Dakota wouldn't have expected his dreams to take him back to his adolescence, not on a night like that one. He'd gone to bed happy, with an unfamiliar feeling of lightness in his body like he was about to float away from the earth. If he were to have any dreams, he would've wanted them to be about William. But instead, he was in Japan, and he was seventeen years old.

"What the fuck is wrong with you, Dakota?" his father barked at him, jabbing a finger at his chest. "Fighting at school, again? You're gonna get fucking expelled if this happens one more time, you understand that? Fucking expelled!"

Dakota stood in silent defiance of his father.

"I'm telling you right now. If you get kicked out of school, you are signing that contract and joining the army. You've got no choice, because you've got no future otherwise. What the hell is wrong with you? Picking fights. These people don't fuck around, Dakota, and it doesn't look good on us. On the military. We're on thin ice as it is with the locals."

"I'm not picking fights," Dakota said.

"That's not what I've been told. I was told you jumped a guy after class. That sure sounds like starting it to me."

"Well, that's because that's not the whole story," he said. "The guy was a dick."

"It doesn't matter if he was a dick," his dad said, speaking slowly and emphasizing each word, as if he were talking to a fool. "And then I hear you're going around downtown, picking fights with strangers?"

They weren't just strangers. He'd fought a guy because he'd seen him abusing his girlfriend. He’d slapped her, right in the street. He couldn't stand for that shit. Especially because...

"What the hell is wrong with you, dammit. Is this how we fucking raised you?"

"Maybe if you and Mom had stayed together, you would've been able to fucking raise me." The last words dripped with venom.

"Your mom was a cheating whore," his dad said. Dakota's fists tightened at his sides. He fought to keep control. "Fucking five years of that shit. Maybe more. That's why she and I divorced. And you had the chance to go back to the states with her, and you didn't take it."

His dad was right. His mom had cheated. There was no denying that what she'd done was wrong, and Dakota wished he didn't have so much resentment towards her for it. All he wanted was a good family. A happy family. But that never was possible. It'd never been possible.

"Maybe she wouldn't have cheated on you if you weren't such a fucking asshole," Dakota said, and rage flared in his dad's eyes. His father was shorter than him, and smaller in stature despite his time in the army, but it hadn't always been that way. The man drew back his hand, and it stood firmly in the air, shuddering with barely restrained anger.

"You gonna hit me?" Dakota said, fighting to maintain his own calm. He puffed up his chest. "Hit me, Dad."

His father glared at him, hand still cocked. Neither of them moved or spoke. Finally, his father put his hand down. "Remember what I said. You get kicked out, you join the army." And he turned and walked away.

Dakota shrunk down, like a wolf hiding its fangs. He was an alpha, and that meant nothing was going to get in his way anymore. Not even his own dad. But along with the anger that whirled inside of him, there was also fear and sadness. He felt lost. He wanted a way out of this. He wanted stillness. He wanted...

Dakota's eyes opened. His heart hammered and his chest heaved. He felt the tenseness of the fight or flight still pumping through his veins. He looked around—he was at home in Los Angeles. He was fine. All of that was behind him.

Wasn't it?

Sometimes, he could feel that storm of emotion deep inside of himself, like dark clouds far off in the distance. Would they make land, or dissipate? He felt he had control over it, and the times when he was unsure, he turned to the restaurant. He let that occupy every part of his mind, body, and soul. And now there was William.

He slapped around, looking for his phone. Four o'clock AM. Dakota hauled himself out of bed. Time for work.

As he stood in front of the bathroom mirror and brushed his teeth, Dakota thought about his date with William, and smiled. How could he not be happy? He replayed every single second in his mind, reliving all the best moments of the evening and slowly pushing away the bad memories that'd been conjured up by the nightmare. He really had been nervous as all hell during dinner, and if he hadn't driven them to the restaurant he might've ended up consuming a bit too much of that bottle of wine that Gen-san had graciously provided. He definitely owed him a huge favor.

"A date?" Gen had said. "This is a bigger surprise than when I found out you were moving back to the states. Don't worry. I'll take care of you." And he really had. He'd put them up at one of the best tables in the place. He'd provided the wine, the dessert, and a major discount on everything. He'd have to do a private dinner for Gen and his mate at the restaurant sometime.

Dakota had really wanted to kiss William at the end of the night. In fact, it was the first time he'd ever felt such a strong desire to kiss someone. He'd kissed before, but it'd always felt out of necessity. Like it was something that he had to do, rather than something he really wanted to do.

What changed? What was it about William that he could be so taken by him so quickly? Dakota wasn't sure. All he knew was that what he felt was real. But would it last? One date didn't change his commitment to the restaurant. And William...

Dakota would've kissed him, if it hadn't been for what he'd said about his past experiences. Dakota hadn't wanted to make him feel like they were moving too fast. And a kiss probably would've been too fast, anyway. But he would be lying if he said that he wasn't eager to keep things going. And he'd most definitely be lying if he said that he didn't desire William.

He wanted to be a good alpha and take things slowly, and to move at William's pace. It'd been years since the last time he'd been with anyone, so what was a bit more time? But he could feel a fire building inside of him, a deep want to have William and make him his. To taste him, to feel him, to come together and maybe even... come together?

Dakota splashed a few handfuls of cold water onto his face. Calm yourself.

He went to the bedroom and changed into his restaurant clothes—his work pants and a Send Noods t-shirt in black. He checked his cell phone. On schedule, time to leave. He slipped the phone into his pocket and grabbed his wallet and keys. I'll message you, William had said. He grinned, remembering. He couldn't wait to get that message.

* * *

Thank god Victor had offered to let Nate stay over and to even take him to school the following morning. William had barely gotten any sleep that night, but it wasn't excitement from the date that'd kept him awake.

He'd gotten a text message from Eddie.

It'd come through the Ember app. William hadn't thought to delete his account, and Eddie had found him there. His message was simple and cordial, and anyone who saw it and didn't know their history probably would've thought Eddie was a polite ex, the good kind who wanted to maintain a positive relationship with his former omega and son.

EDDIE: William! Holy shit! This is a crazy coincidence to see you on Ember. I'd been thinking of reaching out to you recently.

And then an actual text message a short while later.

EDDIE: Is this still your number? Give me a call. Let’s meet.

Why hadn't he changed his number? Why hadn't he deleted his stupid Ember account? William had felt sick after reading the messages. He'd had to lie down, but there was no way he'd have been able to sleep. His mind and heart raced, and he felt chilled and sweaty.

Eddie was pretending. He was lying. That cheerful tone was nothing new. William remembered it all too well. He'd thought that he'd managed to get away from him forever, that Eddie wouldn't ever try to contact him because he was spiraling down and would eventually get to the point where he self-combusted, or ended up in jail, or something like that. He was supposed to be gone forever. He was supposed to be behind them.

Why now, when William was finally coming out on top? When he finally had his shit together, and he actually felt strong enough to open himself up to a new alpha?

He deleted his Ember profile and blocked Eddie's phone number. Hopefully that would be enough.

* * *

"You held hands? That's so cute!" Ellie shrieked, shaking Dakota's arm.

"Cut it out," he said. He failed trying not to smile about it. How could he not smile about it?

"So, when's the next date?"

"We didn't talk about it, yet."

"This Sunday?" Ellie asked.

He hoped it would be that soon.

Cesar, who was standing near them, spoke up. "I think Tom and I did a pretty good job running the place yesterday, boss. I was thinking about it, and I'm pretty sure he and I could run the restaurant on a Saturday, too. Give you some more time off."

"You think you're ready for that?" Dakota asked.

Cesar nodded. "Yeah, I think so."

Dakota thought about it for a moment. Tom and Cesar were skilled enough to run the restaurant on Saturday, and he was glad to hear Cesar was willing to take on that workload with just the two of them. It seemed like he'd reconsidered his stance from the other day. Dakota clapped Cesar's arm. "I appreciate that, Cesar." Maybe eventually, Dakota would feel comfortable enough to put his baby in their hands for more than just a single day. Could he imagine taking a weekend off? It felt weird to think about, but if it was to see William... That changed things.

"So, this Saturday?" Cesar asked.

"As long as you promise not to fuck everything up," Dakota said, laughing.

"Don't worry, I got you, boss."

Later that afternoon, Dakota's cell phone vibrated in his pocket, and he quickly pulled it out.

"I'm gonna take a quick break," he told Cesar. It was probably the first time he'd ever taken a break that wasn't for a meal.

"You got it," Cesar said.

Dakota slipped past Ellie, who gave him a glance that said, "I know who that is."

He stood against the wall at the back end of the restaurant and unlocked his phone.

WILLIAM: Hi.

DAKOTA: Hey. I've been waiting to hear from you.

WILLIAM: Really? Don't tell me you miss me already.

DAKOTA: Actually, I kinda do. When will I see you again?

WILLIAM: How about tonight?

Dakota laughed to himself in surprise.

DAKOTA: I've got work. Gotta close up the shop.

WILLIAM: I could come in. Keep you company while you close. I promise I don't take up much room or make much noise.

DAKOTA: Would love that. But it can take me a while to do. Just letting you know.

WILLIAM: More time for us to hang out. My son is at my brother’s tonight, so I've got time.

DAKOTA: See you tonight, then.

He went back into the restaurant unable to keep the smile off his face, and Ellie was waiting to pester him about it.

"Well? What happened?" she asked, grinning at him slyly.

"Do I have to tell you everything?"

"Yes. Because I feel like I'm the one who kick started this little relationship, and I want to know every detail now that my boss is no longer perpetually single."

"It's not a relationship," Dakota said, laughing. "William is going to come by and hang out at the restaurant tonight while I'm closing."

"Oh, well then Cesar and I will make sure to get out of your way. Right, Cesar?"

Cesar gave a thumb’s up and tipped some noodles into a bowl.

It wasn't a relationship. Not yet, at least. Might it be going in that direction? Asking that question of himself, Dakota was surprised to find that the answer was that he was hopeful about it. For the first time in his goddamn life he was hopeful about starting a relationship. It was bizarre.

The day went by surprisingly quick, and Dakota actually felt like he was cooking better than normal. Quite a few people stopped to compliment him on the ramen before they left, many more than normal, and there were a few regulars—office workers who came in almost weekly—who mentioned that it tasted different than usual.

Things felt good. He was going to see William again.

"Outta here, boss," Cesar said, after he'd finished cleaning up his station.

"Get home safe," Dakota told him. Ellie placed the last of the chairs up onto the tables and hurried over to close the register. She usually went at a pretty relaxed pace, but tonight she moved quickly, not taking any time between tasks.

"I don't to be here when he arrives," she explained. "I want you to tell me every single detail, but I'd rather not be the one who cock blocks you."

Dakota grunted at her. Nothing like that was going to happen.

She finished locking up the register and handed him the keys. "All done," she said. "When does he get here?"

"I have no idea," he confessed. He hadn't received a message from William since the afternoon.

Ellie picked up her purse from under the counter. "Good luck, have fun," she said, and waved as she left the restaurant.

Dakota wiped down the counter and then pulled out the bucket and mop to clean the floors. He glanced at the clock. It was an hour past closing. Had William changed his mind? He pushed the mop into the soapy water and then smacked it onto the floor. He'd been cleaning for about fifteen minutes when he heard a knock on the front door. He turned around and saw William there, waving at him. Dakota smiled. He put the mop into the bucket and went to unlock the door.

"I'm so sorry it took me such a long time," he said. "I got caught up at work, and then had to take Nate to my brother’s…”

"No, don't worry about it," Dakota said, holding his arm out to welcome William into the restaurant. "But I was starting to wonder if you'd changed your mind."

"No, no, no," William said. "No way would I miss a chance to see a restaurant after hours. I've always wanted to see a restaurant after hours."

Dakota laughed. "Seriously?" He went to the fridge and pulled out two bottles of beer, cracked them open, and handed one to William. He felt slightly awkward. He wanted to touch William, to go and hold his hand or put his arm around his shoulder, but wasn't sure if it'd be okay or not. They'd held hands the night before, but...

"Thanks," William said, raising the beer in a salute. "Yeah, I'm serious. It's always been a little thing of mine. Businesses after they close. Especially places that are so busy and lively during the day. What happens when all the customers leave? What kind of atmosphere does a place take on? Like... Disneyland, for example. Imagine Disneyland after everyone has left, and all the rides are closed. Or the school. Sometimes when I'm at Nate's school, I wonder what it'd be like to sneak in and wander around at night."

"A school and Disneyland are pretty different things," Dakota said. "But, here's your moment to fulfill a life's goal." He swept his arm around. "Here it is, a closed restaurant. What do you think?"

William walked over to where Dakota stood against the counter and leaned against it next to him. "Hmmm." He looked around and took a swig from his beer. Their shoulders were almost touching, and Dakota felt his heart quicken. "I like it,” William said. “I can feel the lingering energy. It's like... a lion gone to sleep." He turned to grin at him.

"Is Send Noods like a lion?" Dakota asked. He placed his beer down on the counter and stretched his arm over and around William's shoulder. He drew in a quick breath as he did, as if he were mid-jump into a pool of potentially ice-cold water. He pulled him in, and to Dakota's surprise, William slid an arm around his waist and hugged him. William pressed his cheek against the side of Dakota's chest. Dakota wondered if he'd be able to hear his heart.

"It's definitely something lion-y," William said.

Dakota had to clean the floors, but he didn't want to move. The feeling of William's body against his felt too good.

"Sometimes I stick around after the office closes and I'll look at Parker and Kell's empty workstations. It feels kind of amazing to think that such beautiful art gets made right there." He moved away from Dakota, turning around to face the kitchen. He nodded towards the stove and the prep area. "And here too. I probably sound really weird right now."

"Yeah," Dakota said. "Really weird. But I like it." He grabbed the mop from the bucket and started to clean. William stood by the counter, sipping on his beer as he watched him.

"So, I was thinking," Dakota continued, "we should go out again this Saturday, if you're free. I'm taking the day off."

"You're closing the restaurant?" William asked, surprised.

"No, just leaving it to my assistant chefs, like I did yesterday."

"Okay," William said. "Saturday. I actually was going to suggest the same thing. I'm glad we're still on the same page."

Dakota smiled at him as he slid the mop along the floor. "Me too."

"I'll come up with something for us, this time," William said. "Though I can't guarantee it'll be quite as exclusive as Gen's restaurant."

"That's fine. That place isn't really my style, anyway. I guess I just wanted to impress you." He laughed sheepishly.

"Next time you choose a place, don't worry about impressing me. As long as you're as nice as you've been, then that's all I care about. We could hang out in a junkyard, for all I care."

"Noted," Dakota said, and he put the mop away.

"Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Nope, you just wait right there. I'm nearly done." He emptied the dirty water and rolled the bucket and mop into the back. Afterwards, he took quick stock of everything for tomorrow. "Maybe we could go somewhere for a little while," he suggested. William had only just arrived. He didn't want to part from him already. "Find a coffee shop, or something?"

"I'd like that. Definitely," William said.

"Alright. All finished."

They both drained the rest of their beers, and Dakota threw them into the trash. He flicked off the lights, plunging the restaurant into shadow. Slices of pale white light cut across the floor from the big street lamps in the parking lot out front. "Let's get out of here," Dakota said, walking to the front door. William reached out and grabbed his hand as he passed, stopping him.

"Hold on," William said, breathily. "Let me just take in the atmosphere for a second."

They stood next to each other in the middle of the restaurant, surrounded by a forest of upturned chair legs that cast long shadows up and down the floor and the wall. William's hand held his firmly, and he loved the feeling of its warmth in his palm. He could hear William's breath.

Then, William took a small step closer to Dakota. Dakota turned to look at him, and William gazed up at him.

Dakota leaned in, and their lips met. It felt like fireworks exploding in his head. He kissed William softly, his head cocked slightly to meet his. They separated. Then, suddenly, William reached up and grabbed Dakota's shirt and pulled him in with surprising force. He threw his arms around Dakota's neck and kissed him deeply. Dakota returned it with the same fervor.

"Wow," Dakota said. He felt sort of dumb saying something like that after a kiss, but it just kind of slipped out. It was the first time he'd ever felt a kiss like that.

They just stood there looking into each other's eyes, not speaking. Dakota felt breathless. This omega had just blown into his life and carried him away from everything he thought that he knew about himself. He was floating.

Dakota locked the restaurant up and they went outside to the parking lot to figure out where to spend the rest of the evening.

"There's a coffee shop not too far from my house," William suggested, hooking his arm around Dakota's. "It's open all night."

As they were about to split up to go to their cars, Dakota grabbed William's arm and pulled him back in to taste his lips. Fireworks, again. He felt William melting against him, and William’s hand gently slipping around the back of his neck.

"See you there," Dakota said as they parted.

He slid into his car and shut the door. It took him a couple minutes to gather himself. His lips tingled where William had kissed him. Dakota had never known a kiss could feel that powerful. And so delicious. Tasting William's lips had been incredible. Instantly addictive. He hadn't wanted to stop. He knew it was a weird comparison, but it felt like tasting the world's most succulent dessert. He'd known some master pâtissiers in Japan, and he'd had some downright divine experiences eating their pastries. It'd reminded him of that. He'd just wanted more and more. God, if kissing him was that good, what would everything else be like? He shivered and felt a pulse of excitement surge through his nethers. He licked his lips, the fantasy of William's cock crossing his mind.

Take it slow, he thought, and turned on the car.

The parking lot for the coffee shop was dark and empty, and William stood in front of the shop's front entrance, staring up at a "Closed for Renovations" sign. Dakota jogged up to meet him.

"Hey," he said.

"Well, shit," William said. "They shut down. I haven't been here in a while."

"That's alright," Dakota said. "We can find somewhere else."

They pulled out their phones and scrolled through Google, searching for another late-night spot where they could go and talk and hold hands like a couple of love-struck teenagers. Forest Glenn didn't have much of a night life. Unlike some places in Los Angeles where you could at least find a few bars to hang out in, there wasn't anything open here within in a few miles’ radius.

"My place is right here," William said. "I could make us some coffee or something. You want to come over?"

"I can't say no to that." He checked his phone again. It was late and he had to get up early for work in the morning, but he wasn't going to pass up the opportunity to spend a bit more time with William.

William unlocked the door to the condo, and Dakota followed him inside. The lights flicked on. The place was quite spacious and new, and far nicer than the little apartment that he had for himself. There were lots of photos up on the wall of William and his son, and of his brother's family, too. On the kitchen table was an iPad housed in one of those child-proof cases. The fridge was covered in drawings, one of them with "I love you Dad!" written in colorful patterned letters. Smacked over everything else with a large magnet was a paper with a big red "A+" scrawled on the top right corner. On the couch, Dakota saw a creased-up copy of Diary of a Wimpy Kid sitting next to a blue lightsaber.

"Always wanted to have one of these as a kid," he said, picking up the lightsaber and swinging it around.

"Nate loves that thing," William said, pulling a bag of coffee from the kitchen cupboard. "He's a little Jedi."

"What else is he into?'

"He likes drawing. I think he enjoys playing with his imagination more than anything else. He's always drawing up all sorts of scenes from his imagination, and he and his best friend, they always play make believe. We've also got a Nintendo Switch, so he and I play that together from time to time. Did you ever have a Nintendo when you were a kid? Or a Playstation, or something?"

"Nah," Dakota said. He went to a bookshelf and picked up a framed photo of William holding Nate, who looked a few years younger. There were a couple baby photos, solo shots, but he didn't see any of William from that time. Bad memories, maybe? He could understand not wanting to keep family pictures with an unwanted person in them around the house. The photos Dakota had of his parents were in an envelope, inside a box somewhere in his closet. He never looked at them.

"Seriously? No games?"

"Uh-uh," he replied. "I wasn't really allowed to have those as a kid."

"I guess Parker and I were a bit spoiled. We had all the game consoles. We even had our own gaming room, with a projector screen. No wonder I turned out to be such a fuck-up." He laughed and started the coffee, and then came over to the living room to join Dakota. They sat down on the couch, and Dakota, without any hesitation this time, slipped his arm around William and pulled him in. William slid his arm around Dakota's waist and rested his head into the crook of his shoulder.

"A projector screen? Like, you guys had your own room just to play video games in?" He looked down at William and raised an eyebrow. Obviously they'd come from very different backgrounds. "Is that normal for kids who grow up here?"

William looked at him. "Oh, yeah. I forgot you were born in Japan. No, probably not. My parents were... are... I guess to say well-off would be an understatement."

"I see," Dakota said, nodding. "So, you were rich as a kid."

"Yeah. I was one of those spoiled little rich omegas, fucking shit up and trying to rebel against my parents. Parker was the good one. Then I had Nate. I'd like to say I changed immediately, but I didn't, really. It took a few years for me to get on the right track. And to get away from Nate's dad." He sighed. "Sorry, I have a hard time talking about this stuff. Maybe this is too heavy."

"No," Dakota said. "I want to know about you. Whatever you feel comfortable sharing with me."

"Well, I should just come right out and say it. My parents disowned me after I had Nate. I wasn't mated to Eddie, and they hadn't even met him. I was running with the wrong crowd, basically."

"And that's when your brother took you guys in?"

"Yeah, a couple years after."

Dakota wondered what things would've been like if he'd had a sibling. Would he have been different?

"I guess I was angry at my parents for a lot of things also," Dakota said. "I didn't deal well with their divorce."

"Were your parents an alpha and omega?"

"I have a beta mother," Dakota said. "She lives somewhere in the Bay Area. I don't see her. Don't really care to."

William just nodded and threaded his fingers in between Dakota's. The coffee steadily dripped into the pot in the kitchen, and its aroma began to fill the room. He probably shouldn't even be drinking coffee at this hour. He'd never get to sleep. They sat in silence for a little while, just enjoying the feeling of being next to one another.

"I'm worried," William said.

"Hm? About what?"

"I'm sorry. It's just, you seem so different from the alphas I've dated before. In a good way. You're responsible and kind and... And I really like you. It's been a long time since I've had a connection with anyone like this, and usually when I do feel this kind of chemistry it's because of some innate thing about them that I'm drawn to, or at least that's what concluded. They usually end up not being the kind of person I thought."

"How do you mean?" Dakota asked. He was tense from the thought of someone harming William. What did they do?

"Let's just say they ended up not being the gentlemen they made themselves out to be. The weirdest part about it was that it felt right to me. Not that I enjoyed it, but I just thought that was how relationships were. It felt comfortable. That’s why I decided I wouldn't date anyone again. But this whole thing kind of took me by surprise. And I feel like I can't stop. I don't want to stop. Even though I'm still afraid."

Dakota felt a flickering of anger deep inside. It was that familiar feeling, that flame of righteous rage that used to burn hot and out of control. He hated the idea of William being hurt by these people. "Is that what happened with Nate's alpha father?" he asked, trying to keep his voice steady.

"Yeah," William said.

Dakota didn't need to know exactly what that man had done. Just knowing it'd affected William like this was enough. "Where is this guy now?"

He could feel William's palm clamming up in his hand. "Out of our lives," he said. "I'm not letting him near Nate, even if he tries to come around."

"Has he?"

"He barely played a part in Nate's life when we were together. He never contacted me after we moved away. Not until recently."

"Is that okay?" Dakota asked. He turned and slid his arm from around William's side, and took both his hands. "What happened?"

William nodded. "Yeah, it was just dumb. I'd started an Ember account, because Nate started asking if he would have an alpha dad, and I felt guilty. I forgot to delete it, and Eddie found me on that stupid thing. He said he wanted to see Nate. I ignored it and blocked him."

Dakota eyed him. He didn't like the sound of this. He was worried about William and Nate. This Eddie guy was trying to find William? "Will you be okay?" he asked, seriously.

"Oh, yeah," William said. "I don't know how he'd even find me, anyway. But even if he does come around, he's got no power over me anymore. He's just a pathetic loser alpha. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have brought him up."

"I understand your apprehensions about this thing," Dakota said. "It's taken me by surprise, too. I'd dedicated my life to my restaurant and I didn't think that I would ever meet someone that makes me feel the way that you do. Like, it doesn't even make sense. I've been thinking about it so much the past few days, and just wondering how someone can feel this way for another person after spending so little time together. You know?"

"I know," William said. He leaned in and kissed Dakota. "It feels really good when we do this."

"Tell me about it."

"Really, really good."

The coffee maker chimed, ready. William pushed Dakota back onto the couch, sliding up onto his lap. They kissed, their tongues dancing together. Dakota fought to keep his cock in check as William clasped at Dakota's shirt, yanking him into him as he kissed him. William was surprisingly aggressive, and Dakota began to loosen up a bit and return that energy as he became more comfortable knowing that was how William liked it. He was up all the way on Dakota's lap now, his hands cradling Dakota's face as he looked down on him, pressing his lips to his. With the way William was sitting, it was pretty much impossible for Dakota to control what was going on in his pants. He felt his cock slowly stiffening. He let his hands fall from William's waist to his hips, and then down to his ass.

William ran his hands down across Dakota's shirt, brushing the firm swell of his pectorals. Then he kissed him again. Dakota wondered if William could feel the bulge of his cock through his pants. Then, William reached down and tugged off his own shirt and tossed it onto the couch. Dakota's heart flipped. He hadn't expected that, but he wasn't about to complain. He pulled William close to him, bringing a nipple to his tongue. William murmured and ran his fingers through Dakota's hair. Dakota's cock was throbbing sorely now, rock hard and pressing up tightly against his pants. William began to move his hips, grinding against Dakota. Oh, he definitely could feel that bulge. Dakota groaned. William kissed him, and then tugged Dakota's shirt off.

"Are we going too fast?" Dakota asked.

William had a hungry gleam in his eye that hadn't been there before, and it managed to make Dakota's cock even harder. "I don't know," William breathed. "Are we?"

Fuck it, Dakota thought. He grabbed William and flipped him around so that they’d swapped places, and bent down over him to kiss him. William's hands flew to Dakota's belt and tugged it free. Then the buttons to his pants were open. William grinned and slipped his thumbs beneath the band of both William's pants and underwear, and in one hard jerk, pulled the whole party down to his ankles. His cock popped free, right up to William's face.

* * *

William's heart raced and his head swam. So much for apprehensions. He was so attracted to Dakota, and every single word exchanged between them had increased his passions for the alpha. He was once again a servant to his impulses, but this time it was with the right man. He wanted to believe that Dakota wasn't like the others. He had to. He'd fallen hard for him.

He wrapped his fingers around Dakota's cock. It was so big. He was uncut, and his tip glistened with precome. William opened his mouth and took him inside. He could feel the heat radiating from Dakota's cock against his tongue as he gulped him down even deeper. Dakota groaned, and his muscles tensed like ripples on water. He was huge. Everything about him was huge. William used both of his hands to hold Dakota's cock steady as he bobbed his head on him, nearly gagging on his length.

Dakota ran his fingers through William's hair and squeezed his hand into a fist, taking hold of him. William loved the rough pulling. It made his cock pulse, and his entrance slick with omega want. He ached for Dakota. He wanted to be fucked by him tonight.

Were they going too fast? The question didn't even matter anymore.

He gulped him down and then pulled back for air, smiling up at Dakota as a bit of saliva trailed from the tip of his cock. Dakota's cock was gorgeous just like the rest of him, and he was really enjoying having it in his mouth. He wanted Dakota to see just how badly he craved him. Dakota gazed down at him, his lips parted in a look of pleasured awe. He tilted William's head back by his hair and crouched down and kissed him. Their tongues touched. William was sure Dakota could taste himself on his lips. William grinned into the kiss and reached out and grabbed for Dakota's cock. Dakota stood up to give it to him, and he took him back into his mouth.

William stroked himself while sucking Dakota down. He couldn't help it. Dakota saw and said, "That's my job."

Dakota pulled away and dropped down to his knees as he pushed William back onto the couch. Then, Dakota wrapped his huge fist around William's cock and started to stroke him. William cried out in a surprise of pleasure. How the hell did it feel so good? A hand job never felt this good before, even when he was giving one to himself! Dakota was strong and precise, like he was milking the orgasm from deep inside William's balls. He moaned, squirming with pleasure. Dakota was an expert with his hands, after all. He used them all day at work. His ramen noodles weren't the only thing he knew how to work.

William couldn't take it anymore. The ache that was building inside of him was like a deep and throbbing itch that only Dakota could scratch, and he needed it to be scratched now.

"I want you inside of me," William said. "Dakota, can we?"

"I don't have a condom," Dakota said.

For one brief but incredibly powerful moment, William could've told him they didn't need one. But his better judgement prevailed over the overwhelming energy of the moment, and he got up from the couch. "Don't move, I'll be right back. I've got one somewhere."

He ran upstairs to the bathroom, threw open one of the drawers, and tore through the contents. He yanked out a box of condoms and held it up triumphantly like a treasure hunter who’d found a key that could unlock a chest packed with booty. William grinned to himself.

Dakota was crouched in the same position, his cock still standing tall and ready. William handed him the condom and gave him a kiss. "How do you want me?" he asked, getting onto the couch.

Dakota grabbed him and flipped him around, pushing him up against the couch so his ass was sticking out. William murmured with pleasure at the manhandling and spread his legs to give Dakota access. His cheek was pressed against the fabric of the cushion, and he closed his eyes and waited, heart pounding.

He heard the soft rip of plastic. Then Dakota's hand on his waist. And then...

Oh, fuck! Dakota's cock pushed into him, stretching him and filling him up. He cried out and grabbed at the cushions as Dakota grunted and slammed into him. He went hard from the start, pounding deep into William's ass. William gasped as he felt the pressure of Dakota's gigantic member pumping into him, hitting all the right spots. It was perfect. Dakota was perfect. God, it feels so good. It feels so fucking good.

Dakota had both hands on his waist now, squeezing and caressing him. One hand moved up William's body to grab hold of his shoulder, the other slipped down and around to stroke his cock. William moaned again and pushed his face into the cushion. There was no way he'd be able to hold on for long, not with Dakota fucking him like that and rubbing his cock.

It was too much! He was going to come.

"I can't hold... I'm coming," he groaned, his voice strained. "Oh fuuuuck!"

His cock throbbed as Dakota continued to fuck him. He looked back and locked eyes with him. He held his gaze for as long as he could, until the orgasm washed over him like a solar flare. His eyes rolled back. He couldn't see, couldn't hear. His ears were ringing and his head was spinning. His cock pulsed and came.

"I'm coming, too," Dakota growled, and William felt him swell up inside of him as he finished. "Ah, shit, William..." He hugged William around his waist as he rocked his hips against him, his face pressed against the back of his shoulder. William could feel Dakota's hot and delicious breath on his neck as he breathed heavy from the climax. "Shit, that felt amazing. That felt so amazing."

William could only nod enthusiastically.

Dakota pulled out, and William slowly relaxed into the couch. The tip of the condom was swollen with come, and William grinned. "Been saving it up, huh?"

Dakota laughed exhaustedly and pulled the condom off, tying it at the end. He collapsed onto the couch next to him, and William nuzzled into his broad chest. He smelled amazing. "It's been a very, very long time," Dakota said.

"Me too," William said. "And I can say without a doubt say that was the best I've been fucked in my entire life. You're amazing."

"Likewise," Dakota said, his chest still heaving with each breath.

"And that hand job!" William breathed. "Insane!"

"Really?"

"Yes, holy shit. I'd almost say it was better than sex. Almost."

They both laughed and kissed and hugged. William felt so close to him.

"Shit, it's so late," Dakota sighed.

"You can stay here tonight, if you want."

Dakota smiled and kissed William on the forehead. "I have to get up really early for work. I have a pretty crazy routine."

"Great! I need to get up early to go get Nate and get him to school before I go to work. So, it's perfect."

"Okay," Dakota said. "Well... In that case... I guess we have time to go again."

William laughed and threw himself onto Dakota.