Starting Over

Unable to wipe the smile from his face, Batey sat in the living room with his mother and brother. Looking at them, he just let a feeling of complete delight wash over his body. He loved that his mother, who so often looked sad because of the state of her marriage, was now beaming at her eldest son. He was glad that, in turn, Ben was smiling and speaking with ease, the years he had been away unable to hinder the comfort he felt with his own family. But mostly, Batey was basking in the happiness of his thoughts about being with Catherine that afternoon; each time he thought of it, his heart beat a little faster.

“So what do you think?” Ben asked Batey, pointing the beer bottle in his hands at his brother and shaking him out of his thoughts about his wonderful encounter earlier.

Blushing, Batey shook his head. “Sorry,” he smiled. “What did you say?”

Giving him a knowing smirk, Ben was kind enough not to make a jab in front of their mother. “I said that I get out of the Army in two months, and I was thinking about coming back to the area. I wanted to know what you thought about that. Will you even be here much longer? Are you going away to school?”

“Nah,” Batey said. “I think I’m going to stay in the area, too. I applied to GW and AU, so hopefully I’ll get into one of them.”

“So you can stay close to Catherine?” Ben asked with a teasing grin.

Their mother interjected. “Catherine’s just lovely,” she said. “Did you get much of a chance to talk to her, Ben? She can be a little shy when you first meet her-”

Ben interrupted his mother by bursting into laughter at this comment. “I’m sorry, Andy,” he tried to catch his breath. “I can’t… I can’t… help it.”

Glaring at his brother, Batey slowly moved his eyes over to his mother. “I take it I missed something this afternoon,” she said to him, a smile dancing on her lips. “Something I am probably happy I missed,” she continued as Ben tried to stop laughing and pull himself back together.

“I’m going out back,” Batey rose, heat spreading through his cheeks.

“Are you having a smoke?” Ben asked, rising as well. “I’ve been dying since I got home. I’m just going to grab another beer.”

“How did I manage to raise two sons too stupid to not inhale carcinogens by choice?” their mother threw her hands in the air.

“It’s all the artists you brought here over the years,” Ben smiled widely over his shoulder at his mother as he headed towards the kitchen. “That crew made smoking look too cool.”

Ben quickly caught up with Batey on the porch in the back yard, closing the back door behind him. “Sorry about the laughing in there,” he told Batey as he pulled out a cigarette. “In all seriousness, Catherine seems like a really cool girl.”

Unable to keep himself from smiling again, Batey nodded. “She is,” he told his brother, leaning on the railing of the porch and looking out into the night sky. “I have fallen hard for her.” Looking over at Ben, Batey nudged him with his elbow. “How about you? Any ladies in your life?”

Leaning next to his brother, Ben grinned. “There are always ladies, Andy,” he smirked, taking a swig from his beer. “But you mean anyone in particular? Nah. I’ve kind of been married to the military for the last few years.”

Looking at his brother, Batey nodded his head. “Yeah,” he said, his voice low, betraying some hurt he was trying to hide under the surface. “You just sort of took off for this whole new life four years ago,” he said. “No explanation, nothing.”

Ben studied his brother for a moment. It amazed him how much he had grown and how adult he looked. In Ben’s mind, he had expected his younger brother to still be fourteen when he returned home. “I owe you an apology for that, Andy,” Ben said softly. “I had… issues with Mom and Dad… mostly Dad. But I should have talked to you. I shouldn’t have pushed you away along with them.” He moved his cigarette into the same hand holding his beer bottle and reached over to put his other hand on Batey’s shoulder. “I’m really sorry about that.”

Even though he was eighteen now, fully grown and feeling ready to face the world, Batey still filled with warmth hearing the words come from his big brother. “It was kind of dickish,” Batey smirked. “But I guess you had your reasons.”

“I did,” Ben said in a calm voice. “But let’s leave the past in the past. We’ve got a week to hang out and get to know each other again, and then in a couple months, I’m going to be around so often you’re going to get sick of me.” He flicked his cigarette into the dark expanse of the backyard and smiled at his brother.

“Sounds great,” Batey replied happily, flicking his own cigarette. “Let’s go back inside. But quit laughing about me and Catherine in front of mom!”

“Sorry man,” Ben chuckled. “But I’ve got the big brother card on this one. I walked in on you and your girlfriend having sex; I get to torture you with this for years.” He threw a friendly punch at Batey’s shoulder, and the two brothers walked into the house companionably.

-----

Catherine was curled up in her bed later that night reading a book for her English class when her cell phone rang. Seeing that it was Batey, she smiled and answered it. “Hey there,” she greeted him.

“Hi,” Batey responded warmly. “How are you doing?”

Snuggling back into her pillows, Catherine grinned. “I am doing so well right now, I can’t even put it into words.”

“I’m really glad to hear you say that,” Batey sighed with relief.

“Did you actually think there was any chance I wouldn’t be in a great mood?” she asked teasingly.

“I guess I was just born a worrier,” Batey told her. “I just feel so good right now, I was afraid you might not feel the same way.”

“Well, I do,” Catherine whispered. “Today… you… we… I love you.”

Chuckling, Batey’s whole body relaxed. “I love you, too,” he replied.

“So how was the rest of the night with Ben?” Catherine asked, heat rising in her cheeks as she remembered her meeting with Batey’s brother. It was the only part of the afternoon she wished she could forget.

“It was great,” Batey answered. “We talked about some stuff, but mostly we just hung out and got reacquainted. It’s really good to have him back in my life. Oh, and it looks like he’s going to be moving back to the area in a couple months.”

“That’s wonderful,” Catherine told him. “You’ll finally have a chance to rebuild your relationship.”

“Yeah,” Batey sounded doubtful. “But he thinks that things between my parents are fine. Hiding the truth from him for a week is one thing. Once he lives here, he’s bound to catch on.”

Biting her lip, Catherine tried to think what she should say next. “You know,” she began gently. “What’s happening with your parents… well, it really shouldn’t have an effect on your relationship with your brother. You just need to focus on building something with him. I hope I don’t make you mad saying this, but your mother is an adult. If Ben doesn’t like what she’s putting up with, it’s not really your responsibility to fix that. I mean, I know you; I know how much you always want to bring peace to everyone around you – it’s one of my favorite qualities about you. But, eventually, you’re going to have to stop protecting everyone and focus on you.” She sighed nervously, hoping she hadn’t crossed any lines.

But Batey wasn’t upset by her words. He just sounded a little sad. “I just want people to be happy.”

“I know,” Catherine told him. “But you know,” she decided to try to tease him into a good mood. “You made ME very happy today…”

“Did I?” Batey’s tone swung up. “How did I do that?”

“Well,” Catherine blushed thinking of their time together. “That thing you did with your tongue made me very happy.”

”Why, Catherine,” Batey chuckled. “You just surprise me more and more.”

”What do you mean?” Catherine was glad Batey couldn’t see how red her cheeks were.

“Well, first you basically tackled me this afternoon-”

“I did not!”

“And then you end up being this firecracker in bed,” Batey continued. “And now here you are, talking dirty to me on the phone. I never would have guessed.”

Catherine could feel the heat radiating from her face. “Is any of that… bad?” she asked timidly. Deep down, she knew he was joking, but after everything that had happened the year before in Long Island… She couldn’t bare thinking that Batey would ever look at her like she had looked at herself.

Immediately noting the change in Catherine’s voice, Batey grew more serious. “None of that’s bad,” he told her. “The more I find out about you… the more I love you. I swear.”

Fighting back the lump that was forming in her throat, Catherine smiled at his words. “I’m sorry,” she said softly. “I just get nervous…”

“You don’t have to be nervous with me,” Batey told her gently. “I think you’re wonderful. You’re smart, and beautiful, and caring, and you are probably the strongest person I’ve ever met. I admire you so much,” he told her honestly. “And the fact that the sex is great, too? Well, that’s just the icing on the cake.”

Letting out a warm laugh, Catherine was grateful for Batey’s words. “I am so lucky I found you,” she whispered.

“We’re both lucky, I guess,” Batey told her. “Both our lives have been… complicated thus far. But whenever I’m with you, things just seem… simple. Like I suddenly got this great epiphany – ‘oh yeah, life is wonderful!’”

“And my past?” Catherine asked uncertainly.

“I wasn’t exactly a boy scout myself,” Batey reminded her. “But as for you, everything you have gone though, every experience you’ve had, they are the things that made you who you are today – the girl I am totally, completely, head-over-heels in love with.”

Tears were filling Catherine’s eyes. “Thank you,” she told him softly. “I love you, too.”

“No, thank you. But you should get some sleep now,” Batey said. “I want you to save up some energy so we can explore that wild side of you again soon.”

Giggling, Catherine felt a wave of warmth move over her. “I’d like that,” she told him. “But next time, let’s make sure the door is locked, okay?”

“Agreed,” Batey laughed. “Good night, my dear Catherine.”

“Goodnight.”

-----

Between school, rehearsals, spending time with Ben and trying to save some time just to see Catherine, Batey was exhausted by the time his brother’s trip was coming to a close. Still, it had been worth it; he and Ben had reconnected, on a new adult level now, and Batey couldn’t wait until he moved back to the area.

“It’s been real, bro,” Ben said jokingly to his brother as he stood by the door, getting ready to leave.

Laughing, Batey put out his hand. “Stay golden, Ponyboy.”

The brothers looked at each other with fond smiles for a moment as they shook hands and gripped each other’s arms. Their mother started crying at the sight in front of her, causing the boys to looks over. “I’m sorry,” she whimpered. “It just makes me feel so good to see you two together.”

Releasing Batey’s hand and moving over towards his mother, Ben embraced her in a warm hug. “Two months,” he promised. “Then you can start doing my laundry and cooking for me again.” Letting out a warm laugh as she held her son, Ben’s mother finally released him. “Tell Dad I’m sorry he couldn’t be here,” Ben told her. “It sucks that he had to work so much this week.”

Without flinching, Ben’s mother nodded and rubbed her son’s arm. “He’s really sorry about that,” she smiled, ignoring Batey standing behind his brother and rolling his eyes in disgust.

“Alright, I’ll call you guys in a few days,” Ben told them, picking up his suitcase. “And start keeping an eye out for any cool, cheap apartments for rent. In fact, keep an eye out for any cool, cheap girls, too.”

As Batey laughed, his mother shot Ben a dirty look, but was obviously trying to bite back her own smile. “Enough from you, young man,” she said warmly as he left the house. Turning to Batey, his mother gave him a watery smile. “It was so nice to have Ben home.”

“It really was,” Batey agreed as he slid his arm around his mother’s shoulders. “And he’s coming back for good.”

“I know,” she replied, slipping her arm around her son’s waist and leading him towards the kitchen. “I’m so happy, and yet… so nervous.”

Nodding, Batey gave her a little squeeze. “We’ll work through it,” he promised.

-----

The next afternoon, after rehearsal, Batey came home with Catherine. As they entered the house, Catherine closed the door and pressed up against Batey immediately, wrapping her hands around his neck and leaning up to kiss him.

“Hey, hey,” Batey chuckled, pulling back a little. He glanced towards the kitchen and looked back down at Catherine. “What about your parents?” he whispered, running his hands along her arms.

“My parents aren’t home,” Catherine whispered back teasingly. “They have a dinner in DC tonight, and won’t be home until much, much later.”

“Is that so?” Batey smiled and wrapped his arms around her waist. “In that case…” He leaned down and pressed his mouth to Catherine’s. He kissed her softly, moistening her lips with his tongue, gently tugging on them with his teeth, and finally sliding his tongue into the warmth of her mouth for a deeply intimate kiss. Feeling Catherine rubbing at his neck, he slid his hands over her lower back, and surprised her by grabbing her ass.

Jumping, Catherine giggled into Batey’s mouth, but her laughter subsided almost immediately as she felt him pressed hard against her hip. Pulling back a little to look him in the eye, Catherine gave him a sexy smile. “Mr. Bates, would you like to join me upstairs in my bedroom?”

“I thought you would never ask,” Batey grinned back at her and followed as Catherine took his hand to lead him upstairs. They hadn’t gotten to be alone since their first time together, and Batey’s body was beyond ready to explore more with Catherine. He watched as she shut the bedroom door, locking it as she gave him a smirk, teasing him wordlessly about their last time together.
Batey immediately moved to Catherine, pressing her body to against the door. His mouth again reached for hers, his tongue probing into her mouth almost immediately this time. Catherine let out a small moan as he slid one hand into her hair and his other hand slid over the fabric of her t-shirt. Reaching down, Catherine grabbed the hem of his shirt and slipped it over his head, tossing the garment to the floor hastily before reaching down to pull her own shirt over her head. Batey kissed her neck as she reached around her small ribcage to unhook her bra, sliding it off. His teeth gently nibbled at Catherine’s shoulder, and he started to move his mouth downward when he felt her press his chest back with her palms.

Seeing the curious expression in Batey’s eyes, Catherine smiled as she pushed him backwards until the backs of his legs met the bed. Then she gave him a small shove, surprising him and causing him to fall into a seated position on the bed, making him chuckle. He stopped laughing as soon as Catherine dropped down to her knees in front of him, though, and began unbuckling his belt. She looked up at his expression, which was filled with desire, and smiled, unbuttoning and unzipping his jeans. He lifted his hips off the bed, allowing Catherine to slide off his jeans and boxers.

Catherine placed her hands on Batey’s knees and lowered her head, starting with small kisses pressed against his inner thighs. She let her left hand slide up his leg, finally resting on his hip, and her right hand slid up his inner thigh until she reached for his erection. Stroking it gently a few times, Catherine began by letting the tip of her tongue glide gently over the slit at the head of his cock that was releasing pre-cum. As she did, she felt his body shudder, encouraging her to go on.

Looking down at her, Batey watched Catherine lift him so she could lick his full length from below, from its base to its tip. He was leaning back on his arms as he watched her, and his body was aching. He caught her eye as she finally wrapped her mouth around him and surrounded his erection with its warmth and wetness. He let out a soft moan as he felt her tongue moving smoothly against him, and Catherine began a steady rhythm. She would take him into her mouth and pull back up to swirl her tongue around the tip, pumping the base of his cock with her hand in a matching rhythm. The feelings of pleasure overtaking Batey were so intense, he closed his eyes and let one hand wander to rest on Catherine’s head. He didn’t press down on her; he just guided her speed as more waves of pleasure took over him. He nearly groaned when he felt Catherine’s mouth pull away from him.

As Catherine rose from her knees, she saw Batey open his eyes and smile at her. He was incredibly flushed by now, and he watched as she walked over to her dresser, opening her sock draw and pulling out a hidden pack of condoms. Pulling one packet out of the package, she strode back towards him and handed it to him silently as she began removing her jeans and underwear. By the time she was fully undressed, Batey had slid the condom on and was waiting breathlessly.

Catherine moved towards Batey, kneeling on the bed straddling his hips and holding onto his shoulders to support herself. She leaned down to kiss him softly as he slid his arm around her waist, steadying her. His other hand slid between them, leading himself to her entrance and once ready, his hand wandered to cup her ass. As Catherine pressed down with one hard thrust, Batey moaned into her mouth. Sliding up, almost to the to the point of releasing him from herself, she pressed down again. Batey’s mouth moved to Catherine’s neck as she began riding him in a hard, steady pace. He lowered his mouth to her breast, causing her to arch her back. His tongue swirled around her hard nipple, and he listened as Catherine’s breathing grew ragged and short. She was also letting out small broken sounds, and Batey slid his hand from her ass, over her hip, and to the spot between them. As his fingers began gently rubbing at her clit, Catherine began to moan louder, pressing down onto him harder and faster.

Catherine could feel the friction of Batey’s cock inside her each time she pressed down on him, but as he began running his thumb in circles over her clit, her body began to ache. Closing her eyes and letting herself lean back slightly more, she felt the first stirrings of her orgasm. Heat was rising from between her legs, her mind was getting fuzzy, and her muscles began to clench involuntarily. As she came, pressing down hard several times, she heard herself call out “oh, God”. As she opened her eyes, she saw Batey smiling at her with heavy lids and she realized she had stopped moving.

“Sorry,” Catherine apologized to Batey with a contented smile as she began moving on him again. He watched her face as she rode him, her muscles now so tight around him. He took her hips in his hands and began leading her down onto him. He knew he was close, and it only took a few more slow, deep, hard thrusts before he choked out a groan and felt himself throbbing as he came. Wrapping both his arms around her waist, he buried his head into Catherine’s shoulder, a feeling of total relaxation moving over his body. He felt Catherine’s arms encircle his shoulders, and her head rested against his. They sat like this for several minutes, until Batey began to feel his erection diminishing inside Catherine.

Regretfully, Catherine pulled herself up from Batey and stood. She watched as he slid off the condom and tossed it in the wastebasket, before looking up at her with a smile. He slid back on the bed until his head reached the pillows, and patted the spot next to him. “Come here, beautiful,” he beckoned.

With a big grin, Catherine lay beside Batey and reveled in the feeling as he reached over and began stroking her breasts. He had rolled to his side, and she was on her back. He was not touching her in a sexual way now; he was just performing a simple yet intimate act. It felt wonderful.

“You know,” Catherine finally said, looking tentatively over towards Batey. “I was never like… this. Before, I mean.” Furrowing his brows, Batey wasn’t sure what Catherine meant, so she continued, a light blush coloring her cheeks. “How I am with you during sex,” she explained awkwardly. “How aggressive I am. When I was with Marcus, I was never like this. I never really thought about what might feel good for me. Sometimes it felt good, sometimes not. Usually, I only cared how he felt.” She turned over onto her side, facing Batey, and moved closer to him. “With you, it’s like I want us to both feel good.”

“That’s how it should be,” Batey smiled at her, running his hand over her shiny hair. Searching her face, he leaned down to kiss her lips lightly again. “I want us both to feel good, too,” he said. “And believe me, you are doing an excellent job of making me feel good so far.” He chuckled as Catherine blushed more and buried her head under his chin, pressing up against him.

“I’m glad,” Catherine whispered into his chest. “I guess I just trust you more than… anyone I’ve ever known.” She glanced back up into his face. “Being able to trust you lets me be able to enjoy being with you.”

Looking at Catherine, Batey felt a wave of protectiveness. “You can trust me,” he said firmly. “I’ll never do anything to hurt you.”

“I know,” Catherine smiled up at him, her eyes glassy. Then she melted into him as he embraced her again, kissing her hair softly.

After several minutes, Batey spoke. “I just thought of something,” he said, making Catherine look up at him. “Are we going to prom next month?”

Giving Batey a little smirk, Catherine teased him. “I wouldn’t know,” she said. “I’m a junior. And besides, no one has asked me yet.”

“You have anyone in particular in mind that you would like to ask you?” Batey grinned back.

“I might,” Catherine giggled.

“Catherine, will you go to prom with me?” Batey asked softly, running his hand over her spine.

“I would love to,” she replied and snuggled closer to him. Catherine couldn’t believe that it was only one year ago that her life had felt irreparably damaged. Now here she was, in the arms of an incredibly handsome and kind man that loved her, who she trusted with all her heart. She was doing well in school, she had a lead in a play and she was making prom plans. She felt normal and healthy and fantastic, all of which had been made possible thanks to Batey, who was now snoring softly beside her.

-----

I JUST WANT TO SAY THANKS AGAIN TO EVERYONE WHO HAS REVIEWED THIS STORY SO FAR (NO, IT\'S NOT OVER YET). FEEDBACK IS ALWAYS APPRECIATED.

AND A SPECIAL THANKS TO DISAPPEAREDCAT, WHO WAS ONE OF THE FIRST AND MOST LOYAL REVIEWERS ON MY FIRST FIC, AND WHOSE CONTINUED REVIEWS ARE GREATLY APPRECIATED.