She didn't like the fact that he wasn't willing to let her go, but she did understand the logic that this person that had taken her would likely come looking for her again if she went back to life as normal. The information that he was giving her made her head spin. This person was some kind of shapeshifter and they had decided that she was someone whose identity was worth stealing.
"I-I... My name is Heather Gordon. I'm just a secretary for Congressman Singer." She didn't understand how that made this happen to her. He was right though, there had to be something and the only thing that made sense was her job. There had to be people more powerful that had less security than the congressman himself. But, it did make some sense as she thought about it. "N-nobody would even notice... Nobody ever a-actually looks at me. I don't have any family, I barely socialize. I'm an easy target." She pursed her lips together, trying to pull herself together a bit. "It's b-because I'm a loser."
She didn't think she could feel worse than just being kidnapped and locked away in a suitcase. But, realizing that she was in this whole situation because she was nobody hurt. Heather was lonely, but she had never thought that the way she lived her life would put her in such a horrible situation. "Can't I just... I could just resign? Right? Th-that's what's so important, my stupid job. I could just not do that anymore. It'd be safe to just send me home."
It felt a little stupid trying to barter to go home when she was bound naked in a suitcase, but it seemed like she might have a chance if she just quit her job when she was returned.
Eddie kept a steady gaze on her as she spoke, letting her get through her thoughts without interruption. He knew from experience that sometimes, simply letting someone talk it all out of their system without prompting or guidance could yield the most useful information.
Of course her circumstances would make her into an easy target. If, indeed, she was unlikely to be missed or even noticed, then it wouldn’t take much effort for someone to steal her identity.
When she took a long moment to consider what she’d just said, he pursed his lips and bobbed his head somberly at her. “Tell you what, Heather Gordon… I know a little somethin’ about bein’ a loser,” he said, and for a moment he felt his heart go out to her.
When she again tried to plead her case to be returned home, he blasted a sigh through his nose. “Sorry, but goin’ back to normal just can’t happen right now, no matter how much you might want it. Think about it. Why’d your kidnapper keep you alive? Maybe they think you know something they don’t. Or maybe they need you as a livin’ reference. See? Too many question marks here. Best chance for you to get outta this nightmare is…”
He lets his shoulders slump in a reluctant sigh. “…yeah. We’re gonna have to take you with Us, for now. An’ unfortunately that means you’re gonna have to hold tight in here.”
Heather shivered, whimpering and shaking her head as he said that she needed to stay there. "N-no... No, please? Please d-don't do this? J-just... You c-can just let me go? I swear, I w-won't... I won't tell anyone. Please?" She was terrified. This person hadn't done anything to her, but she was still literally bound in a suitcase in the back of the car. It was not something that made someone feel very safe.
She found out that she'd been kidnapped by a shapeshifter who was likely trying to kill her boss using her face to do it. Heather had gone on all of three dates in the past year and it seemed that each one was determined to be worse than the last. But, honestly, this one just absolutely took the cake. "I'll g-go off the grid. I'll become a nun. My momma always wanted me to do somethin' good for others. I'll become a nun an' you'll never ever hear anythin' about me again. I swear.
She didn't know what to do. She was fully panicking because she wasn't sure how to get to go back. She didn't even need her entire life back. Her life wasn't that great. It was good and she was completely fine being nobody. But, it didn't make her feel rooted to that life. She could drop it and just become a nun. After how this 'date' was going, she was more than willing to swear off men and live tucked away in a convent.
Eddie’s lips twisted to one side as Heather continued to plead for release. It was a sadly familiar song. He almost wanted to admit to her that she was far from the first captive he’d ever had… though the previous ones had been food or bait, never meant for the long term. In that aspect, Heather was his first.
"Honey bun, I get you’re probably scared to death right now an’ you wanna be at the bargaining phase real bad, but problem is… long as that shapeshifter is out there tryin’ to steal your life, you’re in danger, no matter what you do with yourself.”
With that statement, he pressed the rubber ball of the gag to her lips and wedged it between her teeth, then clamped his hand across her filled mouth while his other hand worked to cinch the buckles back into place. The lock, though, he slid into his pocket.
“I get it’s not gonna look or feel like it right now… but We’re gonna do Our best to keep you safe.”
He stroked her cheek, then leaned down and pressed a chaste kiss to her forehead.
“We’re goin’ somewhere I can let you outta there and give you some clothes an’ food. Hang tight.”
He gently pushed her back down into the suitcase and zipped it closed, then shut the trunk and returned to the driver’s seat. This was going to be a long and very interesting night.
~°~
An hour and a half later, Eddie was reopening the trunk and pulling out the suitcase containing Heather. Wordlessly, he bore the case up a flight of split-level stairs, and then there was the sound of a lock being opened, followed by the distinct sensation of crossing a threshold.
Eddie double-locked the door behind him and put the suitcase down on a soft surface. When he unzipped and opened the lid, the interior of the case was flooded with the off-white of motel lighting.
“Rise an’ shine, honey bun,” he murmured, reaching into the case to scoop her fully up into his arms.
When he put the gag back into her mouth, she tried to shake her head and use her tongue to force the gag back out. Heather whimpered and cried, pleading behind the gag for him to let her go. Heather swore that she wasn't anything important and that she would give up even the little life she'd made if he would just let her go. She sobbed, shaking her head and pleading behind the gag as she tried to wiggle in the binds. As he kissed her forehead, Heather was still. He hadn't hurt her, it just surprised her and she was terrified.
Heather started trying to struggle when he told her to hang tight and shut the suitcase. She continued to struggle and plead for a few minutes before finally just getting tired enough to sit still. Time didn't really mean anything to her from inside the case, losing track of it as they drove. The only thing that really jolted her was the case being taken from the trunk. She struggled and tried to make some kind of noise behind the gag in case it was a public place. Some part of her was sure that he wouldn't allow someone else to find her, but she had to try.
When light finally flooded the case, she blinked slowly and winced. She shivered in his arms, trembling in fear and for the fact that she was naked. Heather was more afraid now, sobbing and pleading behind the gag. Her entire body shook as she panicked and tried to frantically do anything to not have this all be happening. She was nobody. This kind of thing wasn't supposed to happen to a nobody.
Eddie wasn’t indifferent to, or ignorant of, Heather’s efforts to make noise inside the suitcase… but he’d chosen his location carefully. And as he held her to his chest, he watched her for a long moment, allowing her to wriggle and squirm in her bonds without making any attempts to convince her not to.
It was only when she sagged, panting through her nose and around the edges of her lips, that he finally cooked an eyebrow at her. “I know you’re not even all done with this,” he advised her, “but I didn’t want you in that suitcase anymore. Your limbs gotta be stiff as boards, an’ I can only imagine how sore your back is. So here’s what’s happenin’ next… I’m gonna lay you out on the bed, nice an’ slow, give you a chance to stretch at least a little bit.”
He turned in place, still holding her aloft, letting her look around at the accommodations. It was a modest motel room… single bed, tube television, clock radio on the bedside table.
“Now, We wanna help you out. But it’s gonna have to be on Our terms.”
He set her down on the bed slowly, giving her limbs several moments to get used to the shift in posture. He made a point of laying her on the side she hadn’t been trapped on inside the suitcase as he examined the straps securing her wrists and elbows behind her.
His hand dipped into his pocket and withdrew the small lock he’d stowed there earlier. With his free hand, he circled her neck, not gripping it hard but using it as leverage while he slid the lock into place through the gag buckles, ensuring it stayed in place.
Then his fingers took to the straps holding her wrists and arms, and tugged the buckles apart, finally letting her arms fall free.
“Take your time,” he encouraged, as he stepped back and away. “Gimme a sec, lemme grab you a towel.”
A moment later, he was retrieving the largest towel available from the tiny bathroom and bringing it to her, setting it down beside her. Then he frowned when he noticed the stream of saliva trickling from the corners of her lips and down the front of her chin. “Probably should do somethin’ about that, too…”
And without even thinking about it, a tentacle made of liquid black erupted from the center of his palm and snaked through the air and into the bathroom, from which it pulled a washcloth. In less than a moment’s time, the tentacle was retracting back into his hand and bringing the washcloth amidst his fingers.
He leaned forward, intent on wiping her face and chin with it, like nothing unusual had happened at all.
Heather shivered, looking around the room as he held her up. It seemed like a simple enough place, but being in a hotel room made her think that there might be people around that she could try to communicate with for help. There was also the concern that whoever had originally taken her would be looking for her or that they would get to finish whatever their plan was while she was stuck there. Perhaps she'd run for help and find out that she was wanted for murder.
When he laid her down and told her to take her time, Heather simply nodded. The gag was locked in place, so she couldn't remove it to scream and she'd heard him lock the door. Heather moved slowly, just trying to stretch a bit. It hurt and she whined softly into the gag, but it needed to happen so that she could start moving on her own.
He covered her with the towel and she was thankful for it. Heather normally dressed very modestly, so this amount of nudity was unusual for her. Especially with a man around. He mentioned the drool and Heather couldn't help feeling a bit embarrassed, reaching up slowly to wipe it away. But, the tentacle whipped out of his hand and shot back to him so quickly.
It stunned her. She jumped, her entire body aching as she attempted to move quickly. Heather didn't care that there was a gag obstructing noise and that her throat already hurt from trying to scream so much. She was screaming her head off, pulling away from him and sitting up. Heather held the towel between her knees and her body, holding her knees against her chest to hide herself more. She wiped the drool with the corner of the towel, not wanting to leave it there. She was scared to try to run, knowing that she'd need to get past him and whatever that tentacle was.
Eddie’s eyes rolled up into his head as he realized the sheer stupidity of allowing the symbiote tentacle to be seen. He hadn’t even said a single word to her yet about what he could do. Screaming was a natural reaction to it, of course, but he might have hoped that presenting more gently and compassionately to her would afford him perhaps wide eyes rather than muffled howling.
Well… there was nothing for it now.
He lunged forward and across the bed, straddling her still-bound legs beneath his body weight. He grabbed the back of her neck with one hand and clamping his other across her mouth to further muffle the noise erupting from her.
“Listen!” he hissed, staring into her frightened eyes. “Look, I’m sorry, that wasn’t cool, an’ I get you’re scared outta your mind, but if I wanted to hurt'cha, don’t you think I’d'uh done it by now? Tryin’ to save you from somethin’ way worse, here.”
Then he leaned forward, letting his breath land against her ear. “Now, I really need you to be a good girl for me an’ chill out. You do that for me, I’ll let this gag out again.”
Heather tried to struggle when he grabbed her, but she honestly didn't have very much of a chance. She was scared and didn't have much of an instinct to fight. It was just her swatting at him with her unbound hands until he managed to pin her down. She was a sobbing wreck, unsure how she even had this many tears to still be crying.
He was right and she knew that. He really hadn't hurt her, but he also wasn't planning to let her go. She didn't really know what that meant. Clearly, he could hurt her if he really wanted. Heather screamed for a little while longer, shivering as she finally just ran out of energy. Her eyes fluttered and her body relaxed a bit, screaming finally dropping to whines. Her throat ached and she just couldn't scream anymore. Her muscles had been so tense that she couldn't hold it anymore.
She knew he could outrun her, but a motel meant there had to be someone else around. Someone who could hear her or maybe see her. Her mind was running now that she'd stopped screaming and tensing up. It didn't mean that she knew what to do, just that she was trying to actually think. She nodded slowly, whining into the gag quietly.
It wasn’t until Heather’s whimpers became simply hissing breaths through her nose that Eddie finally lifted his hand from her face, at last providing that little bit of air access around the sphere between her teeth. He pursed his lips at the sight of his own palm, now covered in her saliva.
“For a girl who can’t use her tongue right now, sure managed to lick me anyway,” he remarked wryly, and he gingerly wiped his hand off on his pants. “Takes talent.”
He dipped his hand into his pocket and withdrew the key to the lock keeping her gag in place, then tugged her head forward – he’d never dropped his grip on the back of her neck – and unfastened both lock and buckle.
“Now listen,” he murmured, as he pulled the straps away. “I get we’re strangers and you got no reason at all to trust me, most of all ‘cause I took you an’ you didn’t want me to. Or maybe most of all 'cause I can do scary stuff. I dunno. Just… be chill, would you? For a little bit, anyway. You can tell me you wanna go home, I get it, I want to take you home and let you have your life back, but we gotta lay low for a while. Just… use this chance to ask me stuff an’ tell me what I can get you to eat, 'cause I don’t want you starvin’.”
She glared a bit when he mentioned her licking him, growling a bit into the gag. Heather was aware of him removing the lock and the buckle to the gag, shivering a bit as he pulled the gag away completely. She wasn't sure what to do, but it didn't seem like screaming would do her any good. He was right. This was a chance for her to get some information and food if she was careful.
"I-I..." She took a deep, shaky breath as she tried to get her head together. "I am k-kinda hungry... I'm not picky, I-I swear." Heather wasn't sure how much she could trust him, but she needed to at least cooperate. At least for now. "Wh-what are you exactly? Th-that... That thing from your hand..." Heather didn't know much about people with abilities, but it seemed that she was going to need to start understanding a bit better. She did still consider screaming, but she worried that he would simply be able to quickly quiet her and hide her from anyone who tried to check on them. She needed to be able to move before she could really try anything. "How long do we have to hide? I don't want to be in any trouble or anythin'... I just... I want to go back to normal again."
“A'ight. We can get you somethin’ to eat. Won’t be lavish but a little late night fast food’s gonna be better than whatever KO'ed you right into that suitcase, I’m bettin’.” Eddie took up his phone to put in a drop-off order, wondering briefly why society had taken so long to come up with dashers.
Because Your people are slow to consider helping one another without material compensation. It is a self-destructive failing.
Hey, cool it, peanut gallery.
He lifted his hand and looked at it, wagging his fingers for a moment before flickering his gaze back to Heather. “I’m human. Mostly. Just… got an unusual passenger in my system. Most people like to think He’s a parasite. He prefers the term symbiote. You can probably guess He’s not from around here. Less than a handful'uh His kind in the world. He gets to live in my body, an’ if I need what He can do, He lets me use it.”
He waggled his fingers again and put his hand down. “Complicated relationships an’ all that. Anyway, you wanted to know how long we’re gonna hide out. Truth is I dunno. Need to figure out that shapeshifter’s goal first. What it was doin’ with all those valuables, with you… an’ I think we’re gonna have to play keep-away for a while. Maybe someone in your work office will realize it’s not actually Heather at your desk.”
He aimed a raised eyebrow at her. “Bet I know what you’re thinkin’, 'cause I probably would be, too. 'How can I get away from this weird-ass guy an’ his alien tar baby?’ Truth is, you probably can’t. But even if you did, you’re not gonna get far on your own at this point. We’re gonna help you, but it’s gonna be on Our terms. Might make you uncomfortable, and I’m personally sorry about that. But it is what it is right now. So, when food gets here, let’s enjoy that, an’ then see if you can get some real rest. We’ll get goin’ in the morning.”
Eddie had done his level best to treat Heather with a modicum of compassion during her time with him. They still had the car that he’d found the goods (and her suitcase) inside; after having crossed state lines, it seemed that police were that much less interested in finding them.
Now that they’d finally arrived at a new motel, Eddie had rather expected that she would want to rest properly on her own bed. He’d finally let her out of her bonds several days ago, having proven herself trustworthy enough to not flee, and she’d yet to violate his trust.
He’d even urged his symbiote to recede fully into his body this night, revealing the fullness of his physique – save for what still existed beneath his underwear – as he prepared for a well-deserved night of sleep. So it was to his surprise that Heather had slid off the side of her bed into the divide between the two, and all but planted herself on the floor between his legs. Her eyes seemed to glitter at him as her tongue reached out to his still-hidden manhood and drew an experimental line along it.
His eyes fluttered closed for a moment. It had been way too long since he’d been visited by a woman’s favorable touch… and was there really any harm in letting him indulge?
His hand slid into her mane of blonde hair, and his fingers curled amongst her locks. He offered no actual resistance; it was a wordless reminder to her that he would ultimately be the one in control of what happened to them both.
He squeezed the handful of hair, not to inspire pain but to draw her attention. When her eyes flicked to him, he murmured to her.
“Use your words, Heather.”
send in “LAP” for the sender to guide the receiver down to rest their head in their lap.
Heather shivered as Eddie carefully moved her head onto his lap, whimpering and crying. Sometimes, it all just became too much for her to handle. She had never had too many things, preferring to live simply. But, the anonymity and isolation were starting to get to her. She was trapped with a man that she didn’t know and was frankly afraid of. Heather was a runner, so he did still need to keep her carefully under wraps. It was too much for her and she struggled to cope.
Eddie gently stroked Heather’s hair and back, nodding in sympathy. “I know, babe, I get it. You’re feelin’ helpless an’ stuck in a situation that wasn’t your fault, an’ it’s lonely an’ scary. If you can believe it, I know how a lot of it feels. Maybe not the exact way you’re feelin’ it now, but… S'okay. You can cry it out with me.”
He stroked her hair again, carding his fingers through it and drifting along her scalp. “Might not always seem like it but I wanna make things right for you. So, can you talk to me about what you need most right now? Let me try to figure out some way I can make it happen.”
Heather wasn't stupid, she knew that he always kept the gag within arm's reach in case she started screaming. She was kept bound because she had a tendency to run. She knew he was going to tie her down tightly before bed, but she couldn't help not really caring when he was just holding her and letting her cry.
"I-I... It's just lonely, ya know? I'm used ta bein' locked away. I know it's because that person is still lookin' for me... But, I just miss goin' out in the sun. I just... I miss people." Heather knew he likely couldn't do much to fix that problem. The entire reason she was there was because she couldn't be seen without it being a risk. But, she just wanted to go outside without the rush of him quickly carrying her when they were moving again. This was the most traveling Heather had ever done and she hadn't seen anything.
Eddie felt his heart going out to her for her earnest reply, and his touch upon her became that much more gentle and thoughtful. He’d gotten used to being an outsider in isolation from others, but Heather’s needs couldn’t be the same as his own. And the fact that she was acknowledging the necessity of hiding her away made it all the more heartbreaking that she wanted what seemed so impossible for her to have.
Except…
Eddie shifted in place, and his hands went to work on releasing the straps binding her elbows and her wrists together behind her. As he worked, he quietly asked, “What if there was a way I could let you out in the sun for a day or two, an’ be around people? I mean… I’d have to keep you secure, of course, but if it means that much to you, I’d wanna at least try to meet you halfway on it.”
Heather was confused, but she could understand why he was being so dodgy about details on his plan. She was prone to running, so he likely expected him to expect that from her. "I-I... Um... That sounds alright. I can go outside?"
Her entire life had been turned upside down and she really didn't know how to handle it. The straps releasing made her nervous, shivering a bit as she sat up properly. It had started becoming routine. She was tired, she was always tired. Heather did consider trying something, but she didn't want to fight when he was trying to help her and promising her a chance later. So, Heather didn't fight or try anything. She simply sat up and started removing her clothing for bed. Heather had a tendency to hide knives to try escaping and she'd struggled the first few times, but now she simply blushed and tried to hide her body shyly until she was tied down for the night. She sighed, opening her mouth for the gag. Bedtime was when she was the most restricted because she kept trying to escape.
Eddie gave her a nod. “Yeah. I think we can make it work. You’ll be able to be outside. You’ll be able to be around people. But, you can’t run from me. An’ if you’re able to manage that, then I can come up with more opportunities to let you out and about.”
He made her lie down, then secured each wrist and ankle, each elbow and knee, so that she was spread-eagled face-down on the bed. He already had the chair off to the side set up for himself, a sheet and pillow ready for his use. Even restrained, she would still get the more comfortable accommodation.
He passed his palm along her back and shoulder blades, then affectionately stroked her hair. He could see her open mouth, already waiting for the gag that he’d found her with, but after a sweep of his thumb along her cheek, he shook his head. “Nah. Not gonna strain out your jaw, not gonna make you drool all over yourself tonight.”
Instead, a black tentacle oozed out from the inner joint of his elbow and dipped into the duffel bag in which he’d brought Heather into the room, and withdrew a spool of tape that it deposited in his waiting hand.
He stroked her cheek again before starting to peel a wide strip away from the spool. “Hey. Before lights out. Is there anything else you need? Anything I can give you?”
They’ve already been through a litany of things he couldn’t give her… but it was always a question worth asking each night. It allowed them both to hope things would be a little better each following day.
Heather whined quietly as she was bound to the bed. It was routine, but she was still so nervous about being sprawled out and naked. Heather didn't struggle, simply allowing him to move her as he needed until she was completely bound. She was surprised that he wasn't planning to use the gag, nodding a bit as the tentacle grabbed the tape. That made sense. He did still need to gag her. She would try to scream for help and he'd be asleep. Heather shook her head that she didn't need anything before hesitating. "I-I... Um..."
She was nervous and it did feel stupid. He had her sprawled out on the bed, there wasn't much room. "C-can... Can you... Please? Um... Can you st-stay with me? P-please?" She was struggling to get the words out, starting to cry again. Heather was so nervous and worried. He might be her captor, but she felt so bad inconveniencing him. But, she was so lonely and so scared. Heather was holding on by a thread. She was eating exclusively fast food when she barely had before. She was constantly bound and sometimes gagged. She hadn't been outside of a motel room since getting taken. There was nobody other than him. She needed something to give.
The tremulousness of her voice drove a split between Eddie’s eyebrows. Poor girl. When one took a moment to evaluate what she’d already been through, the only conclusion one could truly draw was that she was at the end of her rope. Her life had been turned completely upside-down and it must have looked as though he was doing so little to help her get back on track. Her space was so narrow, so isolated, and the only person who’s even seen her at all in two weeks, never mind touched her, has been him.
A little comfort was the absolute least he could do.
He stroked her cheek again. “God. Yeah. Of course I’ll do that.” He leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead, then looked her in the eyes. “I’ll be right here with you. An’ just… I know I’m not givin’ you the best life ever. But I swear I’m tryin’.”
He set aside the spool of tape, then stood back, then pulled his shirt up and off, revealing his full musculature beneath. He’d been a football player and a dedicated weight-lifter in a previous life – his muscles had muscles. His pants, however, he left on, a silent acknowledgment that she might be too embarrassed or frightened of what he intended to do with her in such a position.
He picked out a position on the bed settled atop her, but braced so that his weight didnt crush her into the mattress. It was true that with her spread out in the middle of it, things were a bit awkward… but then again, that summed up the entire situation, didn’t it?
The warmth of his chest pressed fully against her back, and his mouth was near her ear as he took up the spool again. The sound of the strip tearing away was loud in the quiet of the motel room.
“This okay?”
She was nervous, shivering anxiously as he moved over her. There was a fleeting thought that he would hurt her, but it left rather quickly. She shivered a bit as he leaned over her body, the sound of the tape making her flinch as it broke the silence. "I-I... Y-yeah. This is a-alright." Heather knew that he wasn't going to let her go ungagged. She was a flight risk, but it was mostly just because she was so anxious.
It was a bit comforting to at least not be alone, so she could handle the awkwardness of the position to have just some of that comfort of not being alone. She wanted just a little time to not be so alone. Heather couldn't move and she would be gagged soon, so she was more than willing to take whatever kind of human contact that she could get.
"I'm alright... It isn't all bad. I just wanna go home an' not have to worry about what's goin' on. I'm not used to bein' stuck in hotel room... But, I'm tryin'.. I don't wanna feel bad all the time..."
Even though he knew she couldn’t see him from this angle, Eddie still nodded in sympathy. “Yeah. I’m hearin’ ya. It’s not really fair. You deserve to have somethin’ better than this, bein’ just trapped in a room or the suitcase all the time. We’re gonna get you out an’ about. I do wanna give you somethin’ to look forward to, an’ feel good about.”
He shifted in place, seeking just the right position for him to settle into atop her. That shifting caused the feel of something solid to brush against the inside of her thigh, and even though it was shrouded by denim, the truth of it was unmistakable. After all, why should it not be?
He hesitated for a moment, wondering if he should say something about it or not. Should he apologize? Pretend he hadn’t noticed? In most other circumstances, this might be a scene of foreplay rather than of actual captivity. If only she didn’t keep trying to run away every time he untied her.
It was on that thought that he finally brought both his hands forward and in front of her face, the strip of tape held between them, and tugged it tightly across her mouth.
“Sleep well,” he murmured.
Heather was anxious as she felt an unmistakable bulge against her thigh. She was always nervous, but he really hadn't done anything to hurt her and she didn't think there was really a reason to worry. So, she didn't mention that it had happened. It was just an awkward position because she was tied down and spread out on the bed. That was fine. It was honestly her fault in a way.
Heather accepted the tape over her mouth, knowing that struggling against it wouldn't really get her anywhere. She was literally immobilized other than her head and he was trying to help. It was better to just let him gag her and it honestly wasn't even that bad. As much as she kind of hated it, she was starting to adjust to their routine. She was lonely, but she had honestly been lonely before. People didn't really talk to her much before all of this, but it was the socialization in general that she had missed. It wasn't like there was anyone in particular to go back to, just a desire to not feel alone.
Once the tape was over her mouth, Heather nodded to his words and closed her eyes to try getting some sleep.
Three Hours Later
–
Had Eddie been sleeping in the chair, nothing would have happened. But he wasn’t sleeping there; instead he was draped across Heather like a man-shaped blanket, and in his sleep, his body had begun shifting about restlessly.
It’s entirely possible that in the haze of unconsciousness, his hands didn’t recognize her for who or what she was. But if one were to reflect on it, one would be hard-pressed to answer for how his hands eventually began to slip across her bare skin at various angles. First her arms, then down her sides and hips… one wound up underneath her, sliding up to cup one of her bare breasts, while the other was drifting ever closer to the divide of her legs.
And he most certainly could not have been asleep when the stubble of his chin grazed against the crook of her neck, and he breathed a gentle warm breath into her ear. It couldn’t have been coincidence that the soft shudder of that breath came in the same moment that the solid bulge which she’d felt earlier was pressing against her asscheek.
Somewhere along the line, he had to know what he was doing… right?
His voice sounded quietly against her earlobe.
“I don’t want you to feel bad all the time… I wanna make you feel good… I’ll stop if you shake your head no… but I’ll keep going if you nod yes.”
She whined softly in confusion as she started feeling someone touching her. Heather was asleep, barely awake as she whined and moaned. The grip on her breast brought a little more attention, making the intention very clear. This wasn't just movement as they slept, this was intentional. The words were very clear even as she drifted along the line between awake and asleep. She nodded slowly, whining into the gag.
Heather was scared and worried that something would happen to her from the moment he found her. But, she wasn't fully awake and that kept her mind a little damped down. She wasn't in panic mode. She was always in panic mode when she was awake. Heather normally needed medication to sleep, but she'd been exhausting herself as she cried or tried to run off. She was also too nervous to tell Eddie what she needed. It would be impossible for him to get for her, so she didn't want to humiliate herself by asking.
Heather just managed the panic and, when it got too bad, she tried to run off. She was a person who constantly felt panic, but she was doing her best to handle those emotions alone until she finally just started crying in his lap.
It wasn’t possible for Eddie to know the things Heather refrained from telling him during the daytime hours, of course, and so their thoughts were unavoidably disparate when it came to notions of helping her manage some sort of stress relief. Even Eddie would have to admit that he was fairly basic in considering solutions regarding the management of emotional and psychological health… though that was surely owed to his own circumstances growing up.
Not that it was anything he felt like thinking about in a moment like this. No, in his ascent up out of the abyss of sleep, he had become aware of how his body was moving, what his uands were up to. It had started off as a wickedly erotic dream, which had probably been stoked by the fact that there was a naked woman directly beneath him… and so in the dream he had simply gone with the flow.
But when shaking out the cobwebs of sleep and realizing that he was groping Heather in the realm of reality, there had been two options at hand. One, to apologize and retreat to the chair – two, to lean into it and give her a choice. It wasn’t that he’d intended to molest her helpless body. It had… simply turned out that way. And it was true that he wanted to give her something to enjoy, something to look forward to, something to break the misery of the situation.
Her slow, emphatic nodding was the clearest signal she could possibly send him.
The hand cupping her breast gently kneaded her flesh and alternated between massaging and gently twisting her nipple. He lifted his other to his mouth and drew his first two fingers along his tongue to wet them properly, then sent them back down between her legs to more earnestly seek out her folds. He could feel her twitching as he parted her and caressed the petal softness there. Such an event should be a gentle greeting… and it was with that in mind that he sought out the pearl of nerves just a little higher, just a little deeper…
There. There she was. Shy, helpless, trembling, anxious – but she was there. And his touch was the sweetest massage of reassurance across that sensitive space… letting her know that he had no intention of abusing her, but would take care of her the best way he knew how.
Send “I thought I could trust you.” for my muse’s reaction
Heather was a runner, especially when she got anxious (which was often). She had attempted another escape, which left her in a position she knew well now. Heather was still clothed, blindfolded and gagged in the motel closet with her wrists bound to the rod above her head and her ankles bound under her ass as she knelt.
When he opened the door, she whined into the gag at his tone and the smell of dinner. Heather shivered as the gag left her mouth, trying to compose herself. “I-I… I don’t know why ya keep trustin’ me an’ givin’ me chances… I’m a fuck-up. I ain’t even anybody important.” Heather was a mess and, if she wasn’t so well held in place, she would have tried to run off again. “Just let me go… Let ‘em kill me. I ain’t nothin’ special.” Her accent was kicking into overdrive. She normally avoided using 'ain’t’ because it didn’t sound polished and proper, but she was upset and scared. Heather was stressed and she didn’t understand why he kept protecting her when she kept trying dumb shit.
Eddie sighed reproachfully as he reached behind her head and unbuckled the blindfold around her eyes, allowing her to see the mixture of sympathy and exasperation on his face. In taking a moment to consider what would happen if their positions were switched, he imagined that he might very well be the same way – looking for a way out, some means of escape, every waking moment he was left alone. Or, failing that, maybe even begging his captor to just put him out of his misery, or abandon him to his fate, just as Heather was doing now.
He dipped his head in quiet acquiescence to her point. It wasn’t unreasonable. “A’ight, look. I get it, okay? These last couple’uh weeks with me, with Us, I’ll bet it hasn’t felt all that fancy to you. In fact, I’d be willin’ to wager it feels pretty hellish, an’ I can’t even really blame you for tryin’ to take off the way you do. Feel like that’s kinda on me, since I haven’t been all that great about tryin’ to see to your needs and help you feel less afraid, whether I’m with you or not.”
Then he lifted his thumb and forefinger to her chin, clasping its point gently between the two digits so that he could make her look him in the eye. “Listen. I’m sorry. Think I got a little off-track, worryin’ more about tryin’ to protect you an’ keep you away from that thing imitating you, than actually doin’ anything about it. An’ maybe that’s what it’s gonna have to take, is Us goin’ to fight it, drive it off, so We can let you get back to the life you want.”
Then he tilted his head at her. “But you gotta figure… we’ve talked about what that life looks like. An’ you never seem any kind of excited about it. Work is where you’re surrounded by the most people, an’ you say they never notice you. Then you go home, an’… what? Not much waitin’ for you there. I mean, really think about it. This, all this, what’s been goin’ on here – this sure seems to me like the most excitement that’s happened to you in the history of basically ever.”
He released her chin, then leaned forward to unbind her wrists from the hanger rod. He held both her forearms firmly but gently, allowing them to lower by degrees to help restore blood flow gradually so that it would be less painful. He kept his eyes on her face as he lowered her hands into her lap. “Maybe a little too exciting.” A crack of a smile appeared on his face. “And maybe a little too boring when I’m not around. We really gotta change this up, huh?”
He scooped her up in his arms, carrying her back over to the edge of the bed. Notably, he did not release her ankles or legs from the straps encircling them. “Tell you what, though. I hear you when you say you don’t think you’re anybody special. But everything about you says you don’t wanna be anybody special. Can’t help but wonder why that is. You’re important enough someone wanted to take your job, your face, your life. Kinda stands out, to me. An’ to be honest, I think the world could actually do with more people who’re like you. Who can feel happy in their life, not needin’ to be super ambitious, not needin’ to stand above everyone else, just content with where they’re at an’ what they got, except maybe a few things here an’ there.”
He held out the foldover designated for her. “Check it out. Sometimes I actually do listen. No pasta, no junk food. Just a nice fresh salad for my favorite rabbit. An’ I didn’t know what dressing you like, so I got one each’uh the usual suspects – ranch, Caesar, Thousand Island, vinaigrette.”
Then he dipped one hand into his pocket and withdrew a small plastic bag, in which there was a handful of multicolored gummy bears. Maybe these would help remedy at least one of the underlying causes of her attempts to flee. He opened the bag and took one out, holding it out to her. “Here. Start with this. Then go ahead an’ dig in.”
Heather was confused when he said that he understood and that he took some of the blame for her trying to run. She didn't understand why. He was trying to keep her from being found by the person who had originally taken her and, honestly, he didn't hurt her. Heather got spooked and anxious, but she was never completely afraid of him. She didn't worry he would hurt her. She just felt trapped and it made her feel too tight.
There were points that she felt like everything was too close and she felt trapped, which was likely part of why she kept her spaces so bare and why she wore loose clothing. Heather wanted to be invisible and she wanted to have too much room. She nodded along to what he was saying, keeping her eyes on him as her arms were moved into her lap. "I-I... It's not your fault... I just keep feelin' too overwhelmed. I get overwhelmed a lot..."
She nodded as he started talking about her not wanting to be important, allowing him to easily lift her up and carry her to the bed. "I don't wanna be important... It's too much pressure. I just wanna help. I just wanna make it easier for everyone else to be important. I just... I keep gettin' stressed. I keep feelin' too... It's just too much sometimes."
Heather wasn't great at explaining her anxiety because it put so much focus on her. She smiled a little as he explained that he got her a salad rather than junk food. "I don't want too much to change... It ain't so bad... I just... I get overwhelmed. I get overwhelmed a lot." She lightly tapped the vinaigrette, tilting her head in confusion as he offered her a gummy. Heather had never considered taking anything that wasn't carefully vetted by a proper doctor, avoiding even something as innocent as alcohol. She didn't know to expect anything other than a gummy bear and it was confusing after he pointedly didn't bring her junk food. But, she owed him so trust after trying to run. She carefully ate the gummy, relaxing into his arms. "I run off an' ya bring me candy..." As the minutes passed, Heather relaxed more of her weight against him as it started to kick in.
