Page 22 of Saving Little Clark

Alex, who had been watching our exchange with a mixture of guilt and fascination, whispered to me. "Hey, sorry, man. I didn't mean to blurt that out. Sometimes my mouth runs away from me, you know? I find it hard to keep a secret when there’re more than one dom in the room."

I sighed, some of the anger draining out of me. I knew Alex hadn't meant any harm.

"It's okay," I whispered back, offering him a small, forgiving smile. "Just try to keep the Little talk to a minimum in front of our bosses, yeah?"

"Scout's honor," he said, holding up three fingers in a salute. "From now on, I'll be the picture of professionalism. A regular Mr. Rogers, minus the sweater vest."

"Somehow, I doubt that. But I appreciate the effort."

I couldn't help but reflect on how far Alex and I had come. There was a time, back in college, when a slipup like this would have sent me spiraling into a full-blown meltdown.

I remembered one particularly bad incident, when a drunk Alex had accidentally let it slip to our entire dorm floorthat I still slept hugging my stuffie. I hadn't spoken to Alex for a full day, too hurt and humiliated to even look him in the eye.

But he refused to give up on me. He had camped outside my door, pleading and apologizing and leaving me little gifts - candy, drawings, silly poems - until I finally cracked and let him in. And then he had held me while I cried, whispering words of comfort and acceptance and unshakeable friendship.

"I'm so sorry, Clarkie," he had murmured, rocking me gently. "I never meant to hurt you. I would never intentionally make you feel ashamed. You're my best friend, my brother. I love you."

Now as the meeting wrapped up, Brody and Will exchanged a meaningful look.

"Actually, before we get to work, we have one more activity planned," Brody said, a mischievous glint in his eye. "A little team-building exercise, if you will."

I raised an eyebrow, curiosity piqued. "Oh? What did you have in mind?"

Will grinned, rubbing his hands together. "Trust falls," he announced, a note of glee in his voice.

As if reading my mind, Alex leaned over and whispered in my ear. "Looks like you're about to get up close and personal with Mr. Tall, Dark, and Dreamy. Try not to swoon too hard, yeah?"

I elbowed him in the ribs, shooting him a glare. "No," I hissed, feeling my face heat up. "It's just a stupid team-building thing. Don't make it weird."

"Oh, I don't have to," Alex said. "You two are doing a fine job of that all on your own."

Before I could get a word out, Brody was calling us over to the open space in the middle of the room. I found myself standing opposite Brody, our eyes locking in a moment of charged anticipation.

"Just try not to drop me, yeah?"

Brody clutched his chest, feigning offense. "I'll have you know I'm a certified trust fall professional. Got my degree from the University of Catching Cute Men."

I burst out laughing, some of the tension draining from my shoulders. And with that, I let myself fall backwards, my eyes squeezing shut as I braced for impact. But instead of the hard, unforgiving floor, I found myself caught in a warm, solid embrace, Brody's arms wrapping securely around my waist.

For a moment, we just stood there, my back pressed against his chest, his breath tickling the back of my neck. It felt right, somehow.

But then Brody let out an exaggerated grunt, staggering backwards like he was struggling under my weight. "Oof, what have you been eating, Clark?" he wheezed, pretending to stumble and sway. "Feels like I'm trying to catch a baby elephant."

I twisted around in Brody's arms, swatting at his chest with mock indignation. "Excuse you, I am a delicate flower," I said, sticking my nose in the air. "Light as a feather, I'll have you know."

"More like light as a sack of bricks," Brody retorted, but his eyes were sparkling with mirth and affection. "Remind me to never challenge you to a piggyback race."

Alex walked towards Will, who was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. "Think you can handle all this, bigguy?" Alex asked, striking a ridiculous pose. "Or are you afraid you'll be overwhelmed by my stunning good looks and charm?"

Will snorted, pushing off the wall and striding over to stand behind Alex. "Please, I've seen golden retrievers with more self-control than you. I could catch you in my sleep."

Will obediently held out his arms, bracing himself for Alex's weight. What followed was a display of overblown dramatics and flailing limbs. Alex let out a high-pitched shriek as he toppled backwards, his arms pinwheeling wildly.

But Will caught him easily, hauling him up against his chest with an exasperated eye roll. "You're a menace, you know that?" he said, but there was a fondness in his voice that belied his gruff exterior.

Hours later, it was time to head home when the clock ticked past six. The clock’s rhythmic pulse was a counterpoint to the symphony of keyboard clicks and muffled phone calls that echoed through the office. My fingers hovered over the keyboard, reluctant to finalize my first idea draft before me.

Just then, a chime from the intercom interrupted my thoughts. "Clark, could you please come see me in my office?" Brody's familiar voice rang out, steady and professional as always.

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