How I Think Filthy Lucre COULD Have Ended

Alternate Chapter 68

  Brendon felt consciousness washing over him slowly. As he blinked his eyes open, he realized that never before had he felt this warm, comfortable and content upon waking. He was a little stiff and sticky from the night before, but that didn't bother him. Nothing could touch the pure feeling of contentment he was experiencing right now, here in his husband's arms.

  Brendon thought back over his life from the past six months. It was surreal, really. Back then, he'd been miserable, hustling the streets for cash to make ends meet, pay off debts to shady people his boyfriend owed drug money to, and to send to his ungrateful parents to pay for his dad's cancer treatments. Not only that, but he'd been in a dead-end relationship: while he had loved and cared about Jon, neither of them were happy because their needs were so mismatched.

  Then one day, out of the blue, he randomly met Ryan in a fancy restaurant. Of course, Ryan had been an arrogant ass at that point, but that was to deal with all the pain no one knew he was carrying with him. Then the universe kept pulling them together over and over again, because they were such a good match mentally, emotionally and sexually. It quickly turned from hustler and trick, to two people who, no matter how hard either of them tried to fight it, couldn't help falling in love with each other.

  Brendon knew that with Ryan by his side for the rest of his life, he'd always be cared for. Sure, Ryan could provide anything they wanted or needed financially, but the love and emotional support he gave was worth more than all the money Ryan's dad had amassed in his business empire. Ryan stood proudly by his side, never once ashamed to have Brendon as his partner. And with Ryan came the love and support he'd never gotten in his own family. Brendon felt warm every time he thought about the care and concern he felt from Ryan's parents, and even more recently, Ryan's siblings and William.

  And of course, Ryan turned him on like no one else could. With Ryan, he got the intimacy and physical closeness he had always craved. Ryan made him feel beautiful and desirable, sexy in a way no one else ever had. And whether they were making love, or fucking like it was their last day on earth, it was earth shattering every time. Brendon knew he'd never tire of sex with Ryan.

  Finally, despite all the bad choices, all the hard luck, all the lack of care from his family, Brendon had accidentally stumbled across everything he'd ever wanted or needed in a partner, in Ryan Ross. A grin pulled at  Brendon's lips: there was no reason he and Ryan should have ever even met. And now they were married. Brendon felt giddy and thankful, full of a joy in life he'd never known before.

  Brendon rolled over slowly in Ryan's arms, so he could watch his husband as he slept. Ryan was so gorgeous. Part of what made him so beautiful, though, was the man he'd become once he was able to get off the drugs and deal with the pain he'd been carrying since he was 15 years old. Once he kicked the drugs and dealt with the trauma he'd been subjected to, the real, incredible Ryan Ross had shown through. Kind, generous, thoughtful, loving...there were too many good things about Ryan for Brendon to even list.

  Brendon was broken out of his thoughtful daze by Ryan shifting and stretching on the bed. He rolled on his side toward Brendon and blinked his eyes open. When he saw Brendon there looking at him, he treated him to a gorgeous, sleepy smile.

  "G'morning, love," Brendon smiled at him. "Sleep well, I hope?

  Ryan nodded, still smiling. "Mmmhmm. Did you? How long have you been awake?"

  "I did," he said. "I've just been awake about 10 minutes or so. Just long enough to lay here and think about how lucky we are to have found each other." He leaned over and pecked Ryan's lips.

  "You're right about that, baby. I've never felt more fortunate in my life than I do this morning. And I know how insane that would sound to some people, you know, considering..." Ryan bit his lip awkwardly.