Against All Odds Ch. 06

"Wow." Riley said, setting his glass back down, feeling a bit flushed."How strong is this?"

Noah chuckled. "You're just not used to it." He said. "My mother can down an entire bottle of this for breakfast and then go jogging."

"Your mom drinks wine for breakfast?" Riley asked, his eyes growing wide with shock. "Morning, noon, and night." Noah said, taking another small drink. "She's what some might call a functioning alcoholic though she'll never admit that she has a problem."

"One of my foster fathers was a pretty bad alcoholic." Riley said. "He wasn't a mean drunk, thankfully, but he wasn't very functioning. He drank mostly to elevate back pain he had from a work related accident. Mostly he slept all day. When he was awake he'd sit around and whine about how horrible his life was and how no body loved him."

Noah shook his head in disgust. "How can authorities even allow people like that to become foster parents?"

Riley shrugged. "I don't think he was always that way. Just in the last few years and no one ever complained or turned him in. The kids they had weren't abused or neglected and there are so few families willing to take in omegas to begin with, I think it was just easier to turn a blind eye."

"It's still not right." Noah told him. "A child deserves decent parents, omega or not."

"I didn't have it as bad as a lot of foster kids do. I'm grateful for that. My life could have been a lot worse than what it was."

"It's infuriating that you'd even have that concern." Noah took another drink, this one larger than just a sip. "A child shouldn't have to fear that the next family they go to might abuse them. What's wrong with our society that children don't feel safe in their own homes?"

"Unfortunately, a lot." Riley said with a sigh. "Even after you age out of foster care you still carry around the stigma of being a foster child. People treat you differently. They think you're defective or something. It's like, our parents didn't want us so there must be something wrong with us. They don't stop and think about the children who don't even have parents, or kids who were taken from their parents. It's just so much easier to blame the kids."

"And that is a shit thing to do. It is in no way the child's fault." Noah looked into Riley's eyes and tried to imagine what life must be like for him. Not only was he an omega but also having to live with the stigma of being a foster kid. He shouldn't be treated any differently for either of those things but that was the society that they lived in, and it sucked.

"Sometimes, it's no one's fault." Riley said softly. "Sometimes, shit just happens and there's nothing you can do except keep living, even when you want to give up, you just have to keeping moving forward."

"I admire your strength so much." Noah told him. "You've been through so much and still have this positive outlook. It's amazing."

Riley smiled, affectionately at Noah. "Well, it helps being able to talk to you." He said. "You always cheer me up. I always looked forward to our chats. Especially after a hard day at work. I couldn't wait to get on my phone so I could see your face and hear your voice. You always made me smile. It's like you knew the right things to say to make me feel better. You're like the one good thing I always have to look forward to."

Noah reached out and touched Riley's hand. "I feel the same way about you." He said. "You've brightened my day on so many occasions. I knew that no matter what happened or how bad I was feeling, you'd be there, ready to give me hope and light up my world with your beautiful smile."

Riley felt himself blush at Noah's words. Riley's mind was a whirlwind or emotions, his heart still racing from their dance and the lingering taste of Noah's lips on his. Now, hearing how Noah felt about him, it brought another question to mind.

During their dance, Noah had called Riley "My Rose," a tender nickname that seemed to hold a world of meaning beneath it's petals. Riley had to know if it meant what he hoped it meant, or if Noah had simple spoken the words in the heat of the moment.

"Do...do you really love roses?" Riley asked, his voice soft with uncertainty.

Noah's eyes met his and Riley saw a flicker of emotion in the depths of his eyes though what it meant he could not say. Noah smiled at him, his fingers tracing the rim of his wine glass. "I do." He admitted. "And, I love you, Riley."

Riley's breath caught in his throat, the words hanging heavy in the air between them. He hadn't dared to hope that Noah felt the same way, but now, hearing the truth spoken aloud, he felt a rush of joy and relief wash over him.

"I've felt this way for a while now." Noah told him. "I wasn't sure at first if what I felt was real so I wanted to meet you in person first. I didn't know if I'd feel the same way once we were in the same room together but after I saw you that first time, I knew. If anything, what I've felt for you has only grown stronger. I do love you, Riley. I love you more than I have loved anyone or anything in my life. You're everything to me. You're my entire world."

Riley felt tears of happiness fill his eyes. Noah's words resonated with him on a such a deeply emotional level that he could scarcely believe what he was hearing was real. Everything Noah had told him, how Noah felt, all of it echoed Riley's sentiments exactly. Riley had felt a sense of belonging the first time they had met and that feeling had grown stronger with each passing moment. Riley was unsure at first if what he was feeling was real as well but after seeing Noah in person and spending time with him, it was impossible to deny. Riley had fallen in love with Noah.

The two of them, together, was the only thing that made sense to Riley now. It was as if they had always been meant to be together. Noah was the missing piece that made Riley whole. Now that they had found each other, it was like everything had just kind of fallen into place.

"Noah." Riley said, wiping the tears from his eyes. "I feel the same about you. I was just too scared to say anything because I wasn't sure if you felt the same way about me."

Noah laughed gently after hearing Riley's confession. "I guess we're both pretty new at this whole dating thing." He said. "We still have a lot to learn."

"Yeah." Riley agreed. "I mean, neither of us has ever been in a serious relationship before or have the greatest social skills. It's bound to take some time to figure this all out."

"Time is something we have plenty of." Noah told him. "And, every second that I spend with you makes me realize just how wonderful you are."

"Same here." Riley smiled and his eyes gleamed with the love he had for Noah. "I treasure every moment with you."

Noah stood, picking up the bottle of wine and their now empty glasses. "Let's take this conversation someplace a bit more private." He said.

"Alright." Riley stood up, a flutter of excitement rushing through him. "How about my room?" He suggested.

"That sounds good." Noah smiled back at him. "Lead the way." Riley nodded and Noah waited for him to walk around him and toward the door before following closely behind. A moment later and they had left the music room and were headed down the hall and toward the stairs.

***

It was late, almost ten at night when they'd left the music room. The house was always quiet with only Noah and his mother and a handful of staff in the house but now, the quiet mixed with the gentle stillness in the air added a tranquility to the mansion that Riley hadn't felt before. The quiet solitude of the mansion was a welcome change from the noisy motel that always seemed to be bustling with activity, even at night.

Between cars coming and going, the steady hum of the ice machine or the sounds of drunk guests laughing loudly as they passed by his room, Riley found it almost impossible to get a full nights sleep. There was also the constant fear of his room being broken into. The motel was located in a high crime area and often rented rooms to some very unsavory people. It was a favorite spot for prostitutes to bring their Johns as the rooms were cheap and could be rented by the hour.

In all honesty, Riley hated the place. He would love to just march into his managers office, turn in his smock and keys and tell the creep where he could go but he just couldn't do that. His pride refused to allow him to be solely supported by Noah and besides, Riley liked having his own money, money that was earned and not just given to him. It felt good to contribute something, no matter how small that contribution was.

They reached the second floor and quickly made their way to the rose room. Riley loved the room and he felt content within it's floral walls. He knew the room had been designed with Rose Reaney in mind but Riley couldn't help but think that the room, in part, had also been meant for him. It was just so perfect, like a room straight from one of his fantasies. He felt at home in the room, like he belonged there.

Noah and Riley sat cross-legged on the floor near the bed. Noah filled their glasses and they shared a quick toast before slowly sipping the wine. The rich aroma of the wine filled the air as their heartfelt conversation filled the quiet space between them. They talked of dreams and fears, hopes and aspirations, each revelation drawing them closer together until they were sharing pieces of themselves that they had not dared to show anyone else, creating a stronger bond between them.

Riley looked down at the glass in his hand, gently swirling the liquid around, watching it hit the sides of the glass like waves crashing over rocks. "This is the first time I've ever sat on a carpet and drank wine." He mused. "It seems like something teenage omegas might do at a slumber party."

"Ever been to a slumber party?" Noah asked, showing genuine interest.

Riley shook his head, taking another slow sip of his wine. "No one had ever asked me to one. I wasn't exactly one of the popular kids. I had a couple friends in grade school but we only really ever hung out at school. I was too ashamed to invite anyone over to any of my foster homes. In high school I was pretty much a loner. What about you? I know you never leave the mansion but did you ever have any parties here?"

"Once." Noah sighed as he ran a hand through his hair. "I was twelve and my mother wanted to try and socialize me a bit more. I guess she thought that if I saw what I was missing, I'd be more apt to want to leave the house."

"What happened?" Riley asked, scooting closer to Noah until their thighs were touching.

"Nothing much." Noah admitted. "I tried to interact with the other kids but there were so many of them and it was so loud. My senses were on overload and I ended up hiding through most of the party."

"Was your mom angry with you?"

"No. She was disappointed but not angry. She rarely ever got angry with me. She never hosted another party after that though. Not even for any of Charles's birthdays. I felt kind of bad about that but Mother just worried the large crowds would upset me."

"You say large crowds upset you but, what about smaller, more intimate gatherings? Like, is there a limit to how many people you feel comfortable around at one time?" Riley didn't want to put Noah on the sport or make him feel uncomfortable but he was genuinely interested in Noah and what he was okay with.

"I don't typically like gatherings of any kind." Noah said, being as honest as possible. "I can tolerate a few close friends and family, but not for long. Anytime we have more than four or five people over, I'll usually barricade myself in my room until they all leave."

"Is that why you keep such a small staff?"

Noah nodded. "Small and familiar. I absolutely refuse to hire outside help from an agency. It's not that I think their work is subpar or even that I'm worried they would steal. I just can't handle new faces coming and going all the time. It takes me a while to trust new people and constantly changing staff would make it impossible to get used to or trust any of them."

"I can understand that." Riley told him. "That's basically how I felt every time I was sent to a new foster home. I didn't know the people, or the other kids, if they had any, and I didn't warm up to them very easily. When I did start to feel more at home in one place, I'd be shipped off someplace else. That's why I never really connected with anyone. Most of the time I figured I wouldn't be there long enough to get close to anyone anyway so I mostly kept to myself."

"That sounds like you had a very lonely childhood." Noah said.

Riley nodded, the look on his face pained. He looked lost almost. Like a single balloon floating through the air with no hope of ever landing. "It was very lonely." He said, finally. "But I imagine your childhood was just as lonely as mine. Neither of us really had friends or got to do fun stuff like go on family vacations or parties."

"Yeah." Noah agreed, speaking softly, thoughtfully. "But I had my mother and Charlie and, of course, the staff. My staff are more like family as well so I was never truly alone. I couldn't even imagine having no one but especially not having parents. It breaks my heart just thinking about it. It must have been so hard for you."

"I did have some good experiences too though so, it wasn't all bad."

"Really? Like what?" Noah's eyes lit up. The conversation had taken a more somber turn and Noah was looking forward to hearing of Riley's more positive memories of his time in foster care.

"Oh, well." Riley thought for a moment. Memories of a happier time in his childhood swiftly came to mind and he smiled, recalling how he felt during those moments in his life. "There was this time when I was seven, my foster mom at the time, Linda, would take me to the local YMCA every Saturday for swimming lessons. I knew she only did it to get rid of me for a while and the lessons were free but I didn't care. I loved swimming, still do, and the instructor was so nice. At the end of the lesson they'd let us play in the pool until our parents came to pick us up. I was always the last to leave so for about ten minutes or so I had the entire pool to myself. I'd say it was probably one of the happiest times of my life."

"Did you get the chance to swim anymore, after the lessons?"

"Yeah." Riley smiled a huge smile, showing just how much he enjoyed his time at the pool. "The Y had a summer youth program that I joined for a few years, and one place I stayed was within walking distance to the community pool. I've always felt more at home in the water. It's like whenever I entered the pool, all my worries just kind of floated away. Nothing and no one existed outside the water. It was the only time I could ever truly let go and just free my mind. It was just me and the water, nothing else."

"You really do love the water, don't you?" Noah asked, intrigued.

"Oh, hell yes." Riley chuckled. "If I could grow fins and live in the water, I would."

"Well, why don't we make swimming a part of our schedule tomorrow. We can have breakfast in the breakfast nook, then maybe I'll give you a tour of the grounds. We have a really beautiful lake on the property I'd like to show you and of course the horse stables. The woods are kind of barren this time of year but in the spring they're just beautiful. After you've seen the grounds we can go swimming and after that I was thinking maybe an in door picnic lunch."

"That all sounds amazing, Noah, but I don't own a pair of swimming trunks."

Noah could hear the disappointment in Riley's voice and that was something he planned to remedy as soon as possible. "That's not a problem." He said, matter-of-factly. "I can send out for a pair tomorrow and have them delivered before we're even back from the tour."

"Oh no. You don't need to do that, Noah. I can wait until I get paid in a week." Riley protested. "It will be fine." He didn't sound fine. Noah picked up on that right away. The sound of his voice and the look in his eyes told Noah just how excited the idea of swimming in his Olympic sized pool made Riley and how discouraged he sounded when talking about waiting for a week to use it.

"None sense," Noah said, shaking his head. "I want to do this for you and besides, I can't wait a week to see that cute little ass or yours in some tight little swimming trunks."

"Oh, my, God!" Riley practically fell over laughing. "Noah Reaney, you are too much."

"So, we have a plan? Swimming tomorrow?" Noah gave Riley a playful wink.

Riley nodded, unable to deny Noah when he seemed so excited about the day he had planned out for them. "It sounds amazing." Riley told him. And, it did sound amazing to Riley. Honestly, anything that allowed him to spend more time with Noah sounded like heaven. Noah wanting to swim just made the day that much more perfect. Especially since Riley had wanted to take a dip in that pool since the moment Noah had shown it to him. Yeah, tomorrow was going to be a dream come true, Riley could feel it already.

"You're sure though? You really don't mind?" Riley asked, still a little nervous about Noah spending money on him unnecessarily. He could just imagine what Lilian would think. She was already convinced that Riley was there just to drain Noah's bank account, as if that were even possible. Noah had billions. "I can pay you back for the trunks next week when I..."

Noah held up a hand to stop Riley from speaking. "I don't mind." He said, his voice warm with affection. "In fact, it would make me very happy to do this for you. I see how much you enjoy swimming, how happy you seem when you talk about it and, Riley, I just want to make you happy."

"You've already made me happier than I've ever been in my whole life. Just being here, with you, makes me happy and I can't wait until tomorrow. It's going to be so much fun, Noah, thank you." Riley leaned forward and softly kissed Noah. Noah kissed him back, pulling Riley into his lap. The kiss and feel of Noah's body so close to Riley sparked something in Riley that he could no longer resist. He reached up, his arms encircling Noah's neck as he pulled him closer in a tight embrace. Noah's response was immediate. His arms wrapping around Riley's waist, as they held each other close, their bodies pressed together in a tender hug.

Riley felt a surge of emotion welling up inside of him. The warmth of Noah's touch sent shivers down Riley's spine, igniting a fire within him that was hard to ignore. He captured Noah's lips once more in a passionate kiss, the heat of their kiss sparking a flame of desire and longing between them. Their kisses grew deeper and more intense as they lost themselves to the moment.

Riley's fingers tangled in Noah's hair, his breath coming in shallow gasps as Noah's hands roamed eagerly over his body. Each touch, each searing kiss sent a rush of heat flooding through them as they surrendered to the intoxicating pull of their desires. Noah's tongue slipped into Riley's mouth, gentle yet hungry. He devoured Riley with kisses and Riley suddenly felt himself melting into Noah's arms.

Riley's fingers gripped Noah's hair tightly, his heart beating faster and faster, threatening to explode in his chest. With each kiss, Riley felt himself growing more aroused, his body responding to Noah's touch with a hunger that he had never felt before.

"Noah, I love you." Riley whispered as Noah kissed his neck and then his throat, trailing kisses along every bit of exposed flesh. "I want you so bad." A soft growl, low in his throat, escaped Noah. His fingers grazed the nape of Riley's neck then he kissed him again, his breath hot against his skin. Riley looked at Noah and he saw a spark in his gaze, something fierce and hungry. Riley felt it too, this burning, aching, need. In that moment Riley would have done anything for Noah, given him anything, Riley was his to command.