Never Have I Ever (One Last Time # 1) (Wattys2017)

Let's Hug A Penguin

Abel spent the next couple nights at our house.

My parents didn't say a lot about it, they'd only give us curious looks when I'd lay my head against him or kiss him before bed. It was Oliver and Jeremy who had a field day making fun of us.

"Are you awake?" Abel whispered now, touching my almost bare back with the tips of his fingers.

I rolled around to face him, lacing my fingers through his as his hand fell back on to the bed.

"I love how sweet you look in the morning." I said, pushing a lock of his overgrown blonde hair out of his eyes, "You look like a completely different person."

"Are you saying I look like an ass every day?" He was smirking.

"I am." I closed the gap between us and kissed him, "But you're my ass." He was laughing when I heard the sound of my brothers shouting at each other outside the door.

"I'd like to be your ass." He said after a few minutes, "Then I'd be in your pants all day, every day." It was one of the very few innuendos that actually got a laugh out of me.

"You already are." I heard Oliver say from the other side of the door, "Are we going any time soon or should I clear the house out for you two?" I saw Abel shaking his head at his best friend's words out of the corner of my eye.

I rolled over so I was sitting with my legs on either side of Abel, smirking.

"Oh, Abel!" I said obnoxiously loud, "Harder!" Abel was laughing under me, shaking his head as I heard Oliver open the door behind us.

"Very funny." Oliver muttered, "Are you guys ready to go to San Diego or not?" I could see Jeremy dancing around anxiously by the door, a grin lighting up his entire face.

"I am." I replied, climbing off of Abel and reaching for my purse on the ground beside the bed.

"Mom and Dad said we have to be back before midnight." Jeremy piped up from the doorway, "Which means we only have like eight hours, excluding the time it takes to get there, to go through the whole zoo!" I walked over to my little brother and ruffled his hair with a grin.

"Don't worry, Jere." I answered, "Eight hours will be plenty of time."

*

It turned out that eight hours wasn't enough time. By the time we got there, after getting breakfast and everything, there was a line wrapped around the entrance. And when we actually were able to get in, that eight hours had quickly turned into six and Oliver throwing a fit when Jeremy dragged him toward the bathroom.

"You ready to hug a penguin?" Abel asked, throwing his arm over my shoulder and smirking.

"Totally." I replied, feeling a smile making its way across my face. My brothers came back out of the bathroom a second later, both laughing. I reached for Jeremy's hand, but he groaned and shook his head up at me.

"I'm not a baby anymore, Liv. I don't need you to hold my hand." I gave him a sad look, but Oliver responded before I could.

"Look, Little Man. We know you're almost twelve, but Olivia just wants to make sure we don't lose you in the crowds of people." I gave Oliver a thankful look as he gestured at the people around us. Our little brother still didn't seem too happy about the idea of holding his big sister's hand.

"How come she doesn't have to hold your guys' hands then?" He questioned. Abel took my hand in his and waved them at my brother.

"I'm okay with her holding my hand." After another round of excuses on why he shouldn't hold my hand, Oliver finally just threw his arm around our little brother and led us toward the Lion exhibit he had wanted to see.