Down Home Runs Deep

Four

Jake

I know I'm testing my luck with how handsy I've been with Briar, but now that I've made my intentions clear to Brooks, I can't find the will to stop myself.  We've always been flirty and have a...complicated history.  Brooks would absolutely murder me for this, but Briar and I were a lot of each other's firsts.  My thumb mindlessly starts rubbing circles on her leg as the memories rush back. 

It was 7th grade, after we added Mal to the chaotic crew.  We had all been invited to a birthday party later, and spin the bottle had been a popular game among our friends.  Shockingly, none of us had our first kiss yet and we were all nervous about it.   Ever the problem solver, Briar had suggested we all just be each others first kiss and get it out of the way.  I was pretty sure she did this to help out Mal, who had the most obvious crush on Brooks.  We had all agreed, not wanting to be embarrassed or admit we hadn't been kissed if we played that night.  We were in the basement of the Langley home, which was turned into a movie den, watching Jurassic Park for the millionth time.  The lights were already turned out, all of us piled up on the couch.  The girls were on one end, Brooks and I on the opposite. 

"B, swap spots with your brother," I offered, and the twins quickly switched places.  We left the little lovebirds alone in their corner and I turned to face Briar. 

"Don't make it weird, Seresin.  Just kiss me," she told me.  So I did.  With my hands still in my lap, I leaned forward and tentatively pressed my lips against hers, then pulled back to make sure she wasn't mad at me.  Her eyes locked on mine, and I quickly returned for a longer second kiss.  I let my lips linger on her soft ones a little bit longer before Brooks ruined the moment.

"Alright, that's enough.  Paws of my sister!"

That was the same day he made me promise to never make a move on her.

"I love my sister too much and you're basically my brother, you can't ever like her like that.  Promise me you won't ever like her more than a friend, and if you do, you won't do anything about it ok?" Brooks pleaded with me, and how could I deny my best friend? 

I broke that promise one time.  Well, twice technically.  I'd always liked her as more than a friend, but only ever acted on it once.  Just like our first kiss, the next instance was at her request as well. 

It was the cliche prom night scenario, her date was Jason Stone, the quarterback for the football team that was the only one of scared off by mine and Brooks' threats.  Being captains of the state championship winning baseball team, pretty much everyone took our warnings to heart.  Not that douchebag, though.   He was bad news and we had tried to get Briar to see that, but she was just too excited to actually have a date to prom.  Against my better judgement, I brought one of the cheerleaders who has basically been salivating over my our entire high school career in hopes of distracting me from the fact my girl was going with some lame football asshole.  We had the typical prom experience, sneaking drinks from flasks and then staying at a nearby hotel with all of our friends and other classmates.  Unbeknownst to any of us, Jason had gotten a separate room for him and Briar with high expectations that she didn't intend on meeting.   Brooks, Mal, and I were in the indoor pool, hanging around with our friends when I saw Jason walk in and start flirting with a girl who was most definitely NOT Briar. 

I slipped away from Brooks, who was happily wrapped up in a heated lip lock with Mallory, then shot off in search of Briar.  I found her sitting in front of the door to my room, tears staining her face. 

"B?  What's wrong, darlin'?"

"Jason expected me to put out and got mad when I wouldn't.  I didn't want him to be my first," she sniffed. 

I fought off my murderous rage and opened the door, grabbing her bag while ushering her inside. 

"He didn't deserve that, or you.  I'm glad you didn't let him pressure you," I tell her as I wrap my arms around her. 

Her sniffles stopped and she looked up at me, mischief in her eyes.  "I'm just annoyed he thought he was gonna get anywhere with me, I've heard enough about him that I wouldn't go near what's probably a biohazard site."

I bust out laughing and squeeze her tighter, when there's a knock at the door. 

"Jake?  You in there, handsome?"  Fuck, it was whatshername.  I look at Briar and hold my finger to my lips to indicate to stay quiet.  Whatever her name was knocked again before she finally left. 

"Shit, Jake. I didn't ruin your plans did I?" Briar asks, suddenly feeling bad. 

"No, you actually just saved me from having to dodge her advances," I grimaced. 

"Jake...are you still a virgin?" She questioned, making me blush and rub the back of my neck. 

"Uhh.  Yeah," I admitted.  Briar's face broke into the brightest smile I think I'd ever seen. 

"We were each others first kiss, it seems fitting that we'd be each other's...other first too.  I know your deal with Brooks, I have one too.  But he'll never have to know and we won't make it weird.  Ok?"  How on earth could I tell the angel that is Briar Rose Langley no?  I crashed my lips into hers, and we happily gave ourselves to each other. 

True to our word, Brooks never found out and we continued on as if nothing happened. 

We pull into the crater canyon that is the Langley's driveway and our moms are standing on the porch, ready to squeeze the life out of me and Brooks. Brooks and Mal are already out of the car, ready to take the first round of hugs. Before we do the same, I keep my hand on Briar's leg and hold her back from opening her door.

"First, you should know better than to open your own door when I'm around, princess. Second, once the chaos calms down, I wanna borrow you and talk for a second, ok?"

Her eyebrows squish together in confusion but she nods anyway. I make my way around to her door and open it for her, then we line up for our turn to fussed over by our mamas. My mom all but tackles me when she gets close enough, and I laugh as I hug her back.

"I couldn't help but notice you have a shiner, sweet boy. Does that mean what I think it does?" She asks me hopefully.

I grin down at her as I reply, "it does indeed, mama." This makes her squeal and hug me tighter before she moves onto Brooks. Once I have a little bit of breathing room, I catch Briar's eye and tilt my head in the direction of the upstairs bathroom that most people usually avoid. She's maybe 30 seconds behind me and I quickly pull her inside, shut the door, and trap her against it.

"You ready to tell me the truth about your eye, flyboy?" She asks, not even slightly bothered by the fact my large body is crowding hers.

"Depends on how you answer this next question. Do you still wear it?" I ask, gesturing towards her chest.

She pulls a thin chain out from under the neckline of her sundress, revealing what I was hoping to see. "You really think I'd ever take it off?"

There, at the end of the chain, sits my class ring. I had given it to her on prom night, a promise I'll always be there for her no matter what, that she'd always be my best girl. She promised she'd wear it for as long as she was my girl; that she'd only ever take it off if another girl took the top spot in my heart, or if another guy took mine in her own.

"That time never came, B. I know we've dated other people, I haven't been a Boy Scout and I didn't expect you to live like a nun, but there's never been anyone that could compare to you. We almost lost Rooster and Mav, your brother and I made it just in time to save them. But seeing how fleeting life is, I couldn't go another day without you officially being my girl. Hence the black eye, Brooks got to keep up his end of the deal for a free punch if I ever planned to make you mine. And I'd let him do it a hundred times over if it means I get to finally tell you I love you, and mean it the way I always hoped for," I finish my speech and cup Briar's cheeks. Her eyes are brimming with tears when I ask her the next question. "Whatcha say, you gonna be my girl for real, for everyone to see?"

"I can show you better than I can tell you," she says with a smirk, then pulls the front of my shirt sharply towards her so I can finally seal my lips over hers.