Lost and Found Ch. 04

Lost and Found

Chapter 4 - Violence is Forever

Daniel woke up in his hotel room bed, bleary eyed, foggy brained, but well rested. As his head cleared Candy's face formed in his mind's eye. He pictured her smiling in her pretty, body hugging dress, invitingly extending her arms for a warm embrace. He thought back to the day before, when he had held his mother in his arms for the first time. He thought about how good it had felt, the relief that had washed over him, how warm her body was pressed against his. As he focused on the feeling of Candys body against him it caused an unwilling stirring in his loins and before he knew it, his duvet was tented by his member. He was overcome by a feeling of deep shame as he grappled with the idea of touching himself while thinking of his own mother. It was bad enough getting aroused by his own mum, but if he actually touched himself thinking about her, that would be like diving into a deep pool of perverted depravity rather than just dipping his toes in. He wasn't sure if he was ready to get wet yet.

Daniel steeled himself, gritting his teeth and forcing himself to get out of bed, marching straight into the bathroom. He changed the shower to its coldest setting, turned it on and stepped inside, closing the see-through glass doors behind him. The ice cold water hitting his body caused him to wince and groan in shock, but he bore it as his hardness finally started to subside. The impure thoughts were eventually sent down the plughole along with the water and so he turned the temperature up and started to clean himself, ready for the day ahead. He stepped out of the shower, dried himself off, got dressed, and checked the time on his phone. It was a little before nine and he pondered whether he should set off to Candy's now or wait a little while longer. He wouldn't want to disturb them if they were still sleeping, especially if it would upset Steve. He shuddered at the thought, hoping that he would get some one-to-one time with his Mum, not having to deal with that brute. It was a Saturday morning, so they may be having a lie in he thought to himself as he got dressed.

Eventually, after much contemplation, he decided that he would set off and check for signs of life at his Mum's house. Worst case scenario, if it seemed they were still sleeping, he could go to the café he had visited the day before and get some breakfast. He set off with a spring in his step and a smile on his face, ecstatic at the thought of being able to spend some quality time with Candy and get to know her better, but he couldn't ignore the sense of impending doom in his stomach. Based on their interactions yesterday Steve could be trouble, big trouble. He hoped that he was wrong and that they had just gotten off on the wrong foot.

A few minutes of walking later he stood outside Candy's house once again, looking at that white PVC door. He glanced through the window to see if he could spot any movement. At that exact moment Candy placed a fresh vase of flowers on the sill, smiling lovingly at them as she reorganized them with her hands to make sure they looked perfect. Daniel enjoyed the few seconds he had to observe his mother in her natural state, she looked so warm and loving, it was hard to believe this woman would ever leave a child alone to fend for itself. Candy looked up and spotted Daniel, causing her to jump in surprise, not expecting anyone to be watching her, clutching her hand to her chest. She recovered quickly and waved at him before moving to open the door.

The door virtually flew open as Candy was overjoyed to see her son again. She came barrelling out of the door, wrapping her arms around Daniel in a big hug. "Good morning Daniel!" she said excitedly as he squeezed her back. She was wearing a cute pair of pink pajamas, the top was a button up with delicate white lace on the collar and sleeves and a long matching pair of thick warm bottoms, with lace at the bottom of the legs. She was barefoot, showing off her pretty, slender feet with matching pink nail varnish adorning each toe.

"Morning Mum," Daniel replied warmly, still getting used to using this word for someone other than his adopted mother. As he pulled back from her embrace, he noticed that Candy was wearing heavy make-up today, much heavier than she had been wearing the day before. It was practically caked onto her face as if she'd applied it with a trowel, but Daniel thought little of it, after all, he had interrupted her in the middle of intercourse yesterday. As he thought about the sound of Candys moans another twinge of arousal ran through his body, which he quickly pushed downwards. "Where's Steve?" he asked apprehensively.

"Oh he's just in the garden having a smoke. You got here at the perfect time actually, we're about to have breakfast!" She turned and walked into the house, a visible bounce in her step. "I made croissants and orange juice, you'll want some too I'm sure, unless you've already eaten?" Candy turned back to look at Daniel as she reached the kitchen door, smiling lovingly at him. Daniel's mind flashed back to the first thing he had thought of that morning, and the erection it had caused. He blushed slightly at the thought.

"Sure, I'll join you! I didn't know you baked!"

Candy gave him a wide smile, eyes gleaming before turning away and walking into the kitchen out of Daniel's line of sight. She spoke to him from within, her sweet voice carrying through the air to Daniels eagerly listening ears. "Yeah, it's something I picked up during lockdown, I'm not terribly good, but I'm improving!" she explained humbly. Daniel could hear her moving around cutlery and plates before she spoke again. "Why don't you take a seat at the table, I'll be through with the food in a second."

"Ok," Daniel responded, raising his voice to make sure she could hear him as he walked over to the table. It, like everything else in the house, was immaculate. A large white vase adorned with a floral pattern was the centerpiece, with a selection of home grown flowers displayed beautifully. Daniel couldn't claim to know the varieties of flower, but they were a striking array of reds, blues, whites, yellows, and pinks. A white, elegant fabric tablecloth completed the scene and it was so pristine Daniel was almost afraid to put his arms down for fear of sullying it with a stain or mark. He waited patiently as Candy spoke again from the kitchen.

"Do you want a coffee... son?" she asked, still getting used to the feeling of the word in her mouth.

"That would be great thanks, I haven't had one yet!"

After a couple of minutes, Daniel heard the back door open and quiet talking coming from the kitchen. Presumably Steve had finished his cigarette. He couldn't make out what they were saying, but based on the tone of their voices, Steve seemed unhappy. Finally Candy emerged carrying a tray on which were glasses of orange juice, mugs of coffee, a few of her homemade croissants and plates for all three of them. Steve followed her, already scowling in Daniel's direction, clearly displeased at having someone else in his home. Daniel did his best to disarm any tension, not wanting to make things difficult for Candy. "Good Morning Steve!" he said cheerily, "how are you doing?" Steve pulled up a chair and took a seat heavily, the wood straining under the pressure.

"Yeah, alright," he grunted, not even making eye contact with his partner's son. As Candy laid the table, the two men sat across from each other, staring daggers. The tension was thick in the air as each man refused to look away and it was only when Candy took her own place at the table that the staring contest finally ended.

"Who wants coffee?" She asked warmly, pouring both Steve and Daniel a cup when they answered affirmatively, passing over the purple and pink mugs to each in turn. They each took sips of the hot, dark brew, continuing to shoot looks at each other as Candy looked on. "Isn't this lovely? Both of my boys here together, I'm a very lucky woman!" She reached out and gently squeezed Daniel's arm affectionately, smiling at the child she had carried for nine months. Steve balled up his fist in anger at this display of intimacy as his pupils pierced through his girlfriend's son.

"So, do you have any proof you're my Candy's son?" He asked firmly, putting emphasis on 'my,' claiming her as his own as he reached out and took her hand. Before Daniel could reply, Candy spoke up.

"He was born at the right hospital, on the right date and he used a company that specializes in finding long lost family members to find me! And I think we can both tell that we're mother and son sweetie, so you don't have anything to worry about." She gently squeezed Steve's hand reassuringly. She had been with him long enough to be able to tell when he was getting angry and the last thing she wanted was for Daniel to be exposed to that.

"Hmm, but no DNA test or anything?" Steve asked accusingly at Daniel. A withering look was the only response Daniel gave to the elder man's question. "What do you want from us? If it's money, you're not getting a penny," he spat out venomously. Candy recoiled in horror as she realized the situation was escalating and soon it would be out of her control.

"I don't want anything, especially not from you Steve," Daniel replied firmly, "I just wanted to meet my Mother and get to know her, that's all."

"And what exactly does that mean, especially not from me?" Steve asked angrily, standing up from the table and towering over Daniel, attempting to intimidate him with his sizable frame. "Just because you're some posh little student, you think you're better than me?" He reached over the table and grabbed Daniel by his t-shirt, lifting him out of his chair and causing him to crash into the table, sending coffee, croissants and crockery flying. He pulled Daniel close to his face, growling angrily at him. "You're just some fucking orphan boy, now get out of MY house and leave MY woman alone, ya hear me?"

Daniel had to consider his next move carefully, if he left now he would most likely never see his mother again and worst of all, she would be left with this monster. He had no choice, he balled up his fists in preparation to swing, but before he could a loud sob broke the moment. Both Daniel and Steve looked over at Candy, who was still sitting at the table, cowering in fear and crying into her hands. "STOP, STOP, PLEASE STOP!" she shouted desperately.

Daniel let his fists relax and surprisingly Steve let him go, both men standing and breathing heavily after coming mere seconds away from throwing hands right there at the breakfast table. Candy looked through a crack in her fingers, relief washing over her as she saw that the two men had stopped, dropping her hands from her face. What Daniel saw as her hands dropped caused his jaw to drop in shock. The combination of Candy's tears and her hands rubbing her face had rubbed away her make-up, exposing a large, ugly purple and green bruise surrounding her left eye.

In an instant, Daniel knew what this meant, his worst fears being confirmed. Steve had been hitting his mum. Rage boiled in his stomach as he once again made eye contact with the older man, as time seemed to slow. "You piece of shit," Daniel growled under his breath. Realizing that his dirty secret had been discovered, Steve lunged forwards across the table in an attempt to throttle Daniel into silence. At the same time, Daniel curled his hand into an angry fist, swinging with every ounce of strength in his body for Steve's jaw. He had never been a fighter, in fact, he had never thrown a punch in his life, but Steve's large frame moving forwards into the oncoming fist caused an almighty crack to ring out through the room. Steve's eyes rolled into the back of his head as the force of Daniel's punch put his lights out. His body recoiled backwards slightly from the impact before flopping forwards, his dead weight crashing through the table sending crockery and food flying as he lay motionless on the floor.

Candy screamed as Daniel grabbed his hand, wincing in agony. 'Fuck, that hurt,' he thought to himself as he surveyed the scene before him. Candy had fallen from her seat, tears streaming from her eyes as she trembled in absolute shock. Adrenaline was coursing through Daniel's body and before he knew what he was doing, he had grabbed Steve by the wrist and was dragging him towards the front door. He weighed a ton, but after a couple of minutes of concerted effort, strain and sweat Daniel finally opened the door and pushed his limp frame into the street. He rushed across the room to Candy, who was curled up on the fetal position sobbing hard. "Mum, where are Steve's keys?" he asked, urgency dripping from every syllable. She didn't respond so he asked again. Finally she answered in a strained, hoarse voice.

"On the side," she said, pointing towards a wooden bowl atop a small table by the entryway. Daniel ran over to the table and grabbed the keys, quickly checking which one was for the front door. Once he found the right one, he removed it from the keychain and turned to Steve, still laying on the hard floor. His eyes were blinking, seemingly just coming to. Daniel tossed the remaining keys onto his chest, causing Steve to jerk back into consciousness, looking up to see Daniel standing in the door of his house.

"What the fuck...?" he muttered to himself.

"DON'T YOU EVER FUCKING COME BACK HERE," Daniel shouted defiantly, "YOU WOMAN BEATING PIECE OF SHIT! IF I SEE YOU AROUND HERE AGAIN, I'M CALLING THE POLICE!"

Daniel breathed heavily after his outburst, looking around the street and realizing that several of his Mum's neighbors had overheard the commotion and were watching from opened doors and through windows. They were all staring at Steve, looks of disgust on their faces. He had been knocked out, exposed as an abuser and humiliated, which wasn't even close to what he deserved, but Daniel was satisfied, for now. He closed the door and locked it behind him. As the adrenaline started to wear off he felt his hand throbbing painfully and his body slumped against the wall, sliding down it until he was sat on the floor. His hand ached, already starting to swell from the brutal blow it had delivered. He hoped it wasn't broken.

As he regained some of his composure, he looked over at Candy where she was still laying on the carpet next to the destroyed table, gently sobbing. Daniel crawled over to her and wrapped his arms around her, she initially recoiled from his touch, but quickly returned the embrace, crying into his chest as the stress, anxiety and fear of months of abuse finally flowed out of her. "It's ok Mum, you're safe," Daniel whispered to her as he let her cry. They lay there on the floor for several minutes as Candy wept and Daniel held her close, trying to make her feel safe after everything she had been through, although that would be no easy task.

Eventually Candy's tears dried up as she clutched her son tightly, head still buried in his chest. "Thank you Daniel," she whispered softly, "thank you." She finally pulled away from Daniel, spotting the large wet patch she had left on his shirt.

"Are you going to wash that?" Daniel quipped, "It's been over twenty years Mum, you've got a lot of clothes washing to get caught up on!" He laughed softly as Candy finally cracked a smile. Daniel pulled himself off the floor, extending his hand to Candy to help her up. She smiled up at him, love and adoration in her eyes as she took her son's hand, feeling his skin against hers and while neither of them would acknowledge it, a bolt of lightning shot through both of their bodies.

Candy was shaky on her feet, nearly losing her balance and falling back onto the carpet but thankfully Daniel wrapped his arm around his mother's waist and held her in place. She looked tired and exhausted, eyes red and puffy, as if everything she had been through with Steve had finally caught up with her. "I think you need some sleep mum, can you walk?" he asked tenderly, to which Candy shook her head no. Daniel knew what he had to do, sweeping her up in his arms, one under her knees and one on her back in a princess carry. Candy was taken aback, blushing softly as she wrapped her arms around her son's neck, letting him carry her carefully up the stairs. Daniel walked through his mother's bedroom door and over to the bed, looking down at Candy. She looked back at him lovingly and gave him a timid peck on the cheek. "I love you Daniel," she whispered softly.

"I love you too Mum," he whispered back, before gently laying her on the double bed, pulling the duvet over her and tucking her in, cozy, warm and safe. He went to the curtains, closing them to keep out the son before returning to Candy's side. He kissed her on the forehead, whispering "sleep tight" to her. He turned to leave, but before he could take a step, he felt Candy's hand on his wrist, stopping him from advancing further. He turned back to face her, finding her propped up on her arm and looked at him pleadingly, vulnerability in her eyes, reminiscent of the way a little girl would look at a parent.

"Please Daniel, don't go, stay with me... I don't feel safe sleeping alone." She pulled back the duvet, inviting her long lost son into her bed. Daniel swallowed nervously, the thoughts from earlier that morning flooding his brain again. He steadied himself and started climbing into the bed when Candy held out her hand to stop him. "You can't sleep in your jeans sweetie, you should take them off." Daniel looked down, cursing his choice of trousers and wondering if he could trust himself to stay composed with just a pair of tight white boxers on. As she looked at him, he realized he didn't have much of a choice, unbuckling his belt and dropping his pants, folding them and placing them on the floor neatly. He turned to face Candy and noticed her eyes flicking down to his crotch before darting away. She looked back up at him and patted the space next to her as Daniel climbed into bed and pulled the duvet over them both.

He lay on his back under the covers, Candy mere inches away from him. He had just spent several minutes holding her body against his, but now, in her bed, in a state of semi-undress, he suddenly felt self-conscious and exposed. He didn't have long to think as Candy snuggled up next to him, laying her hand over his chest and pulling her body against his. Daniel could feel her breasts pressing against his arm and he was grateful for the darkness of the room as his cock began to swell in his boxers. He was even more grateful when he heard Candy start to softly snore as she held him close, the warmth of her body mixing with her feminine scent and making his skin tingle. He lay in the dark, hand and cock throbbing as he wrestled with his inner thoughts, about Steve, about his Mum, and about the growing feelings he had for her. His mind was spinning for a long time, until finally the exertion of the morning was too much and the hazy veil of sleep overtook him.