Rei
Rei lay with his head in Alexi’s lap, the older man absently playing with his hair and petting his back as he read a hardbound book.
Lisa sat between Alexi’s legs, his head against Alexi’s inner thigh.
Rei and Lisa’s faces were so close together they could have kissed.
Sometimes Alexi moved from petting Rei to petting Lisa.
It had been a quiet twenty-four hours since Sevastyan left.
Jonathan was mostly out or sleeping, as Alexi had him on night guard duty.
Alexi had made almost no demands on either slave since Lisa’s meltdown in the bathroom.
He fed them both by hand, letting neither of them feed themselves, and he supervised both of them in all hygiene and body care.
Lisa’s hands were still wrapped. He had mostly dozed, slept, or stared silently at a wall, obedient and pliant, but withdrawn.
For Lisa, this was him trying, turning to face Alexi whenever Alexi returned after a moment away, softening into Alexi’s touch, never attempting to shy away, even when he’d reached his limit.
But more than once Rei had seen silent tears running down Lisa’s face when he was left alone and at least once Rei had turned and inadvertently caught Alexi’s eye, confirming that Alexi also had seen Lisa’s state.
Whatever Lisa was bottling up inside was wearing him down. His eyes fluttered and closed and his body grew heavy in a way that could only mean sleep. Alexi tightened the muscles in his legs, keeping Lisa in place. His hand stilled in Rei’s hair.
“The tired fox is asleep at last,” Alexi murmured.
He sounded pleased, for all that a slave was not supposed to sleep without being given leave.
Or perhaps he was experiencing satisfaction that Lisa was showing so much trust, that at least on the level of his body, even with his hands bound, he felt safe enough to rest.
“Lift your head, little one,” he said to Rei.
Rei obeyed. Alexi eased up and braced Lisa, turning him around and lifting him from the floor.
He carried him into what had been Sevastyan’s room.
There were sounds of pillows and blankets being moved, and then the older man returned, closing the door behind himself.
Rei held himself up as Alexi resumed his seat.
Alexi tapped the floor, signaling Rei to take Lisa’s place.
“Legs out in front of you, no kneeling,” Alexi said absently.
He held Rei by the shoulders, bracing him, as Rei found his place.
It was awkward, with his injuries, and he bumped Alexi at least once.
Rei ducked his head. He didn’t have leave to speak, so that was the only way he could apologize.
“You’re injured, little one,” Alexi said softly. He stroked his fingers through Rei’s hair. “Like a little deer, learning to walk again.”
Rei ducked his head more, just to show he had heard, then nuzzled into the V of Alexi’s legs and the side of the couch.
Alexi didn’t pick up his book. Instead, he continued playing with Rei’s hair and tracing lines on Rei’s bare skin.
Rei waited for him to speak, breath after breath, but he never did.
In the end, Alexi picked up his book but the pages didn’t turn.
Rei lay there, feeling the gulf between them, the words that seemed to swell inside of Alexi’s ribs but never left his mouth.
Eventually, he rose, leaving Rei on the couch, and poured himself a brandy. Then he stood by the window and drank it.