Chapter 2: Just a Couple ... of Siblings

Randomly generated material:

Names: Abraham/Susanne

Setting: It’s mid-morning, there’s bright sunshine. You’re on board a ship.

First line: The sound of laughter drifted up from the deck above, making him feel very alone in this new place.

7.25 A.M.

The sound of laughter drifted up from the deck above, making him feel very alone in this new place. But then Susanne’s voice tickled his still-sleepy senses, her soft voice beside his ear, his sister’s small body tucked in behind him rousing tenderness inside him.

‘Captain Whitestone said we’d see Puerto Rico today,’ she said. Her voice was gentle, and yet Abraham could sense his younger sister’s excitement. They’d rarely gone anywhere for most of their lives.

‘I know, ‘ he agreed, rolling so he faced Susanne, and giving her a wide smile. ‘It’s going to be beautiful.’ Because they were siblings, as part of the on-ship crew (they were only just working their first cruise) they’d been allowed to lodge together. There were two beds in the room, although only one was in use ... a fact no one else in the crew was privy to.

She bit back a shy smile, her blue-hazel eyes twinkling happily and pale, almost see-through freckled skin becoming rosy with eagerness. ‘I’m so, so happy we got these jobs, Abe! I hated it in that foster place. And I thought, with my condition, that working here would be impossible. But you convinced me, and look where we are now! Abe, you’re amazing. Now we can look after ourselves... finally.‘

‘Finally we can live alone,’ he agreed, pushing a long, pale lock of hair out of her face and touching his mouth gently to her pale lips. ‘Let me explore your exciting islands, Miss Susie.’ She giggled and let him kiss her all over, giving a soft ‘mmm,’ of contentment.

‘Captain Whitestone is so generous,’ Susanne sighed, as he settled himself on top of her.

Abe didn’t really want to think about their dear Captain right now, but he didn’t want to call attention to the fact that he didn’t really like the woman, either.

‘She is.’ And so captivated by you, Abe stopped himself from saying. The cruise ship’s Captain, Miriam Whitestone, was the definition of a modern woman. Her bright orange hair was sleek and short and straight, and so was her body, although she had nice, plump breasts. Since Abe was nineteen and Susanne only just barely sixteen, she seemed ‘old’ to them, but must have been only about thirty-six. But from the very first time the Clifford siblings had met Captain Miriam Whitestone, when Susanne had shyly shook her hand, Abe had sensed the pretty, modern-butch captain’s fascination with Susanne’s albinism. Something about it really seemed to turn the older woman on, and although he hadn’t known for sure that she was a lesbian at the time, a couple weeks working on the ship had confirmed it for sure. And Susanne, at the tender age of sixteen, was still shy. She didn’t usually consider herself sexy or sexually interesting to the world at large and generally acted like a child, feeling that was how the world still viewed her, anyhow.

I guess I’m not any better than our lovely Captain, Abraham mused to himself, as he gently reached to pull up the soft, tummy-cropped Stitch t-shirt Susanne was wearing. While her nipples were still very pale, they stood out as spots of vibrancy against her chalk-white skin, bright pink, semi-translucent, and tender looking. Her breasts were still very small, enhancing the childish, fae-like qualities she already possessed. And sure, Abe admitted to himself as his mouth closed around her nipple, he enjoyed the juxtaposition of their size and age and colouring, and even that taboo, destructive fact—that she was his sister. His sister always gave a little fluttery, breathy laugh when he suckled at her breasts, a soft giggle that caused both arousal and affection. Sure, they had sex, but to Susanne it wasn’t exactly sex, in a way—more like an extension of how close her relationship with her brother was. Something that seemed natural, and always loving, and so right. It was an intimate thing to do with someone. And who knew her, and would ever know her, more intimately than Abraham did?

It seemed strange, but something about her still seemed innocent to him. Neither was a virgin because of the other, and yet, Susanne still seemed virginal. He couldn’t explain it.

‘Mmmm,’ she sighed, her breath beginning to come in pants, as she put her hands in his long black hair. ‘Abe, you make me feel so good.’

His cock twitched in his pajama shorts. Her passionate cries always made him want for her, ache for her ... yet still he knew he must reprimand her. ‘Shhh, sweetie, don’t use my name here,’ he said gently, pausing to put a few more gentle kisses on her mouth. ‘What if someone hears you? I don’t want to be separated from you ever again, Susie-darling.’

‘No!’ she cried out in agreement. ‘I don’t want them to separate us, Abe.’

‘It’s okay,’ he soothed. ‘Kiss me, darling.’

Soon, the siblings’ kisses grew too heated. Susie was reassured, and now she wanted him; they were just struggling out of what remained of their pajamas when the morning bell sounded.

‘Noooo,’ Abraham groaned. Susie stifled a laugh at his emphatic reaction, but made a similar sound of disappointment.

‘Don’t worry, Abe, we have tonight,’ she said encouragingly. She smoothed his black hair and pulled it back for him. ‘We have all night. I’d better get dressed and head to the recreation centre before I’m late. No time for coffee this morning.’

Susanne swung her legs out of the bed they shared, quickly braiding her hair Pippi Longstocking style before slipping into her cute indigo tennis-style uniform skirt and the matching shirt and visor. Complete with her round horn-rimmed glasses, and with the stark colour contrast between skin and uniform, his little sister looked like she could be an anime character. ‘Have a good day,’ she said, smiling shyly, and kissed her brother goodbye before practically skipping out the door. Abe didn’t open the bar until 10A.M. except on the weekends, so he was able to take his time getting dressed and getting breakfast. There were a few hours to kill.

12.03 P.M., Lunch Hour

Susanne arrived earlier than usual to the restaurant/bar area of the ship where Abe usually spent most of his days. She seemed to have lost a little energy, too, which made him feel concerned, but joined him behind the bar as usual nonetheless, sinking sightlessly down into her seat and unwrapping the tuna salad sandwich her brother passed her, but not taking a bite.

‘How were your classes this morning?’ Abe took a big bite of his own chicken salad and glanced at his sister’s untouched lunch. Recreation activities on the ship began at 8.30 every morning, and Susanne was the crew lead. She was a constant familiar face—well-liked by the guests due to her pleasant appearance and shy, but bubbly, personality. Although there were usually guest instructors teaching things like yoga, Susanne led guests in games of pickle ball, volleyball, badminton, and similar sports. The demure, porcelain-lovely Susanne Clifford was the face of the third-floor indoor gymnasium and recreation facilities.

‘I think so,’ Susanne said distractedly. This made Abe really concerned, because she usually babbled on happily about the days’ events, chattering about some new, sweet elderly guest she’d made instant friends with and, of course, adored her. ‘I wasn’t paying enough attention today, and I feel just awful about it.’ Her eyes were distant and almost blank. ‘Captain Whitestone said something strange to me today, Abe’ she began in a strangled voice, looking paler than usual—a feat Abe hadn’t thought possible.

‘Well what did she say, Susanne?’ Abe asked, his tone coming out more urgent and forceful than he’d intended.

‘She said that another crew member had asked if we were dating because they ... saw something, or overheard something, that made it seem like we were. The Captain wasn’t very specific.’ Susanne shook her head as if to clear it, removing her visor and rubbing her temple. ‘I think she was vague on purpose, actually, just to scare me. This person who asked was very surprised when they learnt we were family.’

Oh, god, this was something they’d both had nightmares about. He tried to spare Susie from his worries and had always assuaged her fears with a bravely faked confidence when she’d come to him crying and fragile. Just this morning, he’d taken steps to help the illusion that nothing odd was going on between him and Susanne. But it seemed it wasn’t enough. Had they gotten so careless? That bitch Captain Whitestone seemed to be blackmailing them. Even gentle, naïve Susie was beginning to see that.

‘She didn’t say who it was who saw what?’ he repeated, asking for what must have been the fourth time at least, but if Susie had an answer he didn’t hear it. All he could hear was the buzzing in his head, getting louder and more frenetic by the second. It felt like it would swallow him.

Although he’d never had seasickness in his life, suddenly the waters didn’t seem so smooth to him. Abe looked down at the last two bites of sandwich he held in his hand and suddenly knew the rest would make a reappearance. He excused himself hurriedly, not wanting to worry Susie, and barely made it to the men’s room in time.

What were they going to do? And what the fuck did Whitestone want from them?

She ‘only been nice,’ and was ‘so generous,’ as Susanne was always saying, and had been nothing but a kind soul to the orphaned Cliffords from day one. So what could she possibly want from two teenage siblings that blackmail might get her?

When Abe realized the answer, it seemed so obvious to him.

She wants Susanne. It amazed him that he had met someone in real life who wanted sex enough that they were scummy enough to blackmail teenagers for it. Abe had always thought that sort of thing only ever happened in online erotica stories.

4.56P.M.

Explaining his hurried retreat to Susanne as the runs rather than a low-key nervous breakdown, Abe spent the rest of his shift brooding. It was nearly five when his sister came to visit him; she’d been off since half past four, and had gone to change into casual clothes of stonewashed overall-shorts and a colourful, gaudy flower print blouse. Her long, curly white hair was loose for once. Despite being underage, she sat at a barstool and brought her sandaled feet up too, so she could cradle her knees to her chest. It was the advantage to being part of the crew. While she wasn’t allowed to drink, they weren’t about to kick her out.