Page 38 of Saving Little Clark

I hooked my fingers under his chin and tipped his face up to meet mine. "I'd very much like to kiss you now. If that's alright with you."

Clark's tongue darted out to wet his lips, leaving them glistening temptingly in the low light. "Yes, please," he breathed.

Cradling his delicate jaw in my palm, I fitted my mouth to his like two puzzle pieces clicking into place, and proceeded to pour every ounce of reassurance, acceptance, and adoration into the union of our lips.

Clark sighed into the kiss, his fingers curling into the fabric of my shirt as he surrendered fully to my lead. I kept the pressure chaste but firm, a promise and a vow all in one.

We finally broke apart, breath mingling in the scant space between us.

"Wow," he exhaled, a giddy little grin spreading across his kiss-swollen mouth. "That was..."

"Absolutely perfect," I finished for him, already leaning in to taste his smile again.

As we meandered through the tranquil park, a question that had been niggling at the back of my mind finally tumbled out.

"So, when you're in Little headspace, what's the best way for me to take care of you? I want to make sure I'm meeting your needs and not accidentally overstepping any boundaries."

"Honestly? Just having you there with me is the most important thing. Sometimes that's all I need to feel safe and loved."

His gaze turned distant. "There was this one day back in college, during finals week, when I hadn't slept in like two days, on the verge of a breakdown. Alex found me hiding in my dorm room, surrounded by textbooks and empty Red Bull cans, and he just knew."

A wistful smile curved his lips. "He just cleared away the mess, put on some soft music, and pulled me into his lap. Let me curl up against his chest while he stroked my hair and hummed quietly. I slipped into my Little headspace almost immediately, and for the first time in weeks, I felt like I could breathe again."

"I want to be that safe space for you," I murmured.

We lapsed into comfortable silence for a stretch, the tranquil sounds of nature enveloping us as we strolled hand-in-hand. As we neared the playground, a mischievous grin spread across my face.

"So, if we want to do this right, we should probably establish some ground rules," I began, affecting a faux-serious tone. " Like, what's your stance on spanking as a discipline method?"

Clark's steps faltered, his eyes widening comically. "What?" he sputtered.

I dissolved into laughter at his expression. "Relax, baby boy, I'm just messing with you. Mostly."

Narrowing his eyes in playful suspicion, he swatted at my arm. "Jerk," he huffed. "You nearly gave me a heart attack."

Still chuckling, I slung an arm around his shoulders and tugged him into my side. "But we should probably come up with some safe words, just in case. What do you think about using the traffic light system? I read that on the forum. Green for good to go, yellow for slow down, red for stop everything immediately."

He tilted his head, considering. "That could work. Or, we could use food-related ones instead! Like, 'broccoli' for green, 'carrot' for yellow, and 'tomato' for red. Since you're such a veggie lover and all."

I gasped in mock affront. "Not all of us can subsist on chicken nuggets and juice boxes alone, you brat."

Clark's gaze then snagged on something over my shoulder. I turned to see the colorful playground equipment behind us, the metal slide glinting invitingly in the fading sunlight.

"You wanna have a go, don't you?"

Clark startled, a pink flush stealing across his cheeks. "What? No, it's for kids."

I just looked at him steadily, one eyebrow raised. He fidgeted under my amused scrutiny, finally letting out a gusty sigh.

"Okay, fine, maybe I do," he admitted. "I can't believe how cool you're being about all of this.”

A tiny smile flickered across Clark's face, but uncertainty still clouded his expression as he glanced around the near-empty park. It was getting dark, but a few scattered joggers and dog-walkers still meandered.

Just as I opened my mouth to reassure him that we could try again another time, a flicker of movement in my periphery caught my attention. Turning slightly, I spotted a lone figure hovering near a tree several yards away, half-hidden in the shadows.

He seemed coiled tight like a snake poised to strike, and it made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. I couldn't make out his features from this distance, but an uneasy prickle skittered down my spine.

Clark, noticing my sudden stillness, followed my gaze with a puzzled frown. "What's wrong? Do you see something?"

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