Page 134 of Riding the Pine

She shakes her head. “I hate how my tiara looks better on you than it does on me. Though I particularly enjoy how that spandex cups your junk.”

I do a quick lunge. “Smooth as spandex, baby.”

She shakes her head. “Make sure you don’t get friction burn on your ball sack.”

I hadn’t considered that. “But it feels so nice.”

She shrugs. “You might be fine, but if you keep doing those lunges, you’re going to end up with a wedgie. Or worse.”

She’s trying to scare me out of flexing my junk when we head downstairs.

Not much has changed in Casa de la Peña since Alonso moved out, except for the fact the house feels more like a home. There’s still not a thing out of place, not a speck of dust to be seen, but it feels more lived in. It’s as if everyone was holding a collective breath, and now he’s been kicked out of the family space, everyone has breathed a sigh of relief.

There’s noise where there wasn’t any. I hadn’t noticed it, but inside these walls the demeanor of the four siblings was different, more reserved than it is on the outside.

Now they’re the same no matter which side of the walls they are on. There’s warmth here now where before there was a cool, almost edgy tolerance of people existing in his space.

Except it’s not his space, at least not anymore.

“I want to kiss that lipstick off your face.”

“I want to kiss this lipstick onto your dick.” She sings at me as she strides toward the door.

“You can’t d-d-do that.” I splutter. “Tinkerbell can’t have a raging hard on!” My dick’s waking up at the images of Athena on her knees getting my dick all messy with her blood-red lipstick.

“Look what you did.” I point to the fabric shifting.

“It’s okay, the skirt thing covers it. Just think about unsexy things. Like…” She shrugs again, running her tongue along her teeth. “Pirates?”

She’s out of the door before I can toss her over my shoulder. I’d have to strip completely off to have my way with her, something I’ll have to think about for next year’s costume. It needs to be easily accessible to bone my girl at any given moment. Though I have to admit, the idea of Tinkerbell railing Captain Hook from behind does things to me.

Fuck. I’m messed up.

A shimmy in my walk for a few steps makes my boner recede. Peering over the banister down to the growing party below, Athena stands out like a beacon of light. She moves through the small crowd smiling and greeting people. She can’t help herself; she falls into the role of hostess whether it’s intended or not.

She pauses next to someone dressed like Beast from Beauty and the Beast, I think it’s McGuffin, or maybe Fitzmorris, they’re both tanks of men with similar frames. Whoever it is is looking eye-to-eye at the sexiest Pennywise I’ve ever seen. She’s waggingher finger at him, her clown painted features screwed into the picture of irritation and accusation.

Pennywise looks at Athena, puts her hand on her hip and pops her knee. She gestures at Beast, who is definitely McGuffin, because Fitzmorris just walked past dressed as Beast Boy from Teen Titans Go. It’s funny they both dressed as a kind of beast. Did they coordinate costumes?

Athena holds her hands up in surrender. Well, one hand, and one hook. And she backs away from the scene. I don’t blame her, I wouldn’t want to get between whatever the hell that is either.

Someone bumps into me from my right as Athena moves to greet the guest who just arrived into the foyer. “You know life is much more fun if you participate instead of just watching.”

I lean my elbows on the banister and drag my hands through my hair. “I do. But I also know that some days I just need to watch her every move, so it unknots the tight and aching ball in my chest.”

I turn to face Artemis. “Some days are easier than others.”

He nods. “I know.” He grips my shoulder. “But don’t stay an observer in your own life for too long, hermano. We can’t let them destroy us.”

His boyfriend, Xavier, comes up behind him, digging his costume out of his ass crack. “Forty bucks for this fucking thing and twenty-five of it is rammed up my fucking ass.”

“I hear ya.” I gesture at my costume. “Who knew wedgies were the real demons of the spooky season?”

Xavier and Artemis leave me to my voyeuristic moment. Every movement she makes below is enthralling. Every smile adds joy to the bucket in my heart. And I still can’t get over how hot Captain Hook can be.

After another few moments watching my girl, I sense another presence with me on the landing. Abuelita is dressed as atraditional witch with a small, plastic cauldron draped over her arm with a flipflop sticking out of it.

“I left my chancla in my other fairy costume.” I grin at her.

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