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It’s been a long damn week. One that’s left Sara feeling out of her own body, hollow and not entirely sure why. She hasn’t been home yet - hasn’t showered off the feeling of being poked and prodded in both body and mind - heading straight to the People Zoo to collect the wayward submissive she’s been notified has been stirring up trouble while they were gone.
She’s slumped on the metal bench in the stark hallway while she waits for his release, elbows propped on her knees, staring blankly at her phone without quite seeing it in front of her.
She’s slumped on the metal bench in the stark hallway while she waits for his release, elbows propped on her knees, staring blankly at her phone without quite seeing it in front of her.
It doesn't take them long to bring him around; he makes them nervous, all long stares and absolute stillness until suddenly he isn't. They don't want him here, where they have to be quick with the depowering sticks or his collar or both.
He's still naked, his clothes folded in his arms, but he doesn't care. He strides over the moment he spots her, dropping the clothes on the bench beside her so he can crouch and look her over.
"Sara."
He's still naked, his clothes folded in his arms, but he doesn't care. He strides over the moment he spots her, dropping the clothes on the bench beside her so he can crouch and look her over.
"Sara."
She hears the footsteps, vaguely aware of the footsteps around her, the presence drawing closer. She knows he’s not a threat - knows that calming air about him all too well by now. But still, she flinches at the sound of her name. Her gaze flitting up to meet his, assessing him quietly a moment.
“Let’s get you dressed. We’re going home.” She gets to her feet, grabbing the shirt he’s dropped next to her.
“Let’s get you dressed. We’re going home.” She gets to her feet, grabbing the shirt he’s dropped next to her.
She’s pointedly ignoring the guards, her jaw clenched tight as she pushes his shirt into his outstretched hand.
“Let’s go home, K,” she says quietly.
“Let’s go home, K,” she says quietly.
He doesn't move for several long seconds, prompting one of the guards to start forward, but the man stops when K shifts his gaze to him for a moment.
He pulls the shirt on, then his pants, and picks his boots up.
"Of course," he mumbles, more for Sara's benefit than anything.
He pulls the shirt on, then his pants, and picks his boots up.
"Of course," he mumbles, more for Sara's benefit than anything.
Sara’s own sharp gaze is nearly enough to nail the guard to the wall, fuming violence behind K’s calm demeanor.
She waits quietly while he dresses, one careful eye on the guards before she reaches a hand out for him.
She waits quietly while he dresses, one careful eye on the guards before she reaches a hand out for him.
Once the guards are no longer actively considering moving forward K ignores them completely. Instead he reaches for Sara's hand, too, and follows her out of the building.
His own frame is veritably singing with all the things he doesn't know and can only imagine has gone on in the last week, with all the things that have happened to him that he's compartmentalizing to think about later, but his attention is steady and silent on her.
"I want to talk when we get to the apartment," he warns her as soon as they're more or less alone outside.
His own frame is veritably singing with all the things he doesn't know and can only imagine has gone on in the last week, with all the things that have happened to him that he's compartmentalizing to think about later, but his attention is steady and silent on her.
"I want to talk when we get to the apartment," he warns her as soon as they're more or less alone outside.
Her hand is cold, tense in his, her pace clipped as she all but drags him out of the building and back towards their apartment. She’s silent, ignoring his steady gaze on her, ignoring everything but the path back home.
“Bout what?” It’s meant as a joke, but it’s hollow too. There’s a lot to catch up on. A lot neither of them are going to like hearing about.
“Bout what?” It’s meant as a joke, but it’s hollow too. There’s a lot to catch up on. A lot neither of them are going to like hearing about.
By contrast, K's hand is warm, steady. She can pull against him but he holds a steady pace out of the building, refusing to rush, to run to hide.
He allows himself to be pulled along more readily once they're a few blocks away and out of sight. He also doesn't answer. She knows.
"You can have a seat on the couch," he suggests once they're inside. He's the same person who disappeared, the same menories, but something changed in the interim, something that makes him more willing to be forceful. To be assertive. "I'll get us something to drink."
He allows himself to be pulled along more readily once they're a few blocks away and out of sight. He also doesn't answer. She knows.
"You can have a seat on the couch," he suggests once they're inside. He's the same person who disappeared, the same menories, but something changed in the interim, something that makes him more willing to be forceful. To be assertive. "I'll get us something to drink."
Constant K.
They find that comfortable silence that tends to settle between them, but there’s tension heavy in the air. Too many things on the edge of being said, all of it itching to be let out.
She doesn’t argue at his direction once they’re inside. Doesn’t seem to have the energy for it, the air deflated from inside her. Ava’s there to greet them, circling K’s legs before climbing onto the couch next to Sara.
She strokes Ava’s head distractedly as she waits, lost in her own thoughts.
They find that comfortable silence that tends to settle between them, but there’s tension heavy in the air. Too many things on the edge of being said, all of it itching to be let out.
She doesn’t argue at his direction once they’re inside. Doesn’t seem to have the energy for it, the air deflated from inside her. Ava’s there to greet them, circling K’s legs before climbing onto the couch next to Sara.
She strokes Ava’s head distractedly as she waits, lost in her own thoughts.
K takes the time to murmur to Mango as she comes to lean against his legs, all eager energy and wagging tail but anxious, too. She hasn't seen him in a week but she knows something is wrong, too.
When she's settled more he brings a double for them each from one of Sara's stash, and a glass of water besides. He claims a seat on the open side of her, and holds out the alcohol.
"Are you injured at all?"
When she's settled more he brings a double for them each from one of Sara's stash, and a glass of water besides. He claims a seat on the open side of her, and holds out the alcohol.
"Are you injured at all?"
Ava squirms for attention, crawling into Sara’s lap even though she’s far outgrown it. She sprawls, pawing for Sara’s fractured attention, a faint whine caught in her throat.
Sara blinks when she hears K’s voice again, taking the glass and returning a hand to rub Ava behind the ears.
“No,” she answers with a shake of her head, glancing him over again. She’d seen pretty immediately that he wasn’t injured - at least, that he was currently in one piece. “Did they hurt you?”
Sara blinks when she hears K’s voice again, taking the glass and returning a hand to rub Ava behind the ears.
“No,” she answers with a shake of her head, glancing him over again. She’d seen pretty immediately that he wasn’t injured - at least, that he was currently in one piece. “Did they hurt you?”
"You know they did," he answers calmly. He doesn't have any significant marks on him, but he heals quickly, he takes a lot to put down, and they like to be powerful.
But he shakes his head as he sips his drink.
"But nothing that'll stick. I mostly need a shower." And a cigarette, but he's focused on her now. "You?"
But he shakes his head as he sips his drink.
"But nothing that'll stick. I mostly need a shower." And a cigarette, but he's focused on her now. "You?"
Her lips thin into a line. She knows damn well what they did to him, and it itches at her just imagining what they’d do to remind him of his place. How much he’d resist it. How much hell they’d give him because of it.
She knocks back half her glass, setting it down on the couch’s armrest.
“I’m fine,” she responds, as if she hasn’t said it a million times before. As if she won’t continue saying it a million times more.
She knocks back half her glass, setting it down on the couch’s armrest.
“I’m fine,” she responds, as if she hasn’t said it a million times before. As if she won’t continue saying it a million times more.
K sips at his drink, watching. She isn't fine. He doesn't even need to look at her to know that much, to know there's no way that's true. He's also not expecting any different from her, not really.
"We'll both feel better cleaned up," he suggests, watching to see if she flinches, if she draws away from the idea or agrees.
"We'll both feel better cleaned up," he suggests, watching to see if she flinches, if she draws away from the idea or agrees.
Her fingers twitch against Ava’s fur, but she distracts herself with massaging the pup’s ears quietly.
“Mm,” she mutters, and there’s a delay in the way her gaze flits up to meet his. “Yeah. Yeah, okay.”
“Mm,” she mutters, and there’s a delay in the way her gaze flits up to meet his. “Yeah. Yeah, okay.”
She watches him a moment, considering. He wants so badly to talk, and she knows how damn hard it is when her walls go up. She's been trying to get better at it, but times like these... it only gets harder.
She slips out from under Ava's weight, the pup pawing and whining at her before she leans down to give another head rub.
"Come on," she murmurs, reaching a hand out for him to lead the way upstairs.
She slips out from under Ava's weight, the pup pawing and whining at her before she leans down to give another head rub.
"Come on," she murmurs, reaching a hand out for him to lead the way upstairs.
Wanting to talk is... not exactly an accurate representation. He thinks she needs to, that she'd be better for it. He wants to know how to help, what she's feeling in her own words and why.
He also knows if she doesn't talk to someone, she'll self destruct eventually. He doesn't want that to be now.
K watches her petting Ava, offers the dog an ear rub of his own before standing with her; then he stands to take her hand, and doesn't hesitate to turn and lead the way up.
He also knows if she doesn't talk to someone, she'll self destruct eventually. He doesn't want that to be now.
K watches her petting Ava, offers the dog an ear rub of his own before standing with her; then he stands to take her hand, and doesn't hesitate to turn and lead the way up.
Maybe she does. And maybe she will, eventually, but she's never been good at it. Never known how to comfort him properly either, but with her own presence and a shared cigarette.
She follows his lead, anchored by the warmth of his hand, heading up the stairs and towards the master bedroom. She's quiet as she strips off her shirt, her pants, her boots and socks, reaching into the shower to crank up the heat of the water.
She follows his lead, anchored by the warmth of his hand, heading up the stairs and towards the master bedroom. She's quiet as she strips off her shirt, her pants, her boots and socks, reaching into the shower to crank up the heat of the water.
He's heard a lot of things coming out of... whatever this was. The guards talk when they think no one is listening, and they're usually grateful that whatever is happening to the LIERs isn't happening to the natives. Some go so far as to openly state they deserve it.
So he leads her up to the bedroom, but he waits to see if she'll balk at him joining her, at undressing in front of him. He's not here to make her uncomfortable. He's here to make sure she's alright.
But she doesn't hesitate and, after a moment, he pulls his shirt off again too. He steps out of the rest of what he pulled on at the Zoo, and shifts over beside her, head tipped to look her over and make sure of her answer from earlier.
So he leads her up to the bedroom, but he waits to see if she'll balk at him joining her, at undressing in front of him. He's not here to make her uncomfortable. He's here to make sure she's alright.
But she doesn't hesitate and, after a moment, he pulls his shirt off again too. He steps out of the rest of what he pulled on at the Zoo, and shifts over beside her, head tipped to look her over and make sure of her answer from earlier.
There's no balking from her. Just a numb undressing, as if she's simply going through the motions, no heat, no anticipation in it.
His gaze seeks out her own and she meets it with weariness, with the hollow resolve of someone who's just putting one foot in front of another. Because isn't that what they do, after all this time? Bear it, over and over again?
She takes his hand and pulls him into the shower, closing her eyes a moment as she lets the scalding heat wash over her.
His gaze seeks out her own and she meets it with weariness, with the hollow resolve of someone who's just putting one foot in front of another. Because isn't that what they do, after all this time? Bear it, over and over again?
She takes his hand and pulls him into the shower, closing her eyes a moment as she lets the scalding heat wash over her.
Every living creature knows what it is, if they do in fact know, to just get through the day, to keep putting one foot in front of the other. K is not exempt from this, and it aches to see the way she's not even really paying attention, the way it's muscle memory more than anything to move.
He allows himself to be pulled in, and after a moment eases into position under the spray while it's still hot, taking the brunt while he reaches back to adjust it. When it's a bit more reasonable - still hot, but not at risk of burning someone clearly sunken into numbness - he turns them again so they're face to face, standing sidelong under the spray.
He holds up the washcloth and the soap in silent question.
He allows himself to be pulled in, and after a moment eases into position under the spray while it's still hot, taking the brunt while he reaches back to adjust it. When it's a bit more reasonable - still hot, but not at risk of burning someone clearly sunken into numbness - he turns them again so they're face to face, standing sidelong under the spray.
He holds up the washcloth and the soap in silent question.
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