Inevitable

Christine Angela Booth and Michael Staccato Vincent Hodgins spent almost every day together growing up. Their mothers are practically sisters. They went to the same day care, same schools, same camps, and they hung out together at the lab every day after school.

Some would say it was pretty inevitable that they would grow up to best friends.

Which is why Christine thinks it's a perfectly reasonable suggestion to get this virginity thing out of the way with Michael.

"For someone who is so smart, you're being really stupid right now," he exclaims a few minutes after she explains her suggestion.

He is sitting on the floor of his bedroom next to a pile of dirty laundry and physics textbooks. His back is leaned against the side of the bed with his legs stretched out in front of him. He keeps sighing and running his hand thorough his dark, curly hair. Christine just wants to hit is hand and make him stop, because when he plays with his hair too much it gets all messy and tends to stick up in odd places. She's curled up on the end of his unmade bed, peering down at her best friend on the floor. She is wearing mismatched striped socks that she stole from her father.

"What's the big deal?" she asks nonchalantly, "My request is pretty reasonable. And it will solve both our problems."

"What specifically," Michael runs his hand through his hair again, "is our problem?"

"We're virgins," she deadpans, "Are you even paying attention to this conversation? I've already explained the problem."

Michael's response is to make a sound of protest that comes off like a cross between a groan and a sigh.

Christine rolls her eyes, "Why is this bothering you? It's not a big deal," she crosses her arms over her baggy knit sweater and gives him a pointed look, "Don't you want to get the whole awkward 'first time' thing out of the way too?"

Michael can't help get the feeling that Christine is enjoying this conversation much more than she should be.

"Why is virginity such a problem to you?" he finally asks after a few moments of silence, "Plenty of people are virgins. We aren't the only ones, you know."

"Yes, I know. I'm not the one who thinks virginity is a problem. It's our peers at school who have a problem with it," her reply is casual, as if she were discussing the material covered in their history class today, "Besides, we're going to lose our virginities eventually. Makes sense to get it over with now. We are best friends and we trust each other. It's logical for us to do it."

It seems reasonable enough to Christine.

Michael is baffled. How can she be so logical about something this important?

"You know, Christine, normal people don't just march into a guy's room and announce they should have sex. I'm pretty sure it doesn't work that way."

Christine looks confused, "Why not?"

"Because," Michael speaks slowly, "Because that's just not how it works. Walking in here and asking for sex shouldn't sound like you're walking in here to ask to borrow my phone charger."

She chuckles at his analogy before he continues to speak.

"Normally, people are dating or in love when they have sex," Michael explains further, "It's not just sex for them, it's making love. There's a difference."

Christine eyes her friend carefully, "And how would you know that, Mikey?"

Michael blushes.

"I'm not saying I have any personal experience in the area," he clarifies, "I just read a lot."

"Well, you're wrong," Christine smirks down at her friend on the floor, "You don't have to be in love to have sex. People have meaningless sex all the time. Like one night stands or friend's with benefits and stuff like that."

"I'm not really into meaningless sex," Michael shrugs, "I'm not that guy. Find someone else."

Christine crosses her arms across her chest and replies with a teasing smile, "Mikey, you don't have to have sex with me. If you don't want to, that's completely okay with me. I won't take it personally or anything. It was just a suggestion, that's all."

Just as Michael is about to open his mouth to answer, Angela's voice can be heard calling "Dinner time!" from downstairs in the kitchen.

"Dinner's ready, Chris," Michael listens to the sound of his siblings' footsteps as they all race downstairs for dinner. He looks up at his best friend and makes a waving motion towards the door with his hand, "We should go before my brother and sisters eat it all."

Christine laughs at the thought and stands up. She takes a moment to stretch her back and check the time on her phone. She shoves her phone back in her pant's pocket as she struts out of Michael's bedroom.

"Don't be all weird about this," she calls over her shoulder.

"I won't be," he mumbles to himself as he stands up and follows her downstairs, "Because nothing is going to happen."

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But it does happen.

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Their parents are sent to the Montana wilderness to investigate a series of brutal murders in some small towns.

Christine is left home alone. She orders pizza and Micahel comes over after school so they can study for their upcoming physics test. They study for a couple hours before they both get bored and turn on the TV. One moment they're watching re-runs of The Big Bang Theory, and then one thing led to another and it just…happens.

Christine doesn't understand why people make such a big deal over sex, quite frankly.

When she mentions this to Michael, he gets quiet. He unmutes The Big Bang Theory and pretends to be engrossed in the episode. Christine rolls her eyes as he pretends she isn't next to him.

They watch the rest of the show naked.

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And it happens several more times after that.

Christine's glad they both got it over with and out of the way. She is glad they were able to do it together, since they are so close and they trust each other.

'It's not a big deal.'

Christine keeps repeating this to both of them as they lie together afterwards. Their heavy breathing is almost rhythmic. She can hear his heart pounding when she lays her head on his chest. His arm wraps around her shoulders. She closes her eyes with a soft, content sigh.

'It's not a big deal.'

She's glad they are just friends. Otherwise, this would probably have been a really big deal.

He kisses the top of her head and doesn't reply when she says everything is okay.

She wishes he would say something. Anything.

'It's not a big deal.'

'It's not a big deal.'

'It's not a big deal.'

But she's wrong.

This is a big deal.