Lonely Hearts Club

Cool Big Brother

"Are you tired, good lookin'?" she asked as she crossed to the bed, sitting next to me. She set her hand on my chest and rubbed it how I liked. I shrugged, trying to play my bad mood off. She leaned closer to me, patting my chest. "What's wrong?"

"Maggie was just being a dick," I finally answered. She frowned and nodded, pulling her legs onto the bed and moving closer to me.

"She's a teenager. Teenagers can be dicks," Dolly explained simply. I glared at the ceiling.

"She didn't use to be a dick," I shot back. I felt guilty for snapping at her and looked back at her to apologize. I was relieved that she did not look upset, but rather, sympathetic.

"Baby, she was always a dick," Dolly said gently. I smiled in spite of my mood, setting my hand on the inside of her thigh. "I just called her 'spirited' because I had a crush on you and didn't want to blow my chances with you."

I laughed and pulled her onto the bed with me, kissing her forehead as she rested on my chest.

"Are you okay, good lookin'?" she asked after a while. I squeezed her close.

"It's just a bummer," I replied. I felt her look up at me and sighed heavily. "She used to love movie nights. Sometimes, she'd beg to watch two movies, just so we could spend more time together."

My voice caught, and I tried clearing my throat so I wouldn't get emotional. Dolly sat up, setting her hand on the side of my face and leaning close to me.

"Oh, sweet, beautiful boy," she said quietly before kissing me softly. "I'm sorry, it's probably hard watching her grow up and not being needed as much."

I sighed. That was the crux of it. I wasn't as needed anymore. So much of my life had been put on hold so that Maggie could be independent and grow up, and now I felt her pulling away. Is this what Wayne felt like when he was raising me? I had been infinitely more rebellious and hardheaded than Maggie was.

"Is it weird?" I asked Dolly. She cocked her head to the side, and I took her in my arms again. "Is it weird dating someone who's raising a teenager? Especially at our age?"

She smiled at me and shrugged, hooking her arms around my neck and wrapping a leg around my waist.

"I don't know. I liked you so much at first because of what a good brother you are," she answered. She kissed my jaw and brushed my hair with her fingers, making my face heat. "And you've been her guardian the entire time we've dated, so I'm used to it."

"So, not weird?" I asked, setting one of my hands under her thigh and stroking her soft skin gently. She shrugged.

"Not bad weird," she confirmed before kissing me sweetly. I smiled at her as she pulled back. I pressed my forehead to hers and closed my eyes, letting a deep breath out.

"Not bad weird," I repeated back. She nodded. I grinned wider and stroked her hair as she beamed up at me. "You liked me at first because I was a good brother? Not because of my dashing good looks and wit?"

"That definitely helped," she teased, laughing as I squeezed her closer to me. "There was a time when I thought you were so smooth."

"Yeah?" I asked smugly, smirking at her. She nodded.

"Yeah," she replied, leaning close to my face. "I can't believe how wrong I was."

My jaw dropped, and she giggled as I tickled her sides.

"You're mean," I said, finally pulling her back to me as I rolled onto my side. She set a hand on the side of my face, and I kissed her thumb as she ran it across my lips. "You're lucky I like you so much."