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  Eli

  “Babe, open your eyes,” was the first thing I heard when I woke up in Samantha’s bed on Christmas morning. My lids slowly peeled back, and Samantha stood over me in the morning light, holding a rge, thick, square present wrapped in red paper with a green bow on it. She wore an oversized bck band t-shirt for ‘Blood-Soaked Blockade’ consisting of their name and six burning pirate ships on a crimson ocean, and nothing else. Her long legs and thick thighs were on full dispy. Her shoulder-length, ink-bck hair was down, she wasn’t wearing any makeup or jewelry, and the morning light was sparkling in her hazel eyes.

  “God, you’re beautiful,” I said instantly.

  She flinched, looked down and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, all while giving me a toothy smile. “You’re only saying that-”

  “Because you’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever id eyes on,” I said, sitting up, letting the navy blue bnket fall off of my shirtless torso.

  She giggled, high-pitched and breathy, and spun on her heel as she jumped into the bed next to me. She handed me the present. “C’mon. Open it up.”

  “Hey now, dies first,” I said.

  “You got me something?” she said, eyes widening, smile deepening.

  “I got you two somethings. One of them is in the apartment above the shop- I hid it there because I didn’t think I’d be able to stash here.”

  “Wait, my first present is here? You hid it from me in my own home?”

  “Oh, not just in your own home,” I said. Then I reached under the bed and retrieved the box. It was wrapped in newspaper, and I’d done a lousy job of it, but… It was something.

  “Eli, can you afford-”

  “Just trust me on this,” I said, handing her the box.

  “Okay,” she said softly. She tore apart the newspaper-wrapping, opened the box inside, and just… Just lit up. I didn’t even need anything- making her happy was a present enough.

  “A new sketchpad!” she said, cpping her hands together. “And… Is this a fountain pen and fountain ink?”

  “It is indeed,” I said. “I figured since you’re working so hard on your graphic novel, you might want to ink your illustrations. Do you like it?”

  “I love it!” she excimed, bouncing up and down. Must’ve picked that up from Bethany- they’d been hanging out a lot, made sense she’d absorbed up a few of her mannerisms. “Thank you thank you thank you!!!”

  “You’re welcome,” I said, taking in the sight of all that joy.

  She kissed me, slipping some tongue in for good measure, and I began to spring to attention underneath the covers.

  “Ehehehe,” I said nervously, crossing my legs.

  “Oh, nothing to be ashamed of there, don’t you worry,” she smiled. “I actually got you two gifts as well. Open this one first, okay?”

  I took her gift and nodded, carefully undoing the wrapping paper. She’d done such a good job with it, I couldn’t bear to ruin her hard work. I blinked rapidly when I saw what was inside. “Starman… the whole compendium! You got me-”

  “Yeah, I did,” she said, running a hand through my short auburn hair. “I know it’s been on your TBR for a while.”

  “Babe, this is amazing! But doesn’t this cost fifty bucks? How can you afford to get me two things?”

  “About that… See, you can unwrap your second gift now,” she said.

  “But… Where is it?” I asked, scanning the room.

  “Take off my shirt and you’ll see,” Samantha said, raising her eyebrows suggestively.

  “Ohhhhh,” I whistled.

  “Do you object?”

  “Not in the slightest,” I said, reaching for her shirt and lifting it up and off of her.

  I drank in the sight of her, all of her, every single inch.

  “Well?” she asked, breaking off eye contact, clearly nervous. “D-do you like it?”

  I didn’t answer. I just kissed her, then turned her over onto her back, grabbed an unopened condom off her nightstand, and got to work making sweet, sweet love to her on that perfect Christmas morning, bidding my virginity a not-so-fond farewell.

  Look, most people’s first time is sweaty, awkward, and difficult. I’ll spare you all the gory details and simply say that I had a highly competent teacher who was very eager to tell me how to make her feel good. And based on the sounds she made, I am reasonably confident in saying that I got the hang of it after a few false starts. I’ll also say that while it was way more exhausting than I’d expected going in (pun intended), damn was it a nice experience overall.

  We showered together after we’d finished, warm afterglow carrying me through a golden sky of post-orgasmic bliss. We washed each other’s hair and backs, and I hopped out early to make breakfast while she shaved her legs and rinsed out her conditioner.

  I made a healthy turkey sausage and vegetable scramble, just the way Samantha had taught me how to, and had it ready along with a bowl of strawberries and blueberries and banana slices, as well as a pot of coffee and a pitcher of orange juice, by the time she was out of the shower and walking through the kitchen in her bathrobe.

  “Hey there,” she said, leaning against the archway that led from the hallway into the kitchen.

  “Hi,” I said while I finished putting breakfast on the table. “Like what you see?”

  “Very much so,” she answered. “Might even say I love what I see. That I… That I love you, Eli.”

  I swear, I heard angels singing. Probably just birds outside, but… Man, if there were ever a time for the clouds to part and a halo of sunshine to pour over us, it would’ve been right there and then. “I love you too, Samantha.”

  “You- you really mean it?”

  “If I didn’t before, I definitely do now.”

  She walked forward and grabbed me by the pel. “Is that so? So that roll in the hay was nice for you?”

  “You fuck real good,” I whispered, our lips inches apart.

  She kissed me, and I was almost ready to go for a second round, but my stomach grumbled. Dammit.

  She giggled again. How could any sound be so heavenly? “Worked up an appetite?”

  “Heh. Yeah, I did. C’mon, let’s eat, then I wanna get down to the shop so you can get your second present.”

  “Still pying it coy on that? Okay, fair enough. A pleasant surprise can be fun,” she said before giving me one more peck on the lips.

  We watched Charlie Brown Christmas on her ptop while we ate, and at one point I mentioned how Charlie Brown was probably my spirit animal.

  “He is a very retable anime protagonist, yes,” Samantha said.

  “He’s not a-”

  “No, no, see, I got this whole schema: I think Peanuts was the first slice of life manga.”

  “But it’s an American newspaper comic.”

  “And in Japan, all comics are referred to as manga, so what’s your objection?”

  “Fair enough. Does that make this like an OVA?”

  “Yes, exactly. One of the many Peanuts original video animations, presenting the trials and tributions of the world’s most retable anime protagonist.”

  “Well alright then,” I ughed.

  Once we finished eating, we climbed into the hatchback and braved the blessedly empty streets of Los Angeles to get to the shop.

  She unlocked the back door and we headed upstairs, where I led her to her gift: a little bck dress. It hung from a hanger off of the windowsill, with a short skirt and a soft fabric and a few golden buttons dotting the center. Bethany had helped me pick it out; thank God- I was an idiot when it came to clothes.

  Samantha’s jaw dropped and her eyes bulged as she stepped forward, running her fingers over the fabric. I’d already taken off the price tag, so she didn’t need to know that I’d overspent a bit on this. Still… It was worth it. She always was.

  “Eli,” she said, “it’s beautiful. And it’s my color and it’s my style… Are you sure it will fit me?”

  “Why don’t you try it on and find out?” I asked.

  “R-right here and now?”

  “Only if you want-”

  For the second time today, she got naked in front of me. Oh Lord, but that was nice. And the dress looked nice on her as she slid into it, hugging her hips and her bust and showing off her smooth, lovely legs. “How do I look?”

  “Dead sexy,” I answered honestly. God, she’d just gotten into it and I wanted to tear it off her already.

  “Oh, c’mon-”

  “Babe, I mean it,” I said, stepping forward and putting my hands on her hips, her scent filling my nose- lic and cloves, mixing together in my mind and driving me wild. “I really do.”

  “Hmmmmm,” she moaned. “Thank you. I love it. I… I always feel beautiful around you.”

  “It’s because I see you how you really are,” I said, pnting a deep, passionate kiss on her mouth, one she was all too happy to reciprocate.

  “Mm. I almost feel bad- you got me this beautiful dress and I don’t have anywhere to wear it today-”

  “We could call up some of our friends, see if they wanna come over,” I shrugged as we started down the stairs. “We can make some food- what do you have at your house?”

  “Uhhh… Maybe we can do pasta sad? And I think we have some chicken.”

  “That could be good. And for dessert?”

  “...”

  “Babe.”

  “I don’t really know about the desert…”

  “But it’s Christmas.”

  “Yeah, but I kinda threw away all the sugary snacks at my pce.”

  “Fair enough. I’m sure at least one grocery store is open today, though,” I pointed out. “Doesn’t have to be anything fancy; I could just like, get big bags of all the different types of M&M’s and mix them all together in a bowl or something? Just for the guests, though.”

  We made it to the bottom, and I opened the door for her. “Yeah,” she said, slowly, reluctantly, measuredly. “That could work.”

  We stepped outside. “Cool. So let’s swing by somewhere on the way back, and-”

  “Elijah,” a woman said, and my eyes snapped forward as I realized who it was.

  “Mom,” I said, gulping, instantly putting myself between Samantha and my mother. “What are you doing here?”

  “I came here looking for you, to see if you’re ready to apologize,” Mom said. She wore a simple pair of bck scks and a white blouse, her makeup done and her best hoop earrings dangling from her ears. Behind her was her car, and I clearly saw Dad sitting in the passenger seat with his arms crossed. “This was the only pce we could think to look.”

  “The shop is closed today,” I said, Samantha gripping my hand tightly as she stood behind me, my heart threatening to explode out of the cavity in my chest.

  “And yet here you are,” Mom said. “I’m guessing that’s Samantha behind you right now?”

  “Mom, this is not appropriate-”

  “I don’t understand why it’s inappropriate to meet the girl who’s gotten her hooks into my son,” Mom said. Inside the car, Dad just gred. “Unless she’s too cowardly to face me, in which case I’ll be forced to assume the worst.”

  “Mom-”

  “Hi, Mrs. Luna,” Samantha said, slowly walking around me. Letting go of my hand. Stepping in front of me. I held my breath, unable to blink, unable to think, unable to move. A concert of my parents’ screaming vitriol pyed inside my mind, filling me up, drowning me out. “My name is Samantha Kendrick. It’s nice to meet you. You as well, Mr. Luna.”

  Dad’s death-gre turned into a look of morbid confusion. Mom simply went wide-eyed with shock. Fuck. I stepped up beside Samantha, held her hand once more. If we had to face this, we faced it together.

  “I know that I was supposed to meet you under different circumstances,” Samantha said. “I’m sorry it had to be like this. My uncle is very sick, and I’ve been having to keep track of him and our shop. Your son has been gracious enough to be my rock in this difficult time. He’s… He’s the most wonderful man I’ve ever met, and I’m really proud to call myself his girlfriend. I’m in love with him. And I know that maybe I’m not exactly what you expected-”

  And Mom… Laughed. Fucking ughed. It was sad and bitter and hollow. And it was directed at Samantha. “I’m sorry, young man, but did you just say that you’re my son’s girlfriend? That’s a little ridiculous, don’t you think? You’re not even a woman.”

  Samantha gave a tiny little gasp before saying, “That’s not true, I am-”

  “God, no wonder you’re doing such a good job maniputing Elijah, you’ve already tricked him into thinking you’re a woman. Disgusting,” Mom sneered. Then she looked at me and said, “You know he has a penis, right? He’s trying to turn you into a faggot.”

  My jaw clenched, and my eyes shifted into a death gre that rivaled my father’s. I closed my eyes and breathed in and out through my nose, then finally said, “Mom. Shut the fuck up.”

  Eyes narrow, she said, “Excuse you?”

  “You heard me. Samantha is a woman. She’s my woman. Now apologize to her.”

  “He’s one of those transgenders- haven’t you heard about them? They’re predators and monsters. They’re the wrong sort of people, Eli-”

  My instincts took over. I spat in my mother’s face.

  For a moment, all three of us were too stunned to do or say anything. My father, however… He climbed out of the car with death in his eyes. “You ungrateful little shit! We’ve done everything for you, and this is how you repay us? With defiance and disrespect and degeneracy? What is wrong with you?!”

  “Could say the same thing to you,” I said, my trembling hand interlocked with Samantha’s. She stood silent but steady. “You’ve never let me make a single choice on my own. But I’m making one now. And I’m choosing this woman at my side. That’s what a man does. He stands by his woman.”

  “That’s not a woman-”

  “Back the fuck away,” I said, my voice vastly calmer than how I felt.

  “Get in the car right this second, boy!” Dad… Pedro bellowed.

  “No,” I said, firmly but softly.

  “You do not get to say that to me!”

  “Pretty sure I just did,” I said. “What the hell are you gonna do about it, old man?”

  He flinched, but then… Then, for the very first time in my life, my father raised a hand to me. The backhanded strike flew before I could react. The only reason it didn’t connect was because Samantha leaped in front of it.

  The strike took her across the face and sent her to the ground. She nded on her shoulder, crying out as she clutched her bruising cheek.

  The world burned hot and red. I swung a fist at my father… At Pedro, and it connected with his nose with a sickening crunch that reminded me of that day with Ned, all those fucking years ago. I screamed as I swung again, nding a blow to his eye that made him stumble back and nd against the side of the car.

  A bright, blunt force hit my cheek and tilted my face to the left. From the corner of my eye, I saw M… Tabitha on the other end, her face warping with shock and disgust as she drew back her hand. “Get in the car and never talk to this faggot again,” Mom said while Dad clutched his eye and his nose with his hands.

  It was my turn to ugh, then. I sounded somehow more bitter than she had. “You still think you can bark orders at me after you pull this?”

  “You still think you can defy us after you-” I spped her right back. And God help me, it felt good. Nearly nineteen years of pent up rage and resentment shot out of my soul all at once, all heading for a single target. “Leave!”

  “Eli-”

  “I said LEAVE!”

  Silence, once more. I knelt down to help Samantha up, putting my arm around her, and looked the people who’d raised me in the eyes. “I never want to see either of you again. You disgust me.”

  “Well the feeling is mutual,” Tabitha sneered. “I never even wanted kids in the first pce.”

  “Tabitha, no,” Pedro said… More like whined, honestly. Had his voice always been that nasally and pathetic? Had he always sounded so much like a tantruming child desperate for control and power? I wasn’t sure which answer was worse. “We can’t just let him-”

  “C’mon, Pedro, let’s go home. Our son clearly has everything figured out.”

  “I’m not your son,” I said simply.

  “Huh. You’re right,” Mom said as she smmed the car door shut. Her lips moved behind the gss, and she said something else, something muffled. I was reasonably sure it was ‘you’re not.’

  “I am your father and you will respect me,” Pedro said, fists bunched up, clearly ready to beat me down and drag me home. God, he was such a fucking twerp. A little man who screamed and filed to make himself look big in the eyes of those stupid to know better. The only part that hurt was the fact that I’d been among the ranks of those gullible idiots until so recently.

  “You’re nobody’s father,” was all I said. “You haven’t earned it. And you never will.”

  He blinked, and it was as if the wind left his sails all at once. Like something I’d said had finally pierced the thick hide of his rampaging ego. Like I’d actually managed to hurt him, for the first time in my life.

  Tabitha held her hand to the car horn, letting it scream out into the open air, until Dad finally climbed in.

  We stood there as we watched them walk away, until finally, finally, they were gone. Leaving us alone.

  Samantha

  We were silent the whole drive back to my house. It went without saying that we weren’t having anyone over today. When we got home, I locked the door behind us while Eli walked into the kitchen and just stared into space like he’d lost his entire world.

  Probably because he had.

  I held a hand to the bruise that Pedro had put on my face. Makeup would cover it up, but… It still fucking hurt.

  I went up behind him and wrapped my arms around him, making myself as steady as possible. “They don’t deserve you,” I whispered. “They never did.”

  “I know,” he said, still staring at the wall. “It just… Feels like it’s me against the world right now.”

  “Us,” I corrected gently. “Us against the world.”

  He turned to face me, running a hand through my hair, his beautiful, sad eyes telling me everything I needed to know. He was hurting, but part of him was… Relieved. Like he was finally free. “I love you so fucking much.”

  “I know,” I said, the warmth that gave me helping to dull the ache on my cheek. “And the feeling is mutual.”

  He didn’t cry this time. He just stood there and held me, let me hold him. Guilt stormed inside me, tearing through all my resolve and all my self-worth. This was my fault. He’d lost his family because of me. They’d disowned him. And who the fuck knew how the extended family would take it, given how violent things had gotten. Part of me wanted to shrivel up, to run and hide and let him be rid of me. His life would be easier, simpler, if I wasn’t in it, but…

  That wasn’t what he needed. I knew him better than that.

  I knew he needed me, the same way I needed him. I don’t know if we would be enough for each other, but for now… It would have to do.

  We had each other, and for now, for this moment, this day, that was enough.