FictionPress.com - let the words flow
| FictionPress.com - let the words flow |
|
| Home Just In Communities Forums Beta Readers Dictionary Search | Login Register Extras |
Pick a Phobia
By simonexsays
Summary: She had just about every phobia known to man. Alektorophobia, chorophobia, mycophobia, russophobia... the list went on and on. But there was one phobia she sure didn’t have.
“Oh god, oh god, oh god... Julius it’s a mushroom! Get it off! Get it off! Holy freaking cow, get it away!”
Julius Warner also knew how hard it was. He was the best friend of the girl who had just about every god damn phobia known to man.
“Jesus, calm down Tins! There are no mushrooms on this!”
“Yes, there are! Oh god, Julius, it’s right there!”
“Tinsley, chill out... that’s just cheese.”
“Oh...” The expression on her face instantly changed from clear panic to curiosity. “Is it really?” She extended her pointer finger and poked the place on the slice of pizza where she had thought there was a mushroom. When the greasy cheese touched her skin she realized there was no mushroom at all, it had just been her rabid imagination. “Huh. I guess you’re right...”
He rolled his eyes and let the slice of pizza flop back down on the plate in front of him. “I told you there were no mushrooms on this. You know I would never do that to you.”
Tinsley shivered just at the use of the m-word. “But it really did look like a... you know,” she mumbled, hanging her head slightly in embarrassment, a dark blush consuming her cheeks as well. “I’m sorry. You’re probably getting sick of all my panic attacks.” She blew out a sigh before lifting her head, her eyes weary. “I know I am.”
Julius wanted to scream at the top of his lungs that he was so fucking sick of all her random panic attacks, but the look on her face kept him from uttering his true feelings. Those azure orbs were laced with sadness as well as anger that was clearly directed at herself.
No, he couldn’t do that to her; he loved the girl way too much to even consider doing it. It was just a pity that she couldn’t see how much he really did love her.
“It’s not that bad, Tins,” he lied, trying to get the petite blonde girl sitting across from him at his kitchen table to cheer up. “The psychiatrist you’re seeing seems to be really helping. This was the first attack you’ve had in days.”
The girl frowned, her perfect mouth tipping down at the corners. “That’s just because I haven’t come over in a couple days. You missed the freak out I had yesterday because they showed the Pope on TV. It was pretty bad.”
Julius raised an eyebrow and looked at his friend oddly. “You’re afraid of the Pope?”
She closed her eyes momentarily and nodded slowly before opening them again. “Papaphobia. It’s my newest fear. I don’t even know why the sight of the Pope terrifies me, but he sure as hell does.”
“Beats me,” Julius replied, honestly having no idea why an old Catholic man who lived hundreds of miles away in Italy would scare her. “I didn’t even know you had that phobia.”
A soft snort came from her as she pulled her legs up to her chest, wrapping her thin arms around them. “I’ve got a lot of phobias you don’t know about.”
He cocked his head to the side slightly, curious about what else she could be terrified of. He was surprised there was anything even left. He knew she feared mushrooms, chickens, Russians, clowns, poetry, dentists, flying, crowds, bald men, the Bogeyman, storms, and his favorite one of all... dancing.
He had figured that last one out at a school sock hop back in eighth grade, and apparently that was the same time that she figured out that dancing was positively frightening. Four years later and she couldn’t even stand to watch Dancing With The Stars on TV. He sort of pitied her because of that. Then again, watching washed out celebrities trying to dance wasn’t as amusing as most people made it out to be.
“Which ones don’t I know about?” he questioned as he stood up, removing the empty pizza box from the table and setting it down near the trashcan.
He saw her squirm slightly from the corner of his eye, her fingers running nervously through her flaxen hair. “They’re kind of embarrassing...”
“Oh, come on, Tins,” he prodded, turning to face her before leaning against one of the counters and crossing his arms over his broad chest. “You know you can tell me.”
He watched as she squirmed a little bit more before finally putting her feet back on the ground and springing up from her seat. “If I tell you, you’re going to laugh at me.” She pouted slightly as she scooped up her empty plate and moved gracefully over to the sink to wash it. “Besides, I’ve never told anyone about a certain few...”
Julius watched her every move, his eyes locked on her delicate doll-like face. “I’ve known you since kindergarten, Tins. You know you can tell me anything.”
“But it’s really embarrassing, Jules,” she countered, her light blue eyes glancing up momentarily to lock with his contrasting dark ones. “I haven’t even told my therapist about them.”
His hands moved to his jean clad hips in mock anger. “Are you trying to say that you trust your therapist more than you trust me?” he asked, jokingly.
A soft gasp escaped her lips and she began shaking her head rapidly, her soapy hands coming up out of the water in the sink. “No, not at all!” she exclaimed, unable to see that he was only joking. “You know I trust you more than anyone in the world, Julius! How could you ever doubt that?”
He chuckled softly and moved closer to her, his arm slipping around her waist as he pulled her into a gentle hug, her five foot two frame fitting perfectly into his side. “Relax,” he murmured, his voice filled with amusement as he stared down at her, his lips peeled back from his bright white teeth in a grin. “I was only joking.”
Her tense figure relaxed almost immediately after the words escaped his lips. A playful scowl came to her lips as she smacked his chest with one of her wet hands. “It sounded like you were serious!”
Julius laughed when her soaking wet hand made contact with his tee shirt, the soft cotton absorbing the water. “Must you get me wet?”
Tinsley grinned up at him and nodded. “You know it.”
“Well if that’s the case...” Julius trailed off, a devilish smirk coming to his lips as he slipped his hands under the running water, collecting some in his cupped hands and dumping it on his best friend’s head before she could even anticipate what was happening.
A sound somewhere between a scream and a giggle escaped her lips, causing Julius to be glad his parents were gone for the weekend.
“You ass!” she exclaimed, laughing as she grabbed the sprayer attachment on the back of the sink. “You’re going to pay for that!”
Julius cautiously took a step back, putting his hands up in surrender at the sight of the small hose, though the grin was still on his lips. “You wouldn’t dare...”
“Wanna bet?”
Before he could get another word out, cold water assaulted his skin, causing goose bumps to appear wherever it landed. Laughter sprang from him as he raised his arms to shield his face from the spray of the water, moving forward towards her to try and get the thing out of her hand. The sound of her intoxicating giggle was the only thing he could hear as she danced away from him every time he made a move to catch her.
After a couple failed attempts and teased profanities, Julius managed to snake an arm around her waist and grab the sprayer from her hand, turning it away from him and pointing it at her instead. Within seconds the pair were both completely soaked, as was just about everything else in the kitchen, and they had collapsed on the ground in complete hysterics.
After a few minutes, Julius managed to ease his laughter into a light chuckle as he turned onto his side to stare down at the completely soaked girl laying beside him on the floor. A crooked grin was plastered on her face and her eyes were sparkling with humor.
“You got me wet,” she stated, staring up at him as she pouted once more.
Words deserted him as he stared down at her pale pink lips, the urge to kiss them suddenly coming over him. He tried to shake the thought from his mind, but it was there to stay. He was, however, able to move his gaze up from her lips to her eyes. At least that was a start.
“I could say the same,” he murmured once he was able to find his voice, though it was huskier than normal.
A small droplet of water dripped from his golden hair and splashed onto her rosy cheek, causing Tinsley to giggle once more.
“And you keep getting me wetter and wetter...”
Yet another grin sprang to Julius’s lips as he reached up to swipe the bit of water off of her cheek.
“Better?” he questioned softly, keeping his hand resting gently on the side of her face.
The grin that had been mirrored on her face suddenly faded and turned into a shy one. “A little... I’m wet in a lot of other places too, you know.”
And you’re bound to be wet in plenty more once I’m done with you. The thought that sprang up in Julius’s mind didn’t surprise him; it wasn’t a rare occasion that slightly perverted thoughts about his best friend came up. But never in his life had he actually wanted to act and make it come true so badly.
His eyes roamed her perfect face for a few moments, taking in the smooth planes of her cheeks, her cute, slightly upturned nose, and her pale eyelashes that swept across her skin every time she blinked. God, she was beautiful. He’d known that ever since he’d started liking girls back in elementary school. But right now she seemed even more beautiful than he’d seen her before. Even though her hair was dripping wet, her eyeliner smudged and her cheeks tinted red, she was absolutely perfect.
“Julius?”
Her soft voice drew him out of his thoughts and his chocolate brown orbs met with hers. “Yeah, Tins?”
Her dainty hand moved up to gently remove his from her face, choosing instead to lace her fingers with his considerably larger ones. “I want you to help me get over one of my phobias,” she announced, her voice barely more than a whisper.
The corners of his mouth twitched up into a small smile. “Which one? Or do I get to pick?”
She shook her head slightly and bit her bottom lip nervously, color flooding her cheeks once more. “No, it’s a certain one I want you to help me with.” She drew in a deep breath before speaking again. “It’s... it’s the one I haven’t told anyone about... but it’s called... dishabiliophobia.”
Julius raised an eyebrow, unable to comprehend what in the hell that even meant. “In English, please.”
Tinsley groaned and rubbed her face with her free hand. “Oh god, this is going to be so embarrassing... promise you won’t laugh?” Her innocent eyes bore into his, wanting to know if he really wouldn’t laugh.
He raised the hand that wasn’t being clutched by hers and stuck out his pinky. “Pinky swear.”
A smile came to her lips as she raised her own pinky and linked it with his. Tinsley then drew in another deep breath and explained. “Dishabiliophobia is... is...” She paused and closed her eyes before continuing on a moment later. “The fear of getting undressed in front of someone.”
Julius had to try hard not to laugh or to even smile. In the end he had to bite his tongue so hard he almost drew blood. “You’re afraid of getting undressed in front of people?”
His luck was impeccable. The girl he had been in love with for the past eight years wanted his help to get over her phobia of getting naked. He was taking this as a sign, not to mention he wasn’t going to turn down helping her. But he needed to keep everything in context. She wasn’t just saying she wanted to get naked with him, she was saying she was utterly terrified of the idea of getting naked and wanted her best friend to help her get over that. There was a slight difference.
Tinsley groaned loudly and dropped both of his hands, covering her face once more. “I know, it’s so stupid! I always have to change in a stall for gym because I can’t even put on my gym clothes in front of the other girls. And if I can’t get undressed in front of someone how am I...” she trailed off for a moment, moving her hands away from her face as she stared up at her best friend, obviously worried. “How am I going to be able to ever... have physical relations with anyone? It’s not like I can do much with my clothes on...” She began squirming nervously once more. “So I want your help.”
“But,” he started softly, “why do you want my help?”
Tinsley flashed him a look as if that was the most idiotic question anyone had ever asked her. “Because you’re my best friend, Julius,” she explained, her hand coming up to brush a few locks of hair out of his eyes. “And I trust you. I know you’re willing to help me with anything, so why not this?” A light smile came across her lips once more. “Besides, I know you would never, you know, try anything.”
Whatever hope had been brewing inside of Julius died instantly. All she wanted was his help to get over this problem... nothing more. In a way he understood that, but it never stopped him from hoping that something more could come from it.
“Yeah, I’d never try anything at all on you,” he affirmed, trying to keep the awkwardness out of his voice. “I’m your best friend; I’d never do anything like that.”
The smile on her lips only widened. “And that’s exactly why we’re friends.”
She then rolled over onto her side to face him and wrapped her arms around his neck, their wet bodies meeting in a slightly uncomfortable embrace. Before he could get his arms around her as well, she pulled back and sprang to her feet.
“Well... I think we should get started,” she stated, tugging on her soaked black tee shirt. “I think I might start chaffing soon.”
Julius chuckled as he stood up slowly, water dripping from his wet body and pooling at his feet. “That’s probably a good idea. I feel like I might start growing mold within the next few minutes.” He allowed himself a smile. “We should probably move somewhere dryer as well.”
“How about your bedroom?” she prompted, looking as innocent as ever.
Julius could tell already that this might be harder than he initially thought. If things went according to plan, within the next ten minutes he was going to have a naked, wet, beautiful girl in his bedroom, standing only feet away from his bed where the virginities of many other girls had been taken. And somehow he was going to have to resist taking hers.
He swallowed hard and hoped she hadn’t noticed. “That’ll work,” he agreed, thankful that his voice hadn’t cracked.
Tinsley extended her arm and took his hand within hers, gently pulling him out of the kitchen, up the stairs, down the hall, and into his bedroom, leaving a trail of water behind them. She allowed him to enter first and she followed behind soon after, closing the door quietly behind her. Julius froze where he was standing and watched as Tinsley moved to stand in front of him, only a couple feet away.
“So...” she started, her voice sounding anxious. “How should we... do this?”
Julius honestly had no idea how to do this, it wasn’t as if he had cured dishapiliophobia before. So when a half way decent idea popped up into his head, he went for it.
“Lets just take it slow,” he suggested, not really knowing what he was saying. When he was with other girls, getting clothes off wasn’t the hard part. But apparently that wasn’t going to be the case with his best friend. “I’ll start by taking off an article of clothing and you’ll follow, just so you won’t have to be embarrassed by being the only one undressed. Do you think you could handle that?”
He watched as her breathing became a little more labored, signaling to him that she was on the brink of an actual panic attack. Nonetheless, she nodded. “I think I can...”
Julius drew in a deep breath and nodded along with her. “If you get uncomfortable anytime during this, just tell me you want to stop and we will. I won’t force you to do anything you don’t want to.”
Jesus, he had never used this speech just to get a girl undressed. Those words usually never left his lips until the girl was undressed and laying underneath of him right before they were about to go at it. This was definitely a new experience.
A weak smile appeared on her lips. “Thanks, Jules. I really appreciate this.”
“It’s no problem.” That wasn’t even a lie. “Lets get started then. We’ll go really slow, I promise. Shoes first.”
He went first and kicked off his size twelve Nike’s, leaving his feet bare seeing as he hardly ever wore socks.
“Your turn.”
Tinsley hesitated, her breath hitching in her chest, but she went through with it and kicked off her tiny flats, leaving her barefoot as well. Her eyes fluttered shut and she exhaled, as if the hard part was over. She reopened her eyes again a moment later and nodded to him to continue.
His hands immediately went to the hem of his tee shirt and he pulled it up and over his head with ease, tossing it to the ground. He could feel his best friend’s eyes on his tanned chest and for some reason the urge to blush came over him. She had never looked at him like this before, and it was making him wonder if maybe -- just maybe -- she felt the same way about him that he did about her. But then again, he hadn’t ever stood half naked in front of her. Maybe her staring didn’t mean a thing. Luckily, the heat in his cheeks went away and he kept his eyes locked on her face, trying to squash the sudden awkwardness this situation brought up.
Tinsley’s eyes finally made their way back up to meet with his. Her fingers skirted over the bottom of her own shirt momentarily, as if debating whether or not she could do this. Julius really did doubt she could, but that immediately changed when an aggravated grunt escaped her lips and her fingers curled into the fabric of the shirt, then, suddenly, it was on the ground in a pile with his.
His amazed eyes scanned over her halfway revealed torso, her light pink bra covering what he really wanted to see. She looked as if she didn’t care that he was staring at her, and if she did, she was hiding it well. Her breathing, however, had picked up and her hands were beginning to shake; the panic attack was definitely on its way.
“Do you want to stop?” he asked softly, concerned for her well being.
She shook her head in response. “I want to keep going.”
“If you insist.” He flashed her what he thought would be a comforting smile and began to unbutton and unzip his jeans, tugging them off a moment later and kicking them into the pile. It was then he realized which pair of boxers he was wearing. Of all the days to put on Batman boxers, and it had to be today. Wonderful.
That however made his best friend giggle and relax a bit. “Batman? I thought you said your favorite superhero was Superman.”
Julius chuckled with her and raised a hand to rub the back of his neck, slightly embarrassed. “It’s a tie between the two.”
“Nice to know.” At least she was amused by this.
Without faltering, her hands expertly undid her jeans and within instants they were in the clothes pile. If she was uncomfortable with this, it wasn’t showing at all. If anything, he looked more nervous than she did, which was quite odd. Wasn’t she supposed to be the one with dishabiliophobia?
“Well,” she started, pausing momentarily. “Looks like I’ve got more clothes on than you do. Should I... take off something else?”
Julius was slightly taken aback by her forwardness. “If you want to...”
She nodded and moved her hands to her back to unclasp her bra. A few tantalizing seconds passed and the bra was still on her. Apparently she was having difficulties with this surprisingly easy task.
“Help me with this, would you?”
Her words took him by surprise. She wanted him to undo her bra? Good lord, if there was one thing to torture him with, it was this. He got to help undress the girl he wanted, but nothing else. He was going to go insane if he kept this up.
“Sure,” he murmured, taking himself by surprise. How in the hell was he going to manage to do this?
Tinsley moved closer to him and once she was only inches away, she turned so he had direct access to the clasp. Julius hesitated momentarily, but his fingers met with her skin seconds later, causing a soft shudder to rake through her body and a soft sigh to escape her lips.
“Go slow,” she whispered, sweeping her light blonde hair to one side of her neck. God, he would have given anything to kiss that perfect neck right now.
He nodded even though she couldn’t see him and rested his fingers on the soft material. He went slowly, just like she asked, undoing each one of the three clasps as unhurriedly as he could manage. As soon as the third and final clasp was undone, the garment began slipping off of her. The straps were the only thing holding it up now, and Julius was quick to fix that by moving his hands up to her shoulders and slowly pulling the straps down her arms and letting it fall off.
His breath once again hitched in his chest as she turned to face him, a shy smile on her face, and it took every ounce of strength in him not to glance down at her now exposed chest.
“Lets do the next part together,” she murmured, her eyes boring into his own. “It’ll make it easier.”
There was no way he could say no to that. His hands traveled to the waistband of his boxers while her fingers began sliding off her own undergarments. Her eyes didn’t leave his as she did so, and before long the two were standing close to each other, completely nude. Julius could feel the heat rolling off of her body and their close proximity was making a very uncomfortable reaction occur.
“That was...” He paused and swallowed hard, heat surging to his groin. “...surprisingly easy.” He still didn’t dare look down at the rest of her body. He might not have been able to control himself if he did.
Suddenly, taking him by complete surprise, she laughed, all traces of nervousness leaving her to be replaced by a sly grin. “That’s because I lied, you idiot.” She took a step closer to him, causing their drenched bodies to collide.
Had he heard her right? “...What?” he breathed out in disbelief, trying to ignore the throbbing in his groin.
“Dishabiliophobia?” She snorted, her hands coming up to rest on his chest. “That’s one phobia I don’t have.” Tinsley dropped her gaze from his and her fingers began drifting downwards, tracing patterns on his golden abs.
“You... you tricked me?” he managed to question.
She shrugged, still not looking at him. “I thought that was the only way to get you naked.”
All he could do was stand there and gape at her. He couldn’t even think about what to say to that. She’d been wanting to get him naked? Holy fucking shit.
His silence must have worried her, seeing as she looked up abruptly, her eyes concerned. “You aren’t mad, are you?”
Julius scoffed and grabbed her hands from his chest, holding them in his. “Mad? Tinsley, I’ve been wanting to get you naked for years. Didn’t you know that?”
“Well didn’t you know that I’ve been wanting to get you naked for years?”
Julius was shocked by this. He hadn’t known she had liked him as more than a friend. It honestly made him wonder how long they’d been hiding their true feelings from each other.
“I never knew that,” he admitted, blinking in surprise.
“Now you do,” she stated, the grin still on her lips. “And since we’re both naked like we’ve been wanting to happen for years... want to help me cure another ‘phobia?’”
A grin slowly appeared on Julius’s lips as the shock disappeared, and he slipped his arms around her waist, pulling her body flush against his. “That depends. If it has to do with the fear of having sex, I’d be happy to.”
Tinsley giggled and stood on her toes, making her just tall enough to brush her soft lips against his. “You’re in luck then, pretty boy. I’m absolutely terrified of sex.”
Julius smirked against her lips. “I’m here to help.”
EL FIN!