Kat had finished her chores some hours ago. Now, she simply stood by the window, staring out into the rain. Wishing she could feel it. Taste it. But Mistress Alexa had told her to stay indoors, lest she catch a cold. And she was very serious about it, too. The way she'd said it was almost as if she thought Kat would die from simply sneezing too much.

She wondered where her Mistress was now. After they'd gotten back, she took off somewhere, just after giving Kat a stern warning not to go outside. There was a clever look in her eye, and the kitchen door was shut, so Kat assumed she was up to something in there. Still, she hadn't seen Cobb either. The house was... empty, in a way. It seemed as if it was just her, alone here.

She turned and left the window, heading for the kitchen. She figured she may as well try and see if anything strange was afoot; better to be caught on guard than off. At the kitchen door, she paused, pressing an ear to it and listening. There was chatter coming from inside, and she could hear Cobb's voice.

"Though, if I may advise?" she heard him say.

"You may," came her Mistress's voice in response.

"Kat needs a soft touch. Imagine, if you will," he said, "that Kat is an egg. She's built a shell that protects her gooey insides. You could crack it delicately, or you could crush her. Either way, the shell is thick, but you are stronger. So be careful."

"I'm trying to be careful," Mistress Alexa said. "I'm doing my best for her. I don't want a repeat of Sarah."

Kat backed away from the door. A repeat of Sarah? She frowned, unsure, and uneasy. She chewed on that for a moment, before hearing footsteps. They were getting closer.

"And, if I may?" she heard.

"You may."

"Do have fun."

She backed up, and the door swung open, Cobb stepping out. She tried her best to pretend she was doing something else. Looking at the floor for dust, in this case. Cobb closed the door, turned around, and eyed her.

"Ah, there you are," he said. "Quite nosy, hmm?"

She flushed, and faced him. "I was just checking around for any dirt I missed, is all."

He raised an eyebrow and stared at her. "Quite. Well, it's good that you are here. Go into the kitchen. The Madam is waiting for you."

Without another word, he stepped around her and walked away. Kat took a moment to let the heat drain from her face, before reaching out, and sliding the door open. She stepped into the kitchen, quietly shutting the door behind her, wondering why there was even a door to the kitchen in the first place. Then, she turned around, and found herself face to face with her Mistress, who had crept up behind her.

"Hey you," she said, breathing on her. Kat felt her heart jump, icy adrenaline rushing through her gut.

"H-Hi Mistress."

"C'mere you," she said, wrapping her arms around Kat. Kat shuddered, but didn't fight the embrace. Mistress Alexa sat her head atop Kat's, and sighed. "You're cute."

Kat said nothing.

"Don't be so stiff all the time. Relax," Mistress Alexa said. "It's bad for you to be so rigid. It's okay, Kat."

At the drop of her name, Kat shivered in what felt like delight. Something about the embrace was warm, and tender, and the way her Mistress had said her name was smooth, like rich chocolate.

"I'm sorry Mistress," she said, as her Mistress let her go. She tried to smile, but Mistress Alexa looked at her, and frowned.

"And stop fake smiling. I can tell when you're doing it."

Kat let her smile fall. Mistress Alexa examined her face for a moment, before turning and heading deeper into the kitchen. Kat finally got a good look at the kitchen, now, and found an assortment of ingredients and utensils and pans and pots set out ready for them to use. On the island, a red wine sat next to two empty wine glasses. Mistress Alexa reached out and carefully poured the rich red into the glasses, before taking them, and walking back up to Kat.

"Here, take a sip," she said, handing Kat a glass. Kat took it and inspected it. Wine? She was being offered wine? And from the look of the bottle - it was fancily decorated with red and black textured swirls - it was a nice one. Something about it seemed wrong, but she wasn't going to complain.

Slowly, she took a small sip, the flavors bursting on her tongue, of rich oak and berries and of course, the bite of the wine, it all meshed in her mouth like a firework. Her skin prickled into gooseflesh as she purred happily, taking another small sip. She felt a small smile appear on her lips.

Mistress Alexa took a sip of her wine, and said with a grin, "You like that? What do you say?"

Kat paused. "Thank you Mistress."

"Good girl. Now come here, take a look," Mistress Alexa said. She stepped over to the counter where the ingredients were laid out. "I'm going to teach you how to make a souffle. It's a difficult dish, so I want to walk you through it, and we'll see if we can't do it together, ok?"

Kat walked over to the counter, taking another sip of her wine.

"You know," her Mistress continued, "I absolutely love cooking. I love the way the ingredients blend, coming together to make something new. Something delicious."

Kat took another sip of wine. It was the first alcohol to touch her tongue for years, and it tasted like perfection. She took another sip, and another, savoring each one with her eyes closed. A small smile crept onto her face as she enjoyed what felt like an ancient luxury, something of the past.

Then, suddenly, she was out of wine.

Mistress Alexa chuckled and took her glass back, pouring her another. "Here. But a little slower this time. I want you awake."

"Yes, Mistress. Thank you," she said, taking the glass back and having another tiny sip of it. "Thank you."

She smiled back at Kat. "You're cute when you smile, you know that?"

Kat blinked, suddenly aware of her smile, and tried to force it down. "I'm sorry."

"For what?" Mistress Alexa asked, raising an eyebrow. "For being happy? Don't apologize for that."

"I--"

"Ah! Don't want to hear it. C'mere, you," she said, stepping toward Kat. Kat stepped back briefly, before catching herself. Steeling herself, she waited for the embrace. It came, but was warm, gentle. Mistress Alexa wrapped her arms lightly around Kat, petting her, scratching her back. Kat didn't want to admit it, especially not to herself, but she shuddered at the pleasant feeling.

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Eventually, she found herself returning the embrace, slowly resting her head on Mistress Alexa's shoulder and blankly staring at the wall. What was happening? What was this? This... warmth, this tenderness, it wasn't natural. It was the way one would hold a friend, or a lover. Not a slave. Most definitely not a slave.

At the end of the hug, Mistress Alexa planted a little butterfly kiss on Kat's forehead, and let her go. "Cheers with me," She said, raising her glass.

Kat, still a little lost in her own head, mindlessly picked up her glass and clanked it with her Mistress's. "C-Cheers..."

Mistress Alexa laughed. "You're adorable. You know Kat, I think that's my favorite thing about you."

Blinking, Kat said, "What?"

"You're cute."

A heat rose in her cheeks as she coyly took another sip of her wine. The first glass was starting to hit her, and she felt a little lighter. "Oh," she said, blushing. "Thank you Mistress."

"What's your favorite thing about me?" she asked, leaning on the counter and taking a sip of her own wine.

Kat watched her for a moment. What kind of question was that? What kind of trickery? She thought warily for a moment, before sighing. What if there was no trickery? That funny feeling was back, but she couldn't tell if it was just the alcohol or not. She took another sip, thinking.

"I like that you take care of me," she eventually said, looking away.

Mistress Alexa laughed lightly. "You're adorable, Kat."

She took another sip of her wine, and found she was out again. Her Mistress, seeing this, leaned over and poured her a third.

"Ah, to hell with it. Have another. But don't drink too fast, you'll get sick," she warned.

Kat looked into her glass, into the deep red liquid, and swished it around a bit. Mistress Alexa, watching, giggled to herself.

"Here, why don't we get some music going?" her Mistress said, pulling out her phone and flipping onto her music app. "What are you in the mood for?"

There was a pause. Then, Kat said, "Something soft, Mistress."

"Chill it is," Mistress Alexa replied. She threw on some soft pop, setting her phone down, and finishing off her wine, before pouring herself another. Kat watched as she did, the music filling her ears. It was the first music she'd listened to under anything even resembling pleasant circumstances in... years. She couldn't help but want to dance a little.

Mistress Alexa noticed her squirming, and said, "Are you okay?"

"Yes Mistress," Kat said, taking a sip of wine and putting her glass down. "Just... tipsy. I'm a little tipsy."

Mistress Alexa swayed her way up to Kat, until she was towering over her, within her bubble. She reached down and set a hand on Kat's head, gently patting it. "You like the music?" she asked.

Kat stammered. "Yes Mistress. I do. I... haven't listened to music like this in a while."

"Oh, now that's a shame," Mistress Alexa purred into her ear. She kissed Kat on the cheek, and Kat felt herself blush. "Do you dance?"

"M-Mistress?"

"I said," she said, a playful growl in her voice, "Do you dance?"

Kat swallowed. "I haven't in so long, Mistress..."

Mistress Alexa set her glass down, and took Kat's glass from her. Kat felt a swimmy sensation in her head as her Mistress then took her hand and pulled her out into the open space beyond the island. Outside, the rain pelted down, tip tapping at the windows. The lambent light in the kitchen was dim, soft orange, gentle. She wanted to sit down, but the music filled her ears, and she found herself, pressed against her Mistress, wanting to dance.

Her Mistress took a step to the right, and Kat followed suit, stepping with her. Her cheeks flushed, her eyes felt heavy, so she closed them and laid her head on her Mistress's shoulder and followed along with the gentle swaying of the dance. Mistress Alexa nuzzled her gently, taking her around the kitchen, tenderly dancing with her.

Kat wanted to think, but couldn't. The alcohol filled her mind and numbed her thoughts, and for a moment, she was at peace. The dance was rhythmic, and calming, her uniform's frills lapping at her legs as she swayed with her Mistress. She hummed softly.

"You okay, Kat?" Mistress Alexa whispered into her ear.

She licked her lips and nodded. "Yes Mistress. Thank you."

Kat felt a hand slowly run up her back. "Tell me Kat," Mistress Alexa said, "have any of your other owners danced with you?"

Shaking her head, Kat said quietly, "No, Mistress. Owners don't dance with slaves."

"Well, now, that's not entirely true," her Mistress said, holding her tight. "I'm dancing with you right now."

"I... but..."

"Kat, you don't have to fear me," she said, kissing Kat's forehead. "It's okay. I want to keep you safe, and secure. I want to take care of you."

Kat stopped, and abruptly pulled away from the dance, turning around and holding herself. Mistress Alexa sighed, and walked up behind her to wrap her arms around Kat's waist. Kat shuddered, keeping her eyes downturned.

"Mistress," she eventually said.

"Yes, Kat?"

"Why?"

Mistress Alexa looked down at her. "Why what, sweetheart?"

Kat huffed. "Why are you so nice to me?"

A chuckle filled the air like delicate moths. "Because, sweetheart, you are my charge. My ward. You are my slave, and I take care of what I own."

A frown fell upon Kat's lips. "But... you own me."

"I do," she said, kissing Kat on the neck. "It's true. But just because I own you, doesn't mean I don't want what's best for you."

Kat paused. "What's best for me..."

"Yes, Kat. I want you to be happy."

There was that feeling again. That funny feeling, of butterflies in her stomach, of warmth in her chest. She felt something warm in her eye, and a small tear trickled down her cheek, followed by another one. She sniffled. Mistress Alexa noticed, and spun her around gently and tucked her thumb under Kat's cheek, forcing their eyes to meet. Kat was crying now, tears freshly falling from her tear ducts, trickling their way down her cheeks, staining them.

"Kat, sweetie... no, no," Mistress Alexa said, shushing her and pulling her into an embrace. "It's okay."

Kat shook her head vigorously.

"It will be," her Mistress continued. "It will be. You and I, Kat, we will heal. Together."

The familiar words bounced through Kat's mind. Together? Healing... could she heal here? Could they heal together? What did Mistress need to heal from anyway? The thoughts returned. She tried to push them away, but couldn't.

Her Mistress squeezed her tight, and then let her go, and said, "Come, Kat. Let's cook dinner, I'm getting hungry."

"Yes, Mistress," she said, standing there, staring off into space.

"Kat." Mistress Alexa snapped her fingers. "Come."

She shook her head, knocking the thoughts loose, and turned to face her Mistress, joining her at the countertop, where all of the ingredients were laid out. A souffle. She'd never made a souffle. Focus, Kat, she thought. Focus.

"Oh!" Mistress Alexa exclaimed, turning around and picking up the two wine glasses and handing one to Kat. "First, cheers with me. To us."

She raised her glass, and Kat slowly raised hers, clinking them together. "C-Cheers."

Mistress Alexa laughed. "God, you're so cute," she said, taking a sip, and motioning for Kat to do the same.

She did so, and that night, they cooked together, combining this and that and making something greater. Together.

Kat wandered the halls. She couldn't sleep. In bed, she'd tossed and turned and eventually kicked the covers off to see if it would help. It didn't. The night was stuck in her head, the embrace, the dance, the cooking. The warmth her Mistress had shown her. All of it was stuck in her head, replaying over and over like a scratched disk.

They'd made the soufflé, and it was absolutely delicious. She had to hand it to her Mistress, She could definitely cook. They'd finished dinner and had another glass of wine together, and for once, Kat found that she didn't mind being in Her presence. The whole night was... soothing. But then, something was in Mistress Alexa's eyes. Something sad, sudden, and once they'd put the dishes up, she'd left and vanished.

For some reason, it troubled Kat. It made her want to gnaw at her fingertips. She wanted to figure out what had just happened. Of course, she couldn't. Mistress knew what Mistress knew, and Kat would be in the wrong to go snooping about it. But that didn't sate her curiosity.

So, she paced the halls, rubbing her neck, rubbing her eyes, running her hand through her hair, trying to shake the feeling from her bones. And that was when she heard it. Something soft, quiet, from down the hallway. She paused, listening. It came again.

Carefully, tip-toeing, she made her way toward the sound. It got a little louder with every step, until, when she was at her Mistress's door, she could hear it clearly. It sounded like... laughing? No, no, coughing maybe. Or...

Sobbing. It was sobbing. Her Mistress was crying. She listened, trying to hear if Cobb was there, but it seemed that she was alone. The sounds of the sobs stabbed at Kat's chest. She clutched it, scowling as a sadness filled her heart. She wasn't even sure why. She shouldn't have been feeling anything for her Mistress, much less sympathy.

But with every sob that filled her ears, her heart felt like it was breaking more and more. A part of her - the logical part - told her to leave and shake the whole thing from her mind. But still, another piece of her replayed the night's events in her mind. The hug, the dance, the cooking, the wine and the laughter. And now, there was sobbing. She felt like she should be obligated to knock, or that she ought to never have eavesdropped in the first place.

She just felt wrong.

Another sob came from within. They sounded lighter now, as if her Mistress was at the end of a long crying session. Kat stood there for a while longer, listening, before deciding to turn away and walk back to her room. It was clear that sleep would elude her tonight, but she didn't mind. She had things to settle within herself.

Things like the hurt.