Astray

08 / Wounded

When Felix came in to bring her down to breakfast that morning, Emerson did something she hadn't since they were in the library, when she thought she was actually being interviewed for a job: she smiled. It caught Felix off-guard, seeing her smile, and his heart leapt at the thought that she was truly happy to see him.

"Did you sleep well?" Felix asked, returning the smile, as he took her hand.

"Very well," Emerson said, yawning. She'd decided she should play up the obedience today, as painful as it was to do so, just so Felix had no reason to chain her wrist later that night. Nothing could mess up her plan.

Felix walked her to the bathroom as usual, and as he waited for her, he allowed himself to relax a bit; perhaps she was finally adjusting, finally feeling comfortable around him. Maybe, she could finally see herself being married to him. Felix couldn't help but smile to himself at this thought.

When Emerson knocked on the bathroom door to be let out, Felix took her hand once more, but didn't start walking. He turned to her, saying nothing, only thinking about how perfect she was.

She looked up at him, confused. "Are we going downstairs?" Emerson asked.

Instead of answering, Felix leaned down and kissed her.

If Emerson thought she was prepared to face anything today, being kissed by her captor was not something she'd considered. It wasn't a reciprocated kiss, by any means, but she was so thrown off by this turn of events that she froze, and time seemed to stop moving. Felix's hands traveled, one to her waist, and one to her hair, and he pulled her closer to him.

"Felix, don't..." Emerson, still paralyzed with shock, tried to say against his lips, as he continued to kiss her. His breath smelled of spearmint toothpaste. Her mind was screaming at her to shove him away and run, but she knew she couldn't. She had to play her cards right. If she fought against him now, there might not be a chance to stab him later. So Emerson let herself be kissed, pushing down nausea and quieting every urge she had to rip his head straight off of his body.

Finally, after the longest moment of her life, Emerson took in a shaky deep breath as Felix drew away from her, standing up to his full height.

"You're perfect," Felix whispered, staring deep into her wide eyes. "Alright, let's go eat."

And with that, he resumed his typical hold on her upper arm and walked her downstairs to breakfast.

Emerson was quiet for the majority of the day after that. Felix watcher her closely as she gazed down at her food, her expression unreadable. In each conversation he tried to initiate throughout the day, it seemed like he was forcing her out of deep and complex thoughts. He wondered whether the kiss had been as good for her as it was for him.

Her lips were so soft...

Felix knew she hadn't been expecting it. He'd kissed her before, but only on the forehead or cheek, and that had been when she was in and out of consciousness. He wished she would've kissed him back, but he knew it was unrealistic for their first kiss. There'll be many more, he told himself, resisting a smirk, and a lot more than just kissing, too.

In reality, Emerson remained quiet because she was simmering in raw anger; silence was the only way to assure that she wouldn't say anything she might regret. She hated him, now more than ever.

How dare Felix kiss her? How dare he run his hands down her back and through her hair, like she was his plaything? Did he expect her to enjoy it? She was angry at herself, too. She knew she'd made the right decision by remaining passive, but she kept thinking back to how frozen she'd been; how submissive. She had played the part of his doll, and she despised herself for it.