My first and forever

THE DREAM#2

STORM

“Ugh, would you two just kiss already?”

Keith’s voice echoed across the parking lot.

Storm’s head snapped toward him, his ears turning bright red. Keith’s laughter rang out, followed by the other guys cheering.

“Shut up, Keith!” Storm shouted without looking back.

When he looked at Summer again, his face was flushed with embarrassment. His grip on her waist loosened slightly, but he didn’t let go.

“They’re actually rooting for us,” he muttered with a nervous laugh. “Keith’s never going to let this go.”

Keith strolled over, grinning.

“It’s simple. You two act like the perfect couple, then pretend nothing’s going on. Either date already… or stay away from each other.”

“Your point?” Summer asked dryly.

“Just kiss or date already!”

Without warning, Summer cupped Storm’s face and kissed him.

Time stopped.

Storm froze before instinct took over. His hands settled on her waist as he kissed her back, his heart pounding so hard it hurt.

Behind them, Keith whooped in victory.

When they finally pulled apart, Storm stared at her, breathless.

“He said kiss or date,” she said calmly. “I picked kiss so he’d finally mind his own business.”

“You chose… kiss?” Storm whispered.

He rested his forehead against hers, a small smile tugging at his lips.

“So it was all strategy? You’re a pretty convincing actress.”

“The best Hollywood could ask for.” She smiled faintly before adding, “Besides… you’re like my little brother. I can’t date my little brother.”

Everything inside Storm went still.

His hands dropped from her waist.

“Right,” he said quietly. “Little brother.”

He grabbed his hockey bag and walked to the car without another word.

Before getting in, he paused.

“Next time,” he said without turning around, “don’t kiss me just to prove a point.”

The car door slammed.

⸻

The drive home was silent.

“Did I do something wrong?” Summer asked.

“No.”

Storm’s answer came too quickly.

“It’s just…” He sighed. “It’s hard to be your ‘little brother’ after you kissed me like that.”

She looked at him.

“So… you don’t want to be my little brother anymore?”

His grip tightened on the steering wheel.

“I never did.”

His voice was quiet but certain.

“I don’t want to be your little brother, Summer.”

“I want to be the man you fall for.”

He reached out and turned the heater up, the vents blowing warm air into the cabin. The silence returned, but it was different now—heavier, more honest.

"But that's why I don't say anything. Because you say things like 'little brother' and I have to just sit there and take it. And then you kiss me like *that* and I can't even tell if you're joking or not."

He glanced at her briefly, his green eyes catching the glow of a passing sign.

“So what do you want to be?”

Storm pulled the car over to the side of the road, the tires crunching on gravel before he brought it to a complete stop. He killed the engine. The silence that followed was sudden and heavy, filled only by the sound of rain tapping against the roof.

He turned in his seat, facing her fully. His hands rested on the steering wheel, but he wasn't holding it anymore. His knuckles were still pale, his posture tense, like he was bracing for a hit.

"I want to be the guy you don't have to pretend is just your friend," he said, his voice steady despite the way his chest felt tight. "I want to be the guy you actually *want* to kiss, not just someone you use to shut Keith up."

She exhaled before grabbing his face for a deeper and desperate kiss as she climbed ontop of him in a straddling position

Storm's breath left him in one sharp, ragged gasp as she moved. The sudden weight of her on his lap, the heat of her body pressing against his, sent a shockwave through his entire frame. His hands, which had been hovering uncertainly, snapped to her hips, his fingers digging in just enough to hold her steady.

He met her halfway, his mouth opening to her with a desperate kind of hunger he'd been starving himself of for years. The kiss wasn't careful or polite—it was messy and urgent, teeth clashing, tongues tangling in the cramped space of the driver's seat.

A low, guttural sound escaped his throat, somewhere between a groan and a sob of relief. His head fell back against the headrest as she pressed closer, his eyes squeezed shut.

"Summer," he choked out against her lips, his voice wrecked.