Work Text:
He was floating in nothingness, empty of everything but simply being.
No thoughts. No worries. No control.
Everything was simply, completely out of his hands.
“Good puppet,” he was vaguely aware of his Master running his fingers through his hair as his voice, his static-laden voice, washed away anything that remained of Chase Brody. “That’s a good doll. Just let my voice and static push everything away. You don’t have to worry about a single thing. Just let your Master pull your strings for you.”
He let out a deep exhale, feeling more of his sensations and mind slip away from his grasp. Simply focusing on his Master’s voice and nothing else. There was nothing around them. The world was simply made up of him and his Master. He was an empty, mindless puppet whose only purpose was to exist for his Master.
Anti began to hum a gentle lullaby under his breath, carefully watching Chase’s blissed out, blank face as he continued weaving his static over the younger ego. Chase instinctively leaned his cheek towards his warm hand as Anti began tracing invisible circles over his cheek.
“Let your worries fade to nothing. Think of nothing but serving your Master. Empty your mind of everything and simply be,” Anti whispered, channeling bits of his static into the tips of his fingers as he pressed them into Chase’s temples, watching the remaining tension in Chase’s body ease until the younger ego was a boneless heap on his lap. “Good boy.”
“Mm…” Chase mumbled, curling up against Anti.
“Drift. Drift yourself to nothingness until you fall asleep, little puppet.” Anti murmured, watching Chase’s face as the man finally slipped into the realm of sleep. “… Goodnight, Chase.”
He heard the door softly creak open and Jameson poked his head in, looking at him and Chase with a curious look. Anti pressed a finger over his own lips in the universal sign for silence while his other hand rested and sank into Chase’s hair.
“Chase asked for me to do this. Something bout everything getting too much,” Anti explained, making sure to keep Chase under sleep. Jamie’s eyes glittered with understanding. “Did ya need me or him for something?”
“It’s time for dinner,” Jamie said, making sure to avoid knocking against the wall or door as he signed, “But considering what you’re doing, I’ll just tell the others to keep a plate for you and Chase. Do you need me to pass on a message?”
“Yeah, thanks. Tell the Doc that he should talk to Chase bout his meds or something,” Anti looked down at Chase, scratching a nail over the sleeping man’s scalp in what he knew to be one of the man’s comforting sensation. “Seems there’s something bothering him a lot if he’s been asking me to do this far too often lately.”
“I see… I’ll tell Henrik about it,” Jamie peered at Anti with far too knowing eyes. “You should also get some sleep. I know you don’t mind using Chase as a teddy bear.”
“Away with you, you menace,” Anti shooed Jamie away, wrinkling his nose at the younger ego when Jamie soundlessly laughed at him. “Enjoy your dinner or whatever.”
Jameson waved goodbye at him and closed the door behind him with a soft click. Anti let out a sigh and carefully rearranged Chase so that the younger man could cling to him in his sleep.
“What are we going to do with you, Chaser?” Anti murmured as he buried his face into the soft brown hair in front of him. “Can’t hurt to take a little nap, I suppose…”
In mere seconds, Anti felt himself drift into the realm of sleep alongside the man in his arms.