Chapter 9 - Sensation (Neil's POV)

"15... 14... 13..."

Neil stared at the court as the countdown clock ticked away its last seconds. It was all square. The Hotwheels had trailed for much of the game, outclassed by their opponents, the Syracuse Screamers. Still, in the last quarter they'd clawed their way back, and it was Avery's tactical changes that had turned things around. Okay, he admitted, the team were playing amazingly now, but as far as Neil was concerned, it was still Avery who made the late-game difference.

"12...11..."

Their opponents' center had the ball near the Hotwheels net and was about to shoot. Mary pressed him as hard as she could, John came in from the other side. The Syracuse center took the shot. The ball soared through the hands trying to tear it from the air. A second passed in an eternity before it smashed the backboard and bounced away. Luck took it straight to Mary who spun and pushed herself forward.

"8...7...6..."

"TO MIKE AND SHOOT!" screamed Avery.

Mary passed it swiftly, Mike grabbed it, still not at the half-way mark. He was their strongest player, but even he'd never made a half-court shot. He glanced at Avery, uncertain. Avery nodded and he launched it towards the Syracuse net.

"4... 3..."

It came down on the rim, rolled around once, twice and plummeted through the hoop.

Neil was on his feet, cheering. Avery glanced at the clock. Syracuse had the ball, but with no time left it was over.

"YOU DID IT!" yelled Neil.

He was too high in the bleachers to really be heard over the crowd. Still Avery turned towards him and gave him a thumbs up. The buzzer went. The game ended. They'd won by three. The Hotwheels rolled towards their coach. Frank was there, patting her on the shoulder in celebration. He'd sat back the entire time and let her run the game.

It took a while for the court to clear, and longer still for the teams to finish showering afterwards. Neil waited for Avery by the car. As he did, his uncle came over.

"Hey, Neil, we're all heading to San Giordino's for a celebratory dinner. You and Avery have to come!"

Neil gave him a puzzled look. "You got a reservation this late?"

Frank laughed. "Well, no, I booked it last week after we won our second game. Figured even if we lost it would be good to celebrate coming this far. Turns out it's a damn site better than that."

"Yeah, I don't think anyone saw us getting three in a row."

"Hey, Neil!"

He turned to see Avery leading the team out of the building. They shared some high fives before splitting off to their own vehicles.

"Avery!" he called back. "You were sensational!"

She laughed. "You mean the team were. They really pulled together."

"Yeah, true, but it's you who coached them."

Neil helped her into the passenger seat and put the wheelchair in the back. As he pulled out of the parking lot, he stole a glance at Avery. She was grinning like they'd just won the finals. In truth, there was still a long way to go. There were five more games until the knockout stages, but this game, this moment, demanded a celebration.

San Giordino's had set up a large table near the front of the restaurant for them. A chair was there for Neil and Frank, while the rest of the table had space for wheelchairs. It made for easy access - and a straight shot to the bathroom. The staff had obviously thought through the needs of wheelchair athletes to the best of their abilities.

Conversation flowed freely, all about the game just played and the one to come next. Avery had a compliment for everyone who had played, even if just for a couple of minutes. Mary and John got the best of them, but it was easy to see they'd earned it. The near half-court shot Mike made to win the game got praise from everyone... more than once.

Neil sat back and just enjoyed it all. Avery was in her element. The "Hero of Hell's Hall" label would always be with her, but while she'd excelled as a player she glowed as a coach.

"You know the rule - first drink's on me after every win," said Frank. "You deserve it."

All but Frank and Neil ordered alcohol - beer, wine, rum and coke. They knew their limits, both the legal and physical, but they needed a celebratory drink. Their toast tonight?

"AVERY! You were great!"

She shook her head. "I might have helped, but it was you that played the game. I'm toasting to the team!"

"The Hotwheels!" came the cry at once as glasses clinked around the table. "Hey Frank, who's next?"

He pushed his palace aside and reached for the tournament schedule, spreading it on the table.

"Franklin Freewheelers," said Avery before he could even check the game list. "They're not bad, but Syracuse have them 3-1 in head to heads."

Eyes turned to her in surprise. "Have you memorized the entire damn schedule?" asked one of the team.

Avery shrugged, "Of course, it's my job. I'm the coach. You guys play ball, I keep things organized."

Frank chuckled, "Better than I ever did. I was right to pass coaching over to you."

Groans and objections filled the air as the team insisted Frank had been a great coach, but it was clear to everyone that Avery was more skilled and had more time for it. She'd been exactly what the Hotwheels needed to lift them to the next level.

"Hey," said Mary, "Did anyone else notice who was sitting in the bleachers today?"

The rest of the team gave her a puzzled look. Someone suggested "Neil?" and got a laugh. Uncle Frank was the only one not joining in the confused fascination and seemed to be avoiding people's gaze. Neil noticed and sighed. He couldn't have looked more guilty if he'd tried, at least if you knew him. Neil tried to work out who Mary might be talking about, coming up with nothing, before calling his uncle out himself.

"Okay, Uncle Frank, what are you up to?"

"Me?" said Frank. "Nothing really."

The conversation died as the Hotwheels stared at their sponsor. Denial was foolish, but still he refused to speak.

"It was the coach from the University of Arizona," said Mary eventually.

A murmur passed across the table. The Arizona coach? Here in New England? Why come that far? Neil thought about it carefully. It was too far to come on a scouting mission without a strong reason. And the only member of the team who was looking to go to university was Lisa. She was a decent player, but not the kind of person you'd travel that far to headhunt.

"Frank?"

"Okay, look," he said, taking his time to piece what he was saying together. "We all know Lisa wants to go to college and they've got a great wheelchair basketball team. Their coach and I go way back and she was up here visiting her daughter at the culinary institute. I asked her to come check out the game before she headed back. I just didn't want to get anyone's hopes up."

There was something he wasn't saying. It was written in the way his fingers drummed on the table, the way his eyes never actually settled on anyone fully, and the tenor of his speech itself. Neil tried to challenge him, but Frank just shrugged and refused to say more.

"Thanks, Frank," said Lisa. "It doesn't matter if she's not interested in me, I appreciate you trying."

Frank nodded and raised a hand. "It's all good."

The discussion drifted into easier talk--next matches, best plays, former team mates. But Frank kept stealing glances at his phone and smiling. There was more to what had been said than he was letting on. Neil was sure of it. That grin was more enigmatic than the Mona Lisa, more underhanded than a used car salesman. He tried to figure out what was going on.

Mary was still buzzing about the Arizona coach when the check came.

"Guess we'll find out after the Freewheelers game," Frank said, too casually.

Avery only smiled. "Well if she is here for Lisa, we'll all do our best to help."

"And if she's here for--?" Neil began.

His uncle cast him a glance that told him to shut up. Neil caught it and nodded, realizing he'd been right but what Frank was really planning was to be a surprise.

"For what?" asked Avery.

"Er... for a visit? Like, not about college at all?"

"Neil!" Avery hissed. "Don't be such a downer. Let's just hope this is Lisa's key to the future. She deserves it!"

"You're right," he said. "Sorry."

Frank grabbed the check, waving away the protests to split it, and paid himself. They left to a chorus of laughter, but the question and the hope followed them out into the cold night.

The journey home was quiet, relaxed. Streetlights flashed by as Neil headed towards the darkened side road where Avery lived. They didn't speak. Neil glanced at Avery a couple of times to make sure she was okay. She was smiling, more than he'd ever seen her before. She had to be in pain though, the day had been too intense for her not to feel it. Still, she didn't complain.

"I'll get your pain meds," Neil said, hearing her slight groan as she transitioned into the wheelchair.

"No," she said. "It's ok. I had a couple of beers tonight and you nag me when I even think of mixing alcohol and Percocet."

He laughed in mild embarrassment at being called on his carefulness. "I just worry," he said. "There's a risk to taking both together, but you didn't have a lot."

"It's okay, Neil," she said. "It's sweet actually. I love the way you care for me. And it's not like you're wrong."

"Still, you must be hurting. You haven't had anything in over 12 hours."

"I know. I won't lie, I do hurt a bit but maybe you could give me a massage instead. That helps me more than you know."

It had taken her a couple of weeks after the deep fake incident to trust Neil enough to ask him to massage her legs again, and he'd felt proud when that resumed. He'd treated her with the respect she deserved and she was noticing it. And it did help, that was true, but he wondered if it would be enough tonight.

"I'd be glad to," he said. "But that will only help your legs. Are you sure that's enough?"

She paused and bit her lip, looking at him nervously. "Do.. do you know how to give full body massages? Or at least back and legs?"

The question surprised him. "Yes, of course. I did it for my mom all the time. But.."

She lifted her hand to touch his lips. "Stop it, Neil. I told you I trust you. Will you give me a massage, please?"

"YES!" he blushed at his outburst. It wasn't lust. It was celebration that her trust was growing, that the damage he'd done was being repaired. "Sorry, I mean yes, I will. If you're sure."

"I am," she said, unlocking the front door. "Just give me a few minutes to get ready and I'll meet you in the bedroom."

Neil took a deep breath as Avery closed her door behind her. It was just a massage, he reminded himself. He wasn't going to screw up like he did before. Still, he hadn't expected that kind of trust from her again, even if he had worked hard to deserve it.

He headed to the bathroom to clean up. Then he reached for a bottle of oil he'd brought for just such an occurence. His mother had loved this one - an essential oil with a soft floral scent. He wasn't stupid enough to think there was any magic to such things, but the fragrance could help someone relax, and being less tight improved a massage.

He gave her a few minutes before returning as she'd asked for time to get ready. He expected she'd be fully clothed, or in a tank top and shorts, in which case the oil would be largely useless. But there was a chance she'd just be in underwear - enough to let him give her a deeper massage without being too exposed.

When he walked into the room and saw her face down on the bed completely naked he froze.

"Umm... it's ok if you want to wear something," he said. "I don't want to make you feel uneasy."

She turned her head to look at him over her shoulder. "I'm fine," she said. "If you don't want to make this weird, just do it."

"Okay."

He drizzled lotion over her bare back. She shivered as it hit her skin and gasped. "Give a girl warning, Neil. I wasn't expecting it to be cold."

"Sorry," he said, rubbing more into his hands. "I should have thought. Ok. Just relax."

He knelt beside her bed and took her shoulders in his hands. His fingers pressed and released, moving gently but firmly across the width of her frame. Her muscles were knotted badly, and that didn't surprise him, but as he continued to massage her she began to release the tension. It was a safe place to start, and the seat of a lot of stress, but soon it was time to move on.

He slid his hands down her back, fingers kneading at her sides while the heels of his palms followed the shape of her spine. He was careful. If he went too deep he could hurt her in ways he wouldn't do to someone without a spinal injury. But care matched his style anyway. Deep muscle work could come later if necessary. For now it was about learning her curves, her muscles, where she held in the tension and where she let it out. It was also a chance for her to learn his hands, to adjust to something she hadn't experienced since losing her mobility.

For long minutes he continued to work her back, before moving down to her buttocks, firm yet soft in his grip. Then it was her legs, the one place she lacked all control. He had to be slow there, checking each move for any sign of resistance. It would be all too easy for her to feel violated if he didn't judge her reactions here. Yet she seemed to relax into it even more. A moan escaped her lips and gave him permission to put more pressure into her thighs.

He took his time with her legs before moving back up. He could go all night if she wanted, it was up to her. For him, knowing she was getting relief from the strains of the day was more than enough.

Avery drew a deep breath like she was preparing to say something difficult. She blew it out again through tight lips. Neil waited, giving her time to speak. His hands ran the length of her back, pressing deep as they slid up, gently as they worked their way back down. The tension he'd felt in her spine was gone, but she was holding her shoulders tight again.

"What is it?" he asked eventually.

"Nothing."

He sat up, lifting his hands from her body.

"Whatever it is, you can say, Avery. I won't be upset and I won't hide anything."

She dropped her head down the pillow onto her shoulder. "Do you always have to be so reasonable?"

Her voice was clear. Her hesitancy was embarrassment not alcohol and he needed to be patient.

"Okay... Neil, do you still think about me sexually?"

He bit his lip, afraid of what the truth would bring. This wasn't just a fake picture anymore, she was asking while he was massaging her naked body. But he'd promised her the truth and he wouldn't hide it.

"Yes," he said. "I still think you're sexy. But I know the rules and I won't overstep. I swear it."

"I know that!" snapped Avery, before pausing. "Sorry, I didn't mean to bite your head off. I know you won't do anything I don't want, Neil. That's not the problem anymore..."

"What is?"

Seconds drew on as she remained silent. For a moment he wondered if she was going to speak at all. Finally she cleared her throat and spoke; a bare whisper, loud in the quiet room.

"I don't know if I feel anything."

It was an understandable fear, Neil reflected. Some people with spinal injuries lost all feeling below the damage. Some felt only pain there - his mother was one of them. Some retained other senses too. And the only way Avery could find out was if she was stimulated there.

"Avery," he said. "Have you tried touching yourself?"

She was quiet for a moment and hid her face further under her shoulder.

"N-no," she said at last. "I'm afraid to."

"Did you feel my hands when I was massaging you?"

"Yes."

That was a good sign, but he pressed further.

"On your back or on your buttocks too?"

"Both," she said after a moment. "It... it felt good actually."

"But it's still not... there, is it? That's what scares you."

She nodded, the movement of her head barely seen from his angle. He thought for a moment. If she was too afraid to touch herself, there was only one other solution. But offering that would be overstepping the mark. He didn't want to make her think he wasn't able to control himself again and he certainly didn't want to be thrown out.

"Neil," she said quietly. "Will you touch me?"

His breath caught in his throat. "Are... are you sure?"

Avery's head bobbed again, a tiny movement, as if afraid to acknowledge what she wanted.

"Okay."

He reached down and helped her to turn over, careful how and where he touched her. This was just about him helping her discover whether she could still enjoy sex, as a passive participant or an active one, after the car wreck, and she was clearly afraid of the answer. This was more like a doctor's visit, he thought, than actual sex. Of course, it didn't stop him getting aroused and he just had to hope she didn't object when she saw his pants tenting.

"Be gentle," she said through teeth that were chewing her lip. "Please."

Neil let his hand drift to her breast, cupping it gently, then brushing his fingers over her nipple. Avery gasped.

"It's okay," said Neil, his voice barely more than a soft sigh. "Relax with me. I just want you to be ready."

She didn't answer, but her breathing deepened under his touch. He circled her nipple with slow, steady strokes, then cupped her fully, kneading her breast with careful, confident pressure. His other hand joined in on the other side, drawing a soft tremble from her as she turned her face away.

There were no words to say. He could neither allay her fears nor encourage her. In the moment, it would sound wrong.

He slid his hands down her sides, massaging her with smooth, steady pressure. Where words failed, touch could still reassure. As he reached her hips, he slowed, careful not to press too hard where her injury made her vulnerable, watching her closely for any sign of pain.

A strangled cry escaped her as his fingers trailed lower, brushing through her soft curls. He paused, hand still, waiting -- but she didn't tense or pull away. So he continued, stroking gently. She was wet. Ready. And when she exhaled a slow, shaky moan, he let out a breath of his own.

Neil shifted lower, settling between her legs. He circled her clit with a fingertip, slow and deliberate. His breath warmed her skin as he leaned in, lips brushing her gently. He whispered words she couldn't even catch -- not over the rush in her ears.

Her hand grasped his hair suddenly, and he paused, raising an inch from her slit as he waited for permission to go on.

"I can stop," he said.

"No..."

And she pulled him to her again, her fingers firm with need, her grip demanding. Neil breathed deeply, the musky scent of her a fine perfume. He drew her bud into his mouth, sucking and nibbling it with his lips. Above him she cried out, loud and raw, and he almost stopped again, but her hand in his hair made it clear she wanted more.

"Please," she managed to choke out.

He deepened his touch, tongue and lips working in rhythm as he slid a finger gently inside her. She was warm, slick, pulsing around him. His other hand found her breast again, squeezing more firmly now, feeding her rising desire.

"Let go," he sighed, breaking contact for a moment before plunging his tongue back inside her.

Avery was gasping now. A growl filled the air as she felt her orgasm grow. And then, with one deeper thrust of his finger, one final flick of his tongue, she came. Unable to move her legs or hips, she still showed how intense it felt to her. The taste of her intensified as the climax passed.

She was smiling with that post-orgasmic goofiness that showed how strong her orgasm had been, not merely a physical response, but an experience that filled all of her. Her lidded eyes were closing as her breath came in shuddering gasps.

"Thank you..." she breathed.

"My pleasure," said Neil.

She turned to look at him through exhausted eyes. "But... but it wasn't... I'm sorry."

He frowned as he tried to understand her. "What do you mean?"

"I mean... you didn't... you know."

Gone was the confident woman who coached the team to success. Gone was the passionate beauty who'd experienced her first sexual pleasure in well over a year. Gone too was the friend, the employer, the disabled woman. As Neil looked at Avery he saw a girl, scared she wasn't enough for the guy who made love with her.

"Avery, it was wonderful. Thank you."

But she was already falling asleep.