What are you doing New Year's Eve?
A little look back to one of Zach's more memorable "celebrations" during his captivity. You know how it is with whumpers, always ringing things in with a bit of flair
Taglist: @whumpthisway @hurting-fictional-people @lonesome--hunter @crowned-avery @extrabitterbrain @firewheeesky @outofangband @crystalquartzwhump
Warnings: Strangulation/asphyxiation, stress position, death threats, creepy whumper, whumper POV, rope restraints, knife
He'd been so sure, so damned sure, in the midst of his temper tantrum. Emotion had overtaken any sense of self preservation as he'd hissed and spit and railed against his new lot in life.
“You won't kill me, if you would've you'd have done it by now.”
Well, he looked anything but sure now. Eyes blown wide in fear, glassy as they tracked Decker’s movements. Zach’s lips were pulled apart, bearing his teeth—involuntary and desperate, just the body’s attempt to drag more air into its lungs. He was a creature of pure instinct and terror, no thought in his head except survival, every other option out of reach and no way to make it stop.
Decker smiled behind his whisky glass. It really was a picture. He leaned forward to watch the hitch of his boy’s breath, hear the wheeze as it had to work so hard to get down his constricted throat.
“You think so do you? You think you’re worth the air you breathe? Do you think it would be hard to let you go? I mean, the rest of the world already believes you’re dead… it wouldn’t be difficult to write the red in the ledger and put you down for good. No one else would miss you now. Your only worth is how entertaining you are, and if you keep up this type of behaviour… well I couldn’t be blamed for growing tired of it.”
Zach was doing his job of being entertaining now, though. With his arms twisted so high up behind his back that they sat practically between his shoulder blades, and it was such a strain just to keep them there. Zach had no choice or else the other end of the rope which was knotted tightly around his neck would strangle him further. His head was tipped all the way back but it didn’t look like that was offering much relief anymore. Every slip, every twitch of tired muscles, every jerk against the predicament tightened the noose. Decker had tied it that way on purpose. He’d strangle himself without Decker even lifting a finger, eventually.
“Having fun, Gruff?” he asked, tilting his head aside like he really wanted an answer. The amber liquid in his glass swirled invitingly around the bottom. Almost out. “It is New Year’s Eve, we should be celebrating. Could have been, if you’d just kept your head.”
Zach whined, mouth gaping like fish as his shoulders spasmed again. The punishment fit the crime here, or so Decker thought. He’d wasted precious time and effort fighting back and now it was a race to see what arrived first—midnight or Zach’s slide into unconsciousness.
Not that Decker would actually let him die, the kid had been right about that after all. Probably why it irked him so much to hear it said, knowing he didn’t have that threat to hold over Zach to keep him in line. However, a reminder and a brush with the soft all consuming darkness that was all death had to offer would frighten Zach back into shape, at least for a while. Decker might be sure Zach would live to see morning, but he could tell from the look on Zach’s face that his surety was waning with every passing minute.
Decker stood to refill his glass and picked out a new record and placed the needle down, sighing as the static gave way to a slow building melody. Zach shuffled on his knees behind him and made a retching, choked off cough that set the mood even further. It was a quiet way to spend the night, but in his line of work having a quiet night in was less risky than night on the town. His guys didn’t want to be on the job protecting him tonight and he had too many enemies to risk getting drunk away from home.
No, a little alone time with his pet project would do just nicely. Zach might’ve tried to ruin it but really any time he got to watch Zach squirm and suffer soothed the spikes of his own temper. Somehow every bit of rage he had felt over the years after coming up short against Zach’s team flared to life every time Zach stepped a toe out of line. It was a pleasure to beat him back into place until the beast of his own anger was sated and placated. A weird outlet, especially when Zach had paid for his debt a hundred times over already, but he didn’t much care as long as it felt good.
Still, he could be a little merciful when he wasn’t flying off the handle. Putting down his glass he turned and took up another length of rope.
“Want a little relief, Gruff?”
Zach eyed him warily, nostrils flaring as he flicked his eyes between Decker and the offending article in his hands. Finally, he sagged and offered one jerking nod of his head.
The rope fit snugly between his teeth and he was as good as gold, biting down on it when Decker instructed him to. He’d have to be rewarded for that later and Decker made a mental note of it. The rope pulled tight against the corners of Zach’s mouth and he threaded it down until he could drop the ends into Zach’s limp hands.
“Grip it, yes, there you are.”
Zach tried, grasping and struggling, and only when he finally managed to tighten his fist did he realise what he’d been offered. He sobbed, once, and then composed himself. With something to grip—however painful it might be to tug at the sensitive corners of his lips— it was suddenly easier to keep his arms where they needed to be, just a tiny bit more leverage to stop them weighing down on the constrictor knot.
He rocked in place and Decker sat back to enjoy the show as Zach used the new lifeline to hold exhaustion at bay. The bruises Zach would have tomorrow would be delectable. A perfect ring of purple and blue adorning his throat. Decker couldn’t help imagining them and how Zach would flinch as his collar tightened over them, how tender and sore they’d be and how he might huff in pain every time they were touched.
His wrists would be rubbed raw too, perfect to grab and crush until Zach learned to hold still all over again. Like fireworks, they would bloom in beautiful shades and decorate his boy for days to come. Idly, Decker wondered if the sudden explosions of fireworks that would light the sky very soon would startle Zach enough to make the choke hold impossible to breathe through, or if he’d manage to hold it together. Zach must have no idea how much time had passed now, or how close they were to the new year beginning. All his emotion and despair from earlier at reaching another milestone as Decker’s hostage had bled away, Decker wondered if he even remembered what had got him in this position in the first place.
Probably, and probably he was playing over in his mind whether it was worth it, or whether he could have kept his outburst to himself. Decker certainly would have comforted Zach through it if he’d asked… though this was much more fun, just to wring it out of him until Zach was hollow and the emotion had faded away.
Decker leaned back and crossed one leg over the other and let his sharp leather shoe swing and then land squarely on Zach’s chest. Just resting lightly to feel every hitch of laboured breath, every tremble of oxygen-deprived muscles.
As the first gong rang through the room from the mantel clock Decker grinned and slid the knife from the holster strapped to his calf. He leaned over his knees and trailed it over Zach’s shivering torso, up his chest, until he could trace the line of the rope digging into the sensitive skin of Zach’s neck. Zach’s entire face was red, his lips tinged blue, his eyes nearly rolling back in his head. It had been a very long night.
Zach whined and flinched hard when an almighty boom filled the night sky. Decker watched, mesmerised, as the rope cinched further and Zach’s throat audibly clicked between one blast of fireworks and the next.
“Ready to be cut loose so we can go and celebrate properly?”
Something that sounded a lot like please on just a whisper of breath rolled from Zach’s drooling lips.
He danced the knife over the puckered flesh caught underneath the rope and got down on one knee so he could whisper into Zach’s ear. He hummed, took hold of the rope, and sang “And many more…”
Ella Fitzgerald warbled beautifully and the air behind Zach shimmered with the heat from the fireplace and it was perfect.
Ah, but in case I stand one little chance
Here comes the jackpot question in advance
What are you doing New Year's, New Year's Eve?
titsay
ellievsbear
vaporwave
gummygunk
turnnoffyourmind
andulkaphoto
