Last chapter, gang. Thanks for reading.
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Sixty hours ago
"I won't be home until late," Jackie said. Derek's eyes blinked open, expecting to see floating gloves or pajama sleeves. "My uniforms are in the dryer. Be a dear and hang them up for me when they're done?" He smiled and nodded. It was really nice to see her beautiful face first thing in the morning, especially after their experience the night beforeâeven if Jackie couldn't consciously remember it.
"No problem, babe. They'll all be hung up." Like he'd have anything to do with it. As soon as they were done, they'd probably leap out of the dryer themselves and start playing exam patient with Derek. Jackie was ready for work and about to walk out the door, but he didn't care. Regardless of the futility of his plans, he was going to go back to sleep.
Jackie turned back to look at Derek, who was already fluttering back to sleep. "I love you very much, Derek." He smiled wide, never lifting his head of opening his eyes.
"Love you too," he murmured.
After she left, not only was he able to get back to sleep, but he slept longer than he expectedâlonger than he had in the past month. When he woke up, he did so on his own, alone.
"Hey, wow." He blinked and looked around. No clothes. No gloves. No sashes, ropes, or furniture sliding around on its own. He wanted to make it a point to be heard. "Kinda nice to sleep in. I appreciate it."
No disembodied voices answered. No drawers shuffled open. No sleep clothes or lingerie to greet him. The closet door was closed, and it stayed that way. It was a less comforting situation than he would have expected.
"Hey, umâanyone?" He snickered at himself. He was so trained that he was actually calling out to themâto do what? Get him out of bed? Dress him? Did last night's events have anything to do with it? "I get itâwe're playing 'surprise the fuck out of Derek when he stops expecting it.' Okay." He sat up and swung himself out of bed, standing up and stretching.
Oh, standing up and stretching. Standing up. On his feet. Against the floor. He threw some boxers on and grabbed his robe, hanging on the hook on the closet door. Every move he made, he expected themâbut nothing happened. He took a piss. He washed his face. He walked downstairs. Silence all the way.
It was a test, maybe? Jackie had asked him to hang up her uniforms. They were certainly dry now, and probably needed fluffingâit was nearly 10AM.
When he got to the laundry room, he looked through the dryer's glass door. It was empty, but there was something inside withâwriting on it?
Derek,
Five days worth of clothes and whatever toiletries you need in a suitcase, please. You can ask us what they're for once you're done.
Love,
You know who
For a minute, he wanted to refuse. He wanted to shout expletives against his walls and tell them that if they wanted a suitcase packed, it was obvious they could do it themselves. It wasn't compliance or subservience that made him think twice, thoughâit was knowing that he could only have the information he wanted if he dropped everything he was feeling, took the note out of the dryer, and went to look for his suitcase.
"You got it," he said, shrugging. They were probably watching him right now, listening to his momentary inner tantrum subside from rational motivation. He wondered if they appreciated their own effects on him, if they got a kick out of it.
When he returned to the staircase, his suitcase was already waiting for him. It hovered, empty, over the stairs, the unzipped top flopping down and nearly touching them.
"Lead the way," Derek said. "I'm right behind you." The suitcase began hovering up the stairs, and Derek followed. "I don't expect that you'll be giving me clues in proportion to how done my chore is." Nothing. He entered the bedroom behind his suitcase, which simply hovered in the middle of the room.
Derek approached a dresser, and he was pushed back toward the bed.
"Hey, come on. If you're not going to talk to me until I follow your directions, then let me--" Another shove. Now he fell back and landed on the bed. "Well, if you're not going to--"
His sock drawer popped open. It shut him up. He tried to stand, but invisible hands held his shoulders in place. His face was turning red, but he refused to let himself snap.
"You're making me nervous, you know. This isn't fair."
"Five days, Derek. Just tell us what you need." First words he heard from the voice. Now he understood.
"Not cool," He said, tensing up a little after he did. When he didn't get a response, it only made him more nervous. "Four pairs of white socks, one pair of dark socks." The items hovered out in a line, flying over to the suitcase. "Three pairs of boxer briefs, two pairs of boxers." Another drawer opened, and the items slid themselves into a pouch. "Pair of jeans, two pairs of canvas shorts, pair of athletic shorts." More shuffling drawers. More hovering clothes to fill the suitcase. "Four t-shirts, one of them white. Short-sleeve button-down. The light one I wear to the beachâI assume you know what I'm talking about." As the closet opened, Derek finished his list. "One dress shirt, one suit, dark red patterned tie, black tie, dress shoes. Black leather belt."
He didn't know where he was going. Since he knew he wasn't going to have any of his questions answered until he finished, he simply packed the standard "out-of-town event" suitcase.
"Shaving kit, deodorant, toothbrush and toothpaste." Derek thought for a second. "You can decide if I'll need anything elseâyou've seen me get ready every day. I don't want to pack anything you're going to have for me." Maybe it would clue him in as to what it was planning.
No dice. The items gathered themselves and hovered into the pack, the toothbrush and toothpaste dropping themselves into a plastic bag first.
"That's it," Derek said. Five days worth of packing. The suitcase zipped itself closed, and hovered back toward the door. Derek still couldn't stand up. "Okay, so now I get to ask what this is all about, right?"
"This is about your decision," said a voice in the closet. The pink robe fluttered out with its matching camisole, panties and sheer white stockings. "You wanted to stay with us, remember?"
"I wanted to stay with Jackie," Derek said, watching the robed outfit walk toward him. "Why aren't you letting me up?"
"Try and listen, honâand think about what you say before you say it. You chose usâtwice."
"Twice?"