by Sean Michael
Jessy grinned and turned to the doctor. “Can they see him for a few minutes? They haven’t even had a chance to congratulate him on his win.”
“Two at a time. Keep the high fives to a minimum.”
“Thanks.” He turned to the kids. “Let me just make sure he’s feeling up to socializing, okay?”
He ducked back into the room. “You’ve got a whole pool’s worth of visitors, Mike. You up to seeing a couple at a time?”
“Visitors? Yeah?” Mike nodded, winked. “Not Anderson.”
He chuckled, though he didn’t find it very funny. “Nah, it’s Jason and the others from Austin. I think Jason’s got a little something that belongs to you.” He squeezed Mike’s hand and stroked the kid’s cheek. “Love you, Mike.”
“Love you, Jess.” Mike’s gaze caught his, eyes so serious. “I’m going to be okay?”
“Yeah. It’s gonna be a while before you’re back in the water, but you’re going to be okay.”
“Gonna race again?”
“You bet your sweet ass. I’ll be riding you in no time.”
“Okay. Okay. You gonna stay here tonight?” The fingers around his were trembling, sweaty, holding on tight.
“I’m not going anywhere, Mike, I promise. You can see the guys, have your pizza, and then I bet your three hours’ll be up and they’ll actually let you sleep.” He stroked Mike’s cheek again. “It’s gonna be okay, baby.”
“Okay.” Mike nodded, gaze focused on him, Mike trusting him. “Bring on the crowds, Coach.”
“Two at a time. And the minute it’s too much, you let me know and it’s over. You don’t need to prove anything to anyone here, got it?” He gave Mike a stern look.
“Yeah. I just wanna go home.” Mike tried to reach up, stroke Jessy’s face, but the shoulder stopped him.
“Sh. Sh. Take it easy.” He bent down, pressing their lips softly together. “First-class flight tomorrow. And then we’re home.”
Mike nodded, relaxed. “Home.”
“Yeah.” He kissed Mike again and then went to let the first couple in.
“Jase. You and someone else can bring him that gold.”
“Hey, Jessy.” Hank Roberts was standing in the back of the crowd, just hovering. “He okay?”
“He’s gonna live. No thanks to you and your boys.” He had to resist the urge to rush at the man, both fists flying.
“I didn’t have anything to do with it, man. I wanted to coach your boy. I wouldn’t. Hell, man. I wouldn’t.”
Jessy just shook his head. This wasn’t the place or the time, not with Mike needing him back in his room and the boys all wanting to go in and see him. He turned his back on Hank, letting Jase and Bobby in.
Mike found a smile for them. “Jase-man. You see my race?”
“Hell, yes. You rocked. I brought your medal.”
Grinning, Jessy stood back against the wall, letting them visit without him hovering.
The kids chatted, draped the medal over Mike’s head. The conversation went on for a while, one set of kids coming, another going, Mike sinking deeper and deeper into the pillows.
Jessy hurried the last few along, seeing them out the door. “Sorry, guys. He’s tired and hurting.”
He returned to the bed and tugged Mike’s hand a bit. “And not allowed to sleep for a couple more hours. Don’t fade out on me yet, Mike.”
Mike blinked over, eyes tired. “Hours, Couch?”
“Sorry, but yeah. Two more hours.” He squeezed Mike’s hand. “You want a pizza, kid?”
“I want orange juice and…. Cheerios. I want Cheerios.” Mike wrinkled his nose. “Tomatoes and cheese sound sort of urpy.”
He grinned. “Well, I bet the cafeteria will have those.”
“Cool.” Mike smiled up at him. “I bet a Dr Pepper would help me stay awake….”
He laughed. “No way. You can’t get back in the water before the doc lets you, but there’s other ways to train, and you are not going back on caffeine until your career is over.”
“Damn. What good is being on the injured roster then?” Mike actually relaxed, the familiar struggle easing him.
“I’ll make sure you get some perks.” He waggled his eyebrows and winked.
The laughter comforted him, Mike scooting over. “Come rest with me. I’ll eat later.”
He considered saying no, not wanting to risk jostling Mike, but he wanted it as badly as Mike did, so he was just really careful, lying on his side at the edge of the little bed.
Mike sighed, smiled. “Jess? Today? Deeply screwed up.”
He rubbed his hand on Mike’s taut belly. “Yeah, I know. Deeply, deeply screwed.”
“I won the race, though. I focused on the wall.”
“Yeah. And you did it without totally screwing up your shoulder.” He kissed Mike’s cheek. “You did good.”
“I love you, Jess. Thank you for being here. I…. God, I would’ve freaked without you.”
“Sh. I’m here, Mike. There’s nowhere else I’d ever be.”
“Cool.” Mike’s eyes closed, his lover cuddling carefully.
“No getting too comfortable.” He danced his fingers lightly along Mike’s belly.
Mike chuckled, nuzzled. “Won’t.”
“Good.” He watched Mike’s face, happy to be able to do so, knowing how close he’d come to losing his swimmer, his lover.
“Let’s play ‘What if.’”
He got a grin, a nod. “Yeah. Okay. You start.”
“All right. What if you won a half-dozen gold medals at the Olympics?” If they were going to play pretend, they might as well go for the gold.
Chapter Five
THEY’D GONE from the airport straight to the medical center and a shitload of tests and pokes and X-rays, and, fuck, Mike was tired. The doc had said a ton of shit that he didn’t listen to, that he just trusted Jess to understand, his whole focus on staying upright. The room had an alarming tendency to spin. They grabbed some food on the way home, the smell of whatever it was making him just a little queasy.
“I don’t feel good, Coach. Are we close?”
“Five minutes, but I can pull over if you need me to.” Jessy glanced at him, gaze full of concern.
“No. No, I just want to go home. World keeps spinning. Doc say that was normal?”
“Yeah, she said about a week maybe, even.” Coach reached out and settled his hand on Mike’s thigh.
“’Kay.” He just kept his eyes closed, focusing on Jess’s hand. “When can I get in the water again?”
He chuckled. “Patience, Mike. It’s going to be a few weeks.”
“Weeks? I don’t think I’ve ever gone weeks without swimming, Coach.”
“Are you really itching to get in the pool right now, Mike? You’re having trouble sitting. You can start complaining when you honestly are chomping at the bit.”
“Okay.” He rolled his shoulders. “Just didn’t want to get out of practice.”
Coach laughed. “Brat.”
“Yeah, your brat.” He smiled as the car stopped. “Does this mean hours of soaking in the whirlpool and massages?”
“Oh, you’d like that, wouldn’t you?” Jessy got out and came around to help him out. “And, yeah. I guess it does.”
He groaned as his back twinged, the world spinning. “Coach.”
Jess wrapped his arm around Mike’s waist. “I’m likely to hurt you more carrying you, but you can lean on me.”
“’Kay.” Like he didn’t spend half his time doing just that.
Coach got him inside and settled on the couch. “You want something to drink, baby?”
“Oh, yeah. Please. Sprite?” He found a comfortable spot and just closed his eyes. Home. God.
“Yeah, okay.” Jess’s hand slid on his shoulder, squeezed. “Be right back.”
“Thanks.” He could feel tremors starting in his legs, his belly, shaking starting deep in his bones.
Home. God. Fuck.
“Here you go. Hey.” Jess sat n
ext to him, pulled him into those strong arms. “Hey.”
He looked up into Jess’s eyes, unexpectedly teary. “I. I. I’m sorry. I’m okay. I just. Home, you know?”
Jess nodded. “Yeah, I know. And it’s safe here, yeah? You’re home. I’ve got you. As long as you need and then forever more.”
“I know. I know. I was scared.” He cuddled in, needing his lover, his rock, his coach.
“Yeah, me, too, baby, me too.” Jess held him, warm and solid, hand sliding along his back, soothing him. Slowly but surely, Jess’s hands eased him, put his world to rights.
“I was thinking of bringing one of the beds down here, setting it up so you wouldn’t have to use the stairs for a couple of days.”
“Is it big enough for both of us?” He didn’t want to sleep alone.
“I wouldn’t have it any other way, Mike.”
“Cool.” Jess always knew what to say, knew how to make it right.
“I want you to spend the next few days relaxing, okay? No thinking about training or swimming or anything but working on feeling better.”
“I’ll try, Coach. We can watch some movies, yeah?” He frowned, petted Jess’s belly. “When can we fuck again?”
“Oh, you must be feeling better.” Jess kissed the top of his head. “Nothing energetic until you’ve got your balance back. At the earliest.”
“Okay. So. First order of business. Balance.”
“Oh, baby, at least I know you’re motivated.” Jess’s fingers ran across his cheek, warm lips touching his. Mike moaned, pushing into the kiss, tongue sliding over Jess’s bottom lip. Jess groaned softly and looked into his eyes. “You start moving and I’m gonna stop. I just want you to lie back and enjoy it, all right?”
“Okay. Yes. Please.” He took another kiss, moaning, prick filling.
“I mean it, Mike. I probably shouldn’t even be doing this. I just….” Jess’s lips slid over his again, then moved on to his jaw, to the skin behind his ear. “Love you.”
“Yeah. Need you to touch me, Jess. Bring me home.”
“Yeah.”
Jess pushed his tongue in as he worked open the buttons of Mike’s shirt. Mike moaned low, trying to stay loose, stay relaxed. Jess moved away from the kiss, mouth following his open shirt and down, licking at his nipples, his belly.
“Oh. Oh, good.” His stomach muscles rippled, responding to Jess’s heat.
Jess hummed, moving his mouth down, undoing the ties on Mike’s sweatpants, tugging them down. The air on his cock was cool, Jess’s breath hot. He spread his legs, shifting.
“Stay still,” growled Jess, nipping at his hip.
“Y… yes, Jess.” God, he wanted.
“Good boy.”
Jess turned his head, dragging his tongue along Mike’s cock. Mike whimpered, eyes rolling. Oh. Oh, he’d be good for this. That hot tongue found the head of his cock, pushing into his slit.
“Oh. Oh. Oh, Jess.” He couldn’t sit still through this.
“I’m bringing the bed from the playroom down,” growled Jess before sliding down over his cock, taking him all the way in. Mike arched, hips rocking, a soft cry leaving his lips. Jess pulled off him again, blue eyes shining up at him. “And that’s why. Gonna keep you still if I have to tie you down.”
Jess used his tongue again, running it around his head, teasing the sensitive skin. Mike panted, balls tight, need riding him. Jess hummed and took him in again, gradually going all the way down on him, sucking hard. Those strong fingers wrapped around his hips, holding him in place.
“Oh.” He wanted to move, to ride Jess’s cock until they both came, to hear Jess’s roar of pleasure.
Jess just kept sucking him, head bobbing, pulling the pleasure right out of him.
“Gonna. Oh, Jess. Now.” He let go, balls tight as rocks, cock throbbing.
Jess pulled off just as he started to shoot, most of his come hitting Jess in the face. A last kiss to the tip of his cock and Jess moved back up. “Clean me off, baby.”
Mike whimpered, licking. Oh, fuck. Jess made him ache, made him feel so good. Jess moaned, tongue coming out now and then to tangle with his before letting him get back to licking at Jess’s face. Yeah. Yeah, Jess. He groaned, dragging his tongue along the stubbled jaw.
He kept licking even after there was no more come on Jess’s face, and in a few minutes, Jess shifted, settling next to him, pulling him into those strong arms, resting his head against one solid shoulder.
“You needing, Jess? I got one good arm….” He was melted, eyes already closed.
“So do I, kid.” A kiss was dropped onto his head. “Sleep.”
“But I….” The words were interrupted by a huge yawn. God, he was warm and cozy.
“How about giving not arguing with me a try, Mike. Just for today.”
“Mmm…. Okay. Just today. I’ll start again tomorrow.”
Jess’s chuckle made his head jiggle a little. “Sounds fair.”
“’Kay. Love you.” He hummed, then settled right in.
“Yeah, me, too, baby.”
Jess’s hand slid softly along his arm, warm and good.
He opened his mouth to say something else, but by the time he figured out what that was, he was already asleep.
JESS WAS surprised by how good Mike was being. A whole week since the “accident,” and so far the kid hadn’t fought the imposed moratorium on getting in the water or really doing any strenuous physical activity. He had the kid doing hours on the recumbent bike because that let him keep his cardio up without putting a strain on anything, but that was it. The diet stayed the same, though in smaller portions, and the caffeine was still off-limits, which was the only thing Mike had been hounding him about.
Frankly, he preferred the old Mike, the one who nagged and pushed and was healthy.
Jess had breakfast made up and was just getting ready to call Mike in from the front room where they’d set up the bed when the kid walked in. “Hey. Perfect timing.”
“Mornin’.” It took him a second to figure out what was different about Mike, to see that the sling for that left arm was missing.
He frowned as he put the vegetable omelets on two plates and set them at the counter. “Your arm feeling better?”
“Yeah, some, and that sling thing was stinky. I put it in the washer.” Mike poured himself a cup of orange juice, staring at the coffee maker longingly.
“Yeah, well, just be careful with it. Stop making moon eyes at the caffeine and sit and eat.”
Mike stuck his tongue out, grabbed some salsa out of the fridge. “Bitch.”
He raised an eyebrow. “I see you got your mouth back.”
“That’s not what got hurt.” Mike sat, poured the salsa over his omelet, and started eating.
Jessy snorted. “Maybe not, but it’s been on the bench since you got hurt. I was kind of getting used to it.”
“Bullshit. If you hated my mouth, you would have gotten rid of me ages ago.” Mike ate a few more bites. “I want back in the water.”
“Three weeks, Mike. You’ve made it through one. Don’t start chomping at the bit already, or we’re not going to make it without killing each other.” He’d been waiting for that, anticipating it, had his compromise all worked out. Didn’t pay to let the kid know there was a compromise point, though.
“I need to get in the water, Coach. Just need to move, to float. I’m getting land legs.”
He chuckled. “Your gills drying out, kid?” He ate some of his meal, letting Mike wait.
“Hell, yeah. Hell, I’m getting hairy, Coach. It’s just not working for me, this being hurt thing.”
He chuckled. “Well, I can wax you up anytime, Mike. And you haven’t got a choice on the hurt thing. You are. I guess we can get you in the water today, though. Flutterboard, minimal kicking, and I don’t want you in the pool on your own until further notice.”
“Yeah? Oh, fucking cool, Coach!” Mike’s eyes lit up, and he got a hard, happy kiss. “I’ll get my suit.”
> Then Mike was headed down the hall, breakfast forgotten.
“Hey! Get back here and finish your food.” He shook his head. Mike would live in the water if he could, with only pee and food breaks.
“Oh. Right.” He got one of those grins that, if Mike only knew how hot they were, would get the kid damn near anything.
He smiled back, fucking horny. They hadn’t fucked since the week before the meet, and it had only been blowjobs for Mike and hand jobs for himself since then. Mike needed to keep his back still, let the swelling around his disc go down.
Mike’s gaze moved over Jessy’s face, eyes so dark, happy. “You look good, Jess. Happy.”
“You’re not dead, kid. That makes me fucking happy.”
“’Course I’m not dead. I fell at the pool, not off a cliff.”
He chuckled and shook his head. Mike could have drowned, could have become a paraplegic from that fall. Things could have been a whole fucking lot worse. And he wasn’t going to let Mike make it worse by swimming too soon. Still. Being in the pool would help to scratch that itch of Mike’s.
“You look happy too,” he pointed out.
“Yeah. I’m home. You’re home. We’re going to the pool. I’m not dizzy anymore. I can cope.”
He nodded. “Good. You have to promise me if anything twinges, and I mean anything—your right baby toe aches? I want to know about it. Or if the dizziness comes back or you have trouble breathing, anything, that you’ll tell me right away.”
“Does that include blue balls? Desperate need to be fucked?”
His mouth twitched, but he held back his smile. “Last time I checked—and I gave them a pretty thorough going over up close and personal last night—they weren’t blue, Mike.”
Mike’s laugh rang through the kitchen. “Things change quick, Coach.”
His cock was getting good and hard; knowing Mike wanted it as badly as he did felt good. “I thought you wanted in the water?”
“I do. I want lots of things.” Mike’s gaze met his dead-on. “You? You, I need, Jess.”
Jessy moaned, the look in Mike’s eyes enough to make his cock harder than diamonds. “Let’s get in the water, float a bit. See what comes up.”
