Love and Affection

Zoe didn’t know how long she spent against her door. Naked and alone – the ever present weight of the collar a constant hammer on her psyche that this wasn’t a dream. Her tears had dried up, she had cried herself out.

It’s real… my life is a nightmare…

All around her room were clothes, blankets, cushions… comfort… but the girl couldn’t bring herself to try to use any of them. She didn’t want to know what would happen if she tried. If she tried and was whipped… she’d confirm her worst fears, and Zoe couldn’t bring herself to do it…

It’s only temporary… it’s only temporary… It’ll let me wear clothes again… it will… if I’m good…

Her trembling fingers traced over the metal at her throat, around the raised design of the horseshoe....

“Zo?”

There was a delicate knock and Katie’s voice carried timidly through the wooden door between them. The red-head didn’t respond and just hugged her naked legs to herself tighter.

She heard the doorknob rattle softly...

“… Please open the door… I don’t… I don’t care that you’re… uh…” Katie stopped, trying again, “I’m sorry – I… I didn’t think and I was scared. I am scared – but I know you must be scared way more… so… please let me in? Let me help you…? I want to help you…”

Zoe sniffed, and closed her eyes in self-pity – what could Katie do anyway?

“You don’t have to do this on your own… I mean… I called off work; I’m going to be here for you ok? I’m going to be here and we’re going to figure this out. There has to be a way out of this, there has to be... Just please… you don’t have to hide… I know you’re embarrassed… I… I can take off my clothes too if… would it help?” Katie offered meekly.

Zoe couldn’t help but snort with a tiny laugh of disbelief of how absurd her friends offer would’ve sounded at any other time.

“No…” She responded, her voice hoarse.

There was a pause and Zoe heard Katie shift on the other side of the door, she heard the clattering of cutlery.

“I made soup…”

The red-head mewled – her stomach growling as if to remind her suddenly what it had been trying to tell her all day; she hadn’t eaten. She had been, she realised, literally running on empty and just the mention of food from Katie made Zoe’s hungry stomach hurt.

“Please open the door Zo?”

Reluctantly the naked girl complied, standing up and unlocking it, opening it enough to poke her head around while shielding her nakedness, her bright eyes looking at her friend in quiet, embarrassed pleading. Seeing Katie stood there, she’d changed from her work clothes into a casual sweater and jeans, her hair tied back and a tray of soup and bread in her arms. The sight and smell of the soup made Zoe’s mouth water.

Katie smiled warmly, even as her eyes flicked between Zoe’s face and the collar, “Can I come in?”

Zoe’s voice cracked as she spoke with gallows humour, “Depends on the flavour…”

Katie’s pouted to match her tone, “Tomato…?”

“Then I guess you can come in…” Zoe nodded and started to open the door before she froze again, the awkward reality that she was about to expose herself to Katie again made her shudder.

“I don’t care that you’re naked… I just care about you” Katie offered, Zoe’s thoughts obvious.

The red-head bit her lip and reluctantly opened the door. The light of the hallway flooding in and lighting her nakedness, the door framing her like a picture; perky bare breasts high on her slender fit torso, her narrow waist and perfectly curved hips with her slender long legs and dainty feet. The only thing between the tip of her ponytail and her bare toes was the black collar around her throat. Zoe’s chest flushed pink to match the blush in her face as she stepped aside and crossed her legs at the thighs, trying to maintain some level of modesty.

She watched Katie’s eyes sweep over her, the blonde’s expression faltered for just a split second, before she stammered breathlessly, “T-thank you…”

Katie moved past Zoe into the low light of her room, placing the tray on Zoe’s desk as the red-head awkwardly moved to her bed and sat down, legs crossed and hands on her breasts for modesty. Katie sat in Zoe’s desk chair and spun around, rolling herself closer to the naked girl, a bowl of soup and spoon in hand.

“This is for you…” she offered Zoe the bowl and spoon.

Both girls paused. Taking them meant Zoe would need to show Katie her tits; there was no way around it.

“It’s nothing I haven’t seen before…” Katie’s tone was motherly. Reluctantly, Zoe complied, gasping quietly as she let go of her nipples, letting her breasts sit free to the air again before she took the bowl and spoon and started to eat.

The moment she drew the first spoonful between her lips, the red-head moaned softly, her body flooding with relief and she couldn’t help but start slurping it down ravenously.

The rest of the room seemed to blur away for Zoe as she ate, luxuriating in the warmth and deliciousness of the soup, and her body's welcome relief from her hunger. She barely registered when Katie offered her some bread, the red-head taking a slice of it and eating it as quickly as she could.

Zoe was so distracted by the food that she didn’t notice Katie move behind her until she felt the warm embrace of a blanket placed on her shoulders and wrapped around her. The red-head tensed, letting out a whimper of anticipation into her mouthful and closing her eyes – but nothing happened.

Katie let out a sigh behind her, as though she had been holding her breath, “I… sorry… I had to try… blankets aren’t clothes… so…”

Zoe looked over her shoulder at her friend gratefully, pulling the blanket more tightly around herself for comfort. She swallowed and felt the presence of the collar and its constant threat, but mercifully it stayed silent this time.

Katie sat next to Zoe on the bed, hands in her lap. The red-head only now noticed that Katie wasn’t eating.

“I was thinking I… the next time it makes you run… I’m going to come with you…”

Zoe’s shoulders dropped and she looked at her friend sceptically as she swallowed another mouthful, shaking her head, “You can’t… Katie, you wouldn’t be able to keep up with me… and… I don’t think it will let me slow down for you…”

The blonde whimpered and stamped a foot in annoyance, “I need to do something!”

Zoe pulled the blanket tighter to herself, “There’s… I don’t think there’s anything you can do…”

The pair sat in awkward silence as Zoe swirled her spoon in the soup. After a few moments Katie let out a sigh and shifted on the bed to face her, their faces close, her eyes determined,

“Ok… maybe… maybe you’re right and I can’t help you. But… I’m going to be here for you. I heard what it called you… you’re… you’re not a pony Zoe… you’re a person, and I’ll be here for you as a person, as a friend, ok? I’ll help you… get through this… whatever this is…”

Zoe’s eyes met Katie’s and she felt a flutter, she couldn’t help it…

She leant in and kissed her.

Zoe didn’t know why she did it, she’d never been with girls and she’d never been interested in Katie like that before and yet… it felt… right. She needed to feel care, love, affection… real human connection, something to take away all the hurt and pain and embarrassment, all the aches and fear of what was happening to her.

The weight of what the collar had called her, what it was doing to her hadn't escaped her - it wanted her to run like a horse... Like a pony... It was de-humanising...

But Katie’s words had sunk into her mind, into her soul, just hearing someone else tell her she wasn’t a pony was enough… she was a person… I am a person…

The kiss lingered, their tongues entwined.

After a moment, Zoe opened her eyes, realising what she was doing. She gasped and pulled back.

Katie’s eyelids fluttered and she matched Zoe’s gasp. The pair looking at each other as redness flushed across both their faces.

“I’m sorry!” Zoe squeaked, looking away.

Katie bit her lip and bashfully shook her head, “It’s… its ok… it’s ok… you’re … you’re a good kisser…”

Zoe mewled, mortified, and immediately went back to her soup, her heart pounding.

What is wrong with me…?!

“A ‘thank you’ would’ve been fine…” Katie offered playfully and for the first time in what felt like forever, Zoe found herself snorting back a laugh.

There was another drawn out pause.

“Do you feel better?”

Zoe took a couple of deep breaths, “Yeah… I do… thank you…”

Katie smiled, “Ok good… because, I uh… I want to try something…”