Author: Thinking Horndog
Title: Second Best
Part: 104
Universe: Second Best
Summary: A full-length novel that follows several young couples and their
families through the period immediately preceding their Senior Prom.
Keywords: MF rom

Keywords for full story:  F-solo, Ff-inc, M+F Ffm MF mf oral anal bd D/s Mg-
inc Fm-inc mm mmf rom MF-reluc
Chapter 104
I'M not going ANYWHERE!

      Jennifer's return with sodas had been the genesis of a long, convivial
period between the pair.  Mike didn't press her as they talked, and
snuggled, watching a bit of TV, joking at the content.  Jennifer settled
down, and slowly realized that whatever embarrassment she had to endure with
his extended family, she was NOT going to give up Mike!  Mike didn't press,
doing nothing controversial, consolidating his position.

      The three hours was a blur for Jennifer, one long period of continuous
comfort as she settled deeper and deeper into Mike's embrace, savoring its
warmth and strength.  Mike watched stress and worry fade from her face,
replaced by calm, and, slowly, a glow of happiness that expressed itself in
a willingness to smile.

      But as they watched the eleven o'clock news, the smile became rueful.
Jennifer nestled tighter than ever, but...

      "What's the matter, Missy?" Mike asked.

      "I'm trying to figure out how to get you home without ruining somebody
else's evening," Jennifer replied sadly.  "It's getting late..."

      "We're big kids - we can stay up," Mike noted.  "Besides, you're
right.  Bobby's not coming home tonight.  Dad and Helen are spending a
quiet, comfortable evening at my house, just like we are here - and I'd
prefer to leave it that way.  Denise and her boyfriend are at Helen's, with
the same agenda."  He lowered lips to her neck for a moment, and Jennifer
felt her willpower being leached away.  "I'M not going ANYWHERE - because
I'm SUPPOSED to be HERE!"

      "But if you stay, I'll make a damn fool of myself!" Jennifer wailed.

      "We've been through this," Mike chided, "There's no one here to
witness it but me - and I'll be participating!"

      "But Jackie!  She..."

      "...Is out for the night," Mike finished.  "She and Terry have a hotel
room, and she won't be home until sometime tomorrow.  Besides, she knows I'm
here - I talked to them as they were leaving this evening," Mike grinned.
"She made me promise to take good care of you!"

      Jennifer spun on him, retorting hotly, "You make it sound like you and
my daughter are conspiring to get me into bed!"

      Mike eyed her archly, "Your point being?  Actually, the conspiracy is
bigger than that - there are at least three others I can think of..."

      "Oh!" Jennifer shrieked, scandalized.  "Mike McCormick, you sound JUST
like your awful brother!"

      "My awful brother," Mike retorted coolly, "Is known for making bald
statements of fact, and letting the chips fall where they may.  What makes
him dangerous is that those statements are usually true, whether those
hearing them want to or not!  I'm going to make a similar statement now:
You can settle down, snuggle up to me, and we'll go wherever the situation
takes us, or you can throw a fit, and I'll sleep here, and you can go
upstairs and cry yourself to sleep in your cold, empty bed - because you and
I both know that one member of this conspiracy to get you laid is the 80% of
you that isn't concerned with maintaining your dignity!"

      Mike's statement had much the same effect on Jennifer as a bucket of
cold water would have.  After a moment, she gathered herself, and sighed, "I
can't let that one pass, Mike."

      "Okay," Mike replied quietly, "Can I have a blanket?"

      "There's a guest room..." Jennifer offered.

      "I'm fine here."  Mike's voice was firm, and his intent was clear.  He
wouldn't come close enough to her bedroom for either of them to
'accidentally' find themselves in the wrong room after going out for a glass
of water.

      Despair seized Jennifer as she rummaged in the linen closet.  Why had
Mike ruined things?  He could easily have sweet-talked his way past her
crumbling defenses, and she'd have awakened tomorrow morning next to him -
but instead he'd rubbed her nose in it, and now God knew where things were
going!

      She brought Mike a blanket and a couple of pillows, handing them to
him where he sat on the couch.  Mike thanked her gently.

      But the pain and anger and frustration would not stay contained.
Jennifer whirled on Mike and ranted, "Dammit, Mike!  Why'd you have to go
and do that!  You could have skated past that in no time, and the next time
any of it would have occurred to me would have been when I woke up tomorrow!
Now..."  Jennifer waved her arms in frustration.

      Mike grabbed her arm, and pulled.  "Sit, Missy."  Jennifer, off-
balance, had little choice; she plopped onto the edge of the couch.  "It's
not my job to sneak past your defenses - it's YOUR job to open the gates and
let me in!  We had to face this - YOU had to face this - so I brought it to
a head."  Mike sighed.  "Yes, I could have slid under your guard, and got
your body to betray your mind - but then the fact that I'd tricked you would
always be between us!  I can't work that way!  If I lay down beside you on a
bed, it's got to be because you - ALL of you, head, heart, and sex drive -
want me to be there!  When you wake up tomorrow, I don't want there to be
any question how I got there!"

      Mike held Jennifer's eyes.  "This notion you have that if you let
yourself go and enjoy being with me, I'll think less of you is JUST WRONG,
and it stands as a barrier between us.  You have to shake this thing, or we
can't have a relationship - not because of anything I have to say or do
about it, but because you will discover that YOU can't work around it!  The
place where we are isn't about dignity - it's about sharing who we really
are, about giving to each other what they need!  It's about uncritical,
unconditional acceptance, and the right to expect it.  And it's about
trust."

      "On the surface, tonight seemed like a good time for us to get past
this thing you have about sex - but if you're not ready, then it isn't, and
forcing it will do more damage than just leaving it alone a bit longer.  So
I'll stay down here, and we'll get into the thing when you're ready.  I only
want to know one thing:  Are we past the point where you hide from me?"

      Jennifer began to sniffle.  "Uh huh."

      "Then I've accomplished something," Mike replied.  His tone indicated
satisfaction, but his expression didn't.  He sighed heavily, "You wanna kiss
and make up?"

      "Uh huh."  Tears continued to leak.  Mike gathered her in, kissed her
gently, and let her crawl into her arms for some much-needed security.
There was little doubt that she'd settle down - eventually.  Mike schooled
himself to patience.

      The pair snuggled for thirty minutes or so, talking about this and
that, exploring each other.  Mike finally announced, "I have to pee, and get
a glass of water.  Why don't we call it a night?"

      Jennifer reluctantly got up and began arranging the bedclothes on the
couch.  "Gawd, this thing is awful.  Are you SURE you don't want to sleep in
the guest room?"

      Mike looked back over his shoulder from the doorway, leaning on his
crutches.  "No, best we have a whole floor between us.  I might be
tempted..."  He turned and moved off toward the bathroom.

      Jennifer straightened things as best she could, then went to the
kitchen to get Mike's water.  She'd just fished a glass out of the cupboard
when Mike hobbled in.  "Want ice?"

      "Sure, if it's no problem," Mike replied.

      "No trouble, there's an icemaker."  Jennifer got ice, then water from
the refrigerator door, then waved for Mike to precede her on the way back to
the couch.

      Mike took the glass and placed it on the coffee table, then drew
Jennifer's head to him for a good night kiss.  "G'Night, Missy.  Sleep
tight."

      "You, too..."  Jennifer couldn't think of anything else to say, so she
turned and shuffled out.  Mike sighed, and began shucking out of his shirt.
Better luck next time...

      Upstairs, Jennifer changed into a short nightie and combed out her
hair - something it didn't really need, and she wasn't in the habit of doing
before bed, but she found that she couldn't even LOOK at the thing, much
less occupy it!  She took an unconscionably long time handling her toilette,
but that didn't really change things.  Finally, she gingerly sat down on the
mattress, and slid under the covers.  The spare pillow went alongside her,
as usual - but it wasn't Mike.  The blankets weren't Mike, either - they
weren't as warm, and they didn't project comfort and protection like he did.
After a bit, Jennifer realized that she was making her pillow wet, and the
source of the whimpering sounds she was hearing was her, too.  That did it.

      Mike was lying on the couch in his shorts, trying to figure out how in
the Hell he was going to get ANY sleep, when he heard soft padding footsteps
on the stairs.  "Mike?"  Jennifer's voice drifted from the stairwell.

      Mike twisted around to see the dim outline of an angel in white on the
stair. "Yes, Missy?"

      "Come to bed."