Mistakes Were Made

Chapter 20: His Brown, Her Yellow

                         Dakota forgave Hank after they went back and forth for hours, growing tired of the constant fight. They ate cold pizza and Dakota told Hank about what she had been up to since she'd been gone. She and Melody were partying all last weekend, scared Melody's Mom to no end. Dakota stayed at Mona's for a few days before sneaking back into the house while Hank was at work. She got the haircut and tattoo out of spite. She had been dating Hogg for two days. They didn't have sex because Hogg didn't seem like the clean type. After Dakota told Hank that, he grabbed her and threw her onto his bed. Letting her know know much he missed her.

            The small house is filled with mattress springs squeaking hard and loud moaning. Dakota begs for Hank to keep going, preying he remembers to pull out. She grips the bedsheets as his hands hold onto her waist, going harder as he begins to get sloppy.
Suddenly, Dakota feels something hot inside of her. She lets out loud gasps, whimpering as he fills her up with himself. After he's done, he pulls out.
            "Damn—that was—really good." She says between gasps.
             Hank plops down beside her, running a hand over his face
             "Yeah, it was." He nods his head, smirking.
            "You gotta do that more often, Hank. I need more of that." She continues to pant.
            "I did too." He looks at her, "I love you, Dakota Ryan."
     Dakota remains silent, thinking. She feels obligated to say it back because she does care for him a lot. But she's not for sure if it's love quite yet.
"Listen, if you feel obligated to say it back, don't." Hank leans over her, grabbing her hand. "I only said that because that's how I feel."
"I care for you, Hank." Dakota says sadly, "I want to love you. I do. How do you know you're in love?"
"You just know it, Dakota." He nods his head. "When you're not around—not annoying the hell out of me, all I can think about is you. Everyone needs something to cope with the day to day hell they go through. Like it's oxygen to them, they can barely breathe without it. And you, Dakota, are my oxygen."

Sunday was gloomy, the clouds dark. The rain poured down on Thorne Bush, making the evening lazy. Dakota lays on Hank's chest, in his t-shirt and worn out fuzzy socks. Dakota feels nauseous, it started the night before after she and Hank had sex. She tries hard to get her mind off of her nauseous feeling, eyes staring at the tv screen. Dakota and Hank watching an older movie from the 1970's called Wanda Nevada. It's about a middle aged man and a 13 year old girl searching for treasure, trying to find it before the bad guys do. The 13-year-old girl falls in love with the middle aged man, causing him to gradually fall for he as well.
"Maybe I should buy a couch and get rid of this damn thing." Hank runs a hand over the worn out mattress. "I've had this thing since I was 12."
"Or just buy a new mattress with an additional headboard instead of a wooden board." Dakota says sarcastically, smiling.
"Or I could get a couch and we start sleeping in your bed." He looks down at her, his hand rubbing her upset stomach tenderly.
"We could do that," Dakota shrugs, burning her head into his chest.
Hank kisses her forehead, brushing a hair out of her face. He moves down to her stomach and lays his head there, closing his eyes as he wraps his arms around her hips.
"I'm going to have to get used to your short hair." Hank winces, "I really hate it."
"Thanks, Hank." She says sarcastically
"So, any more surprises for me?" He says, "You got two tattoos, a haircut—what else is new?"
"Oh, yeah." Dakota walks to her room and comes back with her back pack. She reaches inside her backpack, taking out a piece of paper. "I'm failing Geometry, you gotta sign it."
"You're failing Geometry?" Hank says seriously, "How can you fail shapes?"
"It's Geometry, Hank." She says seriously, putting her hands on her hips. "It's more than just shapes."
Hank smirks, shaking his head. "You're gonna work on getting it back up to at least a C."
"In two months?" She crosses her arms, "Besides, I have all my credits anyways. So who cares if I fail this class?"
"I do. I care." Hank says authoritatively, "You're smarter than this and I want you to do better."
For the first time, Dakota realizes how much Hank cares about her. Not in the you're-the-one-I'm-having-sex-with kind of caring way, but as a partner. A man who loves her.
"You really do care about me, don't you Hank Allen?" She says in a shocked tone of voice, the corners of her mouth curled into a smile.
"I love you, too. It's part of being in a relationship, Koda." Hank looks down at his lap, a small smile on his face. "It's strange. I've never had a serious relationship before."
Before she realizes it, Dakota has climbed onto the bed and straddled Hank. She quickly attaches her lips to his and kisses him slowly but firmly, loving how his hands automatically wrap around her body to pull her closer. As she kisses him, she feels Hank's boner between her legs. Dakota leans away, sitting up.
"What's your favorite color?" She says in a childish like tone, her eyes wide.
"What?" He says seriously.
"I said, what's your favorite color Hank?" Dakota repeats herself, her thumb caressing his cheeks.
Hank thinks for a minute, taken back by her question. He had never thought of something so simple as that. The 28-year-old man stares up into his love's Brown eyes. A smile shapes his lips.
"Brown." He thinks a moment more, feeling foolish. "What's yours?"
"Autumn gold." She says with a smile, making him smile as well.
Autumn gold, Hank thinks to himself. He tucks a loose strand of short hair behind her ear, only to have it fall back in her face. Hank really hates Dakota's haircut.
"Damn, you're so beautiful." His eyes are starry.
Dakota pecks his lips repeatedly, wanting them to be tangled up together. Hank puts his hands on her waist, enjoying the view.
"Babe?" Dakota bites her lip.
"Hmm?" He hums, arching a brow.
"Fuck me."