A week slipped by with Valerie scarcely realizing; with little discussion, Dana returned to what passed for normal routine. Valerie’s newly complicated feelings about the situation did not precisely fade, but they mingled with the day-to-day mix of boredom, frustrated arousal, pain, and pleasure.

Dana lay beside Valerie for most of an hour while the girl cried herself out. Valerie would have preferred to be alone in her sorrow, even if that meant curled on the bare mattress in the cell. Telling Dana to go away was not a choice she felt foolish enough to even consider.

A short story about love, pain, and making things worse for yourself.

Valerie felt Dana shift around on the bed; the latex hood obscured her vision, and while the imperfect seal let in a small amount of light, this only served to remind her of how little she could actually see.

Ness slipped out of bed on bare feet, and moved toward the inner bedroom door across wood floors, worn smooth by years and hundreds of different guests’ boots. She had kept one of the towels tied around her as a makeshift dress before bed, hesitant to sleep naked in an unfamiliar place— their clothes were not meant to be returned until some time in the morning. She was grateful for that choice.

The bath was incredible. Ness moaned in simple ecstasy as she lowered herself into the hot water. After days— weeks? She had lost count— of living rough and of so much walking, the feeling was absolutely exquisite. She swore she would never step foot outside a city again.

Valerie stretched her arms out to relieve the ropes’ pull on her wrists. She opened and closed her hands, trying to find even a little slack. The ropes were tight, and not quite painful; and as long as she did not pull on them too hard, there was none of the tingling numbness that would indicate danger.

Phaine stared down at the tankard of ale like she was a gambler and she thought the beer was bluffing.

“Do you want to use your safe word, now?” Valerie blinked at Dana, eyes wide in surprise. As she processed that feeling, some pieces started to fall into place for her. Dana had spoken of fear, and Valerie realized the woman thought that fear was all that kept her.

Valerie finished tidying, and Dana and Lucca still had not returned. She showered, and between the caffeine from her tea and the almost-scalding water, she felt fully awake afterward; if not entirely clear-headed. Her time with Lucca had left her exhausted and something like sated; but another day and night had passed and with nothing left to occupy the time, her mind wandered.