What We Both Needed

This is a work of fiction. All characters portrayed within are consenting adults and is firmly a fantasy setting. There is subject matter containing taboo/incest relationships. Read something else if this bothers you.

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For most of my formative years, it had just been my mom and I against the world. Her and my father were very young parents when they had me. As far as I know, it was a high school affair at a party that had accidentally led to me. They had decided to give things a serious try after I was born, dating for a few years and eventually getting married. Unfortunately, they were two very different people and before I was even a teenager they had separated and divorced. Eventually, Dad remarried and moved out of state, and I had only minimal contact with him. So, when he passed away a few years ago I didn't bother attending the funeral since I wasn't close with his side of the family (they blamed me and mom for the failures of the marriage) anyways and though I didn't resent him, I also didn't really have him around for most of my life.

Mom and I got through life together the best we could, she had often worked two jobs while putting herself through school and taking care of me, and even from a young age I was mature enough to help around the house as needed. Of course, I couldn't truly be the man of the house, but I did as much as I could. Mom was a hard worker, stayed in shape, and had a love of fine arts and music. In many ways I admired her and did as much as I could to step up and be a man because of her strength.

I felt a little guilty then, that I was 20 years old and still living under my mom's roof. She assured me again and again that she enjoyed having me around, that she'd be lonely without me. Even still, I was into adulthood and hadn't started a true career, only doing part time work here and there. My main way of contributing was the same as I had always done, cooking and cleaning while she worked, or fixing things with my limited handyman skills.

Perhaps it was because of my failure to start my own life or career, and the amount of time I spent at home just hanging out with my mom that made me begin to see her in a different light. It wasn't clear to me when these feelings had begun to develop, obviously I had always loved her, but in the past few years it was slowly evolving into a hidden fantasy that I had been harboring in secret.

Due to the young age that she had me, she hadn't even hit 40 yet and in my eyes she was stunningly beautiful, moreso than any of the girls I had dated in my limited experience with romance. She was thin and athletic, with unblemished skin and long dark hair. Her figure was womanly but modest, with a tiny waist, ample bottom, and small but perfectly proportioned breasts. There was hardly an ounce of far on her, as her diet and workout regimen kept her in impeccable shape. I had completely stopped looking at other women when I was out at work, or running errands around town. The only woman that ever made her way into my sexual fantasies was my mother, Julia.

Summertime had come, and mom had taken her holidays early this year, having a few weeks to simply relax at home with me. It was great having her around more often, as neither of us had much of a social life we spent a lot of our free time together. Most nights we sat at the table and played cards, listening to music, or just watching movies together.

The beginning of a series of events that would change the course of both of our lives had started much like any other day.

"Hey Jack, did you hear about Mary?" Mom asked, coming into the kitchen early one morning with her cup of coffee steaming in her hand.

Mary, who lived down the street, was often a topic of our gossip. "No? What about her?" I asked, putting away some clean dishes and running a hand through my mess of shaggy hair.

"Turns out she is single again, I guess that guy she was seeing stormed out on her. The neighbors said they could hear them arguing all night," Mom grinned as she recounted the details of our favorite gossip topic.

I laughed and shook my head, "I suppose we shouldn't judge, it's not like you and I are masters of romance either."

Mom threw her head back and snickered, "God, you could say that again."

I noticed there was a strange inflection in her voice, there was no question that both of us were clearly lonely in the love department. We rarely talked about it though, but whenever we did we had a pretty open and honest rapport about this type of thing.

"Hey, whatever happened to that one guy you dated? Travis?" I asked, thinking back on how my mom almost never brought anyone home.

"No it was Trevor," she replied, thinking back to her past affairs. "You were too young and probably don't remember, but he had a major drinking problem."

"What? Seriously?" I asked, raising an eyebrow and joining her at the table with my own coffee. "I remember he treated me pretty nicely."

Mom shrugged, her finger circling the rim of her cup as she tried to figure out why I was asking about her past flames. "He was a nice guy, never drank around the house. On the weekends though, he'd get trashed with his friend. Every. Weekend."

Now that I thought about it, I couldn't remember him coming around to take mom out on dates on the weekends and only spending a few hours a week hanging out with us at the house. "You're right, I don't remember that. Then there was William?"

Mom rolled her eyes and took a long sip from her mug, "He was boring. Emotionally unavailable too."

I had to laugh at that one. I did remember William, and he was indeed a boring man, "Mhm, and then it was... what was his name, Jerome?"

She nodded and sighed, looking down at the dinner table, "His parents hated me, they didn't like the idea of him dating a white woman. What's with the remniscing anyways?"

I shrugged, not really sure I knew why I was asking so many questions, "I don't know. Just wondering why you don't bring around any dates anymore. Is it because it's embarrassing to have your son living at home still?"

She scoffed and swatted at my arm, feigning a more serious anger, "Don't be stupid! I like having you here, I'd be lonely without you."

I wondered how deep her loneliness actually ran, she was a woman with needs after all and I had often thought that maybe I was in her way. "Yeah you say that, but it must be hard dating. It's a lot to explain to a guy that you have an adult son at home."

Mom bit her lip in an odd way and tucked some hair behind her ear, "I don't really think about dating. We have a good life, and I'm pretty happy. I'm more concerned about you. You do so much around the house when you could be chasing women."

It must have seemed weird to her and anyone else looking in from the outside that most of my time was spent hanging out at home, especially for a reasonably handsome man in his 20's. The truth was that I just wasn't interested, I enjoyed making sure that my mom had a good life and I also enjoyed being at home. It didn't bother me at all, and the fact that the only sexual thoughts I had been having for more than a year was strictly about my own mother. My fantasies weren't your typical pornographic scenarios, I wasn't interested in that, not strictly. The fantasies I often had were much more deeply emotional and romantic like some cheesy old romance novel.

The main scenario that regularly played through my head when I was alone and 'taking care of business' was her and I walking hand in hand along a beach somewhere and kissing under the stars. They involved us confessing our love to one another, how both of us wanted to get away somewhere warm and spend a romantic getaway. For me, it wasn't just sexual though that was a huge part of it. I sincerely loved her, it was the main reason that I spent so much of my time taking care of things around the house and making her life easier. I wanted to be there for her, to be the man of the house and to be the man she needs and wants.

"I like doing things around the house, and the dating scene is terrible. I just don't feel like going out there and running around with strange women," I said honestly, but I wanted to tell her so much more.

Mom smiles and reached out to give my hand a squeeze, "Well, you know I appreciate everything you do for me. It's fantastic having you here, I just feel like a selfish woman keeping you all to myself."

I looked into her eyes and returned her smile, taking in the beautiful features of her face. It was remarkable how she had not a single wrinkle, a slight blush to her cheeks and striking green eyes to contrast her dark and silky hair.

"Okay, that came out weird," Mom corrected herself. "I didn't mean that I have you to myself it's just that..."

She trailed off and I finished her thought for her, "It's comfortable just the two of us isn't it?"

Mom nodded, still holding my hand, but I could detect a little shift in her demeanor. "It is. Do you think I'm selfish?"

I shook my head, moving my chair a bit closer to her side of the table, "Not at all. We have a good life, right? It's fun that it's just the two of us."

Her smile returned, and I swore I could detect something in her eyes that was begging me to say something a bit more about it. "I agree," She said. "Honestly it's like we're practically married, and I have a stay-at-home husband!"

We both had a good long laugh about it, but then there was a long silence between us, as both of us knew that there was more to that statement then either of us wanted to admit. Fantasies replayed in my head, this was so close to the way things sometimes played out in my dreams but fantasies were just that. I knew that I couldn't push this conversation in the direction I wanted to, or could I?

"Yeah, but if we were really married we'd actually have dates, and both of us are clearly painfully single," I said, keeping the tone in my voice lighthearted enough that I hoped it would come off as just a playful joke.

But, what she said in reply had taken me so far off guard that I truly began to wonder if my fantasies were actually something that was possible. "You know what, Jack? Neither of us ever get dates, but both of us could use an excuse to dress up."

I raised an eyebrow and tried my best to scan her eyes for any hidden meanings behind her strange proposal, "What do you mean, mom?"

"Why don't we organize something fun tonight, just the two of us. Throw on some clothes that you'd wear to a date. Obviously, it wouldn't be a date, but it could be fun to just act silly." She said, her eyes lighting up.

Mom often liked to do quirky things like this, so I was sure this was just one of her ideas to shake things up and have some fun. "Alright, why not? I still gotta take a shower today and clean up the garage, but why don't we meet back here in the afternoon, and we'll open up that wine?"

She nodded and held out her hand for us to shake on it, as though we were making some type of business deal. "Deal! Shake on it," she said with a sly smile.

---

I spent the rest of the morning working in the garage, putting away some tools I used the other day when I was fixing the lawnmower. The entire time I was finishing up my housework my fantasies were running wild, in my mind I pictured telling mom about all my fantasies and the things I had imagined doing with her. I pictured us sitting on the couch with that bottle of wine and leaning in to kiss her, sweeping her off her feet. I shook my head, unable to believe how foolish I was to think of this. My fantasies were so unrealistic, I thought. There was zero chance she wouldn't think I was some type of pervert if I were to actually behave in the way my fantasies went.

Eventually I finished up with the rest of my chores and was ready to take a shower and figure out exactly what it is I was going to wear for our make-believe date. Standing under the warm water in the shower, I still couldn't get the ridiculous fantasies out of my head, and my erection was beginning to become a distraction. I considered taking care of it but decided it would look weird if I was in the shower all afternoon. I even attempted to turn the shower head to the coldest water setting but it wasn't enough to stop my arousal, and eventually I just gave up and toweled myself off.

Looking through my closet and dresser drawers, I realized that I had very few items of clothing that were fancy enough for a real date. Not that this was a real date, I reminded myself. I ended up settling on a pair of fashionable black jeans and a decently presentable button-down shirt. Running a brush through my hair and making myself presentable enough for a date, I stared at myself in the mirror and decided that I actually didn't look that bad. I was always fairly confident in the way I looked, but rarely expressed it. It felt good to get dressed up, and surprising even myself, I was quite pleased with the way I cleaned up for the evening's date.

Down the hall I could hear mom in her room doing her makeup and picking out some clothes of her own, I figured I'd give her some time and space to get ready and headed downstairs to set out some wine glasses and a bowl of chips in the living room. I wanted everything to be perfect, and the excitement I was feeling was getting hard to ignore. Again, my fantasies were taking over and making me believe that this could somehow turn into a real 'date' or some kind of special evening, but I did my best to remind myself that we were just having a bit of fun tonight and this was just mom's way of unwinding. I took out the box of records and set a classic jazz album on to the turntable, setting the volume of the music and the mood lighting in the living room just perfectly.

I heard mom descending the staircase and stood at attention to watch her arrival. I felt like a teenager waiting for his prom date. When I saw her come down the stairs and enter the living room, my heart skipped a beat and the sight of her took my breath away. Mom's long and silky black dress was perfectly fitted and draped delicately over her small but wonderfully shaped body. The cut of the neckline was just low enough to see the tops of her breasts. The silky material swished around her hips as she entered the room, and the silhouette of her was enough to drive any man wild. She truly was one of the most beautiful women I had ever seen.

"Wow, you look incredible!" Mom said as she looked me up and down, her cheeks had gone rosy red as she admired my outfit. It wasn't just the way she had done her makeup, it truly looked like she was blushing at the sight of me.

I stumbled over my words for a moment before returning the compliment, "So do you! You're really beautiful in that dress, mom." I said, my voice turning husky with nerves.

To my pleasure and surprise, she giggled at my compliment and took her seat on the couch. "Well, my lovely date, shall we open the wine?" She said softly, a playful air to her voice now.

I sat beside her, as close to her as I thought was appropriate. "Yes, let's do that. I must say, I don't think I've had such a nice-looking date before."

"Oh, stop it, you're such a charmer." She laughed, pouring us both a very generous glass of wine.

The music played softly in the background as we clinked glasses and took our first sips. The conversation began to flow more naturally, we were very accustomed to keeping each other company. Normally, it was simple things like cooking together or playing cards, but never in a setting like this. It felt comfortable though, it was easy to talk to her even though there was most definitely a more playful atmosphere in the air than either of us were used to.

At some point there was a lull in the conversation and mom set her wine glass down on the table, her voice changed to a lower tone when she asked, "So, we've always been honest with each other right?"

My heart skipped a beat, I had no idea what she was about to ask me but the way she posed the question made me feel a bit apprehensive, "Of course, we basically share everything."

Mom nodded, moving a little closer to me on the couch and looking me in the eyes, "I want you to be happy. I know you enjoy hanging out at home and taking on the responsibilities around here but, it breaks my heart that you aren't dating. It feels like I am getting in the way of you living your life."

I took her hands in mine, wanting to reassure while being as honest as I could without coming off as weird or a pervert, "Mom, I enjoy looking after you. You did a ton for me when I was growing up, I guess this is just my way of giving back to you. Besides, I love you."

"I love you too, that's why I don't want to see you waste your 20's on me," she said, but her expression was one of love and understanding. She truly wanted what was best for me and was making that very clear.

"Well, what about you? You've already said you're not really out there looking for men. What if both of us have everything we already need right here?" I said, my heart was pounding as I began to reveal a bit more of my true thoughts than I had intended to.

"Jack, what do you mean?" She asked, and the blush in her cheek had returned.

"We have an awesome life. The evenings we spend together are fun, we talk about anything and everything, we get along amazingly, and I take care of the cooking and cleaning while you are at work. It's a great dynamic. I kind of feel like I have everything," I began to pour out my heart, as though the words were coming out whether I wanted them to or not.

"I completely agree with you, Jack. But sometimes I think that neither of us are getting absolutely everything we need, if you catch my drift," She replied, biting her lip and looking a bit nervous.

I was catching on to her meaning, our relationship really was like a husband and wife's already but without the romantic and physical aspects. My brain was on fire, and once again my mouth was spewing out words I didn't even know I was ready to say out loud, "What if we could have everything we need without changing our routine?"

"What? How?" she asked earnestly, her eyes glistening in the mood lighting.

I took a deep breath and clasped her hands in mind more tightly, I had instinctively decided that I was going to say what I was going to say no matter what the consequences were, "Mom, we love each other. Our life is perfect. You're a very beautiful women and..."

Mom took a sharp inhale but didn't recoil from me, but she did quickly interrupt, "...and you're incredible handsome, I've told you that!"

I nodded and continued, "You have. When I look at you, I don't always see my mother. I see Julia, a beautiful woman who has worked hard her entire life. An admirable person who any man would be happy to take care of, that's why I take on the household chores. I want to be the one to take care of you..."

"J-Jack..." She gasped, raising a finger to the corner of her eye to wipe away a tear.

"I love you, mom. I know you must think I'm out of my mind, but... think about it. Our relationship is already so close, why can't we have everything we want? That is, if you want this too. I hope I'm explaining myself..." I said, finally confessing the things I truly wanted. I was ready to face her rejection, ready to feel like the worst person in the world when she screamed in horror.

But she didn't.

"Are we still being completely honest?" she asked, her voice quivering.

I braced myself for the impact of her rejection, "Let's always be honest."

"I've... thought about it before. I've thought about what it might be like if you weren't my son... but we can't change the facts. I know we both have needs, but... we can't really... you know... we just..." Mom was stumbling over her words, conflict was all over her face and in the shimmer of her green eyes.