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Kevin woke up, mind hazy, to find the red blinking light of a camera in front of him. It took a moment to register that that was a bad sign, and another to try and move, looking around the room frantically.
He was tied to a chair, coarse rope digging into his wrists and ankles. There was no give to the restraints, nor did the chair shift as he moved. The red light continued to blink.
What was he doing here? The last thing he remembered was leaving exy practice, waving Andrew off as they went to their first classes. What happened between then and now? How-
"Oh, you're awake."
Footsteps approached from behind his chair, making his heart stutter nearly as much as the voice did.
Kevin's throat was tight, silencing him, as Riko came into view, running a finger down Kevin's arm. He looked down at him with a familiar expression - Sadistic pleasure.
"I suppose you're wondering how you got here. Its quite far from your new, ah, guard dog." Riko's lip curled in amusement. "Not that he's much good at guarding. And you're the better dog, even though you ran away."
Don't talk about Andrew; I'm not a dog; Let me go - Kevin didn't know what he should say, or what he could say, and so he said nothing at all, veins filling with ice.
"No greeting for your owner? Its been so long." Riko's hand dug into Kevin's hair, forcing his head back. "I hope you don't think you're too good for me."
"I-" Kevin's voice cracked. "I don't-"
"Hush, pet." Riko's other hand covered his mouth. "No need to talk. We're just going to send your temporary keepers a message, about who you belong to."
Riko let him go, walking over to somewhere behind the camera, and Kevin's heart raced. Fuck, Riko could do anything to him, and no one would be able to stop him. And, the camera-
"We're live." Riko tapped the camera with a knife as he walked back toward Kevin. "Oh, you know how I am with tech stuff, but its being broadcast to where your stupid little foxes can see it."
"Riko-"
Riko's hand cracked across Kevin's face, hard enough to make his neck hurt. He hit him again, and then again, leaving Kevin dazed.
"What did I say about talking?" Riko tutted. "This is what happens when people take someone else's property. They don't know how to take care of it. You've always needed a firm hand, otherwise you start thinking you're anything but a pet, born to kneel at my feet."
Kevin hasn't been in the Nest for a while, hasn't been at Riko's mercy since then, not even at Kathy Ferdinand's studio, but he found himself slipping back into the mindset too easily, trembling at Riko's every move. He had to stop himself from begging for forgiveness, and even that wasn't because he didn't want to. He just knew it would earn him no mercy, and ran the risk of irritating Riko.
Riko's knife trailed up his arm, drawing blood at a few spots, until it reached Kevin's neck, pressing against his throat.
"I could just kill you. It would serve those thieves right for thinking they could keep you." Riko leaned in close. "But, Kevin, you're not allowed to die. Not before you repay your debt to the Moriyama's, and not without my permission."
Riko stabbed his knife into Kevin's thigh. He twisted it, and despite his best efforts Kevin screamed.
"I missed that sound." Riko smiled. "You always did cry so nicely."
He sliced a line along Kevin's arm, blood dripping down onto the floor. It burned. Riko pressed down on the wound, making Kevin choke on his cries, and then he shoved the knife's handle into the wound on his thigh. Kevin screamed, again, throat raw already.
"I hope you won't pass out too soon." Riko ran a thumb over Kevin's now wet cheek. "We've got so much quality time to catch up on, and I wouldn't want our audience to feel cheated."
Kevin tried not to imagine Andrew and the others watching this. He failed.
Riko pressed his knife against Kevin's other arm, waiting long enough to build up dread. Kevin breathed faster. All the while, the red light blinked.