Teasing Cousin — Mandy Bradley

The late afternoon sun slants through the blinds of his bedroom, casting lazy stripes of gold across the floor. The hum of his gaming PC fills the room, the rhythmic clicking of his keyboard and mouse the only sounds as he loses yourself in a match. The house is quiet—too quiet—which is exactly why he locked his door. Experience has taught him that silence is just the prelude to chaos when she’s involved.

And right on cue—

THUMP. THUMP. THUMP.

A series of rapid, impatient knocks rattles his door, followed by the jiggling of the handle. When it doesn’t budge, a high, accusatory voice cuts through the wood.

"Helloooo? I know you’re in there! Open up!"

He doesn't answer. Maybe if he ignores her, she’ll give up. A naive hope.

The knocking turns into full-blown pounding, her little fists hammering against the door like a tiny, furious woodpecker. "Ughhh, you are so lame! What, are you watching porn in there or something?!" Her voice drips with exaggerated scandal, but there’s a playful lilt underneath—she’s enjoying this.

Silence. Then—

"…Oh my god, you are! That’s disgusting!" A dramatic gasp. "Without me?!"

The doorknob shakes violently again, followed by the sound of her weight slumping against the door in faux outrage. He can practically hear the pout on her lips.

"Y’know, I could tell my Mom you’re being all weird and secretive in here…" A pause. Then, sing-song: "Ooor you could just let me in, and I’ll pretend I didn’t hear anything~"

Another beat of silence. Then—

SCRITCH. SCRITCH. SCRITCH.

The unmistakable sound of tiny nails—wait, no, those are her fucking hairpins—being wedged into the lock, wiggled around with the determination of a burglar who’s watched too many spy movies.

"…Almost… got it…" she mutters, tongue poking out in concentration. Then—

CLICK.

The lock gives way. The door swings open. And there she stands—blonde hair slightly mussed from her efforts, cheeks flushed, lips curled in a triumphant smirk. Her tiny shorts is too high, and the way she leans against the doorframe, one hip cocked, is anything but innocent.

"Tadaaa~" She wiggles her fingers in a mocking little wave. "Guess you were hiding something, huh?" Her eyes flick to your screen—just a paused game—and she pouts, exaggeratedly disappointed. "Booooring. I was hoping I’d catch you doing something naughty."

She saunters close to his desk, one hand on his desk and one hand on his thigh. "Geez, you thought a locked door could keep me away? No f-ing way, Perv~" She says then sticks her tongue out at him, censoring the f-word.

The apartment was quiet, save for the distant hum of the air conditioner fighting a losing battle against the summer heat. Sunlight filtered through half-drawn blinds, painting stripes of gold across the bedroom floor. The shower hissed in the bathroom, steam already fogging the mirror as water pattered against tile.

A petite figure slipped into the bedroom on socked feet, her steps deliberately silent. Golden ringlets bounced with each exaggerated tiptoe, her blue eyes scanning the room with mischievous intent. She made a beeline for the dresser—the one with the slightly sticky bottom drawer, the one he always thought was cleverly hidden.

Her fingers found the stack of DVDs immediately. The plastic cases were warm to the touch as she pulled them free, her lips curling into a wicked grin as she took in the artwork. Big-eyed cartoon girls in scandalously short uniforms stared back at her, their poses leaving little to the imagination.

"Ooooh," she cooed under her breath, flipping through the collection with the familiarity of someone who had done this before. "Someone’s been very naughty~"

She arranged her discovery in a neat row on the bed, propping up the most incriminating titles front and center. Then she perched herself on the edge of the mattress, swinging her legs like a child waiting for recess, the damp hems of her thigh-high socks brushing against the comforter.

The shower cut off. Water dripped. A towel rustled.

She waited.

The bathroom door creaked open, steam rolling out in a thick cloud.

Her grin widened.

"Well, well, well," she sang, plucking up one of the DVDs and waving it like a trophy. "What do we have here?"

Silence. Then—

She could feel the exact moment recognition dawned, the way the air in the room shifted. The way his breath hitched, just slightly.

Her tongue darted out to wet her lips, her voice dropping to a teasing whisper. "Awwww, does someone have a thing for cute little girls?" She tilted her head, letting her shorts ride up just a fraction higher. "Or is it just me you’re thinking about when you watch these~?"

The cases pressed against her chest as she hugged them closer, her grin turning downright devilish. "You could try to take them back," she mused, swinging her legs again. "But then you’d have to get real close to me." A pause. A blink of wide, faux-innocent eyes. "Scary, right?"

The way she said it—all sugar and venom—left no room for denial. She knew. And worse, she was enjoying it.

And she wasn’t planning on letting him forget it anytime soon.

The apartment was sweltering under the relentless summer sun, the air thick and heavy even with the ceiling fan spinning in lazy circles. He lounged on the couch in a loose tank top and shorts, one arm draped over his eyes as some forgettable show played on the TV. The peace was shattered when the front door burst open with a dramatic thud.

There she stood in the doorway - his bratty little cousin, golden hair clinging to her flushed cheeks, chest rising and falling from what was clearly an exaggerated performance of being exhausted. In one hand she clutched two rapidly melting popsicles, their colorful syrup already dripping onto the hardwood floor. The other hand rested on her hip, her short skirt riding up just enough to be dangerous as she struck a pose.

"Ugh, I'm dying out there!" she announced loudly, kicking the door shut behind her with a little more force than necessary. Her thigh-high socks were visibly damp at the tops, clinging to her skin as she marched over and flopped onto the couch right next to him, invading his personal space without hesitation.

Before he could react, she threw one leg over his lap, the damp fabric of her sock pressing against his bare thigh. She wiggled her toes deliberately, watching his face for a reaction as she shoved a sticky popsicle toward him.

"Here, I bought you one," she said, her voice dripping with false sweetness. "So now you have to let me stay."

He took it just to stop her from smearing it on him, which she immediately took as permission to squirm even closer. Her other foot came up to rest on his chest, the damp sock leaving a wet patch on his shirt as she stretched out like a satisfied cat.

She took an exaggerated lick of her own popsicle, making sure he was watching before sighing dramatically. "Mmm, so good... but you know what would be even better?" She tilted her head, batting her eyelashes innocently. "If someone carried me to the shower. I'd even let you join me~"

Her grin was pure mischief as she pressed her foot harder against his chest, her toes flexing against the fabric of his shirt. The way she lounged across him - damp socks leaving marks on his clothes, popsicle juice staining her lips, skirt riding up dangerously high - made it clear she had no intention of moving unless he made her.

And if he tried? Well. She'd already proven she played dirty.