A Boy Becomes a Man - (Part 3 of 4)

The two women looked back into the living room and, sure enough, Ryan was pushing himself to his knees, his face still reddened, his eyes moist, but, to everyone’s relief, including David’s, there was no malice in them. Just wounded pride and a quiet humility. And pain.
Tonya looked over to where her son was slowly rising to his feet, grimacing with every movement, and smiled. He looked shaky on his feet as he took a few tentative steps, staring down at the floor in an effort to steady himself. The sight made Tonya chuckle to herself, realizing how his first ball busting had totally disoriented him. “Come join us, Ry,” Tonya called out. “But take your time. We’re not going anywhere.” Ashley and David chuckled at Tonya’s smug tone.
Ryan stopped and finally looked up. His eyes were filled with a mix of shame, worry and reluctance. It was obvious he wanted to do anything but that. And yet, there were other emotions raging below those haunted, nervous eyes. Perhaps curiosity about what the three of them were doing in the kitchen, but more likely, just the deep understanding that if he didn’t join Ashley and his parents, his mother would make him. He took the deepest breath he could – which was still rather shallow – and shuffled over to the kitchen table trying not to make eye contact. When his mother kicked out a chair for him, he sat, gingerly, and stared at his hands resting on the tabletop.
“Welcome back to Earth, Ry,” Tonya quipped, winking at Ashley. “Took you long enough. Jeez. She must’ve really kicked your poor balls hard.
Ryan slouched in his chair and stared harder at his hands, feeling his neck burning as color rose up it, as he listened to his mother’s jab. He said nothing.
“Oh son,” David said, sighing heavily. “Don’t be like that. Stop slouching and sit up like a man. Look at Ashley. Look her in the eye, son.”
At his words, Ashley leaned forward expectantly, her hands folded under her chin. Her eyes were bright, but haughty, and a thin, smug grin danced on her lips. Her blonde hair fell to one side as she tilted her head slightly, making her appear even more condescending.
Slowly, Ryan’s body straightened and he raised his head, his hands gripping the table as if for support. His gaze inched across the table as he did his best to delay his father’s bidding. And then his troubled eyes met hers. The sparkle in her electric blue eyes was like a hammer blow to his heart and his heart jumped in his chest. For all his pain, all his misery, all his embarrassment, he couldn’t deny how beautiful and sultry Ashley was with her confident, smug smile, her glossy blonde hair, her narrow, feminine shoulders and thin, red-coated nails as her bright eyes bored into his. It was a maddening thought. And on the heels of it, he wondered, how could this tiny girl, oozing femininity from every pore, make his balls hurt so bad?
Ryan pondered the question as he held Ashley’s gaze, finding that the burst of rage the question initially sparked was quickly being snuffed out by Ashley’s beautiful aura. He suddenly felt dismayed as he realized how attracted to her he was. It made no sense to him and sent his brain into an anxious tailspin. Only by concentrating on the crystal blue of Ashley’s eyes was he able to keep the room from spinning around him.
A thick, tense silence, weightier than a down blanket, enveloped the table where the boy and the girl sat staring at each other. The boy’s mother and father waited, barely daring to breathe, with a forced patience which was continually prodded and jostled by the eagerness that surged inside them as they wondered how things would play out.
“Ashley, I – ,” Ryan began, awkwardly breaking the heavy silence. His mouth tried forming more words but nothing came out.
Ashley’s smile widened at his stumbling attempt and his clear discomfort. She leaned further over the table, her ass almost lifting from the chair. “Go on,” she said in a purring tone that bordered on taunting.
David swallowed hard as Ashley baited his son, knowing he would’ve been putty in her hands. Her confidence was out of this world and sexy as hell, he mused, and it struck him how lucky his son was to have a girl like Ashley bust his balls for his first experience.
Ashley’s tone slashed at his emotions like a dagger and hurt flashed briefly in Ryan’s eyes. He had wanted to apologize, but now he wasn’t sure. He looked out the corners of his eyes, first at his mother and then his father. He could see them coaxing him to do the right thing with their eyes as they studied him and Ashley. “I…,” Ryan forced himself to refocus his gaze back to Ashley. “I’m sorry Ashley.”
“Sorry for what?” Ashley shot back immediately, in her same taunting purr.
“I’m sorry for ghosting you,” Ryan admitted weakly, his shame causing his face to fall.
“Good,” Ashley said, nodding. Suddenly she smirked. “So you understand why I kicked you in the balls?”
Ryan nodded humbly.
“And you would agree that you needed to have them kicked?”
Ryan’s eyes narrowed for a split second but then he thought about it. He sighed. “You’re right, Ash. I deserved it.” With this admission, a weight felt like it was lifted from his shoulders. His eyes brightened considerably. It didn’t alleviate or diminish any of the physical pain he felt – and was still feeling – but it made him feel better to know that atonement had been made. Ashley had made him sacrifice his balls to clear his conscience.
Ashley nodded, twirling a strand of hair around her fingers thoughtfully and when she smiled across the table at Ryan, her eyes lit up. “So what was it like getting your balls kicked… by a girl?”
Ryan winced and recoiled slightly at Ashley’s question. There was no beating around the bush. She was direct and blunt. But it was the way she asked that really struck a blow to Ryan’s ego – at least what remained of it. Yes, she sounded honestly curious about how it felt, but there was an edge to her tone, a girlish sass, that made him feel like she was mocking him as well. From the corner of his eye, Ryan could see his father’s expectant eyes, warm and interested, and he realized they were all wondering about how he felt. He swallowed hard knowing he would have to answer.
For a long time, Ryan studied his hands as he collected his thoughts. The words that immediately jumped to mind were: awful, embarrassing, soul-crushing, PAIN, pathetic, worst, humiliating, agony. There were more along those unfavorable lines, but Ryan pushed them aside and concentrated on summoning his courage – not only to speak, but to meet Ashley’s eyes as he did. When he finally looked up he found her eyes already on him, hungry and haughty, searching his eyes for any and every trace of emotion they might reveal. It made him feel weak and small all over again, and yet, he was somehow buoyed by her fascination. Of course, it might have been easier for him if she hadn’t been the girl who’d busted him.
“It hurt, Ashley,” Ryan said quietly. “That was the worst pain I’ve ever felt in my entire life.” Ashley’s smile widened as she nodded. “I’ve been in a few fights but no guy has ever made me feel any pain remotely close to the pain you put me in.” Though it was an awful thing to admit, Ryan could feel a sense of awe emerging in his voice. “In fact, it still hurts pretty bad.”
As Ashley listened to Ryan’s humble admissions, she found she was on the verge of laughter. When she saw his hands slip below the tabletop as he confessed that he was still hurting, it was too much and she giggled, wishing she could peek under the table and see his hands rubbing tenderly in his crotch.
Despite Ashley’s demeaning laughter, Ryan pressed on. “Yeah, the biggest thing I felt was the pain.” He smiled suddenly causing Ashley to draw back just a little as her eyes widened in surprise. “It was like the word ‘pain’ was flashing in bold, red capital letters, like a red alert, consuming my every thought.” Now Ryan even chuckled a little. “It was like nothing else existed except for the pain emanating from my balls and searing my brain.” Ryan looked away, his eyes twitching rapidly as he tried to put his finger on the fuzzy idea budding in his mind. “You know, as bad as that was, I almost wish it didn’t go away.” When Ashley’s mouth gaped, Ryan realized she’d misunderstood him. “I don’t mean that because I liked it – it was terrible. I wished it would stay because it consumed me completely and I could think of nothing else. But…,” Ryan’s smile fell away as he dredged up the worst part of his experience and he paused, his heart suddenly heavy. He looked over at his father who was nodding, clearly understanding what Ryan was feeling.
“Go on, son,” David said, the empathy rich in his voice. “I know it’s hard to relive, but do your best.”
Ryan tried to let his eyes show the gratefulness that he felt knowing he wasn’t completely alone and then turned back to Ashley. “Once the pain ebbed enough for actual thoughts to come back, it was utterly demoralizing. I felt the deepest sense of shame and total embarrassed as I realized you – a girl! – had kicked me in the balls.” Ryan shook his head dejectedly.
“Why did it matter that I’m a girl?” Ashley asked, genuinely curious.
Ryan looked at her blankly for a moment. Why did it matter? “I… I don’t know,” he said, as he tried to figure out the reason. “I guess it’s because, for starters, girls are supposed to be weaker than boys. But like I said, when you kicked me, I’ve never felt more pain in my life. And it’s a different kind of pain, one that hit me in my soul. It seemed to go beyond my physical body and infect my very core. A girl shouldn’t be able to do that to a guy, but yet you did.” Ryan’s brows creased, revealing his self-doubt. “And then to realize I was curled up on the ground, having to look up at you in such a submissive position – well, it was maddening. All I could do was lay there and hold myself knowing that you were just standing there watching me suffer. I couldn’t do a damn thing about it.” The intensity surging in Ryan’s voice made his frustration plain.
“You literally couldn’t do anything? Like you were physically unable to get up?” Ashley asked, looking shocked but quite amused.
“Oh no,” Ryan blurted without thinking about how pathetic it might have sounded. “There’s no way I could’ve gotten up. It felt like all my strength had disappeared.” He grinned, but it was a doleful, disquieting grin. “I don’t know that I could have held a feather if you asked me to.”
“Wow,” Ashley said, not looking the least bit sympathetic. “That’s kinda… awesome, actually!” Another one of those smug smiles crept onto her face as she spoke.
“Maybe for you,” Ryan said glumly, “but it made me feel hollow and insignificant. And pathetically weak.” He grimaced at the notion, his voice cracking as he spoke. He tried clearing his throat, but it only made him cough, which caused a fresh ripple of pain to rise from his groin – though, thankfully, it was much diminished. “Could I maybe get a soda or something?”
Tonya made no move to get her son a soda, thinking it might be amusing to see him have to shuffle over to the fridge and get it himself, but David quickly rose. Though he would’ve enjoyed seeing his son have to limp pathetically right in front of Ashley, he had another reason to get up. He leaned over in Ashley’s ear and beckoned her to join him. As they retrieved a Coke for Ryan, David pulled Ashley aside and whispered his idea. When Ashley more than affirmed it, David brought his son the soda as Ashley returned to her seat.
“Thanks Dad,” Ryan said, taking a healthy sip. And then another. He wiped his mouth and looked back at Ashley, who was now sitting back with her arms folded beneath her chest. Ryan couldn’t help notice the way it pushed her breasts up, making them appear firm and rounded under her shirt, making her look every inch of a woman. And while it stung him again to think about how she’d kicked his balls, seeing her look so… so… feminine, he was surprised to discover there was a part of him that thrilled to know she had. And anyway, he’d deserved it for being so insensitive, so yeah, she did the right thing by kicking him. Maybe it was the sight of Ashley looking so smug and confident and oozing femininity, or maybe it was the reduction in the pain he was feeling – no longer a gripping vise, but more of a throbbing ache, that turned his thoughts in a more positive direction. Whatever it was, Ryan let the feeling grow until he found himself actually appreciating Ashley’s decisive action and admiring her for it.
“This soda must’ve gone straight to my head, Ash,” Ryan said, turning the can in his hand and smiling as she tilted her head questioningly. “I just described the worst, most humiliating thing that’s ever happened to me, and now I find myself admiring you.”
Ashley nearly gasped at this unexpected turn and she could feel the heat of the color rising up her neck. “You… you do?” She asked, sounding uncertain but pleased nonetheless.
Ryan smiled, enjoying the feeling of catching Ashley off guard. “It’s so weird to say, but yeah, I really do. I feel like no guy in his right mind would say this, but I’m actually glad you kicked me in the balls, Ash.” There was total wonder in Ryan’s voice as he spoke. “It’s the strangest sensation. On one hand, it hurt so bad and that sucked,” Ryan admitted, “but on the other hand, there was something that just felt right about it.” Now he shook his head in disbelief at what he was saying, throwing his hands in the air like he couldn’t explain it further.
“You’re glad I kicked you in the nuts?” Ashley asked, sharing Ryan’s disbelief.
Ryan chuckled. “Well, it’s not like I’d ask for it or anything, but if you ever did it again, yeah, I’d probably admire you for it.”
“Oh, that’s the spirit, son,” David encouraged in a soft voice as his wife nodded her agreement, a happy smile gracing her face.
Ryan smiled slightly at the praise and looked at Ashley, his shoulders shrugging as if to say, “What can I say?”
“Wow. Just wow,” Ashley said, her blue eyes widening along with her smile. But behind her smile, she was already thinking about what David had said moments ago and now, hearing Ryan’s words, a thrill of excitement gripped her as her brain formulated a plan. “I can’t believe it. I was so upset with you when I came over tonight, but now I feel like I could hug you!” Ashley gushed as she pushed herself away from the table.
As the pretty girl – a woman now, really – rose from her seat, David took it as his cue and he stood, moving quickly and quietly over to where Tonya had the phone’s video camera set up. He pulled it from the stand and switched the phone from video to camera and tried to situate himself where he’d have the best angle.
Tonya noted her husband’s silent movements and cocked an eyebrow wondering what the hell was up his sleeve. She drew closer to the table as Ashley made her way around Tonya’s chair and observed a flush on the girl’s cheeks. It was a flush of thrill and anticipation if Tonya ever saw one. She looked over to where Ryan had risen from his chair, standing with his arms half raised, looking surprised but hopeful about Ashley’s offer of a hug. As eager as he was to take Ashley in his arms, Tonya couldn’t help noticing the way he held his body, turned in slightly. It hinted at his subconscious effort to put a small amount of defense in place. Tonya smiled thinking maybe her son really had learned a valuable lesson.
Ashley walked around the table, her stride confident, beaming at Ryan, her arms already coming up in preparation for the embrace. Stepping right up to him, Ashley circled her arms around Ryan’s neck. She looked up into his hopeful eyes and felt his hands clasp behind her back. Ashley let the desire she was feeling shine in her eyes and saw Ryan’s pupils dilate slightly under her gaze. She inhaled silently through her nose, sliding her hands onto his shoulders. She let them rest lightly for a moment and then gripped firmly. She smiled to herself as his eyes widened in confusion as he felt her fingers dig into his well-formed trapezoids. And then Ashley shifted her weight, her right leg taking a small step backward. The confusion in Ryan’s eyes morphed into concern and then outright fear and Ashley drank it in like an elixir. This was going to feel great, she thought.
The air grew heavy with tension in the blink of an eye as Ashley’s promised embrace threatened to become something else. A mischievous silence enveloped the kitchen as David and Tonya dared not breathe, their eyes zeroed in on where Ashley and Ryan stood facing each other. The girl, her arms raised to reach his broad shoulders, the boy – their son – lowering his face to look into the girl’s eyes as he towered above her. Tonya couldn’t help but think how masculine her son looked and how demurely feminine Ashley looked as they stood in a near embrace. Not for long, my son, she thought as a devilish grin stole onto her lips.
As if she could read Tonya’s mind, Ashley loaded her right leg and then drove it up like a piston. Giving everything she had, Ashley kneed Ryan in his balls as hard as she could, grunting with girlish delight as she did.
Ryan immediately buckled, the fear in his eyes turning briefly to regret before filling with pain. For the second time in less than an hour, Ryan’s balls exploded with potent, gut-wrenching, stomach-clenching, debilitating pain. He sank hard and fast to his knees and clutched at his injured testicles with manic desperation.
Ashley looked on smugly as Ryan dropped to the floor, relishing how she’d cut his height in half, leaving him face level with her womanhood. She laughed to herself thinking, “Nope. No nuts there, buddy-boy, just the smooth, flat surface of my pussy. I bet you’re wishing you had one right about now instead of those big, manly balls I just smashed.” When he cupped his balls and held them tightly, Ashley nearly moaned with pleasure.
Tonya gasped delightedly, covering her mouth with her hand, as she watched the petite, beautiful Ashley drive her knee hard into Ryan’s balls instead of hugging him. Her eyes glinted with gratification as Tonya observed the pained and wounded look in her son’s eyes, knowing he must be hurting terribly. It warmed her heart to see Ashley justifiably smirking as the girl now loomed over her son, taking in his torment. Look to your hearts content, sweetie, Tonya thought, savor the way you made his balls hurt. Tonya knew Ashley had earned that right, too. Not only had the girl walked into their home and, without a word, kicked their son in the balls as hard as she could, now she’d delivered a hard knee in the exact same spot. Her son’s balls were bound to be bruised, maybe even swollen. Tonya tittered at the thought of her son holding his swollen balls later and remembering how Ashley had busted him, leaving him suffering on his knees.
For a full minute, Ryan trembled on his knees, holding his balls for dear life as the pain consumed him. When it began to recede, and his brain began functioning again, Ryan almost sighed with relief. Ashley’s knee was not nearly as powerful as her kick – thank the gods for that – he realized. It still hurt terribly but he somehow understood that a second kick might have damn near killed him. He wondered if she had held back at all and his grimace deepened as another thought occurred to him: Ashley could control the amount of pain she wanted him to feel! His heart sank momentarily when he realized how truly at her mercy – or any girl’s, for that matter – and he felt himself despairing as he looked down studying his hands as they cradled his nuts, wondering if he would be finding himself in this position more often moving forward. But when he looked up at Ashley, everything changed.
Looking into her haughty but striking blue eyes and seeing her beautiful face glowing with self-satisfaction, Ryan’s despair lifted like fog in the midday sun. Ashley looked stunning, the full embodiment of how a woman should look: her body small and almost delicate, like it needed protecting, while her soft, warm face bespoke of a strength that showed she didn’t need a man’s protection – a strength Ryan would never know or have. He understood the power she wielded and recognized that she had every right to use it. If she wanted to bust his balls hard enough to incapacitate him, she could. No, Ryan though, correcting himself, she should. But if she just wanted to remind him of the precarious nature of his cursed jewels, she could do that, too. And he would just have to be grateful for her discretion and mercy that she chose not to make him hurt worse.
Sensing his son’s thoughts, David zoomed in and snapped a picture of Ryan’s contorted face as it revealed the deep range of emotions coursing inside him. He waited anxiously, his fingers metaphorically crossed, that when Ryan finally looked at Ashley, there would be nothing but open, unabashed adoration in his son’s eyes for the girl. His hopes were not in vain.
When Ryan looked at Ashley, his brain swirling with discovery, he felt his eyes fill up with pure, unadulterated adoration. Seeing the euphoric joy spread across her face left him dizzy and wanting to please her. He leaned back slightly and made a show of holding his balls, grimacing as he did, just so she would know how much she’d hurt him. It still embarrassed him to know that a girl did this to him, but he owned it, letting himself feel stupid and weak as he looked up at her. It made him feel good in his soul to see Ashley standing proudly, filled with satisfaction because she’d made his balls hurt.
David smiled as he peered through the viewfinder, as proud of his son as Ryan was of Ashley. Atta boy, Ry, he thought, show her how much you admire her for kneeing you in the balls. Let her know that she really hurt you and that you adore her for it. When David clicked the button, the photograph he snapped was worth a thousand words.
Ashley stood with her legs about shoulder width apart, the pointed toes of her high heels turned slightly in, accentuating the gap between her thighs. Her hands were placed firmly on her hips, bent at the elbows, showing the symmetry of her slender arms. With her shoulders thrown back confidently, Ashley bosom swelled under her tight shirt. The thin fabric of it tented in the shape of candy corn as her nipples hardened with the thrill of her actions. Her neck looked delicate, blonde hair like fine silk cascading down and around it. Ashley’s head was cocked slightly to one side as she looked down at the boy on his knees in front of her. There was color on her high cheeks that belayed her keen excitement. Those electric blue eyes were now smoldering beneath the wet sheen of delight, showing both her contemptuous disdain for Ryan and his pathetic vulnerability as well as the proud satisfaction she felt for herself. In short, if a boy were to stare at Ashley in this photo for more than a brief second, he would be utterly helpless to keep himself from growing instantly hard.
Across from Ashley was the frame of boy much larger and taller than that of the pretty girl. However, it was no longer imposing, cut down to half its size now, the knees bent back underneath it, its feet splayed out in opposite directions. It was a body that gave the impression it wasn’t accustomed to being in such a submissive and humiliating position. The intimidating muscles – lean thighs, wiry, strong arms and carved abs – all quivered and trembled beneath his clothes, feeling emptied of their power, rendered weak and helpless for the first time in the young man’s life. As disconcerting as it was for any man to see the strain in every fiber of Ryan’s body, there were two things, two glaring and horrifying things – if you were a male, that is – jumping out from the photograph.
The first was the uncomfortable way Ryan’s thighs were pressing together as if to provide some sort of protection as they crowded against his strong, youthful hands, which were buried deep in the place where they came together. His hands, overlapping each other, seemed to each be clutching one testicle and, together, pulling them both tight to his body. It was a disquieting thing for a man to observe, an image that would provoke instant empathy at the sickening, debilitating pain the young man was clearly experiencing. But worse than that were the insecurities unlocked upon realizing the boy was suffering because the blonde-haired girl standing across from him had kneed him in those balls he was now clutching. She had been the cause of his terrible pain.
But perhaps even more unsettling than the obvious and undignified way Ryan was holding his balls in front of the girl was the look on his noble face. It was reddened from his struggle to breathe as well as the blood boiling in his veins as the pain racked his body. A thin sheen of sweat glistened above his brow. The muscles on either side of his jaw raised in hard lumps as he grit his teeth together and his cheeks pressed upward, causing the skin around his eyes to crinkle. His lips pressed against his gritted teeth completing the pained grimace. It was a grimace a man might make if he stubbed his toe or slammed a finger in the door, except the one on Ryan’s face was different and the difference was in his eyes.
Yes, the pain was clearly visible in his wet eyes, but there was so much more going on inside them as well. While the lower half of Ryan’s face spoke only to pain and suffering, his eyes displayed a wide range of emotions. The way his eyebrows raised up above the bridge of his nose evoked both regret and hope. The angle of his eyes as they looked up beyond his slightly bowed head showed humility and respect as he forced himself to meet the pretty girl’s eyes. Though it was hard to put a finger on, Ryan’s eyes also caused the observer to feel a sense of approval coming from the young man, like he knew Ashley merited his blessing for busting his balls. And yet, in the midst of all that, there was a soft brightness emanating from his wide eyes, a light than shined up into Ashley’s smug, but pretty face. It was a light filled with desire, belaying his need to worship and adore the feminine beauty before him, to surrender himself to her whims. It was a light filled with admiration for what she’d done and pure adoration for her beauty and power. In short, his eyes revealed his understanding that the ball busting Ashley had given him was entirely appropriate and necessary and that she should be adored and set on high for busting him.
David motioned for his wife to come over, holding the phone up and pointing at it, a giddy smile on his face. Tonya stepped over to where he was standing and stared at the picture. Her eyes lit up as she studied the image of her son. His expression captured perfectly his pain, his admiration for Ashley and his gratitude for the busting she’d given him. Tonya’s heart swelled with pride for her son and for Ashley.
“It’s wonderful, dear,” Tonya said, looking at David admiringly. As she looked into the depths of his eyes, recognizing the joy he was feeling at the scene displayed in the photo he’d taken, another idea occurred to Tonya. She leaned and whispered something causing his eyes to shimmer briefly and his grin to widen.
Tonya then walked over to where her son was on his knees and put her arm around his shoulder, winking at Ashley as she did. The girl smiled happily, blushing at the commendation in Tonya’s eyes. “Well, Ry, I guess you weren’t expecting that.” The smirk in Tonya’s voice was firm but playful. “You thought you were getting a hug,” Tonya said grinning. She chuckled. “But all you got was a knee in the balls. Oooh,” Tonya said, mocking her son with feigned empathy, “that’s gotta hurt.”
Ryan’s eyes fell at his mother’s words but he only nodded in response.
Tonya laughed a little harder at the humble, silent confirmation of his pain. “Although I do wonder,” she said, pausing to muse, “which was worse. Ashley kicking you or taking her knee straight to your balls?” As she teased him, Tonya looked over to Ashley, smirking.
Seeing Tonya’s smirk further emboldened the young girl and Ashley joined in. “Yeah, Ryan. Did it hurt more when I kicked you in the nuts or just now when I kneed you?”
Ryan could feel his neck burning as Ashley and his mother taunted him. He knew they wanted to embarrass him even more – and it was working. Still, there was an earnest edge to Ashley’s voice underneath the smug gibe and he felt he owed her an answer. He looked up at Ashley but before he could speak, it suddenly occurred to him how pathetic he must look, still on his knees, still holding his busted balls. Quickly, he slid his hands to his thighs. His testicles dropped against the stiff fabric of his pants and a jolt of pain ripped through him despite the minimal force of gravity. His hands quickly slid back in support. Another pang of humiliation stabbed him as he watched Ashley’s eyes widen momentarily before her mouth broke into a shocked smile, an amused giggle escaping her at his failed bravado. Ryan breathed several heavy breaths trying to shake off this latest embarrassment. Composed, he looked back at Ashley, his eyes open and honest. “It hurt worse when you kicked me, Ashley,” he said in the firmest tone he could manage. When Ashley just stared at him like she expected more, he added, in a much quieter voice, “in the balls.”
Ashley held her gaze on Ryan for a beat longer than she needed to, but then broke into a beaming grin. “I knew it!” She exclaimed. “I knew I kicked your balls soooo hard!”
When Ashley clapped her hands happily, Ryan couldn’t help but smile. He nodded, affirming that she truly had. “But your knee hurt, too,” he said, his smiling dimming just a little. “But it was kinda nice, in a way.” A far away look came into Ryan’s eye as he thought back to what had just happened a few short minutes ago. “It was nice to feel your body close to me and feel the touch of your hands, the heat from your body,” Ryan said, feeling a shiver of pleasure ripple on his skin at the memory. “I don’t know… it just seemed more personal, I guess. Like I wasn’t just a set of nuts you wanted to bust.” Ryan squinted, looking briefly at the ground. “It was like you specifically wanted to bust my balls and make me hurt. And that felt good. I – ,” Ryan trailed off, feeling unable to fully express his feelings.
Seeing her son’s exasperation, Tonya rubbed his shoulders and said what he could not. “It made you feel like she cared about you, didn’t it? Even though she kneed you in the balls, it felt like she did it because she cared.”
Ryan craned his neck and looked at his mother gratefully. “Yes! That’s it!” He blurted, feeling relieved to hear his fuzzy emotions stated so accurately. The warmth he saw in his mother’s eye made him feel good.
“Well, now that we know she kicked you harder than she kneed you, maybe it’s about time you got to your feet my boy,” Tonya said, breaking the mother-and-son moment.
“I don’t know, Mom,” Ryan said, though in truth, amid the distraction of their conversation, the pain he was feeling had diminished greatly. But when his mother grabbed him under the arms, he rose compliantly.