**_Rayburn

_**Oswald, Penelope, Charles, and I sit at the low round table in the Burtrom living room, voices low and minds focused. Oswald is on my team, as always, with Penelope and Charles getting along with each other this once to try and beat the combined forces of our pair.

Penelope groans, tossing her cards messily on the table and crossing her arms together in a angry manner. “This is _unfair_! You know more about magickers than we do, Rayburn. Your literal **_aunt_** has her own card in this game.”

I laugh. “That’s basically all I know about magickers, so we’re on the same plane.” Oswald scoots next to me then, I jump from the solid, warm feeling of his crossed thigh against mine before leaning into it. “The only reason I have a lead in this game is because I read the instructions.”

“And that’s the reason _I_ have a lead as well—because Rayburn read the instructions.” Oswald picks up a card and lays it down face forward. “I play Fire Master, Jager Page, and his Star Gazer Flame attack. Now hurry up, play your card Charlie.”

Charles, who was in a thinking calm during our banter, straightens and places his card down with confidence. “I counter that with the magicker Fiona Wills Shine Bright defense, blinding your magicker’s eyesight and therefore ending the spell and your next turn.” He smiles when he sees Oswald and I gape at him.

Oswald turns to me, his eyes in a teasing shock. “He’s still eleven, right?”

Penelope cheers. “Woo! And _that’s_ why he’s still my favorite brother!”

Oswald frowns. “Wait, wait—I’m not your favorite brother?” I sigh, then make my way to walk away from this before it turns ugly. Oswald, on the other hand, with a look of disbelief on his face, pulls me back down with a tight grip on my arm. It’s not his arm that keeps be down, though, it’s his gaze. I can’t tell if he’s serious or jesting.

Penelope rolls her eyes as though this was obvious. “Well I can’t have two favorites, can I? That would negate the meaning of _favorite_.” Charles’ face is between a wary smile and a scared

“Well listen here—“ Oswald’s voice is loud and cut off by his returning mother and father before it can grow.

Mrs. Burtrom sighs at the sight. “Bedtime everyone! Oswald, walk Rayburn home.”

Penelope groans. “But Muuum!”

Charles clutches his remaining cards to his chest, eyes wide but otherwise tired. “We haven’t finished the game yet!”

Mr. Burtrom starts to clean up the cards in the table as Oswald and I stand. Oswald’s hand is on my shoulder and he steers me to the door. “Bye, Mrs. Burtrom. Bye Mr. Burtrom.”

She blows me a kiss. “Have a good night, honey, tell Florence I said hello.”I don’t get to respond as Oswald shuts the door. We walk in silence for a moment, crossing the fencing to face the front of my aunt’s farmhouse.

“Not really sure why your mother asked you to walk me—we live right by each other.” We have for 11 years. “Bye—“ Oswald grabs arm and pulls me around, meeting my face with a kiss. I push away from him quickly, the kiss only a peck with my reflexes. It stings on my lips as if it were though, or what I think it would be.

“What is your deal!” I look at Oswald, who is a panting mess, his eyes dark and his body shaking in fine shivers. “I wanna take it slow, Oswald. Okay?”

He shakes his head. His hand reaches for my arm slowly, I can pull away if I wish to. I don’t, and he cradles the thin limb as though it is a sacred object. “I don’t think I’m capable of that level of control.”

I snatch my arm back at that. “Well you have been these past months.”

Oswald steps closer to me in the dark. His face set, eyebrows drawn. “Yes, months. But Ray, I can not,” he takes a shaky breath, “I can’t last years without _touching_ you at all.”

I shrink back at his heated gaze. “You touch me all the time,” I mumble weakly.

“You know what I mean.”

I gulp, my stomach doing flips were it was supposed to be resting. It’s not that I don’t want this. I _do_. But.…

I tense up when his hand, hot despite the cold night—_or is that just me?_—wraps around waist, pulling me closer. Oswald tucks his face into my neck. My heart races at the close proximity, making me wonder. What’s so different about this time? Will I really let him kiss me?

“Just a little, Ray. I’ll stop whenever you want me to.” He brings me closer. I rest my hands on his broad shoulders; my eyes shut.

For some reason, I say yes, and his lips come crashing on mine without hesitation. “Mmhp!” Warmth floods me, a dam breaking. My breath quickens, hands clutching, sliding over his back. Oswald’s lips are a firm press, softening as his hands start to roam. I say something—probably his name, my mind is too muddle to register—but whatever it is his fingers dig into my hip and his mouth opens wider, and then—

“Oswald?” Mrs. Burtrom’s soft voice rings out in the night, questioning.

_HOLY—_

My first instinct is to push away, but Oswald keeps me close. His hands strokes my back, calming me down, as he responds, “Yes, Mum?”

“Why are you still out here? Hurry on inside, dear.”

“Yes ma’am.”

We don’t speak until we hear the closing of their creaking door. Oswald lets me go and I realize that my lips are swollen. My heart hasn’t really caught up with the program, still beating at that fast pace, and my face is hot. Ah.

“How was that, Rayburn?” Oswald says. I look up, his face illuminated by the lamps placed outside. I shake my head and turn away from him to go to my front door.

“I’ll tell you in the morning.”Of course, I enjoyed it. But why would I show that?

Oswald laughs behind me. “Goodnight…my love.”

I open the door, face red and heart beating in a happy, warm rhythm. “Don’t call me that.” Then I promptly shut the door with a click.