Here is a little thing originally from The Story. It’s not much linked to any of my ongoing stories other than sharing a setting and can be read on its own. It features a Whumper turned Caretaker (male) and a Whumpee (nb). It’s not exactly pet whump but it can be read as so.
CW: slavery whump, past burns, burn scars, misunderstandings
Whumper wanted to somehow break the tension. Whumpee still trembled whenever he was near, always afraid he was lying and things would go back to normal at any moment.
He hated it. He knew he couldn't simply erase the pain he inflicted on Whumpee, but he didn't think it would be so hard to gain their trust. It had been weeks and Whumpee was allowed to walk freely around the house, was given decent meals and Whumper hadn't laid a finger on them. What else could he do?
He thought back to his conversations with his friend, the one who had unknowingly convinced Whumper to free Whumpee. His friend always complained when he spoke as if he knew better than Whumpee, or as if his wishes were the only thing that mattered.
Right, he had to listen to Whumpee. Only they knew what they needed.
"If you could ask something from me, anything, what would ask?" He asked. Straight to the point.
Whumpee bit their lip. They wouldn't meet Whumper's eyes, but that's how they always were. Whumper was afraid the question had the opposite effect from what he intended.
"I want to give you something." He added. "It can be anything. Object or action, anything. Surely there must be something you wish for?"
Whumper asked himself what he would have answered if he was in Whumpee's shoes. If he was in front of someone who had beaten them mercilessly almost every day for years. Someone who had done nothing but hurt him since they first met.
The thing Whumper would wish the most from someone who treated him like this would be to pay it back, even if just a little bit.
He couldn't imagine Whumpee asking for it, but surely they desired it. If they did ask, Whumper decided he would give it. He would stay still and let Whumpee do to them as they wished. Maybe give them a few hours to let it all out.
Maybe it would help them see that Whumper was being sincere.
It was more likely that they would ask for something else. Maybe something for their room, a nicer pillow, or a warmer blanket. Maybe some specific food. Maybe even to be taken away, far away from Whumper, so they wouldn't have to see his face every day. That could be arranged too.
(Did they even know, that there were nicer pillows and warmer blankets? Did they know there were so many comforts and luxuries in the world? They have been locked ever since Whumper bought them, and he didn't know anything about their life before that. Did they have a favorite food, a favorite drink? Was there anything they missed from their life before Whumper?)
Whumpee had no idea of what Whumper wanted to hear. Whumper never asked them questions, never cared for what they thought or felt. He never even asked for them to stop screaming and crying, unbothered by it.
Should they ask to be beaten? Were they supposed to come up with their next punishment? Whumper usually disliked begging, didn't forbid it but always punished them for it. He never told Whumpee to beg to be hurt.
Whumpee missed being chained up. Whumper wouldn't talk to them, and they didn't have to think about what to do. They just had to stay there and take whatever pain Whumper gave them. There was no way to mess up that.
Whumpee decided to be honest. Maybe Whumper really wanted to know something they wanted, so they would decide if Whumpee deserved it or not. Whumpee doubted they did. Whumper these days always had to explain things twice, three times until Whumpee got it.
They opened their lips but closed them again.
"Hm?" Whumper asked, having noticed it.
"I'm sorry," Whumpee said, but Whumper didn't look mad. He looked like he wanted them to explain themself. "I thought of something, but it's absurd. It's certainly not what you meant."
"It can be absurd." Whumper smiled softly. It was a smile that didn't fit them, that always made Whumpee feel messed up inside. "Just tell me, and I will tell you if it can be done. If not, you can choose something else."
Whumpee had to come up with something Whumper approved, keep trying until they got it right. They wondered what the punishment for each wrong answer would be.
"I... if I could ask for anything," they paused, swallowed. "I-I know it is too much, and I don't deserve it, but if it could be anything..."
They raised a hand to their own chest, feeling the scars under their shirt. That had been the worst day of their life. Master usually wasn't very creative with his punishments, mostly sticking with beatings and whippings. But once in a while, he tried something new.
"If I c-could, if I could ask you... please, please don't punish me with hot water again!"
Whumper needed a moment to process the request. Whumpee seemed to mistake his surprise for anger, as they soon started apologizing.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I know I don't deserve it. You know better, of course, you do, Sir, I know. I will take anything you give me, and I will be thankful. I promise!"
"It's alright," Whumper said. He wanted to reach out to touch Whumpee's shoulder, to comfort them, but he knew they would flinch and then apologize for it. "I'm just... why don't you just ask me to not punish you at all?"
"I'm sorry! I would never, I wouldn't even consider- I know my place! I promise I do! I am yours for you to do as you wish. I'm sorry, I know I sound like a lazy, ungrateful slave, but I promise I'm not. I will do anything, anything to prove it!"
Now it was them offering Whumper anything. Whumper couldn't help but be disgusted. Not at Whumpee, Whumpee did nothing wrong. They were just trying to be safe.
He was disgusted at how the best thing, the one they wanted the most, was not to be hurt in that particular way. Not to never be hurt again, not to be sent away, not to hurt Whumper. Just not to be burned. He was disgusted that even making such a small request, even after Whumper assured them they could ask for anything, they still thought they were asking for too much. They thought they didn't deserve it, that they deserved to be burned whenever Whumper wished.
Most than all, he was disgusted that they thought that wishing to live better, wishing not to be hurt were crimes they must prove they were innocent of. Wasn't it natural for any human, any animal even, to wish to be safe? Even if the wish couldn't be true. Whumpee never fought or showed defiance, but Whumper never thought... not even in the past days, before deciding to free Whumpee, Whumper would never have punished them for wanting it to stop.
He had no idea how broken Whumpee truly was.
"I will do it" Whumper said, interrupting Whumpee's apologies. "What you asked. I'll do it. I promise I won't burn you again."
Whumpee sighed in relief.
"Thank you. Thank you, sir, you are so kind. I promise I will be good for you, sir."
Of course, Whumper hadn't intended to burn them ever again even before they asked, just as he even now didn't intend on punishing them in any way. But clearly, Whumpee didn't believe him yet. If saying this now brought them any relief, then Whumper would say it as many times as they needed to hear.














