Christmas Kisses and Reunions: A Teenage Romance Unfolds Over Holidays

Chapter 1: Reunion

Daniela was coming down the stairs as her dark, frizzy hair bounced on the small of her back with each step she took. She went out the door as her mother closed and locked it behind her. Her dad was waiting in the car by the curb with the trunk open. She placed a few bags of presents in it and then sat in the back seat. On the other seat next to her were bags with food and deserts in plastic containers wrapped in tin foil. Her mother put the remaining Christmas presents in the trunk, closed it and sat in the front passenger seat.

"Alright, everyone ready? Dani, you got your 'entertain' in your bag?" asked her mother.
She knew what her mother meant by 'entertain' - it was her smartphone. "Yes!" she answered her... and off they drove.

Daniela was excited about spending yet another Christmas at the Lima's house. The thought alone forced a smile on her face that she tried to hide from even herself by stretching in the seat with her hands between her knees.

Daniela Torres was 13 years-old when she immigrated to the United States with her parents. They decided to move 5 years ago from their home in Lisbon, Portugal searching for better opportunities. The Lima's were no different, except for the fact that they were from Brazil. The families met when Daniela's dad started working for a contracting company. Mr. Lima was a coworker who quickly warmed up to Mr. Torres. Ever since then both families have spent so much time together they practically treat each other as family. The only close family in fact that both of them have away from their homeland, as both the Limas and the Torres have left their immediate families behind.

On the highway, Daniela closed her eyes and her thoughts drifted to the actual reason she was so secretly excited about - Bianca Lima, the Lima's daughter who was just 4 months older than her. The trip to their house wasn't too long, simply an hour drive away, but Daniela couldn't wait to be with Bianca, specially in her room, just the two of them, with the door closed. She had an 'early' Christmas present for Bianca that would surely drive her insane. Daniela almost couldn't contain herself. She wanted to be careful and not get Bianca's present drenched-wet by the time she 'unwrapped' it, but she was just having the hardest time. If only they saw each other more often, these feelings wouldn't be so intense.

She couldn't believe how lucky they were to have found each other and expressed their feelings so easily thanks to that one simple question that brought them together so close. The question that Bianca just asked out of the blue on one starry night, three years ago.

Yes, three long, blissful years ago. It was Daniela's first time sleeping over at the Lima's for Christmas. Over the last year and a half they've known each other Daniela had grown very fond of Bianca to the point of even looking up to her. Just before falling asleep that night Bianca was talking to Daniela about all sorts of things in the dark as they laid in bed together staring at the ceiling. Daniela enjoyed with pleasure every word Bianca spoke, even if she didn't quite understand or even pay attention some times. Eventually Bianca finished and they said good night to each other. And although Daniela had almost been lulled to sleep by Bianca's voice, Bianca was far from done. After a few seconds, Bianca turned her head to Daniela and with all the casualty in the world she asked "Dani? Would you ever kiss a girl?"

Daniela didn't quite understand at first. She was about to fall asleep when Bianca asked the question. Daniela turned her head to look at Bianca who was staring back. She realized how serious she was about this. This wasn't just another staring-at-the-ceiling conversation. But Daniela didn't know what to say, or maybe she was afraid of saying it, maybe even both. But she had to say something. After all, the silence had dragged on for too long to not find it awkward anymore.

"Only one way to find out, right?" What?! Daniela could not believe the words that had just come out of her own mouth. She was about to flip a table on her own damn face! What did she just say? Heck, even Bianca's face looked surprised for a moment. What, did she think Daniela wouldn't play along? Actually, not even Daniela herself thought she would. Daniela did like Bianca quite a lot, but as nothing more than a really close friend. A really, really close friend.

"Right." said Bianca. Her voice brought Daniela back to reality. She had been so taken back by her own words that she forgot what was even going on. She watched as Bianca propped herself up on her elbow above her face. Did she get the wrong message? Was she really about to kiss her? But that was indeed the message that had come out of her mouth, even if she hadn't meant it. But what about Bianca? Was she always like this? Was she in love with Daniela this whole time? Or was this just... a 'thing'?

Bianca looked down and then back up at Daniela's eyes as she slid her left hand up her chest under the covers and then slowly stopped at her right cheek, holding Daniela's face more towards her own, guiding her for the imminent kiss. Finally Bianca slowly approached her lips to Daniela's as her eyes closed. For Daniela, this moment lasted an eternity as a rush of ungraspable emotions filled her chest and made her belly tense. She felt a strand of Bianca's hair fall on her forehead, the kiss was happening and there was nothing she could do about it. In fact, she wasn't even sure if she wanted to stop. Maybe she's subconsciously been desiring for a moment like this, and now that it was happening the desire had been awakened. That's when she realized how pretty Bianca was.

As she appreciated Bianca's incoming beauty, illuminated by the Christmas lights hanging outside her bedroom window, she noticed Bianca's lips weren't pouting, instead they were relaxed and slightly apart.

"Is that really how people kiss?" Daniela wondered. But the closer Bianca came to her lips the further apart they grew. It was time for Daniela to fully embrace this moment and accept the once-dormant feelings she had for Bianca.

Now wanting this moment to be a great one, she wondered how she would kiss her back and not embarrass the both of them, but she was out of time and so, she decided to follow Bianca's example and relax her lips, slightly opening them as she, too, closed her eyes.

She felt Bianca's warm breath gently caress her lips right before they connected. It was warm. It was hot. It was scalding and doing things to Daniela's head, doing things to her body. It was lasting forever, and as it lasted Daniela made sure to remember all the feelings and sensations going through her whole being as she witnessed what could be

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THE END