All that's left of the storm

The hospital room, with its low, steady hum and antiseptic air, felt less like a place of healing and more like a necessary purgatory. The adrenaline that had carried us through the past twenty-four hours was now a fading echo, replaced by a profound and bone-deep exhaustion. We were two islands in a sea of sterile efficiency, our gurneys positioned side by side, a silent testament to a shared ordeal.

Vince arrived, his face a roadmap of a long night spent in the waiting room’s impersonal family waiting area. "I'm heading home," he said, his voice a low rasp, raw with fatigue. "I need some sleep."

He gave me a hug and shook Matteo’s hand. Without a word, he retrieved my car keys from his pocket and placed them in my hand then retrieved his motorcycle keys from my purse. "I'll be taking my motorcycle so your car is here when you get out. I'll see you tomorrow morning."

Matteo’s gratitude was a quiet weight in the air. "Thank you for everything, Vince. We couldn't have managed without you."

Vince offered a rare but genuine smile. "That's what friends are for." With a final wave, he was gone, leaving us to the quiet stillness. I surrendered to the call of sleep, a long-overdue mercy.

I was pulled back to consciousness by the low murmur of voices. Kay and Tara stood at the foot of my gurney, their faces a soft blend of relief and concern. The faint lines of worry around their eyes spoke of the night they must have endured.

"We're so glad that the both of you are okay," Kay said. "Matteo. You gave everyone a major scare."

"I didn’t mean to," he said. “With everything that has happened, my body clearly needed the rest.  I think between the injuries, how tired I was and the amount of calories I ate from Aditi’s amazing food…I couldn’t help but fall asleep while eating

“Trust me, friend, we understand. And yes, Aditi’s food tastes like heaven,” Kay said quietly. “You have been through quite a ton during the last day and a half.”

Mark and Maddie entered, their expressions composed and professional. Their presence felt like a final, reassuring anchor.

“Morning, you two," Mark said with a smile that reached his eyes. "Let's get you both checked out and sent home."

Maddie approached my gurney first, her movements practiced and light. A penlight shone in my eyes as she checked my pupils and asked me to follow her finger that she used to track my eye movement. "Any dizziness? Nausea? Headaches?" she asked, her tone both professional and kind. "Your preliminary scans were clear last night minus the concussion, but we want to be absolutely sure nothing has changed overnight."

"Just tired," I managed, my voice rough. "And a headache. I think it’s from when I hit my head when I fell."

"That’s certainly from the concussion," she said. "I'm going to send you for another CT and an MRI of your head before you get discharged."

Mark moved to Matteo's gurney. He checked his pupils and had him track his finger. "How are the ribs, shoulder, and knee this morning, Matteo? Any new pain?"

"A little sore mixed with painful, but barely better than yesterday," he said, wincing slightly as Mark gently palpated the areas around his injuries. “

"Your blood work was normal and your initial scans were a bit of a mess," Mark said, "but we want to take more imaging of everything to see if we can get a better reading." His expression a mix of professional reassurance.

Kay and Tara remained with us as we waited for transport while Maddie and Mark had left to go see their other patients. We felt that Maddie and Mark had expedited the orders as a matter of minutes later, we were both being wheeled down to radiology.

While Matteo underwent his MRI, I had my CT scan. My order was just for my head, so I was done in half an hour. Thankfully, the hospital had many MRI machines and rooms so I had an MRI done of my head immediately after the CT. The MRI didn’t take too long either and I was soon brought back to the shared room. I knew Matteo’s imaging would take a bit longer as he had more injuries.

As I was back in our shared room, Kay and Tara discreetly left to give me privacy to get dressed. Matteo was wheeled in a few minutes later as I was finishing up. A nurse offered to help Matteo, but he politely declined stating that he preferred my assistance. The nurse nodded, stated that she understood and left. He had always been appreciative of medical professionals but he was tired of the stares at his larger than usual sized dick.

The process of Matteo getting dressed was a slow, careful ritual of leaving the ordeal behind. Matteo was still very sore; moving and reaching hurt more than he wanted to admit. Grabbing our phone accessories to toss into my backpack was the easiest thing to do - other than getting imaging done

Maddie and Mark returned with our discharge papers. They explained that our follow-up imaging looked as clear as could be expected. They cautioned me to be mindful of dizziness and headaches due to the concussion and to make sure I eat, hydrate and rest often as needed. With Matteo, they cautioned him that he would be sore for a week or more and that he should stretch throughout the day, rest, drink plenty of water and not to be afraid to take a muscle relaxant if needed. Mark handed Matteo a prescription bottle of muscle relaxant and a paper prescription for the same muscle relaxant in case he needed more…Mark said that he was hopeful that Matteo didn’t need to fill the second prescription.

We finally walked out into the bright morning. The hospital doors slid open, and a wave of cool, fresh air hit us, a welcome shock after the stagnant and disinfected air inside. Kay, retrieving my bag of Matteo's and my things from me, said, "Matteo, you’ll ride with DeppGrl and I."

“You got it, boss,” Matteo said.

I handed my keys to Kay, and Tara said she’d follow in her car.

The ride back was a quiet, comfortable affair. Kay kept the music low, a soft, jazzy tune that filled the silence without intruding. Matteo, still tired, rested his head against the window, his eyes closed. I watched the world pass in a blur of trees and houses, my mind drifting back to the chaos of the last thirty six hours. But in the quiet of the car, with Kay at the wheel and Matteo beside me, a profound sense of peace settled over me. We were safe and okay.

Kay pulled into my driveway. The sight of my home brought a wave of relief so intense I almost cried. "Alright, you two," Kay said. "Let's get you inside."

Tara asked Kay to pop the trunk so she could get my backpack. Kay obliged and Tara grabbed my bag and quietly shut the trunk.

"I'm glad you're both home," Tara said. "It’s been a long thirty-six hours."

We walked up the path to the front door, the key feeling heavy and real in my hand. Opening the door, I was greeted by the familiar scent of my home, a comforting mix of peach and sandalwood. It was a scent that said: "You're home. You're safe." And for the first time since the whole fiasco started, I believed it.

Matteo and I made our way up the stairs, the climb feeling steeper than usual. Once in the bathroom, we stripped off the clothes we'd been in since yesterday, a symbolic shedding of the ordeal. We stepped into the shower together, the scalding water a welcome shock to our skin. We didn't talk too much, just let the water run over us, washing away the last remnants of the hospital and the tension of the previous night.

"God, that feels good," Matteo murmured, leaning his head against the tile as the water hit his shoulders.

"Best shower of my life," I sighed, letting the tension wash off.

"Yeah," he said quietly. "Just clean."

"Exactly."

We finished the shower in silence. The hot water sluiced over our aching muscles, a physical release after the emotional toll. The steam filled the small space, wrapping us in a comforting cocoon of warmth and the invigorating scent of jasmine and white tea. I leaned against him, feeling the solid weight of his body as the water cascaded over us both, rinsing away the last vestiges of the soap. It was a shared moment of profound silence, a quiet communion after the chaotic storm. We just let the water run over us, washing away the last remnants of the hospital and the tension of the previous night.

Afterward, we toweled off. I put on a set of fresh loungewear, while Matteo, still moving gingerly, slipped into a comfortable pair of sweatpants. He looked at me with a soft and tired smile on his face.

"We made it," he said.

"We did."

"You look exhausted."

"You don't look so hot yourself."

"Fair enough. These clothes feel real again. Not like a hospital gown,” he said as he gently laughed then bent down to kiss me gently.

I pulled Matteo closer so I could deepen the kiss. I gripped his shirt as one of Matteo’s hand moved to the back of my head and his other hand rested on my breast….his thumb roughly stroking my nipple. I could feel his dick harden against me the longer we kissed. I dropped my one hand to see how hard Matteo truly was. He moaned into my mouth and became rock hard when my fingers lightly brushed his dick over his sweatpants.

“Let me help,” I whispered as I stepped back a little as I slid his sweats over his hips. “This will help you feel better.”

“Yessssss,” Matteo moaned once I dropped to my knees and wrapped my mouth around his dick. “My god, the things you do with your mouth, baby!”

He gently thrust his dick in my mouth as he gently grabbed my hair and head. As I was sucking his dick, I swirled my tongue around his dick and gently massaged his heavy balls. In no time, Matteo screamed my name as he unloaded a massive load of cum down my throat. After I swallowed his load, he helped me up before putting his dick back in his sweatpants.

We headed downstairs, drawn by the sound of laughter from the kitchen. Kay and Tara were already there, in the process of plating the food Aditi had just brought over while Matteo and I showered and dressed.

Tara nodded, a warm smile on her face. "Grab a seat, you two. Aditi stopped by to check on you both. Again.  When Kay let her know earlier that she was bringing you home, Aditi brought over some more food for lunch."

“That was some shower,” Kay said teasing us. “I don’t think my husband or I have ever screamed like that after a well-deserved shower!”

I laughed hard as Matteo turned a million shades of red. I’d completely forgotten that Kay and Tara were over. Kay has always known of my trollop sex life and still loved me….Tara – and the staff – have heard me a few times with her uncle, Dom, at the office. However, Aditi didn’t need to hear anything until then – sort of. She knows that I am a bit of a strumpet due to how many boyfriends of mine she has met – whether serious or not. Aditi, who had been sitting at the kitchen table, got up and gave us both a hug. "I'm so happy you both are home," she said, her voice soft with relief.

Matteo smiled at her. "Thanks for everything, Aditi. The food was incredible last night. I’m sure the food will be even better now that we’re home."

"It's just food," she said with a dismissive wave, as if bringing a fresh meal after an ordeal was a matter of course. Aditi stayed for lunch, sitting with us at the kitchen table. The conversation flowed easily between the five of us—a mix of small talk, gentle teasing, and shared relief. Aditi caught me in a moment of quiet and leaned in, her voice low. "I wanted to thank you again for sending me that information on the doctors," she said, her eyes earnest. "It’ help so much. I'll call them in a few days." After she finished eating and shared a few more laughs, she hugged us all goodbye. Once she left, I made my way to the office with Kay, closing the door behind us, the quiet click a seal on the moment. I walked over to Kay, who was sitting at my desk, and sat on the edge of it. My expression thoughtful, I said, "Kay, I want to get the papers started to make Tara a senior partner. There's no one I trust more to run things with me."

Kay's lips twitched into a small smile. "I'd rather you recover first. In the meantime, I'll get the papers ready for you to sign in a few days."

I walked over to her and wrapped my arms around her. "Thank you, Kay," I whispered. "For everything."

She hugged me back just as tightly. "Always," she said. After we pulled away, Kay looked at me for a moment, her eyes full of warmth. "Go get some rest," she said. "I'll see you in a few days with the paperwork. And yes, I know….not a word to Tara until you talk to her first."

I nodded, feeling a wave of exhaustion wash over me. I headed upstairs to find Matteo, who had already settled into bed – naked - for a nap. I slipped my clothes off and joined him in bed. I pulled the sheets up to my waist, and he nuzzled against my bare breasts, a gesture of quiet, intimate possession; occasionally sucking on my nipples…which still leaked a little bit since the abortion.

The afternoon felt heavy with something unsaid, a raw, undeniable current that had hummed between us since the moment we were alone. The sun slanted through the blinds, casting long, gold-dusted lines across Matteo’s propped body. His gaze was on me, sharp and unrelenting, as though he could pin me in place without touching me.

We’d talked for hours—banal things at first, small stories and unguarded laughter—but the words had thinned the longer we stayed stretched out on the bed. Eventually, all that filled the silence was his breathing, the steady rise and fall of his chest, the restless flex of his hand where it draped across my hip, tightening just a little each time I shifted.

“Why do you keep looking at me like that?” I asked at last, my voice breaking the fragile quiet.

His mouth curved, but his smile wasn’t playful. It was a dark, dangerous promise.

“Because,” he said in a burning whisper, “you’re lying naked in bed next to me and I’m fighting the urge to fuck who I wish I could call mine.”

My pulse faltered, stuttering wildly in my throat. “Then stop fighting.”

The shift was instant. His restraint snapped like a thread stretched too thin. Matteo rolled on top of me, his body pressing into mine with a weight that stole the air from my lungs. His mouth found mine, and it wasn’t gentle—it was a confession, a claim. The kiss was bruising, desperate, his tongue tangling with mine as though he’d been starving for this.

I gasped against him, my hands flying up to his hair, tugging him closer. That only made him groan, a low, guttural sound that resonated through me, as if my response was the fuel to his fire.

“You undo me,” he growled into my mouth, between fevered kisses. His hand slid down, gripping my side so tight it bordered on painful, a physical anchor to his need. “Do you have any idea what you do to me?”

“Yes,” I whispered, breath ragged. “I feel the same.”

He stilled for a moment, the look in his eyes dangerous, dark with possession. “Say it, then. Say you’re mine.”

“I’m yours,” I whispered without hesitation, the words torn out of me, a surrender as raw as his demand. “For now,” I whispered softly.

The answering sound that rumbled through him was animal, a sound of pure, unbridled satisfaction when he pushed his large dick deep into my pussy. He kissed me again, deeper, hungrier, his strength bearing me down into the mattress. His body was overwhelming, hard planes pressing into me, a dangerous heat building wherever he touched me. My sharp gasp betrayed me when I felt him thrust in and out of me, insistent, demanding, more than I expected—so much that my legs trembled just from the pressure.

Matteo caught the sound and smirked, biting lightly at my lip. “What’s wrong?” he taunted, his voice velvet and dangerous. “Too much for you?”

“Never too much,” I breathed, clinging to him, though my body shook under the intensity.

“Good,” he growled, dragging his lips down my throat as I arched helplessly beneath him. “Because I’m not holding anything back.”

The rest of the world fell away. His mouth consumed my pussy, claiming every inch of me with his teeth, tongue, and lips, until all I could do was writhe and gasp, begging for more even as he teased. After climaxing on his tongue repeatedly, he thrust his hard dick in me again. At first he went slow as he pumped in and out of me savoring, leaving me desperate for what I couldn’t yet reach. But when my pleas spilled out—broken whispers of “please, Matteo, no more waiting”—he shattered all pretense of patience.

The rhythm between us turned wild and unrestrained. His weight pinned me down, held me open, while his hands gripped greedily, pulling me against him as though he meant to devour every part of me. My gasps grew louder, desperate, and each sound seemed to push him further, until he was groaning against my skin, half-crazed by the way I responded to him.

“You’re mine,” he rasped again, biting the words against my throat. “Every gasp, every shiver.”

“Yes,” I cried, nails digging into his back.

His rhythm grew harsher, fevered, dragging me over the edge of something I couldn’t name. I clutched at him, begging incoherently, saying his name like a prayer and a curse in the same breath. "Fuck," he groaned, the sound torn from him. "You feel so good."

He swallowed every sound with savage kisses, moving against me as if he couldn’t get close enough, couldn’t breathe without pressing deeper, harder.

"Don't stop," I cried, my nails digging into his back. "Don't you dare stop."

His rhythm grew harsher, fevered, dragging me over the edge of something I couldn’t name. I clutched at him, begging incoherently, saying his name like a prayer and a curse in the same breath.

He swallowed every sound with savage kisses, moving against me as if he couldn’t get close enough, couldn’t breathe without pushing his dick deeper, harder inside of my pussy.

“I am so close to cumming!” I moaned.

His breath hitched in a guttural moan, and my own gasp was a broken sob against his skin.

“Yes, baby!” he screamed. “I’m going to cum so hard!”

The climax that we both had broken between us—loud, consuming, endless. And when the chaos finally fractured into silence, we were left a tangled mess of limbs, our chests heaving in sync, both of us marked and undone. Matteo collapsed beside me, dragging me into his arms with a possessive swipe, as if even now someone might steal me from him. He pressed a final, searing kiss to my temple. “You ruin me,” he whispered, his voice raw and broken.

I kissed his cheek, still trembling, and dared a shaky laugh. “Then I’ll ruin you again later.”

The sound that escaped him was half laugh, half groan, but his arm only tightened until I was trapped against him. And like that, we both drifted into exhausted, dreamless sleep.

The low light of the late afternoon had turned to a deep twilight when we finally stirred. The nap had done us both good; the raw exhaustion was still there, but it was no longer a crushing weight. We untangled ourselves from the sheets and pulled on the same clothes we had discarded earlier. Downstairs, the kitchen was quiet, the lingering scent of Aditi’s paneer tikka masala still in the air. Matteo opened the fridge and pulled out the containers.

"Dinner?" he asked, his voice low and raspy.

"Yes, please," I said, a wave of hunger hitting me. I rubbed my temples, the dull throb of a headache starting to settle in. He saw the gesture and his brow furrowed.

"Headache?"

"It's been lurking all afternoon,” I said as I nodded.

 "I was about to take a muscle relaxant for myself. Do you want an Excedrin Migraine? I'll get you the bottle when I bring you water." he said, his voice soft with concern as he got two glasses.

"Please. I feel like a walking pharmacy," I muttered as I swallowed the pill with a sip of water.

"Better than a walking disaster," he said with a weak smile. "We’ll get back to normal soon."

We ate in comfortable silence, the leftovers a warm, savory comfort in our tired bodies. We simply focused on the food and the relief of being home. Afterward, we moved to the living room, collapsing on the couch. Matteo put on an old Humphrey Bogart movie, the kind with questionable special effects and cheesy dialogue. We didn’t pay much attention to the plot, instead leaning against each other, simply enjoying the quiet comfort of being together. A few times, I stroked his thick dick in my hands until he climaxed and moaned my name. The flickering light of the television danced across our faces, and I felt my eyelids growing heavy. When the credits finally rolled, Matteo turned off the TV and took my hand.

"Come on," he whispered. "Let’s get to bed, sweetie."

The exhaustion was a sweet kind of heavy now, and we made our way back up the stairs, ready for a long, well-deserved rest. We stripped our clothing when I remembered that we forgot to bring water with us. I told Matteo that I’d go downstairs to grab us some water, his prescription muscle relaxant and my Excedrin Migraine. I was quick and back upstairs within a few minutes. I placed one of the glasses on the night stand and Matteo’s medication on his side of the bed and I walked to my side, placing my water and migraine medicine on my nightstand. I slid into the cool sheets next to Matteo. He pulled me close to him and we fell asleep in minutes.

The sunlight woke me first. Warm streaks painted the sheets gold, highlighting the disaster of tangled fabric and the marks still lingering on my skin. Matteo moved almost before I did, pulling me instinctively closer, like his body refused to let mine slip free.

“Don’t you dare move,” he muttered into my hair, voice thick with sleep and command.

I smiled, tilting my face up to kiss along his jaw. “What if I want to?” I teased.

His eyes flickered open, and even in daylight they carried the same dark, dangerous heat as the night before. His grin ghosted sharp, wolfish. “Then we’ll just have sex until we’re both spent!”

Before I could challenge him, he rolled, pinning me beneath him effortlessly and spreading my legs. He pushed his dick in me again, making me gasp, but it wasn’t fear of his large dick that flooded me—it was fire.

“You can’t keep me here forever,” I whispered, though my body arched toward him.

His mouth ghosted over mine, hot breath spilling into me. “Sweetheart,” he said in that low, commanding voice that made me shudder, “you think you have a choice?”

The kiss that followed was rough, impatient, his tongue sweeping into me with a hunger that sent me reeling. I clutched at him, already unraveling beneath the dominance with which he claimed me—even in the golden quiet of morning. His hand cupped the back of my neck, holding me still as his mouth devoured mine, his growl vibrating against my lips.

“You’ll never have enough,” he whispered as his teeth grazed my skin. “And I’ll never stop giving you more.”

The second round burned with a primal, unrestrained intensity. His hips began a powerful rhythm that was all demand and no mercy. The bed groaned in protest as his dick pushed into me with each thrust, a friction that built a desperate heat between us. I dug my nails into his back as my body arched to meet him, my hips lifting to his every demanding thrust. The sunlight, harsh and clear through the window, illuminated the flex of his muscles, every dark, possessive look in his eyes. There were no words, only the raw sound of my own gasps and the low moans that tore from his throat.

"Oh god," he groaned, his voice raw. "You’re so beautiful."

"More," I pleaded, a breathless whisper against his ear. "Faster."

A low grunt rumbled in his chest, and his hips drove into me with punishing speed. His breath hitched in a raw, guttural groan, and a shudder ripped through his body.

"Fuck, DeppGrl," he groaned, my name a plea. "I'm so close."

"Me too," I sobbed, a sound torn from my lips as the pressure built. "Please... don't stop."

A guttural roar tore from his throat. I felt his body tense and then release, a shuddering release that mirrored my own. I cried out, a broken sob against his skin, as a soft sigh escaped my lips. My legs trembled and my body went limp. He claimed me a second time, pushing me to pieces all over again, and I answered him with my body, my hips lifting to meet his every demanding thrust until all I could do was cling to him and beg for more. We climaxed for the third time in less than twelve hours, him filling my hungry cervix with his thick cum.

“If I had my way,” he murmured, his voice still rough but softer now, “you’d never leave this bed.”

I smiled faintly, curling into him and letting his possessive embrace consume me. “Then don’t let me.”

And from the way he growled in response, I knew he never would.