Page 10 of His Plaything

The more he fretted, the more inviting the bed looked. Seth was tired, and the bed had been so comfortable last time. He didn’t want to wait up for nothing.

Tomorrow Clark had suggested breakfast. Seth guessed now it was probably to be polite, since it was obvious the man did nothing by halves. It was likely that Seth would never see him again, after this. If Clark had just wanted one thing from Seth, and then decided Seth wasn’t worth even that, then…

Feeling disheartened, Seth climbed into bed and closed his eyes. Sleep thankfully came for him swiftly.

***

Seth had set his alarm for eight. Though he normally would have happily slept in, having a shift that would go late into the evening, it felt impolite to be lazy when he was staying over at someone else’s house.

Plus, Clark had invited Seth for breakfast, so he couldn’t just lounge about in bed. Seth wanted to make the most of this meal, especially since he was so certain it might be the last meal they’d ever share.

Anxiety had him up fifteen minutes before his alarm rang. Seth made sure to switch off the alarm so it wouldn’t make noise, before sitting up in bed.

What should he do?

Though he was loath to leave Clark’s lovely, warm guest bed, the smart thing to do would be to get up and get ready for the day. Then he’d go downstairs and see Lydia again. The embarrassment of that thought crawled up his neck. He couldn’t imagine what Clark’s staff would think, seeing Seth again.

No, he could imagine it, was the thing. It had him blushing hot.

There wasn’t much of a choice, really. He didn’t think he could sneak out of this estate without drawing some attention, and he’d never attempt it considering how polite and kind Clark had been to him.

Best then just to suck it up and get it over with. Seth certainly didn’t need to dwell on everything by himself up here. He needed to face the music and then move on with his life. Enjoy the last few moments Clark allowed him to have, before he too was something else in Seth’s life that disappeared.

Seth pushed the covers off of himself and then remade the bed for something to do, before heading to the bathroom. As he was brushing his teeth, he cast a longing glance at the shower. If he was at his own house, he’d be taking a shower to start the day. Should he go for it? He was going to be having breakfast with Clark, and Seth wanted to be as presentable as possible, even if he was in yesterday’s clothes.

Plus, having a shower here meant that Seth wouldn’t have to shower at his own place, where he was always racing himself to wash up as quickly as possible. With sharing the house with so many people, he never felt like he was allowed to take his time.

It wasn’t even eight yet. He didn’t think Clark would mind, if Seth just… helped himself. He’d told Seth where the towels were, after all.

He finished brushing his teeth and once again looked at the toiletries that had been provided this time. The shampoo, conditioner, and bodywash stared back at him.

Was he doing this?

Decision made, Seth shucked the pajamas Clark had given him to wear, folding them neatly and setting them on the bathroom counter. Then, he grabbed the three bottles and slid back the frosted glass shower door.

It took a moment to figure out the taps. There was one more tap than there should be, which Seth quickly found out controlled the intensity of the water from the overhead shower head. He switched through the modes until he found one that seemed like a normal enough spray.

When the water was heated, he stepped inside.

It was an encompassing experience. He’d never used a shower where the water was coming from directly above instead of out the side, but it gave a similar feeling to being caught in a rainstorm. He let it drench him, warm him through to his bones, and then reached for the body wash.

Seth didn’t think he should linger too long in the shower, but he found himself moving slowly through the washing anyway. The water was wonderfully hot, and the scent of the bottles he’d brought in with him was aromatic. He rolled his head under the spray when he was clean, feeling the tension in his shoulder release in degrees.

At least if this was over, he wouldn’t have to wonder about Clark anymore. He wouldn’t have to fret about making a good impression or sit tense and uncertain, waiting for one of those exciting touches of his.

Seth sighed, tipping his head back to let the water hit his face. He’d also never enjoy such a wonderful shower again, never sit in an immaculately designed kitchen and be fed chef-prepared meals.

Never again hear the soft, deep tones Clark used when he called him agood boy.When he laughed at something Seth had said.

Seth’s hand wandered down his stomach and to his hip. He knew he had to get out of the shower, but he didn’t want to. Getting out would mean he would have to get dressed, go downstairs, and face it. He’d have to go back out into the cold and put all this behind him.

His hand crept further in, sliding across his own thigh. He remembered that night in the kitchen, the way Clark had touched him. He didn’t know where he’d gone wrong, but he wanted to go back to that. He wanted to be someone that Clark wanted, someone that Clark would–

A sharp, loud set of knocks crashed through Seth’s thoughts. He tore his hand away from body as if it had burned him.Fuck– had he been too long in the shower? Was that Clark coming to see why Seth was still in his room?

His hands fumbled for the shower knobs, turning them off. Quickly, he grabbed the towel and haphazardly wrapped it around his hips. He knew he shouldn’t have helped himself to this additional luxury. It was too much, and Clark had already been so generous with him.

Another knock sounded out. Seth hurried to the bathroom door and opened it, moving across the bedroom for the door.

---