Page 1 of Little Bedtime Snack

1

ELI

My feet swung out over the shimmering water of the bay as I chewed my PB and J. The best part about working on the bridge was getting to take lunch with my best friend as we watched sunlight dance across the waves while cars whizzed by behind us. The scent of salt and diesel was a familiar mix that always seemed to center me when I was feeling stressed.

It reminded me of summers with my grandfather. I used to go to work with him and sit on the bench as he fixed whatever vehicles needed repairs. The best days were ones where he finished early and we stopped at the beach on our way home. It was funny how smells could bring back feelings and memories so intensely.

"Earth to Eli!" Jeb snapped his fingers about a centimeter from my nose and brought me back to the present. He had zero sense of personal space. With most people I minded, but with him—it was just Jeb. "You in there, buddy?"

Jeb chuckled beside me.

"Sorry. Just zoned out for a sec."

He nudged my shoulder with his. "Dreaming about your Prince Charming again?"

"No, nothing like that." I took another bite of my sandwich to avoid having to answer any more questions. “Just spacing out.” I didn’t want to open any wounds for Jeb by talking about my grandfather. He had a strained relationship with his entire family, especially his grandfather on his mother’s side.

"Well, I’ve been dreaming about mine, and I’ve got some news!" Jeb clasped his hands together and practically bounced on the edge of the girder we were sitting on. It wasn’t the safest place to spend our breaks, but unless someone actively pushed us off, there was zero percent chance we’d fall in. Well, five percent, tops. "Guess what's happening at Club Primal this Friday?"

"What?" I swallowed hard as my heart rate picked up at the mention of the kink club we’d only managed to go to a few times.

"It's Little Night!" Jeb's eyes sparkled with excitement. "We gotta go, E. It'll be awesome, and maybe we’ll find a nice Daddy for the night."

My stomach fluttered with nerves. Club Primal catered to all kinds of kinks and dynamics and was known for having an active Little community. The handful of times Jeb and I had gone, it was both thrilling and intimidating. It was unlike any place I’d ever been and one of the only places I could be myself.

"I don't know, Jeb..." I blew out a long breath and looked up at the steel holding the bridge together. "It’s so expensive, and I'm saving up for a new bike."

Why did money have to be such a deal breaker? Maybe I’d win the lottery and be able to buy one of their elusive lifetime memberships. I’d have to play the lottery first, though, and eachdollar spent there was one less for my savings. Money and adult responsibilities sucked. Good thing I was Little. It helped me escape all that adulting, if only for a few hours.

Jeb waved his hand dismissively. "Dude, Littles get in free on Little Nights. When's the last time you let loose and had some fun?"

Why didn’t I know that? Free was my favorite price. But it was also everyone else’s favorite, which meant that it was going to be crowded. Very crowded.

Money was the easy reason to say no, but not the only one. "But you know how overwhelmed I get in those situations. What if I freak out or something?" It was a very real possibility, and even if I didn’t, I’d be worried I would, and that would keep me from getting into Little space, as I called it. What would be the fun in that?

"I’ll be right beside you the whole time." Jeb reached for my hand and held it on his thigh. "I'll keep an eye on you, and if you start to melt down, we’ll leave. I promise. But seriously, Eli, you need this. With all the overtime you’ve been working, a night off will be good for you."

He wasn't wrong. With all the extra shifts at the toll booth I’d been taking, I barely had time to breathe, let alone indulge my Little side. I could refuse the extra hours, of course, but I was one of the last humans doing the job now that automated machines were used on most bridges. But if I said no to a shift, it might be a long time before I was asked again, since everyone was vying for the opportunity to bring in some extra cash. "I guess it would be fun..."

Jeb's face lit up with excitement. "That's the spirit! Okay, so, we gotta coordinate our outfits. What do you think for colors? Pastels or primaries?"

I did love to coordinate. "Pastels, definitely. Maybe… baby blue and mint green?"

"Perfect!" Jeb clapped his hands together before he scooted back to stand up. "I've got some mint-green short overalls that I’ve only worn once. They’ll be perfect. You should wear that sailor outfit you showed me last time."

I nodded as a smile tugged at my lips. "Yeah, that could work. With my white knee socks and light-up sneakers?"

"Now you're talking!" Jeb pulled me to my feet, and we collected our trash. "We're gonna be the cutest Littles there. None of the Daddies will be able to resist us!"

I was giddy at the mere thought of catching the attention of a Daddy, much less multiple Daddies. As we got closer to the event, nerves would take over and I’d want to be invisible. But for now, it was like Christmas Eve knowing the next day would bring presents, only the presents in my scenario were hot Daddies who wanted to play with the adorable boy in a sailor suit.

And Daddy or no Daddy, I couldn't wait to slip into my Little headspace and play with my friend in a safe space. Being encouraged to be small and carefree for a night would be amazing, but on the other hand, I couldn’t stop myself from worrying about all the things that could go wrong.

"What if..." I hesitated to voice one of my deepest fears. "What if no one wants to play with me?"

Jeb's expression softened, and he placed his hand on my shoulder. "Eli, you're so sweet and adorbs. Trust me, you'll have Daddies lining up to dote on you."

I blushed and shook my head. "I doubt that, but one or two might be nice."

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