Coming Home Pt. 01

Hi everyone, this is my first submission to Literotica, not sure if I'll do more or a follow up but I felt this story needed to be written. It was inspired from real life experiences and all the characters depicted are 18+ even during flashbacks.

Trigger Warning

There is references to abuse, both the mental and physical variety, but overall the story is meant to be about the main characters overcoming those obstacles.

Otherwise, please enjoy the story.

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"Jenny, I know you're mad but-" Mark was quickly interrupted by the angered ramblings of his best friend.

"Yes, yes I am." Jenny interrupted, "I'm furious. You punched my fiancé. At my party. In front of everyone. There was no need for you to step in."

It was no secret that Jenny and her fiancé, Chris, had been arguing at her party, in fact, they had been screaming at each other right in the middle of the dance floor in a privately rented venue full of Jenny's friends and family. Chris wanted to leave and go out with friends, but it being Jenny's 30th birthday, she wanted him to stay.

When Chris went out with his friends, she wouldn't hear from him for the rest of the night and sometimes he wouldn't come back until late evening the next day, so it was understandable that she was upset at this notion.

As with all their arguments, it spiraled out of control, people started to get involved, trying to calm them down and others just trying to gossip about what was actually going on.

That was when Mark had noticed something in Chris' eyes that seemingly no one else had the insight into their relationship to prevent, so when he realized there was no stopping what was about to happen, Mark punched Chris square in the face.

"I had to do it," Mark retorted. "It was either I hit him, or, god forbid, he hit you."

"I don't need your protection Mark, he wasn't going to hit me, Chris would never-" It was Mark's turn to interrupt her.

"Oh please, I know this wouldn't have been the first time." Mark kind of shocked himself at his tone, he was being stern, he had never been stern with Jenny. He took a deep breath and continued. "You used to love sleeveless tops and short dresses so you could get a nice tan. This is the first time I've seen you in nine months and you're completely covered up, and before you say it's cold, I'll remind you that we're in one of the most humid states in America, and it's June."

Jenny and Mark had been friends since middle school, for a while they were inseparable and many people had thought of them as a couple, they insisted they were more like siblings. Although, they hadn't seen much of each other in the past 3 years due to their respective relationships and the pandemic.

"Who are you to judge? You really think we all like that bitch girlfriend of yours? Why do you think she wasn't invited tonight?" Jenny stopped.

Mark was taken aback. He knew Jenny didn't like Claire, but wasn't aware of the rest of his friends having issues with her.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that. I think I'm still a little drunk." Jenny apologized. "It's just, she seems to have stopped me seeing you a lot as of late and I guess I resent her for that."

"Ok, let's stop for a minute." Mark took a deep breath. He patted the couch next to him. "Come sit down. I brought you here so things could calm down between you and Chris, not so we could fight."

"We wouldn't be fighting if you hadn't punched him." She trailed off, mumbling most of the sentence and Mark pretended not to hear it. Jenny took a breath, accepted Marks offer and sat down next to him.

There was a lingering silence. With how close the two of them had been over the years, there were never any awkward silences between them but this one was different, you could cut the tension with a knife.

Mark stood up and walked to the kitchen. His two bedroom apartment was mostly open plan in the living room and kitchen area so he wasn't cutting off the conversation. He poured a drink for himself and got Jenny some water and some painkillers. After doing so, Mark sat back down next to Jenny.

"I know how you get a headache when you're mad, drink up." He instructed.

"Thank you." At this point Jenny was sitting cuddled into her own legs, taking the water and painkillers from him.

"So, you don't like Claire." Mark took a sip from his own drink. "And I don't like Chris."

"It seems that way." Jenny mumbled. "Wait, doesn't she live with you?"

She took a look around and noticed a lack of a feminine touch that had previously been around the apartment.

"She's visiting her parents for a while so took some of the more sentimental stuff."

"Looks like a lot of stuff, how long is a while?" Jenny quizzed further.

"Well she said it might be for a few weeks so as of today it'll be..." He feigned a calculation. "Indefinitely."

"Wait, so you split up?!" There was excitement in her voice, realising her tone she continued more calmly. "Sorry, I didn't mean to sound so happy about that."

Mark let out an awkward laugh. "I, er, I guess you could say that. We'd been arguing a lot, she still didn't fully trust me to go out without her and then when I told her I was coming to your party..." He shrugged. "I guess that was the last straw."

"I don't want to be as excited as I am about that news, and I'm sorry that I am." Jenny hugged Mark tight and continued into his shoulder. "But I finally get my best friend back."

They held that hug for a few minutes. This time, the silence was not so tense. Mark took another deep breath, realising how much he had missed her and smiling at her choice of words in that last sentence.

"I know it's fresh, but I want you to listen to me the next time I tell you someone is no good for you, Mark." The soft tones to Jenny's voice continued with a hint of care that you would only expect to hear from a family member. "There was so much emotional blackmail coming from her, it was difficult to watch. In fact, in hindsight, as much as I've missed you, I'm kind of glad I hadn't seen things at their worst. I think I would have actually killed her." The awkward laugh at the end of that sentence told Mark that the reality had just hit her.

"The same way I couldn't see Chris lay a hand on you tonight." Mark took another sip of his drink.

The room went quiet once more, Mark's last comment echoing in Jenny's head for a good few minutes before she decided to speak up again.

"Tell me, how, on my 30th birthday, I get into an argument with my fiancé and I get dragged back to my best friend's apartment before... " Jenny checked her phone for the time, "10pm, and the only drink you have offered me is water."

"You're right, birthday girl, I'm sorry." Mark laughed. "What'll it be? Amaretto and Coke?"

"Is there anything else I'd ask for?" She replied with a hint of sarcasm in her tone.

Mark walked back into the kitchen to make her request and returned a few minutes later with exactly that, on ice and a cherry as garnish as well as a bowl of chips and two jars of dips.

"Always with the garnish," Jenny mocked. "You're so formal."

"If you're gonna make a drink, you've got-"

"You've got to make it right," Jenny interrupted again, this time in a more playful tone than when they first arrived. Again, mocking Mark's choice of words, and tone. "Remember when that got you into trouble in a bar? I thought you would have learned from that mistake!"

"First of all, this isn't a bar," Mark started, watching Jenny roll her eyes. "Secondly, that man couldn't have made a drink like the one in your hand if it bit him in the ass."

"This one is pretty good," She admitted. Mark used to be a mixologist for a few years after college and it showed. While it was a basic drink, he would never put too much or too little alcohol into it, he was a perfectionist.

They both laughed at the memory of Mark getting in trouble when there was a knock at the door. Mark took a look through the peephole and was greeted by the view of Claire.

"Just a minute!" He yelled toward the door, putting his finger to his lips, gesturing to Jenny to keep it down.

Opening the door, Claire stood with her bags at the door, starting to carry them in. Mark attempted to stop her but failed miserably.

"Hey, I just thought that little fight was stupid and," Claire's speech cut off prematurely when she saw Jenny on the couch. "Oh, hi Jenny." She paused again, this time her temper flaring. "So this is how it is? I go away to my parents after a fight and you bring Jenny round here the minute I'm gone?!"

"Claire, it's Jenny's birthday and -" this time Mark was cut off by Claire and that always drove him crazy, he never got a chance to speak during an argument because she would always shout over him. It was cute when Jenny did it, and when Jenny was mad she'd have this cute crinkle over her nose. Claire, however, would just explode.

"Oh it's her birthday?! So it's ok for her to come over and steal my boyfriend?!" At this point Claire walked over to the glass in the table holding Jenny's water and threw it at the wall, shattering it. "And where is your fiancé? Does he know you're hooking up with my man?!"

Just as Mark was about to defend her, Jenny stood up, grabbed Claire by her arm, twisted it up her back and pinned her against the wall.

"That's enough." Jenny had a calm tone to her voice that Mark had only heard a few times before, and it was terrifying.

"Get your hands off me, I'll call the police!" Claire tried to get the words out but was interrupted by Jenny again.

"I suggest you shut up or I really will give you a reason to call the cops." Jenny twisted Claire's arm further up her back. Claire winced. Mark stood back in complete awe.

Jenny moved real close to Claire's ear and continued, "You come in here shouting allegations without knowing what is really going on. Now, I for one, have had enough of your shit, bitch. For the past three years you have made Mark's life a living hell."

"Me?!" Claire exclaimed. Jenny twisted her arm further. Claire winced again.

"I said shut up. You have been emotionally blackmailing my best friend and you have hurt him for the last time. He took care of me tonight when my fiancé and I had a falling out. You'll not say a bad word about this man. He is the greatest man I know."

Mark could not believe what he was seeing, or hearing, for that matter. Jenny had a slender frame, no way did she look strong enough to hold someone in this position for long enough, especially not Claire. Claire was bigger than her, in both height and weight.

Mark thought he had really scored when he met Claire. She was the right kind of curvy, had a hell of an ass and was wild in bed. But seeing her when she lost her temper, and the crazy look in her eye when she was jealous really scared him and deep down he knew he had made a mistake, but, for some reason, he loved her. When it was good, it was really good. The caveat to that being when it was bad, it was really bad.

When he looked at Jenny, he usually saw a sister-like figure, but seeing her like this, this was a different light. The words she was saying, the confidence she was showing.

Mark shook his head and zoned back into the events transpiring before him.

"... So I suggest you leave the key you have on the counter in the kitchen, grab your bags and get the fuck out of here. To your parent's, a friend, a hotel, I don't care. But you're not going to darken Mark's door again." Jenny finished her speech, letting go of Claire who was now weeping.

It took a few minutes for Claire to leave and Jenny to clean up the glass off the floor. While Mark was still stunned by what had happened, he only found a moment to say goodbye to Claire as the door shut behind her. Jenny walked over and locked the door, turning to Mark and noticing the absence in his expression.

"I made her leave her key, so she won't be getting back in tonight, or ever, unless you let her." She sat back down on the couch and turned the TV on. "Come sit back down, we were just starting to enjoy ourselves again. Why don't we watch a movie?"

He couldn't explain it, but he watched her walk back over to the couch unable take his eyes off her and suddenly, the floodgates opened. Mark began to sob uncontrollably and dropped to the floor.

"Hey, hey, come on now." Jenny ran over to console him, sitting down beside him and holding him close. "She's gone, it's over, I know you're sad now but you'll be ok. I'll be here as long as you need me."

Mark hugged her back, weeping into her shoulder. "It's not that, Jenny." He paused to try and catch his breath. "She's gone, I feel like this weight has been lifted. I feel so relieved."

"That's ok too, sweetie." Sweetie, the name he hated to hear from her. The name his mother called him, and it was the last thing he wanted to hear right now. "Come on, let's get up, get a drink and put a movie on."

Mark took a minute to compose himself and stood up, helping Jenny up with him. "I think I'm gonna need more than one."

They both began to laugh, a little harder than they should have but the stress of the night had really gotten to them.

"Hey, look," Mark continued, "Can I take you for breakfast tomorrow? I figured your birthday night has been ruined and I really want to treat you, and now, thank you. I've missed you."

"Well this is working out because I was going to ask you if you would like to trade the pleasure of my company in turn for buying me breakfast tomorrow." She had always had a playful way with words that Mark had admired.

The way Mark was looking at her, Jenny saw a spark in his eye she had never seen before. Like they had both reached an understanding and her best friend suddenly went from a brother-figure to a handsome stranger that she was eager to get to know.

At that, she cleared her throat. "So, about that movie?"

"Oh, right. Netflix or Prime?" Mark turned the TV back on, it had turned itself off in the midst of their discussion.

"Disney plus." She replied, with a spring in her response.

"You know, there was a reason for the choice. I don't have Disney plus."

Feigning shock, Jenny looked at him "But where do you watch all your Disney movies?!"

"I don't watch Disney movies, I'm not a child nor am I a nostalgia ridden 30 year old woman." He jabbed.

"I'll have you know that there are films for older kids and adults too." Jenny seemed proud of the comment.

"So you're saying Disney plus has adult movies now?!" Mark jabbed again.

"Stop twisting my words!" She laughed, "give me the remote and I'll sign in to mine."

Mark sighed but admitted defeat, and got up to refresh their drinks whilst Jenny logged into her account. She scrolled for a while until she found a remake of a Disney classic.

As Mark sat down and looked at the TV he furrowed his brow. Jenny looked him dead in the eye.

"What?"

"You're kidding?" He started.

"Oh, here we go." She sighed.

"It's bad enough that you're making me watch a Disney movie, but if I have to sit through this, for the love of God, don't make me sit through one of the new live action movies. An original at least, come on."

Jenny pouted, "Fine." As she put on the Beauty and the Beast animated movie.

"Damn, I kind of did that to myself didn't I?" Mark realized what he had done.

"Honestly, I was just kidding. I was going to play Cheaper by the Dozen. I know you love that movie, but you insisted on a classic Disney movie, not a live action movie." Jenny jabbed back, she was aware it was a little late in response to Mark's answers earlier, but she was proud of the set up.

"I said not a new... Never mind." Mark admitted defeat again.

As the movie played, Jenny began to lean into Mark's shoulder and after two more drinks he realized she had fallen asleep. He decided to mess with her a little and dropped his shoulder, and she fell, spilling the rest of her drink into his lap and waking up.

"Hmm? What happened?" She was still weary, "Oh, hey! Your shoulder was comfy! And you spilled my drink!"

"Yeah, I guess that one backfired on me," laughing nervously, Mark got up to go to the bathroom to dry himself off and he shouted from the hall "So you're staying over tonight, right?"

"Well I didn't think you'd want me going home to Chris... " Jenny had forgotten about the earlier confrontation of the night. Mark had a good way of taking her mind off things but saying that sentence made it all come flooding back.

"Well, here," he threw a t-shirt at her. It was one that was too big even for him, he bought it back in high school when it was the last one on the shelves and he had never grown into it. Not because he was scrawny, but because the t-shirt was an XXL and was never going to fit his average frame.

Jenny looked closer at it, rubbing her eyes. "Oh my god, you still have this?!" As she unfolded it she saw the familiar white print of Sonic the Hedgehog on the black t-shirt. "I didn't think little miss bitchy would let you keep this."

"Yeah, well she didn't know it was here, it was at the back of my drawers in case you ever needed a place to stay." He walked back from the hall and was just in a pair of lounging pants, stepping into the kitchen to make them both a glass of water before bed. Jenny couldn't help but smile at the sentiment and oddly enough found herself watching the definition on Mark's back muscles as he walked around the apartment. She knew he didn't make a point of going to the gym, but this is something she had never noticed before.

"It's yours anyway, I don't think I've ever worn it and it's my favorite t-shirt." Jenny had to consciously stop herself from checking Mark out in this new light. "You got to wear it the first time that you stayed in the spare room at my parent's place, and then every time after that."

"Wait, the first time being when we stayed up all night playing video games during summer vacation and didn't wake up until 5pm the next day?" Jenny was starting to wake up again whilst remembering fondly.

"The very same." He confirmed.

"And you have never worn it, even before then?" She was kind of shocked but also blushing.

"I bought it that day and you immediately stole it to sleep in." Mark reminded her.

"Oh, yeah, so, if you think about it, this is the first present you ever bought me." Her wit was as quick when she was tired as it was if she had five cups of coffee.

"It was meant to be the first piece of clothing I bought myself out of my own money, and you stole it." Mark feigned anger, as much as he loved the t-shirt, he also knew how much Jenny loved it too. "Anyway, instead of opening old wounds, you should get ready for bed, not like you can sleep in that dress."

"If that's a challenge you know I'll do it." She playfully replied.

"The night has been rough enough already, the least we can do is get a decent night's sleep before we go for breakfast tomorrow, I made sure the spare bed is set up for you." Jenny knew he was right, but put a fake pout on again, going to the bathroom to get ready for bed.

Whilst taking off her dress, she caught herself in the mirror and noticed the bruises on her left ribs from where Chris had taught her a lesson for standing up for herself in an argument. She was lost in thought about how he had shoved her into their kitchen countertop for telling him to change his tone with her. Another one on her tricep from when he gripped her, hard, this one was for burning some toast and setting off the smoke alarm, waking him up after another night of drinking.

She was lost in these memories and running her hand over the bruises, she needed to take her bra off due to it putting pressure on a particularly sore area. She came around when there was a knock on the bathroom door, Jenny quickly put the t-shirt over her head and opened the door.