Discoveries of a Young Man

Author's note: This is another long chapter. They seem to get longer and longer don't they... Anyway, happy reading, hope you enjoy it.

*

Sunday was a slow, relaxing one. Freya had called me and told me I should keep relaxing, watch boxing videos and do some mere shadowboxing and lots of cardio, warning that maintaining technique and increasing conditioning was the schedule up until the fight

"Fuck it, send me your address," Freya said, wanting to show up at Mel's bright and early on Monday to jog with me, then head to the gym for light, easy technique work.

I brought up that I had a new recruit who wanted to box, which Freya seemed to not care about at all. Not that she was opposed to it, she just was like 'whatever, dude'.

Later in the day, I returned to the dorm, probably for the last time as a resident. I went alone because I didn't really own a whole lot. At least Mel let me borrow the rental.

"Shit man, I thought we'd stay here forever," Trent said, rubbing his neck. I knew he was kidding, but I could tell he would miss me as a roommate. It was actually quite flattering to see Trent kinda sad at me announcing that I was moving out.

"I'm not dying, you know. You can still stop by, my guy," I said as I threw the last sweatshirts into a bag.

"Sure thing. Still can't believe you pulled that one off, dawg." Trent shook his head and got off the bed. He pulled me into a bro-hug, slapping my back.

"Congrats, dawg. I said you should get out more, you took it to the extreme, man. Moving out and shit. Anyway, dude, I'll be your fight on Saturday."

"It's in Indianapolis, it's pretty far," I said. Trent shrugged. "Well... see you around then."

I gave Trent a nod and a final wave as I left our room and headed out to the car. Maybe I should talk to my dad too? I hadn't talked with him in months. I really didn't have any reason to, given my gray existence, but recent events might have called for a phone call. Perhaps he could also break the news for my little sister. Jenna, I could call myself.

"Hello?" My dad answered as I called him.

"Hey, dad. It's... it's Bran. Been a while!" I replied, leaning against the hood of the car, looking at the other college students going about their business.

"Oh right! How you been, son? School doing alright?" Dad asked, cheerfully.

While distant, even somewhat absent, dad was a good all in all a dude. Being a lonely dad had really stretched his limit, given his stressful job as an accountant. He worked at some medical insurance firm, as well as raising his youngest daughter. And even as a cheerful guy, I knew that dad missed mom quite a lot. Even if mom preferred women and sort of left dad in the trenches, dad refused to talk ill about her.

"Yeah, everything is okay. Better than okay, actually. I met someone." I heard my father release a small 'oh'. I ventured on, "And I guess it's been a month or something... I... I'm moving in with her."

"Really? Moving in? Who is she? Tell me about her. Aren't you a bit young to 'move in?'" dad asked. He didn't sound too worried. Not even surprised. More confused by the information dump.

"Her name is Melissa, Mel for short. She's amazing, dad. I know it seems rushed, but it also feels right. I think I truly love her," I told dad. I couldn't help but smile at the prospect of moving in with Mel.

"Well, son. You do what you gotta do, I guess. Is she a student too?"

"Eeerh, not exactly. Mel is 43... and has two daughters." I knew how it sounded, but I also knew dad was only as concerned as he had to be.

"Oh... erh. Well, if she makes you happy, I guess. So school is okay?"

"Yeah. But listen, I gotta go. Have to call Jenna, as well. Say hi to Sammie," I said.

We exchanged goodbyes and hung up. It was a weird thing with dad. Like, he cared, but he didn't have the energy to do something about it. I couldn't help but feel a bit let down. But on the flip side. I was technically an adult. I could do whatever I wanted. And I was pretty sure about this. About Mel. So fuck it, right?

Next up was Jenna.

"Hi, what's up Bran?" she answered the phone.

Just having been through a similar call, I decided to cut to the chase and tell her straight up. Jenna did take it way better than I expected. Perhaps it wasn't such a big deal that I was moving in with a woman in her 40s. Maybe I had overreacted with dad? Jenna was a bit more challenging though, wanting to know more about Mel, but she seemed to accept the news pretty well. She even asked if I still came to Seattle for Thanksgiving in a few weeks.

"Shit, I hadn't even thought about it,"

I thought. I just told her I'd think about it. I honestly had been thinking of volunteering at a pantry or something, but that was before I met Mel.

But that was it. I had no other extended family that I felt needed to be in the immediate know about Mel.

So I jumped back in the car and drove home to Mel.

*

The next morning I was woken up by Mel shaking my shoulder. We had fallen asleep pretty early, as I had cardio and boxing training in the morning. Only thing was, by the time I was done with training, Mel would be at work. Which meant I wouldn't see Mel until the evening, which sucked tremendously. But hell, I was still floating on the clouds just waking up next to her.

"Someone is going full John Cusack outside."

My ears perked up as I heard another pebble hit the window. I looked at my phone. It was 04.56, with four messages and two missed calls. I had an inkling to who it was.

I groaned as I got up and headed to the window, while Mel started to get dressed.

"Walk slower," Mel said. I turned to her, confused. Mel just flicked her eyes down to my ass and smiled wickedly. I couldn't help but grin at Mel, before moving over to the window and cracking it open.

"Bran!" I heard outside. It was the first time I'd heard Freya use my name. I guess she did so out of respect for the sleepy neighborhood, instead of cursing me out in the middle of the street. It was certainly less aggressive.

Down on the curb stood Freya in a thick hoodie and baggy sweats, wearing more than I'd ever seen her in. Yet frost emanated from her mouth. It was definitely getting colder outside. She gave a small wave as she saw me. I waved back.

"I'll be down in a sec," I said, without trying to make too much of a ruckus. I jumped a bit as Mel smacked my ass, grabbing it firmly.

"You better get dressed... quickly," Mel said seductively. I obliged, as Mel went downstairs to get the coffee brewing.

I threw on some sweats myself, a tank top and a gray hoodie. It was cold outside, and besides, I knew Rocky did it this way, so who am I to trample on his legacy?

In the kitchen I found Freya and Mel chatting. Apparently, Mel had let her into the warmth while waiting for me. Freya was clutching a mug with steaming coffee in it. I had to say, it was weird seeing Freya in such a normal scene. Talking normally with another person. I had met her at Your Mom's House, the bar, I guess, but it still was something out of the ordinary.

"Freya just talked to me about dieting," Mel explained as I accepted a mug from her. "She wants you to eat lean, and a lot of fiber, until the fight."

I didn't want Freya to boss Mel around too! It was enough that I had come to terms with the strict regime, but did she have to barge in on Mel's too? I was about to voice my concern, but Mel got ahead of me.

"Don't worry, I asked. I know a bit about conditioning from college, after all. Proper food is important. Freya, do you want breakfast after the run?" Mel asked, turning to Freya. Freya nodded eagerly, seeming ready to get running.

"That would be nice, ma'am," Freya answered. Mel waved her off.

"No ma'am here. Call me Mel."

We headed out and started warming up, stretching out a little bit. At least this time around Freya would endure the workout with me. She had insisted we'd jog at least 5 miles.

"Then we can go back here and get... Hope, was it?" Freya said. There were no classes this early? Did Freya have something planned for Hope? I hope not. I wasn't all too certain whether Hope would be as susceptible to it. Plus, Hope had classes, even if they were later. She had some free periods, so Hope did not begin until ten on Mondays.

Having already jogged two days in a row with Mel, the running wasn't all that bad. Though, Freya added in some sprints here and there, to add that explosiveness. And of course yelled how I was running like a bitch and all that jazz, but by now I was so used to it it was almost funny. When we got back, Mel was replaced by Hope and Maia. Both eyed Freya, so now it was my time to come to Freya's rescue.

"Hope, Maia. This is Freya, my... boxing coach."

Freya nodded to both of them. She seemed a bit timid. I guess it was like that, stepping into the kitchen of someone you didn't really know. I started to set up a light breakfast for the four of us, under instructions on a note from Mel. Oatmeal porridge and berries.

Fuck, I really didn't like the thought of eating food I hadn't paid for. After the workout, I really had to do something about that. Moving in meant more than just sleeping in her bed and eating her food. I wanted to contribute. Mel was the sole income of this household, and that could not stand. Especially not when I needed to eat a certain way and whatnot.

I sort of concocted a small idea, in my sleepy haze. When I got the deposit from the dorm I thought maybe I could combine it with some of the leftovers from the tattoo, and some savings, and perhaps buy some shit car, fix it up and sell it for a small profit. Might generate a bit of money down the line, if I did it enough times.

After breakfast, Hope got her gym bag, I got mine, and Freya drove us in her big, red Toyota RAV4. I guess I'd figured we'd walk, but of course, Freya had brought her car as the gym was not close by. Freya was even nice enough to let Maia hitch a ride to the library(to study before school even started). I guess this morning kind of changed my perception of Freya. From being a mean, tough-knuckled trainer to showing some other qualities and some out-of-coachness.

"So what's the plan?" I asked as Freya unlocked the gym. The gym was owned by Frank and Freya, so they came and went as they pleased, so naturally it was empty when we came around. Hope hurried off to the locker room to get changed.

Freya's plan was basically maintenance work, and some slight work on a game plan, though it was my first fight so all that would probably go out the window once I got punched in the face. Regardless, it was something that was nice to drill in, to have something in the back of my mind.

While I was warming up on the heavy bag, Hope and Freya started doing a basic workout. Even from where I stood I could see that Hope had practiced her 1-2-3s on her own. Freya even seemed pleased, though you had to be a Freya-expert to see that. Freya had once again showed some kindness, finding Hope a pair of her own gloves.

I also couldn't help but notice how great Hope looked in her workout tights. I had seen her firm legs before, in nylon, but now without the skirt... I could make out the shape of her petite figure more. Hope looked over at me as she threw punches and winked at me. I just smiled back and quickly looked away.

Then after 20 minutes of warm-up, Frank took over Hope, while me and Freya headed to the ring.

And that was pretty much how every day went. Jog, train a little bit, go home and eat, sleep, eat and sleep some more. It was way more relaxing than the other training. I guess it made sense, not being a tired bastard coming into the fight.

Though, the boxing lifestyle was a bit mundane.

With Mel working so much, and my training, it, unfortunately, didn't leave much room for intimacy. Though we did enjoy each other's intimacy in other ways. It was not one night that we didn't express our love, and I always fell asleep in the comfort of her arms. I also made sure to massage her feet and her back, at least to the best of my abilities.

It did worry me though, how overworked Mel seemed. She worked over 12-hour shifts at a job she couldn't stand, being the lone income. I would truly have to do something about that. If not for anything than to scale down the hours of Mel so she wouldn't be so exhausted.

*

The week blended more or less together. The days were much the same. Even Friday, the day that usually was my favorite day of late, was just another prep day. In many ways, it fucking sucked preparing for a fight. I was barely able to enjoy just having moved in with my loving girlfriend, I was under constant pressure to not get injured or do something stupid. I couldn't drink. I had to eat clean and healthy. Most of those things were of course sensible, but life is life. Perhaps that is what would make the fight worth it if I won.

When

I won.

Then the fight night finally came. I woke up that morning almost feeling dizzy. Nauseous even. It was so surreal. Within 12 hours, I'd see if all my hard work had paid off, I would have a fight under my belt, and the fighting camp would be over. I could go back to my new normal life, which I was pretty excited about.

I didn't even remember any of the drive to Indianapolis, the weigh-in, or anything. Freya had just picked me up early in the morning, and by 4 pm I was at the sports center waiting in the locker room. I was only allowed to have two people in my corner so that naturally fell on Freya and Frank. Else, I was completely alone. And stepping into the ring, I would be even more alone. No more pauses to yell about what I did wrong and fixing it. This was it. Mistakes would be punished and I could really get hurt.

I was in the second fight of the small event. I didn't even see the first one, I was busy throwing up. Frank helped me calm my nerves, as Freya wasn't allowed into the boys locker room. It kinda sucked, Freya was like insurance. Like, if Freya was there, it was like a calming way of knowing how much I'd worked, to know my worth. In some ways, she was my rock, at least when it came to boxing. But Frank knew his stuff as well, so it was alright. Frank was a cool dude too.

"Don't think about anything, yet keep focused on what he's doing. Defend yourself at all times. Just do what feels natural. Come on, Bran, you got this. I know how hard you hit," Frank said, patting my back. "Now, let's go."

"Now?" I asked shakingly.

Walking down to the ring, I kinda blanked out. I saw that there wasn't a huge crowd. It was an amateur event, plus I'm a nobody, so it wasn't really expected. But all that didn't really matter. In the ring, I saw my opponent lightly throwing some jabs, already waiting for me. I knew little of the guy, except that it was his first fight too.

I looked at him. A bit younger than me, perhaps 18 or 19. He was somewhat taller than me, and even if we weighed the same(as the rules demanded), I could see that our weight was way differently distributed. He was definitely softer. Normally, I don't care about that sorta thing, but this kid was going to punch me in my face, so I kinda had to.

Like I said, I kinda blanked out. Before I realized what was going on, we touched gloves and it was on. It was like a switch. The moment the kid started moving towards me, it all came through me. All my hard work. The kid threw his longer jab out, I slipped right on the outside and sent a lead hook to the body dropping his guard, angled myself, and gave him a hard rear uppercut to the chin.

Next thing I knew, Freya was grabbing me around my waist, lifting me up smiling and cheering. Was that it?

"When did you get here?" I asked when Freya dropped me down. I hadn't even noticed her, being so nervous. Freya gave me a bone-crushing hug. I could also hear a cheer from the small crowd. I looked over and saw Mel, Hope, and Maia clapping eagerly. A few seats behind I saw Trent and Benny too, cheering excessively, hooting and hollering. I rushed over to my opponent to see how bad it got, making sure my opponent would be okay.

I was quickly ushered out of the ring for the next fight, however. Just as well, I could feel tears involuntarily start to stream down my face, something was normal due to adrenaline. All the hard work, all the pain, and effort had paid out. I fucking knocked him out, even in an amateur match!

But I couldn't help it.

I felt proud.

*

Mel and I were driving back to the house. It didn't take long before she started kissing my neck, licking her wet tongue around, and sucking slightly. The others were in two other cars, leaving me and Mel driving the Cherokee.

"Careful, Mel," I said, giggling from the tickling, trying to keep the car steady.

"God, you have to pull over somewhere," Mel moaned.

"Someone is in dire need?" I teased back. Mel moaned again in response. "I have the perfect place in mind."

"Drive fast, I need you in me," Mel whispered. "It's been so long... I'm so hot for you right now."

It wasn't too far, but soon I found the perfect location. It was the very same parking lot where I'd gotten my tattoo and of course that very first handjob. Mel smiled wickedly at me as she realized where I was taking her.

"Oh, aren't you the romantic," Mel said, unbuckling as soon as we pulled to a stop. "Good thing you have a big car. Matches your big dick, you fucking bastard. How dare you be this hot?"

Mel immediately climbed across. Soon enough my pants were around my ankles and my cock deep within Mel. Mel was so happy to have me in her, she shut her eyes and groaned satisfyingly. She remained still for a few moments to savor the sensation, shivering on top of me.

"Fuck Mel, you always know how to push my buttons," I moaned, kissing at her neck, gently cupping her breasts over her beautiful red dress.

It was intense and it was hot. It had been a bit since the last time, with everything going on, so our fucking was laced with yearning kisses and impatient thrusts. After grinding for a few minutes, Mel was already tightening around me, driving me right along with her as we came together.

"God... I needed that," Mel said sultry-like, dumping back into her seat. "Now we can head home. Just needed to get that out of my system. Though, I could go for more, if we didn't have a celebration waiting on us."

*

That evening we gathered up for a small celebration at home. Apparently, Mel had planned it ahead of time, inviting Freya and Frank over. God that woman was full of surprises. It was the four of us, Freya and Frank, Trent and Benny(Mel talked with them after the fight, and learned they were friends of mine). When Mel and I got back we got some crooked, accusing looks, but nothing was said except some half-smiles and chuckles. Though, soon enough we all sat chatting and celebrating the debut in the living room, with heaps of beer, cider, and some light drinks.

"And then he was like bop, bop woosh," Trent yelled, acting out the fight in slow-motion with Benny in front of the whole gang, with all the necessary theatrics.

"That was some Tyson-type shit," Frank exclaimed laughing. Frank then pulled me aside, making an excuse of getting more beer in the kitchen, while Trent and Benny gave one more recount of the fight.

"Dude, you should really fight more," Frank said, handing me my third beer.

"Erh, thing is," I began. I had kinda fallen in love with the sport, especially now. But there was also someone I loved even more. Mel. And I didn't want to be absent. I didn't want to be a burden. I needed a job.

"You know, erh, it's sort of a sensitive topic... but I actually need to tone down the boxing. I need a fucking job man. Just moving in with Mel is great, the fucking best really... but man I can't just let her work herself to death," I said earnestly. Frank nodded knowingly. "I need a job at least, to help her out, you know."