Magritte
Amina hated being home alone in thunderstorms, especially so soon after Halloween. She was surprised that her parents would even let her stay home while they took Cheyenne on a weekend trip to their grandmother's house in Philadelphia.
The sky was almost black, seeing as it was close to 7 o'clock. A white flash seared across her living room window, followed by a roar of thunder shaking the house. Amina just turned up the volume on the tv louder, letting Kevin Hart fill the quiet spaces in between the thunder.
She would have been bored if it weren't for Zane, who was blowing up her phone with texts about the most recent breakup with Zion. Apparently Zane didn't like the way her boyfriend was texting with some girl named Kekéli. To make things worse, when confronted about it, Zion claimed the girl was his sister.
The fact that he was texting another girl alone was enough to make Zane rethink her relationship; the fact that he had the guts to deny it made Zane furious.
Amina just raised her eyebrows as each text flooded her phone, filled with curses and the worst wishes for Zion and his "sister". At some point she found it funny. Only Zane could rant about a boy for 4 hours straight. Amina just snuggled further into her blankets and watched the texts roll in.
Amina jumped when someone rang the doorbell. Anyone outside in this weather must have been delusional. She hesitated, not sure if opening the door would end like an episode of Goosebumps. Instinctually, she turned off the television, to make it seem as if no one was home. When the doorbell rang again, she decided to grab the nearest kitchen knife, and head over.
"Who is it?" She called through the thick oak door.
"Amina, I need to talk to you."
She was confused, placing the knife down on the table beside the door, and opened the door tentatively. The rain was even louder without the door to muffle it's sound. There stood Brandon, no jacket or coat, with a wet envelope in his hand.
"Brandon?"
He sniffled. "I got my art midterm back. You were the only person I wanted to tell when I opened it."
Amina shushed him, waving him inside. "Come in, please. You're gonna get sick."
The two moved further inside, with Amina closing the front door behind them. Brandon shivered, and just then did Amina realize he was only wearing a thin, blue, button up PEPSI shirt with black jeans. He must have been freezing. Amina directed him further into her house, into the living room, where the fireplace was blazing under the tv.
"Why were you out there in the rain like that?"
"I had my dad drop me in front of Austin's house, then I just ran here. Why? Are your parents home or something? I can come back," Brandon sniffled again.
Amina chuckled, shaking her head. She couldn't believe how polite yet absurd this boy was. "No, no they're not here. You can stay all you want. But why? You could have just called me, you know."
As they sat facing each other on the couch, Brandon looked up to meet her eyes, and Amina felt her pulse in the bottom of her stomach. "I wanted to tell you in person. I wanted to see you."
Amina didn't know what to make of those words. Sure, her and Brandon were friends, and they were close! But this seemed more than just friendly. His tone dripped with something Amina couldn't put her finger on. Desperation?
"Um," Amina hesitated, unsure how to reply.
"I got an A on my midterm."
Amina felt her smile being reflected on Brandon's face. "I'm so, so proud of you, B. You deserve it."
"Honestly, I should be thanking you." Amina must have looked confused, so he continued. "I never showed you my final piece. And when I say that I couldn't have done it without you, I mean it."
Brandon reached inside the large manilla envelope, pulling out a sheet of white paper. From what Amina could see, it was blank, meaning that there was something on the other side. When Brandon looked at the sheet, he smiled. Amina felt her eyes widen and her jaw drop as he turned the paper over so she could see it.
Amina was surprised to be staring at her own face. Well, not her face exactly, but a softer, more vibrant version of her face. She could tell it was a copy of a watercolor, the one Brandon had refused to let her see weeks before. She looked up to meet Brandon's eyes, and couldn't help the tears starting to form. She always tried her hardest not to be emotional.
"Brandon," She whispered.
"I titled it Uzuri, which means beauty in Swahili."
Amina was awestruck. "My name's in Swahili."
Brandon smiled, taking the paper from her, and placing it on the coffee table in front of them. "How does it feel to be my muse, Amina?"
She didn't know what to say as he placed a hand on her bare knee. Goosebumps formed under his touch. Her heart pounded in her ears, her cheeks were hot, and she felt like an emotional wreck. Part of her wanted to scream for joy and start laughing, but the intensity of Brandon's stare glued her to her seat on the couch.
Amina didn't know what came over her as she suddenly surged forward, cupped Brandon's cheeks, and connected her lips with his. Just as quick as it happened, it was over. Brandon looked her dead in the eyes as she pulled away.
Amina's eyes widened in shock. "I'm so sorry. Holy shit. I don't know what came over-"
Brandon cut her off by placing a hand under her jaw, lifting her chin slightly. He slowly closed the gap between them until his lips were on hers. Amina felt a tingle shoot up the base of her spine. This kiss was different from the first one, slower, not as rushed, and way more intimate.
Her hands found their way around Brandon's neck, then to his hair, slowly tangling her fingers into his almost-black locks, and deepening the kiss. Amina felt it was like her every fantasy coming true. She loved the way he kissed her. It was soft and gentle, but also meaningful and passionate. She couldn't stop herself from rocking forward in an attempt to get closer to him. Brandon responded by taking Amina's bottom lip in between his, nibbling in a way that had Amina tugging on his hair. He moaned slightly in response, and the sound went straight to Amina's core.
Brandon released her lips, and instead trailed kisses down her jaw and the side of her neck. Amina felt her eyes flutter closed as she struggled to keep quiet. She felt Brandon smile against her neck. As he placed his lips back on hers, she could still feel him smiling. With one hand on her waist, and the other against her back, Brandon pushed her down gently to lay on the couch. He pulled away to unbutton and pull off his shirt, the thin blue material had already wetted the front of Amina's grey tank top.
Amina couldn't stop herself from reaching up, and running her hands along the hard and smooth surface of his chest. Brandon bit his lip, causing that familiar tingle in Amina's spine to return. This time laying in between her legs, Brandon leant down to kiss her again. His hands traveled everywhere, from the front of her shirt, down to her navel, to her waist, to the curve of her hips and thighs. Amina arched her chest up, desperate for more contact between the two.
Brandon reluctantly pulled away, chuckling a little when Amina's lips tried to follow his before realizing what was happening. Her eyes shot open, and she frowned.
"What's wrong?"
Brandon caressed her cheek with the back of his hand. "Nothing, nothing. Just, how far do you want take this?"
Amina didn't hesitate. "All the way. I want to have sex with you."
"Are you sure? Don't feel like you have to do this. I'm happy to just take it slow."
Amina took one of Brandon's hands and slid it in the tight space in between them. She trailed it down further and further, until it rested right on top of Amina's core. Brandon felt the damp material of her underwear, causing his eyes to shoot open further.
"Does it look like I want to take this slow?" Amina whispered, making Brandon gulp. "I want this. I want you."
Brandon nodded, suddenly at a loss for words. He eventually shook himself out of it. "Have you done this before?"
Now it was Amina's turn to be silent. She shook her head no.
"And you're sure?"
"Brandon," Amina whined. "Please! I want to do this, only if you do."
"I want to. God, I want to so bad. But just," He stuttered
"But nothing. I want to do this, you want to do this. Everything's okay, B. I promise," she whispered, running her left hand through his damp, curly hair. "Now are you done with all the questions? Because I'd really, really like to have sex with you now."
Brandon chuckled, nodding slowly. Amina placed a hand on the back of his neck, and tugged him down to her lips.
-----------------
The fireplace crackled, sending the orange flame up higher for a second before it died back down. Amina nestled her face further into Brandon's bare chest, revelling in the warmth the two shared. The rain was still in full effect outside, except the thunder and lightning hand finally ended. With the deep, even rises and falls of Brandon's chest, Amina wondered if he was asleep. When his fingers trailed up her bare arm, she knew the answer to that question was no.
"Amina," He whispered. "Are you awake?"
Amina hummed in response, otherwise not moving.
"You okay?"
"Yeah," she whispered in response. "I'm okay."
Brandon's fingers traced back down her arm as a moment of silence passed. Amina shifted, which was hard, seeing that they were laying in a tangle of limbs on the couch. Eventually she was able to look up at him.
"B?" He tilted his chin downwards so he could look Amina in the eye. "How long have you felt this way?"
He chuckled. "Pretty much since the moment I saw you in the park."
"What? You didn't even know me then. That was ages ago."
"Yeah, it was. But I remember looking at you and thinking, I've seen her before. I couldn't forget seeing the most beautiful girl in the world."
Amina hit his chest lightly, making them both giggle. "You're so fucking corny."
"But it's true! That's what I thought in the drawing room on the first day of school. I thought you were so so beautiful. Your little glitter fetish was cute too."
Amina turned over, propping herself up on her arms, so she could look at Brandon directly. She scoffed in fake annoyance. "It is not a fetish!"
"I'm kidding, I'm kidding. But still, you were so beautiful, I couldn't get over it."
"Why didn't you tell me?"
Brandon sighed, running his free hand over his face. "You're gonna hate me for this."
"I could never hate you. Try me."
"Well, it fueled my art, not being able to tell you. I kept it all boxed up and trapped inside so I could make more art, make better art, and work faster. I couldn't have made my final piece if you knew."
Amina nodded, genuinely understanding. "And now?" She whispered.
"All I know now is that you are amazing. It's only been two months, and there's nothing else I can say. I really, really like you, and I want to spend time with you. And I think I could love you someday. Someday really soon."
Amina stopped herself from cooing at the light blush that took hold on Brandon's cheeks. Instead, she used one hand to smooth his curly hair away from his face. His eyes were hooded through the black frames of his glasses. She couldn't stop herself from leaning forward and capturing his lips in a long kiss. When they pulled away, he smiled.
"Does this mean I get to do more of that? And we can do more of this?" He asked cheekily.
Amina jokingly rolled her eyes. "Perv."
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She didn't mean to sleep in; she truly didn't. When she finally opened her eyes, sunlight flooded her vision, making the world go white before everything took its normal form again. She slowly sat up, upset that there was no warm body next to her. Amina attempted to smooth down her puffed out hair to no avail. She sighed and glanced at the clock.
10:45 was an hour and a half later than she usually woke up on Saturday mornings, yet she didn't feel any more refreshed than she normally did. Looking down at her hands, she realized the nail polish on her left forefinger was chipped. The matte black surface had been infiltrated with a bit of bare white.
Amina jumped as her door slowly creaked open. When a framed face peeked in, she sighed in relief. Once Brandon realized Amina was awake, he chuckled, coming into the room fully.
"B, don't do that!" Amina warned.
Brandon smiled as he trekked over to Amina's full sized bed, placing a quick kiss on her lips. Amina's eyes shot open in surprise. This boyfriend thing was definitely going to take some getting used to. Amina's mind was spinning as Brandon settled in to sit next to her.
"How did you sleep?" He asked as if everything was normal.
"Um, good." Amina still didn't know how to feel. "You?"
"I slept fantastic. So, um, when do your parents get home?"
"Not until Sunday afternoon. Are you planning to stick around until then?"
Brandon shrugged, obviously not really knowing how to handle the change in dynamic between the two. "Do you want me to stick around?"
"Well, I mean...do you have to be home at some point?"
"Nah, I just called my mom about it. She thinks I'm sleeping over at Porter's."
"So then, yeah. I do want you to stick around."
A smile crept its way onto Brandon's face. "Then I'll stick around."
"Great." Amina looked down at her lap, chuckling to herself. "Oh god, what are we doing?"
Brandon attempted to smooth back the front of Amina's hair. "I have no idea. But we'll figure it out."
"It's gonna be weird."
"And messy."
"But we'll work it out."
Brandon nodded. "Kind of like a painting. Everything is kind of messy and disorienting until the last touches are there. Then you have something beautiful."
Amina paused for a moment, absorbing how serious Brandon looked. The furrow in his brow eventually caused her to laugh. She couldn't believe that he was saying such inappropriately poetic things.
"God damn. You really are corny."
FIN