Page 22 of Harmonizing with Little Heaven Leigh

“What it proves is that there is a place for ‘art,’ but highly detailed expressions aren’t always what is needed, especially when time is short. We could have had a few scattered, lonely-looking villagers, with tons of detail that people could barely see from here. Instead we have a whole scene, with life and color, and clever little touches that draw attention.”

“That doesn’t mean people should like my part more. Your castle is incredible and so are the little royals,” she said, a stubborn tone creeping into her voice.

“No, what it means,mi corazón, is that together, aspartners, we blended two styles and managed to make something better.Wedid that. Sowewill take the credit.”

“I just—” She felt a hard pinch on her thigh and squeaked.

“We. Will. Take. The. Credit,” he repeated firmly and with extra emphasis. “No arguing, little girl. And while we’re on the subject, I think a reward is in order.”

She twisted, looking up at him. “A reward?”

“Mhm, for saving the day and being such an amazing help when I was stressed.” He leaned down and kissed her forehead.

She squirmed as a shiver rolled down her back. “What kind of reward?”

“Well, I was thinking we could slip out and head over to the Dungeon to release some stress with a good girl scene, but if you feel like you need some Little time, we could go home, put on a movie and snuggle. Or maybe pull out the board games?”

He often gave her choices like that. It helped to be able to decide based on her headspace and made her feel like she had more control over her life. Heaven had learned, with Angel, that she could be a subanda Little,andstill feel like she had power in their relationship. Most of the struggles about who she was and what she needed had evaporated once he’d figured out that options were important.

And right now, both of those choices sounded wonderful. After a full day of work, and her own level of stress under the time crunch, she would have loved to decompress and let him take care of her. Slipping into a child-like headspace was a great way to let go of the world and all the adult problems that came with it.

But she wasn’t honestly sure she’d be able to fully enjoy Little time just then. Her professional work-mode was still engaged, and it sometimes wasn’t so easy to switch into a younger mindset. It was a more passive place. Either it was there, or it wasn’t.

Oh, sure, she could pretend to be Little, but then it was more like ageplay. It was roleplay, a game, and there was a certain kind of fun to be had in pretending, butbeingLittle wasn’t the same thing at all. It was something she had struggled to explain to others, and she knew they often didn’t get the difference.

When she was being a Little, she was fully immersed in a child headspace. Her attention span was short. She made bad decisions because she didn’t think things through. She needed her Daddy to watch over her, because she wasn’t capable of being a responsible adult at those times.

That’s why she was under strict rules not to go to work when she was feeling Little. It was a fair rule, and not one to ever be broken. It would tarnish her professional reputation and, more importantly, disappoint a lot of people who trusted her.

But although her Little side was a natural part of who she was, shifting into that space, or out of it, wasn’t always easy, especially when she’d locked it away to focus on work.

Ageplay was something she could shrug on or off. It could be relaxing to sit and color, or watch movies and act like a kid, but her adult mind was present and could take over at any time, without needing to transition. She’d had to do a lot of ageplay when she lived in the Littles’ Wing, just to fit in, and that had been a major cause of frustration when her mind was firmly on the adult setting.

Pretending to be Little took effort,beinga Little was the most natural thing in the world for her, but it couldn’t be forced. If she chose Little time tonight, she knew she’d most likely never fully settle into the right headspace. It would be nice… but not what she needed, and it only took her a minute to decide that.

“I think a good girl scene in the Dungeon would be great, Daddy.” She paused, and then asked, “Do you think we can head home for a shower and a change of clothes though? I’m grungy from working all day.”

He laughed. “That’s a great idea,chiquita. Let me have a quick word with Derek and then we’ll make our escape.”

She used the time to straighten the buffet one last time. The puppet snack trays no longer resembled their famous characters as too much of the fruits and vegetables had been devoured. A good thing, she thought. But with some skillful combining, she was able to make what was left look appealing.

“Ready, Heaven?”

Angel was smiling as she stepped away from the table. “I am. Master Derek’s okay with us leaving?” She knew Angel usually liked to stay until the end, at which time he’d allow the Littles to ravage the chocolate before cleaning up.

“All things considered, I think he’s glad we’re going to take a break. I told him I’d come over in the morning to clean up.”

They hurried home for separate showers as sharing one would have guaranteed they never actually made it to the Dungeon. He carried a bag, though he wouldn’t tell her what was in it, and half an hour later they were checking in with security and entering through the double doors. It was almost always open, but it was currently quiet. Only a few couples, and one trio, were using the playspace.

Her eyes were drawn to one scene happening at the spanking bench, and she couldn’t help staring as the Domme skillfully wielded a crop. Her submissive was strapped down, and unable to do much more than wiggle frantically as she tried to evade the leather tip.

Angel slipped an arm around her waist. “Derek offered the use of one of the private themed rooms and I thought you might like that, but then I remembered how… intently you were watching the spankings earlier today.”

A wave of heat rushed up her neck, coloring her face as her eyes snapped up to meet his. “Oh, I?—”

“Yes?” He tilted his head. His hand slipped down to cup her ass, squeezing gently.

“I was just… just curious.” There had been more to it than that. Watching had given her the trembles and little flippy feelings low inside. It was exciting to see a spanking, as exciting as it was to receive one, but in a different way.

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