Paul was driving back to college with Linda. It had been a great trip home for the both of them, as Paul surprised her with the ring and subsequent proposal, which Linda accepted without hesitation or thought. He was her soul mate, and she was determined to be the best wife any guy could ever hope to marry.
As they were driving, Linda asked Paul if he thought about names for when they had children. Paul looked at her and replied that yes, he thought of names, Nathaniel and Superfly. Linda looked at Paul for a few seconds, then realized that he was joking, and she started to laugh. She asked him again, and he replied with different names, Sparkles and Chuckles. She laughed at first, then started to get a little annoyed, and told him that she really wanted his honest feelings.
Paul said that if they had a girl, he could think of three names, Linda, Debbie, or Stephanie. She asked him about his reasoning, and he told her that the name Linda was obvious, as he gave her a wink. As for Debbie and Stephanie, well, their moms did a great job raising their children, and he felt that they should be honored for all of their sacrifice.
As for boy names, he said that he thought of two, Greg and Victor. Linda asked him why not the name Paul? And he told her that he considered each father to be a great man, and they should be honored. As for his name, he was nothing special, and if they had a son, he should have his own identity. Linda told him that he was special to her. And that was why she wanted to name their first son after his father. Paul appeared luke warm to he feeling on the matter, and she wanted to know if he had a problem with her wanting to name their son after him. Paul realized that it was a mistake to try and appear nonchalant on the matter, as it made Linda feel that he didn't respect her opinion.
Paul quickly apologized to Linda, and said that he just didn't feel that he was special enough for his son to have his first name. But he loved her, and he would support her wishes, no matter how he felt. Linda was still a little upset, but rubbed his arm as they neared the college parking lot. The five days they spent back home went by too fast. But finals began in two weeks, and they both had several papers due before then. Paul walked Linda to her dorm. She bent down and he stood on the very tops of his toes and they kissed for what seemed like an eternity. They said goodnight, and after Linda walked through the door, Paul turned and went to his room
He was roommates with a tweener named Brian, meaning that the Alpha sized room they were sharing was too big for the both of them. But they made due, and had a fridge and microwave delivered that they could both use. They slept on the floor of their respective rooms, while never bothering to use the drawers to keep their clothes in. The had a rubberized 5 ft step ladder installed in the shower, plus another one at the bathroom sink, and still another in the kitchen.
Paul had gotten used to using stuff like that when he stayed at Linda's house. Brian was still struggling with the fact that even standing at over 8’, he was still too small to use the room without the ladders. But he never took any of his frustrations out on Paul. He found out one minute after meeting his roommate that he was the coolest guy in the world. A Beta totally at peace with his size in an Alpha world. And Brian appreciated that, because Paul's relaxed nature started rubbing off on him. And it made the large room more bearable.
Paul and Linda both thought that the papers they had to write for their respective classes were hard. But they were nothing compared to the finals they had to pass in order to advance to their next set of classes. In fact, both were sweating their grades. But their worries were for nothing. A’s in all classes, meaning both made the Dean's list. Relieved, Paul took Linda out for dinner before driving home. They found a quiet pizza parlor that had setups for Betas, Tweeners, and Alphas. And that made the meal more enjoyable, as it was easier for Paul to adapt to the size of tweener seats and tables, than it was for Linda to crouch down to eat, which was really uncomfortable for her.
Once the meal was finished, and Paul's vehicle packed with the essentials, he and Linda headed for home for a month. Christmas was in three days, and Paul couldn't wait to give Linda her gifts. And they would be able to see family and friends. Linda was happy, because one semester was finished. And for her, that meant that she was closer to the as yet unpicked wedding day. She looked over at Paul, except with her seat positioned the way it was, she saw mostly the back half of the right side of his head. So she just placed her left hand on the back of his neck and started running her long fingers through his hair.
Without realizing it, she was getting him in the mood, which caused him to become distracted. She suddenly understood what was happening and pulled her hand away and apologized to Paul. He took a deep breath, shifted his position in the driver's seat several times, and told her that she hg and nothing to apologize for. Linda realized that she would have to be more careful the next time. But she was secretly happy that she could still make him feel like that.
Paul pulled up at Linda's house, and while she opened the front door, he started carrying her stuff in. It was much heavier than his belongings, due to their increased size. But he never complained. Linda hugged her parents, and once everything was inside, Paul hugged his future in-laws, and gave Linda a good night kiss, then headed for his house.
After saying hi to his parents, Paul lumbered into bed. Exams had started at 8 and lasted until 4. Then there was 30 minutes to gather the things he wanted to take home and get them packed in the vehicle, another 20 minutes for Linda's things, dinner, then the hour drive back home. Even at 18, it had been a long day and he was exhausted.
Christmas dinner was going to be at Linda's, the way it was every year. Paul had discussed with his dad about the possibility of putting an extension on the house, something that could accommodate Linda's size, but money was always the issue. And whatever money was saved went towards the vehicle his parents bought for him.
Paul woke up late. He looked at his clock. 12:30pm. He was surprised. He didn't realize that he was that tired. He stumbled out of bed, and after a quick trip to the bathroom, went out into the living room where his parents were sitting. Looking at their son, Greg said that there had been several calls for a Romeo from a Juliet. And he and Debbie laughed. Paul grabbed the phone, and as he was making himself a late breakfast, dialed Linda's number. The ringing ended just after the second one, and he instantly recognized the voice on the other end. Linda's voice was full of cheer, the opposite of Paul's. But he was happy to hear her voice.
Paul and Linda hung up, and after eating breakfast, he finally noticed the beautiful job his parents had done decorating for Christmas. The tree, the garland following the molding. It was more than he ever remembered. He mentioned to his parents about the job they did, and they thanked him for the compliment.
Paul showered, dressed, and headed for Linda's.
He was feeling refreshed from his shower, and his thoughts of Linda caused a little stiffness down below. He just laughed. Even his member knew that it belonged to Linda. What could he do but accept that fate smiled on him more than it should have. But he wasn't complaining.
He reached her house in no time, and after saying hello to her parents, escorted her to the vehicle, and drove into town. They had a couple of last minute gifts to get, and it allowed them to walk in fresh air. They held hands once they exited the vehicle, and never let go of one another, unless they had to pay for something. But it allowed them alone time, with no parents or roommates there to disturb them.
Once the shopping was done, they ordered dinner from a burger shop, and took it to go. They would eat at Linda's. Once they were both in, Paul drove down the street. The light had turned green, and as he went to make a right, he quickly swerved to avoid getting hit by another vehicle just like the one he was driving, and narrowly avoided hitting a fire hydrant. He was up on the curb. He made sure that Linda was alright, then exited to check on the other driver.
What emerged was an irate Alpha teenage girl, yelling at the top of her lungs that she should have known a Beta was driving, and if he wasn't big enough to see over the steering wheel, he shouldn't be driving. Paul told her that he had the green light, and that she went through a red light, almost hitting him. The girl told him that he was wrong, that she had the green light. Paul corrected her once again, making her even more upset. She moved towards him, getting as close as she could, and asked him if he still wanted to tell her she was wrong. Paul never flinched, and told her that her tactic wouldn't work, and that she was still wrong. By then Linda had got out of the vehicle and told the girl that she was at fault.
The girl looked at a visibly upset Linda, and started to move towards her, until Paul stepped in her way. She had raised her hand towards him, and finally realized that a police officer was there. Once she saw the officer, she complained that Paul ran the red light and almost hit her. The officer patiently listened to her rant, then sternly informed her that he was parked across the street and saw the whole thing. He told her that he saw that she was putting on makeup while driving, and that it was her that ran the red light.
The girl grew quiet. The officer made sure that Paul’s license, registration, and insurance was up to date, handed everything back to him, then proceeded to write the young girl two tickets. One for distracted driving, the other for careless driving. And then the officer made sure there was no damage to Paul's vehicle, and that he and Linda were alright, and let them leave. He then had a talk with the girl, which didn't improve her mood.
As they were heading back to Linda's house, Paul sensed that she was still upset by the near accident. So he just casually asked in a loud voice if he would ever go more than a couple of months without an Alpha girl threatening to beat him up?
That made Linda laugh. His stupid little joke brightened her mood. And then she said that he shouldn't be worried about Alpha girls, if he knew what she meant, as she pretended to clear her throat. Linda made a joke! Paul couldn't believe it! She was the sweetest, kindest girl he knew, but in the 4 years that knew her, she never cracked a joke. Paul laughed out loud, then pretended to be frightened of the girl sitting next to him. It just started a bout of uncontrollable laughter for the two of them.
Once Paul parked in the driveway, he just instantly hopped out of his seat and onto Linda's lap, and just started kissing her. It took her by surprise at first, but warmed to his actions quickly, eventually making him break their lip lock in order to catch his breath. He looked into her eyes, and told her the same thing that he had been telling her since sophomore year of highschool. He loved her with all his heart. She told him the same, then casually moved her fingers up his thigh, and felt something bulging in his pants. She feigned shock, saying how could he think of something like that when they weren't even married yet??! Paul pretended to be humbled by her words. Then they just started laughing again.
Once they were inside Linda's house, she told her parents about the near accident, leaving nothing out. Victor looked at Paul, who nodded, confirming her story. Stephanie hugged the two of them, thanking God that they were unharmed. Victor again thanked Paul for trying to protect his daughter. Paul put his hand up, saying that this was the last time either he or Stephanie would say that to him. Victor understood what he was saying. And with that, Paul and Linda enjoyed their burgers and fries. Once dinner was done, he said goodbye to the Mills, and walked with Linda out to his vehicle, where he gave her a kiss, then headed home.
Christmas came. Paul and his family opened their gifts. Debbie and Greg got an all-expense paid weekend away at a mountain resort from their son. Greg and Debbie got Paul something that he never expected, a computer. It would help him as he got further along in his career. They hugged each other, then got dressed. They were due at Linda's that afternoon, so Paul had time to stop by Jill's before they went.
He pulled into the Robbins’ driveway, got out and knocked on the door. Elizabeth Robbins answered. Paul apologized for the intrusion, but wanted to know if it would be possible for him to wish Jill a Merry Christmas. Mrs Robbins welcomed him inside the house, then called for Jill. Paul asked her mom if she still had the present he dropped off at Thanksgiving. Mrs Robbins nodded. And then left to get it. Jill came into the living room, and seeing Paul there, immediately went over to him and picked him up and gave him a hug. She asked him how he was doing, to which Paul replied that he was doing well. He then asked her the same thing, and she replied that she was doing pretty good. Paul asked about Pete, the neighbor that she liked. Her eyes lit up, which told Paul all he needed to know.
Jill carried him over to the sofa and placed him down, then sat next to him. She then proceeded to tell him all about their first date, and how nice and handsome Pete was. Paul could sense the happiness inside her, and said that he was very happy for her. By then, her mom had come in with the box. Paul told her that it was a present for her. Excitedly, she tore into the package. Opening it up, she noticed two shirts. A t-shirt, and a sweater. She lifted both of them up. Each one had the same thing written on them. On the front was ‘Merry Christmas, Jill, from your friends!’. And the back had the names of Paul, Linda, John, Mindy, Todd, Betty, Alice, George.
Jill loved the present. She bent down and hugged Paul once again. It became a special gift for her. It let her know that she did have friends, and it made her the happiest she had ever been in her life.
Paul could see the joy in her eyes, and realized that it was his cue to leave. He gave Jill a hug, thanked Mrs Robbins for letting him visit, and then drove back home, feeling really good about his visit.
Once he was back home, he got his presents for Linda, and then followed his parents over to her house. He rushed to the door and knocked. Stephanie answered, and hugs and Merry Christmases were exchanged. Everyone entered the living room. Linda was trying to play it cool, because she was really proud of the gift she got Paul, and was trying not to act impatient.
Paul spotted his Queen sitting on the sofa, and made his way over to her. Finally she let loose and gave him a hug and a kiss and wished him Merry Christmas. And he did the same. Then she gave Paul the gift she got for him, excitement running through her eyes. Paul opened it, and saw a watch. But not just any watch. It was a fairly expensive one, but the face didn't contain numbers, it contained a picture of him and Linda from the summer, with huge smiles on their faces. Paul thought it was the most special gift anyone could have gotten him.
Next was her turn. She opened a large box, and it contained a plush robe in her favorite color, lavender, plus matching slippers. She was excited for them, but the second one she opened blew her mind. Paul got her a pair of earrings that matched her ring. Linda started crying. She thought that they were the most beautiful earrings that she had ever seen, and she realized that Paul probably spent his entire tutoring money on her.
Paul could see the look on Linda's face, so he pulled her closer to him and whispered in her ear that she was a Queen, his Queen, and he would always treat her as one. And then he gave her a tender kiss on the cheek, and gently caressed her face, wiping away the tears that had been flowing from her eyes. And then she felt it. There was a wetness between her legs that she had felt before, when she and Paul had sex, and feeling embarrassed, she excused herself and went to the bathroom, then into her room to change her underwear. She emerged 10 minutes later, and looked at Paul like she wanted him right then and there. But that would have to wait. It was Christmas, and a time to celebrate.