Page 49 of Saving Little Clark

I pulled back with a start, eyes wide and heart pounding. "What?"

Daddy smiled, soft and sure, and reached up to cup my cheek in his palm. "I want to wake up with you every morning and fall asleep with you every night. I want your toothbrush next to mine in the bathroom and your silly novelty coffee mug in the kitchen cupboard. Please say yes."

"Yes, Daddy," I croaked, voice cracking. "A thousand times yes."

With a whoop of laughter, he surged forward and captured my mouth in a searing kiss, pouring every ounce of his joy and relief into the press of lips and slide of tongues. With a last nip to my bottom lip, he drew back, ignoring my whine of protest.

"Much as I'd love to celebrate this momentous decision with a good old-fashioned desk fuck," he purred, "I think it's time we took this somewhere a bit more private, hmm? Wouldn't want to traumatize poor Alex any more than strictly necessary."

I groaned, dropping my head to his shoulder in defeat. "Ugh, fine. But you better make it up to me later, Daddy."

"Oh, I plan to," he vowed, low and intent. "Over and over again. Starting with christening every flat surface in our new home."

Ourhome. God, I'd never heard a sweeter phrase.

By the time I tumbled through the front door of my apartment that night, dizzy with happiness and just the slightest bit smug, Alex took one look at my face and threw his hands up in exasperation.

"Oh god, what now?" he groaned. "Did Brody propose or something?"

I blinked, momentarily thrown. "Not exactly..."

Alex's eyes narrowed. "Clark. Explanation. Now."

For a beat after I told him, there was dead silence. And then, with a whoop of pure, unadulterated glee, Alex launched himself at me, tackling me into a bone-crushing hug.

"That's amazing!" he crowed. "Oh my god, my boy's all grown up and shacking up with his Daddy."

I felt my cheeks heat. "He said he wants a life with me, Alex. Like, a forever kind of thing."

Alex's face softened. "Oh, Clark," he whispered. "Of course, he does. Anyone with eyes can see how crazy that man is about you." He reached out, chucking me under the chin. "Remember all those times back in college? We constantly wondered if we would find a Daddy of our dreams one day."

The next week passed in a giddy blur of packing and planning, stolen kisses and goofy smiles. Moving in with Daddy was every bit as wonderful as I'd imagined, full of laughter, love and the occasional spirited debate over closet space.

But it was the little things, the tiny moments of intimacy and connection, that truly made my heart sing. Like the night I emerged from the bathroom after my shower, toweling my hair dry, to discover Brody sprawled out on our bed, flipping through one of my well-worn novels with a soft, wondering smile on his face.

But the moment that truly stole my breath was the evening I wandered into the living room after a long day at work, only to find Daddy sitting cross-legged on the floor, tongue poking out in concentration as he carefully arranged an assortment of stuffed animals and blocks into a makeshift fort.

He glanced up when I entered, eyes crinkling at the corners. "Hey, baby bug," he greeted, warm and easy. As if it was the most natural thing in the world, him sitting there surrounded by my Little gear.

"I thought we could have a special playdate tonight. We haven't really had a chance to explore this side of things since you moved in, and I want you to know that I'm still all in. That I love every part of you, no matter what."

But the surprises didn't end there. Barely a week after that precious playdate, I came home from work one evening to find Daddy excited.

"Hey baby," he greeted as he met me at the door, smacking an enthusiastic kiss to my lips. "How was your day? No, wait, don't answer that yet. I've got something to show you first."

I blinked, bemused but already charmed by his puppyish eagerness. I let him lead me into the depths of the mansion, past the kitchen and living room and up the stairs. We finally came to a stop outside a nondescript door at the end of the hall, one I'd assumed led to a storage room.

Daddy paused, turning to face me with a suddenly serious expression. "Before we go in, I need you to close your eyes. No peeking, alright?"

I pursed my lips, trying to look stern. "What did you do, Daddy?"

He just grinned, unrepentant. "It's a surprise, baby bug. Close your eyes, and let Daddy show you just how much he loves you."

I obediently let my lids flutter shut. I heard the snick of the door opening, felt his hand at the small of my back guiding me forward.

"Okay. Open."

I did. And promptly forgot how to breathe. Because there, stretching out before me in a riot of color was the most magnificent playroom I'd ever seen.

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