Imprisoned - 4. The Hero's Scars

After the meteor shower was over Ryan drove me back home. We held hands the entire way and Ryan sang along to some country music, which made me grin. Nothing was cuter than a southern boy singing country music.

We pulled up to my house and he put his truck in park. I looked over at my house, the porch light shining like a beacon in the night, welcoming me.

“Well, here ya are.” Ryan said. I looked over at him to meet his gaze.

“I had a good time. It was refreshing to not have to deal with medical for a little while.” I admitted.

“I’m glad.” He smiled at me. I pulled on the door handle and my door swung open when he spoke up again.

“Hey, I just want you to know that I know we kissed tonight and believe me I loved it.” He sounded nervous.

“Buuut?” I asked, waiting for the inevitable.

“No buts. I just want you to know that I don’t expect anythin from you.” I smiled as he continued. “We can move slowly if that’s what you want. I just know that I like you, and I’m willin to be patient.” He finished.

My heart pounded in my chest as I grabbed his face in my hands and brought our lips together. His kisses were like fireworks, it was the most amazing feeling ever. Our tongues danced together and he brought a hand up to the back of my neck, resting his thumb on my jaw.

We broke apart and I stared in his eyes, rubbing my thumbs across the stubble on his jawline.

“I could get used to that.” Ryan said smiling. I smiled back and removed my hands from his face, which made him drop his hand. I turned around and climbed out of the truck closing the door and giving Ryan one last look through the open window.

“See you tomorrow.” He said.

“I’ll hold you to it.” I said flashing him a smile. I turned around and began the walk towards my front door. Ryan waited to drive off until I got through the front door.

The lights flicked on automatically as I closed the door. I tossed my keys and wallet on the entry table and walked down the hallway towards my bedroom. I stepped into my room and began stripping off my clothes leaving my boxers on. I climbed into bed and my bedroom lights faded out until I was enveloped in darkness.

I closed my eyes and my mind flashed to the date I was just on, and the kiss I had just experienced with Ryan. I touched my lips, where I could still feel his kiss.

I drifted off to sleep thinking about holding Ryan’s hand underneath the meteor shower.

My alarm went off, signaling the start of a new day. I dragged myself out of bed and made my way towards the kitchen.

As soon as I got to the coffee maker to start my day with some much needed caffeine there was a knock on my door.

I groaned and threw my head back as I shuffled my way towards the front door. I unlocked the deadbolt and threw the door open, the bright morning sunlight blinding me slightly.

There on my front doorstep stood Ryan, with two coffees and take out containers. His eyes got wide as he looked me up and down.

“Well, you look better than I expected.” Ryan joked, and it took me a second to realize that I was still in my boxers.

“Oh my god!” I exclaimed, burying my face in my hands. “I’m so tired I wasn’t even thinking.” I added.

Ryan laughed. “Hey, if it’ll make you feel better I can strip down as well?” Ryan walked through the front door and closed it behind him.

I smirked at him. “Oh yeah, you would like that wouldn’t you?” If I was being honest, I wouldn’t mind that. I turned around and walked, rather quickly, back towards my bedroom.

“Why, I have no idea what you mean.” Ryan sounded appalled.

I grabbed a pair of lounge shorts and a tank top out of my dresser and threw them on. Returning back to the kitchen to see Ryan moving about the kitchen grabbing plates and forks. He smiled when he saw me, pointing at the stool at the island.

“Sit, here’s some coffee.” He said, handing me one of the cups he brought. I took a drink and savored the taste. The first cup of coffee was always the best.

“You know, not that I’m complaining or anything, but why did you bring me breakfast?” I asked.

Ryan began setting up a plate with an assortment of breakfast items. “Because I see what you eat for breakfast most mornings and it’s sad.” He said.

He placed a plate in front of me and handed me a knife and a fork. I looked down at the plate that contained bacon, eggs, and pancakes. I picked up a slice of the bacon and took a bite out of it. My taste buds exploded as they came in contact with meaty goodness.

“Wow, this has got to be the best bacon I’ve ever had.” I said.

Ryan grinned and nodded his head. “My Momma used to cook it just like that most mornings.” He replied.

I envied the fact that Ryan had a close relationship with his mom. My mom loved me and we talked on the phone every now and then however, she wasn’t the most approving of my sexuality. Her and my dad loved James, they even considered him part of the family. But deep down she always wished that I would get married to a woman and have kids.

“You and your mom are pretty close, I take it?” I asked, taking a drink of my coffee.

“Yeah she’s the best.” Ryan had a smile on his face. He came around the island and took a seat next to me with his own plate of food.

“Does she know that your gay?” I asked.

“Of course she does. She’s really supportive of it too. When I came out she told me.” Ryan straightened his back and put on his best southern belle impersonation of his mom. “Honey, if your gay that’s okay. But you better bring home a real hunk of a man so we can both drool over him.” I laughed and smiled at him. It was nice to see Ryan had such a wonderful relationship with her.

“She sounds great.” I said taking a bite out of my pancakes.

“Yeah, she really is.” Ryan replied.

Ryan and I talked more about our families while we sat there and at our breakfast. We talked about what we would do after we were done with the military, where we would go and what we would do for the remainder of our years.

“I think I would want to go back to being a cop.” Ryan said. He gathered up our plates and walked over to the sink.

“How come?” I asked bewildered.

“I don’t know, I’ve just always loved helping and protecting people. I don’t know what I would do if I couldn’t do that anymore.” Ryan turned the faucet on and began washing the plates.

I stood up from my stool and walked over to the sink, standing next to him. I grabbed a towel and waited for him to finish washing the plate.

“What about you?” He asked looking up at me slightly.

“I think I want to move to one of the islands in the sound. Maybe open up a little clinic, settle down a bit.” I stated. Ryan handed me a plate and I began drying it off.

“The sound?” He asked with a look of confusion.

“The Puget Sound. People usually just call it “the sound” up there.” I replied. I put the dish away in the cupboard and returned back to my spot next to him.

“There’s islands up there?” Ryan asked, sounding astonished.

“Oh yeah! A lot more now, ever since the 2023 earthquake. They’re beautiful too, very green.” I said.

My mind wandered a little bit to my dream home, right on the water, surrounded by trees, a vision of downtown Seattle way off in the distance. Absolutely perfect.

Ryan handed me the last plate and shut the water off. I dried off the plate and put it away with the others. Ryan rested his hand on the counter and leaned against it, looking at me.

“Sounds peaceful.” He said.

I mimicked his posture, my fingers inches away from his.

“It really is.” I responded shortly.

Ryan’s eyes drifted down to the rings hanging off the silver chain around my neck. He reached out with one hand and grabbed them gently. He took a step towards me and observed them closely. I forgot to tuck the rings in my shirt. I went to speak but Ryan interrupted me.

“It’s okay, you don’t have to explain." He said.

He had a look of understanding in his eyes as he gently placed the rings back in their spot on my chest, letting his hand rest there for a few seconds. After he removed his hand I grabbed them and dropped them in my shirt.

"I feel like I should say something." I said.

I know I shouldn't feel guilty, but I did. James was always going to be a reminder, on every future relationship. This was partially the reason why I never dated. Ryan was the first date I had been on in years, with a person I felt like I had an actual connection with. True I had left a trail of guys behind me, but that was just sex. Emotionless sex was always easy if you never got attached.

"I understand." Ryan grabbed my hand in his. "James will always be a part of you, and you will always hold a special place in your heart for him. I knew this before we went on our date, and before we kissed. So you don't have to explain anything to me." Ryan finished.

I leaned forward and kissed him, Ryan wrapped his arms around my waist and brought me closer. We broke apart and I rested my head against his shoulder. In his arms I felt impenetrable, like we were in our own little bubble of protection.

A few moments had passed and our phones went off. First mine and then Ryan's. I grabbed my phone off the counter and looked at the caller ID. It was General Dreyfus.

Either one of two things was happening. They were either reassigning me, or they were shipping us out for something. I pulled away from Ryan and answered the phone.

"Yes General." I said in my most professional tone.

There was a gruff voice on the other end that spoke. "Dr. Pierce, your needed in my office immediately."

"Yes sir, I'll be there right away." I responded. General Dreyfus hung up on his end and I set my phone on the counter.

"Yes sir, right away sir." Ryan responded to his own call and hung up the phone. "My captain needs to see me immediately." He said.

"Yeah the general needs to see me too." I responded.

"We'll rode together their offices aren't too far from eachother." Ryan said.

I went into my bedroom to quickly get dressed and then followed Ryan out the front door, locking it behind me.

The General's office was all the way on the other side of the base, past medical. I racked my brain the entire way, thinking what it was that was so urgent that he needed to see me right away.

Ryan held my hand on the drive over and I noticed for the first time that he had finger tattoos. The other times I had seen his hands they were covered with those fingerless combat gloves, and last night it was too dark to see. I observed the tattoos and they were runes, like viking runes. They gave him more of a rugged sexy vibe, which I liked.

We pulled up to the building that contained the Generals office. Ryan gave my hand one final squeeze and I hopped out of the truck. I saluted the guard at the door and he saluted me back, opening the door for me.

The hallway that led to the Generals office was long, and boring. The carpet was an ugly shade of blue, and there were no pictures hanging from the yellow cinder block walls. The door to the Generals office reminded me of something that you saw in a cheesy P.I. type of movie. It was wooden, with a large glass pane. The words “General Dreyfus” were emblazoned on it with golden letters. I gave three short knocks.

“Come in.” I heard a gruff voice say behind the door.

I opened the door and stepped in his office, closing the door behind me. General Dreyfus stood behind his desk, he had a pair of wire rimmed glasses on. His salt and pepper hair was cut into a high and tight, classic military cut. He stood a little taller than me at 6 feet and was built like a lumberjack. In essence he was every twink’s daddy fantasy.

I saluted him and he saluted me back.

“General, sir.” I said shortly.

“Dr. Pierce.” He said back.

"You're probably wondering why I called you here?” He questioned.

He gestured to the chair in front of his desk, offering me to sit as he took his own seat. I respectfully declined and instead stood behind the chair, placing my hands on the back and leaning against it.

“Honestly sir after 3 years in the Army, nothing surprises me.” I replied honestly.

“I’ve always admired your honesty.” General Dreyfus chuckled. “We have another assignment for you and your team.” He added.

My interest peaked at this. The last assignment we went on, we got sent out to Las Vegas to overthrow a militia that had taken up residence. We won of course, but not after destroying half the city.

“I would appreciate it if you kept the collateral damage to a minimum this time.” General Dreyfus said with a commanding tone.

“Hey, we won and we reclaimed Vegas. That was the assignment.” I stated flatly.

“You leveled 3 city blocks and killed the militia in the process.” General Dreyfus responded.

“Boomer wanted to test out his new explosives.” I shrugged my shoulders.

General Dreyfus held his hands up. “You know what, we’re not here to discuss the Vegas Incident.” He picked up a file and tossed it across his desk. I picked it up and flipped the black folder open. Inside were maps, satellite images, pictures. I looked more closely at the map and recognized where it was.

“You want us to go to San Francisco?” I asked bewildered.

“Yes.” General Dreyfus responded.

“But it’s a dead zone. No one has gone in or out since the Clayton Outbreak. What reason would you have to send me and my team in there?” I asked.

Ever since the Clayton Outbreak, all of the bridges to San Francisco were destroyed isolating the island city. Since then there has been no communication and everyone who was inside was presumed dead. There were rumours that some people survived, but it was chalked up to myth. But it still didn’t keep people from talking.

“That’s classified.” General Dreyfus replied. I scoffed at his answer and threw the file back on his desk.

“Then give me the cliff notes version.” I responded, my blood beginning to boil. If they thought they were going to have me risk my team, my family’s, life for some fool errand. Then they had another thing coming.

“You were told that everyone inside San Francisco was dead.” General Dreyfus began. I nodded in response. “But that was a lie to protect the public.” I tried to hide the look of shock on my face. General Dreyfus ignored me and continued. “After the Clayton Outbreak, seven years ago, the United States Government sent a team into San Francisco to search for any survivors. They didn’t find any, but what they did find was Dr. Clayton’s research and he was on to something, something big.”

“What do you mean big?” I interrupted.

“I can’t tell you that. All I can tell you is that it’s important and we need it.” General Dreyfus pulled out another file and handed it to me. I took it and opened it up.

On the first page was a picture of a man. Handsome and lean with a stoic expression behind a pair of black rimmed glasses. Underneath the picture, in a white footing, read “Dr. Jason Grimm, MD”.

I looked up from the picture as General Dreyfus began to speak. “You need to find Dr. Grimm and bring him to LA.” He said.

“Why is this doctor so important?” I asked.

“He’s a geneticist, researching the effects the Northern Flu has on the elimination of cancer cells in the human body. He picked up where Dr. Clayton left off.” General Dreyfus responded clamly.

My mind was going a million miles a minute. “Wait a second. Are you saying that this guy found a cure for cancer using Northern Flu?” I was completely bewildered. It sounded like crazy science fiction. The doctor in me was screaming with delight, on the other hand, the realist in me was screaming in fear.

“We don’t know. That’s why we need you and your team to go in there and get him and his team out.” General Dreyfus paused. I could sense there was more to it. “At 0200 this morning Dr. Grimm and his lab went dark. All methods of contact have failed, satellite feeds show there’s heat signatures so we know people are in there. We’re afraid that this might be another Clayton Outbreak situation.” He stood up and faced me, staring directly into my eyes, and I stared back. “You and your team have the best track record, and I trust you with this. Don’t let me down.” General Dreyfus finished.

“Yes, sir.” I said.

General Dreyfus grinned. “Good to hear it.” I turned to walk out, but General Dreyfus began talking again. “Oh and by the way, you have a new member of your team.” I turned back around to face him.

“Who?” I asked.

The office door opened and in walked Ryan, who looked just as shocked to see me as I him.

He was wearing his military police uniform, his tight t-shirt clung to his biceps and chest. His pants were slim and were tucked into his combat boots, they had an assortment of pockets that ran down the sides. My dick began to get hard at how sexy he looked.

He settled next to me, standing straight with his hands behind his back. I tried not to look too awkward standing next to him. How was I going to complete an assignment with him?

“Dr. Pierce you know Sergeant Ryan Riggs don’t you?” General Dreyfus asked.

“We’ve crossed paths sir.” I responded. I fought the urge to grin, and won thankfully.

“Good, well then Ryan, Dr. Pierce will fill you in on the assignment. You and your team leave at 0600 tomorrow morning.” General Dreyfus sat back down at his desk and began digging through more files.

“Yes, sir.” Ryan and I both said. I tucked the assignment files under my arm and walked out of the General’s office, with Ryan hot on my trail.

Once we were out of the building Ryan spoke up. “So, this isn’t going to be weird is it? I continued walking towards Ryan’s truck, which was some 20 feet away.

“No, it should be fine.” I said shortly. Although I wasn’t quite sure, would our feelings get in the way of the assignment?

We reached Ryan’s truck and I sat against the back bumper crossing my arms. Ryan joined me and nudged my shoulder with his. I looked over and smiled at him, maybe everything would be okay. Maybe our feelings wouldn’t affect the assignment. I rested my hand on his, which was resting next to him on the bumper. Our fingers intertwined together, I still couldn’t get over how soft his hands were.

“Everything will be okay.” I said in a reassuring tone. I could tell that he was worried about how my being team leader would affect what we had going on. “We just have to remember to not let our feelings interfere with our work.” I added. Ryan nodded his head in approval, staring at the dirt underneath his boots.

“I don’t know what this is turning into.” Ryan gestured between him and I. “But all I know is that I want it to continue.” He finished. He gazed into my eyes with a hopeful expression.

“So do I.” I smiled and gave his hand a squeeze. He smiled back at me, leaned in and gave me a kiss. I kissed him back and we held our gaze for a few seconds.

I messaged the others to meet Ryan and I at my house to go over the details of the mission. We all stood in my kitchen surrounding the island which contained a map, the satellite images and the picture of Dr. Grimm.

“Where are we dropping in at?” Riley asked leaning over the map.

“The Embarcadero here, at Pier 7.” I pointed my finger at a red x. “From there we’ll make our way here.” I pointed to another spot on the map. “This is where Dr. Grimm’s lab is. We’ll get him and his team and get to the extraction point here, at Telegraph Hill.” I pointed to another spot on the map.

“Something tells me that it’s not going to be that simple.” Alex piped in.

“No, it’s not.” I began. “The General was vague about the details, but we could be dealing with another Clayton Outbreak situation. Plus since the city was abandoned 7 years ago there’s no way of telling if there are survivors there. If there are survivors, they might not be so willing to help us.” I explained.

“Why’s that?” Ryan asked.

“A government scientist accidentally spreads a deadly pathogen, then the government destroys any way in or out, essentially condemning everyone inside. You do the math.” Boomer explained. He looked bothered, but I knew why.

“Boomer, I could understand if you're not up to this assignment.” I stated, glancing over at him as he hoisted himself onto the kitchen counter.

“I’ll be fine.” Boomer said. Ryan shot a confused look at me but I ignored it. I would explain to him later.

“As you all know, Danvers left us after our last assignment in Vegas.” Boomer gave a chuckle and I grinned. Boomer hated Danvers, but Danvers was arrogant and had it coming. “So Ryan,” I placed a hand on Ryan’s shoulder. “Will be taking his place.” I finished.

Alex cheered and gave Ryan a hug, everyone else gave him a slap on the shoulder, Boomer gave him a grin and a nod from his perch atop the counter. I smiled, Boomer didn’t make friends easily, he was the grumpy one of our group, but it was nice to know that he liked Ryan.

“Alright guys, so transport leaves at 0600 tomorrow. Make sure to bring your gear, and only essential items.” I stated. I began folding the map and putting everything back in the file.

“See you tomorrow Ell.” April waved and smiled at me as her and Riley walked out of the front door.

“Hey Ell, I got a question.” I could hear Boomer’s heavy footsteps approach me from behind. I turned around to see Boomer with a look of excitement on his face.

“What is it bud?” I asked.

“So, there’s this new explosive I’ve been wanting to try out-” Boomer began but I cut him off.

“Nooo, no, no. I promised the General, no collateral damage.” I said.

“Ah c’mon! It’s just a tiny little experimental device that may or may not have the power to take out a tiny little city block.” Boomer spoke fastly at the last part, probably hoping I wouldn’t catch on.

“Boomer, remember when we went on that reconnaissance mission in Portland?” I asked. Boomer nodded in acknowledgement. “You had a tiny little experimental device that time too, which blew up a section of the Hawthorne Bridge which moments later collapsed into the Willamette River.” I felt like a parent scolding their child. But in all reality, I thought it was kind of funny, but I wasn’t going to let Boomer know that.

Boomer scoffed. “It was an ugly bridge anyway.”

“It was a historic landmark for the city. It survived a nine point seven earthquake, only to be destroyed by one of your devices.” I stated.

“Well it’s not my fault they like ugly things in Portland.” Boomer pouted, crossing his arms. I shook my head and laughed.

“See you tomorrow Boomer.” I said holding onto the edge of the door. Boomer sulked through the doorway and I watched as he made his way down the pathway towards his jeep. I chuckled and closed the door, Boomer may have been a grouch but he was also a big kid at heart. I hoped he would do okay on this assignment.

“Quite the big kid ain’t he.” I heard Ryan say behind me, which made me jump slightly. “Sorry did I scare you?” Ryan chuckled softly. He was standing in the kitchen with his hands in his pockets, except for his thumbs, which rested on the outside.

“No, just startled.” I responded, walking over to the couch and plopping down on it.

“Isn’t that pretty much the same thing?” Ryan asked sitting on the other side of the couch.

“Whatever.” I chuckled. Ryan chuckled back. I swung my legs onto the couch, and bent my right knee resting my arm on it.

“Why do you ask if Boomer would be okay on this assignment?” Ryan asked. I was hoping he would have forgotten about that, but apparently he didn’t.

“Boomer is from San Francisco.” I said. A look of shock spread across Ryan’s face.

“Oh, did he ever hear from his family?” Ryan asked.

“No, During the Clayton Outbreak Boomer was away at college. He tried to get a hold of his family after the bridges went down, but he never could. For all he knows his family is gone.” I explained.

Ryan’s look of shock was replaced with sadness. “Wow, I definitely seem to understand him a little bit better now.” He said and I nodded in agreement. I looked at my watch and noticed the time read 10:20.

“We better get to bed. Gotta be up bright and early in the morning.” I stated, standing up from the couch. Ryan stood up too and began walking towards the door.

“Where are you going?” I asked.

“Hooome?” Ryan said questioningly.

“Why don’t you just stay here? You can sleep in the guest room, the bed is all made up.” I jabbed my thumb in the direction of the guest bedroom.

“I don’t want to impose on you Elliott.” Ryan said, a look of kindness glinted in his eyes.

“I wouldn’t have offered if it was going to be an imposition.” I stated. I gave him a look that said “Are you kidding?” which Ryan seemed to pick up on.

“Alright, show me the way.” Ryan smiled. I smiled back and led him to the bedroom across the hall from mine.

It was a relatively simple set up, a queen bed sat against the far wall with a quilt and many pillows. Just looking at it made me sleepy. The drapes were semi-sheer and grey, just enough to let a small amount of light in. On the opposite wall of the bed a tv hung on the wall, below it was a six drawer dresser.

“It’s not much, but the bed is comfy.” I said. Ryan stepped in the room and took in his surroundings.

“I like it, it’s simple.” Ryan stated with a grin. I blushed and looked away, clearing my throat.

“I’m right across the hall if you need anything.” I said jabbing my thumb over my shoulder to the door across from the guest room.

“Okay.” Ryan walked up to me and gave me a soft kiss on the lips, which almost made my knees buckle. “Goodnight Elliott.” He added.

“Good night Ryan.” I said breathlessly. I backed out of the room and crossed over to my bedroom door. I flicked the light on and turned around with my hand resting on the door.

Ryan gave me a smile and closed his door leaving a slight crack where a sliver of yellow light was shining through. I cracked my door similarly and began undressing leaving only my boxers on. I slid into the crisp cold sheets of my bed and the lights dimmed out.

I laid there thinking about the assignment tomorrow. A new assignment always made me nervous, that's why I was glad Ryan decided to stay. Even though we were in separate rooms, his presence seemed to calm me slightly. It was a new feeling I had never experienced before, it was almost like I felt myself becoming attached to him, like I never wanted to let him go.

"Thats crazy, you just met the guy a little over a week ago. It's just new, it'll wear off." My thoughts began to ring out.

I stared up at the dark ceiling. But what if I didn't want it to wear off? What if I wanted these feelings to last forever? When I'm with Ryan I feel alive again. Before I felt like I was on autopilot, just going through the motions, never wanting more or less. Now I want more, I want more for my future, a future I had never thought about until recently. Whether Ryan was in it or not was too early to tell.

The last thing I thought of before drifting off to sleep was kissing Ryan, which made me smile.

I awoke to the sound of a faint voice coming from outside my room. I strained my ears and recognized the voice immediately as Ryan's. He sounded in distress.

I pulled the covers back and stepped out of the comfort of my bed. I pulled my lounge shorts on and crept out of my bedroom and over to the guest bedroom. I poked my head in to see Ryan stripped down to his boxers, sweat beading over his body. He whimpered and tossed his head. Was he having a nightmare?

"D-david no." He cried softly. My heart broke when he spoke those words. He was having the nightmare about his brother.

I approached the bedside and placed a hand on Ryan's broad shoulder, his skin was warm to the touch and I could feel ridges below my fingertips. I couldn’t quite see in the dark but I squeezed his shoulder gently.

"Ryan." I said, attempting to wake him up. Ryan stirred but continued mumbling.

"Ryan." I said again, squeezing a little bit harder.

Ryan’s eyes flicked open and he shot upright gasping slightly.

"Hey, hey you're okay. It was just a nightmare." I said in a calm tone. I sat on the edge of the bed and rubbed his shoulders. His eyes settled on me and he soon realized what had just happened.

"Oh, i'm sorry Elliott." Ryan said embarrassingly.

"Nothing to be sorry about." I said flatly. My eyes finally adjusted to the dark and I could see what my fingers felt on Ryan’s shoulder. His eyes widened and he covered his right side quickly, hiding what I had already seen.

I reached for the hem of the blanket to pull it down but Ryan’s grip tightened and fought against mine. I looked into his eyes, there was a pain behind them. Something terrible in his past was related to what I had seen.

“Ryan, it’s okay.” I said resting my hand on his.

“Nobody has seen them since the accident.” Ryan replied.

“I want to see them.” I replied.

Ryan thought for a second before slowly lightening his grip. I slowly pulled the blanket down to reveal what I already knew to be there.

From Ryan’s shoulder, to his neckline, and down a large portion of his right torso were burn scars. I thought back to a conversation we had a few days back. His father had died in a house fire, their house. Slowly the pieces began to fit together as I soon realized that Ryan had been gravely injured in that house fire, leaving burn scars on his body.

I ran my hand over Ryan’s right peck, he shuddered slightly at my touch. From his peck the scars fanned out, almost like an explosion, and ran down towards his waist line at an angle and right side and appeared to wrap around slightly to his back. His left side was completely untouched.

“It was worse before.” Ryan spoke up, he had a calm look in his eyes and a stoic expression.

“Skin grafts have come a long way.” I responded. I continued observing the scars. “Do they wrap around to your back?” I asked. Ryan nodded his head and turned over slightly so I could see his back. I ran my hand over his shoulder blade and he shuddered again. He turned back on his back, avoiding my eye contact.

“I was 16 when it happened.” Ryan started, but I stopped him.

“You don’t have to tell me.” I reassured him. He shook his head and looked up at me.

“I need to.” Ryan said shortly.

I nodded my head. “Okay.” I replied.

Ryan took in a breath before he started. “We lived in a manufactured home, just a two bedroom one bath, it was all we could afford after my daddy was laid off. My momma was at work, so I was watching my brother. We were in our bedroom at the front of the trailer when we heard the smoke alarms go off.” Ryan took a pause. I could see tears start to well up in his eyes. I took his hand in mine with a firm grip and Ryan reciprocated my grip.

“I told David to crawl through the bedroom window and call for help while I went and got our dad. He was a bastard but I couldn’t let him die. But the fire reached the gas line and at that point the whole trailer blew. The next thing I knew I woke up in a burn unit. They told me that I was lucky I was further away from the explosion or I probably would have died. To this day they still don’t know what caused the fire. The assumption is that it was bad electrical because the circuit breaker was completely fried. But I don’t know if I buy that. I guess we’ll never know.” Ryan wiped the tears from his eyes with his free hand. I reached up and placed the palm of my hand on Ryan’s cheek, gazing into his eyes.

“How come you’ve never talked about this before?” I asked.

Ryan let go of my hand and gestured to his torso. “Look at me Elliott. Most of the burns healed because of modern medicine, but I will always have to look in the mirror and see these scars. I was afraid of getting seen as ugly, and rejected.”

I let my hand fall from Ryan’s cheek and rested it over the scars on his chest. “Ryan, these are the scars of a hero, and they tell the story of how you saved your brother and tried to save your father. You should wear them as a badge of honor, not fear them.” I explained.

“How can you look at these and not run the other direction?” Ryan asked.

“Because, it’s not about what’s on the outside. It’s about what’s in here.” I pointed to Ryan’s head. “And what’s in here.” I rested my hand above his heart.

There were so many feelings floating around inside of me, most of them for Ryan. We looked into each other’s eyes for what seemed like forever, I wish I could just look into his eyes forever.

Ryan reached a hand up and brushed my cheek and I leaned forward and pressed my lips to his. I parted my lips and he kissed me back, sliding his tongue into my mouth. When he pulled his tongue out he bit my lip slightly and my dick immediately began to get hard.

We started kissing more feverently, picking up the pace. Our breathing began to quicken, and Ryan lowered me on my back and came to rest on top of me, never breaking contact from my lips. My cock at this point was rock hard, it rubbed against Ryan’s inner thigh through my shorts. I could feel Ryan’s own cock rubbing up against my thigh through his boxer briefs, it felt big, and I was anxious to lay eyes on it.

We continued making out, feeling each other's bodies, running our hands over each other. Ryan’s hands felt so good, as they ran over my chest and found my nipples. He gripped them lightly between his fingers. He broke apart from our kiss and grinned.

“Are those nipple piercings?” He asked looking down towards my nipples.

“Yeah.” I said with a devilish grin.

“Hmm, that’s hot. Is it true what they say?” He asked, brushing his fingers against them. My nipples were a huge turn on, even more so after they were pierced.

“Is what true?” I asked breathlessly.

“That they get more sensitive after they get pierced?” Ryan asked further. He gripped my nipples more tightly and I let out a soft moan.

Ryan lowered his head to my neck and kissed softly, he brushed his lips against my earlobe and twisted slightly on my nipples. I let out another soft moan.

“I take that as a yes.” I could hear the smile in his voice as he spoke.

Ryan pressed his hips into mine slightly, his breathing becoming more ragged. He ran hands down my sides until he got to the waistline of my shorts. He kissed my neck, teasing his fingers along the waist of my shorts. This man knew how to drive a guy crazy.

He pulled down slightly on my shorts and I lifted my hips in permission. He slid my shorts off and tossed them aside. My rock hard cock smacked my stomach, pre-cum dripping from the tip. Ryan sat on his knees in between my bent knees, taking in my form.

“God you're so beautiful.” He said. My breath caught slightly when he said that. No one had ever said that to me before.

Ryan leaned back down and began kissing me on the lips. His left hand ventured down and found my dick. I let out a soft moan as he wrapped his hand around my girth.

“Wow, you're packing some heat there.” Ryan grinned.

“Look who's talking.” I replied. Running my hand over Ryan’s underwear, feeling the outline of his hard cock. Ryan ran his thumb over the slit of my dick and brought it up to his lips, licking the pre-cum off.

“Mmm, you taste good.” He stated, kissing me deeply.

He began stroking my cock slowly, using some of the pre-cum as lube. I moaned into Ryan’s mouth with every stroke.

He broke apart from the kiss and began kissing my chest, taking a second to nibble and lick my nipples which sent me over slightly. He began kissing me down the center of my stomach, still stroking my cock in his hand. Once he got down to my pelvis he ran his tongue up the underside of my dick, once he got to the tip he slid me into his mouth.

I let out a sharp moan at the sudden warm and wet sensation that enveloped my cock. I rested my hands on Ryan’s head, running my fingers through his disheveled sandy blonde hair. Ryan took my dick all the way to the hilt, without so much of a gag, keeping it there for a second and then working his way back up. This felt better than the dream I had of him.

Ryan began bobbing up and down on my cock, working it with his lips and tongue. It was the best blowjob I had received in quite some time, even better than Jon. I could feel myself starting to get close, but I didn’t want to cum yet, I wanted to save that for the end.

“Mmmm, Ryan. Ryan, I’m gon-I’m gonna cum.” I moaned. Ryan immediately stopped to my delight and began kissing his way back up towards my mouth. When our lips met, I could taste my pre-cum on his tongue slightly.

“My turn.” I said in between kisses and I rolled over, pinning Ryan underneath me. Ryan chuckled and I leaned down kissing him some more. I positioned myself between his legs and hooked his underwear with two fingers and pulled them off, tossing them on the floor. My jaw dropped slightly at what they concealed.

Ryan’s cock stood perfectly erect. It was probably a good 7 or 8 inches, but what was more impressive was his amount of girth. I instantly wondered if I would be able to take it, if I were to bottom.

I leaned down and kissed Ryan. “You are the beautiful one.” I stated. Ryan blushed slightly. I began kissing Ryan’s chest, I kissed his scars and Ryan shuddered slightly. He ran his hands across my shoulders as I explored every inch of his body. The area I most wanted to explore was between his legs. I made my way down to dick and noticed a drop of pre-cum begin to run down the side of his head. I instantly licked it up, which made Ryan take in a sharp, ragged breath. I slid the head of his penis over my lips and slowly made my way down his shaft until I felt my nose touch his pelvis.

Ryan let out a long moan, and grabbed a fistful of hair. I began slowly bobbing up and down on his cock, giving it great care and attention. WIth my left hand I cupped his balls and began rubbing them slightly, Ryan arched his back and began moaning louder.

“Oh fuck!” He exclaimed.

I kept my pace and reached up with my other hand and began playing with his left nipple.

“Mmm, fuuuck!” He moaned. I chuckled to myself, I had him right where I wanted him.

I began to quicken my pace slightly and Ryan’s moans became louder, and more pronounced. He began bucking his hips slightly, I could tell he was getting close.

Just then his hand left the top of my head and I felt his two hands grip around my biceps, pulling me up. What was he doing?

“I don’t want to cum yet, I want to make this last.” He said breathlessly. He rolled me over so that he was on top and positioned himself between my legs, leaning down to kiss me some more. We stroked each other’s cocks gently, enjoying the experience we had so desperately wanted since laying eyes on each other on my birthday.

We broke apart for a second and I gazed into his eyes, he knew what I wanted, he was just waiting for me to tell him.

“I want you to fuck me.” I commanded. Ryan’s face softened slightly.

“Are you sure?” He asked. I nodded my head.

“How about I make love to you instead?” Ryan asked. I felt my heart explode as he spoke those words.

“I would love that.” I said. We kissed passionately and I crawled out from underneath him and grabbed his hand. Leading him into my bedroom. I opened the drawer of my nightstand and pulled out a bottle of lube, tossing it on the bed. I laid down on the bed and Ryan climbed on top of me, we began to kiss some more and I reached for the lube. I lathered his cock with a lot, with the amount of girth he had, we were gonna need all the lube in the world.

“First things first.” Ryan said, squirting some lube on my hole. He pressed a finger against my hole and I moaned softly. He slid his finger in and I moaned louder, arching my back in response. He began sliding his finger in and out, gradually working up to 2 fingers. We kissed and he stroked my cock as he did this, pushing me closer to the edge of what was going to be an explosive orgasm.

Ryan pulled his fingers out of me and positioned himself in between my legs, I wrapped my legs around his lower back and guided his cock towards my hole. I could feel his head push against my entrance. Ryan pushed a little further and I could feel the head of his penis slide in slightly, he left it there for a little bit before pushing more. Ryan was incredibly gentle, and my hole was accepting his cock as if they were made for each other.

Ryan pushed a little more and his cock slid in the rest of the way. I let out a gasp of pleasure at the feeling and Ryan moaned. Ryan’s cock filled me, I didn’t know if I could fit anymore in me. In all my previous sexual encounters I was the top, so having someone as large as Ryan in me was a new experience that I for one did not hate.

Ryan pushed in more and I could feel his thighs make contact with my ass cheeks.

“Ohh fuuuck.” We both moaned in unison. Ryan began kissing me, sliding his cock in and out of me gently.

I was in absolute heaven. Everytime Ryan pushed in he hit my prostate, which sent a bolt of pleasure all throughout my body.

“You okay?” Ryan asked, his breathing quickening along with his pace.

“Mmmm, yeah. Don't stop.” I moaned with pleasure.

Ryan kept a steady rhythm, his thighs slapping against my ass as he drilled my hole with every inch of his cock.

I stroked my cock as he fucked me, with every stroke I could feel myself getting closer and closer to the edge. Sweat began to form on both our bodies, our breathing quickening as we both reached our inevitable orgasms.

My hole squeezed Ryan's cock every time he pulled out, milking it for the cum it so longingly desired.

I could feel the orgasm begin to rise up in me as Ryan leaned down and kissed me passionately.

“O-oh, oh fuck Ryan! I’m gonna cuuum!” I shouted.

“Me too!” Ryan moaned.

I let out a long and loud moan as rope after rope of cum began shooting out of my dick, landing on my chest and my stomach. Ryan let out a long moan and pushed his cock deep into me. I could feel his cock pulsating inside of me as warm cum flooded my insides. Ryan collapsed on top of me, his cock still throbbing and pulsing deep inside of me. I wrapped my arms around him as he continued to moan into the pillow beside my head.

Our breathing was deep and our bodies spent at the explosive orgasms we had both just experienced. A mixture of sweat and my cum was layered in between our bodies, but we continued to hold each other. In all honesty I wanted to stay in this position with him forever.

“That. Was. Amazing.” Ryan said in between breaths.

“Holy shit.” Was all I could muster for a response. We both chuckled and Ryan gave me another kiss, his cock slowly going soft inside of me.

He rolled off of me after his now flaccid cock slid out of me. I laid my head on his chest and he wrapped his arms around me and kissed the top of my head.

“Can we just stay like this?” I asked, not wanting this moment to end.

“We can stay like this for as long you want.” Ryan replied, rubbing my shoulder.

I listened to Ryan’s heartbeat and breathing, the combination of the two lulling me slowly to sleep.

If I didn’t have deep feelings for Ryan before, I sure did now. I didn’t want whatever was going on between us to ever end. I hope it never does.