The Girl

FORTY-NINE: ALL AGAIN FOR YOU

"We had it all in front of us, you were the one I was in love, but you always hurt the one you lost. I couldn't get enough..."

SONG: ALL AGAIN FOR YOU
ARTIST: WE THE KINGS

I don't know why men find getting hurt and taken care of a perk. Brianna was all over me, that was a perk. Her making me feel like a baby, was not a perk. I couldn't even get up off the couch to make sure her mother didn't need help with the dinner for tonight. I huffed as she pushed me back down, which hurt more than getting up did.

"I'll go do it," She told me and slid off of the couch. I pouted and stared at the television screen, lifting my hand to push my fingers through her hair.

"Going to ask if my ma needed any help wouldn't have been a good idea," Jorge muttered and looked up from his phone. "Christmas Eve she gets crazy."

I swallowed and nodded. "Fair enough."

"And try and enjoy the fact Brianna is doing everything for you," Jorge mumbled and then turned his head to really look at me. "She doesn't exactly do things for anyone, much less herself."

I sighed and placed myself to lay down carefully on the side of my head that was now covered in stitches (that were skillfully placed there by Brianna's mum who had never done shit like that in her entire life. Her sons were pretty good about avoiding having to be patched up by her).

When I woke up it was because Brianna was coaxing me out of sleep. I groaned and smiled at the sight of her. She was wearing a black jacket, a grey sweater like crop top (which I had bought her), and her usual black jeans with her grey converse. I sleepily pushed myself up, knowing I had to go and change.

"No, you're fine," Brianna assured me and then kissed my forehead. "Just sit up. Mom said you look fine."

"Okay," I yawned and sat up, lulling my head to the side. "I have your present."

"You have four hours until it's Christmas," Brianna reminded me and I frowned. She rolled her eyes and placed herself to sit on my lap. "I'm sorry if you thought I was babying you. I just wanted to make sure you were okay."

"I'm not used to being taken care of to that excess," I explained and pushed a strand of her hair behind her ear. "I also don't want you to feel like you're obligated."

Brianna rolled her eyes at me. "Please, I don't do the things I have to do. You know this by now."

I grinned and pressed our foreheads together. "I really do want to give you your present already."

"I thought you sucked at presents,"

"Trust me, I do," I laughed and brushed our noses together. "I also really want to kiss you right now because I know we're not going to be able to later."

Brianna bit down on her lip and then pressed our mouths together. The kiss was slow and soft and her hands moved up my bare arms and then to the sides of my neck. Part of me wondered if she knew just how much I loved it when she touched me, or if she just did it because it felt natural to have skin against skin--no matter where it was. Either thought pleased me. I loved her touch, no matter how innocent or sexual it is--I love it.

*

"You've already eaten four tamales, babe," I told Brianna as she tried to wipe the four shots she had taken from her body. She was tall, but very skinny so by the time the fourth came she was a blabbering mess about how great our sex life was to her very Catholic grandmother.

Brianna shot me a challenging look. "Yeah," She began, reaching for another one. "And now I'm going to have had five tamales."

"You should drink water," I told her and reached for the water bottle from Jorge as he passed by. He shot me a look and then rolled his eyes, continuing to walk. Brianna scowled and instead reached for the glass of wine her mother had left. "B, you're already drunk."