30. Lane

Despite, or maybe because of, all the stress of yesterday, I sleep so hard I don't hear my alarm. It's so late I have no chance of making it to my first class of the day. Noah is still passed out, his face is shoved in my armpit, and his arm and leg are wrapped around me. My phone is on the nightstand, and I can just barely reach with my free hand to grab it.

I open my campus app to send a message to my professor to apologize for missing class, but there's already a response from her, plus messages from my other professors and Coach Carr. They all say to rest and feel better, and that notes and any makeup work will be posted by the end of the day.

What?

I feel, rather than see, Noah watching me.

"What did you do?" I ask him, voice gravelly from sleep.

"I told everyone we have the stomach flu so we can stay home. And I also turned off your alarm while you were in the shower yesterday."

I put down my phone and run a hand over my face. "Why did you do that?" I'm exhausted and feeling strung out from everything that happened yesterday, but I hate missing class even if I'm actually sick. Playing hooky is not my thing.

"Because you needed a day off, and you wouldn't take one unless I forced you."

My cheeks heat. He really must think I'm so weak. I ignore the impulse to get up and leave, rolling to my side to look at him. "Look, Noah, I know what you must think?—"

"I don't think anything, Lane. I just wanted to keep you to myself for a day, okay?"

"For what?"

Noah pushes himself up onto his elbows and leans forward to press his lips against mine. "I've been waiting a long time to get to do this again," he whispers against my mouth. "I plan on taking full advantage."

I part my lips to reply, but Noah does exactly what he said he would and takes full advantage. He locks his lips against mine, our mouths moving against each other. I follow his lead, losing myself in the way his kiss sends awareness to every nerve ending. It's both familiar and not. Because although the sparks I was afraid of are certainly there, the fear is not as potent.

When he opens his mouth, I follow him, gasping at the spark of electricity when our tongues touch. I greedily open wider, and he rolls himself over my body.

"There it is," he murmurs. "Come on baby, give it to me again."

Baby.

I don't know what he's talking about, but if he keeps kissing me this way, I'll give him whatever he wants.

Noah rolls his hips against me, rubbing the length of his erection against mine as the kiss grows deeper and hungrier.

I lose track of time, forgetting about school and practice. All I can think is that I need more of this. My fingers dig into his ass, pressing him harder against my body as I thrust up against him.

We're nothing but a panting, gasping, writhing pile of limbs until neither of us can stand it anymore. Our shorts come off and keep going, kissing and stroking each other until we're covered in each other's release. We keep kissing long after we come, until our bladders and growling stomachs force us out of bed.

The rest of the day is spent eating, lying in bed making out, and watching a movie that Noah chose just for me. We watch Across The Universe, and then lay in bed listening to the soundtrack, and making out some more.

For someone who was so adamant about not kissing, I'm starving for it now. He can barely get any words out, because as soon as his mouth moves, my eyes are locked and my mouth follows. The number of times I've interrupted a conversation just to kiss him is honestly beyond rude, but I can't seem to help myself. And Noah doesn't seem to mind, although he keeps insisting we need to talk, usually while his hand is wrapped around my dick.

I don't want to talk. I just want to bask in this. The connection between us blocks out all the worry and pain. But I know avoidance can only get me so far, especially as the deposition and potential trial loom in my future.

"Alright, we're going to play a party game," Noah announces, carrying a familiar pizza box into the apartment, kicking the door shut behind him.

"But it's just the two of us, and this isn't a party," I tell him with a light chuckle, feigning more than feeling the playfulness we've been immersed in all day. While Noah went to get dinner, I called my mom and told her about my conversation with the lawyer. After getting through the worst of the anxiety attack that took me down yesterday, and having today to rest, I've had the opportunity to process reality in bits and pieces. It's going to happen whether I want it to or not, so I need to be okay with it. I'm not okay, by any means, but I think I'm inching towards acceptance.

Acceptance of a lot of things, actually.

"Baby, when I'm here, it's always a party," he says, playfully biting my neck while I'm reaching for plates.

Setting the plates down, I quickly turn around and box Noah against the edge of the kitchen counter, taking his mouth roughly. He groans, pulling me against him by my shirt.

More to see what he'll do than anything else, I bend down and lift Noah by the back of his legs, setting him on the counter and fitting myself between his thighs.

"Oh, fuck," he purrs. "It's like that, is it?" His hands slip into the back of my shorts, gripping my bare ass cheeks and pulling me against him. I roll my hips into him, both of us hardening again.

"You're going to be the death of me," Noah pants, reaching between us to grab my dick. I smack his hand away, reaching for the waist of his track pants and pulling them and his boxers down. He lifts his hips so I can get them from under his ass, and I let them fall to the floor before I dip my head and take him in my mouth.

Noah moans loudly, leaning back on one arm. His free hand rakes through my hair. Bending at the waist, I rest my elbows on either side of his thighs and let my head fall, taking him all the way into the back of my throat. I stay there, breathing through my nose, until Noah catches on, gripping the hair at the top of my head. He takes control, using my mouth to pleasure himself.

"I knew you were a filthy, little—ungh—freak," he pants. "Look at you taking my fat cock like—ungh—like a—oh god."

I chuckle and pull myself off, which he lets me do, even though he could have gotten away with holding me down and finishing.

"Like a what?" I snark, imitating one of his patented smirks.

His lips are parted, eyes wide and incredulous, before he smooths out his features and shows me that devilish grin. He leans back again, taking his cock in his hand and stroking it slowly, putting on a show.

"You realize that I have my bare ass on the kitchen counter, don't you?" He lifts an eyebrow, perhaps thinking that I'll have some moment of realization and feel the need to bleach everything. "Inches from our dinner, no less."

"Is that supposed to bother me?"

"Doesn't it?"

I bite my lip, contemplating hard. His grin widens, thinking he's got me figured out. He laughs when I stand up straight, but shrieks when I push him back and lift his legs.

"Oh, fucking fuck!" he yells out when I spread his ass cheeks apart and spit, before wetting my index finger and pressing against his tight asshole. My other hand takes his cock in my fist and strokes him, hard and fast, while I press the tip of my finger inside.

Noah continues to chant expletives as I slowly work my finger inside him, alternating between sucking and stroking him so I can watch my finger disappear.

"More," he pants. "Give me more."

Moaning around his cock, I slurp up all the pre-cum and saliva I can, spitting it where my finger is buried deep inside his tight ass. I pull my finger out almost entirely before slowly adding a second. My mouth returns

Noah hisses and groans so deeply, I feel it in my balls.

"Oh, fuck. That's it, Lane. That's it. Shit. Shit. Shit. Lane, I"m gonna come."

My fingers stroke the soft spot inside him that makes him lose his mind, massaging him until his hips are bucking off the counter, thrusting into my fist.

"Fuuuuck, I'm comiiinnnggg!" His cum sprays out of him in a wide arc, landing all over his shirt and lap, the counter, and the pizza box next to him.

My fingers stay inside him, milking him within an inch of his life while my free hand pulls my throbbing erection out of my pants and strokes furiously. I'm so wound up, it doesn't take me long before I'm shooting my load, aiming it at Noah's ass.

When I'm done, I pull my fingers out of him, tuck myself back in my shorts, and then wipe my hands on a clean part of Noah's shirt.

"Who's filthy now?"

Ten minutes later, he's still gaping at me while we eat cold pizza on the living room floor. It was his idea to make a picnic and play a game, but he hasn't said a word.

"Cat got your tongue?" I say, trying really hard to hide my self-satisfied grin.

"Oh, I'm just wondering where my grouchy, repressed, sexually reluctant stepbrother went."

I shrug. "He's still here. I'm just… I don't know. Going with the flow for a minute."

"Big change for you. How long do you think you can keep it up?"

"Yeah," I huff out a laugh. "That's an understatement. And I guess we'll see, based on whatever terrible questions you're going to ask me."

"So… you wanna play the game, then?" His fingers are tapping on his knee nervously. What is he up to?

"Is there a prize if I win?"

"Definitely," he answers, waggling his eyebrows to make me laugh.

"Alright, what's the game?"

"Truth and then dare."

"What's that?"

"We take turns asking each other questions. We each get to ask three questions and have to answer three questions. For every question you don't answer, you have to do a dare at the end of the game."

"So it's truth or dare, but different."

"Basically. I'm not that creative," he says, grinning.

"Is this a trap to get me to tell you all my secrets?" I ask jokingly, trying not to betray my very real fears about this game.

"Is that one of your questions?"

"Who said I agree to play?!" I ask, then sigh. "What's the prize?"

"I'll clean the apartment from top to bottom and do your laundry."

"Uh, yeah, no dice. No offense, but you'd do a shitty job, and I'd just have to clean behind you and get new clothes."

"Rude. But fair." He thinks for a moment. "Fine. I'll do that whole foods thirty day challenge thing with you."

"And run with me every morning."

"What?! I'll die. Three days."

"Five days, four miles each."

He narrows his eyes at me. "Three days, three miles. Final offer."

"Fine," I concede. "And what do you want if you win?".

"Another sick day."

"Seriously? We already missed a whole day of school and practice. You want to miss another?"

"And stay in bed all day sword fighting? Hell yeah I do."

I huff a laugh and turn my eyes up to the ceiling.

"God can't help you, Lane Blakely," Noah says. "You're mine now, and I don't share my toys."

My gaze snaps to his. I should be surprised or offended, but I'm not. I rather like the idea of belonging to Noah Milner.

"Afraid of losing?"

"No." Yes.

I can only imagine what kind of questions he's going to ask. I have no doubt they'll either be intrusive or embarrassing. But I meant it when I said that I'm trying to go with the flow.

"Okay. You go first."

I've been more concerned about what kind of questions he's going to ask me, so I hadn't even considered what I'd ask him. He's a pretty open guy who's lived a pretty normal life, from what I know. Other than having to deal with me, I suppose.

"When did you figure out that you were attracted to men?"

Noah blinks, seeming surprised by my question. "Wow. You're diving right into the deep end, are you?"

"I assumed you would be."

He quirks a brow, conceding to my point, and clears his throat. "I'm not attracted to men," he answers.

The look on my face must convey my disbelief. Why even start this game if he's not going to play? "If you're not going to?—"

"When I was fourteen, I kissed a boy, and something happened inside me. In my head, or something. I chased that feeling for years, but I couldn't find it anywhere else, not with guys or girls." He looks me right in the eyes. "I'm not attracted to men. I'm attracted to you."

Oh.

"So you really were just out there slutting it up, huh?" I joke, trying to lighten up the tension in the room before I smother him again. The side of his mouth turns up, but it doesn't quite reach his eyes.

If I hadn't been so broken, could we have been together from the start?

Are we together now?

"My turn," he says. "Same question."

"Can you do that?"

He shrugs. "I'm making up the rules as I go."

I take a sip of my sparkling water that Noah calls ‘La Crotch' so I can think of how to answer. Can he hear my heartbeat? I cut my eyes to his, and see what has to be the most patient, understanding expression I've ever seen on his face. It's unnatural.

My eyes drop to my lap. "I think I was around ten when I first suspected there was something wrong." A simple enough answer, but hard to spit out. I've never said it out loud. "And then, when I was fourteen, I kissed a boy, and something broke inside me," I say quietly, repeating his words from earlier. I look back up at him, forcing myself to be brave and face him the way he faced me. "And that's when I knew for sure. But I only came to terms with it… I don't know. Yesterday?"

Noah snorts.

"I really want to kiss you right now," he says. "But I know the game will be over once I do."

I roll my lips, because I was thinking the same thing. Except that I was considering whether it was a viable option to distract him from the game.

"Why did you hate me so much?" I ask, because I can see that he really wants to keep going. And as the object of Noah's single-minded focus, I know he's not likely to move on until we finish it.

"I'm not sure I ever actually hated you."

"That's a cop out," I say, pointing at him. "Answer the question, Milner."

"I thought I hated you, because I was jealous and confused. And because you were an asshole."

I laugh out loud. "That's fair. But why jealous?" That part makes absolutely no sense to me.

"For a long time, I thought of you like a shadow looming over me, something I couldn't live up to or surpass. You were so untouchably perfect, I just wanted to dirty you up."

"Well, I suppose you succeeded there," I murmur, taking another drink.

Noah does his stupid eyebrow waggle again. "Just you wait, little brother. Just you fucking wait."

"Your turn."

"Same question."

"Really? You came up with this whole game so you could unpack all my secrets, and you're just copying me?" He shrugs again and turns to put his back against the couch, stretching his long legs out in front of him. I do the same, and we sit there in silence for a moment while I think of my answer.

Dropping my head back on the couch cushion, I sigh heavily. "I hated you because I wanted you. And because you knew it."

"Yeah, I did," he says, sounding full of himself.

"And because you're a cocky asshole."

He laughs. "That's fair," he repeats. "Last question?"

"What do you want from me?" I blurt the question, the words forcing past my lips before I can give them adequate thought. Now I'm going to have to answer the same damn question and I have no idea what my answer would be, because if I'm speaking from my heart, I want?—

"Everything."

Damn.

We stare at each other for several long moments, his dark blue eyes boring into me like he can see into my soul. After a while, I have to break the tension again, because I can't handle it. It's so thick, it's like breathing in a pool of honey.

"You're really trying hard to get in my pants."

Noah's laugh bounces off the ceiling and wall. "I hate to break it to you, Lane, but it's never been that hard."

My mouth opens on an offended gasp, and Noah throws himself at me. Straddling my lap, he kisses me thoroughly, rubbing himself on my hardening erection. I groan and push my hands under his t-shirt, feeling his back muscles contract as he moves against me.

His hand reaches into my pants, and his fingers wrap around my shaft. A strained grunt pushes out of my mouth, and he licks inside, tangling his tongue with mine as he slowly pumps my shaft.

"See?" he says, grinning evilly against my mouth.

"You really are the fucking devil," I growl.

"Mmmm, yes, use those big boy words. You know what they do to me."

Flipping the sassy little shit on his back, I pin him to the floor and bite his nipple through his shirt.

"Oh, fuck!" he shouts, loud enough that I worry the neighbors heard, and grinds up against me. He's feral now, licking and nipping and sucking every exposed inch of me, pushing my shirt up my chest. "Take your clothes off," he demands, and my body obeys, even while my mind is still distracted by the last question.

We strip until there isn't a stitch of clothing between us, our skin fusing to each other like magnets. The game is momentarily forgotten, every aspect of my consciousness tied up in the way we're touching each other. Hands and lips and tongues trace each other all over, taking our time. Noah gets rough with me, flipping me and wrestling me to the ground, pinning me on my stomach beneath him. I love it. I'm so keyed up, it takes me several moments to register that he's talking to me.

"What is it?" I say, breathless, as Noah licks the sweat from my spine.

"Do you trust me?"

That's his question? For the game?

Do Itrust him?

My answer comes out on a groan as Noah rakes his short nails down my back. "Mmph—yess."

"Mmmm. Good boy," he rumbles, rubbing his dick and balls into the back of my thighs. I tense, but he shushes and soothes me. "Trust," he reminds me, and I relax as he peppers kisses down my back to the flesh of my ass.

"Have I told you that I'm obsessed with your ass?" he says, his voice muffled against my ass cheek. "I want to play with it, love on it, talk to it. I want to do despicable, dirty, filthy things to it."

A shudder runs through me as he kneads and squeezes my cheeks. My hips push into the floor, seeking friction. Noah grabs the pillows from the couch and directs me to lift my ass up. He stacks two pillows under my pelvis and gives me one for my head. It's a lot more comfortable, especially for my dick, but it pushes my ass much further into the air, which I feel might not be a safe position with Noah back there talking to himself about wanting to take a bite out of me.

"What"s your safe word?"

"W-what?"

"What do you say if you really want to stop?"

My forehead scrunches, trying to process what's happening. "Uh, Time Warp," I say with a wry smile. "It's a stupid safe word."

"Maybe. But if you say it, I"ll stop. Zero questions asked. You know this."

I give him a quick jerk of my head in acknowledgement.

Noah massages my ass and runs his fingers up and down my crack. It takes me a while to let go of the tension. I'm unsure enough that my erection has deflated a bit, but then one of his fingers starts rubbing gentle circles around my hole, and it perks right up. As unsure about this as I am, my body is well and fully on board.

"I want to finish what I started the other night, but I don't want to do anything that's going to put you in a bad space. I don't ever want to make you?—"

"That wasn't because of you," I say, interrupting him. I don't need to revisit my biggest moment of weakness. "I left because I was afraid of what it meant if I liked this. But that had nothing to do with you, Noah. I promise. Nothing you did hurt me." I scoff and turn my face to look back at him over my shoulder. He leans in close and kisses me. "It felt so good, it terrified me." He nips my bottom lip gently before moving back.

Noah doesn't stop touching me through my entire explanation, which I'm surprisingly comforted by. He always knows what I need. That has the rest of my tension melting out of me.

Closing my eyes and focusing on my breaths, I allow the feel of Noah's gentle fingers to lull me into a false sense of security. Before I know it, he's nibbling up the insides of my thighs and licking my balls from behind. I moan loudly, and then Noah's warm, wet tongue is attacking my hole. He kisses it like a lover, pressing his tongue just inside the tight rim. There are so many sensations, I don't have the capacity to overthink, all I can do is feel. His stubble brushes softly against my cheeks while his warm, wet tongue sends tingles up my spine. I feel every lick and flick of his tongue. But what really has me shoving my face into the pillow and praising every deity known to man is his reaction. He's slurping and moaning, fully making out with the most intimate part of me. It's filthy, and erotic, and?—

"Fuuuuuck, that feels good."

My crack is dripping with saliva, and I'm pretty sure I'm ruining these pillows, but I'm lost to the electric feelings coursing through me. I don't even tense when Noah presses a fingertip into me. It feels different. It burns a little, but not in a bad way. The deeper he sinks past the tight muscle, the more I feel him. All the nerve endings in my ass pulsate, sending waves of electric energy throughout my body.

Groaning, I rock my hips, pushing the finger deeper.

"God, Lane, your ass is sucking my finger inside you. So fucking hungry," he groans. "Does that feel good, baby?"

"So good," I moan. Every slow thrust of his finger sends another jolt through me. I'm delirious with need and I beg him for more.

Noah hums his approval, and I hiss as he adds a second finger. The stretch burns, but it's a good burn, an added layer of sensation that I'm lost to. I'm rocking back on Noah's fingers, panting and begging. For what, I don't know what.

Everything.

My hips flex and thrust, rutting into the pillow. I'm taken over by a wave of pleasure so sharp, it's like an earthquake shaking the building. It's powerful and oh my fucking God!

"Fuck yes, Lane. Come for me," Noah grunts. "Your ass is squeezing my fingers so tight."

His words and moans get muffled when he puts his face in my ass again, tonguing my hole as his fingers pump in and out. Every time they smooth over that impossible spot inside me, another rope of cum spurts onto the pillows.

Noah pulls out of me slowly and reaches under me to stroke my cock as I'm thrusting against the pillows, still lost to all the electric feelings coursing through my body. He removes his hand, and wipes something slick in the crack of my ass. My hips falter when I feel Noah's heavy dick rest between my cheeks.

"Shhh," he says, spreading my cheeks and then pressing them together around his hard cock. "I'm not going to fuck you today. We have to work up to that."

My hole tingles with every push of Noah's thick, hard cock through my slicked up crack. He doesn't attempt to penetrate me , but uses my ass as a toy, stroking himself off in the crack of my ass. The way he moves against me almost has permission on the tip of my tongue, that's how lost to pleasure I am in the moment.

"Fuck, I love your ass, Lane. So fucking perfect." His thrusts pick up, getting jerkier as he squeezes my cheeks together tighter. "I'm going to come all over your ass, baby. Are you ready?"

"Yes!"

"Tell me, baby. I want to hear it."

"I want you to come on me, Noah. Come all over my ass."

"Uunnnnnnyyynnngghhh I'm coming!"

Hot cum splashes across my ass, drenching my asshole and balls.

"Goddamn it, Lane. I can't wait to fuck this tight, pretty hole."

The thought alone makes me dizzy with both fear and desperate need. But once again, Noah makes sure I'm not capable of thinking at all, much less overthinking. His warm, wet tongue swipes up my ass again, licking up his own cum before penetrating my ass with his tongue. It thrusts in and out, making my softened cock twitch.

Finally, I have to beg him to stop out of sheer overstimulation. My cock is hardening again, but I don't think I can handle another orgasm today without a lot more sleep and hydration.