them crackled with unsaid words, thick enough to choke on, and Alex arched her back, pressing her mouth to the damp hollow of Haley’s throat. She didn’t bite, didn’t suck a mark into the skin; just breathed, hot and unsteady, feeling Haley’s pulse rabbit beneath her lips.

Haley’s rhythm faltered, her hips jerking forward once, twice, before she caught herself, but the damage was done; Alex could feel the wetness between them, could hear the slick sound of Haley’s thighs against hers, and the knowledge that Haley was just as wrecked as she was sent a sharp thrill through her.

This felt different; not the frantic, clawing desperation of before, but something slower, deeper, something that made Alex's chest ache in a way she couldn't name. Haley's movements weren't sharp or punishing now; they rolled against her in waves, her breath shuddering against Alex's collarbone like she was fighting to keep it steady.

The silence between them was thick, heavy, broken only by the wet slide of skin and the choked-off sounds Haley muffled into the curve of Alex's neck; sounds that didn't sound like victory, but surrender.

Haley's fingers loosened their grip on Alex's wrists, her touch sliding up to tangle with Alex's instead, their fingers interlacing so tightly it hurt.

Alex could feel the flutter of Haley's pulse against her palm, rapid and uneven, and when she turned her head to look at her, Haley's expression was raw in a way she'd never seen before; her lips parted, her lashes damp, her gaze fixed on Alex's face like she was memorizing it. There was no smirk, no taunt, just something painfully open, something that made Alex's throat tighten.

Haley rocked forward, her hips moving in slow, deliberate circles now, her breath hitching with each drag, each press; not the frantic, greedy thrusts from before, but something deeper, something that made Alex's toes curl and her nails dig into Haley's hands.

Haley shuddered, her forehead dropping to rest against Alex's, their noses brushing, their breaths mingling, and Alex could taste the salt of Haley's sweat on her lips, could feel the hitch in Haley's chest when she whispered her name; not a command, not a tease, just Alex, soft and broken.

Haley's exhale trembled against Alex's mouth, her usual confidence fracturing with each unsteady breath. Alex watched the way Haley's eyelashes fluttered; not from pleasure alone, but from something deeper, something that made her chest tighten.

The hand gripping Alex's loosened further, fingers tracing slow circles against her palm, a silent plea disguised as affection.

When Haley finally spoke, her voice was barely audible: "Don't look at me like that," and Alex realized, with a jolt, that she knew that tone. It wasn't dominance; it was fear.

The rhythm between them stuttered as Haley's hips stilled, her body tensing like she was preparing to flee. Alex tightened her grip instinctively, pulling Haley closer, their sweat-slick skin sticking together. Haley's pulse pounded visibly in her throat, her breath coming in shallow gasps. Alex could see the moment she tried to rebuild her walls, the way her jaw clenched and her eyes darkened with forced indifference.

But it was too late; Alex had already seen the crack in the armor, the slip of something raw and vulnerable beneath the act.

Haley swallowed hard, her fingers twitching against Alex's as if uncertain whether to push away or cling tighter. "I mean it," she muttered, her voice rough, but the usual bite was dulled, like a blade sheathed in cotton.

Alex didn't answer, just shifted beneath her, pressing a slow, deliberate kiss to the hollow of Haley's collarbone, feeling the way her breath hitched. Haley's resistance dissolved into a shudder, her body curving into the touch despite herself, and Alex knew—she knew—Haley was fighting the same pull, the same terrifying gravity.

The room was too quiet now, the absence of their usual sharp banter or hissed taunts amplifying every shaky inhale, every rustle of sheets.

Haley's thigh flexed against Alex's hip, her muscles coiled like a spring, but instead of driving forward, she hesitated, her forehead pressing harder against Alex's as if she could fuse them together and escape the weight of whatever this was becoming.

Alex could taste the metallic tang of blood where Haley's nails had broken skin earlier, could feel the rapid-fire flutter of Haley's pulse where their wrists pressed together; proof that Haley's panic wasn't just about control. It was about this.

Their rhythm picked back up, slower this time, Haley's hips rolling against Alex's with none of her usual force; just a quiet, desperate urgency that made Alex's breath catch. Haley's fingers curled around the back of Alex's neck, pulling her closer until their foreheads touched, her exhale warm and uneven against Alex's lips.

"Just... just don't," Haley whispered, her voice cracking on the words, and Alex didn't ask what she meant, didn't push; she just arched up into her, answering the unspoken plea with her body instead.

A few days later, Luke and Manny were sprawled across Luke’s bed, whispering furiously, Luke fidgeting with the camcorder while Manny rubbed his temples like he was trying to stave off a migraine.

Luke’s voice cracked as he hissed, “Dude, I swear. I saw them, like, doing it—”

Manny cut him off with a sharp wave, his usually composed demeanor fraying at the edges. “Okay, okay, but why would they—no, how would they even—”

Luke groaned, shoving the camcorder into Manny’s hands with trembling fingers. “Just watch it.”

Haley’s laughter echoed from the kitchen downstairs, bright and careless, nothing like the ragged, possessive whispers Luke had captured, while Alex’s muffled retort followed, sharp and familiar.

Luke’s stomach twisted as Manny’s eyes widened, his grip tightening on the camcorder. The screen flickered with grainy movement; Haley’s bare shoulders, Alex’s arched spine, the wet, obscene sounds muffled but unmistakable.

Manny’s breath hitched. “Oh. Oh.”

Luke’s nails dug into his palms. “So… what do we do?”

Downstairs, the fridge door slammed shut, followed by the clatter of dishes. Haley’s voice drifted up, teasing and light, “You’re such a nerd,” and Luke shuddered at the dissonance, the way her fingers had pulled at Alex’s hair in the footage, how Alex had begged.

Manny exhaled sharply, snapping the camcorder shut. “We talk to them. Before—before this gets worse.”

Luke’s laugh was strained, high-pitched. “And say what? ‘Hey, so, uh, I filmed you guys fucking—’”

Manny's fingers tightened around the camcorder, his knuckles whitening as Haley's giggles floated up the stairs again, so incongruous with the raw, gasping sounds still replaying in his head.

"We don't mention the footage," he hissed, shoving it under Luke's pillow like it might combust. "We just—ask. Casually."

Luke's knee bounced erratically, his teeth worrying his lower lip raw. "Dude, there's nothing casual about this. They're sisters—"

"Hot sisters," Manny muttered without thinking, his mind still stuck on the way Haley's back had arched, the slick sound of Alex's moan.

Luke choked, recoiling like he'd been slapped. "What the fuck, Manny—no—"

Manny's cheeks burned, but he lifted his chin, defensive. "Hey, technically—technically I'm not even related to them." He gestured vaguely toward the kitchen where Haley was humming off-key now, oblivious. "That's your messed-up bloodline, bro."

Luke's fingers twitched toward the camcorder again, his throat working as he swallowed hard. "Okay, but... Haley never shuts up about guys. And Alex is—" He waved a hand, fumbling for words, "Alex."

Manny rolled his eyes. "People like different things," he said, but his voice cracked slightly, betraying his own unease.

A heavy silence settled between them, punctuated by the creak of floorboards downstairs; Alex's lighter footsteps moving toward the basement.

The air smelled faintly of Haley's vanilla perfume when Manny inhaled deeply, steadying himself before standing. "We're overthinking this," he lied smoothly, adjusting his collar. "Maybe it's just... experimenting."

Luke's laugh was strangled. "For this long?" He gestured wildly toward the basement where the muffled sound of Alex's laughter curled upward; quieter than Haley's, private in a way that made Luke's stomach flip.

Manny hesitated, then muttered, "We'll knock first," already halfway to the door before Luke could protest.

•••

Downstairs, Haley's fingers paused mid-air where they'd been tracing idle circles on Alex's knee, both girls freezing at the sharp rap on the basement door.

Alex's throat went dry; Haley's nails bit into her thigh instinctively, her voice deceptively light as she called, "Uh, come in, I guess?" The door creaked open to reveal Manny's carefully blank expression and Luke's flushed, twitchy presence behind him. Haley's smile didn't reach her eyes. "What's up, losers?"

Manny cleared his throat, posture stiff, too formal for their usual dynamic, while Luke's gaze darted everywhere except at the rumpled blankets beneath Alex.

"We need to talk," Manny said, glancing meaningfully at Haley's fingers still gripping Alex's leg possessively.

Haley stiffened, her grip tightening painfully for half a second before she forced a laugh. "What, like an intervention?" She gestured mockingly between them. "Did Luke finally admit he's into dudes?"

Alex felt Luke's gaze snap to her bare shoulder, a bruise blooming near her collarbone where Haley's teeth had been last night, and her skin prickled under the weight of his stare.

"Cool it, Haley," Manny interjected smoothly, his eyes flickering between them with unsettling perception. "We know."

The words landed like a grenade, Haley's breath hitching audibly before she schooled her face into exaggerated confusion. "Know what, exactly?"

Luke blurted, "The—the sex," his voice cracking mid-syllable, and Alex watched Haley's fingers twitch toward her own throat; a tell Alex recognized as panic masked as irritation.

Manny's jaw tightened. "We're not judging," he lied, his polished delivery undermined by the sweat beading at his temple. "But this—it's wrong."

Haley's laugh was sharp enough to cut glass. "Oh please, Manny. You're fifteen. What do you know about wrong?"

Alex felt the weight of Luke's stare like a physical touch, his Adam's apple bobbing as his gaze darted between her parted lips and Haley's defiant smirk. The basement air smelled faintly of sweat and sex beneath Haley's vanilla spray, and Alex realized, with dawning horror, that their discarded bras were still visible under the coffee table.

Haley followed her gaze and stiffened, then deliberately stretched her arms overhead with a yawn. "Whatever you think you saw," she drawled, "you didn't."

Manny's polished composure cracked as he stepped forward, his voice dropping to a whisper, "Luke has video."

The words hit Haley like a slap; Alex saw her sister's nostrils flare before she lunged off the couch, sending an empty wine glass crashing to the floor.

"You filmed us!?" Haley's shriek was raw with betrayal, her hands shaking as she advanced on Luke, who scrambled backward into the doorframe.

Alex stayed frozen, her mind racing through consequences—college applications, her parents' faces, the way Claire’s lips would tighten in that particular way—until Manny’s sharp intake of breath snapped her attention back.

Haley had Luke pinned against the wall by his shirt collar, her knee pressing dangerously close to his groin. "Delete it," she hissed, her breath hot against his cheek. "Or I swear to god, I’ll—"

Luke’s whimper cut her off as Manny grabbed Haley’s wrist, his grip firm but not rough. "Not helping your case," he muttered, glancing pointedly at Alex’s white-knuckled grip on the couch cushions.

The silence stretched, thick with the sound of Haley’s ragged breathing and the distant hum of the refrigerator upstairs.

"Haley..." Alex’s voice cracked like thin ice, her fingers twisting in the hem of Haley’s discarded sweater. She didn’t finish, didn’t need to; Haley’s shoulders slumped infinitesimally before she released Luke with a shove.

"You’re disgusting," she spat, but her usual venom lacked heat, her gaze flickering to Alex like she was checking for damage. Her eyes narrowed, her lips curling into something between a sneer and a smirk as she took a step back from Luke. "Little perves," she spat, the word dripping with contempt. "What the hell were you planning to do with that video, Luke? Jerk off to it in your sad little room?"

Her voice was sharp enough to draw blood, but Alex saw the way Haley’s fingers trembled at her sides; fear masquerading as fury.

Luke’s face flushed scarlet, his mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water. "I-I wasn’t—" he stammered, his gaze darting to Manny for backup, but Manny was staring at Haley with an unsettling mix of fascination and discomfort.

Haley scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest, the fabric of her tank top stretching tight. "Oh, please," she drawled, "Like you weren’t getting off on it. Fucking weirdo."

The words hung in the air, thick with accusation, and Alex watched Luke’s throat bob as he swallowed hard; guilty as charged.

Alex finally found her voice, her fingers digging into the couch cushions. "Just delete it," she said quietly, her tone stripped of its usual sharpness.

Haley shot her a look—part warning, part desperation—before turning back to Luke. "Yeah, delete it, or I swear to god, I’ll tell Mom about the time you stole her credit card to buy that porno mag."

Luke’s eyes widened, his panic palpable as he fumbled for his phone. "I-I already did!" he lied, fingers shaking over the screen.

Manny exhaled sharply, rubbing his temples like this was giving him a migraine. "This is so messed up," he muttered under his breath.

Haley’s laugh was brittle, her gaze locking onto Manny with predatory amusement. "Oh please," she said, voice dripping with sarcasm. "You’ve had a weird crush on me since you were, what, ten? Don’t act like you’re some moral authority now."

Manny’s jaw tightened, his cheeks darkening, but he didn’t deny it. "It’s not the same," he shot back, voice low and measured. "I’m not even technically related to you—unlike you and Alex."

The words hung between them, heavy and undeniable, and Alex felt her stomach twist.

Luke, still gripping his phone like a lifeline, looked between them with wide, conflicted eyes. "I didn’t—I wasn’t gonna share it," he mumbled, half-defensive, half-apologetic. "I just—I didn’t know what to do."

Haley rolled her eyes, but Alex caught the flicker of uncertainty in her sister’s expression, something raw and unguarded. "Yeah, well, now you know what to do," Haley snapped. "Delete it and pretend you never saw shit."

Alex exhaled shakily, her fingers still tangled in Haley’s sweater. The air was thick with tension—no one moving, no one speaking—until Manny broke the silence with a quiet, deliberate question: "Is this… just about sex?"

Haley’s scoff was immediate, but Alex saw the way her breath caught before she answered. "Obviously," she lied, her voice too sharp, her gaze darting away.

Luke’s eyes narrowed; he wasn’t buying it, not after watching them fucking, not after seeing the way Haley had looked at Alex like she was the only person in the world.

The silence stretched again, unbearable, until Haley snatched Luke’s phone from his hands. "Give me that," she hissed, scrolling frantically through his gallery. Alex forced herself to breathe, counting seconds, until Haley tossed the phone back with a derisive snort. "Gone."

Luke swallowed hard, his fingers twitching toward his pockets like he wanted to bolt. Manny, ever the pragmatist, cleared his throat, his voice careful. "This doesn’t just go away now. You know that, right?"

Haley’s chin lifted, defiance flashing in her eyes, but Alex saw the tremor in her lips before she spoke. "Says who?" She took a step closer to Manny, her posture predatory, but the way her fingers brushed Alex’s arm—brief, grounding—betrayed her.

Manny exhaled sharply, rubbing his forehead. "Says biology, Haley. Societal norms." He gestured vaguely between them, his expression twisting between disgust and something uncomfortably close to envy. "You can’t just—"

"Why the hell not?" Haley challenged, tilting her chin up, but Alex caught the way her thumb rubbed nervously against her index finger, Haley's tell when she was bluffing. "We're not hurting anyone," she continued, voice brittle, "So mind your own goddamn business."

Manny opened his mouth, then closed it, glancing at Luke like he expected backup, but Luke was staring at Haley's collarbone with a mix of fascination and shame, his fingers twitching at his sides.

"We can’t get each other pregnant," Haley added with a scoff, as if that settled everything, but Alex noticed the way her sister’s fingers tightened around the hem of her shirt, Haley’s nervous tic when she wasn’t as sure as she pretended.

Luke made a strangled noise in the back of his throat, his face twisting like he was debating whether to laugh or vomit.

Manny, ever the diplomat, pinched the bridge of his nose. "That’s not the point, Haley." Alex swallowed, her throat dry, as Manny turned his sharp gaze on her. "You’re the smart one," he said, his voice quieter now, almost pleading. "You know why this isn’t okay."

The weight of his words pressed against her chest, suffocating, because she did know; knew the textbooks, the psychology, the hundred reasons this was wrong, but none of that mattered when Haley’s fingers brushed against her wrist, grounding her in ways logic couldn’t touch.

"It’s not—" Alex started, then stopped, her voice cracking under the weight of everything she couldn’t say: It’s not just sex. It’s Haley.

Haley’s scoff cut through the tension, brittle and defensive. "Oh, please," she drawled, rolling her eyes, but Alex caught the way her sister’s fingers tightened around hers on the back of the couch; possessive, protective. "Like you’ve never done something stupid for love," she added, the word slipping out before she could catch it, and Alex’s breath hitched.

Manny’s eyes widened, his mouth parting in silent realization, while Luke made a choked noise, his face flushing crimson.

Haley’s jaw clenched, her bravado faltering for just a second before she barreled on. "Not that this is love... it’s just—fun."

Alex swallowed hard, her pulse thudding in her ears. Fun. The word tasted like ash, bitter and hollow, because nothing about the way Haley’s thumb traced circles on her wrist felt casual.

Manny exhaled sharply, rubbing his temples like he was trying to stave off a headache. "This is so fucked up," he muttered, more to himself than anyone else, but Haley bristled anyway.

"Says the guy who literally wrote me poetry in crayon," she snapped, her voice sharp enough to draw blood; deflection, always deflection, but Alex saw the tremor in Haley’s lower lip, the way her fingers trembled against hers.

Like you’ve never done something stupid for love, the words hung in the air, twisting Haley’s stomach into knots. She could feel Alex’s pulse racing under her fingertips, the way her little sister’s breath hitched; both of them frozen in the wreckage of that slip.

Manny opened his mouth, his expression shifting from disbelief to something uncomfortably close to pity, and Haley tightened her grip on Alex’s wrist, squeezing hard enough to bruise.

"Don’t," she warned, her voice low and dangerous. "Don’t you dare look at her like that."

Manny ignored it and asked Alex point blank, his voice steady despite the chaos, "Is this consensual?"

The question cut through the room like a blade, sharp and clinical—too clinical, like he was already mentally cataloging this for some future therapist’s notes.

Haley wanted to laugh, wanted to scream, wanted to shove him out the window, because what kind of question was that? As if Alex, with her damn near-perfect SAT scores and her stupidly rational brain, wouldn’t have walked away weeks ago if she didn’t want this.

But then she felt Alex’s fingers twitch against hers, her sister’s throat working silently, and Haley’s chest tightened.

Alex’s eyes widened, her lips parting slightly as she registered the weight of Manny’s question. "You think I—what?" she stammered, her voice raw with disbelief. She could feel Haley’s grip tighten painfully around her wrist, a silent warning, or maybe a plea, but Alex couldn’t stop the words tumbling out. "Of course it’s consensual. Do you think I’m stupid?"

The crack in her voice betrayed more than she intended, the sharp edge of defensiveness slicing through the room. Manny’s expression softened, but it only made her stomach churn worse; she didn’t want his pity. She wanted, needed, him to understand this wasn’t some twisted coercion, even if she didn’t fully understand it herself.

Manny exhaled sharply through his nose, fingers tapping an erratic rhythm against his thigh, the way he did when dissecting a debate topic in class. "Alex," he said, slow and deliberate, "you're seventeen."

The words hung between them like a guillotine blade. Haley's grip on Alex's wrist went rigid, her nails digging crescent moons into skin.

Manny didn't look at her; his focus was laser-locked on Alex, his voice dropping to something dangerously quiet, "I don't care if you think you consented. The law says you can't."

The blood drained from Haley's face so fast Alex could almost hear it, a visceral whoosh of panic. Haley had spent years cultivating this persona—street-smart, unshockable, always three steps ahead—but right now, her pupils were blown wide with something raw and terrified.

"You don't know what the fuck you're talking about," Haley spat, but her voice cracked on fuck, betraying the tremor underneath. She'd been so busy worrying about Luke's stupid camcorder, about Claire walking in, about Alex's too-soft looks... she hadn't considered this. Not once.

Manny continued, his voice low but unflinching, "Haley, in California, statutory rape is a felony. It doesn't matter if Alex wanted it... if anyone finds out, you could go to prison."

The words landed like a punch to Haley's gut, her breath stuttering as her grip on Alex's wrist loosened involuntarily.

Luke's eyes darted between them, his earlier arousal replaced by dawning horror. "Wait, what?" he choked out, voice cracking, his face paling as the gravity of the situation crashed over him.

Haley's throat tightened, her pulse hammering so loudly she could barely hear her own ragged breathing over it.

Alex shot up from the couch so fast Haley barely registered the movement; her sister’s face was flushed, not with arousal now, but something sharper; indignation mixed with panic.

"I’m one month away from eighteen," Alex snapped, fists clenched at her sides. "You’re acting like she dragged me here in chains."

The words tasted bitter even as she said them, because Haley had dragged her, in a way—into clubs, into beds, into this mess of sweat and secrets—but not like that. Never like that.

Manny’s gaze didn’t waver, his mouth a tight line. "Legally, it doesn’t matter," he said quietly. "And morally? Alex, she’s your sister."

Haley’s laugh was hollow, a jagged sound that scraped against the walls. "Oh, now you’re the morality police?" she sneered, but her fingers were shaking where they pressed against her thighs, her bravado paper-thin.

Luke made a strangled noise in the back of his throat, eyes darting between them like he was watching a car crash in slow motion, helpless and fascinated. Alex could feel the weight of his stare, the unspoken how could you clinging to the air, and something hot and defensive coiled in her chest.

Manny stepped closer, his voice dropping to a murmur meant only for Alex. "I’m not judging," he said, though his eyes flicked to Haley with something too close to disgust for Alex’s comfort. "But think—really think—about what happens when this blows up. Because it will."

Haley’s breath hitched audibly at that, her face paling beneath her tan. Alex wanted to argue, to scream that Manny didn’t understand, but the truth slithered between her ribs like a knife: he did. And that was the problem.

Luke bolted without warning, his sneakers squeaking against the hardwood as he lurched for the stairs. Haley barely had time to register the movement before he was gone, his retreating footsteps echoing like gunshots.

Manny’s words still hung in the air, thick and suffocating, when Luke came barreling back down, his face flushed, the camcorder clutched in his shaking hands like a live grenade. He shoved it at Haley, the plastic casing cold against her sweating palms.

"It’s all on here," he hissed, voice cracking, his eyes wild. "Not my phone, it wasn't on my phone—just—fuck, Manny, what the hell’s wrong with you? You want them arrested?"

Haley’s fingers tightened around the camcorder, the weight of it suddenly unbearable, like holding a ticking bomb. Manny’s mouth flattened into a thin line, his gaze flicking between Luke’s frantic expression and the device now burning a hole in Haley’s grip.

"I don’t want anything," Manny said, too calm, too measured, and Haley hated him for it. "But pretending this isn’t illegal won’t make it go away."

Alex made a noise low in her throat, something between a scoff and a sob, her fingers twitching at her sides like she wanted to reach for Haley but didn’t dare; not with Luke watching, not with Manny dissecting them like specimens under glass.

Luke’s breath came in ragged bursts, his hands shaking as he raked them through his hair. "I didn’t—I wasn’t gonna—fuck," he choked out, his voice cracking under the weight of something Haley couldn’t name. Betrayal? Guilt? She couldn’t tell, and that scared her more than anything.

The camcorder’s playback screen flickered to life under her trembling fingers, the grainy footage of her and Alex a grotesque parody of intimacy; Haley’s dominance, Alex’s surrender, all reduced to pixels and soundless gasps. She stabbed at the delete button with a violence that made Luke flinch, her nails scraping against the plastic.

Manny crossed his arms, his dark eyes darting between them like a chess player calculating his next move. "Deleting it won’t change the facts," he said softly, too damn soft, and Haley wanted to scream. "Alex is still a minor, Haley. And you’re her sister."

The word landed like a gut punch, heavy with implications Haley had spent weeks ignoring. Alex’s face twisted; not denial, not even anger, but something worse: resignation. Haley’s stomach lurched; she’d seen that look before, right before Alex locked herself in the library for three days straight during finals week, punishing herself for a B+.

Luke made a strangled noise, backing toward the stairs like he was ready to bolt again. "This is so messed up," he muttered, his voice strangled with something between revulsion and fascination.

Haley’s grip on the camcorder tightened until her knuckles ached, the plastic creaking under the pressure. Alex flinched at the sound, her eyes flicking to Haley’s hands like she expected them to swing at someone, maybe herself. That stung worse than Manny’s judgment.

"They’re right," Alex whispered, so quiet Haley almost missed it. Her voice wasn't shaking, that was the worst part. It was steady, final, like she'd been rehearsing this in her head for weeks. Haley's stomach dropped, her pulse hammering at her temples as she turned to see Alex staring at the floor, her fingers twisting the hem of her shirt into tight knots. "We can't—this isn't just some secret hookup anymore."

Manny exhaled sharply, his shoulders softening like he'd won something, and Haley wanted to claw that smug understanding right off his face. Luke edged closer to the stairs, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he swallowed hard, eyes darting to the camcorder still clutched in Haley’s death-grip.

"So... what now?" he croaked, voice cracking like he didn’t actually want an answer.

Alex lifted her chin, the movement slow, deliberate; Haley recognized that look. It was the same one Alex wore right before she demolished a debate opponent.

"Now," Alex said, her voice low and measured, "you forget everything you saw. Because if you don’t, I’ll forward this to everyone at school."

She pulled her phone from her pocket, swiping until the screen lit up with shaky footage of Luke and Manny standing beneath a floral archway, Phil’s voice booming in the background: "Do you take this person to be your spouse?" Luke’s grinning "I do" echoed, followed by Manny’s theatrical repetition. The angle made it look real, damn near ceremonial, the way the sunlight caught the petals falling around them.

Haley’s breath hitched—she hadn’t seen this before, hadn’t even known Alex had recorded it—but relief crashed over her like a wave. Alex’s fingers moved with cold precision, zooming in on Luke’s flushed face, his giddy grin as he’d parroted the vows like it was a game. Manny’s expression flickered from shock to something darker, his lips parting as he recognized the footage from Cam and Mitchell’s hectic wedding day.

"That’s not—" Luke stammered, his voice pitching higher, "we just asked Dad how it worked!"

Alex’s smirk was razor-thin. "Doesn’t matter," she murmured, thumb hovering over the share button. "All anyone sees is you two saying ‘I do’ under a wedding arch." She tilted the screen toward Luke, watching his pupils dilate with panic as the implications sank in.

Haley bit back a laugh—this was diabolical, even for Alex—but the tension coiled in her chest loosened just a fraction. Manny’s sharp inhale was almost comical, his usual eloquence evaporated as he gaped at his own grinning face frozen on the screen.

Luke lunged forward, but Alex jerked the phone out of reach, her free hand snapping up to press against his chest. "Uh-uh," she chided, voice dripping with faux sweetness. "One wrong move, and I hit send. Imagine the memes—Dunphy-Delgado Wedding Scandal trending by lunch."

Haley could practically see the gears turning in Luke’s head, his mouth opening and closing like a fish stranded on dry land. Manny, ever the strategist, folded his arms, his calculating gaze flicking between Alex’s unreadable expression and the damning footage still looping on her screen.

"It’s obviously staged," Manny finally said, but his voice lacked its usual conviction; his fingers tapped an uneven rhythm against his forearm, betraying his nerves.

Alex shrugged, keeping her thumb poised over the screen. "Doesn’t matter. People will believe what they want, especially when it’s this juicy."

Haley watched Luke’s throat work as he swallowed hard, his eyes darting between Alex and Manny like he was waiting for one of them to fix this. But Alex wasn’t bluffing; Haley could see it in the set of her jaw, the way her fingers didn’t shake. This wasn’t just leverage—it was a nuclear option.

Haley exhaled sharply through her nose, stepping closer until her shoulder brushed Alex’s. The contact was electric; reassurance, solidarity, something deeper neither of them would name.

"So here’s the deal," Haley announced, her voice dripping with false cheer. "You forget what you saw here, we forget the wedding. Everyone walks away happy."

Luke made a strangled noise, his hands fluttering helplessly, but Manny’s gaze stayed locked on Alex, his dark eyes searching for cracks in her armor. There weren’t any.

"Fine," Manny conceded, his tone clipped. "But if this gets out—"

"It won’t," Alex interrupted, thumb finally dropping from the screen. "Unless you make it."

The silence that followed was thick enough to choke on, broken only by Luke’s shaky exhale. Haley watched Manny’s fingers twitch, his jaw tightening like he wanted to argue, but he just nodded stiffly. Luke, however, wasn’t done.

"You guys are sick," he blurted, recoiling when Haley’s head snapped toward him. "Not—not like, diseased sick, but—"

"Finish that sentence," Haley purred, stepping closer, her voice dropping to a whisper that made Luke’s Adam’s apple bob. "I dare you."

Alex’s fingers curled around Haley’s wrist, a silent warning, but the damage was done; Luke’s face flushed beet-red, his mouth snapping shut with an audible click.

Manny cleared his throat, his gaze flicking to the camcorder Haley still clutched like a lifeline. "We’re done here," he said, tone final.

Haley’s grip on the device tightened, the plastic creaking ominously. "Damn right we are," she muttered, tossing it onto the couch with a thud.

She could feel Alex’s pulse thrumming beneath her fingertips where their hands touched—too fast, too shallow—but Alex’s expression remained eerily composed, the kind of calm that came before a storm.

Luke shuffled backward, his sneakers scuffing against the concrete before Manny caught his elbow, steering him toward the stairs with quiet urgency. Haley watched them go, the tension in her shoulders easing only slightly as the basement door clicked shut behind them.

Alex exhaled sharply, her fingers twitching against Haley’s wrist before she pulled away, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear with practiced nonchalance.

"That could’ve gone worse," she mused, voice low enough that Haley had to lean in to catch it.

The corner of Haley’s mouth twitched; Alex always did this, wrapped up her emotions in tidy little boxes and shoved them out of sight, but she could see the tremor in her sister’s fingers, the way her breath hitched ever so slightly when their eyes met.

Haley reached for Alex’s hand again, threading their fingers together, squeezing hard enough to ground them both. "They won’t talk," she murmured, thumb tracing idle circles over Alex’s knuckles. "Not when they’ve got something to lose."

The words tasted bitter, a reminder of how precarious this was, how easily everything could unravel. Alex’s grip tightened, her nails digging crescent moons into Haley’s palm, but she didn’t pull away—like she needed the sting to remind her this was real.

Alex's glasses slipped down her nose as she leaned into Haley's space, their foreheads nearly touching. The scent of Haley's vanilla body wash mixed with the faint tang of sweat made her head swim—too familiar, too intimate.

"What if they do?" she whispered, the words sticking in her throat.

Haley's lips curled into that infuriating smirk, the one that always made Alex want to kiss her or slap her, sometimes both at once. "Then I'll burn their lives to the ground," she murmured, pressing her free hand flat against Alex's stomach, pushing just hard enough to make her gasp.

Haley's thumb traced the waistband of Alex's jeans, the denim rough under her touch. The silence stretched between them, taut as a tripwire. Alex swallowed hard, her pulse fluttering in her throat like a trapped bird.

"You're seventeen," Haley said suddenly, the words sharp as a paper cut, her fingers stilling against Alex's hip. "Manny wasn't wrong about that part."

Alex rolled her eyes, the movement jerky with nerves. "I'll be eighteen in," she paused, counting under her breath, "Thirty-two days." Haley snorted, but her grip tightened, knuckles whitening against Alex's skin.

As much as Alex didn't want to think about Haley's past sex life, she knew the math was almost identical; Haley had been seventeen when she first slept with Dylan, just like Alex was now. The hypocrisy should have been glaring, but Haley's smirk softened as she caught the unspoken comparison.

"Yeah, well," Haley murmured, her fingers ghosting up Alex's ribs, "Dylan was sweet but dumb as a bag of rocks. You're... not."

Alex shivered, catching the implication; Haley had been reckless back then, but this was something else entirely. Something sharper, hungrier, more dangerous in ways that made Alex's skin prickle with anticipation.

Haley's breath hitched when Alex pressed closer, their noses brushing. "But... you're really gonna throw that in my face now?" Haley teased, but her voice wavered, betraying the nerves beneath the bravado.

Alex's lips curled into a smirk of her own. "Just saying," she murmured, her thumb tracing Haley's lower lip, "if you're gonna guilt-trip me about age gaps, maybe don't pick the one you already crossed first."

Haley's laugh was breathless, almost startled, and Alex reveled in the way her sister's composure cracked for half a second, proof that she wasn't the only one unraveling here.

The air between them thickened with unspoken tension, the kind that made Alex's skin feel too tight. Haley's fingers flexed against her waist, nails biting through fabric.

"You're such a brat," Haley muttered, but the heat in her voice undercut the insult.

Alex arched an eyebrow, deliberately slow, watching Haley's gaze flicker downward. "And you're avoiding the point," she countered, her voice dropping to a whisper.

Haley exhaled sharply through her nose, her grip tightening possessively, like she was caught between pushing Alex away and yanking her closer.

Haley's pulse thrummed visibly at her throat, a rapid flutter Alex couldn't tear her eyes from. The silence stretched, heavy with the weight of everything they weren't saying—until Haley's thumb brushed the sensitive skin just beneath Alex's ribcage, making her gasp.

"The point," Haley murmured, leaning in until her lips grazed Alex's earlobe, "is that I don't care how fucked up this is." Her breath was warm, sending a shiver down Alex's spine. "Not when it feels like this."

"Like what?" Alex breathed, angling her head to catch Haley's lips, but Haley pulled back just enough to keep her hovering there—starved and wanting.

Haley's fingertips traced the shape of Alex's collarbone through her shirt, the touch featherlight and maddening. "Like I'd set the whole goddamn world on fire just to keep you warm," she muttered, her voice rough with something that sounded too much like honesty.

Alex's breath stuttered; she hated how those words unraveled her, how Haley could weaponize tenderness like this.

Haley's teeth caught Alex's earlobe, sharp and sudden, before her tongue soothed the sting, cruelty and comfort tangled together the way only Haley could manage.

"You think too much," Haley murmured against her skin, one hand slipping under her shirt, fingertips skating over the swell of her breast. "Always analyzing, always—" Her thumb flicked over Alex's nipple through the lace of her bra, wrenching a choked gasp from her throat. "—needing to understand."

Alex's hips jerked forward of their own accord, her body betraying her before her mind could catch up.

The basement couch creaked as Haley pushed her down, pinning Alex's wrists above her head with effortless ease. Haley's knee pressed between her thighs, the pressure just shy of unbearable, and Alex's breath hitched; trapped between wanting to arch into the contact and needing to escape it.

Haley smirked, reading her hesitation like a goddamn billboard. "See?" she breathed, leaning down until her lips brushed Alex's. "You don't need to think." Her teeth grazed Alex's lower lip, sharp enough to sting. "Just feel."

Alex's pulse roared in her ears, drowning out the hum of the furnace and the distant sound of Luke's voice upstairs. Haley's fingers tangled in her hair, yanking just hard enough to make her gasp—a punishment for being too quiet, too stiff, too Alex. Haley's other hand slid under the waistband of Alex's jeans, fingertips tracing the damp fabric beneath.

"Always so fucking wet for me," Haley murmured, her voice thick with something between awe and accusation. "Even when you know you shouldn't be."

Alex's hips jerked involuntarily, her body responding before her pride could stop it. Haley laughed—soft, mocking—and pressed her thumb harder against the soaked cotton, watching Alex's breath hitch. The friction burned in the best way, the kind of pain that blurred into pleasure until Alex couldn't tell where one ended and the other began.

"God, you're predictable," Haley breathed against her throat, her teeth sinking into the tender skin there. "Always so desperate the second I touch you."

Alex's wrists strained against Haley's grip, her fingers twitching with the urge to grab Haley's hair, to pull her closer—or push her away. She wasn't sure anymore. Haley's fingers curled beneath the fabric, dragging it aside with a rough, impatient tug. The sudden contact of skin on skin made Alex whimper, her back arching off the couch.

"Shh," Haley murmured, though her own breathing was uneven. "You don't want them to hear, do you?" Her fingertip circled Alex's clit slowly, deliberately, while her other hand tightened around Alex's wrists, just shy of painful.

"Haley, I—" Alex's protest dissolved into a gasp as Haley's fingers pressed inside her without warning, the stretch sharp enough to make her toes curl.

Haley's smirk widened at the choked sound, her fingers curling just right to draw out another shuddering gasp.

"You what?" she taunted, her breath hot against Alex's jaw. "You hate it?" Her fingers twisted, relentless, while her thumb kept torturing that oversensitive bundle of nerves until Alex's thighs trembled. "Or you hate how much you love it?"

"I love—" you, Alex almost blurted, catching herself just in time as Haley's fingers stilled inside her, the sudden halt more devastating than the relentless motion.

Haley's gaze flickered with something raw, fear or recognition, before her smirk returned, cruel and practiced. "Love what?" she challenged, withdrawing her touch entirely, leaving Alex twitching and empty. "The way I ruin you?" Her palm pressed flat against Alex's stomach, pinning her down as if sensing the desperate arch of her hips.

Haley's free hand slid up to cradle Alex's jaw, her thumb brushing feather-light over Alex's lower lip. "Say it," she whispered, but there was a crack in her voice now, a tremble in her fingers that betrayed her.

Alex seized the moment, surging up to capture Haley's mouth in a messy, biting kiss; their teeth clashed, Haley's surprised gasp muffled against Alex's lips. For a heartbeat, Haley resisted, her body taut with the effort of maintaining control, but then she melted into it with a broken sound, her fingers tangling in Alex's hair to drag her closer.

Alex's hands slid beneath Haley's jeans, fingers digging into the soft flesh of Haley's ass as she pulled her sister flush against her. The shift in power was dizzying; Haley's breath hitched, her hips grinding instinctively against Alex's thigh, seeking friction. Alex nipped at Haley's lower lip, tasting the sharp tang of blood, and Haley moaned; not the controlled, mocking sound from before, but something raw and desperate.

"Fuck," Haley gasped, her nails biting into Alex's shoulders as she rocked against her, her usual composure shattered. "God, I—" love you, she almost gasped into Alex's mouth, the words dissolving into a ragged moan.

Alex's fingers dug into the soft flesh of her sister’s ass, pulling her down harder against her thigh. The denim was rough between Haley's legs, the friction just shy of unbearable and she rocked against it instinctively, chasing the relief Alex kept denying her, her breath coming in sharp, uneven bursts. Alex's lips curled into a smirk against hers, tasting the surrender Haley couldn't hide anymore, her grip tightening possessively.

"You what?" Alex taunted, her voice low and rough, echoing Haley's earlier cruelty back at her—a perfect, vicious mirror.

Haley's hips stuttered, her thighs trembling as she tried to maintain some semblance of control, but Alex's hands were everywhere; one sliding up to grip her throat lightly, just enough to make her pulse race, the other slipping beneath the waistband of Haley's jeans, fingertips brushing slick heat. Haley's breath caught, her head dropping forward onto Alex's shoulder as her nails scraped down Alex's back, desperate and uncoordinated.

"Fuck you," Haley hissed, but there was no bite left in it, just a broken, needy whimper as Alex's fingers finally—finally—pushed inside her, curling just right to make Haley's vision blur.

"Already am," Alex murmured, her breath hot against Haley's ear as her fingers moved with deliberate precision, slow and deep, savoring every hitch in Haley's breathing.

Haley bit down on Alex's shoulder to stifle her cry, her body tightening around Alex's fingers—too close, too fast, but she couldn't stop herself. The control she'd wielded so easily before was unraveling, her hips jerking erratically, chasing the rhythm Alex denied her.

Alex's lips brushed the shell of Haley's ear, her voice a whisper: "Are you mine, too?"

Haley's answer was a broken sob, her nails digging crescent moons into Alex's skin as she came with a shuddering gasp, her whole body convulsing around Alex's fingers. The aftershocks left her limp and trembling, her forehead pressed against Alex's collarbone, her breath uneven and ragged. She didn't let her recover; her fingers stayed inside Haley, lazy strokes drawing out whimpers until Haley's thighs clenched again, oversensitive and shaking.

"Answer me," Alex insisted, her free hand gripping Haley's chin, forcing her to meet he gaze. "Please," she whispered, the word barely audible; not mocking, not cruel, just raw and open in a way that made Haley's chest ache.

Haley swallowed hard, her throat tight with something she couldn't name, fear or longing or both, her lips parting around words she'd spent weeks swallowing back.

"Yours," she breathed, the admission tasting like surrender, like relief, like something terrifying and inevitable.

Alex's grip softened instantly, her thumb brushing Haley's cheekbone with startling tenderness even as her fingers curled deeper inside Haley, coaxing another helpless gasp.

"Say it again," Alex murmured, her voice thick with something Haley had never heard from her before; not dominance, not teasing... just need.

Haley's nails scraped down Alex's back, her hips jerking involuntarily as Alex's fingers twisted just right; she was trembling all over, her usual bravado stripped away.

"Yours," she repeated, the word cracking halfway through as Alex's thumb circled her clit again, slow and relentless. The confession spilled out between them like a secret too long kept: "Always yours."

Haley gasped, her forehead pressing against Alex's, their breath mingling in the scant space between them. Alex's answering kiss was messy and desperate, her free hand tangling in Haley's hair to pull her closer, as if she could erase the distance between them entirely.

The couch creaked under their shifting weight, Haley's knee bumping the coffee table—too small, too exposed—and Alex pulled back just enough to murmur, "Bed," against Haley's lips.

Haley nodded, her fingers clumsy as they fumbled with buttons and zippers, fabric pooling on the floor in their haste. The basement air was cool against Haley's bare skin as she stumbled backward, pulling Alex with her—their bed, theirs, the sheets still rumpled from last night, from every night since this thing between them began.

Haley's back hit the mattress first, Alex following, their legs tangling beneath the thin cotton sheets. The shift from the scratchy couch to the cool expanse of Haley's bed was a relief, the sheets smelling like them; like sweat and shampoo and something unnameable, something theirs.

Alex's hands slid up Haley's thighs, slow and deliberate now that they had the space, the time, the privacy. Haley arched into her touch, her breath catching as Alex's thumbs traced the sharp jut of her hipbones, her touch reverent in a way that made Haley's chest ache.

Alex hovered over her, her dark hair falling in a curtain around them, blocking out everything else—the basement’s dim light, the distant hum of the house, the lingering fear of being caught. Haley reached up, brushing the strands aside with shaky fingers, needing to see Alex’s face, needing to know.

The look in Alex’s eyes—raw, unguarded, unbearably tender—made Haley’s throat tighten. Alex’s palm pressed against Haley’s sternum, fingers splayed wide, as if she could feel Haley’s heartbeat through her skin, counting each frantic beat like a confession.

Haley’s breath hitched as Alex shifted lower, her lips trailing fire down the soft swell of Haley’s breasts, her tongue flicking over a peaked nipple before closing her teeth around it; light enough to sting, not enough to bruise. Haley’s back arched off the mattress, a choked noise escaping her throat as Alex’s fingers dug into her hips, pinning her down even as her mouth worked Haley’s skin with deliberate, tormenting precision.

The conflicting sensations sent sparks racing under Haley’s skin, her fingers twisting in Alex’s hair—not pulling, just clinging—as Alex moved lower still, her breath warm against Haley’s stomach, her thumbs hooking under the waistband of Haley’s panties.

Alex paused there, her lips brushing the delicate skin of Haley’s inner thigh, her exhale shuddering against damp cotton. Haley could feel her own pulse throbbing between her legs, every nerve alight with anticipation, her hips lifting in silent pleading... but Alex just chuckled, low and dark, her fingers tracing idle circles on Haley’s hipbones like she had all the time in the world.

“You’re so... beautiful,” Alex murmured, the words catching in her throat like she hadn’t meant to say them aloud, like she couldn’t help it. Haley’s breath stuttered at the admission, her chest tightening with something dangerously close to hope.

Then Alex’s teeth grazed the crease of Haley’s thigh, sharp enough to make Haley jerk, her fingers tightening in Alex’s hair; but Alex just laughed again, softer this time, her breath hot against Haley’s skin as she finally, finally tugged Haley’s panties down with agonizing slowness.

Haley bit her lip hard enough to taste copper, her legs falling open instinctively, her whole body trembling as Alex exhaled against her, warm and wet and so close Haley could scream.

“Alex, please—” Haley gasped, the words breaking halfway through as Alex’s tongue flicked out, teasing but not enough, never enough.

She tastes so good. The thought was dizzying, primal; she couldn’t help but groan against Haley’s skin as she finally licked a slow, deliberate stripe up her center, reveling in the way Haley’s thighs tensed around her head, the way her hips twitched upward, seeking more.

Haley’s fingers twisted tighter in her hair, tugging just shy of pain, her breath coming in ragged little gasps that hitched every time Alex’s tongue circled her clit without quite giving her the pressure she needed.

“God, you’re such a tease,” Haley whined, her voice cracking on the last word as Alex deliberately slowed, flattening her tongue to drag it through Haley’s wetness in a way that made her jerk against the sheets.

"You did this to me first," Alex murmured against Haley's thigh, her free hand sliding up to pin Haley's hip down firmly—no leverage, no escape—while her tongue flicked over Haley’s clit in quick, maddening circles.

Haley's moan broke into a sob, her thighs trembling with the effort of staying still as Alex finally gave her the rhythm she'd been craving, relentless and perfect, her nose nudging against Haley’s slick folds with each movement.

The first wave hit Haley like a punch to the chest—sudden, dizzying—her whole body locking as Alex sucked lightly, drawing out every second with practiced precision.

Alex wouldn’t stop, wouldn’t let her come down, her tongue relentless even as Haley’s thighs clamped around her head, her fingers twisting the sheets into knots.

Haley’s vision whited out, her back arching off the mattress as a second orgasm crashed over her before the first had fully faded, the sensation so overwhelming she couldn’t even scream, just a choked, wordless gasp.

Alex finally eased up, her lips swollen and glistening, her breath uneven as she crawled back up Haley’s trembling body, pressing open-mouthed kisses to her stomach, her ribs, the hollow of her throat.

Haley grabbed Alex’s face, pulling her in for a messy, desperate kiss, tongue and teeth and the sharp tang of herself on Alex’s lips, her hands sliding down to cup Alex’s ass, squeezing hard enough to make Alex gasp against her mouth.

Alex groaned into the kiss, fingers tightening around Haley’s nipples in retaliation; the sharp pinch sent sparks racing down Haley’s spine, her hips bucking up instinctively.

“You were right,” Alex whispered against Haley’s lips, her voice rough, her thumbs brushing Haley’s pebbled nipples again; slow, teasing circles that made Haley whine low in her throat.

“About what?” Haley panted, her nails digging into the soft flesh of Alex’s thighs, her brain too fogged with pleasure to parse the words.

Alex exhaled sharply, her breath warm against Haley’s collarbone as she nipped at the delicate skin there, just shy of leaving a mark. “I’m as straight as Uncle Cam and Uncle Mitchell,” she murmured, the words cracking halfway through with something perilously close to laughter.

Haley froze for a heartbeat, just long enough for Alex to feel it, before she burst into giggles, her forehead dropping against Alex’s shoulder as her whole body shook with it.

“Oh my god,” she wheezed, her fingers tightening reflexively around Alex’s waist, her laughter dissolving into a choked moan as Alex rolled her hips down in one slow, deliberate grind.

Alex’s grin was sharp enough to cut glass, her fingers tracing idle patterns over Haley’s ribs as she watched her sister’s breath hitch; the way Haley’s pulse fluttered visibly at the base of her throat, betraying her even as she tried to school her expression into something resembling composure.

“You’re laughing,” Alex murmured, her voice husky with amusement and something darker, her teeth scraping lightly over Haley’s shoulder, “you’re the one who started this, and now you’re—”

Haley cut her off with a rough kiss, her hand twisting into Alex’s hair to drag her closer, her hips rolling up in a silent demand that made Alex groan into her mouth.

Haley broke the kiss with a gasp, her lips swollen and damp, her chest rising and falling rapidly as she pinned Alex with a look that was equal parts challenge and surrender.

“You kissed me first,” she accused, her voice rough, her fingers tightening in Alex’s hair; not pulling, just holding, like she was afraid Alex might vanish if she let go.

Alex’s breath hitched, her mind scrambling to parse the accusation; the memory of that first drunken night—Haley’s hands on her waist, the heat of the club still thrumming in their veins—blurred at the edges, reshaped by time and longing.

“Bullshit,” Alex whispered, her voice cracking on the word, her hands sliding down Haley’s sides to grip her hips, anchoring herself as much as Haley. “You pulled me into the basement. You pushed me onto the bed.”

Haley’s laugh was breathless, uneven, her eyes flickering with something Alex couldn’t name, something raw and exposed, like a nerve struck too hard.

“You leaned in,” she countered, her thumb brushing Alex’s lower lip, tracing the shape of her mouth like she was mapping it for later. “Your breath hitched—right here—” she pressed a fingertip to the pulse point beneath Alex’s jaw, “—and then you licked your lips.”

Alex’s stomach clenched, the memory surfacing like a flashbulb pop; Haley’s mouth inches from hers, the taste of cheap vodka and something sweeter, the way her body had moved before her brain could catch up.

She swallowed hard, her throat suddenly dry, her fingers twitching against Haley’s skin. “I was drunk,” she muttered, but the protest sounded weak even to her, half-hearted.

Haley’s smirk was slow, deliberate, her fingers sliding down Alex’s neck to rest over her collarbone, her touch feather-light and maddening. “You were curious,” she corrected, her voice dropping to a whisper, her knee nudging Alex’s thighs apart with practiced ease. “And then you moaned when I—”

Alex’s hand clamped over Haley’s mouth, her face burning, her breath coming too fast. Haley’s laughter vibrated against her palm, warm and knowing, her tongue darting out to lick the sensitive skin between Alex’s fingers, making her jerk back with a hissed inhale.

“Asshole,” Alex growled, but the effect was ruined by the way her hips rolled helplessly against Haley’s thigh, her body betraying her with every shuddering breath.

Haley laughed and rolled them over, pinning Alex beneath her with effortless grace, her thighs bracketing Alex’s hips, her hands framing Alex’s face like she was something fragile—something precious.

The contrast between the roughness of Haley’s grip and the gentleness of her touch sent Alex’s pulse skittering, her breath catching in her throat as Haley leaned down, her lips brushing Alex’s ear.

“You still are,” Haley murmured, her teeth grazing Alex’s earlobe, her breath hot against Alex’s skin. “Curious.”

Alex’s stomach clenched, her hands flying up to grip Haley’s wrists, her fingers tightening convulsively; whether to push her away or pull her closer, even she wasn’t sure. Haley’s smile was a razor’s edge, her hips grinding down in a slow, torturous circle that made Alex arch beneath her with a whimper.

“I am so far past curious,” Alex gasped, her nails digging into Haley’s forearms as Haley’s mouth trailed lower, teeth scraping a possessive path down her throat.

The whine that escaped her when Haley’s fingers finally, finally, slipped beneath the waistband of her underwear was embarrassingly desperate, her hips bucking up into the touch. Haley’s responding hum vibrated against her skin, the sound smug and satisfied as she traced slow, maddening circles just shy of where Alex needed her most.

Haley pulled back just enough to watch her sister’s face twist, her own breath hitching at the sight; Alex flushed and panting, her glasses askew, her lips bitten red.

“Tell me,” Haley murmured, her fingers stilling abruptly, her thumb pressing just there, enough to make Alex’s entire body jerk. “Tell me what you want, or I stop.”

The threat was hollow, they both knew it, but Alex’s stomach flipped anyway, her pulse thundering in her ears as she swallowed against the dryness in her throat.

“You,” she choked out, the admission raw and jagged, her thighs trembling where they bracketed Haley’s hips. “Always you.”

Haley’s breath caught, her smirk faltering for a heartbeat—long enough for Alex to see it, to feel it—before she recovered, her grip tightening possessively.

“Good answer,” she breathed, but her voice cracked on the words, her usual confidence fraying at the edges.

Alex didn’t have time to dwell on it, Haley’s mouth crashing into hers again, swallowing her gasp as her fingers finally, finally, slipped inside, the stretch burning just enough to make Alex’s back arch off the bed. Haley’s free hand tangled in her hair, dragging her closer as if she could erase the space between them entirely, her hips grinding down in time with the relentless thrust of her fingers.

Alex’s hands scrabbled at Haley’s back, her nails leaving crescent moons in their wake, her thighs clamping around Haley’s wrist as her body coiled tighter, pleasure spiraling sharp and bright behind her ribs.

Haley’s lips trailed hot, open-mouthed kisses down her throat, her teeth scraping over Alex’s pulse point as she murmured against her skin—half praise, half taunt—her breath hitching when Alex’s hips jerked erratically.

“Come on,” Haley urged, her voice rough, her thumb circling Alex’s clit with merciless precision. “So close, I can feel it. Just let go.”

Haley’s fingers curled inside her, hitting that spot that made Alex’s vision whiten at the edges, her cry muffled against Haley’s shoulder as her body convulsed, pleasure crashing over her in waves that left her shuddering and breathless.

"You have me," Haley whispered, pressing her forehead against Alex's, their noses brushing, her fingers still working Alex through the aftershocks, her own breathing ragged. "I’m right here."

The tears came then—silent, inevitable—slipping down Alex’s temples and into her hairline, her grip on Haley tightening like she might dissolve if she loosened her hold even a fraction.

Haley stilled, her fingers withdrawing slowly, her palm cradling Alex’s cheek as she studied her face; the tremble of her lips, the way her lashes stuck together in wet clumps. She didn’t ask. She didn’t need to. Instead, she pressed a kiss to Alex’s damp eyelid, then the other, her thumbs brushing away the moisture with a tenderness that threatened to crack Alex wide open.

Alex turned her face into Haley’s neck, inhaling the scent of her skin—vanilla body wash and strawberry shampoo and something deeper, something Haley—as if she could memorize it.

Haley’s arms encircled her, shifting them onto their sides, their legs tangling automatically, fitting together like they’d been doing this for lifetimes instead of weeks. Haley’s heartbeat thudded steady against Alex’s chest, a counterpoint to her own stuttering rhythm, and for one reckless moment, Alex considered saying it; just three words, lodged behind her ribs like shrapnel, but Haley tightened her hold first, her breath warm against Alex’s ear.

“We’re okay,” she murmured, and Alex wondered if Haley could feel the lie in her own reassurance, the way her fingers trembled where they traced Alex’s spine.

Haley pulled back just enough to brush her nose against Alex’s, her gaze darting between Alex’s eyes and mouth like she couldn’t decide where to land.

The silence stretched, thick with everything they weren’t saying, until Haley exhaled sharply and kissed her; slow, deep, tasting of salt and something bittersweet. Alex melted into it, her hands fisting in Haley’s hair, her toes curling against Haley’s shin as if she could press closer still.

They broke apart only at the sound of footsteps overhead; Luke's uneven stomp, the fridge door slamming, reminders of the fragile barrier between this stolen intimacy and the world waiting to reclaim them.

Haley exhaled sharply through her nose, her fingers flexing against Alex's hipbone like she wanted to leave marks that would outlast their separation. Alex caught Haley's wrist, pressing her lips to the pulse point there, feeling the rapid flutter beneath her tongue as she memorized the taste of salt and desperation and sin.

Haley rolled onto her back with a quiet groan, one forearm slung over her eyes, her chest rising and falling too fast. The sheet clung to her thighs where Alex's nails had dragged earlier, the pale fabric rucked up just enough to expose the crescent-shaped bruises blooming along Haley's inner thigh; dark purple against golden skin, undeniable proof of Alex's hunger.

Alex rolled toward her, the movement tentative, her fingers hovering above Haley's ribs where sweat still glistened in the dim light. "We should—" she started, then swallowed hard when Haley peeked out from under her arm, hazel eyes gleaming with something dangerously close to amusement.

"Just… c’mere, dork," Haley muttered, catching Alex’s wrist and dragging her closer until Alex’s forehead bumped against her shoulder. The damp heat of their skin stuck together, Haley’s heartbeat still erratic under Alex’s cheek.

Upstairs, Luke’s muffled voice carried through the floorboards, followed by the microwave beeping; mundane sounds that made the silence between them feel heavier, like they’d crossed some invisible line neither knew how to name.

Alex traced the ridge of Haley’s collarbone with her thumb, the words I love you burning her tongue, but Haley shifted suddenly, her breath hitching as she tugged the sheet up to her chin.

"We should—uh—sleep," Haley murmured, her voice too casual, her fingers toying with the edge of the fabric instead of reaching for Alex like usual.

Alex clenched her jaw, the rejection sharp even if unspoken, and rolled onto her back, staring at the water stain on the ceiling that looked vaguely like a skull.

"Yeah," she whispered, curling her fingers into the pillowcase, her knuckles brushing Haley’s shoulder; close enough to feel the warmth, far enough to pretend she didn’t notice Haley stiffen.

The space between them might as well have been a canyon, the air thick with everything they wouldn’t say. Haley exhaled sharply through her nose, her fingers twitching like she wanted to reach out but couldn’t remember how, and Alex wondered if this was how it started; the slow unraveling, the inevitable crash.

Haley turned abruptly, her knee bumping against Alex’s thigh, her breath warm against Alex’s cheek. "Stop thinking so loud," she muttered, her voice rough with exhaustion and something else, her fingertips ghosting over Alex’s hipbone like a question.

Alex held her breath, her pulse stuttering when Haley’s hand settled tentatively over hers, their fingers tangling in the damp sheets. Haley’s thumb brushed Alex’s wrist once—hesitant, almost apologetic—before she pressed closer, her nose buried in Alex’s hair like she could disappear into it.

Alex sighed into the dark, the warmth of Haley's breath against her scalp sending shivers down her spine. Her fingers flexed against Haley's, the silent acknowledgment of their tangled limbs doing nothing to ease the tightness in her chest. The clock on Haley's nightstand ticked loud in the quiet, each second a reminder of how precarious this was; how easily it could all unravel with one wrong word, one misstep. Haley's grip tightened fractionally, her thumb tracing idle circles against Alex's skin as if she could sense the storm brewing beneath the surface.

Their breaths begun to slow in tandem, the rhythm familiar by now—Haley’s exhales slightly deeper, Alex’s shorter and hitched—but the silence between them felt different tonight, crackling like static before a storm.

Alex swallowed hard, her throat dry, her pulse fluttering where Haley’s fingers still lingered against her wrist. She turned her head just enough to see Haley’s profile in the dim light; the curve of her cheekbone, the stubborn set of her jaw, and wondered how long she’d be allowed to memorize these details before reality tore them apart.

Chapter Text

Chapter 5

Haley’s eyes fluttered open to the muted glow of Christmas lights bleeding through the basement window; red and green fractals painting stripes across Alex’s bare shoulder. The digital clock on the nightstand read 8:03 AM, but the house was eerily silent, save for the occasional creak of the floorboards overhead.

Alex was curled on her side, one arm tucked under the pillow, the other splayed between them like a barrier she’d thrown up in her sleep. Her lips were slightly parted, her glasses discarded haphazardly on the nightstand, and Haley caught herself counting the faint freckles dusting the bridge of Alex’s nose like they were constellations she needed to memorize.

Haley’s fingers hovered an inch above Alex’s shoulder, tracing the arc of her collarbone without touching, her throat tightening at the way Alex’s breath hitched slightly... like even asleep, she knew Haley was watching.

The Christmas lights flickered, casting shifting shadows over the bruises Haley had left last night, purpling along Alex’s hip where her grip had been too desperate, too possessive. She swallowed hard, her stomach twisting with something sickly sweet and sharp as guilt when Alex shivered and curled tighter into herself, the sheet slipping lower.

Why couldn't she stop staring at the way Alex's eyelashes trembled against her cheeks? Haley's breath caught as she leaned closer, her lips hovering near Alex's temple, close enough to feel the warmth radiating from her skin, but not touching.

The scent of Alex's shampoo, something clinical and citrusy, so her, mixed with the musk of sweat and sex, and Haley's stomach lurched at the memory of how Alex had gasped her name last night, fingers clutching the headboard like she might float away otherwise.

God, Alex was so beautiful like this; vulnerable and soft in ways Haley rarely got to see when they were awake. The urge to press her lips to Alex’s temple, to tuck the loose strands of hair behind her ear, was almost overwhelming.

But then Alex murmured something incoherent in her sleep, her fingers twitching toward the empty space between them, and Haley froze. She couldn’t, shouldn’t, bridge that gap. Not when the weight of everything unsaid threatened to crush them both.

What had started as drunken curiosity now pulsed between them like a live wire; Haley's fingertips tingling where they hovered above Alex's sleeping form, the ghost of last night's feverish whispers still branding her skin. She snatched her hand back just as Alex stirred, blinking sleep-heavy eyes that immediately focused on Haley with terrifying precision despite the absence of glasses.

"You're hovering," Alex rasped, voice rough with sleep and something else, her fingers flexing against the mattress between them like she was resisting the urge to reach out.

Haley's breath hitched at the way early morning light caught the gold flecks in Alex's brown eyes—had they always been that warm? She swallowed hard, forcing a smirk she didn’t feel as she rolled onto her back, putting deliberate distance between them.

"Just making sure you didn’t die of shame in your sleep," she quipped, but the joke landed hollow, her fingers twisting in the sheets to keep from reaching out.

Alex’s gaze flickered over Haley’s face; the tension in her jaw, the way her throat worked around unspoken words, before she huffed a quiet laugh and shoved her glasses on, the lenses doing nothing to hide the redness rimming her eyes.

"Like you’d let me," Alex murmured, her voice still sleep-rough, and Haley’s chest ached at the unguarded honesty in it.

The sound of Luke’s off-key Christmas caroling filtered down from the kitchen, followed by Claire’s exasperated shout, and Haley seized the distraction like a lifeline.

"We should—" she started, already sitting up, but Alex’s hand caught her wrist, freezing her mid-motion. She turned, pulse stuttering, to find Alex staring at their joined hands like she couldn’t believe her own audacity.

"Five more minutes," Alex whispered, not meeting her eyes, her thumb brushing Haley’s racing pulse point in a silent plea.

Haley’s breath caught—this was dangerous, this softening—but she let Alex tug her back down anyway, their bodies slotting together with practiced ease despite the morning chill.

Alex exhaled shakily when Haley curled around her, their bare legs tangling under the rumpled sheets, Haley’s nose pressed against the nape of Alex’s neck. The scent of last night’s sweat and Alex’s shampoo filled Haley’s lungs, familiar and terrifying in equal measure. She could feel Alex’s heartbeat where their chests pressed together—too fast, like a trapped bird—and wondered if her own pulse gave away just as much.

“Luke’s butchering ‘Jingle Bell Rock’ again,” Alex muttered, her voice deliberately light, but Haley felt the way her fingers tightened around Haley’s wrist like an anchor.

Haley’s laugh came out strangled, her lips brushing Alex’s shoulder before she could stop herself. “Pretty sure that’s a felony in forty states,” she murmured, but the joke tasted stale on her tongue.

The silence stretched, thick with everything they weren’t saying, until Alex shifted slightly, her backside pressing against Haley’s hips in a way that made them both freeze. Haley’s breath hitched; half panic, half want, her body reacting before her brain could catch up, her traitorous hips rolling forward just enough to draw a sharp gasp from Alex.

Alex’s fingers dug into Haley’s wrist, her spine arching infinitesimally, the soft noise she made muffled against the pillow. Haley’s stomach flipped at the sound, her pulse thundering in her ears as she hovered there, torn between pulling away and pressing closer.

“We should—” Haley started, her voice cracking, but Alex cut her off with a jerky nod, her breathing uneven.

“Yeah,” Alex agreed, but neither moved, the air between them charged with something electric and inevitable.

The distant clatter of pans upstairs jolted them apart, Haley rolling onto her back with a sharp inhale, her fingers flexing against the mattress like she could physically anchor herself to reality. Alex sat up abruptly, her glasses askew, the sheet pooling around her waist as she scrubbed a hand over her face.

Haley’s gaze snagged on the bite mark she’d left just below Alex’s collarbone, dark against pale skin, and her throat went dry. Alex caught her staring and flushed, her fingers twitching toward the mark before aborting the movement, her jaw tightening.

Why were they acting as if the last two months hadn’t happened? Haley’s pulse throbbed in her temples, her fingertips tracing the indent of her own teeth on her lower lip as she studied Alex’s rigid posture; the way her shoulders hunched forward like she was physically recoiling from the warmth still lingering between their bodies.

The silence stretched, taut as a wire, until Alex exhaled sharply through her nose and reached for her discarded shirt, her movements jerky with forced nonchalance. Haley watched her pull the fabric over her head, the hem catching slightly on the strap of her sports bra, and something twisted in her gut at the way Alex flinched when their knees brushed under the sheets.

Haley couldn't take it anymore—the distance, the pretending. She caught Alex's wrist mid-reach for her pants, her grip firm but not tight, and turned Alex’s face toward hers with her free hand.

Their gazes locked, Haley’s thumb pressing lightly against the hinge of Alex’s jaw, her fingertips brushing the soft skin behind Alex’s ear where her pulse jumped erratically.

Alex’s breath hitched, her pupils dilating until her brown eyes were nearly black, and Haley watched the bob of her throat as she swallowed hard, her lips parting slightly like she wanted to speak but couldn’t remember how. The sheet slipped further down Haley’s waist as she leaned in, close enough that their noses brushed, her fingers tightening imperceptibly against Alex’s skin.

“Stop running,” Haley whispered, her voice cracking on the words, her breath warm against Alex’s lips.

Alex shuddered, her fingers curling into the sheets like she was resisting the urge to reach out, her entire body vibrating with tension. Haley could see the exact moment Alex’s resolve fractured; her eyelashes fluttering shut, her shoulders slumping forward as she exhaled shakily, her forehead dropping to rest against Haley’s with a quiet thud.

"You're acting like I'm radio active," Haley murmured, her thumb tracing the frantic pulse in Alex's wrist. The words came out softer than she intended, almost pleading, and she hated how vulnerable it made her sound.

Alex's breath stuttered against Haley's lips, warm and uneven, her fingers twitching like she wanted to pull away or pull closer but couldn't decide. The Christmas lights overhead painted stripes of red across Alex's cheekbones, highlighting the way her pupils swallowed her irises whole; dark and endless and terrified.

Alex's lips parted, but no sound came out, just a shaky exhale that ghosted over Haley's chin. Her free hand hovered between them, trembling slightly before finally settling on Haley's hip, her fingers pressing into the bruise she'd left there last night; a silent apology and accusation all at once.

Haley shivered at the contact, her own grip loosening just enough to slide her fingers between Alex's, their palms slotting together with a familiarity that shouldn't exist between sisters. The thought sent a jolt through Haley's chest, sharp enough that her next breath caught, but Alex was already leaning in, her nose bumping Haley's as if drawn by some invisible force.

I love you—the words throbbed behind Haley’s clenched teeth as Alex’s lips hovered centimeters from hers, the air between them charged with hesitation and want.

Instead of speaking, Haley surged forward, catching Alex’s bottom lip between her own, swallowing Alex’s startled gasp like it was the confession she couldn’t voice. Alex’s fingers tightened painfully around Haley’s wrist, her other hand fisting in Haley’s hair to yank her closer as if she could fuse them together through sheer desperation.

The taste of sleep and salt and something indefinably Alex flooded Haley’s senses, her pulse hammering so violently she was sure Alex could feel it where their torsos pressed together.

Why do I love her so much? Alex thought wildly as Haley’s tongue traced her lower lip with rough precision, the sharp tug of Haley’s fingers in her hair making her arch instinctively against the mattress.

The sheet tangled between their legs, trapping them in a cocoon of shared warmth and the scent of last night’s recklessness; whiskey-sweet breath and the faint musk of sweat still clinging to their skin.

Alex whimpered when Haley’s teeth scraped her earlobe, her hips jerking involuntarily as Haley murmured something filthy against the pulse point beneath Alex’s jaw; words that shouldn’t have set her on fire like this, not from her sister, not when the weight of their choices pressed so heavily against her ribs.

Haley pulled back just enough to study Alex’s face; the flush creeping down her throat, the way her teeth worried her bottom lip raw, before dragging a thumb over Alex’s parted lips with a softness that contradicted the hunger in her eyes.

“Say it,” Haley breathed, her voice low and uneven, fingers tightening in Alex’s hair until it bordered on pain. “Say you want—”

But Alex cut her off with another bruising kiss, her nails digging into Haley’s bare shoulder as she flipped them with surprising strength, pressing Haley into the mattress with her full weight. The startled noise Haley made dissolved into a moan when Alex rocked down against her thigh, the friction drawing a gasp from both of them—too desperate, too raw, too fucking real to pretend this was just about physical release anymore.

"I can’t—" Alex gasped against Haley’s mouth, her hips stuttering as she ground down again, the thin fabric of Haley’s underwear damp between them.

Haley’s fingers dug into Alex’s hips, her own breath coming in ragged bursts as she arched up to meet her, the friction dizzying. The word can’t hung between them, sharp as a knife; not a refusal, but a confession too heavy to voice. Alex’s glasses slid crooked as she shuddered, her forehead dropping to Haley’s shoulder with a choked noise that sounded suspiciously like a sob.

Haley’s hands trembled as they skimmed up Alex’s back, tracing the knobs of her spine through her shirt, her thumbs pressing into the tense muscles there like she could knead the hesitation away.

"You can," Haley whispered, her lips brushing the shell of Alex’s ear, her voice cracking on the lie. She felt Alex’s swallow against her collarbone, the way her ribs expanded with a shaky inhale before she went still. Too still, like prey sensing danger.

The distant sound of Luke’s laughter from upstairs sliced through the thick air between them, a reminder of the world outside this bed, and Haley’s stomach twisted as Alex tensed further, her fingers tightening in the sheets like she was preparing to flee.

Alex lifted her head slowly, her glasses fogged from uneven breaths, her pupils blown so wide Haley could barely see the brown anymore.

The words I love you balanced on the tip of Alex’s tongue, sharp and terrifying, but what came out was a broken, "We shouldn’t—" before she bit down on her own lip hard enough to draw blood.

Haley watched the bead of crimson well up, her own pulse thundering in her throat, and before she could stop herself, she surged up to catch it with her tongue, the metallic tang bursting across her taste buds like a punishment.

Alex gasped, her hands flying to Haley’s shoulders—whether to push or pull, neither knew—but then the basement door creaked open upstairs, followed by Claire’s voice calling down, "Girls? Breakfast in ten!" and they froze, their bodies locked together in guilty paralysis.

Haley’s grip on Alex’s hips tightened instinctively, her nails leaving half-moon indents in the skin there as she fought the urge to yank Alex back down. Alex’s breath hitched, her entire body thrumming with tension, her eyes darting between Haley’s lips and the stairs like she was calculating how fast they could disentangle themselves.

The moment stretched, fragile as spun sugar, until Haley exhaled sharply through her nose and let her hands fall away, the loss of contact like a physical wound. Alex scrambled off the bed with uncharacteristic clumsiness, her shirt riding up to reveal the fingerprint bruises Haley had left on her waist last night; dark and damning in the morning light.

Upstairs, Claire’s footsteps retreated, the distant clatter of plates covering the sound of Alex’s ragged breathing as she jammed her glasses back into place with trembling fingers. Haley watched her from the bed, the sheet pooled around her waist, her skin still humming where Alex’s body had been pressed against hers seconds ago.

“Alex,” she started, her voice low and rough, but Alex was already shaking her head, her back rigid as she hunted for her missing sock under the bed like it was the most important thing in the world. The denial in the set of Alex’s shoulders was as clear as if she’d shouted it, and Haley’s jaw clenched, the words I love you curdling on her tongue like spoiled milk.

Alex finally straightened, her sock crumpled in her fist, her gaze darting anywhere but Haley’s face. The silence between them was suffocating, thick with everything they couldn’t say.

Until Alex cleared her throat and muttered, “We should—” just as Haley blurted, “We could—” at the same time.

They both broke off, the air crackling with unspoken tension, Alex’s fingers twisting the fabric of her sock into a tight knot. Haley’s chest ached at the way Alex’s knuckles whitened, her entire body vibrating with the effort of holding herself together.

The scent of pancakes drifted down from the kitchen, sickeningly sweet against the bitter taste still lingering in Haley’s mouth. She watched Alex’s throat work as she swallowed hard, her lips pressing into a thin line; the same expression she wore before a calculus exam, like she was trying to solve an equation with too many variables. She wanted to reach out, to smooth the crease between Alex’s brows with her thumb, but her hands stayed frozen at her sides, clutching the sheets like they were the only thing keeping her from drowning.

Alex finally met her gaze, her brown eyes flickering with something raw and unguarded—fear, longing, maybe both—before she schooled her features into careful neutrality.

“Later,” she whispered, so softly Haley almost missed it, but the word sent a jolt through her chest anyway. She turned on her heel before Haley could respond, her sock still crumpled in one fist as she fled up the stairs two at a time, her footsteps echoing like gunshots in the silent basement.

Haley exhaled sharply through her nose, her fingers curling into the mattress hard enough to leave indents in the sheets. The ghost of Alex’s weight still pressed into her thighs, the fading warmth between her legs a cruel reminder of how close they’d been to—what?

Haley squeezed her eyes shut, the taste of Alex’s blood still sharp on her tongue. She’d kissed her like she was starving, bitten her like she wanted to leave proof they existed outside this room, and Alex had let her. The realization hit Haley like a punch to the gut, her breath shuddering as she pressed the heel of her hand against her sternum like she could physically hold herself together.

Upstairs, the muffled clang of pans and Claire’s cheerful humming underscored the heavy silence Alex left behind. Haley dragged herself upright, her limbs leaden with exhaustion and something heavier; the weight of loving someone she shouldn’t, the fear of what came next.

The sheet slipped down her torso as she reached for her discarded tank top, the fabric still damp with sweat from last night’s restless sleep. She pulled it over her head mechanically, her fingers brushing the bite mark on her collarbone where Alex’s teeth had left a crescent-shaped bruise; dark enough to hurt when she pressed on it.

She wished she could sink back into the mattress, let the scent of Alex’s shampoo and their tangled sweat lull her into pretending this was normal—just two sisters sharing a bed after a late night, nothing more.

But the sharp ache between her thighs and the sting of Alex’s nails on her shoulders betrayed the lie before it could form.

She dragged a hand through her hair, wincing when her fingers caught in the knots Alex had left there, the dull pain anchoring her to the present. The bed still smelled like them, salt and citrus and something cloyingly sweet, and Haley pressed her face into Alex’s pillow just once, inhaling deeply before tossing it aside with a hissed curse.

Upstairs‚ the shower hissed like a furious whisper, steam curling around Alex’s trembling frame as she pressed her forehead to the tile, cool against her feverish skin. The water scalded her shoulders red, but she barely felt it; her fingers gripped the showerhead for balance as silent tears streaked her face, mingling with the spray.

She could still taste Haley on her lips, whiskey and salt and something achingly familiar, and the memory of her sister’s hands mapping her body like it was territory to conquer made her stomach lurch.

I love you, she mouthed against the wall, the words dissolving into the downpour like they’d never existed.

How could something so wrong feel so right?—That question burned hotter than the shower spray scalding Alex’s skin.

The water cascaded over her shoulders like liquid guilt, each drop whispering sister sister sister against her collarbone where Haley’s teeth had marked her. Her fingers ghosted over the tender spot, and even now, her traitorous body shuddered at the memory of Haley’s nails digging into her hips, those green-hazel eyes dark with want.

This wasn’t supposed to happen—not between them, not like this—yet here she was, trembling under the showerhead, aching for the one person she could never have without destroying everything.

Alex tipped her head back into the water's flow, letting it drown out the muffled sound of Haley moving around downstairs; the squeak of bedsprings, the rustle of hastily discarded clothes. She scrubbed her skin raw with loofah gloves until it stung, but the scent of Haley still clung to her like a second layer of epidermis.

Through the steam-clouded glass, Alex caught her own reflection—distorted, fragmented—and wondered when she'd stopped recognizing herself.

She thought about what it would be like, just once, to let herself have this. To wake up tangled in Haley every morning, to kiss her in the kitchen where anyone could see, to stop hiding behind locked doors and hushed whispers.

The fantasy sent a bolt of heat through Alex’s stomach, her breath catching as her fingers drifted lower, pressing between her legs where she still throbbed from Haley’s earlier touch.

What if, she thought wildly, her hips rocking against her own hand, teeth sinking into her lip to stifle a moan—what if they just didn’t stop?

What if they just didn’t stop; the thought pulsed through Alex’s veins as her fingers circled faster, her back arching off the shower wall. The water drowned out her choked whimpers, but it couldn’t wash away the image of Haley’s flushed face, lips parted around Alex’s name. Her thumb pressed harder, chasing the edge Haley always dragged her over with ruthless precision, but her body locked up before the precipice, muscles taut with frustrated want.

She dropped her hand with a shudder, nails scraping the tile. Nearly two months since they’d started this, and she’d never once been able to finish alone; only Haley’s mouth, Haley’s fingers, Haley’s voice snarling come for me could unravel her completely.

The realization hit like cold water: Haley owned her pleasure, down to the marrow.

Alex slumped against the shower wall, forehead pressed to the slick tile as her breath evened out. Even now, her thighs trembled with the ghost of Haley’s grip, her skin prickling where Haley’s teeth had marked her last night.

She shut the shower off with a violent twist, the sudden silence amplifying Claire’s distant humming from the kitchen; some Christmas carol that made Alex’s stomach churn. How could her mother be so oblivious while her daughters were tearing each other apart?

Alex wrapped herself in a towel, the terry cloth rough against her oversensitive skin. Her reflection in the fogged mirror was a stranger; cheeks flushed, lips swollen from biting back sounds she shouldn’t make, collarbone bearing the crescent imprint of Haley’s hunger.

She scrubbed her teeth until her gums bled, the mint burning away the lingering taste of whiskey and salt and Haley.

She padded down the hall on bare feet, pausing outside her own bedroom door like it was a crime scene. The bed was pristine, untouched since mid-November, the textbooks stacked on her desk collecting dust. She tugged on black lace panties and a matching bra; practical, not pretty, because pretty was dangerous when Haley’s hands might find their way under her clothes before dinner.

The red sweater itched against her nipples, the fabric too warm for California’s mild December, but Claire would notice if she didn’t at least pretend to participate in holiday cheer.

Haley’s laughter floated up from the kitchen, bright and careless, and Alex’s fingers clenched around the edge of her desk. She cleaned her glasses with the hem of her sweater, the lenses fogging again as soon as she slid them back on.

Her laptop whirred to life, illuminating the dark circles under her eyes in the glow of the screen. She bit her lip hard enough to taste copper again before nudging the door shut with her hip; too soft to latch, just in case someone walked by.

Incognito mode engaged with a click that felt louder than it was, her pulse hammering in her throat as her fingers hovered over the keyboard. She hesitated, then typed: incest laws California. The search bar autocompleted punishment for siblings having sex before she could finish, and Alex’s stomach dropped. She hit enter like she was pulling the pin on a grenade.

The results loaded—dry legal jargon about misdemeanors and felony charges, outdated statutes referencing "unnatural copulation."

Alex skimmed with clinical detachment, her brain cataloging phrases like up to one year in county jail and permanent sex offender registration as if they were biology notes. Her knee bounced under the desk, the rapid tap-tap-tap of her socked foot against the floorboard syncing with her racing heart.

One article mentioned Romeo-and-Juliet exceptions for age gaps, but nothing for blood relations; just cold, unflinching paragraphs about how the law saw them.

Not as lovers. Not as confused kids. As criminals. 

Alex’s throat tightened. She minimized the tab like it was contaminated, but the words burned behind her eyelids: consensual incest between adults is still punishable by law in 47 states.

Her fingers hovered over the keys again, trembling now, as she typed states where incest is legal between adults.

The screen refreshed—New Jersey, Rhode Island, Ohio with asterisks. Three places in the entire country where they wouldn’t be breaking the law just by existing.

Alex exhaled a shaky laugh, her breath fogging her glasses. She could hear Haley downstairs, humming along to some Mariah Carey Christmas song while Claire chirped about pancake toppings; domestic and normal and so fucking cruel in its simplicity.

Alex’s throat tightened as she clicked on Rhode Island’s statutes—16 and older, no restrictions between siblings—just as Haley’s footsteps creaked on the stairs, each one sending Alex’s pulse skittering.

Alex slammed the laptop shut with a muffled curse, her hands shaking as she shoved it under a pillow. The scent of maple syrup and Haley’s vanilla body wash hit her nostrils before the bedroom door creaked open. Haley leaned against the frame with a mug of coffee in one hand, her gaze flicking from Alex’s damp hair to the guilty flush creeping up her neck.

"Dad wants everyone downstairs for festive pancakes," Haley drawled, rolling her eyes, but her fingers tightened around the mug handle when Alex didn’t move.

The silence stretched, thick with everything they weren’t saying, until Haley’s eyes dropped to Alex’s collarbone—still pink from the shower, still marked from last night—and her breath hitched audibly.

Luke’s voice shattered the moment, his obnoxious "Alex, stop being a loser and come eat!" echoing up the stairs.

Haley flinched, her grip on the coffee mug slipping just enough for hot liquid to slosh over the rim and scald her wrist. She hissed through her teeth, shaking her hand as Alex surged forward instinctively; both of them freezing when Alex’s fingers brushed Haley’s bare arm, the contact electric even through the pain.

Haley’s pupils dilated, her lips parting around an unspoken fuck as Alex jerked back like she’d been burned worse than the coffee could ever manage.

Downstairs, Phil’s laughter mingled with Claire’s exasperated sigh and the clatter of silverware, the sounds of a normal Christmas Eve breakfast wrapping around them like a noose.

Haley swallowed hard, her gaze darting to the pillow where Alex’s laptop was hidden, then back to Alex’s face; her sister’s expression carefully blank except for the way her nostrils flared with each shallow breath.

"You okay?" Haley whispered, her thumb swiping at the coffee dripping down her wrist, her voice rough with everything she couldn’t say.

Alex’s jaw tightened, her fingers twitching at her sides like she wanted to reach out again, but she just nodded—quick, jerky—and made to sidestep Haley before Haley caught her face with her free hand.

Haley’s palm was warm against Alex’s chilled cheek, her fingers trembling slightly as she angled Alex’s face toward hers, her grip gentler than Alex had ever felt from her before.

"Can I?" Haley breathed, her thumb tracing the arch of Alex’s cheekbone like she was memorizing it... like this might be the last time.

The question punched the air from Alex’s lungs; Haley hadn’t asked permission since they decided to try whatever this was, always taking what she wanted with teeth and hunger and reckless certainty. Now, she hesitated, her green-hazel eyes flickering with something raw and vulnerable Alex had never seen there—not when they were tangled in sheets, not when Haley had her pinned against the basement couch with a strap-on buried inside her.

Alex’s pulse roared in her ears, drowning out Luke’s impatient shouts downstairs and the tinny Christmas music drifting up from the kitchen. She could smell the coffee on Haley’s breath, bitter and familiar, could see the faint tremor in Haley’s lower lip where she’d bitten it raw last night. It would be so easy to nod, to let Haley erase the legal jargon still seared behind her eyelids with the press of her mouth... but the weight of what they were doing settled heavy between them, thick as the silence before a storm.

Alex exhaled shakily, her fingers curling into fists at her sides to stop them from reaching for Haley’s waist. "Why now?" she whispered, the words scraping her throat raw. "You never ask."

Haley’s thumb stilled on Alex’s cheekbone, her grip tightening imperceptibly before she released Alex with a slow, deliberate breath. She set the coffee mug on Alex’s dresser with a dull thud, the remaining liquid sloshing violently like the turmoil Alex could see churning behind Haley’s eyes.

"Because I fucked up," Haley admitted, her voice low and rough, fingers twitching like she wanted to touch Alex again but didn’t trust herself. "I thought this could just be—"

She broke off, shaking her head, and Alex watched the lie die on her sister’s tongue. Haley swallowed hard, her gaze dropping to Alex’s mouth before flicking back up, her expression achingly open in a way Alex hadn’t seen since they were kids sharing secrets under blankets.

"Say no," Haley breathed, stepping closer until their chests nearly touched. "Or say yes. But don’t just—" Her voice cracked. "Don’t let me fuck this up again."

Alex’s breath hitched, her fingers uncurling at her sides as she studied Haley’s face; the way her eyelashes fluttered when she blinked too fast, the nervous bite of her teeth into her lower lip, the faint tremor in her jaw that betrayed how hard she was trying to hold herself together.

This wasn’t the Haley who took what she wanted with sharp nails and sharper smiles; this was the Haley who’d cried when Alex broke her arm at six years old, who’d held her hair back when she puked during her first sickness.

Alex reached up, her fingers brushing Haley’s wrist where the coffee had scalded her, and felt Haley shudder under her touch. "Yes," she whispered, the word tearing loose from somewhere deep in her chest, raw and unpolished.

Haley’s exhale was ragged, her hands framing Alex’s face with a tenderness that made her knees weak. She hesitated for a heartbeat, long enough for Alex to count the flecks of gold in her green-hazel eyes, before closing the distance between them.

The kiss was soft, achingly slow, nothing like the frantic, bruising press of lips they’d shared in the dark. Haley’s thumbs traced the curve of Alex’s cheekbones, her touch reverent, as if she were trying to memorize the feel of Alex’s skin under her fingertips. Alex whimpered against Haley’s mouth, her hands fisting in Haley’s shirt to pull her closer, the fabric wrinkling under her desperate grip.

Haley's breath hitched as Alex's fingers twisted tighter in her shirt, their kiss deepening with a slow, molten urgency that sent sparks skittering down Haley's spine. She could feel Alex trembling against her, the quiet desperation in the way her sister's hips pressed forward—subtle, unconscious—like her body couldn't help seeking Haley's even while her brain screamed at her to stop. Her thumbs traced wet paths where tears had slipped unnoticed down Alex's cheeks, the salt sharp on her tongue as she licked into Alex's mouth with a soft, broken noise.

Downstairs, Claire's laughter rang out, bright and oblivious, followed by the clatter of plates, a reminder of how dangerously close they were to being caught.

Haley didn't pull away though; instead, she slid one hand down to Alex's waist, pressing her palm flat against the rapid rise and fall of her sister's ribs, counting each frantic heartbeat through the thin sweater.

Alex's glasses fogged between them, her breath coming in shallow, uneven bursts against Haley's lips, but when Haley made to pull back, Alex chased her mouth with a whimper that punched straight through Haley's resolve.

The bedroom door creaked ominously—not fully closed, not safe—but Haley couldn't bring herself to care as Alex's teeth scraped her lower lip, the sharp sting anchoring her in the moment.

Somewhere beneath the haze of want, Haley registered the sticky sweetness of maple syrup clinging to the air, the tinny chorus of All I Want For Christmas Is You floating up from the kitchen, the way Alex's fingernails bit into her hips through her jeans; little half-moon crescents of possession.

Haley's pulse thundered in her ears, drowning out reason, drowning out guilt, until all that remained was the press of Alex's body against hers and the terrifying, exhilarating certainty that they were past the point of no return.

Alex broke the kiss first, her breath coming in ragged gasps as she pressed her forehead to Haley's, her glasses askew and fogged beyond repair. Haley watched the way Alex's throat worked as she swallowed hard, the bob of her Adam's apple drawing Haley's gaze to the faint bruises still visible above Alex's collar; marks Haley had left last night when she'd pinned her sister to the basement couch.

The scent of coffee and Alex's shampoo filled Haley's nostrils, dizzying in its familiarity, as Alex whispered, "We're gonna get caught," her voice rough with fear and something darker Haley couldn't name.

Haley's fingers tightened reflexively around Alex's waist, her pulse hammering against her ribs as she registered the distant sound of footsteps ascending the stairs; Luke's careless stomp interspersed with Claire's lighter tread.

She should pull away, should straighten Alex's sweater and wipe the telltale smudge of lipgloss from her sister's mouth. Instead, Haley dragged her thumb across Alex's lower lip, smearing the gloss further, her stomach clenching at the way Alex's breath hitched.

"Let them catch us," Haley murmured, the words spilling out before she could stop them, reckless and raw. "I'm tired of hiding."

Alex recoiled like she'd been slapped, her glasses sliding down her nose as she stared at Haley in utter disbelief. The bedroom door groaned again, closer now, and Haley watched the exact moment panic eclipsed desire in Alex's dark eyes.

"You're drunk," Alex hissed, shoving Haley back with trembling hands, her voice dropping to a frantic whisper. "Not on alcohol—on this. On us."

Claire's voice floated down the hall, saccharine and oblivious—"Girls, pancakes are getting cold!"—and Alex flinched like the words were a physical blow.

Haley caught Alex's wrist before she could flee, her grip firm but not bruising, her pulse rabbiting where Alex's fingers twitched against her palm.

"I'm sober," she breathed, stepping close enough that Alex's fogged glasses reflected her own desperate expression. "Sober enough to know I'd rather ruin Christmas than pretend—"

The door swung open with a squeal of hinges, cutting her off mid-sentence, and Haley's grip on Alex's wrist tightened convulsively before she forced herself to let go.

Claire blinked at them from the doorway, her gaze flicking between Alex's flushed face and Haley's white-knuckled grip on the coffee mug. "Everything okay?" she asked, her brow furrowing as Alex adjusted her glasses with trembling fingers.

Haley watched Alex's throat work around a swallow, her sister's telltale tell when lying, but before Alex could speak, Haley stepped forward, deliberately bumping her hip against Alex's in silent reassurance.

"Just helping Alex pick an outfit," Haley lied smoothly, her fingers brushing Alex's wrist in a fleeting gesture that sent goosebumps racing up her sister's arm.

Claire's gaze lingered on Alex's rumpled sweater, but before she could comment, Luke barreled into the room with syrup-stained lips, complaining about cold pancakes. The distraction gave Alex just enough time to swipe her fogged glasses clean, her pulse hammering so loudly she was certain their mother must hear it.

Haley's hip stayed pressed against hers, warm and steadying, even as Claire ushered them toward the door. Alex could feel the weight of Haley's unspoken words hanging between them—I'm tired of hiding—each syllable carving deeper into her ribs than any of Haley's bite marks ever had. She focused on the scent of pine from the Christmas tree downstairs, the chatter of her family, anything to ground herself against the vertigo of Haley's confession.

It wasn’t a declaration of love, but Alex felt it like a brand beneath her skin; Haley’s reckless admission still simmering between them as Claire herded everyone toward the stairs. Luke’s elbow jabbed into Alex’s ribs, oblivious, while Haley’s fingers ghosted over the small of her back, lingering just long enough to ignite fresh tremors. The scent of pancakes and pine needles should’ve been comforting, but all Alex could taste was the metallic tang of panic, sharp as Haley’s teeth had been last night when she’d muffled her moans against her shoulder.

The scent of burnt pancakes hit Alex first as they descended the stairs, Claire’s failed attempt at holiday cheer, but Haley’s hand stayed hovering near the curve of Alex’s spine, a silent promise burning through the fabric of her sweater. Luke slouched into his chair with all the grace of a concussed giraffe, syrup already dripping onto his reindeer pajamas, while Claire fussed over the uneven golden brown of batch number three.

Alex counted the chipped tiles beneath her socked feet, anything to avoid Haley’s gaze, but then her sister’s pinky finger hooked around hers under the table, an invisible tether that made Alex’s breath stutter. Haley’s knee pressed into hers, warm and insistent, as Claire slid a plate in front of them both; the pancakes shaped like crooked snowflakes, their edges charred black.

Phil's boisterous laugh cut through the kitchen clamor as he attempted to flip a pancake mid-air, only for it to splatter against the microwave door with a wet slap. Claire groaned, swatting his arm with a spatula while Luke cackled, syrup dribbling down his chin.

Alex kept her eyes locked on her plate, acutely aware of Haley's pinky still curled around hers beneath the table; a secret pulse point where their heartbeats synchronized. Haley's thumb traced idle circles against Alex's palm, each slow stroke sending illicit sparks up her wrist, her touch somehow more intimate than when she'd had Alex screaming into a pillow last night.

The kitchen smelled of scorched batter and pine needles, the Christmas tree lights casting Haley's profile in a soft glow as she leaned forward to grab the orange juice. Alex caught the faintest whiff of her own shampoo lingering in Haley's hair, the same citrus-mint blend Haley had stolen from her this morning, and the realization twisted something deep in her gut.

Haley's knee pressed harder against hers under the table, a silent nudge that made Alex glance up just as her sister's tongue darted out to catch a drop of juice on her lower lip, her eyes dark with unspoken meaning.

Claire's voice cut through the charged silence, her hands fluttering over the disaster zone of the stove. "Phil, if you're going to impersonate a short-order cook, at least clean up the—oh for heaven's sake, Luke, use a napkin!"

Alex watched her mother swipe syrup off Luke's chin with exaggerated exasperation, the familiar domesticity of it all clashing violently with the way Haley's fingers had just slid between hers beneath the table, their palms sweating but refusing to let go.

Phil's next pancake flipped successfully, a lopsided snowman, and the cheer that erupted felt too loud, too bright, like someone had turned up the volume on a life Alex no longer recognized. Haley's thumb brushed the inside of Alex's wrist, the exact spot she'd bitten last night when Alex came undone beneath her, and the sudden memory made Alex's fingers twitch.

Luke's elbow knocked over the syrup bottle, amber liquid spreading across the tablecloth in slow motion, but Alex barely noticed; Haley had just traced the letters L-O-V-E onto her palm with one fingernail, the pressure fleeting enough to deny but deliberate enough to burn.

Claire swooped in with a dishrag, her exasperated sigh blending with Phil's off-key rendition of Jingle Bell Rock as Haley leaned sideways, her breath warm against Alex's ear.

"Say it back when you're ready," she murmured, so low the words dissolved into the clatter of dishes, but Alex felt them lodge in her throat like shrapnel.

The pancake snowman stared up at her with chocolate chip eyes, its crooked smile mocking, while Haley's knee pressed flush against hers under the table; an entire conversation passing between them in the language of pulse points and hitched breaths.

Luke's chair scraped back as he lunged for more bacon, his elbow jostling Haley's shoulder and breaking their connection. Alex's hand felt suddenly cold, her fingers curling into her palm where Haley's touch still burned like a brand. Claire nudged the syrup toward her with a questioning glance, and Alex realized she'd been staring at her untouched plate; the snowman pancake congealing into something grotesque under melting butter.

"Not hungry?" Claire asked, just as Haley's foot slid up Alex's calf beneath the table, her socked toes pressing insistently against the sensitive spot behind her knee.

Phil chose that moment to launch into an anecdote about mistletoe mishaps at his first office Christmas party, his exaggerated gestures sending a fork clattering to the floor. The distraction let Haley shift impossibly closer, her thigh now flush against Alex's, the heat of her radiating through denim.

"Eat something," she murmured against her coffee cup, the command layered with something darker that made Alex's stomach flip.

She obediently cut into the pancake, the charred edges crumbling like the fragile pretense of normalcy they'd constructed; Haley's pinky hooking around hers again the second Claire turned to refill Luke's orange juice.

Alex glanced at Haley's profile; her lips glossy from stolen sips of coffee, the way her sweater slipped off one shoulder revealing the bruise Alex had left last night, and she felt the fork tremble in her grip. The pancake turned to ash in her mouth as Haley's fingers trailed up her thigh, nails grazing the inseam of her jeans with calculated slowness. Luke's sudden burst of laughter at Phil's story drowned out Alex's sharp inhale, but Haley heard it; her smile curled knowingly as she finally withdrew her hand just as Claire turned back toward them.

•••

After breakfast, as Phil corralled Luke into helping clean syrup off the ceiling, Alex found herself pressed against the fridge by Haley's hip, seemingly accidental, but the way Haley's fingers skated over her waistband told another story.

"Still haven't said it back," Haley breathed into the shell of Alex's ear, her teeth catching the lobe just hard enough to make Alex's breath hitch.

The scent of Haley's body wash mixed with the residual coffee on her tongue as she leaned in, the promise of another kiss hanging between them until Claire's voice sliced through the moment: "Haley, have you seen the garland for the mantel?"

Haley stepped away with a smirk, but not before sliding her hand down Alex's back, slow and deliberate, her pinky hooking into the belt loop of Alex's jeans for one illicit second.

Alex stared at the floor tiles, counting the flecks in the grout to steady herself, but the memory of Haley's love on her palm burned brighter than the California sun streaming through the window. She could still feel the ghost of Haley's finger tracing the word against her skin, a secret written in vanishing ink.

She wanted to say it—I’ve loved you since you dragged me to that stupid club, loved you when you pinned me down last night, love you so much I’d move to fucking Rhode Island—but her throat closed around the words like a noose. Instead, she watched Haley saunter toward the living room, the sway of her hips exaggerated just for Alex’s benefit, the hem of her sweater riding up to reveal the waistband of her lace thong.

"I love you…" Alex whispered into the empty kitchen, the words dissolving into the hum of the refrigerator like a secret too fragile for daylight.

Haley froze mid-step in the hallway—had she heard?

Alex's pulse hammered against her ribs as her sister turned, eyes dark with something raw and unguarded, but Claire's sudden reappearance with an armful of gift bags shattered the moment.

"Alex, sweetie, can you organize these by size?" Her mother thrust the bags into her arms, oblivious to the electric current crackling between her daughters.

Haley smirked, dragging her fingertips along the doorframe as she left, a silent promise, while Alex fumbled with ribbons and tissue paper, her mind replaying that split-second when Haley's mask had slipped.

Outside, Phil's off-key rendition of "Jingle Bells" mingled with Luke's protests as they wrestled with tangled Christmas lights, but all Alex could hear was the phantom echo of Haley's breath against her neck earlier. She pressed a gift bag to her chest, the crinkling paper masking how her hands shook.

In the living room, Haley stretched to drape garland over the fireplace, her sweater riding up to expose the small of her back, the same spot Alex had dug her nails into last night.

Alex's mouth went dry; she nearly dropped the stack of gift bags when Haley bent lower, the fabric of her jeans pulling tight. Claire hummed along to the radio, adjusting ornaments on the tree, completely unaware of how Haley's gaze flicked to Alex like a predator tracking prey; heavy-lidded and hungry.

The scent of pine needles and cinnamon sticks should have been comforting, but all Alex could smell was Haley's strawberry shampoo clinging to the collar of her own sweater. She caught Haley biting her lip while untangling a string of lights, the same lip she'd sucked between her teeth last night, and suddenly the garland in her hands felt like a noose.

Claire's phone rang, slicing through the tension and Haley seized the distraction to brush past Alex, her fingers skating deliberately down Alex's spine in the half-second before Claire turned back around.

Luke's sudden crash into the coffee table sent ornaments rolling, Phil whooping as one shattered, but Alex barely flinched; Haley's pinky had just hooked around hers behind the gift wrap station, their palms pressing together for three illicit seconds. The contact burned hotter than Haley's mouth ever had, because this was sober daylight, this was choice. Haley's exhale hitched when Alex dared to slide her thumb across that tender wrist pulse point, the one that made Haley whimper when kissed.

Gloria's arrival with a tray of buñuelos shattered the moment, her "Dios mío, who died in here?" punctuated by Jay grumbling about glitter in his bourbon.

Haley vanished into the kitchen under pretense of fetching napkins and Alex followed seconds later, finding her sister already backed against the fridge, breathing hard.

"You're killing me," Haley whispered, hands fisting in Alex's sweater before remembering the open doorway. They sprang apart just as Manny wandered in for eggnog, his raised eyebrow lingering a beat too long on Haley's flushed cheeks.

Upstairs while fetching extra chairs, Alex felt the air shift before hands gripped her waist; Haley spinning her into the linen closet, the click of the lock deafening.

"Dad’s searching for mistletoe," Haley breathed against her neck, one knee slotting between Alex's thighs.

The groan escaped before Alex could choke it back and Haley swallowed the sound with a kiss that tasted like stolen eggnog and desperation. Through the thin closet door, Lily’s laughter echoed down the hall, a razor-thin reminder of how exposed they were, but Haley only bit down harder on Alex’s lower lip, her fingers already working open the button of Alex’s jeans.

Downstairs, Phil’s off-key caroling covered the creak of floorboards as Alex arched into Haley’s touch, her back scraping against stacked towels. Haley’s palm slid under fabric with practiced ease, her thumb circling just enough to make Alex’s hips jerk... then froze at Claire’s distant call of "Girls? Where’d those chairs go?"

Haley’s smirk in the dark was audible. "Tell me to stop," she whispered, fingers dipping lower, slick with proof Alex couldn’t lie about.

The rational part of Alex’s brain screamed about timelines, Claire would reach the stairs in 90 seconds, but her traitorous body rocked forward, muffling a whimper against Haley’s shoulder.

"Never stop," Alex gasped, her nails digging crescents into Haley's shoulders as her sister's fingers worked deeper, each stroke perfectly calculated to unravel her.

The distant murmur of conversation downstairs blurred into meaningless noise, eclipsed by the wet, rhythmic sounds between them and Haley's uneven breaths hot against her ear. Time fractured, Claire's footsteps now on the stairs, Haley's free hand clamping over Alex's mouth just as her hips stuttered, pleasure cresting violently enough to make her vision white out.

The next thing she knew, Haley was yanking Alex’s jeans back up with one hand while wiping her fingers clean on a stray holiday napkin with the other, both of them breathing ragged in the dark.

"You’re such a mess," Haley murmured, but the way her voice cracked betrayed her own unraveling.

Alex barely had time to register the damp spot staining her underwear before Haley was shoving her out of the closet, the sudden flood of hallway light making her squint like some nocturnal creature caught in a flashlight beam.

Claire rounded the corner seconds later, arms laden with gift bags. "There you are! We need those chairs before—" She stopped mid-sentence, taking in Alex’s flushed face, Haley’s too-casual lean against the doorframe. "Why do you two look like you’ve been wrestling reindeer?"

Alex’s throat went dry but Haley just grinned and plucked a stray bit of tinsel from Alex’s hair. "Linen closet avalanche," she lied smoothly, steering Claire away before she could spot the crumpled napkin drifting to the floor behind them.

As Claire herded them downstairs to help with last-minute decorations, Alex could feel Haley’s fingertips brush against the small of her back, light enough to be accidental, deliberate enough to make her pulse stutter. The scent of Haley’s vanilla lotion mixed with something saltier still clung to Alex’s skin, a secret beneath her sweater that no amount of holiday cinnamon could mask.

Across the room, Phil struggled with a tangled strand of lights, his muttered curses blending with Luke’s laughter while Haley, always the performer, flung garland over the banister with exaggerated flair, her eyes darting to Alex every few seconds like a challenge.

Alex smiled when she noticed Haley wipe her hands on her jeans, still wet from earlier, before adjusting the garland above the fireplace. The way Haley bit her lip while concentrating sent an unwarranted thrill through Alex’s body, even as Claire hovered nearby with a tray of cookies. Their mother’s oblivious humming should have been comforting, but every innocent touch between them now felt like a live wire, waiting to spark.

When they found themseleves momentarily alone in the living room, Haley stretched to adjust the garland over the fireplace, her sweater riding up just enough to reveal the smooth skin Alex had traced with her tongue countless times before.

That’s when Alex saw it—the mistletoe dangling innocently above Haley’s head, its red ribbon twisted from someone’s careless hanging.

Alex didn’t hesitate. “Look up,” she murmured, stepping into Haley’s space before her sister could react.

Haley’s breath hitched as their chests brushed, her eyes darting to the greenery above them just as Alex grasped her hips. When her eyes snapped back to Alex’s, dark with recognition, Alex smirked.

“Holiday tradition,” she whispered, then closed the gap without waiting for permission, because she knew Haley wouldn’t deny her this, not when they both craved it.

Haley’s lips were softer than expected, her sharp exhale warming Alex’s mouth as their tongues brushed once, twice, before pulling apart far too soon. Haley was breathless even though the kiss was slow and sweet. She tried to lighten the mood by nudging Alex’s shoulder with her own, a smirk tugging at her lips.

"Guess I should hang mistletoe everywhere," she murmured, voice husky, fingers lingering where they'd gripped Alex's sweater to steady herself.

But the joke faltered when she saw Alex’s expression; the way her sister’s gaze dropped to her mouth like she wanted to memorize the shape of it, the quiet intensity that made Haley’s pulse skip.

Claire’s distant humming from the next room acted like a bucket of cold water. Haley exhaled sharply, stepping back, but not before she caught Alex's wrist and dragged her thumb across the delicate skin there, a silent promise. The heat in Alex’s eyes flared, her throat bobbing as she swallowed hard. Neither of them spoke; the air between them crackled with everything they couldn't, wouldn't, say aloud.

Not yet.

As the afternoon light slanted through the living room windows, casting long shadows over the half-decorated tree, Alex found herself staring at Haley's hands, those same fingers that had mapped her body with such precision now carefully arranging ornaments, their movements deliberate and slow.

The brush of Haley’s shoulder against hers as they both reached for the same bauble sent a jolt through Alex’s nerves. Haley’s lips curled into a smirk, her eyes darting to the mistletoe still dangling above them like a dare.

The refrigerator hummed in the kitchen, Phil’s muffled laughter from the backyard mingling with Claire’s off-key rendition of Rudolph, but all Alex could hear was the ragged hitch of Haley’s breath when their pinkies tangled in the box of tinsel.

When the sun begun to set, the Dunphys settled into the living room, the tree finally finished and twinkling like stolen starlight.

Alex and Haley instinctively curled beneath the same worn fleece blanket they’d shared since childhood; only now, Haley’s fingers crept beneath the fabric to trace idle circles on Alex’s bare knee, her touch feather-light but searing.

Luke sprawled across the opposite end of the couch, engrossed in his phone, while Phil and Claire squeezed into the oversized armchair, Claire’s legs draped over Phil’s lap as he balanced a bowl of popcorn precariously on her shins.

The opening credits of It’s a Wonderful Life flickered across the screen, but Alex barely registered them; every nerve ending was tuned to Haley’s thumb brushing higher, teasing the hem of her pajama shorts.

Haley leaned forward suddenly, ostensibly reaching for a handful of popcorn, but the movement pressed her shoulder flush against Alex’s chest, her hair tickling Alex’s collarbone as she murmured, “You’re staring,” low enough that only Alex could hear.

The accusation sent warmth flooding Alex’s cheeks, but she didn’t look away. instead, she caught Haley’s earlobe between her teeth in a fleeting nip, gratified by the way Haley’s breath stuttered. Across the room, Claire sighed contentedly, nuzzling into Phil’s neck, oblivious to the way Haley’s fingers had tightened on Alex’s thigh, her nails digging in just shy of pain.

Luke’s phone buzzed loudly, startling them apart; he scrambled to mute it, shooting a guilty glance toward their parents before slouching back into the cushions.

Haley seized the distraction, shifting so her knee pressed between Alex’s thighs under the blanket, the pressure deliberate and relentless even as she kept her eyes fixed on the screen. Alex bit down on her lip to suppress a whimper, her hips twitching involuntarily and Haley smirked, dragging her knee higher in slow, torturous increments until Alex’s fingers clawed into the couch cushions.

The scent of pine needles and cinnamon from Claire’s abandoned candle mingled with the salt of popcorn, but Alex only registered the musk of Haley’s shampoo when she tilted her head closer, her breath hitching as Haley’s knee found its mark.

Alex’s thighs trembled, her body betraying her with every subtle rock against Haley’s leg—until Luke yawned dramatically and stretched, his elbow jabbing Haley’s ribs. Haley jerked back with a hissed curse, but not before Alex caught the way her pupils dilated, dark with the same desperate hunger Alex felt clawing up her throat.

Haley recovered smoothly, plucking a handful of popcorn from the bowl and tossing it carelessly into her mouth, her fingers lingering near Alex’s wrist just long enough to trail a single, searing stroke down her pulse point. Alex clenched her jaw, her skin buzzing where Haley had touched her, and dug her nails into her own thighs to keep from grabbing Haley’s hand and dragging it back.

Across the room, Phil chuckled at something onscreen, oblivious to the way his daughters were unraveling beside him.

Alex slid one hand beneath Haley’s nightshirt, her fingertips skating over the warm dip of Haley’s waist, nails catching lightly, just enough to feel Haley’s sharp inhale against her neck. The fabric bunched in her grip as she dragged it higher, exposing the smooth plane of Haley’s stomach, their bodies pressed so close Alex could taste the cherry gloss on Haley’s parted lips.

"You’re shaking," Haley murmured, her breath uneven, but Alex didn’t answer; she was too busy mapping the way Haley’s skin prickled under her touch, the way her ribs expanded with each shallow breath, like she was holding herself back from something catastrophic.

Claire shifted in Phil’s lap, her socked foot nudging the popcorn bowl dangerously close to tipping, and Haley froze, her fingers digging into Alex’s hip as if to say wait.

The movie’s dialogue swelled around them, Jimmy Stewart’s desperate plea echoing absurdly through the room, and Alex almost laughed at the irony; she’d never related more to a man staring into the abyss of his choices.

Haley’s thumb traced slow, idle circles on the inside of Alex’s wrist, her touch light but deliberate, a silent promise of what would come later. Alex exhaled shakily, her pulse fluttering under Haley’s fingertips, her body coiled tight with anticipation.

Their hands tangled beneath the blanket, fingers interlacing with practiced ease. Haley’s nails scraped lightly against Alex’s palm, teasing the sensitive skin there until Alex’s breath hitched.

Haley grinned, her lips brushing the shell of Alex’s ear as she whispered, "Think you can stay quiet this time?" The challenge hung between them like a dare.

Alex squeezed Haley’s hand hard enough to bruise, her thighs pressing together instinctively, the ache between them sharpening with every ragged breath. Across the room, Claire murmured something to Phil, her laughter soft and oblivious, the perfect cover for the way Haley’s fingers dipped lower, tracing the hem of Alex’s pajama shorts.

Haley’s touch was a slow, deliberate thing, her fingertips skating along the inside of Alex’s thigh, each brush lighter than the last, until Alex was trembling with the effort of staying still. She bit her lip hard enough to taste copper, her hips twitching upward involuntarily, chasing Haley’s teasing touch. Haley exhaled a quiet laugh, warm against Alex’s neck, her fingers flexing possessively against Alex’s skin.

"You’re so fucking responsive," Haley breathed, her voice thick with something that made Alex’s stomach clench—pride, hunger, something terrifyingly close to love—before her fingers finally pressed where Alex needed them most.

Alex’s breath hitched, her body arching into Haley’s touch, her fingers scrabbling for purchase on the couch cushions beneath them. She could feel Haley’s smirk against her temple, the way her fingers curled just right, her rhythm relentless; Haley had always been a quick study, and Alex had never hated her for it more than now.

"Shh," Haley murmured, her lips brushing the shell of Alex’s ear, her other hand coming up to clamp over Alex’s mouth—just in case.

Alex’s vision blurred at the edges, her thighs clamping around Haley’s wrist, her body coiled tight and trembling. The movie’s climax swelled around them—"Every time a bell rings, an angel gets his wings"—and Alex nearly sobbed at the irony.

Haley’s grip loosened just enough for Alex to gasp, her hips lifting off the couch, her ribs expanding with desperate breaths. Her fingers slowed but didn’t stop, her thumb circling lazily, coaxing Alex through the aftershocks—cruel, so cruel—as the credits rolled. Claire shifted beside them, murmuring something about cocoa, and Haley’s hand retreated, leaving Alex flushed and shaking beneath the blanket.

"You okay?" Haley whispered, her voice laced with faux innocence, her fingers flexing absently, still wet from Alex, against her own thigh.

Alex swallowed hard, her pulse still rabbiting in her throat, and nodded; liar.

Phil and Claire stood, stretching toward the kitchen, their backs turned just long enough for Haley's tongue to dart out, slow and deliberate, licking Alex's taste from her fingers while locking eyes with her sister. The wet slide of her tongue lingered obscenely, a challenge glinting in her green-hazel eyes as Alex's breath hitched.

Across the room, Luke gagged into his soda can, his nose scrunched in disgust. "Seriously? Right in front of my eggnog?" he muttered, but Haley just smirked, her heel nudging Alex's ankle beneath the blanket, a silent mine.

Alex's pulse throbbed at her temples, her lips parting involuntarily as Haley leaned closer, the heat of her breath brushing Alex's earlobe. "You taste so fucking good," she murmured, words so low they vibrated against Alex's skin, and the shudder that wracked Alex's body had nothing to do with the draft from the front door.

Claire turned back with a tray of mugs, blissfully unaware of the way Alex's fingers were digging into the couch cushions, her knuckles white with restraint.

Haley exhaled a laugh against Alex's neck, her teeth grazing the sensitive spot just below her ear—proprietary, possessive—before pulling away with a stretch that made her night shirt ride up just enough to reveal the faint bruise Alex had left on her hip a few nights before.

Luke's chair scraped violently against the hardwood as he stood, his face twisted in exaggerated horror. "I'm begging you both to get a room," he hissed, tossing his empty soda can at Haley with perfect, if unintended, aim; it glanced off her shoulder before clattering to the floor.

Haley's grin was all sharp edges as she scooped it up, her fingers deliberately slow as they brushed against Alex's knee on the way back up, lingering just long enough to make Alex's breath catch.

"We have one," Haley said sweetly, her voice dripping with saccharine innocence even as her foot slid higher along Alex's calf beneath the blanket. "Actually, we have two."

Alex's cheeks burned hotter when she realized Phil had paused in the entryway, cocoa packets dangling from his fingers as his head swiveled between his children.

"Uh...everything good in here?" he asked, his brows knitting in that particular way they did when his paternal radar pinged but he couldn't quite decipher why.

Haley's foot retreated instantly, her expression smoothing into something blankly pleasant; a skill honed from years of sneaking out past curfew. "Just Luke being dramatic about the ending," she lied, nudging the soda can toward the coffee table with her toe.

The moment stretched thin, Alex's pulse hammering against her ribs as Phil's gaze lingered, just a beat too long, before he shrugged and ambled back toward the kitchen.

Haley's pinky finger brushed against hers, a fleeting contact that sent sparks skittering up Alex's arm, but she didn't dare look over. Not with Luke still hovering like an indignant watchdog, his arms crossed tight over his chest like he could physically block whatever unspeakable tension vibrated between his sisters.

Claire handed out steaming mugs, her oblivious cheer a stark contrast to the charged silence settling over the couch.

Alex clutched hers like a lifeline, the ceramic searing her palms in a way that grounded her, kept her from reaching for Haley's thigh just to see how far she could push before someone noticed. Haley, meanwhile, sipped her cocoa with exaggerated relish, her tongue darting out to catch a stray drop on her lower lip; a move so calculated it made Alex's teeth ache.

"Mom, this is amazing," she sighed, kicking her feet up onto the coffee table and letting her knee bump deliberately against Alex's.

Luke's disgusted groan was almost comforting in its predictability. "You guys are so weird tonight," he muttered, flopping backward onto the recliner and covering his face with a throw pillow.

Alex seized the distraction, her fingers sneaking under the blanket to dig into Haley's hip; half a warning, half a plea. Haley's answering smirk was molten, her free hand drifting down to capture Alex's wrist, thumb pressing into the frantic pulse there.

The clock above the mantel ticked loudly, each second stretching like taffy as Claire perched on the arm of Phil's chair, laughing at some forgotten joke.

Haley's grip tightened when Phil leaned forward to grab the remote, her nails biting into Alex's skin just enough to make her breath hitch. The credits rolled, the screen flickering blue across Haley's parted lips; lips that had been everywhere, knew everything. Alex could still taste her, copper and cocoa and something indefinably Haley beneath it all.

Claire's sudden movement, standing to collect mugs, sent Haley's hand retreating, but not before her pinky hooked around Alex's in a fleeting promise. Later.

Phil reappeared with three haphazardly wrapped boxes, his grin wide and oblivious. "One for each of my favorite humans!" He tossed Luke's gift first, the package thudding against his chest with a crinkle of paper.

Haley caught hers midair, her fingers flexing around the edges like she was imagining them somewhere else entirely. Alex's landed in her lap, the weight unfamiliar, the shape all wrong; nothing like the heat still pooling between her thighs where Haley's knee had been moments ago.

Haley tore into her wrapping with exaggerated glee, the paper shredding beneath her nails. "Oh my god, Dad, did you get me that—" Her voice cracked when she lifted the bottle of high-end tequila, the label glinting under the Christmas lights.

Claire's scandalized gasp drowned out Phil's chuckle. "Relax, it's for margaritas!"

Haley shot Alex a look that said this is gonna be fun, her tongue darting out to wet her bottom lip.

Alex's gift crinkled open to reveal a sleek black telescope case, the matte finish catching the dim light of the living room. Her fingers traced the manufacturer's logo; Celestron, the same one she'd bookmarked months ago during a late-night astronomy binge. The weight of it settled in her lap like an unspoken confession; Phil had actually remembered her offhand comment about Jupiter's moons being visible this time of year.

"Thanks, Dad," she murmured, voice thicker than intended, while Haley's knee pressed suddenly against hers beneath the wrapping paper debris.

Luke whooped as he tore into his gift, a retro gaming console, while Haley unscrewed the tequila cap with her teeth, her tongue darting out to catch the first drop before Claire could protest.

Alex watched the amber liquid glint in the low light, her body still humming from Haley's earlier touch; she wondered if the alcohol would blur the lines enough to let her say what she'd whispered to the refrigerator.

Haley's gaze flicked to her, deliberate and heavy, as she tipped the bottle back, her throat working in a way that made Alex's fingers tighten around the telescope case.

Luke’s excited chatter about retro games faded into background noise as Haley stretched her legs across Alex’s lap, toes curling against the inside of Alex’s thigh, just shy of where the heat pooled.

“You gonna name a star after me, genius?” Haley murmured, twirling a strand of Alex’s hair around her finger while Phil obliviously fiddled with the telescope’s lens cap.

Alex sucked in a breath, the double entendre tightening her chest. Haley always knew how to carve her way under Alex’s skin with nothing but syllables and the ghost of a smirk.

Claire’s sudden grip on Haley’s shoulder made them both jump. “Help me with the dishes,” she ordered, though her tone softened when Haley groaned. “Now, missy.”

Haley rolled her eyes but stood, her fingers trailing down Alex’s arm in a slow, deliberate slide that left goosebumps in its wake. Alex watched her saunter toward the kitchen, the sway of Haley’s hips a silent taunt—come find me—before Luke’s elbow jostled her side.

“Dude, you’re spacing out,” he muttered, thrusting a controller into her hands. “Play with me.”

Alex’s fingers tightened around the plastic, her gaze flicking to Luke’s and then narrowing. “You’re actually talking to us now?” she asked, voice low enough that Phil wouldn’t overhear. “We haven’t talked pretty much at all since you admitted to—” She cut herself off, glancing toward the kitchen where Claire’s laughter mingled with the clatter of plates.

Luke’s cheeks flushed, his grip on his own controller turning white-knuckled. “I deleted it,” he hissed. “And Manny swore—“

Alex scoffed, tossing the controller onto the coffee table. “Right. You shouldn’t have taken the video in the first place.”

From the kitchen, Haley’s laugh floated out, bright and careless, followed by Claire’s exasperated sigh about drying dishes properly. Luke leaned closer, his voice dropping to a whisper.

“You love her,” he said, not as an accusation but with a quiet resignation that made Alex’s stomach twist.

She opened her mouth to deny it, but the lie died in her throat; Luke had already seen too much. Instead, she adjusted her glasses with trembling fingers and muttered, “Shut up.”

Luke shrugged, his earlier discomfort replaced by something softer, almost protective. “Whatever. Just… don’t wait ‘til she stops waiting.” He nudged the controller toward her again, his gaze flicking toward the kitchen where Haley’s shadow stretched across the tile. “You’re both worse at hiding it than you think.” The words lingered like static between them, thick with unspoken truths neither could name.

Alex's breath hitched as Haley sauntered back into the living room, hips swaying with deliberate exaggeration while balancing a tray of sugar cookies. Haley's gaze locked onto Alex's, her tongue darting out to catch a crumb at the corner of her lips, a movement too calculated to be accidental.

Luke groaned loudly and flopped backward onto the couch cushions, controller abandoned, his muttered "gross" carrying enough amused exasperation that Phil glanced up from the new telescope manual with a confused chuckle.

The cookies tasted like vanilla and Haley's chapstick when Alex bit into one; Haley had clearly stolen a bite from the batter when Claire wasn't looking. Haley's knee pressed flush against Alex's beneath the coffee table, warm and insistent, while Claire prattled on about midnight mass logistics. Alex focused on the way Haley's thumb stroked absent circles against her wrist, three slow passes, then a sharp pinch, their silent Morse code for later.

•••

‘Later’ came around midnight, with Phil’s forced Santa Claus routine earning eye rolls from all three siblings, though Haley’s fingers lingered a second too long when she grabbed Alex’s wrist, tugging her toward the basement stairs with the tequila bottle swinging precariously from her other hand.

The basement door clicked shut behind them, sealing away the twinkling Christmas lights upstairs, and Haley wasted no time pressing Alex against the washing machine, the cold metal biting through Alex’s thin pajama shirt.

“You taste like sugar cookies,” Haley murmured against her lips, the tequila’s sharp tang mingling with the vanilla on her tongue.

Alex’s retort, something sarcastic about Haley’s lack of subtlety, dissolved into a gasp as Haley’s teeth found her collarbone. She then unscrewed the bottle cap with her teeth, her smirk widening at Alex’s involuntary swallow.

“Drink with me,” she ordered, not a request, and tilted the bottle against Alex’s lips before she could protest.

Amber liquid spilled over Alex’s chin, tracing a burning path down her throat, but Haley chased it with her tongue before it could drip further.

“Better,” she breathed, her grip tightening on Alex’s hips as she took a long swig herself, throat working in a way that made Alex’s stomach clench.

The tequila wasn’t cheap, but neither of them cared; the real intoxication was Haley’s fingers skating beneath Alex’s waistband, blunt nails digging in just enough to sting.

A muffled thump upstairs made them freeze—Phil’s uneven footsteps, probably hunting for more wrapping paper—but Haley didn’t pull away. Instead, she dragged Alex backward onto the couch, her laugh low and reckless as she straddled Alex’s thighs.

“Told you I’d get you alone,” she whispered, her breath hot against Alex’s ear.

The basement smelled like detergent and the faint musk of their last encounter, but Haley’s perfume, something citrusy and expensive, drowned it out now, sharp and deliberate. Alex’s glasses fogged, but she didn’t need to see Haley’s face to know her expression, that mix of challenge and hunger that always unraveled her.

Alex's fingers closed around the tequila bottle with uncharacteristic boldness; the glass was slick with condensation against her palm as she jerked it toward her mouth with a muttered, "Give me that."

The burn hit her throat before her brain could protest, two reckless gulps that left her coughing, eyes watering behind her fogged glasses. Haley's laughter peeled through the basement, bright and surprised, as she snatched the bottle back.

"Since when do you do shots, nerd?" she taunted, but her own swallows were just as desperate, tequila glinting on her lower lip before she swiped it away with her thumb.

The tequila burned in Alex’s chest, liquid courage or stupidity, she wasn’t sure which. Haley’s fingers traced the rim of the bottle lazily, her smirk widening when Alex’s gaze followed the movement.

“You’re staring,” Haley murmured, her knee pressing harder between Alex’s thighs.

The bottle tilted again, amber liquid glinting in the dim basement light, and Haley’s lips wrapped around the rim—slow, deliberate. Alex’s breath hitched, her thighs tensing under Haley’s weight as she watched the muscles in Haley’s throat work with every swallow.

Alex snatched the bottle back, her fingers brushing Haley’s, and took another reckless gulp. This time, Haley didn’t laugh; she inhaled sharply, her pupils dilating as tequila dribbled down Alex’s chin. Haley’s tongue darted out instinctively, catching the stray drop before it could fall; a reflexive gesture that sent heat pooling low in Alex’s stomach.

The basement’s overhead light flickered, casting Haley’s face in alternating shadows and gold, her lips glossy and parted just enough for Alex to taste the salt-lime-tequila tang when she kissed her.

Haley’s grip tightened in Alex’s hair, tugging just enough to sting, but Alex retaliated by biting Haley’s lower lip, hard enough to draw a muffled gasp, soft enough to leave no mark.

The tequila bottle clattered to the floor, forgotten, as Haley shoved Alex’s shirt up, her nails scraping over ribs still sensitive from their last encounter. Cool air kissed Alex’s skin, raising goosebumps Haley immediately soothed with her mouth, her teeth grazing a nipple through the thin fabric of Alex’s bra.

“You’re—fuck—you’re gonna make me lose it,” Alex hissed, arching into the contact as Haley’s knee pressed harder between her legs.

The washer chose that moment to groan into a spin cycle, the sudden vibration jolting through the couch and into Alex’s spine like an electric current. Haley laughed against her throat, breath hot and sticky-sweet with liquor.

“Bet you could come just like this,” she murmured, rolling her hips in a slow grind that made Alex’s vision blur. “All these fucking layers on, and you’re still dripping.”

Alex’s retort dissolved into a choked moan as Haley’s hand slid beneath her waistband, fingers slick with proof of how wrecked she already was.

The tequila's burn had long faded from Alex's tongue, replaced by the sharper taste of Haley's skin as her teeth scraped against her sister's collarbone. Haley's fingers twisted tighter in her hair, yanking her head back just enough to expose the frantic pulse in her throat before crushing their mouths together again; messy, desperate, the kind of kiss that left Alex's glasses askew and her lungs screaming for air she didn't want to waste.

Somewhere behind them, the washing machine thumped unevenly, its rhythm syncing with Haley's hips grinding down against Alex's thigh, the thin layers between them growing damp and unbearable.

Alex's hands slid beneath Haley's oversized sleep shirt, nails dragging possessively over the dip of her waist before catching on the elastic of her pajama shorts.

"Off," she demanded against Haley's mouth, the word more breath than sound, her fingers already hooking into the fabric to tug them down Haley's thighs.

Haley laughed, low and wicked, her hips rising just enough to let Alex peel the shorts away before crowding back against her, bare skin scorching where their legs tangled.

Their shirts were tossed somewhere near the tequila bottle, fabric rustling against concrete as Haley straddled Alex’s hips, her bare breasts heaving with every ragged breath. Alex’s glasses were fogged beyond repair, discarded somewhere near the couch, but she didn’t need them to see the way Haley’s pupils dilated, black swallowing hazel green as she rocked forward, the slick heat between her thighs dragging against Alex’s stomach.

“You’re so fucking pretty like this,” Haley murmured, her voice roughened by tequila and want, her thumbs tracing the arch of Alex’s brows like she was memorizing the way they furrowed under her touch.

“You’re always pretty,” Alex gasped, the words cracking mid-sentence as Haley’s hips rolled again, the friction burning through her last coherent thought.

Haley’s laugh was a dark, breathless thing, her fingers tightening in Alex’s hair just shy of pain. “Say it,” she demanded, her teeth grazing Alex’s collarbone.

Alex whimpered, her back arching off the couch; not away, never away, but into the heat of Haley’s body, the weight of her hips pinning Alex exactly where she wanted her.

The washer’s spin cycle kicked back on with a groan, the vibrations thrumming through the floorboards and into the couch, the rhythm syncopated with Haley’s movements; deliberate, relentless, like she was trying to rewrite Alex’s nervous system pulse by pulse. Alex’s hands scrambled for purchase, nails biting into Haley’s thighs, and Haley hissed, her grip tightening.

“Look at me,” she ordered, and Alex obeyed instantly, her vision blurring at the edges as Haley’s thumb swiped over her lower lip, sticky with tequila and sweat.

Haley’s breath hitched when Alex sucked the digit into her mouth, her tongue swirling around the pad in a way that made Haley’s hips stutter.

“Jesus, Alex,” she muttered, her free hand dragging down Alex’s torso, leaving faint red trails in its wake.

The scent of salt and citrus hung thick between them, the tang of liquor mixing with something darker, hotter; something that made Alex’s stomach clench with want even as her muscles trembled from overstimulation.

Alex trailed her fingertips up Haley’s sides, mapping the shudder that followed her touch, the way Haley’s ribs expanded with each uneven breath. She lingered at the dip of Haley’s waist, her thumb brushing the jutting hipbone there; a silent question. Haley answered by grinding down harder, her teeth sinking into Alex’s shoulder to stifle a moan as the couch springs creaked beneath them.

Haley's fingers dug into Alex's wrist as she hauled her upright, the half-empty tequila bottle glinting in the dim basement light when she snatched it off the floor. She tipped it back with a practiced tilt of her head, liquor spilling down her chin and onto her collarbone in a reckless amber trail.

Alex reached for the bottle with shaky hands, her pupils blown wide. She gulped too fast, coughing as the burn hit her throat, but she kept drinking until Haley ripped it away with a wet laugh.

The bottle cap twisted off between Alex's fingers as Haley yanked her toward the mattress, the sudden motion sending tequila sloshing onto the rug where the bottle tumbled forgotten.

Alex's knees hit the edge of the bed frame and Haley's momentum carried them both down in a tangle of limbs and damp skin, their mouths crashing together before their shoulders even hit the sheets. Haley tasted like salt and agave, her tongue rough against Alex's as she pinned her wrists above her head; their bare chests pressed flush, the wetness between them unmistakable even through cotton panties.

Haley broke away just long enough to bite Alex's lower lip, her breath ragged when she whispered, "Say it," against her mouth.

But Alex clenched her jaw shut, her thighs trembling as Haley ground down in slow, deliberate circles. The friction dragged a choked whine from Alex’s throat, her hips bucking up instinctively, but Haley smirked and pressed her knee harder between Alex’s legs, the damp fabric of her underwear catching against Alex’s clit in a way that made her vision blur.

"Say it," Haley repeated, this time with her teeth grazing Alex’s pulse point, but Alex just arched into the contact, her fingers twisting in the sheets instead of answering.

The tequila burned low in Alex’s stomach, mixing with the heat pooling between her legs as Haley’s hand slid between them, her fingers slipping beneath the waistband of Alex’s panties with practiced ease. Alex gasped when Haley’s fingertips found her clit, already swollen and sensitive, and Haley’s laugh was dark and knowing as she circled it slowly, her other hand sliding up Alex’s ribcage to palm her breast.

"You’re so fucking wet," Haley murmured, her mouth hot against Alex’s ear. "And you still won’t say it."

Alex bit her lip hard enough to taste copper, her hips jerking into Haley’s touch, but she couldn’t give in, not yet, not when the words felt like handing Haley a knife to carve her open. Haley’s fingers dipped lower, pushing inside with a rough thrust that made Alex’s back arch off the mattress, her thighs clamping tight around Haley’s wrist.

"Say it," Haley demanded again, her voice cracking like she was the one unraveling, but Alex just shook her head, her breath coming in ragged pants as Haley curled her fingers just right. Her forehead dropped against Alex’s collarbone, her rhythm faltering for a split second before she dragged her tongue up the column of Alex’s throat.

"Please," she whispered, the word vibrating against Alex’s skin like a prayer; and that was worse, somehow, Haley begging instead of taunting, her usual confidence stripped raw.

Alex felt the confession lodge in her throat, thick and suffocating, as Haley’s thumb pressed tight circles against her clit, the pressure just shy of painful.

The mattress springs creaked under their shifting weight, the sound obscenely loud in the dim basement, and Alex’s fingers tangled in Haley’s hair, tugging hard enough to make her gasp.

"You first," Alex managed, her voice hoarse, and Haley’s laugh was half-sob against her jawline.

"Coward," Haley breathed, but her hips stuttered forward, grinding down against Alex’s thigh with a desperation that betrayed her own fear.

Haley’s fingers twisted deeper, her palm slamming against Alex’s clit with every thrust, and Alex’s vision whited out for a second, her mouth falling open in a silent scream. The tequila burned in her veins, blurring the edges of reason, but the words still stuck—too big, too dangerous—until Haley suddenly stilled, her free hand cupping Alex’s cheek with unbearable gentleness.

"Fine," Haley murmured, her thumb wiping away a tear Alex hadn’t realized she’d shed. "I’ll go first."

The washer’s hum filled the silence as Haley’s breath ghosted over Alex’s lips, her voice so quiet it barely existed: "I love you."

The syllables cracked like thin ice underfoot, and Alex’s chest caved in, her hands scrambling to grip Haley’s hips like she might vanish.

Haley’s eyelashes fluttered shut when Alex finally rasped, "I love you too," the admission tearing out of her like a barbed hook being wrenched free.

For three dizzying seconds, they hovered in the fragile space between confession and consequenc.

Then Haley kissed her, messy and starving, her fingers still slick and deep inside Alex as she drank the moan from her mouth.

It was like stepping into sunlight after years in the dark; Alex's fingers tangled in Haley's hair, pulling her closer as if she could fuse them together through sheer desperation. Haley's answering whimper vibrated against her tongue, her hips grinding down in slow, syrupy circles that sent shockwaves up Alex's spine.

The tequila bottle toppled over with a hollow thud, forgotten as Haley's thumb found Alex's clit again, her touch now achingly tender where it had been ruthless moments before.

"Say it again," Haley breathed against her jaw, her voice raw with something Alex had never heard before; vulnerability, stripped bare and trembling.

Alex's glasses were still on the couch, but with Haley's face pressed so close, her breath warm and uneven, Alex could still make out the flecks of gold in her sister's hazel eyes, the way her bottom lip quivered before she whispered, "I love you," again, softer this time, like she was testing the weight of the words in the air between them.

Alex exhaled, sharp and shaky, her fingers tightening in Haley's hair as she corrected, "I'm in love with you," the distinction clawing its way up her throat like it had been waiting years to be set free.

Haley went still above her, her thumb stuttering against Alex's clit, and for one terrifying heartbeat, Alex wondered if she'd misread everything—until Haley's laugh burst out, wet and disbelieving, her forehead dropping to Alex's shoulder like the confession had knocked the air out of her.

The laugh dissolved into something closer to a sob, Haley's fingers withdrawing from Alex's warmth only to curve around her hip instead, gripping hard enough to bruise, as if she needed the proof of Alex's body beneath her hands.

"Say it again," Haley demanded, her voice rough with the same desperate edge she used when she was close, when she'd beg Alex not to stop; but this was different, this wasn't about control or teasing, this was Haley needing to hear it like she needed oxygen.

Alex swallowed, her throat tight, and whispered it against Haley's collarbone, her lips brushing skin still damp from sweat and tequila, the words muffled but unmistakable: "I'm in love with you, you idiot."

Haley shuddered, her breath hitching as her fingers traced nonsense patterns against Alex's ribs; circles and half-formed letters, like she couldn't decide whether to write back or memorize the feel of Alex's heartbeat beneath her fingertips.

"We're fucked," Haley murmured, but there was no panic in it, just a quiet awe that made Alex's stomach flip, her own hands sliding up Haley's spine to press them closer together.

The washing machine thumped rhythmically behind them, an absurd counterpoint to the way Haley's breath caught when Alex nipped at her earlobe; not teasing, just grounding them both in this moment where the world had tilted on its axis.

Alex could taste the salt of Haley's skin, the sharp tang of tequila still clinging to her lips when she kissed her again, slower this time, like they had all the time in the world even though the clock on the dryer blinked 1:47 AM in garish red.

Haley's hips rolled against Alex's thigh lazily, no urgency left, just the quiet pleasure of skin on skin, the damp cotton of Haley's panties catching against Alex's bare leg with every shift.

"I love you," Haley whispered again, testing the words like she was afraid they'd vanish if she spoke them too loud, her fingers tracing the curve of Alex's jaw as if memorizing it.

Alex blinked up at her, the basement's dim light catching the edge of Haley's collarbone where she'd bitten her earlier, the mark already darkening; proof this wasn't another fantasy she'd wake from.

Haley's thumb brushed Alex's lower lip, her breath hitching when Alex caught it between her teeth, sucking gently, and suddenly Haley was kissing her again, deep and slow and unbearably tender, like she was trying to crawl inside Alex's ribs and stay there.

The washer behind them thumped unevenly, forgotten clothes spinning in a chaotic rhythm that mirrored the way Alex's pulse jumped when Haley's palm slid up her stomach, fingertips skimming the underside of her breast like she was relearning every inch.

Haley pulled back just enough to murmur, "You’re shaking," against Alex’s mouth; not teasing, not mocking, just observing, like she was cataloging every reaction Alex couldn’t control.

Alex hadn’t even noticed the tremors until Haley’s hands slid down to her wrists, pressing them into the mattress, grounding her with the weight of her body.

Their kisses weren’t frantic anymore; they were deliberate, Haley’s tongue tracing the roof of Alex’s mouth like she was committing the taste of her to memory, her hips rolling in slow, aching circles that made Alex’s back arch off the sheets. Haley’s fingers traced the curve of Alex’s ribs, then lower, mapping the dip of her waist like terrain Haley intended to claim forever.

"Tell me again," she whispered, her breath hot against Alex’s throat, teeth scraping the pulse point there; not demanding, just hungry, like she needed the words to breathe.

Alex swallowed hard, her fingers tangling in Haley’s hair as she whispered, "I love you," into the space between them, the words dissolving into Haley’s answering gasp when Alex’s nails scraped down her spine.

Alex hooked her thumbs into the waistband of Haley’s panties, pushing them down just enough to expose the swell of her ass, the fabric catching on the jut of her hips. Haley arched into the touch, her breath hitching when Alex’s fingers skimmed lower, tracing the wet heat between her thighs with a featherlight drag that made Haley’s thighs tremble.

"Fuck," she breathed, her forehead dropping to Alex’s shoulder, her hips canting forward; not demanding, just seeking, like she couldn’t help herself.

Alex swallowed hard, her own pulse thundering in her ears as she teased Haley’s entrance, circling but not pressing in, her fingers slick with Haley’s want. Haley’s whine was muffled against Alex’s skin, her teeth sinking into the curve of Alex’s collarbone, a sharp counterpoint to the slow, maddening drag of Alex’s touch.

"You’re such a tease," Haley gasped, her voice ragged, her hips stuttering against Alex’s hand like she was fighting the urge to take what she needed.

"I love seeing you like this," Alex murmured, her fingers finally dipping inside, just enough to make Haley jerk against her; halting, shallow thrusts that drew out every gasp.

Haley's nails scraped down Alex's spine, her breath coming in uneven bursts as she rocked into Alex's touch, her thighs trembling with the effort of restraint. Haley's hips stuttered when Alex curled her fingers just so, her body tightening around Alex in a silent plea for more, her lips parting around a soundless moan.

Alex’s fingers slid free with a slick sound, leaving Haley gasping into the rumpled sheets as she rolled them both in one unsteady motion, the room tilting dangerously before settling. Or maybe that was just the tequila swimming behind her eyes.

Haley’s panties caught around one ankle, then slipped to the floor, forgotten as Alex straddled her, the heat between Haley’s thighs pressing against her bare knee. Haley arched beneath her, a breathless laugh escaping as Alex swayed slightly, bracing her hands on Haley’s hips to steady herself.

"You’re drunk," Haley murmured, but the way her fingers dug into Alex’s thighs said she didn’t mind.

Alex leaned down, her lips brushing Haley’s ear as she nipped the lobe, tasting salt and the faint tang of lime from their shots earlier.

"You’re gorgeous," she slurred, the words thick but sincere, her hands sliding up Haley’s sides to cup her breasts, thumbs circling her nipples until Haley shuddered.

Haley’s hips lifted, seeking friction, her breath coming in short, sharp bursts as Alex rocked against her, the dampness between them making every movement slick and desperate.

Haley grabbed Alex’s wrist, guiding her fingers back where she needed them most, her voice ragged, "Stop teasing—please."

Alex obeyed, pressing two fingers inside with a slow, deliberate thrust that drew a broken moan from Haley’s throat; her head tipped back, exposing the flutter of her pulse as Alex bent to suck at the sensitive skin there.

The scent of sweat and tequila clung to them, mingling with the laundry detergent from the forgotten pile of clothes beside the washer.

Alex’s mouth trailed lower, her tongue swirling around Haley’s nipple before biting down just enough to make her gasp, her fingers curling deeper in response.

Haley’s thighs trembled around Alex’s hips, her nails scraping down her sister’s back as she whispered, "Harder—"

Only to choke on the plea when Alex obeyed, her rhythm relentless now, the heel of her palm grinding against Haley’s clit with every stroke.

The washer thumped unevenly behind them, its vibrations syncing with the slap of skin against skin.

Haley’s breath hitched when Alex’s teeth grazed her ribs, her tongue following the same path in slow, wet licks, savoring the salt of Haley’s skin like it was something precious.

She paused just above the dip of her waist, her breath hot as she murmured, "You taste like tequila," before nipping at the sensitive flesh there.

Haley arched off the bed with a stifled cry, her fingers tangling in Alex’s hair to guide her lower. Alex resisted for a moment, pressing a kiss to Haley’s hip bone before finally relenting, her tongue dragging down the crease of Haley’s thigh while her fingers kept working inside her, slick and steady.

She took her time with Haley’s inner thighs, alternating between featherlight kisses and sharp little bites that left Haley trembling, her legs tightening around Alex’s shoulders as she fought to stay quiet.

When Alex finally blew a soft breath over Haley’s soaked folds, Haley whimpered, her hips lifting off the bed. Alex smirked, pressing a kiss to her clit before dragging her tongue through her in one slow, deliberate stroke. Haley’s fingers tightened in her hair, her moan strangled as Alex hummed against her, her tongue circling Haley’s clit in lazy, teasing patterns while her fingers curled just right inside her.

Haley was shaking now, her breath coming in short, uneven gasps, her thighs twitching around Alex’s head as she tried to grind against her, desperate for more.

Alex pulled back just enough to watch; Haley’s eyes fluttered open, dark and hazy, her lips parted on a silent plea, before Alex ducked back down, flattening her tongue against Haley’s clit and sucking lightly, her fingers twisting in the exact rhythm that made Haley’s breath catch.

Haley’s hands clenched in the sheets, her back arching as she fought to keep silent, her body tightening around Alex’s fingers, her thighs trembling as she hovered on the edge.

"I love you," Alex murmured against her skin, her voice thick with liquor and something deeper, something raw and unfiltered. "I love how you taste—like fucking salt and honey—and how you sound when you’re close. I love how you pull my hair when you’re trying not to scream."

She punctuated each word with a slow stroke of her tongue, dragging it up Haley’s folds before circling her clit again, teasing, pressing just enough to make Haley’s hips jerk but not enough to push her over. Haley whimpered, her fingers twisting in Alex’s hair, tugging—half plea, half warning—but Alex just laughed, her breath warm and wet against Haley’s skin.

Haley’s thighs trembled, her toes curling against the mattress as she hovered there, suspended, her whole body taut like a wire about to snap. "Alex—please," she gasped, her voice breaking.

She could feel Alex grinning against her, the bastard, and then Alex was kissing her way up Haley’s stomach, her fingers still moving inside her, slow and deep, her mouth skimming Haley’s ribs, her breasts, her collarbones, until she finally caught Haley’s earlobe between her teeth and whispered, "I love when you beg."

Haley shuddered, her hips jerking helplessly, then Alex swallowed her gasp with a kiss, her tongue hot and insistent, her fingers curling just right, and Haley was coming, her entire body locking tight before dissolving into waves of pleasure so sharp they blurred her vision.

When Haley came back to herself, Alex was watching her with that stupidly smug expression, her lips slick and swollen, her fingers still lazily stroking inside her. Haley exhaled a shaky laugh and dragged Alex down for another kiss, tasting herself on Alex’s tongue, her hands sliding into Alex’s hair to keep her close.

"You’re such a dick," Haley murmured against her mouth, but she was smiling, her whole body still humming with aftershocks.

Alex smirked and pulled her fingers free, bringing them to Haley’s lips; Haley rolled her eyes but sucked them clean anyway, her cheeks flushing when Alex groaned low in her throat.

Haley wanted to repay her, to see Alex unravel the way she just had, so she rolled them over, pressing Alex into the mattress with a hunger that surprised even her.

"Love you," she breathed between kisses, her hands already tugging at Alex’s panties, desperate to feel her warmth, her wetness—proof that Alex wanted this just as badly.

Alex arched into her touch, her eyes pinched shut, her fingers digging into Haley’s hips as Haley’s mouth trailed lower, lingering at the swell of her breasts, teasing her nipples with slow, wet licks before moving lower still.

Haley couldn’t resist glancing up, just once, to see Alex staring down at her with that mix of awe and disbelief she always wore when Haley did this, like she still couldn’t believe they were here, like she was afraid Haley might vanish. Haley smirked and pressed a kiss to the inside of her sister’s thigh, her fingers tracing slow circles just outside where Alex wanted her most.

"Tell me," she murmured, her breath hot against Alex’s skin. "Tell me you love me."

Alex’s hips jerked involuntarily, a whimper escaping her lips before she could stop it. "Haley—"

The name came out strangled, half-protest, half-plea, and Haley’s stomach twisted with the thrill of it.

She loved this; loved how Alex’s usual sharp edges dissolved under her touch, how her body betrayed her even when her words refused to. She dragged her tongue through Alex’s folds in one slow, firm stroke, savoring the way Alex’s fingers fisted in her hair, the way her thighs trembled against Haley’s shoulders.

"I do," Alex gasped, her voice cracking as Haley's tongue flicked against her clit with deliberate precision. "Fuck, Haley, I—"

The rest dissolved into a choked moan as Haley sucked lightly, her fingers finally sliding inside Alex with slow, torturous intent. Alex's back arched off the mattress, her eyes rolling back—too much, not enough—her entire body thrumming with the kind of desperate, aching need only Haley could pull from her. Haley hummed against her, the vibration sending sparks up Alex's spine, and she could feel Haley's smirk against her skin even as her own hips stuttered helplessly.

The tequila haze made everything sharper; the press of Haley's teeth against her inner thigh, the slick slide of fingers curling just right inside her, the way Haley's free hand pinned her hip down when she tried to grind closer.

"You are so fucking beautiful," Haley murmured against her, the words vibrating through Alex's skin as her tongue circled her clit with maddening precision.

Alex's vision blurred at the edges, her breath coming in ragged gasps; she could feel the tension coiling tighter, tighter, until Haley abruptly stilled, pulling back just enough to watch Alex's hips chase the contact.

Haley's grip tightened, holding her in place. "Say it again," she demanded, her voice rough with want.

Alex whimpered, her thighs shaking with the effort of staying still. Haley's thumb brushed feather-light over her clit, and she nearly sobbed.

"I love you," she choked out, the admission ripped from somewhere deep and raw.

Haley's eyes darkened, something desperate flashing across her face before she surged up, capturing Alex's mouth in a searing kiss, her fingers finally, finally driving into her with the perfect, relentless rhythm Alex needed.

The world narrowed to the points where Haley touched her; the press of her lips, the curl of her fingers, the heat of her breath against Alex's neck as she gasped, "I love you too, so fucking much," before biting down.

Alex arched off the mattress with a strangled noise, her fingers scrabbling at Haley's shoulders. Haley just laughed, low and wicked, and sucked harder at the swell of Alex's breast, her free hand kneading in rhythm with the thrust of her fingers. Alex could feel the desperate, slick slide of her own arousal against Haley's wrist, the friction tightening the coil in her belly until her hips jerked erratically, and Haley pulled back just enough to watch her unravel, her pupils blown wide with satisfaction.

Then Haley was gone, sliding down Alex's body with a hunger that left bruises in its wake, her teeth grazing the soft skin of Alex's inner thighs as she settled between her legs. Alex whined, her thighs trembling around Haley's shoulders, but Haley smirked up at her, pressing a single, lingering kiss just above her clit before dragging her tongue through Alex's folds with slow, wet strokes. Alex's breath hitched; Haley was teasing, her fingers still buried deep but unmoving, her mouth hovering just close enough to make Alex ache.

"Haley—" she gasped, her voice breaking as Haley exhaled a warm laugh against her skin.

Haley's tongue flicked against her clit, once, twice, just enough to make Alex jerk before she pulled back again, watching with dark satisfaction as Alex's fingers twisted in the sheets.

"Say it again," Haley murmured, her breath hot against Alex's thigh.

Alex choked on a sob, her hips rolling helplessly; Haley's fingers finally moved inside her, curling just right, and Alex cried out, her body trembling on the edge.

"I love you," she gasped, the words tumbling out in a rush, "I fucking love you, Haley! Please—"

Haley groaned against her, her tongue circling Alex's clit in tight, relentless strokes until Alex's back arched off the mattress, her thighs clamping around Haley's head as she came with a broken cry.

Haley didn't let up, swallowing every twitch and shudder, her fingers working Alex through the aftershocks until Alex whimpered, oversensitive and spent. Only then did Haley crawl back up her body, her lips swollen and glistening, her gaze heavy with something tender and possessive.

Alex reached for her blindly, pulling her down into a messy kiss. She could taste herself on Haley's tongue, sharp and electric, and the realization sent a fresh shiver down her spine. Haley broke the kiss with a breathless laugh, pressing their foreheads together as Alex's fingers traced the bite marks she'd left on Haley's shoulders.

The washer's cycle ended with a sharp beep, the sudden silence making them both freeze. Haley's breath hitched against Alex's lips, her fingers tightening on Alex's hips. They waited, straining to hear any footsteps overhead, but the house remained still, save for the distant hum of the fridge.

Haley exhaled slowly, her thumb brushing Alex's cheekbone, and Alex turned her head just enough to catch Haley's fingertip between her teeth, biting down lightly in silent warning. Haley's eyes darkened, her knee slotting between Alex's thighs, pressing just enough to make Alex gasp. Then she pulled back, sitting up with a groan as she ran a hand through her tangled hair.

"Fuck," Haley muttered, rubbing her temples, the tequila's bite sharpening the headache creeping in.

Alex rolled onto her side, propping herself up on one elbow, studying Haley's profile; the way her lips were still slightly parted, flushed from kissing, the way her collarbone gleamed with sweat under the dim basement light. Haley caught her staring and smirked, reaching down to tug Alex up by the wrist until they were nose-to-nose again.

"You're staring, nerd," Haley breathed, her voice rough, and Alex didn't deny it, just leaned in to kiss her, slow and deep, her fingers tangling in her sister’s hair.

They broke apart reluctantly, swaying slightly as they stood, their limbs still loose from the tequila and the aftermath of sex. Haley stumbled first, her knee buckling, but Alex caught her by the waist, her own balance precarious, and they both dissolved into hushed, giddy laughter, foreheads pressed together.

"We're so drunk," Alex whispered, and Haley grinned, nipping at her lower lip before sliding her hand down to lace their fingers together.

"Come on," Haley murmured, tugging her toward the stairs, "before we pass out smelling like each other's pussy."

"Haley!" Alex gasped, both horrified and amused by Haley’s vulgar phrasing, muffling her own laughter against Haley’s shoulder as they staggered up the basement stairs, the wood creaking beneath their unsteady footsteps.

Haley’s fingers squeezed hers in response, warm and sticky where they were still tangled together, the scent of sex clinging to their skin despite the cold December air wafting through the hallway.

They paused at the top step, listening—nothing but the hum of the refrigerator and Phil’s faint snoring from the living room couch—before Haley tugged Alex toward the other set of stairs, her bare feet silent as Alex followed, their hands still entwined.

The bathroom door clicked shut behind them, Haley immediately pressing Alex against it, her teeth grazing the sensitive spot beneath Alex’s ear.

"Shower," Alex breathed, already fumbling with the faucet.

But Haley shook her head, her fingers tightening in Alex’s hair. "Not yet."

Steam curled around them as Haley’s mouth found Alex’s again, slow and deliberate this time, savoring the taste of tequila and salt-slick skin. Alex moaned into the kiss, her back arching as Haley’s thigh slid between her legs, the pressure deliciously familiar even through the haze of alcohol.

"We are too drunk for this," Alex murmured against Haley’s lips, even as her fingers twisted into the tangled mess of Haley’s hair, tugging just hard enough to make her gasp.

Haley laughed, low and breathless, her hands sliding up to trace the ridges of her ribs. "We were drunk the first time too," she reminded her, teeth scraping over Alex’s jaw before her tongue soothed the sting.

The shower spray hit the tile beside them, misting their skin with droplets that traced paths down Alex’s flushed chest, and Haley followed them with her mouth, humming appreciatively against damp flesh.

Alex’s knees buckled when Haley’s fingers slipped between her thighs again, slick with steam and remnants of their earlier mess.

"Shhh," Haley breathed, pressing her deeper against the door, the wood cool and unyielding against Alex’s spine as Haley’s touch grew impossibly slow. "You’re gonna have to be quiet, genius."

The words were barely a whisper, punctuated by the sharp nip of teeth against Alex’s collarbone, the sting mingling with the ache building low in her stomach.

The shower’s spray muffled Alex’s whimper as Haley’s fingers curled inside her, a cruel mimic of the teasing rhythm from earlier; just enough pressure to drag her closer to the edge without letting her tip over.

Haley watched her sister through half-lidded eyes, the steam clinging to her lashes as she murmured, "How long have you known?"

Alex’s breath hitched; not from the question, but from the way Haley’s thumb circled her clit in slow, deliberate strokes, each rotation timed to the erratic throb of her pulse.

"Known what?" Alex gasped, her hips jerking forward, seeking more.

Haley’s free hand gripped her waist, holding her still as she leaned in, her lips brushing Alex’s ear. "That you loved me."

Alex’s reply dissolved into a choked moan as Haley’s fingers twisted deeper, the heel of her palm grinding against Alex in a way that sent sparks skittering up her spine. She could feel Haley’s smirk against her throat, the smug curve of lips pressed to damp skin as Alex struggled to form words between panting breaths.

"S-shut up," Alex managed, her voice cracking as Haley’s fingers slowed to an agonizing crawl, her thumb flicking Alex’s clit just once, sharp and punishing, before stilling completely.

"Answer," Haley murmured, her breath hot against Alex’s jawline, the command laced with something darker, hungrier.

The shower’s rhythmic patter filled the silence as Alex’s thoughts scattered, her body trembling with the need to move, to chase the friction Haley was denying her. She forced her eyes open, meeting Haley’s gaze through the steam; the challenge there, the unspoken dare.

"Since… since I woke up in your bed that first morning," Alex admitted hoarsely, her fingers tightening in Haley’s hair. "When I-I saw how your eyelashes looked in the sunlight."

Haley’s breath hitched, her grip faltering for a heartbeat before she recovered, her fingers plunging back into Alex with renewed purpose, her teeth catching Alex’s lower lip in a punishing bite.

They crashed into the shower together, the curtain rattling as Haley shoved Alex beneath the scalding spray. Water sluiced over their tangled limbs, steam rising in thick curls around them while Alex's back hit the cold tile, her gasp swallowed by Haley's insistent mouth.

Haley's fingers never slowed, driving into Alex with rough, practiced strokes as her free hand gripped Alex's thigh hard enough to bruise; ownership and desperation tangled in the press of bitten nails into damp skin.

Alex's hands scrambled over Haley's slick ass, pulling her closer still, their bodies sliding together with every thrust, the water doing nothing to muffle the obscene wet sounds between them.

Haley broke the kiss to drag her teeth down Alex's throat, her voice ragged against the pounding water. "You're mine," she growled; not a question, not a demand, but a primal declaration that sent Alex's hips jerking forward into the relentless rhythm of Haley's fingers.

Alex's nails scraped down Haley's spine in answer, the sting buried under steam and the sharp scent of body wash, their shared gasp lost in the roar of the shower.

"And you’re mine," she gasped back, her hips bucking against Haley’s hand as the water blurred the lines between pain and pleasure.

Haley rewarded her with a twist of her fingers, curling just right to drag a broken moan from Alex’s throat; one she barely muffled by biting Haley’s shoulder. The taste of chlorine and sweat mixed with the steam, the shower’s heat making their skin sting where pressed together, but neither pulled away. Her breath hitched as Alex’s teeth sank deeper, her rhythm stuttering for just a second before she doubled down, her free hand yanking Alex’s hair to expose her throat again.

Alex retaliated without hesitation, shoving two fingers into Haley without warning—no teasing, no preamble—her other hand gripping Haley’s ass hard enough to leave crescent marks.

Haley’s knees buckled at the sudden intrusion, her forehead slamming against the tile with a dull thud as her body arched back into Alex’s touch. The tight, slick heat clenched around Alex’s fingers, Haley’s breath coming in ragged pants that echoed off the shower walls.

"Fuck—fuck, Alex," Haley choked out, her hips rocking into the thrusts, her own fingers still buried deep inside her baby sister as if she refused to yield even now.

Steam thickened the air between them, the water scalding Haley’s flushed shoulders while Alex’s free hand twisted in her damp hair, pulling just enough to expose Haley’s throat. She licked a stripe up the side of Haley’s neck, tasting soap and the faint metallic tang of her skin before biting down on her pulse point.

Haley’s answering moan vibrated against her teeth, her body tightening around Alex’s fingers in a silent plea; one Alex answered by curling them sharply, pressing her thumb against Haley’s clit with brutal precision.

Haley swore again, her voice breaking as she came, her thighs trembling violently against Alex’s hips while her fingers spasmed inside Alex, drawing out her own climax with relentless precision.

"Yes—yes, god—" Alex panted, her forehead dropping against Haley's slick shoulder as her orgasm crested, her hips stuttering against Haley's hand while the water beat down on them both.

Haley turned in her arms, catching Alex's mouth in a messy, breathless kiss that tasted of tequila and desperation, her fingers still lazily circling Alex's oversensitive clit just to feel her shudder.

The tile was cool against Alex's back when Haley pinned her there again, their bodies sliding together in the diminishing spray, the hot water long since drained from the tank.

Haley's tongue traced the shell of Alex's ear before she murmured, "Say it again," her voice husky with exhaustion and something dangerously close to reverence.

Their eyes locked, water dripping from Haley’s lashes onto Alex’s cheeks like tears neither of them would ever shed for this.

Alex swallowed hard, her throat raw from the confession Haley had wrung from her, and whispered, "I love you," against Haley’s parted lips.

This time, Haley didn’t smirk or tease; her breath hitched, her fingers stilling against Alex’s thigh as if the words had physically struck her. The shower’s last lukewarm droplets pattered against the tiles like a slow countdown, the silence between them heavier than the steam.

"I love you too," Haley finally breathed, the words cracking like fragile ice beneath their weight, her thumbs tracing slow circles on Alex's hips like she was mapping the contours of something sacred.

The admission hung between them, raw and trembling, until Haley exhaled shakily and pressed their foreheads together, her lashes casting shadows on Alex's cheeks. 

Christmas morning dawned bright and obnoxiously cheerful, sunlight slicing through the blinds to spotlight the tangled sheets where Haley and Alex had collapsed mere hours ago.

Alex stirred first, blinking against the glare as Haley's fingers twitched against her ribs; half-asleep and already possessive, Haley's hand slid up to cup Alex's breast with a sleepy groan.

"Mmm. Mine," she mumbled into the pillow, her thumb brushing Alex's nipple in lazy circles that sent heat pooling low in Alex's stomach despite the exhaustion still weighing her limbs.

Alex's breath hitched as Haley's fingers tightened possessively. She should be too sore, too wrung out from last night, but Haley's sleep-rough voice and the way her hips pressed back against Alex's thigh was reigniting something desperate under her skin.

"Are you seriously—" Alex's whisper cracked as Haley's thigh shifted higher between her legs, the friction deliberate even through the thin fabric of their pajama pants.

Haley's responding hum vibrated against Alex's collarbone, her lips brushing the fresh bite mark she'd left hours ago. "I can feel how wet you are already," she murmured, the words slurred with sleep and leftover tequila warmth.

Alex's toes curled against the sheets; Haley always knew, always pushed, even half-conscious at dawn on Christmas morning with dried shower water still stiffening their hair.

Alex smiled into Haley’s hair, letting her fingers trace slow circles over Haley’s hipbone beneath the rumpled t-shirt. “You’re insatiable,” she breathed, but the way Haley sighed into her touch betrayed just how much she loved it.

Her palm slid lower, teasing the waistband of Haley’s pajamas, relishing the way Haley’s breath stuttered—proof that even after everything, she could still unravel her.

"God, you're such a fucking hypocrite," Haley muttered against Alex's throat, arching into her touch even as she rolled them over with surprising strength for someone who'd been limp with exhaustion twenty seconds ago. Her knee pressed between Alex's thighs, the pressure just shy of painful, (Haley always knew exactly how much she could take), and Alex's gasp dissolved into a moan as Haley's teeth grazed her earlobe. "Like you're not already grinding into my leg like some—"

The rest of Haley's taunt vanished into Alex's mouth as Alex yanked her down by the hair, their tongues sliding together with the kind of messy, practiced familiarity that still sent heat roaring through Alex's veins.

Their clothes became a tangled mess between them, Haley's shirt riding up as Alex's fingers traced the sensitive skin just beneath her ribs. Haley's sharp inhale was the only warning before she bit down on Alex's lower lip hard enough to sting.

The pain blurred into pleasure when Haley's hand slid between them, her fingers slick and impatient as they pushed past the waistband of Alex's pajamas without ceremony.

"Fuck—Haley—" Alex's hips jerked upward, her throat tightening around Haley's name as those fingers curled inside her with ruthless precision, Haley's thumb circling her clit in tight, punishing strokes that left no room for hesitation.

The morning light spilled across Haley's face, highlighting the way her pupils swallowed the hazel of her irises as she watched Alex unravel beneath her.

"Say it again," Haley demanded, her voice rough with something raw and unguarded, her fingers never slowing even as Alex's thighs trembled around her wrist. "Say it without the tequila this time."

Alex's nails dug crescent moons into Haley's shoulders, her breath coming in sharp, fractured gasps. She wanted to, God, she wanted to, but the words caught like splinters in her throat, tangled with the fear that daylight would make this real in ways shower steam couldn't soften.

Haley's thumb pressed harder, deliberate, her lips ghosting over Alex's pulse point. "You're thinking too much," she murmured, and the accusation landed like a challenge.

Because Haley knew, had always known how Alex's mind raced in frantic circles, how she weaponized hesitation like armor. A sharp twist of Haley's wrist shattered the thought; Alex arched off the mattress with a choked sound, her body taut as a bowstring, pleasure cresting like a wave that pulled her under before she could brace for it.

The aftershocks left her trembling, Haley's name spilling from her lips in a breathless rush that felt more like surrender than any confession ever could. Haley caught her mouth in a kiss that tasted like triumph and salt, her fingers still working Alex through the last shuddering tremors; cruel and sweet all at once, the way she always was.

Morning light glinted off Haley's smirk as she leaned back, her thumb dragging one last, slow circle that made Alex whimper. "There," she said, softer now, her palm splayed possessively over Alex's stomach. "Now you don't have to say it."

But Alex did want to say it, needed to, with the same desperate certainty that had driven her fingertips to trace Haley’s ribs in the dark after their first night, counting each breath like a prayer.

Haley’s smirk faltered as Alex caught her wrist, flipping their positions with a suddenness that sent Haley’s breath hitching. The sheets tangled around them, sunlight catching in the fine hairs along Haley’s collarbone as Alex hovered above her, throat tight.

"I love you," Alex whispered, the words cracking like ice underfoot, raw in a way that scraped her ribs hollow.

Haley went still beneath her, lashes fluttering—not teasing now, not calculating—just listening, her pulse thudding against Alex’s palm where it pressed into her chest.

The silence stretched thin between them, fragile as the dust motes swirling in the morning light, until Haley’s fingers curled into Alex’s hair, pulling her down until their foreheads touched.

"Say it like you mean it," Haley murmured, but her voice wavered, betraying the same unspoken fear that clawed at Alex’s lungs.

That daylight would dissolve this into something they couldn’t take back.

Alex exhaled, shaky, her lips brushing Haley’s as she repeated it, slower this time, savoring the way Haley’s breath stuttered against her mouth: "I’m in love with you, Haley." No caveats, no tequila to blame; just the truth, laid bare between them like the rumpled sheets and the too-quiet house beyond the basement door.

Haley’s laugh was wet, unexpected, her thumbs swiping at Alex’s cheeks where tears had escaped without her realizing. "Took you long enough, genius," she whispered, but the way her fingers trembled against Alex’s skin gave her away.

Haley, who flirted with everything that moved, who wore confidence like armor, was unraveling too.

Alex kissed her big sister before she could overthink it, pouring every unsaid word into the press of their lips, the slide of Haley’s tongue against hers tasting like salt and something infinitely sweeter.

"I know," Haley gasped between kisses, arching into Alex’s body like she couldn’t bear an inch of space between them, her nails digging crescents into Alex’s hips. "God, I’ve wanted you to say it for weeks."

The distant sound of Luke’s voice upstairs—loud, oblivious—made them freeze, breaths mingling in the scant space between them. Haley’s eyes darted to the door, then back to Alex, her smirk returning with a vengeance as she rolled them over again, pinning Alex to the mattress with a wicked grin.

"Too late to take it back now," she murmured, nipping at Alex’s jaw while her hand slid lower, relentless even as footsteps creaked on the stairs beyond the door.

Alex’s breath hitched, her hips jerking up into Haley’s touch; reckless, desperate, giddy with the weight of what they’d just admitted.

Haley laughed softly against her sister’s throat, her fingers tracing teasing circles that promised more. "Merry fucking Christmas to me."

•••

Once they'd cleaned up and dressed; Haley in a snug red sweater that made Alex's fingers twitch with the urge to peel it off her shoulders, Alex in dark jeans and a green turtleneck that Haley immediately rolled her eyes at; the house smelled like cinnamon and pine, obnoxiously festive.

Their fingers brushed while ascending the stairs, fleeting but electric, and Haley smirked when Alex's breath hitched.

"You good, nerd?" Haley murmured, deliberately slow as she leaned in to adjust Alex's collar, her thumb lingering on the fresh love bite hidden beneath the fabric.

Alex's pulse stuttered—how could Haley be so effortlessly hot at all times, even when just adjusting her fucking turtleneck? The lingering brush of Haley’s fingers against her throat sent a jolt down her spine, and Alex caught herself leaning into the touch like some lovesick idiot.

She barely registered Luke's voice echoing from the kitchen, too focused on the way Haley's eyelashes caught the morning light when she glanced up through them, lips quirking like she knew exactly what she was doing.

Their lips met again in the shadowed corner of the stairwell—brief, desperate, tasting of toothpaste and the sharp tang of adrenaline—before Luke’s stomping footsteps grew too close.

Haley pulled away first, her thumb swiping across Alex’s bottom lip to erase the evidence just as the basement door swung open.

"Dude, presents are happening!" Luke announced, already halfway to the living room without glancing back, his hair sticking up in sleep-mussed cowlicks.

Haley’s smirk returned full-force as she nudged Alex forward with her hip, her whisper a hot brand against Alex’s ear: "Later, I’m unwrapping you again."

The living room was a mess of wrapping paper before anyone even got there; Luke had already torn into one box labeled TO LUKE, FROM SANTA, its contents (a new video editing software) abandoned on the couch as he dug for more.

Claire sighed, rubbing her temple with one hand as she nudged Phil toward the coffee maker. "You were supposed to wait for everyone," she chided, but Luke just grinned, tossing a crumpled bow at Alex's head.

"Dude, Santa doesn't care about schedules," he said, entirely too cheerful for someone who'd seen his sisters flirting relentlessly the night before and pretended not to notice.

Haley snatched the next gift before Luke could; a small, flat box labeled TO HALEY, FROM ALEX, her fingers brushing Alex's deliberately as she took it.

Alex's breath caught when Haley shot her a look that promised later before tearing into the paper to reveal a silver necklace with a tiny, intricate key pendant.

"So you can stop stealing mine," Alex muttered, but the flush creeping up her neck betrayed her when Haley leaned in to fasten it, lips grazing her ear as she whispered, "You just want an excuse to see me wearing nothing else."

Luke snorted from his sprawl on the floor, tossing a wad of wrapping paper at them. "Gross, save the sap for after coffee," he groaned, but the way his eyes flicked between them too quickly—like he was calculating angles, exits—made Alex's stomach tighten.

She nudged Haley's foot with her own, a silent be careful, but Haley just smirked and held up the necklace. "Aww, my baby sister loves me," she cooed, loud enough for Claire to hear from the kitchen.

Claire beamed, oblivious, while Phil squinted at them over his coffee mug like he suspected a prank.

Alex flushed darker than before as Haley clasped the necklace with deliberate slowness. The pendant settled just above Haley’s collarbone, right where Alex had bitten her last night, and Haley’s smirk widened when Alex’s gaze lingered there a second too long.

"What, jealous of a piece of metal now?" Haley murmured, low enough that only Alex could catch the teasing lilt, the unspoken challenge.

Alex swallowed hard, her fingers twitching against her own thighs; Haley knew exactly how to unravel her, even in a room full of their oblivious family.

The scent of coffee and eggnog filled the air as Phil distributed the rest of the gifts with exaggerated cheer, oblivious to the tension humming between his daughters.

Luke, however, was watching them with narrowed eyes; not disgust, not anger, but the sharp focus of someone who'd seen too much and was still piecing it together. He wondered if they admitted it yet, if they even knew themselves how obvious they were; Haley's fingers lingering on Alex's wrist when passing her a mug, Alex's too-quick breath whenever Haley leaned in to whisper something.

Alex caught Luke staring and stiffened, her grip tightening around her coffee cup until her knuckles paled. Haley noticed immediately, of course she did, and slid her hand onto Alex's thigh beneath the coffee table, fingers pressing into muscle until Alex's breathing slowed.

"Relax," Haley mouthed against her ear, her thumb tracing slow circles that felt like both a promise and a threat.

Luke looked away first, feigning sudden interest in the video game Manny had gifted him, but the way his jaw clenched betrayed the lie.

Once the last gift was unwrapped, Claire tearing up at the framed photo of the kids Phil had sneakily dug up, Haley nudged Alex’s ankle with her foot, jerking her chin toward the kitchen under the guise of getting more coffee.

Alex followed, pulse hammering, only for Haley to corner her behind the fridge door, their bodies shielded from view as Haley’s hands slid under Alex’s turtleneck, nails scraping the sensitive skin of her hips.

“You’re wearing too many clothes,” Haley breathed against her mouth, her teeth catching Alex’s lower lip just as Claire called out, “Girls, help clean up!”

Haley pulled away with a smirk, leaving Alex flushed and breathless against the fridge.

•••

The entire family met up at Mitch and Cam's place for Christmas breakfast—Lily bouncing between adults with her new toy microscope, Joe shrieking with laughter as Luke pretended to steal his pancake.

Alex kept catching Haley’s gaze, the heat in her sister’s eyes making her fork tremble against her plate. When Haley's bare foot slid up Alex's calf beneath the table, slow and deliberate, Alex choked on her orange juice, coughing into her napkin while Haley grinned like the cat that got the cream.

Around the breakfast table, Christmas morning unfolded with the usual chaos; Lily sticking her tongue out at Luke, Cam enthusiastically recounting the history of fruitcake, but all Alex could focus on was the press of Haley’s knee against hers beneath the table, the way her sister’s fingers drummed impatiently against Alex’s thigh whenever Mitch paused for breath.

Haley leaned over to "accidentally" brush her lips against Alex’s ear while reaching for the syrup, murmuring, "You’re staring, nerd," with a smirk that sent heat spiraling down Alex’s spine.

The syrup bottle slipped from her grip, splattering across the tablecloth, and Claire’s exasperated sigh was drowned out by Haley’s quiet laugh—warm, knowing, theirs.

Their fingers tangled together beneath the crumpled napkins while Claire scolded Luke for feeding Joe whipped cream straight from the can. Haley’s thumb traced slow, maddening circles over Alex’s wrist, her smirk widening when Alex’s breath hitched.

Cam launched into another animated story, his hands fluttering near Mitchell’s face, but all Alex could hear was the rustle of Haley shifting closer, her lips grazing the shell of Alex’s ear.

"Think they’d notice if I dragged you into the pantry?" Haley whispered, her teeth catching Alex’s earlobe just hard enough to sting.

Alex’s pulse thundered in her throat—Haley’s knee pressing between hers under the table was reckless, delicious, dangerous—but the way Manny’s gaze flicked between them made her stiffen.

Haley noticed instantly, of course, her fingers tightening around Alex’s, grounding her as she shot Manny a glare sharp enough to make him look away.

"Breathe," Haley murmured against Alex’s temple, her free hand sliding up Alex’s thigh beneath the table, fingers kneading the tense muscle there.

The touch was possessive, reassuring, claiming; Haley had always been better at this, at existing in the moment while Alex’s mind raced ahead to every catastrophic possibility.

Luke’s sudden burst of laughter shattered the tension; Alex exhaled shakily, leaning into Haley’s shoulder like it was the most natural thing in the world.

Haley seized the distraction, her lips brushing Alex’s ear in a way that could’ve been mistaken for sisterly affection if not for the words whispered there: "I love you so much it scares the shit out of me."

The confession landed like a lit match—quick, bright, burning—and Alex’s breath hitched audibly, her grip tightening around Haley’s fingers under the table.

Across from them, Manny’s fork clattered against his plate, his eyes darting away too fast as Haley smirked against Alex’s temple, her thumb tracing idle circles on Alex’s wrist like she hadn’t just cracked them both wide open.

After breakfast, the family was herded into Mitch and Cam’s living room, already decked out in enough tinsel to blind an entire neighborhood, for their yearly holiday duet.

Claire and Haley immediately pulled out their phones, fingers poised over record buttons like seasoned disaster documentarians.

Cam launched into the opening chords of Baby It’s Cold Outside with theatrical flourish, Mitch clearing his throat before launching into the first verse—

Just as Larry the cat, sensing weakness, leaped onto the piano keys with the grace of a drunk acrobat. The resulting cacophony sent Lily scrambling after him, her tiny hands grabbing for his tail while Joe, perched on Gloria’s lap, shrieked with delight and hurled a half-chewed candy cane directly at Jay’s forehead.

Haley’s laughter rang out—sharp, bright, contagious—as she zoomed in on Mitch’s horrified expression mid-note.

Alex, seated beside her, felt the vibration of Haley’s thigh pressed against hers, the warmth seeping through their jeans as Haley leaned closer to whisper, “Bet you twenty bucks Uncle Cam starts crying before the second chorus.”

Alex didn’t get a chance to answer; Lily’s sudden yelp drew everyone’s attention as Larry, now thoroughly offended, swiped at her glitter-covered Santa dress before bolting behind the couch. Joe, mistaking the chaos for a game, wriggled free from Gloria’s grip and toddled straight for the piano, his sticky fingers aiming for Cam’s meticulously arranged sheet music.

Haley’s hand found Alex’s under the small throw blanket, their fingers tangling in a way that felt both reckless and inevitable. The pad of Haley’s thumb traced slow, maddening circles against Alex’s pulse point; a silent counterpoint to the off-key singing still valiantly continuing around them.

Luke, sprawled on the floor near Manny, flicked a popcorn kernel at them, his smirk more knowing than Alex liked. Haley just flipped him off with her free hand, never breaking eye contact with Alex as her fingers tightened possessively.

“Mine,” she mouthed, the word lost under Mitch’s dramatic high note, but the way her teeth grazed her own bottom lip made Alex’s stomach swoop.

A crash from the kitchen, followed by Phil’s yelp, sent Claire sprinting toward the sound, leaving Jay to sigh into his eggnog. Haley used the distraction to drag Alex backward onto the couch cushions, their bodies pressed together from shoulder to thigh under the pretense of adjusting the blanket.

“You’re thinking too loud,” Haley murmured, her lips brushing the shell of Alex’s ear as Cam launched into a particularly warbly falsetto.

Her knee nudged Alex’s apart beneath the blanket, the pressure deliberate, hot even through layers of denim.

Alex’s breath hitched, and Haley’s grin was pure sin when she whispered, “Tell me what you want,” her fingers skating up Alex’s inner thigh just as Larry vaulted onto the piano again.

Chaos erupted—Mitch shrieking, Lily giggling, Jay muttering about “goddamn crazy people”—as Larry sent sheet music flying.

Haley seized the moment, twisting her fingers into Alex’s hair and pulling her into a bruising kiss, hidden behind the upturned collar of Alex’s turtleneck. The taste of peppermint and stolen moments burned on Alex’s tongue, Haley’s teeth sharp against her lip as the cat yowled in protest somewhere near Cam’s feet.

Alex barely registered Luke’s exaggerated gagging; all she could focus on was Haley’s knee pressing higher between her thighs, the muffled moan she swallowed when Haley’s thumb found the tender skin just inside her knee.

The blanket slipped as Haley shifted, exposing the frantic grip Alex had on Haley’s hip; too tight, too telling, but Gloria’s sudden shriek of “Manny, don’t let the baby eat tinsel!” drowned out any chance of discovery.

Haley’s laugh vibrated against Alex’s throat, her fingers tracing the outline of Alex’s bra strap through her sweater like she was mapping territory.

“Later,” she mouthed against Alex’s jaw, the promise searing as Mitch’s off-key crescendo reached its peak, “I’m gonna make you scream my name so loud even the neighbors hear.”

Alex’s pulse stuttered; Haley’s smirk was a brand, her knee pressing higher between Alex’s thighs a delicious threat, when Lily’s sudden wail shattered the moment.

Then the doorbell rang. Haley froze mid-tease, her fingers still tangled in Alex’s hair as Mitch and Cam’s duet dissolved into bickering over whose fault Larry’s piano sabotage was.

Phil, ever the oblivious cheerleader, bounded toward the entrance with the energy of a golden retriever spotting a tennis ball. “Dylan! Buddy!” His voice carried over the chaos, warm with the same enthusiasm he reserved for bad magic tricks and questionable dad jokes.

Claire’s audible sigh—half-exasperation, half-dread—cut through the room as Dylan shuffled inside, his eyes immediately locking onto Haley with the hopeful desperation of a kicked puppy.

Alex’s stomach dropped. Dylan—Haley’s on-again-off-again ex, the guy who’d taken her virginity at seventeen, the human embodiment of awkwardly strummed acoustic love songs—stood in the doorway clutching a poorly wrapped gift and wearing a Santa hat tilted sideways.

Haley stiffened against her, fingers tightening around Alex’s wrist hard enough to bruise. Across the room, Luke’s eyes flicked between them with the sharp focus of a wildlife documentary narrator witnessing a predator strike.

“Surprise!” Dylan beamed, oblivious to the sudden tension thickening the air like syrup.

Haley forced a laugh—too high, too brittle—her nails digging into Alex’s skin beneath the blanket as she disentangled their limbs with practiced casualness. Alex could practically hear the gears turning in Haley’s head, calculating damage control, but Dylan was already thrusting the lumpy present into Haley’s hands.

“I, uh, made it myself,” he mumbled, rocking back on his heels while Larry took the opportunity to scale his leg like a scratching post.

Alex watched Haley’s fingers tremble as she peeled back the wrapping to reveal a frayed friendship bracelet; the same neon-green atrocity he’d given her in tenth grade, now clumsily stitched back together.

Haley’s throat worked soundlessly, her gaze darting to Alex for half a second, long enough for Alex to see the panic there, before Dylan blurted, “I was thinking we could talk? Alone?”

The silence that followed was deafening. Even Larry paused mid-scratch, tail flicking as Claire’s eyes narrowed suspiciously between Dylan and her daughter.

Alex felt the tears burn the back of her throat when Haley stood in front of Dylan without even glancing her way first. The blanket slipped from her lap like a discarded secret as she stood abruptly, the Christmas lights suddenly too bright, the laughter too loud.

She didn’t look back, couldn’t, as she wove through the tangle of family members, their oblivious Christmas cheer scraping against her ribs like shards of glass.

The bathroom door clicked shut behind her with finality, the lock engaging with a hollow snick that sounded too much like a heart breaking. She pressed her forehead against the cold tile, her glasses askew, and let out a shuddering breath that tasted like mint and betrayal.

The sink faucet dripped—one, two, three times—before Alex dared to lift her gaze to the mirror. Her reflection stared back, red-rimmed eyes and smudged glasses, lips still swollen from Haley’s teeth.

She ripped the glasses off, scrubbing at her face with trembling hands, but the ache in her chest wouldn’t dissolve. Why had Dylan shown up now? And why the fuck was Haley even entertaining him? The thought of Haley’s fingers untying that stupid bracelet while Dylan watched with dopey hopefulness made bile rise in Alex’s throat.

Haley had watched as Alex fled the room, her chest tightening with every step her little sister took away from her. Dylan's hopeful puppy-dog eyes were unbearable. She grabbed his wrist and yanked him toward the exit, the winter air sharp against her flushed skin.

The moment the door slammed behind them, Haley twisted to face him, her breath steaming between them as she hissed, "What the fuck, Dylan?" He flinched, the Santa hat slipping further askew, but she didn't give him time to reply. "You don't just show up unannounced on Christmas," she snapped, her fingers digging into her own arms to keep from shaking him.

Dylan's face crumpled. "I-I thought maybe we could..." He trailed off, toeing the grass with his scuffed sneakers.

Haley exhaled hard, her pulse hammering in her throat; not from guilt but from the sheer wrongness of standing here when Alex was somewhere inside, probably thinking the worst.

Dylan reached for her hand. "Remember when we—"

Haley jerked back like he'd burned her. "No. We're done."

The words came out sharper than intended, harsher than she'd ever spoken to him before. His wounded expression made her stomach twist, but the image of Alex's stiff shoulders retreating burned brighter.

"I’m in love with someone else," she blurted, the confession slipping out raw and unplanned.

Dylan’s mouth opened, then closed. "Is it... that TA from your photography class?" he mumbled.

Haley barked a laugh—bitter, relieved—because god, he had no idea. The door creaked open; Luke stood there holding two cans of soda, his gaze darting between them with unnerving focus.

"Mom says stop being dramatic and get inside," he announced, tossing Haley a Coke. She caught it on reflex, the aluminum cold against her palm. Dylan reached for the other can, but Luke yanked it back. "Nah, man. You don’t get free drinks after ambushing my sister on Christmas."

Haley could’ve kissed her brother right then; Luke’s unexpected loyalty cut through the tension like a lifeline. Instead, she shoved the unopened soda into Dylan’s chest with more force than necessary.

“Merry Christmas,” she deadpanned, sidestepping him to push past Luke into the house. The warmth inside hit her like a physical blow after the winter air, her skin prickling as she scanned the crowded living room; no Alex.

Luke’s fingers closed around her wrist as she moved to search. “Bathroom,” he muttered under his breath, jerking his chin toward the hallway.

Haley exhaled sharply, relief and guilt twisting together, before wrenching free.

The hallway stretched too long, the muffled sounds of Cam’s rendition of Jingle Bell Rock warping as Haley pressed her palm flat against the bathroom door.

“Alex,” she hissed, leaning close enough for her breath to fog the wood. No response. She twisted the knob—locked—and resisted the urge to kick it. “Open the fucking door,” she whispered, knuckles rapping a frantic rhythm.

A beat of silence, then the scrape of Alex’s glasses being shoved back on, the rustle of fabric as she shifted; Haley knew every sound, every hesitation.

“I told him to leave,” she added, pressing her forehead against the doorframe. “Swear to god, Al, I didn’t know he was coming.”

The lock clicked open with glacial slowness. Alex stood framed in the doorway, eyes red-rimmed behind smudged lenses, her sweater sleeves pulled over her fists like armor. Haley’s throat tightened at the sight; Alex’s telltale move when she felt small.

“You left,” Alex accused, voice shredded raw.

Haley flinched; Alex never raised her voice, never let the cracks show. The accusation hung between them, sharp as shattered glass. Haley reached for her, but Alex stepped back, the distance a physical blow.

“You stood up with him like—like—” Alex’s breath hitched, her fingers twisting in her sleeves. “Like you were choosing him.”

Haley moved without thinking, crowding Alex back into the bathroom, kicking the door shut behind them with her heel. The small space amplified every ragged breath, every tremor.

“I was getting rid of him,” she growled, trapping Alex against the sink, hands braced on either side of her hips. Alex’s pulse fluttered visibly beneath the delicate skin of her throat, her lips parted in shock. Haley leaned in until their foreheads touched, her voice dropping to a whisper: “There’s no choice to make. It’s you. I’m sick of pretending it’s not.” The admission hung between them, raw and undeniable.

Alex’s fingers curled into Haley’s sweater, gripping tight enough to wrinkle the fabric. “Prove it,” she breathed, challenge and vulnerability warring in her voice.

Haley didn’t hesitate. She yanked Alex forward by the waist, sealing their mouths together in a kiss that tasted like salt and desperation. Alex melted into her with a whimper, hands sliding up to tangle in Haley’s hair, her glasses askew as Haley bit her lower lip hard enough to draw a gasp. The sink dug into Alex’s back, but she didn’t care. Not when Haley’s thigh pressed between hers, not when Haley’s teeth scraped down her jaw like a brand.

“I’m in love with you,” Haley gasped against Alex’s mouth, the words muffled but unmistakable as her fingers fumbled with the button of her sister’s jeans.

Alex’s breath hitched—half in shock, half in desperate want—her back arching off the sink as Haley’s hand slid past the waistband. The cold porcelain bit into Alex’s palms when Haley’s fingers found her already slick and trembling, and she choked on a moan, biting down hard on Haley’s shoulder to stifle the sound. Haley hissed, not from pain, but from the sheer claiming of it, her thumb circling Alex’s clit with ruthless precision even as Cam’s caroling crescendoed through the door.

Somewhere beyond the bathroom, Claire called Haley’s name, her voice sharp with maternal suspicion, but Haley only pressed closer, swallowing Alex’s whimper with another bruising kiss.

“Let them hear,” she whispered, her lips wet and swollen, her fingers working Alex with a rhythm that left no room for thought. Alex’s thighs trembled, her hips jerking erratically as Haley’s teeth grazed her earlobe. “Come for me, baby,” Haley murmured, and the permission shattered her.

The orgasm hit like lightning, her back bowing off the sink as she muffled her cry against Haley’s collarbone, her nails leaving crescent moons in Haley’s skin.

The doorknob rattled, and then Luke’s voice, high-pitched with fake innocence: “You guys good in there?”

Haley snarled a curse, but Alex was already fumbling to fasten her jeans, her legs still unsteady as Haley wiped her fingers on her own sweater with a smirk. Alex’s cheeks burned, her breath shallow as she adjusted her glasses, but Haley caught her wrist before she could retreat.

“You believe me now?” Haley’s thumb traced Alex’s racing pulse, her gaze unflinching.

Alex swallowed hard and nodded just as Claire’s exasperated knock echoed through the door.

Haley yanked the door open with a defiant glare, her lips still swollen from kissing, but Claire’s attention snapped to the flushed state of both girls.

“What on earth—” their mother began, hands on hips, but Luke materialized beside her with a freshly spilled plate of cookies.

“My bad!” he announced, dripping crumbs down Claire’s blouse, and Haley seized Alex’s hand to drag her past the distraction, their fingers interlaced tight enough to ache.

Phil blinked up from his phone as they barreled toward the foyer, his brow furrowing. “Whoa, speed racers—”

Haley didn’t slow down, tossing over her shoulder, “Alex isn’t feeling good, Dad, I’m taking her home.” The lie slipped out smooth as silk, but Alex’s sharp inhale betrayed her.

Phil’s expression softened and he reached out to press the back of his hand to Alex’s forehead. “Aw, kiddo, you are warm.” Haley nearly choked; Alex’s skin burned for entirely different reasons. Phil squeezed Haley’s shoulder. “Get her tucked in, yeah? We’ll see you at Jay’s for Christmas dinner.”

Haley dragged Alex out the front door before anyone else could ask about flushed cheeks or trembling fingers. The winter air hit like a slap, but Alex barely registered the cold; not with Haley’s thumb tracing circles against her palm like a secret promise.

Haley yanked open the passenger door of her Toyota Corolla, her voice low and rough. “Get in.”

Alex obeyed without thought, the leather seat freezing through her jeans as Haley revved the engine hard enough to make the dashboard rattle. The car peeled away from the curb, tires screeching, but Alex barely noticed because Haley’s free hand was already sliding up her thigh, fingers digging in hard enough to leave bruises.

They didn’t make it home.

Haley swerved into a deserted grocery store parking lot three blocks away, killing the engine with a jerk of her wrist before climbing over the gearshift into Alex’s lap. The steering wheel dug into Haley’s back, but she didn’t care, not when Alex’s teeth sank into her lower lip like a punishment. Haley ground down against her, the friction brutal through denim, her breath coming in ragged gasps as Alex’s hands fumbled with her belt buckle.

“Say it again,” Alex demanded, voice wrecked, her glasses fogged beyond repair.

Haley swallowed hard, her hips stuttered when Alex’s fingers finally slipped past her waistband, and gasped the words against her little sister’s mouth: “I’m in love with you.”

The second time was slower, messier. Haley braced against the dashboard with one hand while Alex’s fingers worked her with clumsy desperation, her own jeans shoved down past her thighs.

The car windows fogged over completely, the world outside reduced to vague shapes and distant headlights as Haley rocked into Alex’s touch, her forehead pressed against the cold glass. Alex’s name tumbled from her lips like a prayer, then a curse, then something raw and shattered when Alex crooked her fingers just right.

The orgasm punched through her like a bullet and she bit down on Alex’s shoulder to muffle the scream, tasting salt and fabric softener as her vision whited out.

Alex held her through the aftershocks, her own need simmering beneath the surface, but Haley was already dragging her hand free and fumbling with Alex’s seatbelt.

“My turn,” she rasped, sliding to her knees between Alex’s legs despite the cramped space.

She pulled Alex’s jeans down further, her breath hot against the inside of Alex’s thigh, teeth grazing the sensitive skin just to hear her gasp. The parking lot’s flickering sodium light bled through the fogged windows, casting Haley’s face in amber shadows as she pressed a kiss to the lace edge of Alex’s panties; slow, deliberate, savoring the way Alex’s fingers twisted in her hair.

When Haley finally dragged the fabric aside, tongue flicking over Alex’s clit with teasing precision, Alex choked on a moan and threw her head back against the seat. The leather creaked beneath her, the gear shift digging into her side, but all she could focus on was Haley’s mouth; hot, relentless, curling around her like she was starving for it.

Distantly, the sound of a car door slamming nearby made Haley pause and Alex whimpered at the loss, but Haley only smirked up at her, fingers pinching Alex’s thigh in warning.

“Quiet,” she mouthed before diving back in, this time with two fingers crooking inside, and Alex bit down on her own wrist to keep from crying out.

The orgasm hit like a train, shuddering through her so violently her glasses slid off entirely, clattering somewhere near the pedals. Haley swallowed every twitch, every gasp, until Alex was limp against the seat, trembling with oversensitivity.

Haley finally pulled back, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, eyes dark with satisfaction—then froze. Headlights swept across the fogged windshield as another car pulled into the lot.

Alex fumbled for her jeans with shaking hands while Haley scrambled back into the driver’s seat, both of them breathing hard as the stranger’s car parked two spaces over.

Haley turned the key with more force than necessary, the engine roaring to life as she peeled out of the lot before the other driver could even step out. Alex clutched the door handle, still trying to catch her breath, her thighs sticky beneath her jeans. Haley’s knuckles were white on the steering wheel, her gaze flicking to Alex every few seconds like she couldn’t help it, like she was afraid Alex would vanish if she looked away too long.

"So," Alex managed, voice still wrecked, "we're really doing this?"

Haley didn’t answer with words; she just reached across the gearshift and tangled their fingers together, squeezing hard enough to bruise.

•••

The house was dark and empty when they stumbled inside, the silence thick with unspoken promises. Haley backed Alex against the foyer wall the second the door clicked shut, her mouth hot and demanding, hands already tugging at Alex’s sweater.

"Bedroom," Alex gasped between kisses, but Haley shook her head, biting down on Alex’s collarbone instead.

"Here," she growled, sliding a knee between Alex’s thighs.

The wood paneling dug into Alex’s back as Haley’s fingers found their way under her bra, pinching a nipple hard enough to make her cry out; a sound Haley swallowed greedily, her other hand already working open Alex’s fly.

Haley dropped to her knees right there in the hallway, yanking Alex’s jeans down past her hips before burying her face between Alex’s legs without hesitation. Alex’s fingers scrabbled against the wall for purchase, her head thudding back against the plaster as Haley’s tongue licked into her like she was trying to memorize the taste.

"Fuck—Haley—" Alex choked out, her thighs trembling, but Haley just hooked Alex’s leg over her shoulder and sucked harder, her fingers digging bruises into Alex’s hips.

The orgasm ripped through Alex so fast she saw stars, her knees buckling as Haley stood to catch her, licking her lips with a satisfied smirk.

Somehow they stumbled into the family room, limbs tangled and clothes half off. Haley tripped over the coffee table and landed on the couch with a yelp, pulling Alex down on top of her.

Their lips crashed together again, messy and desperate, Haley’s hands already shoving up Alex’s sweater to palm her breasts through her bra. Alex ground down against Haley’s thigh, the friction maddening through thin cotton, her breath coming in ragged gasps as Haley bit down on her collarbone.

"You’re mine," Haley growled against Alex’s skin, flipping them so Alex was pinned beneath her; the couch springs creaked in protest as Haley straddled her hips, yanking her own shirt off in one fluid motion.

Alex didn’t hesitate to cover Haley’s bare breasts with her hands, thumbs brushing over stiffened nipples as Haley arched into her touch with a shuddering gasp. The fabric of Haley’s bra tangled between them, forgotten, as Alex ducked her head to drag her teeth over the sensitive curve. Haley’s fingers twisted in her hair, pulling hard enough to sting, but Alex only moaned against her skin, drunk on the way Haley’s hips rolled helplessly against her thigh.

"Fuck—Alex—" Haley’s voice cracked, her thighs clamping tight around Alex’s hips as she ground down harder, the soft cotton of her underwear already soaked through.

Alex could feel the heat of her even through the layers, the rhythm frantic and uncoordinated, Haley’s breath hot against her ear in jagged bursts.

Alex moaned as Haley’s fingers twisted tighter in her hair, pain and pleasure blurring together, her lips trailing wet kisses down Haley’s sternum while her hands slid under Haley’s thighs. With a sharp tug, she yanked Haley forward by the ass, forcing her to straddle her face on the couch.

Haley gasped, knees sinking into the cushions on either side of Alex’s head, thighs trembling as Alex hooked her thumbs into the soaked fabric of Haley’s panties and shoved them aside.

The scent of arousal hit her first, musky and sweet, before her tongue swiped through Haley’s folds in one greedy stroke, savoring the way Haley’s hips jerked violently above her.

"Oh fuck—" Haley choked out, her hands scrambling to grip the couch’s backrest for balance as Alex’s tongue circled her clit with relentless precision, the pressure just shy of too much.

Haley’s thighs squeezed around Alex’s head instinctively, her breath coming in ragged gasps as she rocked forward against Alex’s mouth—desperate, uncoordinated—her fingers gripping the upholstery hard enough to tear.

Alex dug her nails into Haley’s ass, urging her to grind harder, her tongue flicking faster against Haley’s clit until Haley’s moans pitched into something broken.

The couch creaked dangerously beneath them, the fabric damp with sweat where Haley’s knees dug in, her entire body trembling like a live wire.

"Mmh—god—" Haley gasped, her thighs trembling violently as Alex practically devoured her, her tongue plunging deep before swirling up to circle Haley’s clit with relentless precision.

Haley’s fingers clawed at the couch’s armrest, her knuckles whitening as she rocked forward harder, desperate for friction, her hips moving on their own desperate rhythm. Alex’s hands gripped her ass like a vice, fingers digging into flesh as she pulled Haley down even harder onto her mouth, the wet heat between Haley’s legs smothering her; she could barely breathe, and she didn’t care. The taste of Haley—musky, sweet, hers—drowned out every thought except more.

Haley’s voice cracked mid-moan, her entire body locking up as the orgasm ripped through her—violent, consuming—her thighs clamping around Alex’s head like a vise as she shuddered, gasping Alex’s name between ragged breaths.

She drenched Alex’s mouth, the flood of warmth spilling over Alex’s chin, her tongue still working Haley through the aftershocks until Haley whimpered, oversensitive and trembling, her fingers tangled in Alex’s hair like she couldn’t decide whether to push her away or hold her closer.

Alex licked her lips slowly, deliberately, savoring the taste as Haley collapsed bonelessly onto the couch beside her, chest heaving, her skin flushed and glistening with sweat.

Alex rolled onto her side, propping her head on one hand as she traced idle patterns across Haley’s stomach with the other, her touch feather-light.

Haley’s breath hitched when Alex’s fingers dipped lower, brushing the damp folds between her thighs, still twitching with sensitivity, but Alex just smirked and pulled her hand away, leaving Haley aching and unsatisfied.

“Tease,” Haley muttered, her voice hoarse, but the way her hips lifted instinctively betrayed her desperation.

Alex leaned in, nipping at Haley’s earlobe before whispering, “You love it,” her breath hot against Haley’s skin as Haley shuddered, her body still buzzing from the aftershocks.

Haley gripped Alex’s wrist suddenly, her fingers tightening just enough to make Alex pause, and looked her in the eyes; really looked, her gaze raw and unguarded.

“I love you,” she said, the words rough but unwavering, like she was carving them into Alex’s skin.

Alex’s eyes softened, the sarcasm melting away, and she exhaled shakily before pressing their foreheads together. “I love you too, Haley,” she murmured, her voice so quiet it was almost lost in the rustle of the couch cushions beneath them.

Then they kissed, softer than before, their hands intertwining between them like a promise of something bigger than stolen moments in dark rooms.

Like, maybe, Just maybe... they will become public lovers who marry in Rhode Island while Haley is a fashion designer and Alex is a scientist and they adopt a little girl that looks just like Haley.

Or maybe—Alex thought as Haley’s teeth scraped her pulse point, fingers threading possessively through her hair—they’d be the kind of lovers who never got the fairy tale. The kind who burned too bright to last, their love outlawed in forty-seven states, reduced to furtive touches in borrowed apartments between zip codes.

Haley’s tongue traced the shell of her ear, and Alex arched into her, the future dissolving into the present heat of Haley’s body pinning hers into the couch cushions.