Maybe It's Magic

Chapter 4

It should have felt strange, kissing Molly. Sure, they hugged a lot, but kissing was always the kind of transaction that was only exchanged at holidays or on birthdays.

Give a present -- get a dry, awkward kiss on the cheek. 

Get a present -- give an equally awkward kiss that was always carefully a good inch away from the lips.

Avoiding the lips had been like some unspoken rule and, right now, it felt like it was made to be broken because this... this... this felt like something they'd been missing out on all this time. 

If Jake had known this was in store, he might have given better presents.

Molly's lips felt nice, all soft and slightly parted, just a little wet on the inside as he let his tongue slide along the seam.

Molly gasped, then, clutching his shoulders, her lips opening under his. It was even softer and wetter inside. Her hands gripped his shoulders as her lips moved against his. He hummed in the back of his throat, trying to feel a little more... but, suddenly, there was only air.

"Jake, what's gotten into you?!" Molly wasn't clutching at his shoulders now. She was pushing at his chest.

He opened his eyes, meeting her wide, green ones. Damn it, it had felt so right, so crystal clear. Why did it have to end? 

He leaned in again, but the only thing his lips met was muddy water. He spat and pushed himself up. She'd slipped away pretty fast. He vaguely wondered if his reflexes could be transmitted orally before turning his head to her.

She was next to him, kneeling up and gasping. "What are you doing?" 

"Nothing."

"Nothing?" She gaped at him mutely.

He didn't see what the big deal was. He was only doing a little... kissing. 

Reality was starting to poke holes in his nipple-induced haze now. His eyes widened as he realized he'd done more than a little kissing. There'd been groping, too. Had he done that or had he just wanted to? 

What the hell, Jake?

"What the hell, Jake?" Molly demanded, as if she could read his mind. 

He'd never been sure she couldn't, so on the off chance that was a thing, he kind of hoped she hadn't been pin-point accurate today. Because he was pretty sure he'd spent the last three minutes, at least, speculating about bras or bikinis and perving all over his best friend.

He started to get up, but fell onto his back. "Ow," he choked out.

Molly's furrowed brow appeared above him. "What's wrong with you?"

It seemed to be the question of the day. "I don't know."

Molly's eyes softened a little. "Are you hurt?"

"Something's digging into me." He dug underneath him and quickly realized what that something was.

He pulled the crystal from his pocket and stared at it, caught between horror and amazement. 

"What is that thing?" Molly sighed.

"I don't even know!" He glanced at Molly, at the crystal, at Molly again, avoiding her blouse this time. "I think it's possessed. Or maybe I am." It all came crashing down and he suddenly felt heavy and wet and absolutely disgusting and horribly ashamed. He met her eyes reluctantly. "Mol, I can't even begin to... I mean, that was..." He squeezed his eyes shut. "I am so, so sorry."

He heard her sigh above him. "Jake, get up. I think I have some towels in the trunk."

He opened his eyes and pushed himself up, following her to the car like a shamed Labrador. "I don't think towels are going to do me any good at this point."