50 Shades of Pain ✅

Chapter 40: ....Ryan....

The finish was great as certainly finding momentum with a fourth-place run was what Chase and the NAPA team needed to do. However, it wasn't what plagued all of his thoughts following the checkered flag in the Ally 400. He had a different, very understandable concern on his mind.

It was why as he quickly as he could escape the post-race blitz on pit road, he made his way back to the motorcoach lot, heading inside immediately without a drop of hesitation.

"Ryan..." was all he said as he makes his way over to where Ryan sat on the couch, taking his own seat alongside him. Chase scans over every inch of his body, looking for any mark or any signs of pain in seeing what remained of the No. 12 Ford following the contact with the inside wall. "Are you okay?" 

"I am okay," Ryan comments quietly as he places his hand on Chase's lap, clutching his hand with his own. "You don't need to worry about me. I'm okay. That may have been the hardest hit I have ever taken in a Cup car, and I am a little sore. But Chase, I am okay." He then leans in, placing a light kiss on Chase's cheek. "You had a great run tonight. I'm proud of you." 

"Is he okay?!?" They hear as the door to the motorcoach slams open, both knowing who the voice belonged to before they watched Alex make his way inside. He would've been there sooner himself, but thanks to sponsor VIPs being in attendance with Ally sponsoring the event, it had taken him a bit to get back to check on Ryan. "Are you sure you're okay, Ry?" 

"I am okay." Ryan knew he would be repeating those words over and over given the worry that he was sensing from both of them as he grabbed Alex's hand, pulling him close to sit on the other side of him on the couch. "Guys, I am okay." 

"I want you to take it easy and take care of yourself. Let us take care of you, please..." Ryan lets out a sigh, knowing they were probably going to go overkill with their concern and he'd be growing annoyed of how sheltered they'd make him feel. He understood their worry as he had concern for himself in seeing just how quickly the car crumpled upon impact, but he was going to be okay. "You took care of Chase after he broke his leg. You took care of me after I broke my back. It's time for us to take care of you. You need to take it easy tonight and relax." 

"Alex..." A finger is placed on his lips not allowing the words to continue to be spoken, followed by a kiss on those lips courtesy of Alex. 

"I don't care what you're about to say. You know that you are not going to win this argument with myself, let alone Chase. We're going to make sure to take care of you tonight." 

"He's right Ry," Chase adds as he reaches for the zipper on Ryan's firesuit, surprised he was still wearing it with having been out of the event for awhile. Normally a driver always wanted to get out of their suit as quick as possible once they were wrecked out. "You said it yourself - hardest hit of your career." 

"We also know what this car is capable of producing," Alex comments, feeling his own hesitation and nerves with the comment. He had direct experience with that in missing some races last year. They had watched Kurt Busch suffer a concussion and not come back. They had watched Noah suffer a concussion just a couple weeks ago. Although Ryan was trying to play it off right now that he was fine with no issues, Alex knew what was very possible and could show itself in the 48 hours that followed. "Just promise us both that you will take it easy, and tell us if anything starts to bother you." 

"I will," Ryan simply answers, knowing trying to hide it if there was something would only make things worse. He had been through that process with Alex last year. He didn't want to go through that himself, but knew trying to hide it just made things worse. Just ask Dale about that. 

"Headache, pain, anything, we want to know about it Ryan," Chase emphasizes as he helps him slip the firesuit off of his shoulders, followed by the rest of his body. He then reaches for his shoulders, beginning to massage them, knowing the back would follow. It seemed when you hit something hard in the front, it forced your body forward - resulting in neck, shoulder, and back pain the next day. Chase wanted to do whatever he could to ease that pain for Ryan in the hours ahead. 

"You don't have to keep repeating it." Alex knew they were perhaps going overkill, but the damage to the car, the speed carried into the wall, followed by the lack of safer barrier had pegged the worry for both of them.

"We do - because we care about you." Alex then leans in, placing a light kiss on Ryan's lips. "We love you, Ry." 

"I love both of you, too," Ryan replies, passing along the kiss with one for Chase as he knew he was deserving of one with how great the massage was already feeling in that moment. "That feels so good.....just right...." He then spreads out on the couch, allowing Chase to continue working in every spot, with a kiss to follow along the way. Ryan didn't know what he was enjoying more - the actual massage, or the trail of kisses being left on his body right now. "You always knew the secret to taking care of every inch of me. I'm glad that hasn't changed because right now, it feels so good. Maybe I needed this more than I realized."