Page 4 of His Plaything

“That’s good to hear.” Clark finished with the coat closet, and then with a hand to Seth’s shoulder, guided him further into the house. His hand dropped away as they got to the stairs, but Seth still felt the heat like a brand, sinking through the layers of his clothing, warming the winter chill out of him.

He’d forgotten how easily Clark could put his hands on Seth. How a single touch could scramble him up and leave him breathless. Clark took up all the space in a room, like a gravitational force. It was dangerous.

“How was your holiday?” Clark asked as they started up the stairs.

“Oh, good,” Seth said. “Quiet. Nothing too exciting.”

“No family gatherings?”

“Not really,” Seth said, feeling as though he was admitting to something he shouldn’t be. “It’s just my dad, and we don’t talk much.”

“Ah. That sounds lonely,” Clark said, turning to him at the top of the stairs.

Seth avoided his eyes. “It’s fine. I’m used to it.” And if Seth didn’t think about it, it didn’t make him melancholy about what he sometimes wished he had. He hurried to change the subject. “How was your holiday?”

“Busy,” Clark said after a moment's pause. “I have a large extended family, with lots of nieces and nephews. That, along-side all the business obligations left me little time for leisure. A little quiet was in short supply.”

Busy. Seth should have guessed as much. He felt a sudden shame at not considering the reason for Clark’s silence was just that he had a lot on his plate. He was important. There were likely a lot of demands on his time.

“Do you have more business functions you have to go to?” Seth asked.

Clark sighed. They’d just come up to a door and the man opened it, gesturing Seth inside. “Hopefully this upcoming one will buy me some time off in the new year.”

Seth walked into the room. It was easily twice the size of the guestroom he’d stayed in before, and it had one of the nicest and biggest beds he’d ever seen in real life– all beautiful dark wood with an intricately carved headboard. On one side the bed was a matching stand that held an ipad, a cell phone, and a stack of books. Beside the bed on the floor were a comfortable pair of slippers. It had all the touches of a space that was lived in regularly. It had all the decadence that Seth had seen sprinkled throughout the rest of the house.

They walked past the bed and the little sitting area that took up the other half of the room. Clark reached for a set of double-doors, and opened them to reveal a wardrobe.

It wasn’t even a closet, really, but an entire room. Seth followed him, looking at all the rows of suits and crisply pressed shirts. On the far wall was a full length mirror that was built in, and down the center of the space was a small sitting couch one could rest on.

“It’s this here,” Clark said, showing him to a separate garment rack that had been placed in the room. There were several sealed garment bags hanging on it, and Clark unzipped the one on the end.

Seth had a moment of unreality. He was in this man’s bedroom in a wardrobe that looked like it should belong to a celebrity. How was Sethhere?

“Button’s on its last thread,” Clark said. A moment later an arm was coming around Seth’s waist, guiding him to stand beside Clark and close enough he could see the button in question. Seth tried to keep breathing normally, and not freak out over a simple hand on his waist.

“Oh,” Seth managed, relieved his voice had come out steady. “Oh, that’s no problem.” The suit was a lovely dove gray with a button that was indeed hanging by a thread. Luckily, Seth was fairly positive he had a color in his sewing kit that would match.

“Wonderful,” Clark said. “I looked forward to watching you work.”

Seth ducked his head, face hot, and made himself pull away from Clark’s arm so he could shrug off his backpack. “Where do you want me?”

Clark chuckled. “I’m happy enough with you in my bedroom.”

Seth nearly swallowed his tongue. “I mean–to do the sewing?”

“Of course,” Clark said, voice still rich with amusement. “So did I.” He plucked the suit off the clothing rack before his hand found the small of Seth’s back again. “The light in my room is much better, and there’s a nicer place for you to sit down.”

“Oh,” Seth squeaked. “Right, yeah.”

“Come along,” Clark said, leading Seth out of his closet. It was all Seth could do to move and not stumble, still clutching his backpack.

It was a little easier to breathe back in Clark’s bedroom because there was more space. It was stillClark’s bedroomthough,and Seth couldn’t help that his gaze kept falling to that big bed. The enormous, handsome thing was fitting for Clark. Resplendent and finely-made. He would look like a king on those sheets.

Seth tore his gaze away, occupying himself with unzipping his backpack and pulling out his sewing kit. “Where–” He caught himself before he slipped again. “Um, where would you like me to work?”

“Would this be comfortable?” Clark asked, motioning at the little sitting area. There was a nice, padded leather chair and footrest next to a lamp and small table. Seth at once was struck with an image of Clark dressed down like he’d been that snowy night, sitting here in that chair. Reading something, maybe with a glass of wine.

Cozy but… lonely, in this big room by himself.

---