Chapter Forty-Six

Dan's Head Pops Off

Dan

By the time I'd dropped Vince off and pulled onto my driveway, the adrenaline rush from the horrors we'd endured had crashed and completely wiped me out. I barely had the energy to climb out of my car, and when I finally did, I found myself automatically dragging my feet over to Rafe's house.

I knocked weakly on the door, then rested a hand on the wall to keep me upright. I was clutching the paint- and lipstick-covered pool noodle in the other.

When Rafe opened the door several moments later, he stared at me in stunned silence. My hand still lightly trembling, I held up the pool noodle.

"I got it," I croaked.

"Got what?" he asked in alarm. "Why are you covered in paint?"

"The paintnuts." I shuddered. "So many paintnuts."

Rafe looked utterly confused. He reached for me but hesitated, trying to find a clean spot on me to grab so he could tug me into the house, because I was too exhausted to move. Eventually he settled on my wrist, eyeing the pool noodle oddly as he stepped back and gently pulled me inside.

I stumbled, and he made a sound of alarm and hurriedly wrapped his arm around my back to support me. Once more, I held up the pool noodle and breathed, "I got it."

"Uh…" Rafe slowly took it from me, trying to keep his voice gentle as he asked, "What is it, Dan?"

"Your apology." I smiled, somewhat deliriously. "From Frank and Beans."

"What?" His brow creased. "You saw Frank and Beans?" Then his eyes tracked down my frame and hardened. "And I'm guessing they did this?"

"At least I still have my pants," I said solemnly. Rafe stared at me in silence for a moment, then slowly looked down at the pool noodle.

"Why did they give me a pool noodle as an apology?" he asked, still sounding perplexed.

"No, the apology is on the pool noodle." I reached over and turned it. "There, see? In lipstick. They wrote you an apology in lipstick on a pool noodle."

He peered at it. "Um… right. That… makes sense. Okay."

"What did they put?" I asked tiredly. "I didn't get a chance to read it."

"Um, it's… a little smudged." Wincing, Rafe looked up at me apologetically. "I can't really, uh, read it."

I stared back at him, devastation making my shoulders sag. Eventually I nodded, and I could feel my chin wobbling as my vision abruptly grew blurry. "Oh. Well. Th-that's okay."

"Shit. Dan." He hurriedly propped the noodle up against the door and wrapped his arms around my neck. "Don't cry. I'm sorry. I… uh, I could read some of it. I'm pretty sure I saw, um, the word ‘butt' in there…"

"Doesn't matter." I sniffled, burying my face in his neck. He cupped the back of my head, stroking my hair soothingly. "Sorry I'm getting paint on you," I mumbled.

"I don't care," he said instantly, sounding a little hoarse. "Don't be upset."

"I'm fine," I croaked, wrapping my arms around him tighter. "It's just… been a long night."

Rafe pulled back and cupped my face as he looked up at me, a hint of fear in his eyes. "What did they do to you, Dan?"

My eyes drifted away to stare into the middle distance. "Lots."

"Where did you see them?" he asked hesitantly.

"At their house. We went to their house."

"We?"

"Me and Vince." I shivered. "They lassoed Vince. And took his pants."

Rafe was staring at me, looking completely unsure how to respond to that. After a while, he slowly said, "Right. Okay. Uh… let's get you in the shower, huh?"

"There was a sand pit," I told him vacantly as he led me up the stairs. "And motel art. So much motel art."

"Uh-huh," he said patiently, taking me into the bathroom and turning on the shower.

"Vince has a bruised testicle."

His brow creased. "Why did you go to their house?"

"To… I don't know. I was just so fucking angry."

He sighed and started undressing me carefully. "Dan, I'm fine ."

"Yeah, but you might not've been," I croaked, then pinched the corners of my eyes when they filled up with tears again. "Sorry. I'm just a little emotional. Beans did a jig on my back."

"I think you're a bit dazed," he said gently. "After a shower, we'll get into bed. I'll make you a hot cocoa."

"'Kay." I sniffled, letting him lead me over to the shower.

He hurriedly stripped off and climbed in with me, probably worried that I wouldn't be too steady on my feet. But as the hot water rained down on me, I sighed and started to feel a bit more normal. Like the water was washing away the horror of Frank and Beans.

Rafe poured shampoo into his palm and reached up to wash the paint from my hair. I swayed on my feet and cupped his waist, my shoulders gradually unclenching from the soothing touch.

"What's their house like?" he asked curiously, like he couldn't help himself.

"Just… fucking weird." I shivered. "Full of shit they've stolen. And they had yodelling playing on full blast."

"How did you get their address?"

I shrugged a little. "Asked these cops I know."

He sighed. "Dan."

"I was so fucking angry, kitten," I rushed out. "I wasn't going to hurt them, but I… just needed to do something. They hurt you ."

He gave me a tiny smile and leaned up to kiss me. There was green paint on his nose when he pulled back. "Well, thank you for getting an apology from them for me. I appreciate it. And I'm sorry they pelted you with paint and that, uh, Vince lost his pants. Did they want the zipper?"

I eyed him in bewilderment. How did he know that? "Yeah."

"Makes sense." He nodded at me. "Close your eyes."

I obeyed, screwing up my face as he scrubbed the paint away. While I rinsed the shampoo out of my hair, he moved on to my neck and arms.

Once we were both fully clean—I'd gotten paint on Rafe—he helped me dry off and tucked me into bed, then pulled on his pyjamas to go downstairs and make me a hot chocolate.

I sighed, snuggling under the comforter and burying my face in Rafe's pillow to breathe in his scent. After a minute, I felt my body sag, finally relaxing fully. Rafe's bed made me feel safe and warm. Rafe made me feel safe and warm.

My heart clenched as I pictured him downstairs making me a hot cocoa. Looking after me, like I'd looked after him last night.

Maybe I could be an okay partner. Better than I had been a neighbour, at least. Maybe it came somewhat naturally with the right person. Because it didn't feel like any kind of effort to spend time with Rafe, to do things for him. I wanted to spend time with him and do things for him.

I'd always assumed I was too selfish to be in a relationship with someone. I mean, I guessed I had been before. Unwilling to commit, unwilling to put in even the bare minimum effort when it came to anything other than sex with someone else. But with Rafe, it had just… happened. Because I'd wanted to put in effort, even if I hadn't realised it at first.

Tonight, I'd come close to… not death, but something perhaps equally as daunting. And it had solidified what I'd already realised last night.

I wanted Rafe. All of him. Not just casual sex with him. I wanted everything else. And I needed to tell him. There was no point wasting time.

When I heard him coming up the stairs, I sat up in bed as my heart started to race.

Fuck, I was nervous.

What if he turned me down? I'd have to leave. We'd stop seeing each other. That would be it. Over.

My heart lurched when he walked into the bedroom, carefully carrying a steaming mug with his laptop tucked under his arm. He set the drink down on the nightstand and climbed into bed.

"It's really hot, so better let it cool down for a minute."

I nodded, swallowing thickly. My voice came out wobbly with nerves when I said, "Um, Rafe?"

"Yeah?" He was busy setting the laptop down on the bed and opening the screen. "I thought we could watch a movie in bed. Take your mind off things."

"Rafe?" I repeated hoarsely, reaching for his hand.

That made him stop and look at me. "Yeah?"

"Um, I… I want to ask you something." I watched myself fiddle anxiously with his long fingers so I wouldn't have to look at him. "I was wondering if you wanted to… um. You know."

After a moment of silence, he slowly said, "No, I don't know."

My face grew hot. "You know, do… this." I gestured vaguely at the room, and his pale green eyes tracked the movement of my arm with confusion. "With me."

"I don't… Are you talking about sex? Is this a sex thing?"

I huffed. "No, it's not a sex thing. It's the opposite of a sex thing."

"What?" he asked, voice a little tense now.

"I mean, not the opposite . Obviously I hope sex will still be involved, but…" Scrubbing my face, I looked at him and forced the words out despite the nerves churning in my gut. "I want… more. With you. More than just sex."

He stared at me, eyes wide, lips parted in shock.

When he didn't say anything, a spike of panic had me shifting hurriedly onto my knees and clutching both his hands tight. "I might be a really shitty boyfriend, but I want to try," I told him hoarsely. "I really want to try. I don't just want to do the casual thing anymore, Rafe."

After another agonising pause, he finally reacted, huffing out a little laugh as a huge grin spread over his face. He tugged his hands free to cup the sides of my neck, leaning in. "You're not a shitty boyfriend."

"I honestly have no idea," I told him hoarsely. "But I promise I—"

"You realise you're practically my boyfriend already?" he said wryly.

I blinked at him, something warm filling my chest. "I am?"

He snorted, darting in to kiss me. "I knew you hadn't noticed. We already act like a couple, Dan. I just didn't say anything because I didn't want to freak you out."

"It doesn't freak me out," I said, my brows pinching. "It's just… It's not something I ever thought I wanted before. But… I do. With you."

His big green eyes softened as he nodded. "I do too."

I grinned so wide my cheeks hurt. When he tugged gently on my jaw, I went willingly, pressing my lips to his and trying to convey how happy I was through the kiss. When he tilted his head and parted my lips with his to sink his tongue into my mouth, I groaned and slid my hands under his T-shirt to glide them over his warm skin.

It didn't take long for the kiss to grow hungry and a little desperate. I shifted forward, pushing Rafe onto his back until I was on top of him without breaking the kiss, my cock brushing his through his pants as it stiffened. He shivered, letting his knees fall open and arching his hips briefly into mine. Our lips parted for as long as it took me to get his T-shirt off, and then I was crushing my mouth back to his and plunging my tongue inside, with more fervour this time as arousal heated my blood.

He was breathing faster when I finally left his mouth to kiss my way down his neck and chest, swirling my tongue around a nipple before continuing lower. His hips strained up when I nuzzled his navel, allowing me to tug his pants down and dump them on the bed.

"Dan," he breathed, threading his fingers through my hair. Then he let out a sweet little gasp when I licked down the length of his cock and back up, before curling my hand around the base and tilting it off his stomach so I could kiss the tip.

He gasped again, then shuddered and moaned when I sucked him into my mouth, one hand smoothing down his thigh while the other cupped his balls. I bobbed my head slowly, taking him to the back of my throat again and again, relishing the way he started to squirm and pant beneath me.

Once he was painfully stiff and leaking in my mouth, I gave the head a final tonguing kiss before moving lower, nuzzling his balls as I cupped the backs of his knees and pushed them toward his chest. Rafe let go of my hair to clutch the bottom sheet, breathing raggedly as he tensed in anticipation.

He craned his head back and let out a broken moan when I lowered my mouth to his hole and gave it a soft lick. I swirled my tongue, groaning quietly against him, then pushed the tip of it past the first ring of muscle. He gasped, hips jolting, his hole clenching around my tongue. I groaned again and pushed a little deeper, sliding my hands down the backs of his thighs to grab his ass and tilt his hips even higher.

"Oh fuck," Rafe panted, one hand shooting up to grip the edge of the mattress. I flicked my eyes up to see his Adam's apple bob with a hoarse moan. His chest was flushed, toes flexing, his pale pink hair slowly working its way free from its bun as his head ground against the bed.

I slid my tongue free and lapped at his hole, moaning as it twitched. My cock was painfully hard, hanging between my legs, and I didn't know how much longer I could wait before burying myself inside him.

Giving his hole one last lick, I shifted up his body and reached over his head to the nightstand, fumbling to grab the lube. Within seconds, I was lowering my coated fingers between his spread legs and smoothing them over his hole. Rafe groaned and grabbed my face, tugging me down to thrust his tongue into my mouth. When I pushed a finger deep, he gasped against my lips.

Soon, I was plunging three fingers inside him at a fast pace and gazing down at him greedily, watching him fall apart. His cheeks were flushed, eyes half-closed and hazy with pleasure, his lips parted around his frantic breaths.

He was so beautiful like this, and I was so grateful that I was the one who got to see it. Only me.

My heart pounding with arousal and something deeper and sweeter, I dipped down to brush my lips over his. "I love seeing you like this, kitten," I murmured hoarsely.

He moaned, thighs spread wide as his hips writhed against my hand, pushing desperately into my fingers. His shoulders lurched up off the bed so he could bury his face in my neck as he flung his arm around my shoulders, holding on tight.

My hips jerked and I grunted when his other hand shot down to grab my cock. He tried to guide it toward his hole, so I hurriedly slipped my fingers free and placed both palms on the mattress either side of him as I looked down between our bodies, breathing hard.

A helpless groan tore from me when he notched the tip against his hole. I couldn't stop myself from pressing forward. The head popped inside, followed by a couple of inches, before I dragged it back out then sank a little deeper.

Rafe shuddered in pleasure, panting into my neck as his quaking legs twined around my waist. I kissed his shoulder, leaving my lips pressed there as I worked my cock inside him with tiny thrusts until my hips were flush against his ass.

I gave him some time to adjust, kissing along his shoulder before lowering myself onto my elbows so he could lie back fully on the bed. I nuzzled the side of his face, my chest squeezing when he turned his head and crushed his lips to mine with a desperate moan.

My hips started to move, gliding my cock in and out of him at a slow, easy pace at first, until the kiss grew more feverish and desperate. Then I began to thrust faster and faster, the sound of my skin smacking against him filling the room alongside Rafe's hitching moans into my mouth.

When the kiss grew messy, both of us breathing too hard, I buried my face in his neck and slid a hand up to cup the back of his head. I wanted to hold him to me so tight that there wasn't a single part of him I couldn't feel.

His cock was rubbing against my abs, the tip wet with pre-cum. I made sure to angle my hips so I was grinding against his prostate, and I knew I'd succeeded when he started to shake. Groaning, I released his hair and slid my hand between us to fist his cock. He gasped when I started stroking fast, matching the frantic pace of my hips.

"Oh fuck," he breathed, legs quaking wildly around my waist as his hips jerked beneath me. "Dan."

I was on the edge of coming, gritting my teeth to hold it back until he tipped over. Relief made my limbs weak when he stiffened up and cried out into my neck. His cock throbbed in my fist, splashing cum over both our stomachs, and I shuddered with a helpless groan when he clenched around my dick in rapid flutters. My hips stuttered, pounding my cock into him frantically until they locked up as my orgasm hit.

And something happened that never had before.

I came so hard my head popped off.

I was barely aware of it at first, too busy letting out a strained groan as my whole body surged forward to keep my cock buried deep when it started to buck, pumping my cum inside him.

As it eased off, I tried to lift my head to kiss him. Instead, it stayed pressed against his neck. Hips still twitching with the last of my orgasm, I reached up to fumble with it, but I was shaky and uncoordinated, so I only succeeded in knocking it away.

My eyes popped open in panic as my head rolled across the mattress and fell off the bed. It landed on Rafe's discarded T-shirt on the floor, and I stared up at the ceiling in disbelief while the rest of me sagged with utter contentment on the bed.

I heard Rafe sigh as his hands smoothed over my sweat-damp shoulders and he relaxed beneath me, his hole still clenching lazily around my sensitive dick. I pouted, glaring up at the ceiling. I'd wanted to kiss him, damn it.

When I eased my cock free, he must've caught sight of the empty space above my shoulders, because he squawked in alarm. I felt him wriggle onto his front beneath me, his ass brushing my cock and making it twitch, before his head suddenly appeared over the edge of the bed and he stared down at me.

"Did your head fall off?" he asked in disbelief.

"Yeah," I grumbled. "Came so hard it popped right off." He bit his lip, so I huffed and rolled my eyes. "You can laugh."

He snorted, his arms appearing as he reached down and carefully picked my head up. He pressed a kiss to my mouth as he rolled back over and lined it up with the neck hole on my body.

The moment it was reattached, I grinned and ducked down to kiss him. "Thanks, kitten."

"Has that happened before?" he asked.

"Nope."

He smirked. "Nice."

Chuckling, I nuzzled his cheek. "Maybe it's because you're my boyfriend now. Officially, I mean. You've unlocked a new feature."

He gurgled with laughter. "Cool. Wonder what other features I'll unlock."

"I dunno," I said with a grin, turning my head to kiss him. "But I bet they're all fucking great."

—

"So does this mean we can go on dates?" I asked a while later, trailing my fingers along Rafe's spine as he lay half on top of me, skin damp with sweat and his breathing still a little quick.

We'd just finished having sex again, this time with Rafe on his knees, one hand gripping the headboard while the other held my head in place on the bed as he fucked my throat.

I'd mostly kept my hips still, basking in the feel of him desperately thrusting into my mouth and his tight ass sliding up and down my cock at the same time while I knelt behind him, hands on his sides. I just wished I'd been able to watch.

He huffed tiredly in amusement, shifting his cheek on my chest. "Technically we've already planned one. Going to see Corey in drag, remember?"

"Oh yeah." I stared up at the ceiling, a silly grin on my face. "I guess that was a date."

Rafe snorted, turning to kiss my chest as he smoothed his hand over my stomach.

"We can have dinner together." I was getting pretty excited about all the coupley things we could do. "I bet you're a great cook. I'm not. But I could take lessons or something."

"You don't have to take cooking lessons, Dan."

"And now you have to listen to me complain about work." I cackled, squeezing his ass. "You're gonna get so fucking sick of hearing about wrestling, kitten."

His smile grew wider. "No, I won't. And I already listen to you complain about work."

"Yeah." I kissed the top of his head. "We definitely were already dating, weren't we?"

He chuckled. "Pretty much."

"But now you're officially stuck with me," I teased, still grinning like a fool.

Rafe huffed a drowsy little laugh. "Not stuck."

"Can we spend most nights in your bed? It's way more comfortable than mine."

"Mhmm," he mumbled, then yawned as he grew lax on top of me.

I forced myself to shut up, kissing the top of his head again and tugging the comforter higher to make sure he was covered.

I was still smiling long after he'd fallen asleep.