The man I love has just come from doing something violent and final.
The thought should terrify me more than it does.
Kane takes a long drink, then sets the glass down. He can see the storm on my face.
“I will tell you as much or as little as you want to know,” he says softly. “But first… I need you to hear this.” He steps closer, cupping my face with one blood-streaked hand. “I love you, William. I am in love with you. I want to be your Daddy forever. Not just for now. Not until it gets hard.Forever.”
The words break something open inside me. Tears flood my eyes instantly. I throw my arms around his neck, burying my face in his chest even though I can smell blood and smoke and violence on him. Sobs shake my shoulders.
“I love you too,” I whisper against his shirt. “So much it scares me. I know you might do bad things… terrible things. But I also know you love me. You make me feel safe and seen and wanted in a way no one else ever has. We will figure out how to make this work. I want this. I wantus.”
My Daddy holds me tight, one big hand stroking my hair, the other pressed to my lower back. I can feel him wince when he shifts his shoulder.
“You are hurt,” I say, pulling back and wiping my eyes. “Let me run you a bath. Please?”
Kane looks at me for a long moment, something soft and almost vulnerable flickering across his face. Then he nods. “That sounds good.”
I lead him to the bathroom, turning on the taps and adding my favorite lavender bath salts. While the tub fills, I help him out of his ruined clothes. Every new bruise and cut I reveal makes my chest tighten, but I keep my hands gentle.
When he is naked I guide him into the warm water. He groans deeply as he sinks in, the tension in his body easing slightly.
I pick up a soft sponge, kneel beside the tub, and begin washing him. Starting with his back, I trace every scar and tattoo I find there—old knife wounds, bullet marks, intricate ink that tells stories I still do not fully understand.
My fingers tremble as I move lower, over his powerful chest and stomach.
When I reach his semi-hard cock, I wrap the soapy sponge around him and stroke slowly.
Kane’s head falls back against the tub with a low moan. “William…”
I keep going, mesmerized by the way he hardens fully in my hand, thick and heavy. The water sloshes gently as I work him with long, loving strokes, my own body growing hot and needy. His breathing grows ragged. One of his hands comes up to cradle the back of my head, not guiding, just holding.
“I love you,” he rasps again, voice rough with pleasure. “No matter what this evil world throws at us, we have each other’s backs. Always.”
Those words push me over the edge right along with him. He cums with a deep groan, thick ropes of cum spilling into the bathwater as his cock pulses in my hand. I keep stroking him gently through it, feeling strangely complete.
When Kane finally relaxes, I help rinse him off and dry him with the biggest towel I own. He looks exhausted but peaceful as I lead him to my bed. We slip under the covers together, naked and clean, his strong arms wrapping around me from behind.
“Sleep, little one,” Daddy murmurs against my hair. “I have got you. Safe. Secure. Protected.”
I close my eyes, heart full and aching all at once.
There is still so much I do not know. So much danger waiting for us. But in this moment, with Kane’s heartbeat steady against my back and his love wrapped around me like armor, I feel complete.
* * *
The following evening, Kane and I arrive at Stuffiezone hand in hand. My heart feels lighter than it has in days.
After everything that happened—the blood on his clothes, the terrifying silence while he was gone, the raw confessions in the bath—tonight feels like a small, precious gift.
If nothing else, it is a chance to breathe.
Kane holds the door open for me, his big hand warm and steady on my lower back. The moment we step inside, the familiar pastel wonderland wraps around us. Soft lighting, mountains of stuffies, and the distant sound of happy Little giggles fill the air.
Eddie spots us immediately and waves excitedly from across the main playroom.
“Daddy!” Eddie calls, bouncing over with two other boys trailing behind him.
Viktor follows at a more measured pace, looking every bit the powerful man I remember, but tonight his expression is softer, almost relaxed.
