Chapter 4

*Trigger Warning: This chapter includes themes of homophobia and the use of homophobic slurs*

I was thinking about how it had been a long, challenging but ultimately life changing first year at University as Ash and I packed our cases and got ready to travel back home for the summer holidays. After loading up the car boot I took a moment to bask in the warm morning sun before making my way back up to the flat that had been so pivotal in our relationship.

As I entered the flat I noticed that the bathroom door was closed and so I waited for Ash to emerge as I looked around the space we had shared for the past several months. The sofa where we had first kissed. The kitchen where I had lovingly prepared food. The television, in front of which we had cuddled up and made out more times than I could count. The table where we had shared our anniversary meal together. Every object brought up a new memory and a smile to my lips as I reflected on how very lucky I was.

I took a deep breath, inhaling the scent of our home, that signature scent that every home has, unique to its occupants. Satisfying, comforting and warm, it was a smell that brought feelings of safety and security. We would be back here in a couple of months, of course, having secured the flat for another year's tenancy. But part of me still felt a little sad to be leaving. It was the first time we had truly had our own place, somewhere we could mold and alter to match our wants and needs. That was evidenced by the various anime posters covering our walls, along with the scarves I’d collected over the years when attending multiple football games. Ash had his own shelf full of his trinkets including action figures, DVD’s and countless tomes of Manga neatly lined up.

I was interrupted by the sound of the bathroom door opening and Ash walking toward me, a sweet smile on his soft pink lips. I loved the summer, partially because of the warmth, the outdoor activities, the barbeques, but mostly because of how my boyfriend dressed at this time of year. His long hair was down flowing freely around his small shoulders, the sunlight making his locks shimmer and shine as their rays refracted off them. He wore a cute pink crop top that showed off his slender waist, a pair of thigh hugging jean shorts, and long white socks that really accentuated his shapely calves. The look was completed by a pair of iconic canvas topped American sneakers and some subtle make-up that highlighted his features beautifully. He walked over to me, taking my hand delicately and giving me a tight hug as we both looked around the room, reflecting on the past several months of living together.

“Ready to get going?” I asked him, to which he nodded and gave one last look around the space. Taking his hand, I led him out of the room, closing the door and locking it behind us before turning to face him.

There had been a lot of changes for us over the past few months all of which had started shortly after our anniversary. We knew that being in love with each other wasn’t wrong, nor something to be ashamed of, but we had both still been scared of how people would react. My parents' acceptance had given us some confidence, and over time we had gradually started coming out to our friends at University. Most had been a little surprised but very supportive, congratulating us and offering their support. It had been really heartwarming and affirming for us both, but we still weren’t ready to be completely out when we were back at home.

University felt like a safe place, somewhere with young like-minded people that wouldn’t judge or criticise us for who we choose to love. But our hometown? That was a whole different issue. As far as anyone outside of the University bubble was concerned, we were still just ‘best friends’ and nothing more, but we both knew that would have to change at some point. We just needed to build up the courage to get there.

Ashley struggled with it more than I did, haunted by the bullying and accusations of ‘gay love’ we endured at school that still affected him to this day. I couldn’t help but grin at the irony, even though they were horrible people, they’d been right all along, just a decade too early. I wondered what they would say if they saw us now. Probably nothing nice, although thanks to social media I knew that most of them hadn’t had the best of lives after leaving the educational system. Maybe they had mellowed a little after life served them some humble pie.

After coming out to them, our classmates' acceptance had given Ash a massive boost of confidence and gradually he’d started to show some of his more feminine traits publicly. He wasn’t at the point of going full femboy mode of course, but he was certainly feeling more comfortable in his own skin, being his true and authentic self, which made me happier than words could describe.

I could still remember the look on his face when he was first complimented on his outfit and makeup by one of our female friends, Nancy, who Ash had grown especially close to. He teared up, smiling from ear to ear, grabbing her in a fiercely tight hug. He didn’t need to say anything, we both knew how much it meant to him and she made sure to praise him every time she saw him moving forwards. I owed her a lot for that, for making my boyfriend feel good about himself in a way I couldn’t.

Of course Ashley knew that I loved him, I told him and showed him that every day. But the acceptance from others, friends he appreciated and revered, meant almost as much as the support I could provide to him as his partner and lover.

Standing by the car, we both took one last look at our building before getting inside and buckling up, doing our best to get comfortable for the journey ahead. As we drove home we listened to music and talked while Ash rested his hand on my thigh casually. It was so relaxing being with him, so easy and the journey passed in the blink of an eye as miles of tarmac were left in our wake.

As we travelled I couldn’t help but think of what Ash had been like several months prior, so anxious and terrified to tell my folks about our relationship. Seeing him like this now, more confident, self-assured and beautiful than ever, filled me with the kind of pride that I couldn’t even begin to describe. Butterflies danced in my tummy whenever I glanced over to look at him.

When we pulled onto the drive of my parents house I engaged the handbrake and turned off the engine, giving us a moment to just sit in silence and enjoy the moment as we decompressed from the journey. I reached out to take his little hand, my bear-like paw completely engulfing it as I leant in to give him a kiss. “I’m so proud of you baby,” I whispered, gently stroking his cheek as our lips parted, making him smile as his eyes sparkled.

“What brought that on?” he asked shyly, a hint of rosy pink staining his cheeks and making him look even more adorable than usual.

“I was just thinking about the first time we came back home after we got together,” I explained, “you’ve changed so much since then.”

“You think so?” Ash asked, a momentary look of concern crossing in his face.

“All for the better cutie,” I replied, giving his leg a little squeeze of reassurance. Our eyes met and there was a fire burning deep within us all of a sudden. This happened a lot when we were alone at home together. We’d be spending our free time completely innocuously, not even a hint of arousal present and then out of nowhere we would share a look, a touch, an exchange of words and then we would be atop each other in seconds. It was part of what made being with him so fun. Loving Ash still felt so exciting and free even as we inched closer to a whole calendar year of being together and I privately hoped that this spark of spontaneity between us wouldn’t fade with time. Of course we couldn’t exactly start getting naughty in my car on our parents drive in the middle of the day so we did our best to fight off our rising urges. We both knew that staying at home with the folks for the summer would limit our intimacy substantially, but we had both agreed it was the best option. Ash knew how much I missed my parents and despite not admitting it outwardly, he clearly did too. His bond with my Mum had actually gotten stronger since he had come out, speaking to each other on the phone regularly and even exchanging make-up and clothing tips when he’d opened up to her about wanting to explore some of his more feminine traits. It was so cute and wholesome that when I thought about it I could hardly contain my glee, smiling from ear to ear as the person who had brought me into the world and the man I loved had grown closer and closer with time.

“Come on, let's go say hello,” I suggested as our eyes continued to burn into each other, “before we do something silly.” Ash giggled and blushed at the implication before opening up the passenger side door and climbing out as I followed him close behind. After retrieving both of our cases from the car we made our way to the front door, knocking and waiting for the incoming onslaught of affection from my Mother. We could make out her profile through the translucent glass as she rushed to the entryway, flinging open the door as she lunged towards us, pulling us both into a huge cuddle, the kind only a loving mother can provide.

“Neil, our boys are home!” she shouted happily over her shoulder into the house as she continued to smother us with affection and after a few moments Dad came into view, making his way down the stairs with a mildly annoyed look on his face.

“You picked a good time to arrive lads, we just got a penalty” he commiserated jokingly, making his way over to us as Mum finally released us from her vice-like grip of love. He gave us both a typical quick Dad side hug and a smile while looking a little antsy, “it’s good to see you both” he muttered, mind clearly still on the match playing out on the television upstairs.

“It’s okay Dad, go back to the game,” I said with a chuckle, “we’re going to be here for a while.” He barely even let the words escape my mouth before he was bounding back up the stairs, Mum rolling her eyes and crossing her arms exasperatedly as she watched him go.

“I swear that man loves football more than me!” she joked, the three of us laughing together before we heard Dad whooping and hollering from upstairs. The penalty must have gone in. “See, I told you!” Mum added, making us all chuckle again before making our way inside the house, kicking off our shoes and leaving our cases at the foot of the stairs. Mum quickly ushered us into the living room to take a seat before heading to the kitchen to busy herself with the kettle to make us all a brew. Myself and Ash sat together on the sofa, thigh against thigh, holding hands as we both looked around the living room, soaking in the familiar nostalgia of a childhood spent in the very same room. After a couple of minutes we heard the distinctive clatter of mugs, teaspoons and more on a tray and Mum joined us in the living room, putting the tray down and making us each a nice cuppa. Once we had all been served, she took a seat, taking a moment to get comfy before letting out a happy sigh. “It’s so good having you two home” she said, smiling happily at us both, pride glimmering in her eyes.

“Thanks Pippa,” Ash replied softly, “we appreciate you letting us stay here for the summer.”

“Yeah, thanks Mum,” I added, “it feels good to be home.”

“Of course sweetie, you know the two of you are always welcome here!” she replied enthusiastically before taking a sip of her tea. “Actually, while your Dad is preoccupied, there were a couple of things I wanted to talk to you boys about.” We exchanged an anxious glance, which she noticed, quickly continuing to try and allay our concerns. “It’s nothing bad, I promise!” she added, “and you don’t need to be embarrassed either.”

“Embarrassed?” I asked, raising a curious eyebrow in her direction.

“Well, there’s no way to put this delicately boys, so I’m just going to get straight to the point. You two are an item now, so things are going to be different, aren’t they?” Ash nodded while I continued to eye my Mother quizzically. “Me and your Dad remember being your age. Hormones running wild, young love and all that.”

“So what are you getting at?” I asked pointedly.

“Me and your Father won’t enter your bedroom without knocking.”

“Okay…” I said, feeling like I knew where this was going.

“You can be yourselves here, you don’t need to worry about me or your Dad,” she shuffled a little awkwardly in her seat before continuing, “hearing anything…” she said, tailing off as the implication hung in the air. Ash had turned bright red with embarrassment and I was trying my best not to cringe, knowing that Mum was coming from a good place, but still finding it pretty awkward to be talking about sex with her. She continued, “and if you do need any alone time by yourselves, just let us know and me and Dad can go out and get a coffee or something, okay?” she finished, looking relatively happy with what she had said, but there was still an undeniable awkward tension in the air.

“Thanks Pippa,” Ash replied meekly, “we appreciate it, but we’ll try and keep our hands off each other for you and Neils sake!” I couldn’t believe what I was hearing, eyebrows shooting upwards as I looked to Mum for her response. Her hand went to mouth and a girlish giggle crept through the gaps, turning into a chuckle and then a full on guffaw.

“Oh, you are hilarious when you want to be Ashley! I have missed you” she said warmly, getting up from her seat to walk across the room and give my boyfriend a big cuddle before returning to her seat. The conversation moved on from our sex life thankfully, the awkwardness quickly vanishing and after the match had finished Dad came to join us too. His team had won and so he was in a great mood, cracking jokes and being the lovable but stoic goof we all knew him to be. I helped Mum prepare our evening meal and we all sat around the dining room table to share the food together, talking about our plans for the next few weeks at home. The rest of the night was spent watching TV in the living room, windows open wide to let in the breeze as the sun began its downward journey towards the horizon, temperature slowly dropping to a much more comfortable level as the night rolled in. After watching the ten o'clock news we all made our way up to bed, leaving myself and Ashley alone for the first time since we had arrived back home. We laid our cases down on the floor and opened them up so that we could both start to get ready for bed, agreeing that we would unpack properly in the morning when we were less tired.

“What your Mum said earlier was sweet,” Ash said casually as he applied his nighttime moisturiser and various other tinctures and potions while looking at his reflection in the bedroom mirror.

“Yeah it was, a little bit uncomfortable though wasn’t it?” I replied, my mind being cast back to sitting with Mum while she alluded to me and Ashley being intimate while they were in the house.

“You should be grateful” Ash responded as he turned around to face me, “some people’s families disown them when they come out, so you should consider yourself lucky she’s telling us we can fuck in their house if we want to!” He giggled mischievously as he watched my reaction, a mix of disgust and amusement plastered across my face, an undeniable spark of arousal rising within me.

“You better be careful with that kind of talk,” I warned in a good natured tone, “otherwise I’ll have you over my knee and begging for mercy for Mum and Dad to hear!” We both looked at each other intensely, eyes burning into one another, neither willing to admit that the idea was actually kind of hot, despite how messed up it was. Ash absolutely LOVED being spanked, it made him insanely horny and sometimes he would deliberately act up in order to be ‘punished’ knowing full well that he would most likely end up with my cock buried down his throat in short order. He certainly enjoyed being bratty at times, and I suspected that even mentioning putting him over my knee would get a rise out of him. Based on the look on his face as he stared at me intensely from across the room in nothing but a pair of tiny panties, I was correct.

“I’ll behave Daddy, I can be a good boy for you, I promise,” Ash whispered as he made his way over to his open suitcase, bending over to retrieve his nightwear from within and giving me an amazing view of his peachy little arse in his cute pink panties from behind. Instantly my cock began to swell as I looked at his bum and the cute little bulge peeking out from his thigh gap. Getting turned on so quickly was totally involuntary, but I couldn’t deny how good it felt as my member pressed against my boxers, enjoying the view of his cheeks softly jiggling as he searched his bag for what he was looking for.

“There it is,” he said with relief as he finally straightened up, turning round to see me lying on the bed, naked except for my underwear and gently rubbing my bulge through the soft fabric, moaning softly as I stared at him with an insatiable hunger. He instantly blushed once we made eye contact, a fire igniting within him as he bit his lip and swayed sweetly on the spot, unsure what to do with himself.

“Damn Bruce,” he whispered seductively, “could you not control yourself for even a few seconds?” He asked as he pulled his silky pink night shirt on over his head. It was a cute top, one of my favourites of his, accentuated around the edges with white lace and showing off his flat tummy exquisitely. There was no denying it was intended to be a female pyjama top, but dear god did he look cute in it. Cute and incredibly fuckable.

“I can never control myself when I’m looking at you baby, you know that” I crooned in a gruff voice as I lifted myself up from the bed, offering him my hand before pulling him down onto the soft sheets next to me. We lightheartedly wrestled with each other on the bed, limbs intertwined as we groped each other haphazardly until finally his lithe little body was laying atop mine, our lips going to work as we made out with each other passionately. When our lips parted a strand of saliva stretched between us as Ash gently stroked my hair, staring deeply into my eyes while I caressed his back tenderly.

“Lie back Daddy, I’ll take care of you,” he whispered softly as he started kissing down my chest towards my throbbing member. I lay my head back on the bed, allowing myself to enjoy the sensation of his soft lips making their downwards journey, feeling his fingers hook into my boxers, pulling them down and letting my cock free. Looking up from the bed, I watched Ashley take in the sight of my penis, looking at it as if he was seeing it for the first time, marvelling at its hardness and length, eyes shining with desire as he licked his lips, **** for a taste.

“What about Mum and Dad?” I asked quietly, breaking my boyfriend's quiet reverence as he considered my question. With a wicked grin he got onto his knees, pulling down his panties before sliding them off his legs and bunching them up into a tight little ball. He climbed atop me and straddled my waist making my cock flex and twitch with need. He bent down close to my face, offering the small bundled up piece of fabric to me, eyes gleaming with depraved intentions as he pressed it against my lips.

“Open up Daddy” he whispered into my ear and I instantly obliged, parting my jaw and letting him stuff his makeshift gag inside my mouth. The material was sleek and smooth, tasting like fabric softener, with a hint of the salty musk I knew must have been left on the panties by Ash’ leaking precum. The taste made me growl with arousal, anticipation building as he made the journey back down to my crotch once more and took me into his petite little hand. He didn’t waste any time sucking me into his warm, welcoming mouth, bobbing up and down as he hummed with satisfaction, finally in his happy place with Daddy’s dick in his throat. The panties did a pretty good job of muffling my moans, allowing me to relax and just enjoy the feeling of my partner pleasuring me expertly. It was wet, soft and slow, just how I liked it and Ash masterfully teased me for twenty minutes or more, pushing me to the verge of climax and then backing off, focusing on my heavy balls or moving up the bed to make out with me to allow me to cool off.

Despite being in a relationship with another man for months, I’d never played with my arse before and even once we got together, it was an area of my sexuality I had yet to explore. Recently Ash had been encouraging me to consider trying it and had even started to gently trace my hole with his finger while he pleasured me. The results had been dynamite, the previously unknown sensation, the forbidden nature of such an act, looking down at that sweet little face doing something so naughty, it was totally intoxicating. The first time we had tried it I’d only lasted for a few seconds before erupting like a geyser, spraying cum all over Ash, myself and our bedspread which had to immediately go into the wash due to the sheer volume of fluid I had produced. We’d continued to experiment further, with more prolonged pressure applied resulting in even better results, but it was still something I was very unsure of. To his credit, Ash hadn’t been pushy or demanding, letting me take things at my own pace and stopping when I asked him to, despite how much he probably wanted to forge ahead into this new territory for our relationship.

I had built up quite a bit of stamina thanks to my Femboy regularly stroking and sucking me, even making me last over an hour once with his expert edging skills. It felt incredible to be pushed to the edge over and over before being pulled back, my brain being turned into mush as all I could focus on was the pleasure I was feeling and the desire for even more. This was the state I was in when I felt Ashleys fingers sliding down from my balls, along my sensitive gooch and to my puckered little hole. “Oh fuck baby…,” I moaned softly from behind the panty gag as I felt his fingertips meeting my virgin button, shivering with lust as my brain vibrated with sheer euphoria.

“Do you trust me Daddy?” I heard Ashley ask me in a soft, gentle, sweet voice, managing to lift my head up to look at him, head between my legs and face hovering inches from my taint as he slowly stroked my shaft, occasionally spitting on it to keep it well lubricated. I nodded in response, waiting to see what he was going to do. My horny brain had already figured out what I wanted, but I didn’t know whether he would actually go through with it. “Here we go,” he said quietly, almost as if speaking to himself before dipping downwards and pressing his soft tongue against my hole. He was rimming me. Fuck.

If having my arse teased had felt good, this felt earth shattering, transcendent and beautiful all at once and my head flopped back onto the bed as I was overcome with pleasure. I could hear him lapping against me, my ring getting wetter with each stroke of his tongue as his hand continued to glide up and down my throbbing cock. The noises he was making as he worked on me were so lewd that I could hardly handle it, looking at his face nestled firmly between my cheeks, an expression of pure bliss on his face as he licked and kissed my hole.

I could feel myself on the verge of climax within a couple of minutes despite my best efforts to hold back. I reached out to find his hand, taking it in mine and letting him know it was time for his pre-bed protein injection. He returned his mouth to my cock, finger lazily stroking my hole, tongue swirling around my tip, shaft sliding in and out of his throat over and over until I exploded deep within him, spitting out the impromptu panty gag as I hissed and growled with satisfaction. My legs shook, anus clenching and relaxing repeatedly as I climaxed, body covered in sweat as I made animalistic sounds brought on by my lovers expert skills. He took every drop of my seed like a good little Femboy should, not letting a single drop go to waste, swallowing it all down with one big gulp before sighing happily at receiving another load from his Daddy.

He cuddled up with me on top of the bedcovers as we both allowed ourselves to cool down. “Was that okay Bruce?” Ash asked softly as I continued to suck breath into my lungs, cock still twitching and shrinking after an incredible orgasm.

“It… was… amazing,” I replied breathlessly, “you’re really good at that.”

“Thank you Daddy,” Ash replied as he gave me a squeeze, smiling proudly at my praise. “Hopefully we can have lots of practice in the future?” he asked optimistically.

“I think we can manage that,” I replied happily, kissing him softly on the forehead as I held him close to me. The combination of the warm summer night and our late night playtime had made us both sweaty and tired, meaning it didn’t take us long to both drift off into a peaceful, contented sleep, wrapped safely in each others arms, myself totally naked and Ash in his cute little pink top, his saliva soaked panties slowly drying on the floor next to the bed as we

[slept.

My

](http://slept.My) eyes cracked open as the muted sunlight of the morning welcomed me awake with its warm, gentle kiss. Stretching and yawning I turned to look at the beautiful boy still sleeping soundly beside me, his little pink top having ridden down a little, showing off his cute little nipples. He looked so peaceful while he slept, a halo of his blonde locks forming around his head and making him look like an angel, although ironically it was the devil's work that was on my mind as I looked at him. I could hear the parents moving around downstairs, probably making themselves breakfast, but I was in no rush to join them, deciding to bask in this peaceful moment for as long as I could. Ash had been so well behaved last night that he deserved all the rest he could get and so I laid beside him as he clutched onto my arm as he slept, barely able to tear my eyes away from his visage. I pulled the duvet over us both to make sure we were both nice and comfy and as I lay there I could hear the sound of a knock at the door, not thinking much of it until I could hear my Dad’s raised voice coming from downstairs. I couldn’t make out exactly what he was saying but suddenly there was the sound of heavy, uneven footsteps on the landing and before I had time to react the bedroom door was flung open, slamming into the wall and causing some of the ornaments on my bookshelf to crash to the floor. Ashley woke up with a start due to all the commotion, unsure what was going on as he blearily looked around the room. My jaw hung slack as I looked at who had burst into the middle of our perfect little moment, shocked and afraid of what was about to happen.

Ash’ Mum, Sheila, was standing in the door like a figure from a nightmare, looming out of the shadows. Her hair was a brown, dirty rat's nest with bags under her eyes which were red and bloodshot, twitching slightly as she struggled to stand up straight without wobbling. She was wearing a branded t-shirt which was wet with booze and covered in stains, her jogger bottoms and cheap trainers barely held together, littered with holes, slits and loose threads. She was clearly drunk and as she struggled to take in the scene before her with her beer goggles on, a look of disgust overcame her face. “What are you d…doing Ashley?” she slurred as she almost fell over, catching herself on the wall behind her and using it to straighten up. By now Ash had come to enough to realise what was happening, he had gone white, frozen in place, unable to respond as she staggered closer to the bed. “Why are you all cuddled up in bed with this little prick?” she asked, glancing at me. She’d never been my biggest fan, seemingly because I got Ash away from her, out of her controlling and abusive cycle of alcoholism and unwarranted beatings and to tell the truth, I hated her more than anyone else on planet earth. I instinctively pulled Ash to me, not realising that I had simultaneously caused the covers to fall down, not only revealing his girly choice of attire but also the fact that we were both naked from the waist down under the sheets.

Sheila stared at us blankly, the cogs in her mind turning slowly, slowed down by the liquor muddying her thoughts. We both waited anxiously, time seemingly frozen as we waited to hear what she would say. She stumbled closer, now only a couple of feet from the bed, a look of pure venom contorting and twisting her face as she spat out her next words, “Why are you two n…naked?” she asked, “are you a dirty little faggot?” she sneered. “Is this arsehole your boyfriend or something?” she asked with rising anger in her voice, her volume approaching a shout.

Her words cut through us both like a dagger and Ash was in tears instantly, hearing his own mother insult him in such a brutal, uncaring way making his cheeks wet with sadness as years of trauma came bubbling back up to the surface. I myself was reeling from what she had just said and it felt like I had been punched hard in the stomach, the wind knocked out of me as I tried to decide what to do. I heard my parents footsteps heading up the stairs to try and stop our unwanted intruder and my primal nature kicked in, telling me what I needed to do without even thinking about it. Fight or Flight. Every human being's reaction to danger, programmed into us from a time when we were much less sophisticated and this single choice could be the difference between life and ****. Some people will turn and run, whereas others will choose to stand their ground and confront the oncoming ****. I had never been a violent person, never having a fight and always wanting to leave a positive impact on the world, but this woman, this poor excuse of a mother, this waste of breath had just hurt my baby boy in a way that only she was capable of, turning her role as a caretaker and protector against the very child she had carried for 9 months. My blood was boiling and despite being completely naked I found myself standing up from the bed as if someone else was at the wheel, pushing my movements forwards and making me do what was necessary to protect those I loved. “Get the fuck out of my room, now, you bitch!” I growled with as much venom as I could, towering over her with my large frame as she looked me up and down with a strange grin on her face.

“What, are you gonna make me gay boy?” she asked teasingly, looking at me with a smug face that made me want to cave it in. I felt myself balling my hand into a fist, preparing myself to swing when suddenly my Dad’s face appeared behind Sheila, his arm reaching out to grab her by the shoulder and pull her back.

“Come on Sheila,” he said in a firm yet jovial tone as he tried to stop things from escalating any further, “it’s time to leave the boys alone” he instructed, pulling her towards him and turning her towards the door, basically forcing her from the room as he gently guided her downstairs and out of the front door. She was in such an **** fuelled state that she just went along with it, murmuring to herself and struggling to stay on her feet as dad bore her substantial weight. My mum had rushed into the room as soon as Dad and Sheila were out of the way, helping to cover me up with my dressing gown before climbing onto the bed to hug Ash who was curled up in a ball as he wept inconsolably. As she tried to comfort him, she looked over at me still grappling with the fact I had been seconds away from punching this woman in the face, zoned out and numb to what was going on around me as my beloved bawled.

“Bruce. Bruce! BRUCE!” she shouted, raising her voice to snap me out of the haze I was in. “He needs you,” she explained, looking down at Ash who looked so small, fragile and helpless next to her. In a flash, everything else disappeared from my mind, the only person that mattered right now was currently laying in the foetal position on the bed that we had shared for years. I took Mum's place, laying down next to him, finding his small, shaky hand and interlocking his digits with my own.

“I’m here baby” I whispered softly, Ashley raising his head in response to my words and pulling himself to my chest as he continued to shake and sob uncontrollably. My Mum watched over us, sadness and heartbreak in her eyes as she watched the two boys she had helped raise in such pain. Dad joined us, having successfully gotten Sheila out of the door, offering his own support as best as he could, although he clearly felt awkward and unsure of what to do. With the three of us comforting him, eventually Ashley was able to wipe his tears and take a few sips from a glass of water, but we all knew that what he had just been through would stay with him for a very long time. My first concern had been Ash, but now that things were calming down a little I felt an intense anger building in me, the type of which I had never felt before. My fists were clenched, knuckles turning white as I imagined all the things I wanted to do to the woman that had hurt him so much. Before I could sink any further into this pit of rage, my Dad glanced away from Ash, noticing the look on my face and grabbing me by the arm.

“Pippa, stay with Ash for me, I need to talk to Bruce,” he explained, leading me into the hallway and closing the door behind us so we could speak in private.

“What the hell happened to him in there?” Dad asked me once we were alone, leaning against the wall, the concern obvious on his face, “Do we need to call the police?”

I explained how things had played out, with Sheila entering the room, what she had said to us and how I had stood up to her before he had arrived. Dad told me that he’d opened the front door to find her outside, finishing a bottle of vodka and tossing it aside before demanding to come in. She’d seen my car on the drive and figured out that Ash would probably be inside. Mum and Dad had tried to politely suggest she come back later, but she had pushed past them, making her way up the stairs and into our room. Dad had initially tried to go after her, but Mum had stopped him momentarily, scared of what he might do as she saw the anger rising inside him, much like what was happening with me now. She had only been in our room for a minute or two, but the damage done was irrevocable. Ash had spent so long building up his confidence, finding himself and getting out of that woman's shadow and now I worried if he would ever be able to recover. Dad was clearly worried about me as I stared off into space, allowing myself to be overcome by the negative thoughts swirling through my mind. I knew where she lived. No-one would judge me for extracting a pound of flesh from her, right? Before my thoughts could spiral any further Dad spoke up.

“Look son, I know you’re angry and that you want to protect Ashley.”

“You can say that again,” I commented mirthlessly as the swirling rage within continued to pick up speed.

“But whatever you’re thinking of, it's not the right way to handle it, I can promise you that son.” Dad said as he patted me on the shoulder.

“How would you know?” I asked, still thinking that the fire and brimstone approach was the only way to deal with this. Dad sighed in response before making his way towards the top of the stairs.

“Come with me,” he instructed, making his way downstairs and into the dining room as I reluctantly followed behind. Once inside he closed the door, pulling out two glass tumblers from the cabinet and opening the drinks globe in the corner of the room where all the **** was kept. He turned to face me with a bottle of scotch whiskey in hand, setting the glasses down and pouring a healthy measure into each.

“It’s a bit early for that isn’t it Dad?” I joked, glad to see there was still a bit of my usual self coming to the surface.

“Well, it's an emergency,” Dad quipped back, passing a glass to me before taking a seat at the table, looking at me expectantly. “Sit down then son.” I did as I was told, feeling like a child about to be scolded for some misdeed. As we sat there, Dad looked nervous and I wondered what he wanted to tell me. “You need to promise me that what I’m about to tell you never leaves this room, okay son?” I nodded in response. “I want to hear you say it,” he insisted.

“I promise Dad, I won’t tell anyone,” I said as I swirled the brown liquid around my glass, debating whether to down the whole thing in one.

Dad took a sip of his drink, a far away, remorseful look in his eyes before he started his story. “When I first met your Mum she was dating Joe Carter. He was a big guy, well known in the area for being a bit of a ladies man. He managed to woo your mother and they’d been going steady for a little while. Well, it turned out that things weren’t so rosy in their relationship. Joe had a temper and would sometimes take it out on your Mum.”

I looked shocked, I’d never heard any of this before. I wanted to ask questions, but a voice in my head told me it was best to stay quiet and see where he was going with this.

“Me and Pippa were in the same science class, we were lab partners,” he explained, a glimmer shining in his eye as he recalled meeting my Mum for the first time. “We became pretty close friends and one day she turned up at my front door. Her dress was ripped, her eye was black and her lip was bloody. Joe had demanded something from her that she wasn’t willing to give and he’d punished her for it. She’d managed to get away and had ran straight to me because she knew she would be safe.”

“What did you do Dad?” I asked as I waited on tenterhooks.

“I wanted to go and find him. To beat him black and blue. To break his bones, make him bleed. Maybe even kill him.” A dark look had overcome my Dads face, one I hadn’t seen before. It scared me. “I was headed down a bad path son, my life as I knew it could have ended that day.”

“What stopped you?” I asked, sitting on the edge of my seat.

“Love,” Dad responded plainly.

“Love?” I asked, confused.

“Yes, the greatest **** in the world,” he explained. “As much as I wanted to go and get my pound of flesh, your Mum needed me more than anything right then. If I had gone and fought Joe, I could have ended up in prison, but instead I stayed with Pippa, comforted her, tended to her wounds and made sure she was safe.” He looked up at me, an intense expression on his face, “If I had made the wrong choice that day, me and Pippa would have never gotten together and you might have never been born.”

“So what are you trying to say?”

“Ash needs you. Hurting his Mum won’t achieve anything, other than hurting you, and him, even more than you’re hurting right now. So whatever you’re thinking about, don’t do it son. Trust me, it won’t be worth it.”

I took a sip of the strong, peaty drink as I considered his words. It burned as it went down my throat, but ironically the drink, or possibly the words of my father, seemed to put out the fire that had been blazing within me. “Yeah, you’re probably right Dad,” I admitted, “thanks.”

“No problem son,” Dad replied, standing up and draining the last remnants of his alcoholic beverage, “now I’ve kept you long enough, get back upstairs to Ash, I’m sure he’s missing you.”

“Okay Dad, I will,” I replied, smiling at him appreciatively before making my way back upstairs to the bedroom. With each step up the stairs I could feel some of the anger falling away, like leaves falling from the trees in the autumn and by the time I reached the landing, I was focused on what needed to be done.

As I opened the door to our bedroom and stepped inside Ash and Mum were sitting on the edge of the bed, her arm around my boyfriend's back, his head resting gently on her shoulder in a comfortable silence. His tears had stopped flowing, but his eyes were red and puffy, streaks on his cheeks catching the light as a reminder of the sadness he had been enduring just a short while ago. They both looked up at me and smiled as I entered, Ash looking weary and tired, but it was a good sign that he wasn’t crying any more. Mum delicately removed herself from his embrace, giving her adopted son a soft kiss on the head and a squeeze of the hand before standing up.

“I’ll go and make us all a drink, give you two some time alone, okay?” she asked, looking down at Ashley who was still holding onto her hand like a lost child. He nodded softly as they shared a moment, the man I loved trying to express his gratitude to my mother for her comfort without the use of words. Eventually he released her hand and she walked across the room, giving me a quick hug before leaving the two of us by ourselves. As soon as she was gone Ash looked me dead in the eyes, reaching out his arms to me like a baby reaching out for its mother. The symbolism was ironic and it wasn’t lost on me, but I quickly crossed the room to meet him in a tight embrace as he rose from the bed.

“I can’t believe she did that to us, to me,” he whispered against my chest, tears threatening to start falling again as he remembered what he had just endured.

“I know baby, I can’t either” I cooed softly as I stroked his hair, “try not to think about it, okay?”

“I can’t!” Ash replied with frustration as a fat, misery-fuelled tear formed in the corner of his eye, spilling down his cheek and soaking into my dressing gown. For a second I wondered what to do. How could I fix this? My Dad’s words floated back into mind, with one especially pushing itself to the forefront. ‘Love.’

Taking Ash’ face in my hands I slowly pulled his lips to mine, kissing him tenderly. At first he didn’t know how to react, the raging whirlwind of emotions inside him all battling for control, but after a couple of seconds his body relaxed, melting against mine as he allowed himself to enjoy the safety and intimacy of my arms. It was almost like I was breathing new life into him and as we parted, with his eyes still closed, Ash smiled the biggest, most genuine smile I’d seen since Sheila had left. Seemingly, for just a moment, he had forgotten about all of it. The power of love overcoming the darkness. “Listen baby, I’m sorry you’re in so much pain and I’m sorry I couldn’t protect you from her.”

“You don’t have to apologise,” Ash interrupted before I continued.

“I promise you, right here and now, that I will be here for you every second and that this will all be okay.”

“You’re sure?” Ash asked, a hopeful glimmer of optimism in his eyes.

“I’m sure. You’re stronger than you think you know?”

“That’s quite the compliment, coming from a guy who benches 275!” Ash joked, making us both chuckle softly together.

“I love you baby boy,” I whispered softly.

“I love you too Bruce,” Ash replied, leaning up to give me another kiss as we heard the sound of Mum ascending the stairs with a tray of tea in hand. She walked into the room as we were still canoodling, awkwardly standing by the door as she waited for us to finish.

“Sorry Pippa,” Ash said shyly once he finally released me from our love lock and looked over at her.

“Oh, don’t be silly,” Mum said as she set the tray down and set about pouring our drinks, “I always say, there’s nothing that the love of a good man and a stiff cup of tea can’t fix!”

I hoped she was right.