Chapter Three
There was a long pause in the room that Scar chose to fill with very loud chomping noises. If she chomped loud enough, then maybe she wouldn’t hear the silence coming from Briar.
“Scarlet?”
Scar did not answer. Her internal Big was yelling at her, telling her that she’d fucked up, but her Little was convinced of the complete opposite. She nibbled on the teether some more.
“Scarlet.” This time, Briar’s voice was stern and Scar hurriedly looked up.
“W’at?”
“Do you… do you really mean that? That you wish I was your Daddy?”
Two sides of her warred, but her littlest Little, the most vulnerable side of her won out. “Uh huh.”
“I haven’t had a Little in a long time; I’m not sure I even know how to be a good Daddy anymore.”
Well that was just silly. Scar looked pointedly at the chocolate wrapper, the empty glass of water and the plate that she’d eaten the cheese and crackers off.
“That’s just being a good person.”
Reluctantly, Scar took the teether out of her mouth and waved it at Briar.
“Oh, yes. I see your point.”
“’xactly,” said Scar, and went back to nibbling on her teether.
Briar seemed to have forgotten her innate Daddy-ness, but it was probably better to let her work it out for herself.
Scooting back into the corner of the couch, Scar watched with interest as the other woman started pacing back and forth.
“We’d need to take it slow—although what am I saying, Daddy/Little dynamics are rarely taken slow, it’s almost impossible when you’re swept up by a Little one. Damn it, Scar, I run the club. I need to keep an eye on all the Littles, and not be distracted by one adorably bratty one—”
Scar preened at that.
“—but maybe it would be good for me. It’s been a while since I played as well.” She stopped pacing and stared at Scar. “Scarlet, when was the last time that you played with someone.”
Scar squirmed under her gaze. “I dids coloring wiv Koa last week.”
“That’s not what I meant, and you know it.”
It was an awkward question, and answering it was likely to drag Scar back out of the Littlespace that she was very happily occupying. So she shrugged and went back to her teether.
Briar mused out loud. “I’ve never seen you play with anyone at the club, maybe you’re not into kink? You did throw the leather strap across the room…”
That had Scar sitting up and shaking her head.
“Oh so you do like kink.”
The shaking turned to nods.
“But then…”
Scar sighed, her Big nudging her Littlespace aside.
If Briar really was wanting to talk about trying out a dynamic, then she shouldn’t really be in Littlespace.
Not for any negotiations. “I haven’t played since we talked about sub frenzy.
” Her voice came out louder and deeper than she intended, and she flinched slightly.
“But that was years ago.” Briar said, shocked.
She shrugged. “You were right. I was so caught up in wanting to feel something other than the hurt that he left me with, that I wasn’t looking after myself, wasn’t keeping myself safe. I couldn’t be discerning and so I decided I was better off as a solo Little.”
“You’re Big now.” Briar looked slightly sad.
Smiling ruefully, Scar shook her head. “That’s okay; it’s not the kind of conversation that I can have from my Littlespace. Anyways, I realized that I like being discerning, and looking out for others—hence going for the Little Liaison position. How about you?”
“I haven’t really played since we set up the club. I tried the first couple of months, but I let her down. There’s just so much to do, all of the time…” Regret painted her face for a brief moment, before falling away. “I love the club, it’s just a lot.”
“So you don’t have time for a Little.”
“Not quite. More like, it never occurred to me that someone could want a Daddy who’s so…
busy. Who has to give her attention to lots of other people, including other Littles.
” Briar met Scar’s gaze. “With all my responsibilities, I can’t be a Little’s whole world, and anything less feels like failure. ”
Scar reached out and patted Briar on the head, her fuzz prickly beneath Scar’s hand.
“What was that for?” The question could have been indignant, but it wasn’t. She could hear laughter dancing beneath Briar’s words.
“It always amazes me how silly Daddies can be sometimes. I don’t need you to be my whole world.
I don’t want you to be my whole world—that seems wildly unhealthy to me.
I want someone to cherish me and our time together; to laugh with me when we’re happy; to hold me when I’m sad. But I don’t want or need all of you.”
“Huh.” Briar sat down heavily on the couch next to Scar. “You really mean that, don’t you?”
“Of course I do!” Scar nudged Briar’s shoulder with her own. “Different Littles have different needs. I don’t want to be my littlest Little all the time, anymore than I want to be a Middle all the time. I want to just be me.”
“And you want me to be your Daddy.”
That felt like a very weighted statement. Scar could see the tension in Briar’s shoulders and she wasn’t entirely certain how to alleviate it. She supposed she would have to be as careful with Briar, as Briar had been with her.
“I said that I wish you were my Daddy. Because you were kind and careful with me, and because you seemed to know exactly what I needed in the moment. And because bratting you makes me laugh.”
“Does it now?” Her shoulders had loosened slightly, and Scar could see Briar’s breathing even out.
“It does indeed. All of that suggests that you’d be a great Daddy, but I don’t want you to be my Daddy, because you think you have to after one small meltdown. I’d have melted down after seeing him, no matter who was around.”
“But I looked after you okay?”
Scar took Briar’s hands in hers. “You looked after me amazingly. Food, water, comfort and chocolate—all top of my aftercare needs, and my post-meltdown care needs are the same. You did great, and I really appreciate it. Enough that I felt safe enough to go that Little.”
“Yeah, I’ve never seen you go that Little before.”
She pulled a face. “I don’t usually, not around other people. But that doesn’t mean that you’re obliged to do anything.”
Briar looked vaguely offended. “Obliged? I know that I’m not obliged to be your Daddy. But had you ever considered that I might like it?”
Scar had not. Not really.
When she’d daydreamed about Briar taking her in hand after a bratting session, she’d never actually considered the possibility that it might come true.
“You… you…”
“Not such a smartass now, are you?” Briar grinned at her, and squeezed her hands. “If I hadn’t liked your bratting me very Saturday night, I’d have changed the rota, Scarlet. I must admit that you bratting me makes me laugh too. And I’ve certainly considered…”
Scar held her breath. Wait. Wait. Was this seriously happening?
“Well, how about we try it out? Try out being Daddy and Little girl. Would you like that?”
“Yes.” That single word contained all the hope that Scar had ever held.
“Just Daddy and Little girl? Or would you like… more?”
Briar was blushing. Briar was blushing. Well if that wasn’t the most adorable thing that Scar had ever seen. And fuck yes she’d like more.
“I would like all of the more,” she said, leaning forward until her lips were a mere breath from Briar’s. “I’d like the play and the kink and the…” She dropped her eyes to Briar’s lips. “…kisses.”
And Briar kissed her.