Friends and Lovers

upset or angry or disappointed or anything like that. If you didn't know it already, Janet and I didn't do this until she was a hundred percent sure; I didn't push her, or bug her, or do anything to try and make it happen before then. We have started this, but it ends if and when you say it does. I told you before that I love you. Even though it isn't like we're boyfriend and girlfriend, I still love you enough to not do this, if that's what you decide.'

Nadia's eyes stayed locked on mine as she answered 'I know that, Danny. That's what makes me want to be with you my first time -' 'cause I know I can trust you to be patient and not do or say anything to make me feel bad if I have to ask you to wait, or slow down, or something. And as nice as you were last time, I know you'll do whatever you can so you don't hurt me. What Janet said to me – I know that you understand how special this is to me, and that you'll do your best to make it as good and happy for me as you can. I'm nervous about this, because it's my first time -' but I'm not afraid of what happens. I – I even got started using birth control, so we wouldn't have to do anything special or different, and can just try to make this as good as possible.'

After moving my hands to her hips, I tilted my head forward and gave her a kiss that was as tender and affectionate as I could make it -' and Nadia readily kissed me back.

More kisses followed, and our affection evolved into desire – and then into passion. Both of us were breathing heavily when our lips separated by mutual accord.

I slid my hands under the hem of Nadia's sweater, and she responded to my raised eyebrow with a nod. I carefully lifted it up far enough to reveal her lovely breasts, and helped her get her arms free before finally lifting it over her head. After I set it aside on my chair, my hands went to the waistband of the skirt she was wearing; it took only a little exploration to find the closure – and UNclose it. A few more seconds, and I was easing it down her legs -' and discovering that she didn't have panties on, either. When I looked at her, she just gave me a mischievous smile before I got the skirt low enough for her to step out of it. As I set the skirt with her sweater, she slipped off the sandals she was wearing, and nudged them out of the way. That left her standing stark naked in front of me, her pretty face and sexy body on full display.

I started to reach for the buttons on the polo shirt I was wearing, then stopped and asked 'Unless you want to?'

It took her only a second to decide that she did. Once she'd gotten the buttons undone and my shirt off, she spent several seconds just running her hands across my chest before letting them move down to my waist. I had to help with my belt, but she dealt with the snap and zipper of my jeans on her own before she slid them down my legs. She nudged each of my legs to let me know to lift it so she could slip my loafers off my bare foot and pull my jeans off. Kneeling in front of me, her eyes were locked on the bulge in my undershorts as she slid her hands under their waistband. Slowly, as if teasing herself, she slid my briefs down to reveal my cock and balls; once they were in sight, my shorts quickly joined my pants and shirt. I was as naked as she was when she stood up again and took a step back, giving each of us a chance to look at the other; I figured that the scenery was better for me.

Our eyes returned to each other's faces at almost the same time, and from the look in hers I could tell that she was ready for us to continue. She walked with me to my bed, and helped turn down the bed covers before calmly laying down when I did. We rolled onto our sides to face each other, and after I put my hand on her hip, she told me 'Danny, I wanted to make sure you understand that I'm not asking you to do this because I want us to be a couple, or anything. I'm ready to start learning about sex and everything, and I know that you're someone I can trust to make it *right* the first time. I – I love you, but it's like you told me that night -' it isn't the big stay-together-forever kind of love. Ever since you and Janet talked to me about what you think love is, I've been thinking about it; and I think maybe I'm even kinda-sorta starting to understand it. I mean, I've been watching my parents, I can see what you and her meant about how there are different parts that make up loving someone. I see how hard my dad tries to make sure me and my mom have all the things we need, and I know how much my mom does to keep our house nice and take care of Dad and me. And – and for the first time, really, I understand how much they love me and care for me; and how hard they try to help me learn to be a good person, and that I have everything I need while I'm growing up -' and it makes me love them even more, and try harder to show them that they don't have to worry about me. I know that the way I feel about you isn't anything like how I feel about them, so I know that I don't love you as much as I do them; I still love you, just not as much, because you're so nice and smart and everything. I even realized that I love Janet, too, because of how good of a friend she is, and all the good things that I know are in her. I – I kinda feel bad, a little bit, because I've got such wonderful people like my parents, and Janet, and you, and I don't understand how all of you can be so good and loving and everything with me.'

I started caressing Nadia's side as I told her 'After you were here, and Janet said she probably wasn't explaining it right, I asked my Mom and Dad how I could help other people understand what we mean about love.' Seeing a look of concern on her face, I quickly said 'I didn't say anything about who or why or any of that; I just made it sound like something I wanted to know. Each of them answered me in a different way, but that actually just helped me understand how to explain it better.'

Nadia was listening closely as I continued 'You know that we love other people because of the good things we see in them -' brave or honest or smart or whatever, and that the more of the good things there are, the more we love them. The thing is, other people love US _the same way, and for the same reasons_. According to Mom, that's something a lot of people have trouble with – really understanding and*accepting*. You said that you loved your folks even more when you realized how much they do; now try to understand that they love you because of what kind of person you are. They love you because you are smart, and because you are the kind of person that they wanted you to become, and because you are responsible and honest and all the other things they've tried to teach you to be while you were growing up. Nadia, they love you because you*deserve* it by being the kind of person you are, the same way Janet and I do.'

Nadia just lay there for several seconds, looking my general direction, but focused on a point about a thousand miles over my shoulder. When she came out of the reverie she was in, I wasn't anywhere near being prepared for it when she suddenly latched onto me and began crying. I was afraid that I'd really messed things up, but Nadia was so busy trying to drown my nipples with her tears and making these big globbering noises that I knew there wasn't any point in trying to get her to tell me what was wrong. All I could do was hold her, and rub her back as I tried to tell her it was okay, that everything was fine, and other such things. Finally, after what seemed like forever her tears slowed, and she began to calm down again.

Figuring that Nadia would want us to stay together for a while after the first time, I'd brought a towel into my room. I was able to grab it, and offer the end of it to her. She looked at it blankly for a second, then gave me an embarrassed smile before taking it and dabbing at her eyes. Even after she got her face dried off, she was still snuffling from a runny nose, and I gently told her 'Go ahead and use it to blow your nose, too.' Her ears turned pink, and I looked away and pretended I couldn't hear as she got her sinuses cleared before looking back at her again.

'Are you going to be okay now? You want me to take that?', I asked.

She nodded, and after wiping her nose, handed me the towel. Barely holding it between my thumb and finger, I exaggerated tossing it off to the side, making her laugh and playfully slap my chest. When I was looking at her again, she told me 'I'm sorry for all of that -' but when you told me that all of you love me because I deserve it – I remembered what you said about being honest with yourself, and I kinda looked inside myself and realized that I*do* try to be the things you and Janet said you like in me. And then I understood that I DO deserve it when people love me, and I just felt so good and happy -'

I hugged her briefly, then said 'There's nothing to be sorry for. I can understand that something like that would hit you pretty hard, so if it made you feel better to cry, then that's fine.'

'Maybe – but I'll bet I'm a mess now, with my eyes all puffy and my nose red -'

I touched my lips to hers before assuring her 'You look fine.' and taking her into my arms again.

We lay there in silence for a bit before she said 'What you and Janet have – loving each other so much, I mean – is there any way that can happen with me? And maybe my folks?'

'Me and Janet, we grew up with all of this, and it's just much a part of our lives that we hardly ever have to think about it. Because I know I'm not really old enough to explain it right -' at least, not in anything less than a couple of days, maybe -' I can only tell you things that I've heard Mom and Dad say, and what they've told us.'

I felt her nod that was okay, and went on 'If you start trying to tell people about it, they don't really listen‹nowiki›; they'll either figure you're part of some kind of cult or something, or think that you