rain felt groggy and stiff when she woke up. she was sleeping in such an odd position, for some reason... with her eyes still closed, she shifted around, only to realize that she was stuck in that position. her wrists were tied together behind her back, her ankles also bound.

she opened her heavy eyelids, seeing that she was in a stranger's bed, with a man lying beside her, watching her.

"good morning, dear," he said softly.

his gaze was gentle and loving, in a way that was especially creepy, but also seemed to bore into her, looking deep inside of her.

she squirmed slightly, having no plan and no idea what she should do, but knowing she should escape if she could.

he only moved closer to her, wrapping an arm around her, holding her tenderly. "are you still feeling sleepy?"

there was so much for her to process, she only just realized, as he touched her exposed skin, that she was also wearing lingerie. it fit her perfectly, even though it wasn't hers.

her heart pounded.

"what's wrong, dear? did you sleep alright? you seem a bit tense... did you have a bad dream?"

he pulled her close, caressing her face, still looking deep into her eyes. her own eyes darted around, only looking at his for a moment before moving away. it was too intense.

"just look at me..." he murmured. "it's alright. just look at me... look into my eyes..."

she turned her entire head away, only feeling more flustered.

"shh... sweetheart..." he turned her head back, gently but firmly, holding it in place. "don't be like that... i just want to help you relax... alright?"

he was the reason she was tense in the first place.

her eyes still kept flicking away, and flicking back for just a second, before looking away again.

"your eyes keep coming back, don't they?" he said softly. "i know you can't look away forever. can you?"

a small whimper escaped her throat - she had no idea why she reacted that way. it would have been embarrassing in any situation, but she especially didn't want to react that way in front of her captor.

but she just felt something, when her eyes darted back again, when she caught his gaze again, after he said that.

"that's it... just look a little longer each time... just relax... it's comforting... it's comforting to just stare... to lose yourself in my eyes... you'll relax... you'll forget all your worries."

her heart was pounding harder now. she couldn't forget her worries. she'd been kidnapped. she was in a stranger's bed, tied up and wearing lingerie that wasn't hers. and her captor was cooing at her and calling her pet names and tenderly rubbing her back. she shouldn't relax in a situation like that.

but his eyes did seem to draw her in. it was just so intense and intimate, even when she just glanced at them. she finally rested her eyes on his for a few more moments, and somehow, it felt like a relief. she pulled away again, but they just drifted right back.

"that's it... good girl... do you see how relaxing it is?"

it felt strange. she really was relaxing.

his gaze really was so loving and affectionate, somehow. he didn't even know her. or... maybe he did. she didn't know him, but...

"you're just feeling so sleepy and confused, aren't you, dear? that's why you kept squirming and looking away... you must have had a nightmare. but it's alright... i've got you now... just relax, and take some deep breaths for me..."

it was so weird, and creepy, and unsettling, how he kept acting like this was normal, like he hadn't kidnapped her, like she'd always lived with him. still, for some reason, she did take deep breaths, just like he told her to. she did feel... kind of sleepy still.

"there you go... that's it..." now that he didn't need to hold her chin to make her look at him, he caressed her face again, brushing her hair to the side. "how do you feel now?"

she didn't even know how to answer that. she realized that, since he had just been acting like this was normal, it felt difficult for her to say anything about being kidnapped. not that it would have made a difference even if she did... she was still at his mercy, anyway. it wasn't like just saying something about it would change anything.

still, the inability to even comment on it made her feel an abstract, distant kind of helplessness.

"i... i feel a little more relaxed," she said quietly, feeling even more strange hearing the sound of her own voice, hearing her own response.

it was like she was just accepting it.

"that's good... i'm glad... i don't want you to feel scared... i want you to feel comfortable and relaxed... you know i love you."

her head felt foggy, her eyelids trembling and drooping. "i... i feel weird," she said.

"you're alright, dear... you're just sleepy... you can just let your eyes close, alright?"

the lids still trembled even as they closed and stayed shut.

she felt his lips press against hers, still so soft and gentle and tender, just like everything else.

"that's it," he whispered against her lips. "i don't know what sort of dream you were having last night... but you're safe here... you remember, don't you? you remember that you've always been here with me..."

she really didn't... she really hadn't...

he kissed her again, and her mind went fuzzier. "you can always relax with me... you know i take good care of you... it's so nice, being here with me, isn't it? you can feel so comfortable... right here, in my arms... so peaceful... so warm... so safe. isn't that right, sweetheart?"

for some reason, she just nodded. it felt so blissful, that everything else was starting to fade away.

"good girl..." his hand moved to her wrists, carefully untying and releasing them. "there you go... you don't need that, now... do you?"

her hands were free, but she could hardly think. she leaned toward him, wrapping her arms around him.

he kissed her again, a little bit more deeply, and she kissed back, melting into it. it just felt good... it just felt right.

"i love you," he said softly, under his breath, between kisses.

"i love you too..." she responded, in a quiet, dull voice.

"that's right... you do..." he whispered, pulling her even closer, pressing their bodies together.

she hadn't even fully forgotten the situation she was in... but somehow, it didn't matter anymore. it felt less and less real, like it was just a dream.

she'd never felt so safe and relaxed and loved... she wanted to stay in this moment forever.