Maing Changes

Ryan

The morning after our first night together, I wake early. Alex is sleeping soundly, his beautiful face peaceful, the slightest smile on his full lips, which I'm pretty sure is there because of me. Yeah, I feel smug. And content. And satisfied. Sure, I haven't slept with a bunch of different guys, but I have a feeling that level of mind-blowing is not the norm. The overwhelming fireworks I'd felt when he'd sucked my nipple just at the moment I was coming, the way I'd felt my contractions forcing his own orgasm that seemed to go forever -- I don't think that's standard fare.

I quietly brush my teeth and find some swimming shorts in Alex's walk-in wardrobe, heading downstairs and out to the pool. Alex's stepdad was out overnight, but I'm not risking him returning early and catching me swimming naked in his pool. I'm about to look for the heat control, but I see the light steam rising again and figure it must come on automatically in the morning too.

I swim for thirty minutes or so. I could go longer, but I know I'm going to have to leave soon to get the bus for work. When I pull myself out of the water I almost fall right back in when I see Alex leaning back on a sun lounger, gently palming his hard cock. Fuck, that's a sight I wouldn't get bored of.

"Do you even know how good you look swimming?" he grins at me.

"I think I'm getting some idea of how good 'you' think I look."

I stride over to him, quickly pushing my wet shorts off, straddling him. It stops his movement, but I can feel his hardness against me, against my own, that sprang up the moment I saw him. I grind against him, bending to take his mouth. He reaches between us and takes us both in his fist. The feel of our cocks rubbing against each other is incredible, enough to make my teeth tingle and my eyes roll back. He swipes his thumb over both our tips, bringing it up for me to suck, which I do in ecstasy, nibbling at the rough pad of his thumb.

"Don't suppose you brought anything?" I murmur into his ear, sucking the soft lobe, flicking it with my tongue.

He moans, trying to force his response out with a groan, "I was watching you from my bedroom window for ten minutes before I came down, what do you think?"

He reaches down and waves the lube and a condom, showing me he came prepared. I grab the condom, whispering again, this time between nibbling down his smooth neck.

"I have to go to work soon, how about making this a quickie?"

"Fuck, Ryan, the things you do to me..."

"And there's me thinking of all the things you do to me..."

I roll the condom onto him, scooping lube so I can push it into myself. His eyes go wide when I insert a finger with a moan.

"Fuck, Ryan, let me feel," and he reaches round, gently feeling where my finger is disappearing inside me, continuing to tap on the tautened ring while I slide another in, lifting my hips up and down as I twist and stretch.

He sucks my nipple into his mouth, his eyes glazed as he looks up to watch me react as he slowly slides one long finger alongside my own two. I can't help the loud moan at the insane sensation of these independent fingers sliding and moving along my walls.

I could keep going like this forever, it feels so good, and so decadent, but I know we have to do it now if we're going to do it at all. I carefully remove my fingers and Alex follows, holding his cock up so I can position myself over him. The initial breach is still a shock, but I recover quickly as it's replaced with the mind-expanding feel of him filling me, stretching my tightness.

He holds my hips, steadying me as I lower myself onto his thickness. It feels so good, this position, where it's like I can feel every aspect of the expansion of my muscles, feel each individual one as it relaxes, or something. When I'm finally flush with his hips, he's deeper than anything I've ever felt, I press my stomach, virtually expecting to be able to feel him.

The fullness is almost too much, and I'm gasping, sucking little breaths in, not moving yet.

"Are you okay, Ry?" he seems concerned and I rush to reassure.

"Mmhmm," I manage to groan, "it's just super intense."

"Fuck, sounds amazing, you'll have to let me get up there sometime."

I had no idea how hot I would find the idea of topping Alex, but that's all it takes for me to desperately start grinding on his length, rocking my hips back and forth as I bend to hold his face, kissing him deeply.

If I thought it was intense before, that was nothing on how this feels, him rubbing against my sensitive insides, his fingers pressing tightly into my hips, following my movement, god I love the feeling of him pinching into me there, sending jolts of electricity through me.

I reach my hand down, enfolding and jerking at my cock, so close to release, and Alex takes each nipple, squeezing and twisting sharply, and that's what it takes as I shoot out, layering his chest in my cream. I still for a moment, feeling myself trembling inside, against his shaft, needing that moment of recovery.

He waits, gazing up at me with such warmth I can feel a well of emotion rising up in me, which I suck down with a gasp, bending to scoop up a little cum that reached his collarbone, running my tongue along the bone, pressing my mouth to his, loving the way he eagerly slides his tongue against mine, wanting my taste.

I can still feel the aftershocks, even now, as I rise and fall on him, riding him hard now, demanding his completion to join mine, licking and nipping at his sensitive neck as I slam down on him and he holds me there as I feel him swell inside me.

We're still for a moment, still connected, our foreheads pressed together, when I hear a man's voice.

"Alex, you in?"

Fuck, it's Alex's stepdad, and we're here, naked, still joined, flushed with sex. I slide off him as quickly as I can, not able to help reveling in the feeling of him rubbing me as he leaves. I wipe Alex with my towel, pulling on my wet swimming shorts as Alex wraps himself in the, luckily invisibly, cum marked towel, the lube and litter wrapped in the folds.

We're just in time, he opens the French doors, stepping out onto the patio, a bright smile on his face as he sees us.

"Ah, hello boys, early morning swim?"

"Yes sir," I mumble, sure he must be able to see exactly what we were really up to.

"Beautiful," he booms.

He isn't quite what I expected. Alex had told me he's an academic, very smart and well-travelled, expert in diplomatic relations. If I'd been expecting a small, nerdish man, he's the opposite. Almost as broad and muscular as Alex, and equally as tall, he moves with an easy, graceful confidence as he walks to shake my hand, which I quickly glance at to be sure it's cum free.

"You must be Ryan," he says, and his voice is gentler now, "thank you for making my boy so happy."

I almost well up again then, my esteem for this man, already high, knowing he's been instrumental in shaping who Alex is, going up one hundred-fold.

"Aw, Kev," and Alex is doing one of those rare blushes.

"Sorry, I'm embarrassing him now. And Ryan, please call me Kev."

"Thank you sir- Kev," I manage.

"You boys want coffee?"

"I have to go to work, Kev, but thanks."

"You'd better go for a shower then, wash that...chlorine off," he chuckles, heading back into the kitchen.

It's my turn to blush, knowing he wasn't even a little bit fooled.

* * * * *

I know I'm going to be late, but I still agree to shower with Alex, wanting to feel his hands on me, his mouth on mine. We finally dry off and I throw yesterday's clothes back on.

"I have to run, Alex, I'm going to be late," I kiss him hard, it turning into an exploration of his hot mouth, needy and wanton.

"What was that?" he laughs as we break away, panting.

"You're going to get me into trouble Alex Simmons," I laugh back, "No more kisses when I have to get somewhere."

"I'll drive you," he mock pouts, "provided I can get all the kisses I want."

"I think that'll work."

I'm happy to let him drive me, just because it allows me precious extra minutes with him and I end up arriving at work fifteen minutes early because of it, so we make out passionately in his car, until I have to stop for fear of having to walk into the coffee shop with a cum stain on my jeans.

Alex does his thing of claiming to have somewhere to shop, but I don't call him on it, because, again, I'm happy to spend every moment I can in his presence, so we agree he'll come back when it's my break time.

* * * * *

Alex

I know Ryan thinks I'm lying about wanting to go to a shop, but I'm not, not this time. I looked it up online first, and when I arrive, it's a pretty seedy looking frontage, in a pretty seedy looking area. Inside, it's dimly lit but clean, with aisles of neatly packaged merchandise.

I have no idea what I actually want, so am just roaming the shelves seeking inspiration when a small woman with red streaked hair pops up next to me. She actually makes me think of what Aubrey might look like in five or six years -- plenty of tattoos, piercings in her tongue and nose, and countless in her ears, black lipstick and torn clothes. She looks kinda cool, and looks at me with open curiosity. I guess I'm not the usual type to be shopping here.

"Hi, I'm Sylvie, can I help you find anything?"

"Um, hi Sylvie, I'm Alex. I'm not sure. Just looking for something fun for my boyfriend."

"Ahah, funny fun, or playtime fun?"

"Uh, playtime fun, I guess."

I'm thankful for the dim lighting, because I'm certain my face is pure puce now, though I'm trying to be as relaxed as she is about this.

"Nothing to be embarrassed about, Alex. Playtime fun really is fun," she laughs, and I guess the lighting really didn't do me any favors.

But after an hour in her company, when she's shown me all kinds of options; glass, and rubber, and vibrating, and leather, and electric, and steel, and PVC, and described the whys and hows, I'm no longer embarrassed, and, I suspect, no longer capable of being embarrassed about anything ever again.

I'm excited when I get back to the coffee shop, I want to show Ryan my -- our -- purchases. He makes us both a coffee and sits across from me in the booth, reaching his hand across the table to take mine.

"Successful shopping trip?" he smiles.

"Very successful. Let me-," but his phone rings.

"My mom," he says by way of explanation, "Mom, hi."

I watch him listen, his face moving from a happy smile, to concern, and finally, fear.

* * * * *

Ryan

"Mom, hi," I greet her, but there's silence for a moment on the other side.

Then I hear her voice, "Ryan, baby, call the-" she's cut off, I hear a harsh male voice in the background, screaming something about money, the sounds of crashing, a scream that sounds frighteningly like it comes from my mom, and silence.

"What is it, Ryan? Baby?"

"I don't know. Something...my mom. I have to get there."

I run out the door, in shock, I don't even know where I'm going. The bus stop. But then I realize I don't even have my wallet, it's in my locker. Alex comes running out of the door.

"I told your co-worker. She was fine. What happened Ryan?"

Alex has taken my arm, is pulling me toward his car. I can't say anything until I'm firmly in the passenger seat and we're on our way. When I know we're heading in the right direction I tell Alex what I heard.

I know he speeds up, subtly. He hasn't met my mom, but he knows how important she is to me, how she's all I have. That scares me more though, that he does that instead of coming up with some perfectly reasonable explanation for why I'm making too big a deal of it.

When we get to the park I just get him to stop by the entrance. The graveled track is pitted and potholed and unnecessarily looping, and I can make it to our trailer, which is thankfully in eyeline as the crow flies, faster on foot.

I leap over the obstacles, aided by adrenaline, with ease. I never normally do the track event going home, never in quite enough of a hurry, but instinct must kick in because I manage it without needing a tetanus shot.

I can see that the aluminum door is hanging off the frame before I get to it, and a sob of fear is torn from my throat. I don't pause though, pushing through, into the cramped interior.

There's no one there but plenty of evidence that someone's been. Drawers are pulled out, cutlery and spare pens and bills flung out over the floor. The old brown couch is more white fluff now, ripped and torn apart. I can see into my room from here, see that it's in a similar state.

"Mom, are you here?" I can't keep the panic from my voice, when I hear a faint murmur.

I run to her room, see blood on the floor, a clogged-foot coming past the end of the bed. No!

She's there, wearing her scrubs, which are torn and bloody, on her front, the blood dripping from a slash to her thigh, another on her upper arm. I scream before I can stop myself, running to check her pulse. I'm no expert, but it feels thready to my inexperienced fingers, her face a mass of already-forming bruises, her eyes firmly closed.

I hear a noise and grab a lamp, ripping the cord from the wall ready to throw. I only just stop myself when I realize it's Alex, my heart racing in panic and fear.

He says nothing, striding into the confined room, seeing instantly. He crouches, checking her pulse like I did, but more confidently, gently moving her limbs.

"It's a risk, Ryan. She needs to go to hospital, but I'm worried she might have a head injury and moving her would be a bad idea. But she's unconscious and may have bleeding on the brain so speed is important."

He shrugs, and I know it's because he's telling me I have to make a decision. I dial 911 and speak to an operator. She says the ambulance will be there in thirty minutes. That makes my mind up, I tell her to cancel it.

Alex scoops my mom into his strong arms. I would have done it but I'm shaking too hard, barely able to breath never mind cradle my mom's negligible mass safely. He lays her carefully along the back seat, guiding me to sit next to her, to be by her head, her bruised and battered head, her beautiful face unrecognizable beneath swelling and cuts.

I don't even see the scenery whip by as Alex gets us to hospital, but when he stops I gasp in horror.

"No, Alex, you need to go to General, this is private, we don't-"

"Ryan, stop. Don't even think about any of that stuff, I've got you."

And I have a realization that I think has been burning under the surface for a while: Alex Simmons loves me. It's not just fun, and warm bodies, and hard cocks. This man loves me.

And it's not just the blasé way he dismisses concern about paying, though that may have been the trigger for my realization. I suddenly appreciate he's been telling me every day in the way his eyes glow when he sees me, and it's that: he sees me. I don't think he even registered the state of my home, he doesn't even question why I get the bus everywhere, why I balk at doing anything that will cost more than a few dollars.

He sees me.

* * * * *

Alex

Ryan's a mess. I try to do what I can to make this easier for him, but I feel about as useful as a glass door on a dunny. His mum's in surgery and, thank god, the doc says we did the right thing bringing her in instead of waiting for the ambo.

I need to be there for him but have no words. He flinches when I touch him, so lost was he in the horror inside his head, and I feel my heart breaking just a little, praying that he won't let it shatter, but knowing it's selfish to expect anything from him right now.

I call Kev, needing to get his permission to charge the whole thing to him. I've heard bad things about these American hospitals, about how they bankrupt families, refuse treatment if bills aren't covered -- even if I hadn't seen Ryan's place I would have known he wouldn't be able to stump for this -- I'd just driven to the nearest hospital the sat nav gave me. Kev doesn't even take a breath. Just says 'of course'. He's a better man than I'll ever be, the best.

When she comes out of surgery the doc gives Ryan the best and worst news. She's going to wake up, but he doesn't know when or if there was more damage caused by the head injury. The police come by but they're useless, promising to come back when she wakes up, but pretty much admitting that there's nothing they're going to be able to do unless she managed to get a written confession and photographic ID during the beating.

Ryan sits by her side, her careworn hand held firmly in his grip, his deep ocean eyes never leaving her swollen face. The furthest he'll move is to the bathroom, quickly showering and changing into the gear I pick up from a mall a few blocks over. I can't get him to leave, or eat, his eyes bloodshot with distress and tiredness.

When I return on the second day he's holding her still, his head rested on the bed by her side, sleeping through pure exhaustion, and her eyes are open, looking down on him with love. I almost gasp at how much her eyes are like Ryan's, even inflamed and partially shut there's no hiding the midnight blue and the depth it holds, hers directed at her son.

She looks to me on my exhalation and smiles, a weary but warm turn of the lips.

"You must be Alex," she whispers.

"Yes, ma'am. He told you about me?"

"A little, not everything I suspect. He's been murmuring your name in his sleep," she chuckles as I blush happily at that tidbit.

Our voices stir Ryan, who raises his head groggily.

"Mamai!" he's awake now, a tentative smile on his full lips.

"Baby, you haven't called me that since you were six."

"Maybe I should never have stopped," he strokes her hand lovingly.

"Baby, this doesn't look like General. How long have I been here?" her voice is worried.

"It's all covered Ms O'Donnolly," I reassure from the side, not wanting to distract from the time they're having together.

She turns those warm eyes on me in surprise and, I think, appreciation. I kiss Ryan's cheek and leave them to have this time that I know Ryan was worried he would never get.

* * * * *

Ryan

I can't even believe how amazing Alex is being. Just being 'there', not pushing, not demanding anything from me. I feel as though I've been held in suspended animation for the last two days and he's the only thing that's kept my mind tethered to reality.

Now my mom, my mamai, is back, quicker and more whole than I'd allowed myself to hope for as I'd watched her breath shallowly through the night. The doctor runs examinations, asks sanity-testing questions, and comes away a little bewildered but happy.

"Well, Mr O'Donnolly, I wouldn't have said this would be possible, but your mother is going to be fine, once the broken ribs and wrist heal, and the swelling reduces, I really don't think there'll be any indication of what happened. Although, please be conscious of her mental health as that's not so easy to patch up."

I thank him, not worried. I won't be leaving my mom's side, her mental health is safe with me.

Alex returns a while later, bringing Kev with him.

"Ms O'Donnolly, the doctor tells us you'll be discharged in a couple of days, and I would be very grateful if you would come and stay with us until you're recovered."

"Oh, no, I couldn't possibly, I must go home," I see my mom's pride raising, feel a desperate thud in my chest at the hurt that crosses Alex's face, although he tries to hide it.

"Mamai," I whisper, "I don't think you can go home. They destroyed everything. And you don't know if they'll come back. Plus," my whisper drops even lower, "how will we pay the rent, you don't know when you'll be able to go back to work."

"Oh Ryan, baby, I'm so sorry," a sob rises in her throat, "I'm sorry I've let you down so much, always. I'm sorry I couldn't be a better mother."