Page 14 of Saving Little Clark

Brody's eyes lit up, a grin spreading across his face. "No way,The Goonieswas my jam! I always wanted to go on a treasure hunt just like them. To find a map and follow it to some long-lost pirate cache, dodging booby traps and outsmarting villains along the way."

I laughed, shaking my head in wonder. "Well, I guess today was kind of like that, huh? Minus the booby traps and villains, of course. Although I'm pretty sure Alex qualifies as a lovable rogue at the very least."

"Hey, I heard that!" Alex called from my other side, flicking a kernel of popcorn at my head. "And for your information, I am a dashing rogue, thank you very much. TheHan Soloof the group, if you will."

"More like the Jar Jar Binks," I retorted, ducking the next volley of popcorn with a grin.

As Alex spluttered indignantly and Will laughed, Brody leaned in close, his breath tickling my ear. Brody's eyes darkened, his hand coming up to cup my cheek with a tenderness that made my breath catch in my throat.

I swayed towards him, my lips parting on a sigh. This was it, the moment I had been dreaming of all day. The moment when the dashing pirate would sweep me off my feet and claim me as his own, sealing our fate with a kiss.

But just as our mouths were about to meet, a loud snore shattered the spell. We jerked apart, blinking dazedly as we searched for the source of the interruption.

And there, sprawled out on the grass with his head pillowed on Will's lap, was Alex. Fast asleep and drooling like a baby, his feathered cap askew and his boa tangled around his neck like a neon python.

I groaned, torn between laughter and frustration. Of course Alex would choose this exact moment to pass out, effectively cock-blocking me from the kiss of a lifetime.

Brody chuckled ruefully, running a hand through his hair. "Looks like someone had a little too much excitement for one day," he said, his eyes twinkling with mirth.

"Yeah, he tends to do that," I sighed, shaking my head fondly. "The man may have the energy of a hummingbird on crack, but even he has his limits."

As if on cue, Alex let out another earth-shaking snore, his mouth falling open in a way that was both endearing and slightly horrifying. Will looked down at him with a mixture of amusement and affection, his hand coming up to stroke Alex's hair almost absently.

I raised an eyebrow at the gesture, filing it away for later teasing ammunition. It seemed Alex wasn't the only one harboring a secret crush after all.

When the credits rolled, Will gathered up our sleeping beauty and we made our way towards the parking lot. Brody's hand found mine in the darkness, our fingers interlocking like two puzzle pieces finally snapping into place.

As we approached the parking lot, Alex stirred in Will's arms, his eyes fluttering open with a confused grunt. "Where am I?" he mumbled, blinking up at Will's amused face. "What happened to the movie?"

"You fell asleep, Sleeping Beauty," I teased, poking him in the ribs. "Missed the whole damn thing. Some wingman you are."

Alex's eyes widened in indignation, his mouth falling open in a scandalized gasp. "I was resting my eyes for like,five minutes tops! How dare you let me miss the epic romance of Buttercup and Westley, Clark! That's a violation of the bro code!"

I snorted, rolling my eyes. "Oh please, you were snoring louder than a chainsaw. I'm pretty sure you scared off half the wildlife in the park."

Alex huffed, crossing his arms over his chest. "I'll have you know my snoring is a soothing, melodic sound, like the gentle cooing of a dove."

"More like the mating call of a congested walrus," Will muttered, earning a glare from Alex.

"Watch it, mister. Or I'll revoke your cuddling privileges."

But even as he said it, Alex made no move to extract himself from Will's embrace. If anything, he seemed to burrow deeper, his head coming to rest on the taller man's shoulder with a contented sigh.

Will chuckled, his hand coming up to stroke Alex's back in a way that was both tender and possessive. "Tell you what, how about I make it up to you with a kiss? A little birdie told me you've been wanting to sample the goods all day."

Alex perked up at that, his eyes gleaming with undisguised hunger. "Well, when you put it like that..." He tilted his face up, his lips puckering in a shameless invitation.

Will bent down and captured Alex's mouth in a searing kiss. They moaned in unison, their tongues tangling and their hands roaming with wild abandon.

"Oh god, my eyes," I groaned, throwing a hand over my face. "I did not need to see that."

Beside me, Brody let out a low wolf-whistle, his eyebrows waggling suggestively. "Damn, get it, Alex! Looks like you found your own dread pirate after all."

Alex surfaced from the kiss with a gasp, his cheeks flushed and his lips kiss-swollen. "Shut up," he panted, flipping us both off with a giddy grin. "You're just jealous of my superior make out skills."

"Well, gents, I hate to break up this love fest, but I should probably get going," Brody said, jingling his car keys. "Early morning meeting tomorrow, and I need my beauty sleep."

My heart sank at the thought of saying goodbye, of letting this magical day come to an end. But before I could open my mouth to protest, Brody turned to me with a soft smile.

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