the kennel, part twenty

part of the the kennel (masterlist here). long time, no write! a follow-up to this ask. the taglist isn’t working for whatever reason, so please keep this visible if you are so inclined.

content warnings for: extreme dehumanization, conditioned whumpee, heavily implied noncon, human trafficking, cages, brief references to mouth whump, cold exposure and related maladies

part twenty, two by four

Will’s cage is still empty when the evening feeding is over. The others are in the recreation yard, relieving themselves before they return to the kennel for the evening. Annie doesn’t watch them the way Doc does. She knows that it embarrasses them, and she knows just as well as they do that there is nowhere they can run. Pets get spooked sometimes, she knows. Sometimes, they take off without knowing where they are going. But they never get far, so Annie doesn’t need to worry. 

Instead, she stands at the deep stainless steel sink in the grooming annex, rinsing the dinner bowls of the rescues who aren’t on rations. She made a big pot of mashed potatoes tonight. Frozen peas and carrots. Things that are easy to gum or swallow as they might need to; some of their training makes soft food a necessity. 

(SQUISHY! I'm sorry--I'm joining him where the regular timeline left off, so his sweet face is sad...)

Will's lead is tethered to the door handle of the doghouse. If he could think, he might realize that this is the longest he's been outside since Doc took him. Normally, Doc hustles him back and forth between the dog house and the kennel. But not tonight.

Tonight, Tommy is in trouble. Will doesn't know why, and he doesn't know how to care. If Tommy is in trouble, that trouble will land on Will's back. Or in his mouth. Or in other places that, if he could speak, he wouldn't say out loud.

But for now, the trouble is Tommy's. Doc shoved Will out the door and tied him up with a promise he'd be back after a few words with Champ. Sit pretty, mutt. That's what Doc had said. And Will is a good boy. He kneels on the gravel-strewn ground, his mittened paws dangling listlessly in front of his naked chest. He will stay that way until Doc comes back for him. He is a good boy.

Will shivers. There is less snow than when Doc brought them here, but the ground is still frozen and hard. His bare knees burn against the cold. He can't feel his toes, and his sweat-drenched hair is stiffening. But he is a good boy. He is. He has to be.

There are no thoughts in his head--they must be frozen too, or maybe they are crammed down wherever his words have gone. He is a collared mutt waiting for his master, and that is all he will ever be. But when the icy wind slips across his ruined back, his head tips backward against the heavy steel door.

Stars. There are stars above him, too numerous to count, even if he could remember how.

Pretty.

The thought is brief, and it escapes with the wind, but for a moment, there is something besides pain.

To be fair, Anon, Tommy was a virgin before he and Will ended up with Doc--but I bet he wishes he had a good story.

3. What is the weirdest place they’ve had sex?

Will sighs. "I'm pretty sure that's to you."

"Really?" Tommy rolls his eyes. "Like, weirder than a glass box in some guy's barn? I'm supposed to beat that? Because I'm pretty sure no one can top that." He blows air up through his floppy blond bangs. "The stacks at Bobst library? The guy worked for NYU, and he wanted to show off."

--

9 is answered here for Jack and here for Will and Tommy.

8. Have they had sex in a public place?

Will pales, thumbing at one of the scars on the the back of his hand. He can't quite look at you "Um, not like officially public? I mean, like in front of people, yes. Lots of times. But it wasn't in a place that normal people would be, right? So, no? I think."

Tommy's face is drawn in sympathy, but he sneaks a sidelong glance at Will before he stares back at his knees. "Yeah. Lots. I, uh, kind of lost myself for a while after I came home."

9. Have they ever been caught masturbating?

Will almost laughs. "Not unless you count my dad walking in on me when I was a kid. If you're asking about with--with Doc, no. My hands--I couldn't use them for anything, let alone that." He sighs and tries to flex his curled fingers open; they barely move. "Actually, not a ton danger of that now either."

Tommy shrugs. "Yeah. Doc caught me once. I never did it again." He doesn't elaborate.

10. What does their favourite sexy underwear (to wear) look like?

"Look, after what I went through, clean underwear is sexy," says Will.

Tommy doesn't look up. "That's not a thing I'm into."

I would love to! But... I have a question, for the good of the whole. Should it be from Will's perspective, or Dad's?

Looking at puppy adoption pages, and thought of the ad copy the WRU team (or Doc) might write.

Jack, 24. Jackie is a sweet boy who's finally realized his full potential. Calm and obedient, Jack would be an ideal companion for an owner who can appreciate his gentle personality and unique qualifications. He comes completely prepared for an active owner and absolutely loves to play with all manner of toys. He responds well to physical affection and would be happy to snuggle up with you anytime.

Champ, 23. Champ is a gorgeous specimen who's been well-trained to provide his owner with hours of fun. He is active and prefers physical play, even if he may seem a bit shy at first. He is easily motivated by affection and treats, just like a good boy should be.

Will, 23. After a bit of an intensive training period, Will may look a little rough around the edges, but he's ready for an owner who will lavish him with special attention. He is a quiet boy who does best away from other pups, but if you're willing to put the time in, he'll do whatever he can to please you. He can be a little food aggressive, so it's best to keep him on a regimented diet and a short leash.

part of the kennel. master list here. takes place after will's rescue.

The television catches her attention from the next room. 

“The young man, identified as twenty-two-old William Cartwright, was extracted from DeAngelis’ compound by federal agents just yesterday.” 

Casey freezes, even if she can’t explain why. William Cartwright isn’t such an unusual name; there are probably dozens of them who are the same age as he is. This person they’re talking about, it isn’t her Will. Not that he’s her Will. He hasn’t been. Not for a very long time. 

“Casey?” Dan asks, but she only puts her hand up to silence him. She walks into the living room like a ghost. 

The reporter is in front of what looks like a hospital. LIVE FROM ST. ANTHONY’S, reads the tag at the bottom of the screen. Casey peers closer. It is. It’s the hospital where Will was born.  

“Mr. Cartwright is currently in critical condition. While the FBI isn’t providing specifics at this time, sources from inside of the hospital suggest that he suffered unthinkable treatment during his year in captivity. Mr. Cartwright is the latest in a string of high profile rescues from a human trafficking ring linked to Dr. Paul Barker, who was apprehended earlier this year.” 

And then there is a picture. Will, probably in high school, years older than when she last saw him. His arm wrapped around a curly-headed blond boy. They both look so familiar, but they are not familiar at all.

"Cartwright was kidnapped with his friend, Thomas Mahoney, in November of last year. As you'll remember, Mahoney was rescued with Barker's daughter in a raid several months ago."

The screen cuts to a perky blonde woman at a news desk. "I can't imagine how glad these families are to have their children home."

"Oh my God," Casey murmurs. "Oh my God."

"Case?"

Dan looks back at her. He doesn’t understand. She’s never told him. She left her married name behind just the way she left her son. Brian’s son. He was always so much like Brian. But so far as Dan knows, Casey is run-of-the-mill horrified. She has no special interest in this story. 

Except for the fact that she does. 

From this ask game.

People wouldn't necessarily guess it, but during recovery, Will becomes a serious yogi. It's part of his physical therapy regimen, but he finds that his mind quiets in a way that it hasn't since he's come home. He's got some obvious mobility issues, isn't necessarily the most flexible, and he's pretty sure that he looks like some kind of confused ostrich in most poses, but he feels good, and so he keeps doing it.

From this ask game.

The first time Will feels truly happy after his homecoming is when he puts together the Legos that Not Dr. Jack suggested Will's dad buy him for Christmas. When he decides what he's making--and then makes it--it's empowering, and it throws him back to some of the innocence of being a kid. He doesn't even realizing he's smiling, but his dad and Annie do.

From this ask game.

For a long time, even after he's rescued, Will feels the safest when he's sleeping. Being put in his cage or locked in the tank was his only guarantee of relief, and he learned to fall asleep quickly, and to sleep hard. Before everything he went through, he was a super mobile sleeper, tossing, turning, kicking, starfishing, all of it. When he comes home, he doesn't move at all. He either sleeps curled up like he's in his cage, or ramrod straight with his arms at his side, like he slept in his tank. His dad does reintroduce the stuffed dog his mom bought him when he was a kid though, so eventually, he does have something soft to snuggle with (until he's ready to snuggle with Annie).

the kennel, will & his dad reunited

part of the kennel. follows will's rescue; master list here.

content warnings for: graphic descriptions of bodily injury and scarring, med whump, mild body horror, references to mouth whump, references to past noncon, hospitals, absent parents, unconscious whumpee, aftermath of captivity, adult language

after will's rescue, the fragile cry

“Mr. Cartwright?” 

Brian looks up, blinking at the woman in front of him. She wears a navy pantsuit, and her dark hair is tamed into a tight, perfect bun at the nape of her neck, and maybe he would think she was attractive under any other circumstances. 

But this woman is here because of Will. She’s Brian’s handler, meant to keep the news of Will’s recovery underwraps until the Bureau is ready to put out a press release. Until they know what they’re dealing with. 

Brian Cartwright hasn’t seen his son in 293 days. 

He isn’t supposed to keep track–the counselor he’s been working with says that it isn’t necessarily helpful to watch the time so closely–but Brian can’t help it. He keeps a running tally of the days in the corner of his desk calendar. Sometimes, updating the long line of hatch marks is the only thing he remembers to do when he goes into the office. They don’t expect much from him, of course, and they won’t fire him; no one fires the guy whose son has been kidnapped. 

From this ask game.

TW: implied past non-con

Will has major hang-ups about sex. That's canon. We know that, and we know why. It's not even all Doc's fault!

But Will after rescue? Slow to warm up to the idea. He's self-conscious about his body in an entirely different and all-consuming way than he was before he and Tommy were kidnapped, and he doesn't have a lot of confidence when it comes to being a more active participant in sex. That makes it very difficult for him to feel empowered and ready to go when it comes to his relationship with Annie.

It's actually Not Dr. Jack that helps Will take back some of his sexual agency and start feeling a bit more confident by sharing a little of what his own experience was with Joe after his time with Ivan. Jack encourages Will to be vocal with Annie about his own desires, and he tells Will that it's okay if there are hiccups and hang-ups along the way--that it isn't sex in and of itself that's frightening, and that vulnerability isn't always something that's going to be exploited.

A lot of Will and Annie's early sex life is slow and awkward, and then eventually, sweet and patient. Will starts to find his confidence in pleasing Annie, because, unconsciously, he still feels like he's meant to please, first and foremost; he's a little more uncomfortable engaging with his own pleasure, but Annie quite literally teases it out of him and allows him to see that how he feels is just as important as how she feels.

And later, when things get a little spicier, even if Will is hesitant at first, he's able to reclaim some of what he's lost by playing in a safe and loving context.

From this ask game.

TW: discussion of weight, forced starvation/weight loss

I think food is something with which Will has a complicated relationship even before he's taken by Doc. Clearly, his ex-girlfriend Jessie made him feel self-conscious about his body, which took a toll on his eating behavior; he'd try to be everything she wanted him to be when they were out on dates or eating together, and then he'd make less responsible choices when he was by himself.

Obviously, during his time with Doc and then with Pat, his food is aggressively restricted and, when he is allowed to eat, actively unpleasant. He believes that he must take what he's given, and that, if he isn't given much, it's because that's what he deserves. He struggles in the hospital after rescue because, even when they start trying to give him solid food, he doesn't know how to want it anymore (not to mention all of the mechanical issues he has after having his jaw wired shut for the better part of a year).

Will doesn't eat normally for quite a while after he's rescued. It's really difficult for him. But it's already canon that Not Dr. Jack takes Will on little food dates when he's at Hope House (and, let's be real, probably brings in some of his own goodies for Will to try), and we know that Annie loves to cook. Initially, Will starts to eat a little bit more just to please Annie; if she's going to all that effort, he doesn't want it to go to waste. Then, Annie starts bringing him into the kitchen with her, and they start to cook together--usually things that are softer and easier to eat that don't take much dexterity to prepare. It helps him with both his hands and his appetite.

But even before that, one of the biggest moments in Will's recovery is when he's the one who is able to prepare a delicious meal for Annie, right after he comes home from Hope House. Not Dr. Jack helps him practice in the facility's kitchenette. It's a wonderful surprise.

Stop, Anon--or don't stop! You don't know what your kind words mean to me. It's been really hard for the last couple months; I was sort of worried that I might never be able to find my writing mojo again (even though that's very dramatic and intense, haha). But for it to hit you like it did, and for you to notice the things I put work into (the perspectives, emotion, pacing, character development)--you make me feel like I can keep doing this!

...there are currently five pages of Will's very sweet father waiting for his very broken son at the hospital, and I think you'll find that Will and his dad are very much alike in their valuation of themselves and how much they would be willing to do for others...

I had so much fun with Will's rescue that you're going to get Dad Cartwright's reunion with his poor sweet boy in short order. Thank you so much for all the engagement!