46 comments/ 156646 views/ 105 favorites The Broken Holiday By: The Broken Holiday "I wanna heal, I wanna feel, Like I'm close to something real…" "Hello?" Kyle's voice was drowned out. The girl rapped on, sounding even better, he mused, than Linkin Park, but still oblivious. Her shoulder-length, straight black hair swayed as she lurched back and forth, then she stood, rigid, and raised her fist straight up. "I will never know myself Until I do this on my own I will never feel anything else Until my wounds are healed…" "HELLO!" She jumped around at his shout, uttering a startled, "Oh shit!" and clutching her heart. Face burning, she ran to the stereo to shut it off. As soon as Linkin Park was squelched, she turned to face Kyle, mortified. "I knocked, I swear," Kyle explained, laughing, forcing his voice back down to a normal speaking level. "I didn't mean to scare you..." He trailed off then, because something about this girl tickled his memory. She looked familiar, from the black sweater that her small frame seemed lost in, to the complete lack of makeup, deep olive complexion, and those huge brown eyes. And at the same time, something about her felt warmly familiar. One look at her and some chord within him was struck in a perfect harmony. She was studying him with equal intensity, the humiliation at having been caught dancing around forgotten. "I know you," she said. "Don't I? Do you go to City?" That's when it clicked for Kyle, or at least the part of the question of why she looked familiar. She was in his English Lit class at City University. He remembered her bringing up Vonnegut during a Q and A session after a lecture about 20th century authors, and recalled thinking she looked like a waifish Sandra Bullock. He wondered briefly what she was doing here, until he remembered that there was a program at the university for students to earn credit by doing charity work as tutors. That must be it. "We both have Gunderson on Wednesdays," he smiled. "Oh, right," she smiled back, but just like his eyes, hers were still puzzling over something. Then her face returned to embarrassment. "God, I can't believe you just saw me dancing around like that. You must think I'm a loon." "Everyone does that," he chuckled. "I'm really sorry to barge in. I went to the reception office, but no one was there." "Oh, sorry about that. Most everyone is on a field trip at the City Center- shopping, Santa visits, you know, stuff like that. It's a big day for the little kids, and a lot of the teachers and counselors go with. It's pretty much just me holding down the fort until they get back." "That's funny," Kyle replied. His mom had said that she'd called ahead to make sure that this afternoon would be a good time to find people in the office. He shrugged it off and held up the envelope. "Well, anyway, this needs to get to one of the boarders, or one of the former boarders anyways. Can I leave it with you?" "Sure. Who's it for?" "Noel Christensen." "That's me." "You're Noel?" "Is that surprising?" "I thought, um…" he drifted off, his mind a-jumble. All his life, every Christmas, his family sent cards with little presents enclosed- gift certificates, a little spending money- to Noel Christensen at St. Isidore's Home for Children. He knew her story, so he knew why they sent them, although in the last few years he'd wondered at his mother's insistence that he always be the one to mail them. And this year she'd told him that he had to deliver it personally to the office there, that there would be people there to receive him, and that they would forward it to Noel, who, according to his mom's version of the story, no longer resided there. But here she was, and she was the only one here. In the moment or two it took for him to process this, he stared at Noel with increasing appreciation. If he'd known that she was this pretty, and that he'd feel… the way he felt when he saw her, he would've been delivering them in person all along. "I'm sorry," he finally got his voice back. "Someone told me you didn't live here anymore." Noel gave a short laugh. "Well, I wouldn't, but my scholarship at City only covers tuition and books. St. Isidore's offered to let me stay on here if I work as a tutor. Besides, I get a room to myself as a teacher. If I lived at the college dorms I'd have to put up with a roommate, and I've had enough of that already." "I see," Kyle nodded with a smile. "Well, I guess this belongs to you." He handed the envelope over, and Noel opened it. When she unfolded the card, the first thing visible was a check for two hundred-fifty dollars. Her dark eyes widened in shock, and she glanced up at Kyle before reading the message in the card. "Dear Noel, We hope this gift finds you well this holiday season. Although we have never personally known you, it brings us great joy to give this and hope that you may use it. With our warmest regards, and best wishes for a bright and happy future, have a Happy Birthday, a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, with many more to come. Sincerely yours, The Obermans (Richard, Natalie, Jennifer and Kyle)" "You're Kyle Oberman?" she asked, voice wavering. He grinned. "Is that surprising?" Noel flushed at his jibe, but then shook her head slowly. "Every year your family sends me these cards," she looked up at him. "Thank you." "Don't mention it. My parents always wished they could do more. I think they would have adopted you themselves if they'd had enough money to support a third kid." She smiled patiently, as if those were words she was accustomed to hearing. "It's nice to finally meet one of you in person." "Likewise." He offered his hand for a shake, and she took it. Down in the pit of his stomach, he could feel the charge of attraction at the squeezing of their hands. It felt wrong to confine it to a formal handshake, but confine it they did. Noel stared at him in a look that seemed to be wondering how to tackle the entire situation. A few moments later, as if having decided on the correct course of action, she took a deep breath, and held out the check. "Please tell your parents how much I really appreciate it. And I hope they'll understand, but I really don't need this." "No, keep it. They… we want you to have it." "I know, and it was really nice when I was a kid," she smiled half-heartedly, "and I love the card. But I have everything I need, really." "Then just get yourself something you want, or save it for a rainy day." "I can't take this in good conscience. It's too much." "Yes, you can." "No, I can't." "Take it," he reached out and gently pushed her hand back towards her. "I won't take it back. It's a present." "No, it's not," Noel argued, her face setting in irritation. "Then what would you call it?" "Charity." "It's not meant like that." "But that's what it is. I didn't know any better when I was little, but I see it for what it is now," she hardened her voice. "And even if you mean it as a present, it's wasted. I barely celebrate Christmas, and I definitely don't celebrate my birthday." "Why not?" He blanched. "Oh, please. Who celebrates getting thrown in a Dumpster and being left to die? Woo-hoo! Let's break out the champagne!" Kyle's jaw clenched. The chord that had struck so beautifully when he'd seen her, sweetening further by recognition and the warm handshake, was starting to turn into a very sour note. "Fine," he leveled his voice calmly. "That doesn't mean you have to turn away people who want to help." "In case you and your family haven't noticed, I'm all grown up now. I don't need your help, and I don't want your help." Kyle turned around and stalked to the door, leaving the check in her hand, trembling with sudden, pent-up anger. When he opened the door, he stopped, and against his better judgment, spoke. "You're right. You don't need our help," he turned his head, but not enough to make eye contact. "And getting thrown in a Dumpster is nothing to celebrate. I don't even care if you hate Christmas, too, Noel. But you survived against all odds. You're healthy, educated and... beautiful, and there are people who care about you. If you can't find anything in that worth celebrating, there's something wrong with you. Tear up the money if you don't want it." Kyle hastened out to the path, and after deciding not to tell his parents that she rejected their present, he resolved to clear Noel out of mind immediately. Obviously, the girl had issues, and he had better things to do with his life than waste thoughts on her. Walking to his pick-up, he put his hat back on and surveyed the sky. It was getting dark, the white lights on the pine trees beginning to stand out against a horizon of deepening blue. It promised to be a good night, and he had plans after dinner. "Kyle, wait!" Noel's voice came from behind. "Please," she cried when he kept going. Reluctant, he stopped and turned to see her running after him, her hands hidden beneath the warm cuffs of her oversized sweater. She stopped in front of him breathlessly, tears in her eyes. "I'm so sorry I didn't mean to offend you." He said nothing in reply, his hands shoved in his pockets. "You probably think that I'm the most ungrateful bitch that ever existed," she shook her head as if trying to clear cobwebs of emotion. "I'm not normally like that, really. I hope you can believe that. What you just said, it's true. I know it. I've thought that before. It's just that, going into school this year and all, I just want to be more independent, and- " "You don't have to explain." Kyle softened. "Yes, I do. I owe you this. I just want you to know that… it's just that this time of year gets a little tough. I can't help but think about it, and I probably do it a little too much, and, oh, God, I'm babbling," she took a deep breath. "I let it get to me and I shouldn't. And I don't want you to think I'm ungrateful, because I'm not. For the first couple years after I was found, I was practically buried in gifts and donations and couples lined up to adopt me," she paused, rolling her eyes. "Of course, some of them turned out to be total lunatics, and social services turned others down, and by the time that was all through, anyone half-decent had backed out or found another baby to adopt-" "Noel, please-" "No, let me get this out. All of it died off, all of it, except for your family. Every year, I knew I could count on a card from the Obermans. I even pretended sometimes that those cards were from a family I really belonged to. It got me through some really rough Christmastimes, and I just wanted you to know that it's really meant so much to me." Kyle had stood watching her as she spoke, understanding and taking it all in, but at the same time trying not to laugh. The way she just unloaded it all and stood before him now- it was like watching a wind-up Chatty Cathy doll finally run out of breath and wheeze out. Now, slumped and breathless, with pleading, exhausted eyes, Noel waited for his judgment. "Are you okay?" he asked. Try as he might, Kyle couldn't keep the corners of his mouth from twitching in amusement. Not failing to notice it, Noel stayed silent for a few moments, considering herself from his point of view until her own expression started to change. It melted into relief and, and at the same time, they both started to giggle, and it didn't stop. The more they tried to stop, the more they laughed until they were lost in a gales of it. When Noel snorted, Kyle thought he'd die of laughing, his stomach starting to cramp. It took a minute for either of them to be capable of speech. "Yeah," she squeaked, nearly doubling over, covering her mouth as if that might stop the fit. "I'm okay." "You sure?" "Yeah, yeah, I'm sure. Oh, God," she rolled her eyes, straightening up, the last of the giggles coming out as she wiped tears away. "I can't believe I just said all that." "Neither can I. If you let loose like that in class, you're liable to give Gunderson a stroke." "She needs one. Anything to keep her from talking in that monotone she's got going. I thought I'd love that class, but it's all I can do to keep from falling asleep." "That makes two of us," he answered, wiping the corners of his own eyes. "That's the best laugh I've had in a long time." "So glad to have amuse," Noel smiled, aftershocks of the laughing fit finally dying into giggles. "So we're okay then?" "Yeah, we're okay," he sighed, offering his hand for another shake, and she took it. "I'll pass onto my parents what you said about how much you liked the cards." "Okay, but just not the part about me pretending to be part of your family. I don't want them to freak out." "Actually, my Mom would probably cry, so I definitely won't tell them that," he chuckled. Their hands were still joined, moving slowly and then stopping, and the same electricity from before insinuated itself, starting to flow as the giddiness left them. Standing so closely, Kyle noticed every detail of her- the dampness of her lips and the amber-colored striations in otherwise chocolatey eyes, and the sheen of her skin, still damp with the sweat she'd worked up dancing. Even through her olive complexion he saw crimson in her cheeks, but whether that was from dancing, laughing, the sting of cold air or the same thing that had his own heart pumping, blood rushing and flushing his skin, he didn't know. "Thank you for the card, and the present." She broke their silence and handshake at the same time, searching his eyes with hers, as if hoping to find some definition of what they were feeling. "You're welcome." She nodded after a moment, and then turned and began walking back to the bungalow. "So I'll see you in class?" he called after her. She turned around with an instant smile. "I look forward to it." With a grin, Kyle turned, being sure to be the first one to do it this time, and walked the last few steps to his truck. A deep blue, it blended now almost completely into the darkened evening save for its shine under the Christmas lights. He opened the driver's side door. "Kyle?" He swiveled around to see Noel, still standing there. She was fidgeting shyly, unsure. "This is going to sound silly, I guess, but... I sort of feel like I should... hug you." "I'm all for that," Kyle grinned. He was going to step towards her, but there was no time. In an instant, elated, she'd rushed across the short distance between them and practically crashed into his outstretched arms. Kyle's breath was nearly knocked out of him, and not just with the force of her embrace, but the encompassing intensity of it. Noel didn't just hug, but truly held him. At first her hands held onto his sides, clutching, drawing all of him against her. Her cheek pressed against his shoulder, and then her hands slid to his back, fingers outstretched, pulling him close. With his nose buried in thick, coconut-scented hair and his body against Noel's, Kyle inhaled deeply and held her back. She stood on tip-toes so the two of them were chest-to-chest, and he could feel the beat of her heart beneath soft breasts, which fell and rose in deep, relaxed breaths. Closing his eyes, Kyle melted into her rhythm, his breathing matching hers as if by nature. With one hand gathered in her hair, he kissed the top of her head with small pecks. It was then that he became aware of how delicious her warm breath felt against his neck, and that her lips were grazing him there. Then he felt her eyelashes flutter there as well, as she opened her eyes. He forced his own open, and the spell was broken. A moment later, they disengaged and regarded each other in silence. "Goodnight," she finally said, giving a wan little smile. "Goodnight, Noel." This time, as she turned to walk away, her steps were thoughtfully slow, and he watched until she reached the bungalow door and, after her silhouette turned and gave him a wave, she shut it. * * * * * * * When Kyle got home, he found his Mom at the kitchen table writing last-minute Christmas cards to their neighbors. Natalie looked over her reading glasses at him with a knowing smile. "Is she pretty?" she asked. "You knew there was no one there but her, didn't you?" "Well, I knew that she would be one of very few there, yes. The receptionist told me their office would be closed." "So you lied to me," he smirked. "Ha! After all these years, I finally caught you in a lie." "I didn't lie. I just… fibbed a little. It was for a good cause. Let's just call it an early Christmas present." "Whatever." "So she's not pretty?" "She's beautiful, actually," he mused, opening the fridge and taking out a carton of milk. "And she wanted me to thank you and Dad for all the cards and presents. Turns out we have a class together, too." He shut the fridge and turned to her. "But I don't see what that has to do with a present for me. It's not like she's for sale, Ma." "Of course not! I just always had the idea that you two might get along. Didn't you like her?" He hardly knew how to answer that without sounding infatuated, so he paused, searching for the right words. That was, naturally, a mistake, because the silence spoke volumes. "I knew it," Natalie smiled. "Oh, please, Miss Matchmaker," he tried to cover his embarrassment by taking a swig out of the milk carton. "You've never met her. How could you know we'd get along?" His mother just smiled secretively, filling out an envelope. "It was just a feeling I had," for nineteen years now. "Get a glass, Kyle. You know how I feel about drinking out of the carton." * * * * * * * The next evening, upstairs in his old room, Kyle went through all the pockets of his pants before tossing them into the hamper. Reaching into the back pocket of the pair of jeans he'd worn the previous day at St. Isidore's, he felt a folded piece of paper. Drawing it out, he smirked, knowing what he'd find before unfolding it and seeing his father's handwriting. A check in the amount of two hundred-fifty dollars, made out to Noel Christensen. Wryly, he recalled how floored he'd been by her embrace. Instead of going downstairs to find the telephone book, which was probably buried underneath stacks of magazines and Christmas catalogs, he tapped up "St. Isidore Orphanage" on Google and quickly found their homepage. Dialing the number he found there, he was relieved to hear that a switchboard answered after business hours. After being transferred to the appropriate dorm, he waited for the woman who answered to go find Noel. At last, her familiar voice piped through. "Hello?" "I thought orphans were supposed to pick pockets, not stuff money into them." She laughed in instant recognition. "I was wondering what you'd do when you found that." "Lucky it was me. If my Mom had found it, she'd have probably thought that I never gave it to you in the first place, and I'd be in some deep shit." "Your Mom still does your laundry?" "Hey, I'm on vacation," he chuckled. "So did you just hug me so you could put this in my pocket? Was that speech all a put-on?" "No," she replied softly. Looking down at the check, he sighed. "What am I going to do with you?" "Tough luck, Kyle. Guess you'll have to rip it up and throw it away." An idea sparked. It depended on a few things, he thought, but it could work. "If you don't take this money," he told her, "I'm going to have to find a way to spend it on you. What are you doing tomorrow night?" "You're not taking me out on a date." "Oh? So I suppose it doesn't interest you that there's a Linkin Park concert tomorrow night, and that I can get tickets?" The Broken Holiday "It's been sold out for weeks." "I know someone at the radio station. They still have a few for promos," he replied truthfully. Although she didn't say anything, he could hear the turmoil of Noel's thoughts as she vacillated between resisting and caving in. "So," he finally continued, "Will Miss Hannigan let you out tomorrow?" "I don't know. Normally she chains us in the dungeon after our dinner of gruel and crust of bread." "Ha-ha." She gurgled in frustration. "You swear you can get tickets?" "Yes." "Okay. I'll go." "Pick you up at seven?" "I'll be here." * * * * * * * And she was. He drove up and his headlights found her standing on the steps of the reception office, wearing her signature black sweater and no coat, but at least with a hat, gloves and scarf, all black as well. After she got into his truck and he drove away from St. Isidore's, he realized that she probably had to be back by a particular time. "How long do you have?" "Teachers have a midnight curfew." "We should have plenty of time, then," he smiled. "So, do you own a coat?" "Yes, I own a coat," she rolled her eyes. "It's not cold out." "It's twenty degrees." Noel shrugged. "We're not going to be outside much, are we?" "Guess not." "God, I can't believe I'm really going to see Linkin Park," she squealed. "Thank you so much!" "You might not want to thank me just yet. Our seats are up front in the pit, and after everyone gets to thrashing, you might get crushed. They get kind of crazy, so watch out, and stay close to me." "Don't worry so much. I can fend for myself." * * * * * * * "Ow, ow, ow, ow. Careful!" Noel, seated on the tailgate of Kyle's Chevy, hissed as he applied rubbing alcohol to crisscross scrapes on her arm. He'd already tended to her bruised knee. His own arm bore scratch marks where a girl with long fingernails had grabbed it in a last ditch effort to keep from going down to the floor, and his blond hair clung to his forehead in wet strands. The arena parking lot was a throng of energy. Pumped-up groups of Linkin Park fans streamed through rows of vehicles. Headlights flashed, horns honked, cell phones rang, and shouts reverberated through the crisp air. Two youths with matching shock-blond, spiky hair, shirtless and still damp with sweat, noticed Noel and Kyle as they walked by. "Yeah-yeah-yeah, baby!" One of them shouted along the way, pointing at her. "You got fuckin' rocked! Now that was a good fuckin' concert!" With a high five to his buddy, they walked on their adrenaline-pumped way. "Yeah, thanks! Thanks a lot," she called out with not a little sarcasm, and then lowered her voice. "Assholes. I think those were the guys that kept slamming into me." Kyle smirked, patting a gauze pad onto her arm and grabbing some medical tape. "Oh, it was probably just their demented way of flirting with you." "If that's the case, then I feel sorry for their girlfriends. Deeply." "They probably don't have any," he chuckled. "I'm sorry I lost track of you." "Ah, don't worry about it. It hurts now, but I had fun." "I have to admit, you gave them a run for their money," he smiled at her in admiration, recalling how well she'd held her ground, dancing, refusing to be pushed or shoved, before finally being swallowed by a jumping throng. The next time he saw her, she was a little torn up, but alive with energy; eyes wild with excitement. "You really had a good time?" She smiled almost dreamily, rolling her sleeve down now that he was finished. However scratched her arm was, the sweater was unscathed. "It was awesome. Thank you." Snapping a first aid kit closed, Kyle just smiled at her. Noel hopped down so he could shut the tailgate, and then he turned to her. "I told my parents that we met," he said. "And that we were going out tonight. They were wondering if you'd like to come have Christmas with us; spend the night on Christmas Eve. They'd love to meet you, especially my Mom." Just as he'd thought, she went rigid, struggling to find a polite way to say, "no." He'd already devised a little persuasive trickery should it be needed, and it was time to bring it into play. "Of course," he shrugged. "I told them you wouldn't be interested in meeting them." "Kyle!" she said, horrified. "Why did you tell them that?" "The other day-" "I can't believe you said that! Of course I'll meet them. It's just…" "What? Do you have plans?" "Well, there's the gift openings and dinner at Saint Isidore's, but that's mostly for the kids," she said. "And then there's Mass, but I don't think they'd mind if I missed it just once…" "Then what's stopping you?" "Nothing, I guess," Noel looked down, plucking at a sweater cuff. "Then come on over," he reached out and took her hand, pulling her close. She smiled but didn't look up as he tugged, and he lifted her chin with his finger. "Will you?" "Yes," she sighed in exasperation. Before she could lean away, Kyle slid his arm around her waist and kissed her. At the first touch of his lips, Noel flinched, blinking. But he didn't move away, his cold nose nudging her cheek. He left his mouth near hers, waiting with warm, beckoning breath. Closing her eyes, Noel lifted her face the slight inch needed to brush her lips against his. There, she lingered moving her lips only when he did. After a minute of damp caresses, he opened up and let his tongue graze against her mouth. Without any conscious decision, Noel did the same, falling deeper into euphoria. Nothing seemed to exist beyond what she was feeling with Kyle, and she held on tight. He couldn't help but notice what was becoming a familiar embrace- so tenacious, ferocious, and yet not clingy. It was as if, when holding someone, Noel was straining to give something that could only be given if she got her heart right up against the heart of the person she was holding. She followed Kyle's lead when it came to the kiss, however, and he could tell it was new to her. So he taught by example, patient, teasing, lips pressing with gentle insistence and tongue dipping softly. Noel responded, seeking fulfillment of an unfamiliar need that only grew with each passing moment, with each new sensation that his lips brought. And though that elusive satisfaction slipped further away, the singular, emotional chord of perfection that they'd felt the other day upon meeting only clarified. They fell into a trance, thrumming with sensual energy, hands caressing, lost in the simple act discovering each other through a kiss that turned into another kiss, and then another after that. When they finally broke apart, hearts pounding in their ears, eyes glazed, they stared at each other for a long moment before realizing that Kyle's pick-up was one of the few vehicles left in the lot. On the drive back to St. Isidore's, neither spoke until he pulled up in front of the reception office. Noel reached over and squeezed his gloved hand in one of hers. She stared at the knot. "I'm not sure what's happening here," she said softly. The motor of his truck ran in a soft hum, heater pushing warm air through the cabin. It was the only noise, and comforting somehow. Kyle looked at the wintry landscape of the St. Isidore campus, vaguely wishing that they both could just stay in the truck forever, and never have to move away from this moment. "Me either," he said, eyebrows furrowing. "But when I introduce you to my parents on Christmas Eve, it won't be as the girl they've been sending cards to for years. It'll be as my girlfriend." But he knew, somehow, that "girlfriend" didn't even begin to cover it. * * * * * * * Later that night, as Noel undressed, her body felt more alive than ever, even at the simple sensations of slipping out of her clothes. Every nerve quivered, electrified, when she thought of Kyle. The memory of his lips against hers was so intense that she could still feel them. The stuff of ecstasy. Even the ache behind her bruises felt sensual somehow. She wanted more, but not from just anyone. She wanted more of Kyle. Her heart beat faster, stronger when she thought of him. She felt drawn to him more powerfully than she'd thought it was possible to be. But it was the thought of what all that meant that exhilarated, and even scared, Noel beyond anything else in her experience. Love? She hadn't planned on that for a long time to come. Love was supposed to happen later in her life. Not now. And not in the form of Kyle Oberman. But there it was. And she'd felt it in him that he felt the same. It was strange not to need words, but with Kyle, there was so much they could say without speaking. When she stood at the mirror, Noel searched her own face for some recognition of the girl she'd been only a few days before. She was still there, but altered. There was a spark in her eyes that hadn't been there. They were busy with hopeful thoughts and big plans. Christmas with Kyle. Going back to school after break, knowing that she'd be seeing her boyfriend… a boyfriend, of all things, in class. Busy looking forward to the future. She had about forty hours until Kyle was supposed to pick her up for Christmas Eve. Her birthday. Birthday… "You've got a busy day tomorrow," she told the girl in the mirror. She grabbed her discarded jeans off the floor to toss them into a wicker laundry basket, and felt a piece of paper in the back pocket. She fished it out. The check had bounced back. * * * * * * * 1275 Juniper Lane was where one could find the Oberman residence. When the cab stopped and let Noel out, she looked up at the cheerily lit house with trepidation. Kyle was in there, which was no cause for worry. Over the last day or so she'd come to terms with the fact that she was falling in love with him. But there was a whole other gaggle of Obermans to deal with; people who'd been kind to Noel over the course of her entire childhood without even meeting her. Although grateful, and wanting this chance to thank them, she didn't want to be drowned with a lot of sugary compliments and "Oh, poor thing"-ed to death. If they were anything like Kyle, though, she probably wouldn't have to worry about that. She just hoped that she wouldn't run out of energy before it was time to go to bed. She'd only slept about an hour the night before. Grabbing her overnight bag, she paid the cabby and then walked up the steps to the Oberman's covered porch, which was festooned with lights. Even their bench swing was decorated with holly. Gritting her teeth, she rang the doorbell, waiting while someone inside thumped across the floor in a run to answer it. When he opened the door, Kyle looked at Noel, surprised. "Hey- you're wearing a coat! And it's only four. I not supposed to pick you up until six, right? I didn't remember it wrong?" "No, it's not that. Sorry to be so early. I hope it's not inconvenient." "Not at all," he opened the door wide so she could step in. "It's just that no one else is here right now. My parents went to pick my sister and her kids up at the airport." Noel smiled, trying not to make it obvious that she felt relief. She could have some time to adjust to this new atmosphere with just Kyle. Besides, she'd made up her mind, and this might be just the opportunity. "When do they get back?" "Traffic, weather and flight schedules depending, an hour, maybe two." She set her bag down and took off the red coat Kyle had noted. He hung it up for her on a rack and pointed at her shoes, and then at a row of shoes that rested on the floor by the entrance. "Oh, okay." Noel got the message and kicked her shoes off, and then set them next to the others. "My Mom's really picky about the floors," he smirked apologetically, and then he noticed something else. She was wearing a green sweater, form fitting, and a black skirt and tights. She'd put on a touch of makeup as well. Her hair was curled to frame her face and shoulders. The effect was enchanting. "You look gorgeous." Noel stepped forward and hugged him, quickly followed by a kiss. Kyle welcomed it, though a little surprised. There was a new boldness in the way she moved her mouth, soft and pliant but demanding. She led him this time, with that embrace that was at first tight, but then her hands started to wander. One reached up to entwine fingers in his hair, and the other wandered down his back where it seemed to be mapping the contour of his muscles and shape. He could do nothing but reciprocate, and traced the line of her back, around to her hips. There he hesitated. Kyle wanted to let his hands wander up her torso to her breasts, but he wasn't sure if that would be welcome, so he waited for more signals. He got it when her hand inched down to his rear, then used it to pull his groin against hers. He broke off the kiss, nuzzling her forehead against his, wondering just how far she intended to go, here in his house, with so little time before his family would be back. "What are you up to?" he whispered, kissing her quickly before she answered. Noel was reluctant to say what she was thinking… feeling. To do it was one thing. To actually suggest it was infinitely scarier, but she finally found her voice when she looked into Kyle's moss-colored eyes. "Take me to your room." "That quick? Are you sure?" "Yes. Quick. Before your family comes home, and before I change my mind. I'm sure." Kyle regarded Noel, slightly puzzled. Since meeting her he'd freely indulged his imagination, but hadn't thought making love to Noel would happen so soon. But it was apparent that she meant to abide by her decision, whatever the mysterious logic behind it was, and he should be the last to object. On the other hand, he thought of his bedroom, and then of Noel in it, naked, and the two just didn't mix. "My bedroom isn't the most romantic place in the world, you know." "It is if you're in it." He kissed her once more, then stepped back and took her hand. "Follow me," he smiled. As he led her through the hallway, Noel looked at the living room they passed, wondering if her eyes were playing tricks or if she'd really just seen a big, green Buddha sitting on the floor. As they rounded a corner, she caught a glimpse of the kitchen and lurched to a stop, agape. "Whoa, that's a lot of sunflowers." "You should see the basement," Kyle chuckled. "I'm afraid. Deeply. Does your Mom have a thing for sunflowers?" "And Elvis," he tugged her back in motion and they laughed, heading upstairs. They were still giggling when he shut his door behind them. Kyle's bedroom, still preserved in the state he left it before moving into a dorm room at the U, had models everywhere. Not bikini models, but carefully constructed miniatures of airplanes and sailing ships. The biggest one, easily three feet long, sitting on a shelf over his computer, was a sailing ship of such intricacy that Noel was drawn to it immediately. She gazed at all the details- little cannons coming out of the hull, the lines, sails, and masts, all of it painstakingly painted. It sat on a mount that had engraved on it: USS Constitution. "That one took me three months," he said, wrapping his arms around her from behind. "It's beautiful, Kyle." She looked over at the window. Already, the afternoon was giving way to winter's early darkness, and snow had started to fall. She relaxed instantly, the calm and quiet of the house as soothing as Kyle's embrace was exciting. "I happen to think your room is a very romantic place." With that, she turned in his arms and they resumed kissing, the sensual feel of each other's mouths gradually banishing giddiness, bringing back the heat that had been building before. Now that there was no question of what would happen, Kyle let his hands travel underneath her sweater, up the warm skin of her back. He massaged it with languor, rubbing out any tension he perceived, taking in every detail of her baby-soft skin, lingering before unhooking her bra. Instantly, the surprise of a new act, however welcome, registered in Noel's posture, but he soothed it by taking his hands down to her sides and letting her focus on the kiss. A few moments later, he gave her something new to consider, holding tight and grinding his crotch to hers so she could feel the solid length of flesh growing between his legs, and moved his lips to her neck. As soon as Kyle's lips had left hers, Noel gave out an involuntary moan. She'd have never thought that just feeling him, hard, aroused, hips rolling against hers, could awaken so much lust. With that simple motion, his body was seducing hers into an ancient dance. She felt a hot ache and deep tightening in her belly, and the flesh of her sex became slippery. Her breathing quickened when his lips and tongue played on her neck, and one of his hands drifted up, under her sweater and loosened bra, cupping a breast. When his thumb grazed the rigid little pebble atop it, the pulsing between her legs flashed into a throb. With his face in her neck, Kyle inhaled the sweet scent of vanilla, thrilling at the feel of her against his body coming to life and responding to every overture. Very slowly, he took the hem of her sweater in his hands and lifted it up. She drew away from him, opening expectant eyes, and raised her arms. When it was off, she let her lacy fall to the floor as Kyle took off his t-shirt. Noel's next instinct was to cover herself, but she kept her arms still and eyes bent to the floor. She'd always considered her bust too small, and the blush of sexual heat, now intensified by nervousness, crept from her breasts to her face. Kyle, however, gazed adoringly at the swelling mounds- ideal handfuls crowned by stiff, burgandy nipples. With a hand around her slim waist, he pulled her back to him and nuzzled his face against hers, trailing kisses from her lips to her earlobe. Her nipples rubbed against his chest, and with a low, throaty groan, Kyle reached down and lifted her skirt, his hand traveling up her covered thigh to the damp heat that emanated further up. So very lightly, he caressed the covered lips of her sex with dancing fingertips. Gasping, Noel threaded her arms through the maze of his, finding the snap and zipper of Kyle's jeans. She wasn't sure how, but all she wanted was to bring him the same craven desire he was provoking in her. Carefully, she undid his pants, uncertain of how delicately he needed to be touched, keeping her eyes glued to what might be revealed. When she saw the bulge that filled his boxers, and the fleshy, wet crown poking up out of the waistband, she became still. "Have you ever…?" he whispered. She shook her head. "It's okay," Kyle prodded, ceasing his ministrations and staying still for her. "Go ahead and take it out." With trembling hands, she hooked her thumbs into the sides of his boxers, and slid them down over his narrow hips. In the pale, cooling light of a snowy winter afternoon, she saw a man naked for the first time. If she hadn't been so aroused, Noel might have laughed. The way Kyle's penis bobbed from the inertia of being released seemed whimsical, but it was so hard. Almost ridiculously angled up and out from his abdomen, his shaft was rooted in a thick nest of smashed, golden hair. The skin around it was stretched taut, nearly transparent, revealing thick veins- except for the head, which was soft-looking, bulbous, and shiny with liquid seeping from a slit. The sac below didn't look anything like she expected- not low, but up against his crotch; tight. The more she saw, the less comical it looked. It was poised, ready, so full and wanting, anticipating. The Broken Holiday She reached down to touch it, but drew her hand away and glanced up into his eyes. "Can I?" "Yes, of course," he smiled. But his face melted into lust when she knelt before him. At first, Noel simply rubbed a fingertip against his soft, thick crown, tracing the slit. She cupped his balls with the other hand, massaging and gauging their weight and the feel of the skin as it slipped around his testicles. Noel traced the thickest vein that ran the length of his hard-on, and then gripped the shaft, lightly at first and then more firmly. Noel noticed Kyle's breathing change, his chest expanding as she made an upwards stroke, and met his gaze. His face was still relaxed, but there was such intensity in his green eyes. She stroked again, and watched his expression twitch into lust, and then again until her soft hand was stoking him rhythmically, and his eyes closed. Kyle rasped out a moan, a sound that electrified her. She looked back down to the flesh in her hand, and without really believing what she was about to do, lowered her mouth to him. The instant he felt her warm, wet lips enveloping his cockhead, Kyle's eyes flew open and locked onto hers. She was looking up at him with, wide, almost hopeful brown eyes, and the flat of her tongue rubbed against the tip within her mouth. "You have no idea what you're doing," he whispered, shaky. She removed her mouth. "It's not good?" "That's not what I meant." He snatched her up and close, and then into a passionate kiss, tongues lashing, and took down her tights and skirt over smooth, tight hips. They moved towards the bed, taking clumsy steps with their clothes around their ankles, still in full liplock, until Noel felt the edge behind her knees. With her ankles bound by her tights, Noel's attempt to lift her knee to the bed ended in a loss of balance that sent them into a pretzeled tumble onto the mattress. "Wait," Kyle laughed, trying to stand up. When he did, Noel grinned and offered her ankles to him. He tugged the tights off and then stepped out of his own pants. She grabbed his hand and pulled him back to the bed with a laugh, immediately laying down so could stretch on top of her. Kyle nestled between her legs, caressing her hips and capturing her mouth in a long, wet kiss. Suddenly it came home to Noel that this was all really happening, and her heart beat frantically with panic and passion at the same time. His body was over her, on her, skin-to-skin, her breasts against his chest, flush with desire. She could feel him between her legs, so hard, resting on the lips of her sex. Helpless to resist the maddening ache that centered there, she began to move her hips, losing sensation of the kiss they still shared. Kyle wished he could've let her go on when she'd taken him into her mouth. He wished he could now slide down Noel's body to kiss every tender part, to suck on those begging nipples, to slide his tongue around her slick folds and bring her to a soul-trembling climax. But their time was so limited, and he needed a quicker way bring her to the pinnacle before he entered. He was too excited to last, and he knew it. He remembered something that he and his high-school girlfriend had done before she was ready to go "all the way." How they used to lie in the back seat of his parent's car, nude from the waist down, her shirt rolled up, and they'd writhe, rubbing together, his cock on her clit, enclosed in her lips like a hot dog in a bun, until they came. It was the closest thing to actual sex short of penetration, and the stimulation on her clit always got her off in a hurry. But Noel wouldn't be expecting it. He'd have to hold fast. He enclosed her arms with his so they were trapped against her chest, and lowered his body, trapping her. Her vulva parted as he ground his hips in a maneuvered roll, and then he felt how wet she really was. He moaned as his cock slid into slippery flesh, at last feeling what he needed. Kyle cast a lingering glance down where their genitals were getting acquainted, and then turned his face to hers for more kissing, certain now that his penis was stroking along her exposed clit. He held her tighter, and then began to move, working into a steady, grinding rhythm. A few minutes later, Noel squirmed underneath him. She started to pant and tore her mouth away from his lips. "Wh-what's happening…" she breathed, eyes glazed. Pleasure was building in her to a level she hadn't imagined before. There was something about the way he stroked that made every sensation amplify to impossible heights. She gasped for breath and writhed in what little room his near-constricting embrace allowed. But there was nowhere to go, no escape. It just seemed to build and build, pressure and pleasure, heat like there was no limit, and Noel briefly wondered how people had sex without going insane. Her mouth found his shoulder and she bit down out of pure instinct, as if it were an anchor that would prevent her from washing away. But nothing could stop it. When it came, when she came, she didn't expect it; didn't know it was possible. It was like washing away. Tears seeped from the corners of her eyes as she cried out. A burst of trembling euphoria collapsed and then expanded into an ocean of ecstasy to drown in, and then drift slowly, so, so slowly, down to the bottom of a bottomless abyss. Kyle, however, brought Noel back up to the surface with a nudge that stretched the opening of her sex, and she realized his lips were on hers again. "It'll hurt," he whispered through the kiss. "Okay..." Kyle had managed to restrain himself while she experienced her first orgasm, thrilled by her mewling and cries. It would have been so easy to let his cock slip down just a little and go in, and oh, how hard it was to resist that. But he'd struggled to be content with the feel of her wet, slick lips, her curly hair tickling his glans, and he'd won. Now he didn't know whether to enter quickly or slow, but he had to do it now. He pressed his hips forward and gritted his teeth, struggling to penetrate gradually. But as soon as his cockhead was inside the snug entrance, he couldn't help it… he tore in all at once, desperate to be inside the lovely, wet flesh. Once there, he moaned out a long "oh," his cock pulsing in Noel's ultra-tight vagina. He willed himself not to move or create friction or he'd come right away, and opened his eyes, hoping the quick stab hadn't ruined it for her. Noel stared up at him and asked, "Are you alright?" He almost started laughing, but instead he smiled through heaving breaths, and kissed her. "Oh, yeah. How do you feel?" "It feels… big." "Hurt?" "At first. Now that it's in," she grimaced, and then her expression softened. "Just sort of… crammed… how do you feel?" "Really good," Kyle whispered, and his hips made their next thrust. Noel gasped, and he thrust again, eyes drifting shut. She began to move beneath him, training her hips to meet his as they found their rhythm. It was slow and steady, and before long, as his stroking got a little quicker, Noel started to feel the pleasure of being filled with all that delicious motion. Surrendering any notions of taking his time, Kyle began to simply go with the flow his body demanded, and lost himself with prodding and pushing and bucking into her, his shaft surrounded, glans rubbed at every angle, bumping against her farthest reach. His hips began to run like a well-oiled piston. "Oh, God," he muttered, sweat beading on his forehead. "Oh...oh...oh... I'm gonna come." The sensation of coming started to take over, and he rushed for it. His sac tightened, driving seed up his shaft, and as excruciating as it was to do, he pulled out at the last second, eyes opening to look between their bodies and see the first spurt of his semen jet out onto the bed of curls that crowned her sex. Kyle undulated above her, letting go and loving every second of it. Noel stared at what was happening with lustful curiosity. Watching Kyle's face and body as he came, the white cream roping across her stomach, and the tremors that coursed through him and then into her at every point that they connected, took her breath away. It was then that Noel decided there was no more beautiful thing in the world than a man in throes of ecstasy. Quaking and sweaty, he lowered to her in a near collapse, his drooling penis resting on her thigh, his weight feeling like a comforting blanket to Noel. "I'm so sorry," he whispered against her ear. "No, Kyle," Noel kissed his temple. "There's nothing to be sorry for. It felt good." "I came too quick." "There'll be other times." "Yes, yes there will. I'll make it up to you, I promise." It was a promise he would make good on. Kyle closed his arms around her again, and together they came down from his high, savoring the last intimate moments before acknowledging reality. It was reluctantly that they finally separated. The rest of the Obermans would be home soon, so they dressed after trips to the bathroom to freshen up. They stayed close, though, pecking and kissing, touching here and there in their new, warm familiarity, helping each other with zippers and hooks. When they were dressed again with wrinkled fabric smoothed, he pulled her into a kiss. "So what do you want to do until they get here?" he asked. "Sleep, if that's okay." "Really?" "Yeah, I didn't get much sleep last night, and," she smiled, "you finished me off, I think. Do you mind if I just lay down for a while?" "Not at all." Kyle showed her to the guest room. Thankfully, his Mom had spared guests of a theme. The room was tastefully furnished with simple oak pieces and not much else. Before he left, Kyle turned to Noel with a soft smile. "Can I say it?" he asked. "What?" "Happy Birthday," he whispered, and departed after a last kiss, closing the door quietly. Collapsing on the big, soft pillows of the bed, Noel smiled and closed her eyes. Yeah… happy birthday… happy birthday to me, happy birthday to me… She fell asleep fast and hard, her last conscious thought being that she'd have a lot to say at her next confession. * * * * * * * What Noel never told Kyle, and never would even after they married two years later, was what had kept her up so long the previous night. St. Isidore's always let her use the van to go out on errands, and she left with the sole purpose of going shopping with the $250 check. She did, indeed, go shopping. She picked out the outfit she wore to Kyle's, the coat, four presents for the Obermans, and six roses. Driving back to St. Isidore's took her down 7th Avenue, which led to B street. It was there that she veered off course to get to 17th and C. Brinkman and Sons' wasn't there anymore. It had gone out of business in 1986, the year Dale Brinkman died of a heart attack. It was a vacant building, and there was no longer a Dumpster in the back lot. Noel stood in the emptiness, underneath falling snow she didn't notice, under the humming power lines she didn't hear, staring at where it had been. For the millionth time in her life, she contemplated the woman who must have thrown her in there. Or, who knows? It could have been a man. But intuition told her it had been the woman who gave birth to her. No, she didn't cry like she had when she'd first found out, at age eleven, how she'd come to be at St. Isidore's. But it perturbed Noel that somewhere in this city, tonight, the woman who tried to kill her was probably getting ready to celebrate Christmas. Maybe she even had other children now-- babies that she didn't throw away and leave to die. She stood for about an hour, looking at the site where she had been found and saved. She didn't understand why, but she'd made it. One person tried to kill her, but four others had snatched her from Death's arms on Christmas Eve, nineteen years before. She laid four roses down on the pavement where the Dumpster had once been. Then, as she laid down the fifth, she whispered four words. May God forgive you. Later that night, she'd lain awake with the sixth rose under her pillow. Excited. Dreaming of the future, and of Kyle, wondering about what the next day would be like. As giddy as a child on Christmas Eve. * * * * * * * She woke at a soft rap on the door. It took a moment to realize she wasn't back in her room at St. Isidore's, and that it was the next day. And she was cozy in the Oberman's guest room. She could hear feet running and voices squealing downstairs- Jennifer's kids? The bedroom door cracked open, and the silhouette of a tall blonde woman peeked in. Kyle stood behind her. "Noel? Are you awake?" Natalie asked softly. Noel sat up and nodded with a yawn. * * * * * * * THE END * * * * * * * Author's Note: I hope you all enjoyed this story. As always, voting is welcome, as is feedback. Happy Holidays, everyone, and Happy 5th Anniversary to Literotica herself!