The cement floors didn’t feel so uncomfortable anymore. Luka wasn’t sure what that meant about how long he’d been down there. It felt better not to think about it.
Honestly, he was just happy to be off the hook. He’d been hanging from it for most of the day and had taken an extended beating. Now it seemed whatever Alexander had wanted to work out on him had been satisfied, and he was glad to be able to sit against the couch next to his legs while they watched TV.
Everything hurt, and he was so tired. He was trying to pay attention to the movie, really, but it was hard to stay awake and focused.
Luka still wasn’t allowed on the furniture, but the cement basement floor wasn’t so bad when he could press against Alexander’s warm legs. He knew he was pushing it, but if Alex minded, he didn’t say.
Alexander was drinking some and it seemed to pair with his good mood. Luka’s legs were still bound to cripple him at the knees, but his hands had an unusually comfortable amount of chain attaching them together. The shock collar was on, but Alexander wasn’t playing with the remote and it wasn’t secured so tightly it was a constant pain on his throat.
Luka laid his head against Alexander’s thigh, closing his eyes. He nudged a little /past/ accidentally against Alexander’s hand there, which responded by carding his fingers absentmindedly through his hair.
Luka purred, the soft gentling soothing and pleasurable when so much of his existence had turned to pain. Fingernails traced along his scalp, parting the hair and sending tingles down his spine. He shivered lightly and pushed against the hand.
The hand stopped its petting after a while, and Luka suppressed a whine.
“Do you want more?”
“Yes, please.”
He surprised himself with how readily he answered.
“Well, we can’t always get what we want, can we?”
Luka pursed his lips together in disappointment, but didn’t dare protest. It was just nice to be leaning on his thigh, his hand resting in his hair.
“You just want my attention, huh?”
Luka froze, frowning to himself.
“What? No.”
Alexander’s hand paused in his hair, the fist tightening slowly, threateningly.
/No secrets between us, right, Luka?/
He realized with a sinking feeling that Alexander was right.
Alexander was always right.
He had to take in a slow, shuddering breath.
“M-maybe? ...Yes, I... I’m sorry... I didn’t mean to bug you, I’m sorry...” He shied away, automatically expecting retribution, but Alexander just chuckled and pulled him back with a tug.
“I suppose I can’t blame you. Do you get lonely down here without me?”
No, of course not. Alexander’s presense meant pain, meant spending time with his captor.
Yet, he did miss him when he was gone. He missed him so, so much.
“Yes...”
“Hmm?”
“Yes, I do.”
Alexander sighed, but rewarded his honesty with an absentminded scratch along the crown of his head.
“I guess that’s only natural. Your whole world revolves around me now, doesn’t it?”
Luka hummed in a distressed sound of agreement. Down here his role was very simple: do as Alexander tells him to do. Make Alexander happy. He rarely saw another living soul, only when Alex had friends visit, and any access to food or water or rest had to be granted to him by his captor. Yes, his whole world had dissolved down to Alexander. Pleasing Alexander. Surviving Alexander.
“I really didn’t mean to - to bother you. I’m sorry... you can always ignore me, I mean of course, if you want, not that I - I just mean I don’t mean -“
The fist in his hair clenched hard and he yelped before falling silent. The hand relaxed after a moment, smoothing the ruffled hair there.
“Do you want me to ignore you?”
Luka hates how fast the tears welled in his eyes at the thought.
“No.” He answered miserably. It was an honest answer, but Luka’s comfort wasn’t exactly Alexander’s priority.
“Then aren’t you lucky I’m here now?”
Luka nodded against his leg, and Alex seemed satisfied enough by that.
Luka stared at the TV screen with unseeing eyes, his attention forever focused on Alexander.